espinay2

Did someone say mud?

I want someone who will feed exactly what I want and take note of the notes I give on check in. Someone who will not mix my dogs with others (or even my other dogs) without my permission (I may have two dogs that fight and need kennelling separately!!) I want clean facilities which are managed so the dogs are not left in wet runs if possible when they are being cleaned (which leaves dogs coats stinky and can be slippery!!) I want a facility that will not insist on the dogs being vaccinated and chemically treated up the wazoo. I want someone handling my dogs who has at least some dog knowledge when it comes to behaviour and management. I want them to have some attention if possible while there, particularly on longer stays. I want facilities that are well designed to minimise stress (there is a LOT that can be done in this respect) I want decent sized runs for large dogs!! :D

Lots of great info provided here Haven't seen anything condescending. Nothing wrong with asking the breeder, no matter who they are. It may even help them learn about the type of info they need to provide to puppy buyers too. (No 'retailer' or 'manufacturer' - regardless of product - is or should be exempt from answering post sale questions from their customers regarding their products)

I have always used Illium for any problem ears or noses and always found it the best. Washing the ear well to remove any dried blood etc I found to help a lot. I would do that, apply betadine, let it dry out then apply the illium. Whatever you use though needs to be applied regularly.

There are all sorts of things that could make urine 'different' and perhaps more attractive including infection or imbalances in certain things in the urine as a result of internal issues or conditions. Sugar levels (which can be an indicator of things such as diabetes) are just one of the things to be tested for. I am not saying your dog has any of these. But ruling out possible issues which may be causing your dog to be attracted to its own urine would be the first step to working out why your dog is doing it. As I said, if the tests are normal you know you can address the issue as a behavioural one rather than a medical one. I always pay attention to what my dogs are telling me when they do things like this to themselves or to other dogs as their behaviour can often alert you to things before they become more obvious.

I would get a urine sample checked just to make sure everything is normal. (including things like urine glucose levels) If it is normal, then it is more likely behavioural and you can address it from that angle. If the test picks up something you are then in a position to address it.

oh marvelous! really. :) The bolded bit was my fave :D My fave too :laugh: I loved the article. Said it better than I could. There is a lot of truth in it.

That's true, but save for when it's an immediate and urgent danger of irreversible harm, isn't a homeopathic remedy such as Rescue Remedy better to try first, rather than reaching for the drug cabinet? See no results in the very short term if not immediately, then move on to the 'big guns' so to speak? Nitpicking, but Rescue Remedy isn't homeopathic. It is a Bach remedy based on a combination of flower essences.

I do believe we are encouraged to over medicate. Agree that I prefer to treat when there is a need. I have needed to use treatment for fleas twice in 17 years and the problem was quickly resolved. I don't generally worm more often than every 6 months. After discussion with my vet I do not use a heartworm preventative due to the very low risk where I am. I vaccinate no less than 3 yearly and have for years. This works well for me to help me maintain my dogs in optimum health. Naturally you mileage may vary and it pays to do your own research on pros and cons of doing things.

1. Can you run in it? 2. When you run does it swish around much and get in the way of your dog? 3. If the ground in the ring is less than ideal (eg damp or muddy etc) will you still be able to run in it or will the bottom become a wet soggy muddy mess that flicks on your clean white dog? What about a pants suit? Perfectly acceptable. I have never worn a skirt in the ring. Short and dumpy + skirt is not a good look for me so I stick with long pants.

too late now I would say, but for future reference it is easier to just shove a handful of the crystals down the throat. Not all of it will go down but saves stuffing around with multiple doses and little bits and in an emergency you have a better chance of it working. This is what my vet always suggests and what we teach in the vet puppy classes.

Bottom line - a stranger has approached the OP in a carpark and shoved them because the OP did not want the stranger touching something they own. Regardless of anything else these are the base facts. A person has the right to walk in public without being assaulted by a stranger.

Errrr........latest one I had that I can remember was I was in the ring at a city show and my lead broke. My dog was loose and got away into the surrounding streets and I couldn't find her. God how I stressed at the show the next day. Luckily it didnt come true!!!! :laugh:

Big dog and glamour as already mentioned but I also have some leather leads I love from www.hessonite.net . Simple rolled leather leads (mine are white) but soft and well made.

Robert McDowell has an excellent reputation www.herbal-treatments.com

If you want to clip for ticks you are really going to have to clip about every 6 weeks to make the exercise worthwhile. As mentioned one of the issues is that when you clip you are cutting both guard hairs and undercoat. The longer and thicker guard hairs on an unclipped coat actually keep the undercoat separated. Cut them the same length and as they grow they get more tangled together. Hence a clipped coat generally needs MORE grooming as it grows not less or you end up with a thick tangled mess. It tends to tangle a lot quicker than an unclipped coat does. I agree the best investment is a dog dryer. IMO a better investment than clipping.

