Jed

There's no time frame - it's self paced learning. There's a fair bit to the course, and some people have more time than others, and the MDBA has taken that into account. After all, it is to increase your knowledge, and your dog knowledge, and the MDBA would prefer that you use the course to learn as much as you can. You simply send in the assignments when they are finished - and there is plenty of help if you need it.

My dogs have 2 puppy shots (C3 or C4), another at 12 -15 months. Then no more. I have been doing this for about 10 years. If the dogs are out and about, they are boosting their immunity through being exposed to various viruses etc. I also do rescue, so have unvaccinated pups and dogs here. I have never had one of my own dogs with a virus -- despite having pups with parvo on 4 occasions. Edited to clarify - dogs/pups which I have brought here for rescue have had parvo (not my own dogs), and my own dogs, on the above vaccination regime, have not been affected. A titre test, which indicates the level of protection the dog has, is available from some vets for about the same cost as a vaccination. I had 1 tested at about 5, who had not been vaccinated since 12 months - her immunity was very high.

Thanks for the update, Rappie, glad you had a good time. Congratulations on your new position. Is it small animal surgery and medicine?

Dunno, Pebbles, just age, I guess. A couple of mine are a bit strange on and off, one is a bit confused at times, but they seem happy enough, no medical problems, so I just enjoy them for what they are, and give them a few more treats. I figure if they can put up with me, at least I can humour them. Sumosmum, maybe Daisy isn't hearing or seeing as well as she was? I had a dog which was terrified of thunder - used to cower under the laundry tub and dig up the vinyl - one day I realised she wasn't doing it any more - coz she was as deaf as a post!! And I hadn't spotted it because everything else about her was normal ... noticed she didn't come when I called her all the time, but thought she was just a bit deaf.

Wow, how cute is she!!! May you both have years of love and pleasure.

roxy_girl em This breeder probably does love the dogs, but she has failed either to learn how to breed, or to apply that learning. I have no idea why. Pups used to go to new homes at 6 weeks, and I once got one at 5 weeks because the breeder knew me, and I had other dogs to socialise it. However, since then, further studies have proven that pups need to be with their litter mates until 8 weeks, as part of their development. They learn bite inhibition, become established in sleep/wake patterns and learn good play behaviour. Also being with the rest of the litter helps them overcome timidity, as they follow the braver ones in scary situatiions. The difference between 6 and 8 week old puppies in terms of development, size etc. is just amazing. They grow and develop so much in that 2 weeks. Particularly their individuality and personality. At 8 weeks, 2 weeks is a quarter of their lives. And, pups which are not regularly wormed, especially if they come from an environment where there are a lot of worms, can develop life long problems. A bottle of Drontal puppy wormer costs about $16 and worms a medium size litter until they leave home - cheap at twice the price, and certainly worth it to ensure that no cysts develop. Good luck with her, you are a caring owner. Now, to the important stuff. Where are the PHOTOS??

I don't think he was a vet at all, I think he was a doctor who had gone to the wrong address by mistake, and thought you wanted to get your husband desexed!! Seriously, I would really like to know why he thinks like that. Wonder if he picked it up at Uni or he simply thinks like that. Most peculiar. I don't think desexing is a cure-all for everything, as is often suggested, but it is THE cure-all for unwanted pups, and pyo. And, I'd be telling the owner of the practice. If he is the owner, I would find another vet.

There are many variables - breed, how "forward" the pups are, when they were vaccinated, how much socialisation they have had, and are receivng. The pup must be at least 56 days, and I mostly let mine go on the weekend after they are 8 weeks. Occasionally they are 10 or 12 weeks, due to a whole variety of circumstances, and I've never noticed any problems with the ones who are older.

I've never heard of kelp water, but kelp is a useful supplement. It contains the amino acid methonine, which is believed to help with pigment, as well as being rich in iodine. Also contains the amiino acids aspartic acid, arginine and leucine, as well as the trace element cobalamin, in small but useful quantities. Good as a general supplement, and for dogs with minor thyroid problems.

