Willem

...found this in the world wide web: free plans

ha, ha .... that's a pretty steep benchmark...

building a nice dog kennel for our BC is on the to do list for month now - however, the to do list is pretty long (can only work on it when on R&R). I bought once a kennel from Bunnings just to bring it back and to get my refund as it was so flimsy (was made from paper-thin cedar wood) that it wouldn't have last very long. (It came as a kit and required to be assembled at home). Hence I thought I'm better off DIY. ...any ideas? ... it needs to be weather proof, tough built, preferably made from untreated wood, easy to clean out, kid and dog safe (no nails pointing out or sharp edges etc.). Maybe someone had the same idea and built something like this already and could help me out with advice, ideas or even a complete BOM? ...every hint / advice is appreciated.

...that's actually not correct, yes, no cooked food, but wild dogs and their ancestors eat and ate grass and grain as they often eat / ate the total prey, with the stomach and its content. There are / were times when prey is / was rare, hence, due to evolution, they got nutrients even from the full stomach of a dear, rabbit, antelope etc.... so while meat might be the preferred food, the dog's digestion system allows also to digest grass and grains. So feeding your dog with dry food that also contains some fiber / grains is actually quite a natural diet.

...that's a pretty high moral ground you claim here, considering that you find alone 7 pages of titles about animal torture here in this forum, e.g. about this case My link ...while these dogs have not been bred for food - 'only for pleasure and money' - it doesn't look very 'civilized' to me. In one culture it is common to eat dogs, in another culture it is common to eat pigs, and somewhere they still slaughter dolphins because it's their 'tradition'. Used to 'our own culture' obviously everything feels right, but with a holistic view it is suddenly not so easy anymore. I really don't like that dogs are seen as a food source, but I don't believe that it will help the cause by just pointing the finger and claiming higher ground.

the problem with our dog is that there is nothing else in her world when she sees another dog, she could be without food for 2 days and she wouldn't take a treat for a sniff & play - she just goes nuts. When she was younger she showed the same behavior when she saw other people - that's faded now and she won't run off anymore when someone passes. I love to watch her running and playing with other dogs, and she will get her time to do so, but it will be on my terms. And it is not only me who walks the dog, it is also my wife and 2 younger daughters: while I'm able to control her while she is on leash when bumping into another dog, my wife or my daughters would struggle, so there is a good reason for teaching a little bit more discipline.

...lucky you :D ...conversely other dogs have the highest priority for our BC at the moment, I just came back from another walk that proofed it again; so I agree with you 100% (I read an learn :D ), might be a little bit tough the next 2 - 3 weeks, but she will learn...

...started clicker training, and no playing with other dogs or sniffing when walking her; still allowing here a sniff here and then during the agility training as there are too many dogs around ...(she was pretty good last Wednesday - they introduced the tunnel during this session and it took her just 1 minute to figure out what she has to do.) ...let's see how we go...

I ordered a Petsafe Easy Walk harness and a Petsafe Martingale collar from amazon for our BC - package arrived yesterday. I don't like the harness, IMO it just doesn't fit properly. It is the right size and I tried every possible adjustment, still it doesn't look right. However, my wife did a test walk yesterday (with the dog :laugh: ) and she loves it.... no pulling at all. The result could also be an outcome of my intense leash training I did over the last week so. I prefer the Martingale collar (the one that comes without the quick snap buckles - I don't trust them), just slips over the head and I can adjust it that it even doesn't choke her. It sits loose and comfortable when she doesn't pull and firm if she pulls, the collar is pretty wide (1") and tough made - close to perfect for me.

