espinay2

If you are ok with rabbit, then you can buy wild raised/caught rabbit from a lot of chicken places and some dog meat suppliers. You can also buy other 'game' animals which are wild caught from many places too. Poodlefan is right - beef and lamb is actually raised in much better conditions than most commercial chicken or pork. How about this for starters: wild rabbit, fish, free range organic poultry. Look for other organically and grassfed/raised meats as well. If you havent read the article I posted, I suggest doing so. It will outline for you the things you will need to take into consideration when formulating a diet.

He can move from side to side or in front etc, provided he doesnt move in a way that will trip you up!

Relax alibear Think of it this way: When you are walking around the park, you want your dog to be able to sniff the ground, look around and move around from beside you to in front of you etc. But you dont want him to pull your arm out of the socket while he does it. This is loose lead walking. When you get to a road you want him to keep close beside you where it is safe and pay attention to you as you cross just case you have to run fast or stop suddenly (you want him to move with you and close beside you). You want him to do this on a loose lead too. This is heeling. Chunk it up into different exercises like this. Teach them as two different things.

As Kavik said, they are two separate exercises. Heeling is basically an extension of your 'watch' or 'attention' exercise (IMO). It is attention while walking beside you. loose lead walking is just that. you can do what you want mostly, just dont pull the lead. Your class should be teach you both.... I use 'heel' for the attention type walking exercise (that is the most commonly used word) and 'lets go' for loose lead or 'free' walking (that is if I use a command for that one at all)

First thing to do is not to confuse walking at 'heel' where they are concentrating on you and walking right beside you with walking on a 'loose lead' where the dog can move about to the end of the lead, sniff the ground, look around and such. Which one do you wish to teach your pup just now? walking at 'heel' is a more precise exercise and can take mega concentration on the dogs part. As a young pup you can expect minimal spans of this type of concentration. It is good to be starting this now, but you should not expect trhe whole of a walk or even half a walk to be this type of thing. I wouldnt even expect it from an adult dog in all reality. A four month old pup you are aiming for a few seconds of time to begin with, gradually building up to things like 'crossing the road' (where you want full attention for safety reasons) and beyond. you can start practicing this off lead in the house or yard. Walking on a loose lead is different. A pup at four month should definitely be expected to be able to 'get' this. The 'tree' system is the one I prefer. When the dog hits the end of the lead and it goes tight - STOP STILL LIKE A TREE. When the lead loosens, move forward again (I wouldnt even expect them to turn and look at you - just to loosen the lead even slightly at first.). The second the lead goes tight again, stop again. Keep doing this till the cow come home no matter how frustrating it is. The first few times you may be lucky to reach the end of the driveway (find other outlets for energy such as extra off-lead play in the yard or drive to the park while you are working on this) Some important things to remember about this method. For the moment at least you need to do this EVERY time you walk on a lead. The minute you dont and decide not to bother 'just this once' you are randomly rewarding the pup. this reinforces the pulling and makes it even harder to get rid of. Be persistent. be consistent. Just remind yourself of the next 15 years of dog ownership and ask yourself if a few weeks of frustration is worth more or less than a lifetime of pulling. Next thing to keep in mind is that when you start this, the pup is likely to start to pull even more. Don't be disheartened, this can be a GOOD sign (IF you are keeping up with the program!). Basically, there is truth in the old saying that things get worse before they get better. In behaviour terms this is called an 'extinction burst' and basically means your pup is trying one last ditch effort to get what worked before (the pulling) to work again. If you persist with acting like a tree it wont take long for the pup to come to the conclusion that the ONLY way it can move forward is with the lead loose and the pulling will taper off and (if you keep up the routine) eventually stop. Let me reinforce to you that the pulling is not going to magically stop without some effort on your part to put ONE program in place and STICK to that program EVERY time the dog is on lead. What ever method you choose, stick with it, do it consistently (ALL the time) and be persistent. Good luck, I am sure you will get there.

I wouldnt start jumping yet, but you can do all sorts of things with teaching him to go though a tunnel (even just a large cardboard box open at both ends will do), walk along a low ramp (plank on ground or on low bricks), walking through a ladder on the ground to teach him where his feet are, on different surfaces and the like. Also try teaching him tricks and games like 'find it'. That is GREAT mental stimulation. Your main thing to teach him will be to focus and pay attention to you - doesnt matter whether the lead is attached or not. Make it fun and rewarding for him. Just for short periods to begin with but increasing in time as he gets older. I would actually teach him to 'heel' without the lead if you can - just a few steps at a time in the beginning. Stops you relying on the lead to keep him there too (of course there are some environments where he will have to be on lead but this you can practice in your hallway at home, in the yard or at the park during play sessions. make it part of the play to walk beside you and get a reward then play and romp some more) As for the on lead walking, teaching him to walk/sniff around/watch what is going on on a loose lead without pulling is the main thing to concentrate on at this age rather than on any precision heel work. JMHO

whoops! double post

just anothe thought - you may want to post to the Ozshow list on yahoogroups and see if there is anyone there who can help.

