becks

From what I have seen, the effect on the coat depends on the dog and you will only know once it has been done, just as some dogs go really fluffy after desexing and others of the same breed remain with the same coat as before. The suggestion of a power dryer is good for separating the coat and being able to view the skin all over (and it will remove a lot of dust and dirt from the coat too!)

Could be mites or anything - best to go see a vet to at least rule certain things out.

I'm planning to import a bitch in whelp next year and already have the list narrowed down on where I will go to mate a daughter from that litter and other plans are set for the next few years (so long as something doesn't muck them up!)

Picking a suitable temperament to match those you already have and also how you manage the dogs can affect how they get along, don't just leave them to sort it out themselves (a friend tried this and ended up having to keep the 2 males separate for the last few years of the older dogs life)

Best shampoo I have found for skin problems is 'Groomers Evening Primrose Oil shampoo' it really puts the moisture back into the skin, cures flaky skin in just one or 2 baths, great for oily skin/coats too. This is the type of thread Erny would recommend her Calendula Tea used as a rinse

Thanks!

I tend to describe the personalities to the people who come to see the pups and try to steer them towards a suitable match (although I wouldn't let them take a pup they couldn't handle), I will tell them why I think particular pups would be a better match or why one isn't. I've had a breeder chose for me and they totally didn't give me the temperament i was after (I like the big, bold, in your face types, and got a wall flower who I have to stop the others bullying :rolleyes: ) so I won't let a breeder pick a dog for me again.

I have a plastic wallet stored behind all the dogs info in a file, it will have pedigree of bitch, eye test certificate for her and any pics of bitch/litter and details for the owner of the bitch.

Good question! If not, maybe Anglesun can do one? There are no clubs near me that do Rally O, so I would also be interested in seeing a DVD about it.

Glad she is on the mend now and you have updated us!

is it dominant in aussies or a recessive trait?

That info is in my puppy pack and talked about on the day of puppy collection.

There are many strains of KC, just like there are lots of colds for people, so it could still be KC.

Posterior Polar Cataract is the name given to the type Giants get.

Oh! Is it a dominant gene in labs? Do you have a test for it or just eye checks?

Thanks Sylvia - no wonder it is so hard to track within the breed, especially as dogs in the breed have been testing 'clear' until 9 or 10 years old and then showing as affected at that late age, while others are affected on their first adult eye test!

yes

OK, so for the incomplete mode of inheritance just means that the dog can be affected in a range from barely to completely. Thanks, that was the bit I wasn't understanding! I was thinking you either inherit something or you don't, but the incomplete bit just refers to how it is expressed in the affected dog.

If he is unhappy about anything around his neck, I would just leave a loose breakaway collar on him all the time, so he learns to ignore it. Otherwise, hand target and using a slip lead with the collar part open really wide so the head area isn't going to touch the collar as the head pokes through.

I would think this pup is doing more then your older dog when it was a pup, it is one thing to watch when you have an adult that the pup isn't overdoing things in an attempt to keep up

In one of my breeds, they can get Hereditary Cataract - but it isn't the normal recessive gene it is described as 'dominant with incomplete mode of inheritance'. Can someone explain to me how this is supposed to work?

TBH I wouldn't worry about a single not quite right spot, he isn't going to loose places on something like that, if the judge is any good! There are lots more important things a judge will be looking at.

One of mine has something similar to a thundershirt, I call it her 'walking cuddle' Great post above, Corvus - after years of living with dogs I have come to the same conclusion as you put in your post.

That is one thing I have never understood about the Aus titles, why do you include points for dogs beaten in group/in show competition? Do you have progeny and breeder stakes classes where a breeder can showcase their breeding at a show?

I'm the same with my older Giant Schnauzer, Tara who is now 13 years old. I've been looking to get a Giant pup but haven't yet found one where there is that instant connection, which IMO is the start of a very special 'heart dog'