Over It

Yes - Wholesale prices (the same price they would charge a commercial retailer of their products)

I've been in touch with another distributor - their price is a little better but have told me that depending on how much we order will bring the price down. I'm not interested in making any money off this - I just want to be able to get Flint River into Australia - so whatever discount they will give gets passed onto you guys when you buy it. Because I will be placing a Bulk Order I will be charged at the commercial rate so the prices on the website are not really accurate. I will leave this go for a week or so and see what kind of responses there are before looking into it further - so if you are interested PLEASE check the website and post or PM me.

Don't tempt me! Your EIGHT are nothing compared to my ONE little devil. This is her "Scheming" face OK! I will have your baby and you can have my 8! Have you been to show training lately? I should return next week as I've entered Ella in a couple of shows. I will also do some more photoshopping soon when everything is not so busy around here We sure have - trying to convince Pat to come along so Jack can get some much needed Practice (I just couldn't be able to handle them both ) Maybe someone can correct me but I don't think its on next week due to the EKKA ?? (Caboolture Show Training that is!)

Hi is there anything like Big dog food in melbourne that you know about Check out Big Dog Pet Foods website. This LINK is to their "Outlets" page but also has the email address. Contact them and ask them for suppliers in your area

so cool. I have a BAZILLION Photos that I need to play around with but haven't found any time lately. I think the last thing I photoshopped was a Broke Back Mountain take off image for my mum to print on some Stubby Coolers

Sample Packs can be purchased and contain samples of the different products (for dogs and cats) and I can also make enquries about getting some of these shipped over before a big order.

If people are seriously interested in purchasing this product then please see the Topic I have started in Health & Nutrition Flint River Topic

Hi All, I have made enquiries about importing Flint River Products into Australia. After a lot of research I would love to have this product for my Furry Friends. Currently there is no distributor or importer of Flint River into Australia. I have made enquries about this and plan to do some more however would like to know how many DOLers would seriously consider purchasing Flint River Products? Please check their website for some great info on their dog and cat food, ingredients, etc. (very indepth with ingredients, nutrients breakdown etc) Flint River Ranch If you would be interested in purchasing any of their products please post here and if possible which product/s you are interested in, how much you would buy and (if known) the frequency. (The website has info on regular feeding guide and how long the product should last you) I will then endeavour to contact as many distributors as possible and bargin a price and shipping quantity that would be required to get it here into Australia. Cheers

Don't tempt me! Your EIGHT are nothing compared to my ONE little devil. This is her "Scheming" face

We'll gladly puppy-sit the 5 little devils!! But not this weekend - its our weekend away (all our naughty puppies are under strict instructions to behave for our Dog Sitter) ;)

Big Dog Pet Foods are great - I love the guys there. I buy a carton of "Breeder's Choice" every couple of weeks. I do still give them Supercoat Biscuits with their prepared meat/veges. We give our dogs 1/4 Super Coat and 3/4 Meat Mix. They also get an egg each once a week, some sardines and often get either chicken wings or lamb/beef bones. I'm not really sure why but I just couldn't feed only meat mix - I think it must be in my head that the biscuits offer a bit of "roughage" for them, maybe some added nutrients that may not be present in the "Breeder's Choice". My dog's are doing very well... we have in the past tried Eagle Pack for a couple of months but didn't notice a difference in poos or coat, etc. We have also fed Euk, Optimum and Royal Canin - but I keep going back to S/C usually because I see little to no change between their meat and SC diet and the premium diets. I would never be comfortable giving them a "complete dry food" and only feeding biscuits (personal choice - I like them to have meat and veges). Every now and then I get the urge to look for something new, but either it becomes too confusing or I can't see a clear benefit in changing. I have thought of importing some "Flint River Ranch" dog food over so if anyone on here has used this I would love to hear your experiences. (FYI - the mimimum import amount is 45,000 lbs )

Hi Kiwi73 Congrats on the new puppy If you think your pup is lacking calcium and the likes you can buy special Puppy Milk or Porridge. They usually have little to no lactose, are easily digestible and are high in calcium and protein. Whatever food you decide on for your pup - make the change gradually by mixing some of the old food with the new food. This will reduce the chances of an upset tummy (and the runny poos that come with it!) For treats for my young pups I love to use fruit (dried apricots, pitted dates, apple etc) chopped up into small bits. Another alternative is the homebrand sausage meat (like Devon) cut into small bits. You can also use cat biscuits, however I am not a fan (but know many people who happily use it and many many doggies that love cat food!) There are many different things to use, however I just recommend you don't use the same stuff as he is fed at meal times... it will soon become boring and he won't want to focus or do anything for the treat if it is the same old dry kibble he gets with dinner. Remember if you are going to be doing lots of treating when training to take this into account at meal times (otherwise you will have one chubby puppy on your hands!) GOOD LUCK

