BlaznHotAussies

I don't even know. After the massive lack of sleep last night on an already unpleasantly warm night, where the dogs' bedroom door got blown open (we had windows open & the pressure changes along with the door that doesn't actually latch properly, yay) letting them trot about the house dropping bits of bones on the wooden floors & making their loud way into our bedroom (doors generally stay open considering the lack of doors that shut properly). THEN my lovely husband put them outside (and fair enough, to let them wear off some energy or get a drink or go to the toilet or whatever)...to which Tundra thanked him by barking at 3am. Which got both dogs put back inside and growled at for not going straight to sleep. Interestingly enough every time Tundra hears the stompy steps (grumpy human at 3am who is super super tired & desperate for sleep) down the hallway he drops (because that's the main trick I've taught him, so slack ) and acts like the perfectly behaved little student. Gaaah. Generally they're ok. I think it was just the windy, hot night last night that made it hard to sleep.

Yep go cheap I've even been tempted to use old horse rugs (you know the ones that have that many rips & missing straps that have been lost down in the depths of the furthest paddock) on those dog bed frames but never get around to it. Mine love those cheap $15 single quilts from Kmart. It looks disgusting after about a week (we live on a farm & don't have lawn, sadly) but it's comfy & warm. Possibly not the most hygienic though.

If your parents are registered breeders they should've been able to tell you it's against the code of ethics to be selling unregistered pups. Especially for a cheaper price than registered pups in the same litter. Disappointing to see all the helpful, friendly advice to be thrown back in everyone's faces. If you're happy with the associated health risks & fully informed it shouldn't bother you to be told the information again. Nobody here was rude and just wanted to help. It's hard to know where a person's knowledge is at from a relatively brief 1st post.

If profit means a breeder is making enough money to be able to spend time with their dogs AND improve the breed AND spend money on things like importing dogs and/or semen, not just pumping out litters from the same three dogs over and over, I think they're doing very well. Obviously that includes all relevant genetic tests, hip & elbow scores, selling well-cared for puppies with microchips & registration... I don't think you can ask for much more. Plus having a really good set up for breeding dogs is expensive! Feeding, exercising, cleaning kennels, grooming, etc. all take time as well.

....There needs to be a warning on Revolution and other dangerous meds, that it may cause neurotoxicity in certain breeds with the tendency to inherit MDR1. They all claim that it requires the right dosage to be safe; the link I provided in my previous post (here again My link) mentions even the thresholds also for MDR1 mutations. However, I can see some problems with topical applications (e.g. Revolution - Selamectin: first it is not so easy to get to the skin and not just to the fur, especially if the dogs wiggles a bit. If not taken great care a small amount will end up on the fingers .... the docks licks the fingers or hand and that can cause immediately an overdose....or you treat 2 or more dogs at the same time and they play with each other.... Well I don't believe there is a safe level unless a dog is only ever given 1 dose. An MDR1 dog cannot process the drug out of its system the same way another dog does. That's why there was no reaction the first two times he was dosed. Then subsequent doses (he had 4 in total I think) become too much for his brain (as it doesn't get removed from the brain like it does with 'normal' dogs) and caused him to have worse & worse seizures. Also as we didn't realise (his breeder & I) that selamectin was a dangerous drug for an MDR1 dog, we treated him with Revolution for mange (we live in a rural area where there are foxes and feral cats) which would contain a higher dose than that of treatment for heartworm (which we don't need to treat for in our area).

I wouldn't buy from that breeder if they're selling a dog without papers as an option. IMO any dog that is bred should be registered, with either limit or main registration and then it can be sold for a different price depending on which registration they're sold with. But I wouldn't support a breeder selling some puppies without papers, it doesn't seem ethical for me. Oh I thought I'd read that somewhere - it's also against the code of ethics. If you're in WA, that's definitely the case. Run, don't walk, away from this breeder

Yep, it was a year ago now (on the 17th October) that we took Robo to the vets after he'd had seizures in a reaction to Selamectin (in Revolution, it's not the same but it's a lesser known relative of Ivermectin!) and they were insisting it couldn't be that, even though other breeders in Australia & the states had witnessed similar reactions as Robo to Ivermectin/Selamectin/other MDR1 risky drugs. There needs to be a warning on Revolution and other dangerous meds, that it may cause neurotoxicity in certain breeds with the tendency to inherit MDR1.

Yeah I avoid it as much as possible. And yes, it is in 50% of Aussies (apparently?) but there is a DNA test. Theoretically, a clear dog shouldn't have a reaction but a general rule of thumb is to not even take the risk.

Earlier in the year, I had to get my horse put down (bad arthritis so he wasn't even paddock sound, poor bub) and chose my BIL to put him down with his high-powered rifle. Personally, the hardest part was walking out to the paddock to get him, leading him to the gate with all his paddock-buddies following (they were all acting really weird, like they knew what was going on, unless it was just my hyper-emotional/tired state). Then I got him his 'last supper' (yummy lucerne chaff & some Liberty) for him to eat and my lovely BIL did the deed with me standing there with him while he had a mouthful of his chaff & Liberty. I don't know how vets do it hey. It's SO tough, emotionally. Even my BIL, who's a pretty tough guy (a bikie that's scared of spiders), obviously didn't enjoy putting my horse down who had been a part of my life for 10 years (almost half my life). My parents recently had my little dog, Poco (Silky terrier x Maltese) put down as she was 16, deaf & blind with recurring ear infections that wouldn't clear up with constant vet visits (it had been a bit of a problem throughout her life but would clear up fairly easily). So it seemed kinder to put her down. My dad took her to the vet because my mum wouldn't have been able to - my dad is less emotionally attached to his animals, then he took her little body to the farm to bury under a huge, beautiful tree. They even made a little cross out of sticks to put over her grave. Some people can deal with death. Some can't. I have no doubt my mum & dad loved my little dog. But it depends on a person's limits & abilities.

