espinay2

Do you have a webpage? Most people tend to start their search on the internet these days. Having a page is a start as are linked listings to sites that have breeder listings (such as this one for dogs). Just a tip too - free websites will not get listed highly (or at all) in most search engine searches. They are pretty worthless if one of your aims is to attract people interested in the breed or your puppies/kittens/whatever animal, service or product you have.

A lot of good advice given here. I actually started out a lot like you. I got a pet, took it to obedience, fell totally in love with the breed, and as people at my club also showed, thought I would like to do that too. you are off to a great start if you have done this and also joined the breed club as you have started to become a 'known entitiy'. Basically it is all about trust and building relationships. Get yourself out there. Start asking questions. Start learning. Let people get to know you. Find a breeder or breeders whose dogs you like and whose attitude and practices you like. Make friends with them. Learn from them. let them become mentors. If you make your intentions known with them, and you have gained their trust and respect, the right dog will come along. However, you may need to have PATIENCE! Wait for the right pup. Note that you may find it easier to get a nice dog than a bitch. While I started with a bitch myself, I would recommend a dog for most people starting out as it is a good way to enter into the show scene. You can always get a bitch the next time around if you have really caught the 'bug' ;-) . My experiences to date with co-ownership have only been good. My rule though is to put all contingencies in writing and be clear what you both expect from the relationship. This includes with friends - especially with friends as a good contract protects your relationship. Talk about the 'what-if's' up front. Try and think of anything and everything that could go wrong write them down as you think of them and then discuss them so you can include all the if-thens in writing. Have fun!

Here is a link to the AVA vaccination protocol: http://ava.informz.net/ava/data/images/doc...inal-june09.pdf Many of us have been using this protocol or similar for years before the AVA 'approved' it though. If you are not comfortable with the vet I would make an appointment with a different one. You need someone you can work with and discuss things with, not someone you feel you have to argue with or who makes you feel stupid and defensive. They are a partner in your animals care and you have a say too.

After having an unnecessary 'spay' operation done on a rescue that turned out to be already spayed (no scar was visible, she was youngish and she had no microchip, no tattoo and we had no history on her origins so at the time it was a logical thing to do - weren't we surprised!) I am 100% for tattooing. When any of mine are done I request it (the rescue had her ear tattooed when we found out she was already spayed too!) Back to basics though - whather you think desexed dogs should be shown or not, cheating the rules is cheating the rules. It is still gaining something by deception if you enter them when they are not eligible and pass them off as being eligible. And while it may be just a 'little' cheat - that is where things start. Embezzlers and fraudsters usually start out taking 'just a little', they get away with it and the frauds get bigger and bigger. The more you get away with, the more confidence you have that you can get away with even more. As for saying that it might be 'ok' for a new person to break the rules to allow them to start showing, what sort of lesson is that? You are giving them permission right from the beginning to cheat and telling them it is ok. You are telling them it is the 'done thing'. Do we really want that? If the rules are not good for new people we need to change them so they are. Not encourage new people to cheat and lie so they will take part.

If you are worried about it, scrub the dish out with a bit vinegar. You can put a splash of it in the water too. Wont hurt the dogs and some consider it a benefit health-wise.

From an instructors point of view, training both dogs at once in the same class will only work if you make sure you do the work at home with both dogs as well as in the more distracting environment of the class etc and ensure that one dog does not distract the other. I am hesitant to let most people chop and change with two dogs in a class as I have found they don't always keep up the work with both, the dogs have different needs, and these needs can't always be addressed by chopping and changing in class and owners and/or the other dog can be distracted by the dog which is not being worked with. It is also not fair on other people attending the class if the instructor is giving you double attention for the two dogs and working through any issues etc (particularly when only paying one training fee). Training two dogs in the same class does usually require more attention from the instructor. The only time I have seen this really work well is with an experienced owner/handler if they keep up the work with both dogs, and are less 'needy' of instructor attention. This tends to work best in later classes when the dogs have a reasonable degree of training already as well. For a situation where you are bonding with a new dog, or have a new pup or young dog with less experience, or are less experienced yourself, then I strongly recommend separate classes. The separate classes don't necessarily need to be on separate days IMO if they can be taken on the same day (though usually this only works if the dogs are at different levels). There is benefit in completely separate training sessions though if this can be managed as they get used to going out on their own with you, get important one on one bonding time, and dont get distracted by the presence of kennel mates so can focus on other things instead. Training more than one dog at once does mean more work. If you really cant do more than one session, I recommend taking one dog to one session (usually 8 weeks or so?), working with the other dog at home (and out and about), then when the first dog moves up into a higher class, start a class with the second dog. This is generally what I have done in the past (different dogs in different level classes), though the ages of my dogs have generally allowed me to do this easily. I will admit have haven't personally tried to start two off at the same time.