That's sure one serious looking juicer Poodlefan!! I've killed umpteen juicers and blenders. I use a food processor now. Tip for pumpkin - put it in the microwave for a minute or so to soften it up a bit - also a good tip which helps if you want to peel it for yourself. Don't cook it, just soften it a bit.

I use Epi Otic

I feed my dogs meat, with approx 10 - 20% fruit and/or veges - they also get organ meats, eggs, fish, oil, cheese or yoghurt, anything left over, plus they very occasionally have rolled oats or bread or cooked brown rice, + mineral/vitamin supplement, and extras such as LSA. Everything except the mince goes through the food processor. Vegetables have cellulose, which is difficult for dogs to digest (stomach contents would have been partially digested) and if you do not break down the cellulose, the dog cannot digest it. They have bones 2 - 4 times a week It is important that dogs receive amino acids and vitamins in their food, and by feeding them a varied diet, I know they are receiving these, and utilising them where necessary. Cooking destroys many vitamins. There are quite a few diets out there ulitising raw meat and or vegetables, and bones. It's a matter of doing some research so you know what and why you are feeding what you are, and choosing one which suits you and your dog.

Used to be able to get cats speyed/castrated (by a vet) for $10 each - as part of a desexing program run by a vet and an animal welfare society.

Yep, one fairly sure way to ensure you get bitten - right in the middle of the face, or on your pursed lips. Looks like another know nothing would be byb flogging out a litter of pups and sending them off to the unwary with lots of wrong advice. And when the pup does bite the kid's nose off, it will be the breeder who will be to blame, but the pup will be bumped off anyhow, for being savage, and that will be a black mark against cavs, and breeders. The only saving grace is that 99.99% of cavs would NEVER bite Save us proper breeders from these idiots, will someone please. "We put paper down in the laundry" A classic, can I have it??

I've thawed and refrozen it, and it's been ok. Must depend on the Lenards store. I used to get it sometimes, and it was carcases minced, bone and meat. Seemed fine, but I have only bought it from one store. The chicken mince I buy from the pet food shop is also frozen, but I use as soon as it is thawed - although I have refrozen without problems. Cooking is not a good idea, as it destroys the calcium in the bones. After reading Bommy's disaster with neosporra (sp?) I only feed thawed frozen beef now - bones included.

lillysmum IMHO, additionally helps prevent them contracting a lot of problems. Current research indicates that some heart problems in dogs can be greatly alleviated by diet. Diet does play a part in HD, and by feeding raw with no artificial preservatives/fillers/colourings/sorghum/wheat, there is a vastly reduced chance the dog will contract a skin disease. The addition of sunflower/safflower/sesame oil will provide linoleic and alpha-linoleic acid, which promotes healthy skin and coat. Thanks, Cavandra, always interested in learning what others feed and do.

Mine have raw too - chicken mince with grated veges or fruit, meaty bones + eggs, organ meats, and a couple of times weekly, sardines, sunflower oil, cheese - and very occasionally, cooked brown rice, and rolled oats (raw) - not a huge quantity. Meat, whether chicken or beef would comprise about 80% of the diet. So, everything is raw - except the cooked rice, sardines and rice (which would only be on the menu once a month). Pasta and rice are fillers only. Cavandra, do you feed only meat, chicken etc, no veges?

I used to use it - but my dogs don't eat a lot of dry - I use Nutrience and Nutro sometimes too. Cobber was sold t o one of the large human food manufacturers a while back (a year ago? Some months?) and the composition has changed dramatically. The dogs don't like it as much either. I am going to give Coprice a try one of these days. Heard good things about it.

I've never seen any information anywhere about not using Woolmix on dogs, but a rep told me years ago that when the brand changed hands, the ingredients changed. He seemed well informed, so I believed him. A couple of vets I know were going "Aaargh, b##### Woolmix, they wash their dogs in it, and then want us to find out why the dog has a problem- and there's nothing you can do about it, so it makes the dermos rich". So, I asked my vet, who went "aaargh, don't wash the dog in b##### Woolmix, heaps of the skin dogs I see have been washed in Woolmix, and it's damaged all the layers of the skin so much there's usually nothing you can do about it, except cortisone forever". I have also noticed that a lot of the rescue skin dogs have been fed cheap food and/or washed in Woolmix or human shampoo. The nearly bald boy I had last year had been washed in Woolmix, and he was so bad their vet made a tentative diagnosis of syringo. because he scratched and rubbed so much, and yelped and went on. I think that was why he was off to the pound (although that was not the reason given), and he came with a shopping bag full of itch cures - none of which worked. With the cavs, which have a reputation for being a bit itchy anyhow, I wont risk anything which may cause them problems. There are heaps of good dog shampoos out there anyhow.