I just tried to Google search & obviously did a bad job, because it was telling me almost the exact opposite of your argument http://prime.peta.org/2008/11/do-akc-papers-matter I can't even string thoughts together about how stupid I find this article.

I'm happy with my husband, dogs & horse. I would be absolutely miserable with a child that I had to put up with look after. All the time. Constantly. The noise. The movement. The never having time to myself. Especially for those first 6 months. I don't think there's enough of those hormones to overpower the horror of it for me I like my dogs. I can put them outside when they get too rowdy. I can leave them at home while I run errands. I can ride my horse when I want. I can go and do stuff outside and they'll follow me without whining or needing hats, sunscreen, shoes no not those shoes these shoes (I've looked after my nieces a fair bit and as much as I love them to pieces, I wouldn't be able to do it 24/7), they don't tantrum, there's only crying when they ACTUALLY need something like to go to the toilet. And I can almost clean up dog bodily fluids without gagging.

Tundra wears red, Cilla wears pink. Problem is, red & pink clash. So Tundra's colour may have to become blue. I wanted him to be green for a while but it's hard to find nice things in that colour.

So true about the saggy tits I'm fostering a bitch at the moment (also an Aussie shepherd) who has had 5 litters & she's 4 years old Super saggy tits & I think she's finally started growing her coat back. When I first got her she looked awful! I'm not really that keen on Oscar's Law, personally. I feel like it's turned into an "Anti-any-breeder" rather than "don't buy from a s*** breeder". I mean, "Adopt don't shop" is fine, but then the fanatics get offended when you buy a pup from a registered, ethical breeder.

I guess it's kind of the same with any dog... But when an Aussie isn't socialised well from a young age they can be timid, or if they've got a weaker temperament can become fear-aggressive. Tundra is fine, he's social to the point of not "aloof with strangers" Also the MDR1 thing (although, it's very manageable if you're very educated about exactly which drugs are dangerous!!). Trying to brush the "pants" But I love my big doofus. Dat wiggle-butt.

So...why was she putting her hand near a dog's mouth? Parents should be teaching their children NOT to pat strange dogs. Especially when they're behind a fence!! That suggests the dog is NOT public property. Surely!

I thought BH seems like a good food for the dogs, ingredient-wise? What's so bad about it? I've been feeding it as it's about the best I can afford seems to work for my dog.

Oh so happy for you! It is terrifying leaving a dog at the vet (even though you know they're in capable hands) overnight when they're unwell! Just want to be with them. So glad they've all recovered - I hope they stay well & don't have any lasting effects. So glad they're all home :)

On the farm we have the dogs tied on the utes with a short chain so they can lie down or look around the corner but not jump out. Although if I manage to steal the dual cab I put the dog/s on the back seat The F-Truck (FIL's vehicle) has dog crates on the back which is also handy. In Perth we saw an excited Kelpie half hanging out of an open window of a Landcruiser - literally had it's chest out the window - I thought it was going to fall out we were too far back or I would've yelled at the half-witted owners.

I called my dog Tundra partly based on a name my husband liked & it happened to suit his colour (blue merle) and it totally suits him. I also pretend it has a double meaning of "Thunder" because that's what he sounds like when he gets excited when he's on the verandah

Ohhh she's CUTE!!! Very pretty pup :)

I read through this last night :) very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing - Willow is gorgeous, English Springer Spaniels are definitely on my list of "One day" dogs :)

When I was younger I saw Black & Tan Coonhound in my dog breeds book & fell in love So if they were in Australia I would probably get one if I had the money.

He's not allowed to chase the horses. I know, I know. I'm the mean lady. But srsly they have hooves & stuff. He's not allowed to eat the horse poo. Well duh, Tundra, I wormed them last week - definitely NOT letting eating horse manure become a habit!!

I finally have a dog run & a kennel out of the elements with a big shade sale over the roof. So during the day if we're away somewhere we can't take the dog he stays in that. If it's only a couple of hours and ridiculously awful weather he goes in his crate. Or we can shut the gates to the back yard and he can go in there but if there's stuff on the verandah probably not the best place to put him or it'll end up everywhere.

Better Late, which type/brand of the hammock seat cover did you buy if I may know? Thanks. I am looking for one. currently only have the reject shop one, which had the seams around the Velcro came out. I got the black Kurgo Wanderer hammock! I'd been looking for one that we could thread through the child seat clip thing on the parcel shelf, and it needed to be sturdy enough to withstand our quite often muddy/grassy/wet dog after our hiking trips. I had a $9 one from ebay before I learnt my lesson :laugh: http://www.d4dogz.co...ack-p-5481.html I have the same except in beige :) My only issue is it hasn't fitted in either car I've used it in! (Toyota Avalon & Chrysler 300c) It's damn tough except for detaching around some of the metal rings. Lately I've resorted to throwing a horse rug across the back seat