A Maned Wolf is actually a very different species to to a Grey Wolf or a Domestic Dog. Both the Grey Wolf and Domestic Dog are Canis Lupus (dogs are Canis Lupus Familiaris). The Maned Wolf is Chrysocyon Brachyurus. They are definitely not a good example at all of what a domestic dog should eat. Dogs, while opportunistic, are definitely carnivores. Some reading I suggest would be anything relating to the diet of the Dingo, books by David Mech on containing information on the diet of the Wolf and also the articles on www.rawmeatybones.com Just to clear up the 'they eat the stomach contants of their prey' thing: at a seminar with David Mech last year on 'The Diet and Nutrition of the Wolf from Birth to Death' last year, Dr Mech stated that wolves do not in fact eatthe stomach contents but shake them out before consuming the actual stomach. they may get some, but not all. This mirrors my own obervations of wolves in the US where on several occasions after consumption of a carcass I noted the contents of the stomach left on the ground. I would also recommend this article which has some excellent information on the issues surrounding feeding a vegetarian diet: http://b-naturals.com/Aug2003.php I know quite a few vegetarians who have elected to feed a raw diet to their dogs. They do this for a number of reasons. Firstly they recognise that they have elected to keep a carnivore as a pet and as such have a responsibility and duty of care to feed it the diet it was naturally intended to eat. Secondly, they recognise the health benefits in feeding a diet as close to that nature intended as possible rather than feeding heavily process foods. Many of them have not found it totally easy going to begin with and have had to over come their own squeamishness. I have heard a few say however, that they get comfort from blessing the animal their dog is eating and thanking it for being part of the great circle or words to that effect. They also seek out food that is raised and killed as humanely as possible - free range, grass fed, organic etc - so they know where the food they use have come from.

Hand stripping is quite time consuming and specialist technique that not even many professional groomers take the time to learn unless they have a handstripped breed themselves. It is also very hard onthe hands! I have only ventured into stripping a little myself and not for a dog that is to be shown. I will post your request on a groomers list I belong to though and see if there are any takers.

That 'don't feed a giant dog high protein' is a bit of a furfy. I have a giant breed - Pyrenean Mountain Dogs - and raise them on raw. I know quite a lot of folks who raise giant breeds on raw and have no issues with growth - in fact they tend to have less issues. Here is an excellent article on protein amounts and growing dogs: http://b-naturals.com/Jan2004.php

What Steve said. Except it is egg yolk, not egg white which is the 'benchmark' for protein.

The reason they grow so big so fast is basically because they have been selectively bred for this trait. Selective breeding occurs in more than just dogs.....

Cooked bones are a no-no. The cooking process makes them hard and brittle and they cant be digested the way raw ones can. Certainly there have been dogs that have eaten the occasional cooked bone - by accident or on purpose. I would never do it, yet I will feed my dogs all manner of raw bones. In regards to chicken, it is actually illegal to use growth hormones in chicken for human consumption and has been for over 30 years. So - when you see those signs in shops that say 'hormone free' they are correct - but that is because ALL chicken is hormone free. In a way it is false advertising, even though they are telling the truth :rolleyes: Unfortunately it has led to the continuation of a myth and over 80 percent of people surveyed still believe hormones are being used! Now antibiotics is a different issue. Personally, if I were looking for a 'healthier' chicken I would be looking for chicken from somewhere that uses probiotics instead of antibiotics when raising their birds.

When it comes to containment solutions, this website is excellent: http://www.inetdesign.com/wolfdunn/containment/index.shtml This is the page where they show lean-in arms: http://www.inetdesign.com/wolfdunn/containment/barbarms.html

A lot of dogs simply don't see the point in playing with 'things'. I don't see this as a big worry necessarily. Remember toys are inanimate objects and some dogs may simply see them as boring as they dont really 'do' anything. Different types of dogs may also react differently to toys. Dogs with a high prey drive for instance may really like something that squeaks while dogs with a strong retrieval instinct may love balls and things they can chase and bring back. I think playing with many toys though does rely on having strong instincts in these areas. Dogs like my Pyreneans who have a low prey drive, once past about 12 months of age, generally couldnt care less about toys. If you are worried that your dog is bored because it doesnt play with toys when on its own, perhaps look at things that provide more interaction. Stuffed kong toys or boxes with treats in them (the dog gets the fun of ripping up the box) or treat balls/buster cubes may get more of a reaction. Or how about setting up an 'egg hunt' where you put treats around the yard for your dog to sniff out and find during the day. Otherwise, you may find that your dog simply enjoys to play more with another dog or human - in effect a 'toy' that moves and acts on its own without them having to 'make' it do something. Play chase, roll around on the ground, give hugs, do an 'egg hunt' with them, teach them to play hide and seek or teach them a few tricks for fun. Maybe these are things your dog would enjoy instead of playing with toys that just lie there and do nothing .

