Staranais

Oh no, really? I'm still interested - if these aren't working line dutchies, when was the show line dutch shepherd imported into Aus?

True that. I've got to admit to having a morbid fascination though in the fact that these apparently aren't working lines. So has Kristina sourced "show line" dutch shepherds? To my knowledge, there are no show line dutch shepherds in Aussie. Only FCI (schutzhund) and KNPV working lines. So if she's telling us the truth, she must have imported?

There was a thread that got locked & deleted a few days back, turned into a giant bunfight. Hence why people have been asked not to post on this thread so Nehkbet & Jeff Jones who are helping can keep us updated on what's going on with these pups. Dutch shepherd is a high drive hard working line dog - similar to a working line malinois. The ferrari of working dogs, used for police & security & protection work. There was an ooops litter, dutchie x GSD, bred by a DOL member, which has somehow turned up in pet planet and has been onsold to unsuspecting, inexperienced families with small children. An accident waiting to happen, basically.

Thanks very much you guys!

Yup, agree. Nekhbet, please let us know what happens if this thread gets locked.

Says on their website: http://www.laa.org.au/ala/Codeofethicsrules.htm Suspension, a fine, kicked out, etc. What does the AnKC do to members that breach the CoE (genuine question)? Suspension, a fine, kicked out Cool, thanks!

Says on their website: http://www.laa.org.au/ala/Codeofethicsrules.htm Suspension, a fine, kicked out, etc. What does the AnKC do to members that breach the CoE (genuine question)? ETA: agree with Poodlefan that the name needs work. I can understand why they don't want to change it (everyone knows the name = publicity) but surely changing it would help distance themselves from the BYB who are still only doing F1 crosses?

That's Aidan who posts here I think, maybe he will comment on that method for you. I've been starting to teach L & R by teaching my girl to spin left (anticlockwise) & spin right (clockwise) around things. This is how many stock dogs learn left & right, according to a couple of farmers I talked to once. Will let you know how it goes, so far she can only do left, right has her completely befuddled.

Does it differentiate between registered & non registered breeders, Steve? I'd wonder if many non registered people just breed their pet bitch once or twice to keep a puppy or make a bit of cash or let their kids experience the miracle of birth. And perhaps on average registered breeders stay around bit longer?

Depends on the person, I think. I personally have no issue with folks crossbreeding so long as they're breeding responsibly (health testing, temperament testing, support for purchasers), especially if they're working towards creating a breed of their own. Other people will object to this, but I do not see the issue. Unfortunately many (most?) labradoodle breeders do just throw together random labs & poodles just to make a quick buck, not bothering to health test either parent, with no long term goals, and misrepresenting the dogs they sell as "hypoallergenic".

I hope he continues to improve! We always blame ourselves when this type of thing happens, but it sounds like a freak accident to me. You can't wrap them in cotton wool or they don't get a chance to have fun just being dogs.

Not my place to say really, since I'm not an Aussie, but I'd suggest that the MDBA could write to AnKC themselves, & perhaps also place a notice on their website outlining the issue & asking members to submit their opinions to AnKC before the Oct meeting. The more publicity about this, the better, I think. It sounds to me like the AnKC are trying to slip the pedigree changes past everyone without asking owners or breeders for their opinions, which isn't really fair. Thanks Steve.

Yup, she's the humeral head OCD girl. She's recovering really well after the surgery 3 months ago, have taken her on some long onleash hikes recently with no sign of limping, but we don't get the final all clear until November. After that, we can jump, run and play to our hearts content! According to our specialist, taking it easy won't extend the lifespan of the joint to any appreciable degree - there's nothing left in there to cause DJD - so from November onwards she can just be treated as a normal working dog. We're hoping to have a bash at agility & dryland mushing as well as our scentwork. ETA - thanks Aussienot!

Is there anyone out there who has used a dog backpack before? If so, what brand did you get, what did you use it for, did it fit nicely (and what shape is your dog?), and would you recommend it? I'm planning several multi day hikes in the bush over the coming summer & the malinois will be coming with me. Since I'll be carrying our tent, sleeping gear, navigation things, water, cooking gear & first aid kit, I've decided that if at all possible she can carry her own dog food! But I know how miserable it is to carry an ill-fitting pack, so I want to find her a pack that is comfortable & doesn't rub. Please share your experiences if you've tried a doggy backpack out.

Yup, as requested by the OP, please don't post so this doesn't get locked. You can always start another thread.

That's what I'm thinking.

Agreed.

Done!

I hope your dogs are OK! I'm pretty sure they're both pyrethroid compounds (at least, I know one of them is), toxic if ingested.

Yes, I might feel differently if I had kids & had to choose between leaving the dog, and staying & putting the kids in serious danger (or leaving them in the care of total strangers - I bet a lot of kids got abused in those stadiums post Katrina). I can understand someone would choose the kids over the dog, although you'd be absolutely gutted to have to do so. What a miserable idea!

Hard question. I'd probably leave the cats to fend for themselves (big meanie, I know!) Although in some ways, I figure they'd have a better chance at home with a big bowl of cat food & free access to come & go - compared to taking them to a strange stressful place where if (when) they managed to get out of the carry cage, they'd probably bolt & be toast. But the dog would be coming with me, or I wouldn't be going.

Me too. What if it's too late by the time the breed club meet?

I know I have a new appreciation for my dog while training SAR/scentwork when I take the back seat (so to speak) and let her drive for a while.

There are about a zillion differentials for chronic diarrhoea in an otherwise happy puppy, and yup, food adverse reactions and mild IBD are two of them. Some random thoughts: PCR &/or repeated fecal floats are a pretty important thing to do to rule out endoparasites. Crypto, giardia, trichuris vulpis, are all possible causes of chronic diarrhoea. Isn't the Hills i/d suitable for all life stages? I thought it was. If so, why not just keep her on that if it makes the symptoms go away? You can add in other foods week by week to see if they affect her adversely & learn which foods you need to avoid. A definite diagnosis of IBD technically requires exclusion of all other possible inciting causes & a biopsy, you don't really want to go there IMO if you can control her issues using diet alone. ETA: from my understanding an actual food allergy (c.f. a food intolerance) would generally show derm signs - itching, alopecia, etc?

Depends what you mean by can they feel it. Dogs are pack animals, and are amazing at reading body language. I believe that dogs can understand and respond to the emotions & moods of their pack members. But they're not mind readers. And I think that sometimes the message we think we are giving our dogs aren't the messages that they receieve. E.g. give a dog lots of attention and treats but no discipline, and it will quite possibly feel insecure instead of "loved".