Whipitgood

And some more. The animals were not impressed but didnt try to chew their way through walls like my old dog used to!! They just huddled on the sofa!

Well for once, we didnt get a battering here in the hills. It was no different to any other wild blustery winter day for us - lots of rain, no hail and very windy, but that was it! We have views across to the coast from our loungeroom window and it was pretty impressive to watch it roll in. I had to do night shift that night and i swear every pregant woman in Perth went into labour that night and we were on a code yellow at King Eddies - not a peaceful easy night at work!! I hope everyone gets back to some sort of normality soon.

fantastic photos Winpara, thankyou! Congrats to the handsome Matey!

Thanks everyone for their replies. Ill do the calcium thing next time then. I am not one to jump in and do elective caesarians "just in case". Having a general anaesthetic and a scar on her uterus has its own substantial risks too. I would rather trial a labour and if it doesnt go to plan, then caesar. Of course if i thought she wasnt going to deliver the pups and oxytocin didnt work, then she would be straight in for a section. I have oxytocin on hand and a good vet at my call the instant i want him - he is my husband! Yes im inclined to agree. I would like to give her the best chance, hence looking for ideas here for the labour. Im not quite willing to elective caesar her just yet after one bad experience with her, however if she does the same again then it will most likely be her last litter.

Whippet!!! Looove whippy bubbas. Nice markings and colours.

One of my bitches had a hard time whelping her last litter. I plan to breed her again in the future but will not breed her again if she has the same sort of problems. But i was wondering what other breeders do to assist them through the whelping? I have read on here previously that some breeders give them oral calcium during labour (Ellz?), some give their bitches kelp during pregnancy. The issues i had was a long time between pups (5-6 hours), atonic uterus at the end, maternal fatigue, long pushing times (for some of the pups. I seem to get this with the first puppy often). I had 2 decomposed pups that had died long before labour as well, the first and last pup. She also had a bleed about 3 weeks into her pregnancy after her post season bleeding had cleared. So all in all, it wasnt a pleasant litter for her or me! Anyone care to share their tricks and recommendations, particularly for intrapartum care?

Sea Kelp is surposed to enhance thyroid function and metabolism. You can can it with all the other vitamins in supermarkets and chemists. A lot of breeders seem to use this pre season in an attempt to improve litter outcomes.

I took on a 10 year old rescue, her name was Cindy which i thought was horrid, so changed it to Lilly! She wasnt phased at all, but it did sound the same i guess.

Mine arrived 2 days ago on Friday, almost 3 months after ordering them!! What a joke! The pups are 4 months old and long gone!

Hi Flatchat, thanks. I know of the few breeders in Australia and their dogs lines. I show my Whippets so have seen the ones in the ring. I was more after opinions and stories from people who have owned them as pets. Ill have to find Marion and her liver boy! Maybe ill meet her at tracking! Why do you say they are not a breed for everyone? You have owned them for a long time, can you give me an idea of pros and cons for the breed? Are they hyperactive? My impression years ago of the ones i met that came into work - was that they were nutters! But i dont get that impression from people who own them these days?

Hey Valley, i missed this years classic, despite being entered, (dammit!) But i know the baby you are talking about and yes she is beautiful! Chessies are a bit more aloof than FCs is that right? ETA: thanks for that link Golden. Licking? YUK!!! I have a breed that never licks, ill have to train them out of that habit if i get one!

Hi Golden Thanks for that, ill PM her. Yes i know of the breeder(s) *cough* to steer well clear of, thanks!! Fortunately my husband and I have worked in the veterinary industry for a total of 30 years combined, you get to know the dodgy versus the good breeders (of all breeds), registered or not!

I was just looking for stories on peoples lovely Flat Coat Retrievers. I have come to realise they are not a common breed and would love to know more about them. I have approached a breeder who has been lovely enough to chat to me and i hope to meet their dogs soon. But if anyone has one of these beautiful breeds - care to share stories, photos? I am hoping to have a FC join our family one day in the distant future, to join the whippys and do some dog sports with

How loved up does she look in that photo! Bless her. Wonder what dad was!!

No numbers yet for me, i would imagine they will come early next week.

Actually im really glad you directed me to the site, im sick of paying for small bags of treats only to go through them in a couple of weeks. The whippies get treats when they go to bed, when i leave them out for a while, training, dog shows, recall reward down at the park/beach (its a wonder they are not obese! ) so i use a lot of them. Ive looked a few sites before but the postage was too much when you order 1kg boxes, i only had to pay $19 postage to Perth for 4kg of treats! . Thanks! In answer to the OP question, ive never questioned whats in raw hide chews but have used them for years. Dont think i want to know frankly!

Oh thanks a lot PF!!! I just spent $100 after going to their site!! They didnt have roo tendons but had lots of other cool stuff, i ordered 4 kg worth of treats!! Ssshhhh dont tell hubby ...

Thanks Oakway, they are currently out of stock. Ive emailed Solid Gold to see where i can get Conceptabitch from, here in Australia.

On a lighter note because, like i said earlier, this feel good thread seems to have diverted - but i agree Rommiandlewis - my Whippets would welcome a burglur/attacker with open arms and a face lick and see if they had treats in their pockets - before they would protect me!! Good job my husband is a big!!

All i mean is that he is not necessarily in his prime. he s a retired show dog who leads a quiet life at home on the sofa! He is healthy. I guess a 9 year old dog to me, when the average life span would be about 10-13, is "somewhat aged". Good to know that this doesnt necessarily affect their fertility! :D Thanks for your replies.

Angelsun, do you know (or anyone else) know where "Conceptabitch" can be purchased from? I know it is from Solid Gold but i am having trouble sourcing it here and overseas. I read somewhere that is has been discontinued? I there a similar product?

Just wondering how old is "old" in terms of using a dog in its older years over a bitch. I am considering using a lovely boy but he is somewhat aged at 9 years. I realise that the the sperm count declines in numbers with age, but it only takes a few healthy ones to reach the very few eggs the bitch has produced. What are others experiences, good or bad?

Now, do we have to turn somebodys feel good story into a negative?! Im sure she realises that her dog isnt a police trained dog that would save her from being killed. But at the end of the day, Molly did her job and a job well done. Most of the time, all it takes is a bark to deter someone and if a boxer was standing there hackles up barking furiously at me - i wouldnt challenge it!! Well done Molly and im glad you are proud of your girl, trained or not - you should be!

Thanks Nynka. Thats the way i am going about it really. I didnt actually want a dog from this litter, i wanted a bitch so if it is meant to be - it will be! If not then i wont be absolutely devastated, as much as he is lovely. I did start the massaging thing, but he started to develop an aversion to having his bits touched and i didnt think that was a good idea considering he has to be happy with having them palpated in the ring, so i let it go. It wasnt particularly comfortable for him either.

Thanks for the photos Monah! This was was a lveoly black colour too. Can you get them here then?