espinay2

Eco wood or nature wood sleepers are treated but not with an arsenic based product the way 'normal' treated sleepers are. It may be an option. Alternately untreated hardwood would last a fairly long time (would fade to a greyish colour) even though not treated (if you have seen pictures of 'Petes Patch' in Tassie on Gardening Australia, this is what was used for the veggie beds). As suggested another alternative is concrete sleepers.

Our House Yard, Orchard and 'Dog Paddock' are fenced as follows: 1.5 m high, star pickets 2m apart (2.5 in orchard) with a gal post every 4th post (cemented in). Wire is 1.8m waratah mesh so it has a 30cm lap at the bottom. Gates are custom made weldmesh 'farm gates' of various widths to 1.5m high. Note this fencing isn't necessarily cheap! But so worth it and cheaper than a lot of other options if you have a large area (several acres) you want to fence. Cheaper if you have the ability to install yourself of course. Note we do have kennels/runs which are 1.8m mesh panels as well and the dogs are in these when we are not home etc.

If an accidental mating with the dog next door is suspected, I would DNA test to confirm parentage. (will need to do that to register the litter anyway if there is any question). They will know then for sure and can make decisions based on that. Yes, Dwarfs can look cute. In our breed that cuteness is a problem as there are other health issues related to the condition which mean the dogs don't always have the heathiest or longest life. Not a condition you generally want to promote. Edited to add - if the dog Persephone saw was a purebred ACD, it is possible that Dwarfism has already shown up in the breed but breeders have perhaps not talked about it. Not good as it means that potential carriers may not not be being identified and the possibility of the condition showing up in more and more places with each generation will increase. If that is the case I encourage breeders to talk about it now, not wait until it becomes a bigger issue.

While I beleive Dwarfism hasnt yet surfaced in the ACD, it is certainly possible that it could. In the Pyrenean Mountian Dog this happened in the 1970's in the US - before then it had not been seen in the breed. It is possible that it was caused by a genetic mutation which, as it was recessive, did not show up until two carriers were mated. If it is suspected to be Dwarfism I would encourage full investigation, thorough diagnosis and testing and open reporting as if it is Dwarfism it would likely mean that both parents were carriers. It is something that needs to be out in the open and known so that the condition doesn't become too prevalent in the breed. A page with pictures of Dwarfism in some other breeds here: Dwarf other Breeds While Dwarfism has different forms, here is a page which shows what we are doing in our breed regarding the condition: Dwarfism in Pyrenean Mountain Dogs If your friend wants a contact with someone who has had Dwarfism show in their lines and is highly active in Dwarfism education and research in our breed, I am happy to put them in touch. She may be able to provide some guidance and advice on how to proceed.