I too love the martingale collars and feel that from a safety perspective for walking on lead they are much safer than a fixed collar simply for the reason that they cant slip off over the head. For this same reason though, they can not be left on the dog all the time. I have fixed collars on the dogs as 'tag holders' and use the martingale collars when they go on lead. My favourite martingale collar is the Premier collar. They are strong and well made, particularly for large dogs, have no buckles to break (they slip on over the head), are easily adjustable and come in lots of great colours and patterns. Only drawback is you have to order them from overseas: http://www.bigtallk9.com/products/collars/440.html http://www.bigtallk9.com/products/collars/438.html

It really depends how well you 'click' with the vet and how comfortable you feel working with them. Remember that a vet is not god - they are your partner in the care of your animal. Just as you respect their knowledge, so should they respect your knowledge and understanding of your animals. Also know that sometimes it can take a while to develop a true working relationship with a Vet. they have to get to know and trust you as a dog owner, just as you need to get to know and trust them. This is one reason I am not fond of big clinics where their is a high turnover of vets and you never know who you will see - very impersonal IMO and a bit like comparing the outpatients clinic at a hospital to your local family GP. Personally I use the Yass vet hospital. While I have moved back into town, I have a good relationship with them so continue to use them. I trust them and they know me well enough to let me assist with procedures and such. Because they know me I can take a more active role in my animals veterinary care so I stick with them. Others may have a similar relationship with their own different vets. The Inner South vets have come highly recommended to me and I understand that for specialist care they are a clinic of choice. I also know a lot of people who use Sandra Hassett and are very happy with the care and dog knowledge she gives.

the changing foods is not that hard - you just need to establish a bit of a different mind set and routine from feeding the same thing out of the bag all the time. The first thing is to buy stuff and stock your freezer (a good size freezer is useful). Buy a variety of things and bag them up in bags that represent a meal (or a days worth of food) for your two dogs. When you shop for your weekly/fortnightly food supplies for example you may get something like the following (amounts may vary depending on how much your dogs eat): *10 kgs of chicken frames (you can buy this usually for under or around $10 depending on where you are and where you buy from) *A few kgs of brisket bones or assorted 'offcuts' if you prefer *4 or so lamb necks or flaps *a bag or two of turkey necks (woolies sells them down here) *a kilo or two of kangaroo mince and/or a few kilos of chicken or 'pet mince' *a few lamb hearts, a tray of liver (chicken, beef or lamb) and one of kidney (I usually stock up when they have 'mark downs' at woolies - just get what is available. Bag the frames and bones and mince into meal-size bags and then just throw everything in the freezer. You can bag the organ meat (heart/liver etc) into smaller bags if you wish too. The organ meats are 'accompaniments' to meals and not full meals Now comes the 'hard' part : Each day, pull a bag out to thaw (I usually get one out to thaw for the next day at feeding time). Doesn't matter what order you pull them out in. Every couple of days pull out a little bag of organ meats as well (eg a couple of chicken livers) and feed that as well. On the days you pull out the mince, occasionally throw in an egg or a glob of yoghurt or a can of sardines or other fish as well. You can save leftover veggies and other healthy food scraps and add this to the meal too (I find it easier to just feed leftover veggies than preparing veggies especially for them) - try to mash veggies up or puree them in a blender or with a drinks blender first as dogs cant really digest them otherwise. You can also keep an emergency 'I have run out of things in the freezer' or 'whoops I forgot to thaw something' meal in the cupboard. Cans of mackeral, tuna or salmon for example or something like Home Brand cat food sardines or tuna! (basically they are just the fish with no additives and they are cheaper than the human ones) For that occasional day when you just need something to feed, a can of fish with some egg, yoghurt, veggies, or whatever you happen to have available does just fine. HTH

A BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diet or raw diet as some of us prefer to call it is very easy to prepare and feed. Doing it yourself is ideal as while you can buy pre-prepared things such as 'BARF patties' in some areas, the cost of them is way more than if you were doing things yourself. I do suggest doing a bit of reading first so you get the idea of how it is done. There are a few main princples however, that a very good to remember: *Feed a variety of foods over time *feed balance over time and dont necessarily strive to create a 'perfectly balanced' meal in every bowl *bones that your dog can chew up and eat are just as important as meat as without them your dog will not be getting important nutrients such as calcium. Think of it this way though - your aim is to re-create a prey animal over time by feeding meat, bones and organs. You can also add things like fish, eggs, some veggies, a bit of yoghurt etc once or twice a week, but meat. bones and organs - in the proportions you see in a prey animal - are what you will generally feed the most of. Look for things like chicken frames/necks/wings; turkey necks; lamb flaps/necks; beef brisket bones/tails; kangaroo tails/mince; rabbit; heart, kidney and liver from various animals; and so on. Whatever you have available in your area When it come to feeding and 'extra strength' diet, there is no need. If you have a growing pup/young dog, for starters, you will want to grow them slow and lean. I really have to emphasise that. There is NO REASON, apart from owners ego, to grow a pup fast and it can do way more harm to the pup than good. By trying to grow them quickly you only leave the poor dog open to bone and joint growth problems. Keeping the pup/young dog wiry with plenty of good muscle tone is the best way to ensure a dog will have the best chance of growing up healthy into the big strong dog you want. That said, even just switching to a raw diet many have found that health and muscle tone have improved. I am presuming that is what you mean by 'big' and it is not an ego thing where you are trying to create artificially macho 'pumped up' gym junkies out of your dogs

White Tripe is basically cows stomach that has been cleaned and 'sanitised'. You get it from the butchers or sometimes from Woolies etc although even butchers dont have it all the time now. When I was growing up we used to eat it cooked with onion, parsley and white sauce <vbg>. When you cook it (boil it) though it can smell like very old dirty socks <phew!> There is nothing much other than protein and water in white tripe but it is quite filling and a way to 'bulk up' a meal without adding too many calories. When it is uncooked it looks like a big piece of offwhite rubber (and is actually quite rubbery in consistency). Some pieces will have a honeycomb effect on the surface. White tripe BTW is not to be confused with Green Tripe which is basically fresh cows stomach with all the 'bits' still in it. now that REALLY stinks LOL! But it is VERY good for dogs and they adore it. Unfortunately it is very hard to get as meat places are not allowed to sell it. You could mix the broth with dry food if you wished. If you did that I personally wouldn't leave it more than overnight before I threw out any uneaten. But then if she didnt eat it all, I probably wouldn't worry as she can't really be that hungry if she turns some of it down (my own dogs will self-fast on occasion though so I am never worried about the odd part missed meal if they are otherwise healthy). With the veggies, pureeing them in a blender, food processor or juicer (add the pulp back into the juice) is better than grating if you can. The stock cubes should be ok, but watch the fat and salt content - try and get ones low in these if you can.

Some ideas: White tripe can be useful to add to the diet (replace some of the other things) for a short while. You can feed it cooked or raw - the raw if she will eat it will give her something to chew on and make her feel like she has actually eaten something rather than her dinner being 'gobbled and gone'. My preference is always for raw If cooking (boiling) beware because it STINKS. You can add garlic to the cooked stuff too if you wish as an added enticement. Cut the fat off the beef for her if it has any. Feed in large chunks rather than small pieces so she has to chew more and it takes her longer to eat. Longer eating time = more satisfaction. Feed some of her meal 'on the bone'. For example, a large chunk of beef backbone with a bit of meat on it (backbone is leaner than brisket or neck etc) that takes her a while to chew off will be roughly equivalent in calories to the same amount of meat fed off the bone but will result in more energy being expended to eat it. Make a light broth with pureed veggies and lean stock. Make it quite watery/soupy and use warm water. This will help make her feel full without adding too many calories.

I love the Plush Puppy range of shampoos (www.plushpuppy.com.au) and use them on my own dogs as well as a lot of clients dogs. I would probably use something like the Natural Conditioning one on her coat. The Kelco shampoos available from petnetwork I think (advertiser here) are also excellent and will last a very long time as they are very concentrated. Also the Coat Handler shampoo and conditioner if they still have them. I would use a conditioner as well particularly if you are washing regularly. You may only need a light one. The Plush Puppy Reviva Coat conditioning mousse is great. I also use a squirt of it shaken up with water in a spray bottle as a grooming spray in between baths. I also love the seabreeze oil as a final rinse.

Ooh, dont you just love those big geaorgeaus pups! If Bubba were with me he would be raised on a raw diet. All my dogs are. I have Pyrenean Mountain Dogs. Some resources: www.yahoogroups.com/groups/RawPup www.rawmeatybones.com www.switchingtoraw.com www.b-naturals.com (take a look at the articles) there are quite a few books available but one you may like is 'Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet' by Kymythy Schultze. Kymythy is a Newfoundland breeder.

First question for deciding on an appropriate shampoo is what breed of dog do you have (ie coat type) and what colour is the coat? Also what 'issues' do you have with your dogs coat, if any? (for example - dry skin, hair brittle, fading, static in coat, flyaway hair, tangles easily, yellowing on white coat, heavy undercoat 'wads' up etc etc)