Not sure of her status at the moment. Hard to do much as all breeders are on the east coast and the rescue won't rehome out of state where most of the potential homes for Pyrs are. We believe she is the product of a person who used to breed in WA but to the best of knowledge is not doing so any more (not really a bad thing ...... ). All we can really do is direct anyone from WA who contacts someone for an older dog etc in her direction . We know about her now though at least, which means we can at least try to do something though it is frustrating not to be able to help more. Pyrs aren't really much like Samoyeds temperament-wise .... though they are certainly a very independent breed. Info on the breed here: http://www.espinay.c...outthebreed.cfm

No Dally any more now my Cookie is gone but for all her 13 years she was fed a raw diet. The important thing with Dallies is purines rather than protein in general. While I never really needed to do it with my girl (she was still fed lamb/beef/roo etc as part of her diet), this means feeding more chicken and turkey than red meats. I just made sure I fed a little bit more of these for her rather than red meats. I didn't really add much in the way of veggies, though some do recommend this. Of course a dog who is a proven stone former you may have to restrict even more, but I would not severely restrict unless this was the case (as it may create other problems for the dog) Raw can be good as unlike dry foods it already contains a lot of water and the proteins are in a higher quality form that is more easily digested, so less stress on kidneys and liver etc. Some links that may be of interest: http://hattrickdalmatians.com/PreventingUrateStoneFormation.html http://rawdals.blogspot.com.au/ http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawdiet4dals/

Just so you know - last time I ended up doing ultrasounds at two different clinics. The first one I was not happy with as because of the (lack of) quality of the machine and experience of the operator it was rather 'inconclusive' (was after a frozen semen AI so could have been a small litter - one thought they saw puppies but weren't sure, the other who looked said no puppies). So I went to Monash to get another one done where I would know for sure. As a result it ended up costing me more than if I had just gone somewhere with a better setup in the first place. Just looked up my records. First ultrasound was $95 with a 'free return' for a second look (which I didn't take up as it would have been useless to me) and second was as you quoted. In my case going cheaper did not end up being cheaper in the long run. Fingers crossed for lots of babies for you :)

So sad to hear. Unfortunately too it is with neonates that Huskies are known to be a potential problem. Once children are older it doesn't seem to be as much as of an issue with them, but young babies with Huskies do seem to be a risk factor. Sadly this is not the first time this sort of thing has happened.

I suggest taking note of what you are feeding for a few days so you get a better idea. Every dog is different and even some dogs of the same breed and same size will need different amounts.

I use Monash. Can't remember what I paid though, sorry. But their equipment is very good and the view you get is very clear (they can tell you more than just is she pregnant or not). Unlike the one my vet up here has where you can hardly see anything and the operators are not as experienced. The good equiment and knowledge of the vets using it is worth the money for me (though I don't remember it being that much more expensive that what I was paying elsewhere). And the consult ended up not being short last time as Stewart was fantastic about talking through a heap of questions with me. JMHO.

Pyrenean Mountain Dogs: They bark - LOTS They shed - LOTS They dont come when called They can't be let off lead outside of a fenced area (an offlead Pyr is a dis-a-pyr) If allowed to they will establish a large area as their own - several hundred acres or more - and patrol it. They are escape artists and shape shifters They are independent thinkers and definitely don't hang on your every word (that is if they can hear you from where they are anyway) They dig holes - in our household we call them primary, secondary and tertiary bunkers. You could bury a small car in some of them. Luckily Pyr breeders are generally pretty good about letting potential owners know about the down sides (whether potential owners really understand despite these good efforts what they may potentially be in for is another matter.....) Oh yes. And they take up far too much room on the bed ;) :D

This. Agree totally. They dont have to love it, just tolerate it. Be firm, work with a businesslike purpose and praise when the dog stays still or stops yelling for a second or two. The more you 'give in' or be soft about it the more the dog learns that if it yells and wiggles it gets away with what it wants (and it will yell and wiggle even more next time). As a groomer I had a LOT of dogs that yelled blue murder at first and 'hated baths'. With this type of approach after a number of sessions they generally would settle into the routine and no more yelling. They would hop willingly into the tub too and always enjoyed their post bath treat :D . Agree with the squirt bottle idea too. Also use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose (one bucket for soapy water and one for rinsing). Much easier and more likely to be tolerated than a hose.

That would have been my starting point. Mine too.