Boppa Rappa Boogie

I agree. Mistakes happen and an honest mistake like entering the wrong class or a cataloguing error is not something to complain about IMO (It is easy enough to correct if brought to someones attention quick enough - usually in these situations if the exhibitor does know about it they will correct it). Deliberately entering an ineligible dog in a class (generally more than once) and deliberately leading people to beleive it is eligible, is a different matter. That is cheating...or fraud. It is gaining something by deception. Yes, it is 'only a dog show' and we are there to have fun. But if the rules aren't how we like them, we need to change the rules, not ignore them. It isn't fun any more when people are unethical. If it sounds 'holier than thou' or 'whinging' to say that I would expect people to play honestly by the rules then so be it. To me that is such a basic thing and if we begin to accept cheating as normal I think we have all lost in more ways than one. This isn't about gossip or about accusations or about winning, it is about basic ethics and sportsmanship. Playing by the rules means it stays fun.

They would have to drag me away kicking and screaming. But then that is why we live on a hill and have a stockpile for emergencies.......no way you are moving me without the animals

I would have no problem with desexed dogs being shown if this were permitted. An open neuter class for example that could compete for challenge along with the other classes (that way you knew they were neutered and could take differences in coat into consideration when competing against other classes etc). I agree that it is a good way for progeny to be displayed or for bitches that needed to be desexed such as due to pyometra etc to not have their show career cut short. What I strongly object to is people breaking the rules. It is currently against the rules to show a desexed dog in normal classes. I therefore consider anyone breaching these rules as they currently stand to be highly unethical. If someone is willing to breach these rules just to show a dog, what else are they likely to be willing to breach or compromise on? Frankly I would never be able to trust someone who I found out did something like this (and just a tip - you will pretty much always be found out by someone folks. Even if it never gets reported for one reason or another, your reputation is gone.....) Off my soapbox now.

I think you will find it varies greatly from vet to vet, also at any vet surgery different people may be charged differently (i.e. valued regualr clients eg breeders may be charged differently) and it may also vary from consultation to consultation depending on what is being done for each individual dog. As a rule though, I would be prepared to pay two consultation fees as each dog is an individual and will be examined as an individual (eg separate wellness exams, separate reatment requirements etc).

Stick with the ordinary green backed stuff. If you need to to stay put, perhaps try stick on velcro at the corners (one on the back of the fleece and one on the bottom of the box or crate). Marine carpet is also a handy box or crate liner.

I know a lot of groomers that still use the Osters. Yes they are 'main stream' whatever that is. I personally prefer Andis. Fits better in my hands. I have a couple of older Wahls though but only ever used them as backups. They were too high maintenance for regular use.

Nice to hear Jed. I helped some friends get a Cav for their family many years ago. He passed last year at age 13. Did have some heart problems towards the end I think but for 99.9% of his life was a healthy, problem free, lovely little dog.

There is a tome called the "Nutrient Requirements of Dogs" - designed to guide the pet industry though. One thing it mentions (and you will find this info in the Merck Veterinary Manual as well) is that the only time carbohydrates have been found to be useful for dogs is when they are a lactating bitch. May be that your raw diet is low carb whereas the commercial food is very high carb. Who knows really. Or it could be the specific things you are feeding. Are you allowing the bitch to choose what she eats? For example, in the week or two before whelping many bitches prefer to eat a lot of organ meat/boneless meat and less bone. After whelping more bone is good. This natural preference is actually very helpful as for example it allows the bitches body to adjust to reduce the chances of eclampysia occuring. If you want to talk it over with other breeders feeding a raw diet (who may have some ideas for you) go to www.yahoogroups.com/groups/rawbreeder Also take a look at the newsletter articles at www.b-naturals.com They have lots of references/source information and are well researched.