If we are talking behavioural then all dogs are both similar and different from the wolf. From an ethological perspective the behaviours they exhibit are the same, the main difference being the instensity and frequency of certain behaviours. For more reading see some of the works of Dr Erich Klinghammer et al from 'Wolf Park' in Battleground Indiana. Generally wolves are on the extreme end of the scale. They are NOT a domesticated animals. Wolves raised in captivity are taken from their mother at 3 days and raised by hand with round the clock human attention. Even with this attention as a rule they dont remain 'attached' to a human past the juvenile stage (even those that raised them) and can never be 100% trusted. It simply makes them less wary of humans and less stressed by them so they can be better handled in a captive situation. No species of dog comes close to this extreme. Even breeds such as the Dingo, while certainly on the more 'primitive' scale, can adapt much more effectively to life with humans and will interact with them to a greater extent. But then they have traditionally had a much more of a symbiotic relationship with humans than wolves have. All to a certain degree have been bred to emphasise juvenile traits to a greater or lesser extent. These juvenile traits to a large extent help them live and interact with humans. The Russian fox experiments have been mentioned and they are worth reading. Another thing worth looking at is the Coppinger's book 'Dogs'. Coppinger postulates that all dogs have to different degrees been bred to emphasise particular prey related traits and to lessen others . For example on a prey drive continuum of orient>eye-stalk>chase>grab-bite>kill-bite>dissect>consume a wolf will have very strong drives to do all. A Border Collie on the other hand has been bred to emphasis the orient>eye-stalk>chase part of the continuum, but has been purposely bred to lessen the other traits that come after it. On the whole, the dogs we have here in Australia from a breed perspective (with perhaps the exception of a very small number of - and not all - specialist protection bred dogs) are all fairly 'mild' when it comes to measuring behaviour on a scale against the Wolf. Even those we would consider fairly 'sharp' dogs here (including those bred to display all or most of the characteristics on the prey drive continuum) tend to be from breeds which need to work closely with humans and as a result have many 'less grown up' traits in that respect which allow them to work with a handler and want to follow commands. Other more 'independent' breeds often have been bred to have a lower prey drive (for example Livestock Guardians) so while quite 'grown up' in some respects are much less so in others. Getting back to the Wolf, they are magnificent creatures for sure, and yes they display all the same traits that dogs do from an ethological perspective, but they are so far at the end of the scale from any type of domestic dog you yould name that they are very different creatures to deal with. they can be successfully trained in some circumstances, and a friend of mine in the US is responsible for training 'Atka' using clicker training to a reasonably high level of mangement to the point where he could be taken to do demonstrations and meet and greet sessions. He was a little unique though as I know most wolves never work that well with humans. Clicker training is definitely the most effective method of management though and many wolf facilities use it (cheese in a can is a popular reward dispenser as it is much easier to manage with wolves, beleive me! LOL! :-O ) Yes, training with wolves is more management than anything else - to assist handling and moving the animal about with less stress. Wolves do things on their terms and much much more than ANY dog you need to convince them it is in their interest to do so. Take the most dominant, independent, wilful and prey driven dog you can think of and it just wouldn't come close.

I remember the days of using 'magic silver white' on the horses. Too much and you turned them purple! The other thing we used was 'blue bag'. The shampoos today are so much easier to use and less danger of using too much and ending up with a weird coloured animal.

When using the seabreeze oil you only need a tiny bit. I would only use about a teaspoon in a bucket of warm water to do a whole Pyrenean! One squirt should be more than enough in some water for a Cav. If the coat is oily afterwards, you have used too much.

It will certainly close up pores on the skin. Not sure it will do the same for the shafts of hair though.

With a lot of whitening shampoos you need to be careful as while they can help whiten if used in moderation they can also 'open up' the hair shaft making it more susceptable to staining. Some whitening shampoos used often can result in a yellowing of the coat. Once the stain is 'in' the hair shaft, you will be unlikely to get rid of it - at least not totally - until new hair grows. Using something to 'seal' the hair shaft (after you have shampooed) and help reduce future staining is good. My all time favourite is Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil. I am a big fan of the Plush Puppy whitening and deep cleansing shampoo's too.

Extract from something I wrote up recently when researching the subject: "It should be noted that while there are some schools of thought that recommend vaccination of pregnant bitches in order to ‘boost’ the level of antibodies that can be passed onto puppies # , there is also evidence that vaccinating a bitch during times of physiological hormonal change such as at the beginning of, during, or immediately after an estrous cycle, or vaccinating animals during pregnancy or lactation, is unwise * . “In the case of during pregnancy or lactation “adverse effects can accrue not only to the dam but also because a newborn litter is exposed to shed vaccine virus”* . While the increase in maternal antibodies present in puppies as a result of vaccination during pregnancy can potentially have an initial protective factor, it can also result in the maintenance of maternal antibodies for a longer period, and as a result a decrease in the effectiveness of initial vaccines as a puppy’s own immune response is prevented from developing for a longer period. This in turn may impact on the important initial period of socialisation of puppies as they may be more vulnerable to viral infection until they are fully protected by vaccines, which may not occur until 16 to 18 weeks of age.# " # “Veterinary Advice Online: Vaccinating the Pregnant Dog”: http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-...egnant-dog.html * Dodds, WJ, “Immune System and Disease Resistance”: http://www.malamutehealth.org/articles/immune.htm

Living in Sin

It can vary in a lot of breeds. My own breed (Pyrenean Mountain Dogs) can range on average from every 7 months or so to even up to every 18 months depending on the bitch. 12 month cycles are not that unheard of.

