Nekhbet

The diets too chip chop. Seaweed is a great source of iodine, so unless the OPs feeding cups of it there shouldn't be a problem. By the way seaweed browns the coat ;) I gave my Dogue seaweed meal for a while and he went a dark brown instead of a rich red, whereas the Livamol is bringing out the red tones in my Dogue and Malinois bitch. I wouldn't bother with the dry food since it's just filler most of the time (eg supercoat, Bonnie etc) and that can dry the coat out despite all you additives. And if you want a definite coat booster try the Ethical Nutrients High Strength Liquid Fish Oil, you only need under half a cap per Basenji. If they can't cope with a rich diet as yet at least a little boiled rice/veges added to their protein source. Conversely if you want guaranteed nutrition in a home made diet at least get something like the VAN health booster powder and add it to your dogs diet. I don't know how your dogs go with red meat but give them a little of that every now and again instead of dry, the iron source looks a little lacking.

seaweed is the natural source of Agar ... which is a vegetarian version of gelatine. It's normal to turn goopy especially when you soak it in boiling water. Just pour lukewarm over it as high temperatures destroy valuable nutrition. What dry are you feeding that you need to add so many supplements?

is there a link to a PDF, the one I got from the ANKC site doesnt have specifics. I thought they would be angled like the AKC ones

Does anyone have exact diagrams or measurements of a set of broad jumps scaling from the ANKC 100-250mm? Some say they have to be angled, some don't ... AKC ones are angled but are ours? Or doesnt it matter as long as the tallest height of the jump complies to ANKC limits? bleh. Why can't things be simple lol

It's a sticky paste that you paint on, there is a spray version but a lot of people havn't found it useful compared to the horse one. http://www.horsesuppliesdirect.com.au/prod249.htm Warning to not rub your eyes or mouth after you use it!

buy yourself a tub of crib stop and paint it on all the conduit.

good to hear pebbles!

Oh God dammit ... Sometimes I hate living in Victoria

13 months old is not too young for some dogs. We don't know why the dogs had their arguments it could be something manageable because from the sounds of it the owner is not actually top dog there at his place. Otherwise the Neo wouldnt have dropped him like a sack of potatoes when he had his angry momemt (and those judging him for it ... please ... a dog fight is extremely stressful and I probably would have done the same thing) As for the life span where did you get that info O_o I know plenty of people with Neos that have lived a lot longer then that easily. Don't believe everything you read on the internet. I agree with Erny, the guy is calling Mark so everyone belting on about it is just getting old. See what the OP can do about it Marks a sensible person with experience in large and guarding breeds.

cut out the supercoat and the cans .... thats the weight gainer right there. Put them on just BARF and feed them two small meals a day, make the morning bigger then the afternoon one.

Contact Mark Singer ASAP, he'll put you on the right track. Don't make any decisions about rehoming until you've had a good talk with him. As for the Neo biting you ... yes I'm not surprised. An up and coming dog, new to your household, all riled up after a fight and you acting in an aggressive manner. He did what a neo was bred to do, he was trying to tell you off for acting like a clown. I wouldnt call the dog HA considering its a guarding breed. Contact Mark and let us know how you go.

Nothing is really going to be as good as puppy vaccinations, if there was we would be using it. The benefits outweight the risks when it comes to puppy vaccines. I've had a dog with Parvo and never again. Sit there day in day out watching your dog get thinner and thinner, pooing and vomiting itself to death... it's not worth it. It's also not just a puppy disease - most adult dogs wont be hit with a full whopping case of it because they HAVE been vaccinated. There is the odd adult dog that has been under vaccinated that has contracted it. As for Distemper, it IS more common then you think. A few ferrets have died from it last year/this year and it too is a vile disease with really no cure. Ferrets and dogs need to be vaccinated for it as when one gets it, they all will, hence why any new ferret we get is in strict quarantine for at least a month. I have worked in an area when a lot of people cannot be bothered vaccinating their animals to the full, especially young ones. It should be mandatory at least for puppy/kitten. Bingo. If you dont want to vaccinate you would have to be careful for the rest of that dogs life IMO and henceforth it wont really be allowed to go to dog schools, boarding kennels, dog play groups etc.

what about a tug toy or rag? I would never use a light, its not a physical item that the dog can actually get satisfaction from. Some will end up chasing lights due to the fact they keep chasing chasing chasing and can't grab it to finish the prey cycle. Not a good idea.

another few and a whole litter of 6 have disappeared. Dogs should now be locked inside around Corio/Norlane/Lara area.

And I think this is where we go wrong. We seem to not be able to distinguish between a true professional and someone who is a promoter. People like Don Bourke are promoters. He is paid to promote things whether he knows about them or not. He vaguely has experience in the field so hence the information spewing forth seems to come from a more 'credible source'. He was always a gardener, how that filtered down to a pet professional is beyond me. I put Dr CHesty Bonds in this category because his lack of knowledge about dog care and behavior, and his riding of paid advertising/bandwagons makes him look like a commercialist douchebag. Then there are the true professionals who actually have real experience and dedicated knowledge in that field. They are usually the ones NOT pushed into our faces because they cannot be manipulated to promote the latest greatest fad and have a strong opinion. Now out of these two who do we tend to listen to ... remember the empty cart tends to make the most noise. Commercial advertising and promotion is about an agenda. That agenda is to make money not to make sure the right thing is done.

animals in general. We have an absolutely appaling idea of animal welfare here in Australia and what is right/wrong. It's so backwards in some cases it's not funny.

no first we educate the government ... then we educate the 'animal professionals' then it will filter down to the public. You can't make the public responsible if the resources they go to are behind.

can someone point me to a link to the Australian signs, I'll create my own set of high res ones, I just need to see them.

Yes the pet shop was heard quoting that because the dutch shepherd was crossed it would be really calm and the perfect pet for a CHILD. Some people need beating about the head with a blunt instrument.

I'm related to people who when can't be bothered with the animal anymore just open the gate and 'it will find itself a new home' or 'someone will pick it up and look after it'. It still happens around Geelong too, if in doubt let them wander, someone else will be responsible on your behalf Conversely, take your untrained, unsocialised and now high maintenance crazy to the pound because they will ALL find new homes! Despite the fact there is another 50 JUST LIKE YOURS! I seemed to have missed the mail out of rose tinted glasses ...

well when you see Malinois and dutch shepherds and their crosses in pet shop windows you don't hope for much any time soon ... money money money money money

bull breeds and big 'mastiff' crossbreeds. They think a new dogfighting ring has set up between geelong/melton/ballarat

Not if the cost was too high ... wow too much effort just put the dog to sleep

It's happening around Geelong as well, 6 have been stolen in the past 24 hours