I don't think that 'a dog with good manners around other dogs' and 'a dog that likes to play with other dogs' it has to be a contradiction ...we once bumped into a dog owner, his dog was walking (off leash) approx. 5 m in front of him. When the dog saw our dog, he looked back to his owner, the owner made him sit. You could see in the eyes of the other dog that he would have loved to play, but as I was concerned to let our dog off leash (approx. 6 month old at the time) we only had a brief chat and kept on walking.... obviously this (the other dog, not our dog) was a well trained dog... ...and the opposite experience: once while I was fishing (before we got our dog) I watched a guy with a young Great Dane! which he let run off leash at the beach. A lady with a smaller dog (on leash) came along and the Great Dane started to play with the other dog ... the owner of the Great Dane had no control at all!!!, and while his dog wasn't aggressive, obviously the poor woman and her dog got very intimidated, they got tangled ... shear luck that she didn't injured herself... IMO it is pretty simple: if there is a chance that your dog will intimidate others (due to lack of training or control or other circumstances or whatever) don't let him off leash.

Sheena, that's a very, very nice website with fantastic information...it will take me a while to read it all - I have to get back to work now. I love the idea with the poly pipe for the trainings equipment ! ...light weight and easy to do ...and what a nice spot you have, a real heaven for dogs ...and owners...

Thanks all for the advises ... ...that's a little bit harsh :) ? ... I love to watch her running with the big - and smaller - guys, I guess it's good sport for her, burns a lot of calories and trains also her stamina and natural behavior; based on the last trainings sessions it seems she is also focusing better and is not so interested in other dogs when she had a good run first. Good idea so to be more clear when doing the training walks ... ...I watched a few YouTube clips - very impressive and still pretty simple! ... have to do more reading, but clicker is already ordered :D ... she will love this game...

...our BC (female) is now nearly 10 month old, and while she learns (we take her to the obedience trainings and agility class) pretty easily it is very hart (impossible?) to get her focus when other dogs are around... then she just wants to play with the other dog(s). I know BCs mature very slowly (or never?), but I wonder whether this behavior will change (and if when?) while she gets older? When walking her she behaves nearly perfect...till she sees another dog. I make her drop till the other owner / dog arrives or passes to keep some limit control (I have to step on the leash as she still tries to move towards the other dog). If the other dog is interested (and if the owner accepts it) I let her have a 'sniff' and let her play, and after a few minutes of playing most of the time she follows my '...let's go...' without too much resistance. During the obedience and agility training she is full of adrenalin and goes nuts (not aggressive, just playful) after 1/2 hour (the first 1/2 hour is pretty o.k. if I let her run with the other dogs before the training)... ...so will she grow out of this?...any tips and advice?...we use treats as a reward for correct behavior, but she could go 2 days without food and would ignore the treat when she sees another dog....

Thanks ...will do...

...our BC (female) is now nearly 10 month old, and while she learns (we take her to the obedience trainings and agility) pretty easily it is very hart (impossible?) to get her focus when other dogs are around... then she just wants to play with the other dog(s). I know BCs mature very slowly (or never?), but I wonder whether this behavior will change (and if when?) while she gets older? When walking her she behaves nearly perfect...till she sees another dog. I make her drop till the other owner / dog arrives or passes to keep some (limit) control. If the other dog is interested (and if the owner accepts it) I let her have a 'sniff' and let her play, and after a few minutes of playing most of the time she follows my '...let's go...' without too much resistance. During the obedience and agility training she is full of adrenalin and goes nuts (not aggressive, just playful) after 1/2 hour (the first 1/2 hour is pretty o.k. if I let her run with the other dogs before the training)... ...so will she grow out of this?...any tips and advice?