I have one of these. I love it <3

Just adding my voice in favour of finding a good mentor or two. Having someone in your own breed that you can learn from, who you have similar basic philosophies to, and who you like as a friend can be so useful and give someone a good head start as well as an 'in'. The key words are respect and trust and these things have to go both ways between you and your mentor. A lot of getting a good start in breeding is about relationship building as well as learning. Also don't discount what you can learn from people with other breeds too (whether you own a dog of that breed or not). Learning about other breeds can be beneficial to you in our own breed as well as for general 'dog knowledge'. Mentors come in many shapes and sizes and you dont have to have just one. Different mentors can offer you different perspectives or provide learning on different things.

Have a read in the breeders forum, there was a thread there recently on a similar topic. also look at www.learntobreed.com

It really has nothing to do with the size of your yard, but more to do with the amount of time you spend with them and the amount of mental and physical stimulation you provide. I know people in the US who own a Siberien husky and a GSD in a two bedroom upstairs apartment with no yard. These are two of the most well adjusted and happy dogs I know because they get to go to work with their owner several days a week, go to regular training classes such as Agility, go to the dog park and get regular attention and walks. A lot of dogs are housed in dog runs during the day while there owners are out - I doubt many are as big as your backyard. A dog in a large backyard who is left there, doesnt get much attention except a bit morning and night, and rarely goes for a walk IMO can be much worse off then a dog in a courtyard home who gets plenty of attention and stimulation and time out of the yard. Of course it may depend too in the end on the personality of the dogs you own and their need for 'personal space'. With three dogs it becomes more of a 'pack' and you may need to consider your ability to separate dogs if this ever (but hopefully not) becomes necessary. This is less to do with the amount of space though than how that space is set up.

And that's the rub. We know why chocolate is a no-no and we know the effect that onions can have. Grapes are a different ballgame. Truth is after a lifetime of grape (and macadamia nut and avocado) eating dogs I am yet to be personally convinced on this one. I would like to know for starters if there are any recorded cases of grape toxicity ourside of the US. Anyone got any verified case histories?

I use crusher dust over a product called 'bodpave' which is a grass/gravel paver (looks like honeycomb). I like this setup as it is free-draining, the dogs can't dig it up and it provides a 'softer' surface than cement. The crusher dust is smaller than stones so less problems if you have dogs who like to play with or eat them. Surface can be easily cleaned, topped up and raked over with the back of a metal rake. The crusher dust is also very economical (though the bodpave is not exactly cheap!) If you put a thicker layer on top it provides more of a workout for feet (no worry about splaying - in fact the opposite). Downside is that it can get a bit dusty in a dry hot summer and can dry coats a bit on longer coated dogs. If you damp it down/hose regularly in dry weather this is not an issue. Also if you feed dogs in their runs and have dogs that like to take their food out of their dishes etc (eg when you feed things like chicken carcasses etc) the gravel tends to stick to it and get ingested - as a result these things are better fed in another area/on a different surface.

In most cases there is no such thing as 'never'. You may find however that they are very 'selective' about where their bloodlines are used (even if it is only with one or two other breeders)....and they sell the rest of their hard work as quality pets! Yes, if demand is there you could breed more puppies, but breeding quality is in itself self limiting to an extent as you have to pick and choose what you breed and to whom. To increase supply you need to increase the number of dogs you are breeding from. When selecting these dogs, in order to get more breeding stock, is there enough of the quality you need out there to do this, or do you accept less in the way of quality to get the numbers you need? Does increase in breeding mean a decrease in the overall quality of the population (or a widening of the middle of the quality bell curve as more dogs in the curve are bred)?