Ebay is great for getting crates cheap. You can always find sturdy ones made from steel that are also collapsible (great for throwing in the car, or packing away when not in use) We have bought quite a few off eBay over time. just do a search for "Collapsible Crate" and you will get heaps of results. Depending on where you are located - we have purchased from these three companies in the past with no real worries (make sure you check the cost of shipping to your area though!) All Pet Homes - Ebay Store Pets Station - Ebay Store Ezy Trading - Ebay Store Also - try the DOL Classifieds sections - I picked up a couple of CCrates for a fraction of the price they are new (and in great condition)

Ours are crated from as soon as they get home. We have a 3 month old at the moment and she knows which crate is hers. When she is inside we leave the crate in the living room with the door open - she goes in there and naps, chews toys, etc. Then at night time, we put the crate where-ever suits us (has been in the ensuite, bedroom, laundry and living room) and then close the door. I just make sure she toilets before going to bed, isn't in a place that will get too hot/cold (because I don't put water in my crates) and get up nice and early to let her toilet again and have a drink. I find it works really well because they crate becomes their own personal space and its small enough (as opposed to a pen) that I find it speeds up toilet training too. As your pup is going to have to like his crate for shows, I would start with a crate rather than a pen. Our girl had her first show over the weekend and spent half the time in the crate just checking out the scenery and the rest of the time on top of the crate (where she will have to learn to stay for grooming, etc).

Thanks StephenB ;)

Hi All, I am wondering if anyone on here knows of Show Training classes that are held in Rockhampton (or close by). Or if anyone can point me in the right direction to find out. Any info would be greatly appreciated

I got the toys from an El-Cheapo Store... I think it is called Prices Plus or something similar. The first one we got is about 6 months old (the red one in the photo) then about a month or two after went back and bought the others - if you look really hard, you can see they have some small teeth marks in them, but really - nothing compared to the massacre in our backyard We have a red, blue, green and yellow one. I did find some that looked the same but were smaller (thinner) like little immitation ones (from the Warehouse), and I thought I'd give them a try... they lasted a day.

Our dogs destroy EVERYTHING. When you have Cavaliers and Border Collies - there is no time for rest I gave up buying expensive "Indestructible" toys and started going to the $2-shop buying them squeekers and rope toys, or whatever I could find. I have recently found some very solid rubber bone-shapped throw toys. The first one is still intact so I went back and bought 3 more in different colours. They cost $4 each and are still going strong... They can chew them for hours and barely even leave a mark on them! Most the other toys would last between 30mins and 1 month. Or they would get empty softdrink bottles with some kibble in it, or at the moment they have a piece of irrigation pipe, very thick and slowly getting shorter and shorter! They love it though. They also get old shoes (which is ok, as long as you trust them not to confuse the shoes they have been given, with the shoes by the door, or in the wardrobe!) I have heard of these balls before Enduro Ball But have also bought one of these - it seems to be lasting a very long time and looks to be in great condition still. Apparently, it is "Self Healing" and has something to do with the soft squishee-ness it is made out of. Everlasting Fun Ball OH used to get annoyed picking up bits and pieces of plastic and rubber from toys in the yard, but he has soon learnt that letting them have fun and destroy toys means they stay off his garden and don't dig holes in our nice (brown) grass. Personally - I don't mind too much about the garden, grass or bits and pieces making it look untidy - If my puppies are happy, I'm happy

Don't be too concerned - he will love having a good brush! All my cavs think is wonderful! Especially if you have to get in deep to clean any water or wax out, their back legs start twitching and they look on their face is priceless! You don't need to use clippers at all, just little scissors - all you are trying to do is cut out any little knots that form (and can't be brushed out) before they become matted against the skin and by cutting away the "feathering" from the underside is to make it a little more airy. You don't in any way have to clip it all off. I find if you give it a little brush each day, and depending on your situation if he is able to not wear a collar, knots behind the ears will be very minimal. Our dogs used to wear collars all the time with their ID and Rego tags etc, They would all get the occassional knots and now that they don't wear collars at all we hardly even get little knots. If you have a second pair of hands, it should be really quite easy... little snips at a time Another thing that might make you feel better - he's obviously not a show dog, so if you do manage to cut a little too much, the worse that will happy is he'll look funny for a week or two :rolleyes: (His Mummy will never know ) PM Me if you need a bit of a better description...