Congratulations, what a gorgeous puppy!! It's difficult to say without seeing it, but as your vet said, keep an eye on it. If it is not causing and problems, when she is desexed is probably a suitable time to have it repaired. Also be aware that pups can sometimes have fatty deposits in this area, which are easy to misdiagnose as inguinal hernias. They disappear as the pup grows.

The main reason for grating the veges/fruit, and putting them through a processor is so the dog will eat them. Rice is a filler, but brown rice does contain selenium - but it is also contained in vegetable oils, poultry, organ meat and wheat.

Dogs skin does not have the same Ph as human skin. \shampoos are specifically made for one or the other. You may use human shampoo on your dog occasionally, but if you use it continually over a period of time, the skin is damaged. Eventually, the dog presents with a serious skin condition at the vets - the cause of the allergy can never be determined, because the damage was done long ago, and there is no cure -- only cortisone. Some dogs are pretty tough, and human shampoo over time doesn't bother them, but most dogs do have problems - maybe not this year, but perhaps next year, or some time. There are plenty of excellent dog shampoos in shops - although they cost more than a $2 special human shampoo from the chemist, they last a long time, and do no damage to the dog's skin. Lots of show dogs are washing in Pantene without problems, but I always worry about the problems I might be causing in the future. I can't tell whether the skin will suffer in years to come, but avoiding human shampoos seems an easy way to avoid a problem in the future. Puggles, when Woolmix was first marketed, under the Martha Gardiner label, it was probably mostly eucalyptus and gentle ingredients, and lots of people washed their dogs in it. It killed fleas too. Since the brand was sold, it contains more detergent and chemicals, and I have been told by my vet that a major cause of skin problems she sees is on dogs regularly washed in Woolmix - after a period of months or years. She always askes clients with skin dogs if they have been using Woolmix!!

It's an individual dog thing. Some dogs are chook killers - of all breeds, some are not. I've had both types, and the dogs were never a problem with other animals, or children. To some dogs, chooks are a fantastic, noisy, moving target. Best fun in the world. It's not that difficult to make a chook run dog proof. Hmm, Joelle, I had a boxer like that. She just loved ducks. Not chooks, just ducks. She caught them and mothered them - which involved lying down and keeping the duck between her front legs - not difficult, they were usually too terrified to move - and admiring it. If I got there fast enough, disaster was averted - if not, the duckie usually went to heaven. From sheer fright, I think. She was totally uninterested in chooks. T hey just didn't do it for her. She was very maternal too.

Do speak to the breeder. This may work with an older dog, or a different problem, but if this was my pup, I would grasp the skin on the back of the neck - a good handful, and shake the pup from side to side, growling when I did it. Each and every time the pup behaves aggressively. When the punishment is finished, no time out, simply behave as if nothing had happened. If your sister is going to do this, be aware that the puppy may try to bite her - or anything else which is close, depending on temperament. She needs a good grip on the skin at the back of the neck, as the pup may twist and try to escape, and she needs to ensure the pup does not bite her. Keep the nose facing away from her. Continue shaking until the growling stops. Some pups stop immediately, some want to fight a bit. Just depends on the pup. It is a dominant pup, hopefully of good temperament, and it needs to learn that your sister calls the shots. Before it gets much bigger!!

Sometimes when selling pups, you come to a "flat spot" and run out of enquiries. I've just had an circular from a breeder in another state, wanting help with placing 3 pups (not golden retrievers). You can advertise for weeks, with no response and then you have 6 people enquiring. Perhaps you could register her on here, and post a notice in the breeders' section? Otherwise, notices at the vets, supermarket, ads in the paper.