You need a good set of clippers if you want to do it yourself. Oster or Whal 2 speed for instance. You will likely have to clip him very short to get throug the coat. A number 7 blade for instance (you will need a few of them as they get hot). A big and tiring job for you and the dog if you are inexperienced - do you have anyone to show you how, as their is a fair bit of technique involved. It may actually be less strain on the dog to get an experienced groomer to do it for you if that is what you want to do. You could arrange for someone to come to you (mobile groomer) or arrange with a groomer to stick around while he is being done or to call you when finished so that he doesnt have to be there all day (try Dog World in Hume). What you are seeing with his coat though is the effect of clipping off a double coated dog. You may be able to salvage with some work, but often it does become a cycle of once you start clipping, you need to keep doing it. If you clip again, make sure that you brush out regularly even when it is short. A lot of people dont realise that with a double coated dog, clipping off does not mean that you can slack off on the brushing as regular brushing as the coat grows is necessary to prevent it wadding up - this is because the guard hairs have been cut short. Guard hairs naturally act to separate the shorter undercoat. When cut short, they cant do their job and instead the coat becomes a cotton wool mess. If you don't want to clip again, take a look at the page on my website on grooming. It is specifically for Pyreneans, but you will be able to use the same techniques for a Samoyed. Basically, groom in frequent short sessions. Pick one area and work on it. You may want to use something like a Mars Coat King to thin out the unercoat too. thinning it out may help make it easier to manage. Regular brushing and thinning the undercoat will help the guard hairs grow out straighter again. If you want to keep the coat, clipping his belly from his front legs to between the back legs can be a good compromise. I have given a 'belly buzz' like this to older dogs before.

Here is the report: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/20/3097901.htm Stanhope rejects Greens animal welfare reform Updated Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:56pm AEDT Jon Stanhope says the Government will introduce its own changes to animal welfare laws. (ABC News) The ACT Government has indicated it will not be supporting a Greens push for tougher animal welfare laws. Under the proposal, pet shops would be banned from putting animals in their windows and selling to children. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope says the Government is already reviewing the laws and plans to put forward its own changes next year. He says the Greens' proposal goes too far and could lead to more people buying pets on the black market. "There's very high degrees of regulation and transparency in relation to sales through pet shops," he said. "The pet sales that are of greater concern are those that are done irregularly, those that are done over the backyard fence, those that are done at markets, those that are done over the Internet. "It's those dogs that we believe are at greater risk of being ill-treated, of not being kept in conditions they should be."

Just a note in case it hasn't been mentioned or heard previously. Just before Xmas I heard a radio report (ABC 666) that the ACT Govt would not be supporting the Greens bill. They apparently are working on their own which they plan to introduce in the new year.......time to get busy folks.

I love these ones: Pupcolors

Ah yes, if you read them the first states they can not be registered on the main register (so presumably if a mating does happen whether accidentally or otherwise they can still all be placed on the limitder register) On the other hand the second one simply states they can't be registered (i.e. it reads as if they cant be registered at all) without pre-approval for the mating. While you would expect that the first clause would take precedence on matters of registration (as it is the clause dealing specifically with registration) this definitely needs clarification from the ANKC.

Perhaps the confusion is that The RSPCA ACT and ACT DAS are two separate organisations and facilities. ACT DAS is the 'council pound' so to speak. While they IMO do a better job than many working with rescuers, they are not a rescue or rehoming organisation. Their job is dog control and policing of ACT Government legislation. The stats are very likely to be different between the two.

Can't post the video, but Pat Hastings shows one very good version of the technique in her 'Puppy Puzzle' DVD (she gently draws the puppys paws across the table - no rocking and no dropping) The technique needs to be done GENTLY and in a postive fashion and can be done slowly. There is no need to frighten a puppy as all you want to do is have it think the ground is a little unstable so it will stand still when placed on stable ground.

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Nothing wrong with having two excellent highly rating websites. The more 'good' sites that come out on top when people search, the better for our dog breeds and the people looking for them.

Yes espinay, I get the drift now but this does not apply to the OP; the OP knows who the dog belonged to, heck....what is the problem with the OP going to the vet to ensure that the dog is or is not microchipped, if it is not.....the next step would be to approach the former owner and get that person to sign the dog over so that there are no legal repercussions in the future...... Making sure that there is a witness that can verify that this has taken place is an added plus. If the OP knows her, then she also knows the OP. Who is to say they will not change their mind and want their dog and the puppies back? Who is to say they will not ask her for money for the pups as without a document stating the dogs have been transferred to her, they are not legally hers and the original owner can still claim posession. The OP might be lucky and trust that this stranger (the neighbour of a friend) might just disappear. Wouldnt be the first time that they don't though. The OP has put herself in a very difficult position legally.