More to it than this, but I find it helpful to take on the "you're a silly billy" attitude with dogs that have these behaviour issues. Sometimes WE want things for our dogs SO much that it actually makes things worse. Relax. What is, is. I'm not saying don't try to seek help from a trainer/behaviourist, but I'm saying stop stressing so intensely for how much YOU want for her. Once you've seen a good trainer/behaviourist, you'll be able to adopt the attitude of "oh well, I KNOW I'm doing the best I can ..... the rest is up to you, dog". This will help you begin to relax about how much you WANT for your dog, and just concentrate on showing her another way . Agree totally with the above. 15 months is also classic 'fear period' and many dogs go through this. I have had a couple who have - one was terrified of the 'bogey men' that she knew must hide in the stormwater drains in the street and was terrified of going past them. Yes, she got over it and was a dog that would do or go anywhere without issue for the rest of her life. Taking a relaxed 'oh you silly thing, there is nothing to worry about' attitude can be very important. If you are stressed, then in their eyes their MUST be a reason for their fears.

I think this is where the purebred community loses most people. It sounds like you are saying pets are somewhat inferior. When in actual fact making sure there are other motives for breeding ('improving' the breed/maintaining or improving the health of the breed/ensuring the longevity and viability of the genepool well into the future etc etc) is making sure that the pets being produced are a 'superior product' now and into the future. There is a big difference between churning out pets for the pet market with the dogs you have now with that as the only aim, and working with one eye on the future to produce well put together and heathy companions through considered matings not just now but well into the future (whether it is you breeding them or someone else using the results of your work in 10, 20, 50 years time). A breeder doesnt have to show to do this and the ANKC does not demand that a breeder show at all, even though it and other activities such as obedience/agility etc is encouraged (showing a dog(s) can perhaps be seen to have its place in the education of a breeder - but that is for a totally separate discussion. Note that not everyone is out there every weekend showing their dogs! For some being involved in this aspect is cyclical thoughout their life as a breeder). When it comes to waiting lists, the issue in my breed is that it is not a 'popular' breed nor one for the 'average' pet owning family (and breeders don't want it to become one - we have seen what happened to the Maremma.). The right homes are there, but not coming out of the woodwork in droves and never will. To have puppies available all the time just so there are puppies available whenever someone decides they want one would mean too many puppies without the right homes being available. Breeders would either have to keep most of the litters themselves (and be quickly overrun with dogs) or be less picky about the homes they go to. Not very responsible really, and all because those few good owners should have pups available exactly when and if they want them? In the case of my breed, waiting lists are a much better option and most of those who we would want to own them are willing to wait. And we have the very low dumpage rate to show for it.

Finally more people are waking up to them. This sort of thing seems to be standard operating procedure for them now. Great to see the community getting behind their locals and supporting them.

Deleted as was a repeat message

I can see where Lilli is coming from. Particular science was claimed as a basis for policy. She asked for that science on which the policy was based to be referenced. Not an out there request. As someone who works in Govt myself (policy analysis and development is in fact my field) I don't see the request as being 'out there' at all. Not anti-desexing, just a wish to understand the basis for policy and to be reassured it was based on sound (accountable) information and advice. Govt is accountable afterall. Cr, thank you for coming to this forum. It is nice to see you taking an interest. Be aware that here members are very much prone to questioning and debate not taking things on face value just because someone claims it to be so. A good thing I believe.

Thank you for following it up. It is in these types of situations that I would have hoped our canine controls (in this case Dogs Vic) would be proactive in issuing a media statement. The link has been made to them by calling the breeder a 'registered breeder' - the CC needs to say what action has been taken and to distance themselves from this type of person with the aim of 'raising the bar' and supporting/promoting the good name of those breeders who do abide by the COE. It needs to be made clear that this breeder is not a good 'registered breeder' and that the pet shop is only doing (with the publics support!) what an ethical breeder usually does if such events ever arise (and which they try to avoid happening through responsible breeding in the first place). That sort of information would have gone nicely in a follow up article. But the media cant print it if they dont have the info and the truth is most media articles are written as a resut of unsolicited media releases (maybe followed up with a few questions and a photo, but that is where they mostly start from). PP has grabbed onto a good publicity opportunity and run with it. A pity Dogs Vic didnt take the opportunity to do the same and profit from the opportunity as well.