Their ears are quite easy to look after. Give them a good brush to prevent knots (they often build up at the back and little ones become big ones very quickly). If he gets food in them, just use a damp wash cloth to get it out, though its not a big issue, the other dogs will probably finish it up for him! If you notice he is getting a lot of waxy build up, or there is a bad smell coming from them (this could just be from the wax, water or he could have mites), they will need a clean inside. You can do this again with a warm, damp wash cloth and just wipe over the inside (don't go down too far) or you can buy some ear drops from the vet (very inexpensive). Ask your vet what they recommend (there are plenty of brands to choose from) - you can buy drops to stop wax build up, ones that get rid of any water in his ear canal (very bad for cavs - if he goes swimming then you should go get some of these) and ones that will dry up the wax and water and kill of any mites that may be in there. They have increased wax build up due to a lack of air flow to their ears. As he is not a show dog, you can clip (or ask the groomer) to trim the feather from the underside of his ear around the ear canal opening and towards the back - this will help increase airflow and reduce waxy build up. Or if Archie is willing to let you dress him up - buy some scrunchies from the 2-Dollar shop and put them on his ears and let him run around for the afternoon or day. My cavs all run around the house every saturday with scrunchies on their ears to let them air out (its a good thing they don't know how silly they look :rolleyes: ) As Archie is a Ruby Cav his tear stains may not be as noticeable - but just use a damp wash cloth and give them a wipe over. If he has staining then you can use a little doggie shampoo and scrub it, or your vet will sell a tear stain remover (like "Clear Eyes" or similiar) this is great for getting the stains off, and to prevent them from coming back, put a little vaseline under his eyes. In regards to his MVD - he should have medication already. Depending on his condition and how his system is functioning - his vet may have prescribed diuretics (to reduce fluids), ACE inhibitors (to aid Blood Vessels) and either positive or negative Inotropes (to help the heart function). You said Archie has a grade 5 or 6 (6 is the highest) then you should monitor his activity levels - even though he is young and all he wants to do is run and play (and horde goodies) this can wear him out quite quickly. Though a grade six at such a young age - I can't image he will be very active for long! Speak to your vet, or phone his previous vet (hopefully it was a Cardiologist who diagnosed him) to discuss what medications he is on and how they work for him as it is hard to say without knowing what medication he is on, and without being a vet who has examined him. There are lots of treatments available and I would recommend calling his previous vet, telling him that you are now his carer and get any care instructions required from him. I hope it all works out for you and little Archie. ;) ETA: I have just assumed he has been to a Cardiologist and diagnosed correctly - as per Cavandra's suggestion here is a website with some info on PDA. There are heaps of sites on MVD if you google it. I think first and foremost - find out who diagnosed his MVD.

HI I'm surprised there have been no responses I've never really experienced any kind of ligament damage to any of my dogs - but try these guys Big Dog Pet Foods. Chris Essex - is the head honcho and is a really lovely guy, they are Greyhound people and I'm sure have come across some ligament or muscle damage in the past. I buy cartons and cartons of food from there to feed the tribe but they also have lots of supplements and additives and gadets and doo-dads, even special blankets and mats for muscle problems. He has even given me whole tubs of suplements, etc to just "Try Out" If you give him a call and have a chat, I'm quite sure he might be able to recommend something for you or at the very least, point you in the right direction. All the best.

Just wanted to add some info about Eaton's Hill if anyone is interested and doesn't have the details. Its held at Eaton's Hill "PADS" Ground off South Pine Road (you really can't miss it) every Tuesday night. They do a rolling start from 4.30pm to 7.00pm and go right through to 9pm (provided there are people there). The cost is $50.00 for your first night with Eric but you also have to join PADS (for insurance purposes) at a cost of $25/year. That $25 covers your whole family (people & dogs) to participate in anything there (www.pads.org.au). After your first night the cost is then $25 for the first dog and $15 for every other dog per week/visit. It doesn't cost anything to go and look - I took my 2 year old BC last night and he did surprisingly well - I also took my 9 week old BC pup for socialisation and she enjoyed the smells (and eating sheep poop) which will be good for when she is old enough to start. On a side note, if you are going to go (even if its just for a look) take a seat, jacket/beanie & maybe a flask of coffee because it gets COLD! Eric and all the other people there are wonderful and very encouraging. :D

You may choose to put a sign up - Ours runs along the inside of our fenceline so for it to zap someone, they would have to either walk into our yard and not see it, or reach through the gaps in the fence and grab onto it. If you are using it in place of a regular fence then I suppose it would be common curtesy to put up a sign, however as far as I know - it's not a requirement because its only 12 volts of electricity.

How is your one powered? Ours is Mains Powered (control pack & leads are weatherproof) but it can also be used with batteries, as long as you remember to replace them when required. They also make a solar powered version.

Hi Africandreams, After we finished our new house and let our turf & gardens establish themselves for 3 weeks, we put the dogs back on and our BC decided to dig a massive hole in the corner. We decided on an electric fence to run inside the boundary to prevent digging. We bought one online (here) called the Pingg-String. It was cheap compared to some of the others we found, delivery was very quick and setting it up (with the instructions provided) only took an hour to do our whole yard. We turned it on, over the next couple of days all the dogs eventually had a "run in" or two with it and now they know to stay away from the areas with the wire. This keeps our CKCS from sneaking through the gaps in the pool fence and no one has dug any holes anywhere. Before exposing the dogs to it - I tested it on my OH first (and then myself ) its not a big shock - more like static electricity zap that you would get so I was happy to use it on them. Now, we don't even turn it on - we just leave the wire there as a reminder that its "Off Limits". But if they ever try to get cheeky and test the boundary its all connected and ready to be turned on as needed. We are going to start building on our acreage block (hopefully) early next year and we have already allowed for the extra electric fencing around the entire boundary just as a precaution. It has definately saved us alot of headaches and possibly a break-out or two.