I would like to ask some questions here, so I want to comply with the rules and answered the questions from the first post. However, as the first post also states ..."...Please only answer if you breed or own a pedigree example of this breed"...I'm a little bit unsure whether my answers are relevant as I don't intend to breed and because our BC has a smooth coat respectively is a short-haired BC and parents are short-haired working dogs, so no pedigree example of the breed ... 1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) first time owner of a BC; 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? answered before; 3. How common is it in Australia? long hair / rough coat is very common, short haired / smooth coat not common or not recognized as pure BC; 4. What is the average lifespan? 12-14 years; 5. What is the general temperament/personality? energetic, very strong herding instinct, very intelligent, but slow maturing, life time learner; 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? depends on whether dogs can entertain themselves in a garden or paddock - IMO it is not an ideal dog for townhouses or flats and without having the option of burning energy in a fenced area this breed would need 2-3 longer walks per day; 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? IMO no - needs training and I assume most BCs will develop nasty habits if not trained and entertained; 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? yes if fenced areas with toys or other entertaining objects / other animals available - however, IMO it won't be ideal without supervision; 9. How much grooming is required? as stated, ours is a short-haired BC - obviously much easier wrt grooming compared to long-haired / rough coated (makes searching for ticks also much easier); 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? IMO yes - too boisterous! 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? pretty healthy breed, if bought from a registered breeder the health risks should be minimal; 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) beside the answers given in other posts I would be interested in vet history, incl. drugs and medications consumed by his dogs over the last years; ...if my answers are not relevant, I'm happy to edit or delete my post.... I will raise my own question(s) I have about this breed in a separate post...

I'm pretty sure the preservative is 220? Its in all of the kangaroo you buy for pet meat - something about the different parasites that are in kangaroo meat or something. I don't feed kangaroo so I didn't really go research it. I feed chicken and turkey. Thanks ... I thought they use the sulphites (220) only for the packaged meat for humans as it is more for the looks? ...I will ask the butcher from where we get our 'bone bags' for the dog - according to some studies meat with preservatives like sulphites shouldn't be fed to dogs.

No preservatives in their chicken, turkey, beef etc. Roo wherever you buy it will have some form of preservative in it. ?...do you know why?...or how it gets into it?

...that's another advantage with our BC...she never runs off far, especially if we walk her with the kids as her herding instinct kicks in ... :)

Thanks jem - they will be in the water a lot (Em's trialling) so is that still effective? ...in case the dog will be a lot in water I wouldn't use a collar; most of them use Deltamethrin / Permethrin (both high toxic to fish and aquatic life) and the collar will release these toxins also to the water when submerged.

Thanks jem - they will be in the water a lot (Em's trialling) so is that still effective? ...in case the dog will be a lot in water I wouldn't use a collar; most of them use Deltamethrin / Permethrin (both high toxic to fish and aquatic life) and the collar will release these toxins also to the water when submerged.

while it has - hopefully - changed now, let's not forget that in the past (at least in Europe) a lot of health issues in dog breeds were actually caused by registered breeders when their focus was more on the 'look' than on health. And also today there are breeds more healthy than others: does this mean - following high ethical breeding standards - breeders have to stop breeding those less healthy breeds?

...our 10 month border collie (female, just hit the 16 kg mark, short hair) would tick most of the boxes, but she (I guess all BCs) are very, very energetic and just 2x1 hour walk per day wouldn't keep her busy / entertained. Beside the obedience training we started now with agility - for the time she is alone in the garden herding our Guinea pigs keeps her entertained. So the small garden of your parents might be the issue here.

Thanks for the hint - I obviously missed it.... looks like it could also be used together with milbemycin oxime and praziquantel (interceptor)... I will keep an eye on this...

Hi, ...my first post here (so be gentle :) ). I did some reading over the past days to find a suitable tick / heartworm strategy for our young border collie and had also a look at Bravecto. Did some googeling binging and found this article My link ...(also a sad reminder that a lot of dog lives are scarified by the pharma industry when developing new drugs). Now, while I'm not a vet and not working in this field, however, having some scientific background I ask myself: If the drug was only tested with one breed, how can it cover genetic variations (e.g. like ivermectin impacting dogs with MDR1 mutations) across various breeds? The tests only covered a relative short period of young dogs (56 days old – approx. 200 days old) - how can they guarantee that there are no future long term side effects for adult dogs? … or rule out that the drug is not carcinogenic? I will keep an eye on this – it is obviously a relative new drug and I won’t start a ‘long term test’ with my dog before there will be more evidence that the drug is also safe in a long term.