Tansy

Is this the one near the golf course? My dogs love this park - they love running in and out of the trees and picking up sticks LOL. I've been here quite a few times, and never come across anyone else using the park before.

Thanks for the responses. My initial gut feel was that he was a young dog and assuming he had a good recovery he wouldn't need any recurring treatment - I'm not one to over medicate. That said, after responses here and from talking to other breeders, it sounds like a good idea for him to have the injections. I know his owners will do what is best for him, and will be very responsible in managing his recovery appropriately.

Just heard from one of my puppy buyers (dog is just under 2 yo now) that he needed a cruciate repair after suffering an injury (rough housing with the kids, and landed badly). It has only been a few weeks, so he is still in the recovery phase, but seems to be going OK. The vet is encouraging them to have regular cartophen injections to prevent the later onset of arthritis, and they have asked me if I think this is necessary. Unfortunately (or fortunately I guess!) I have no experience with with this, so not sure what to tell them. The dog is beautifully maintained, at a correct weight, and has been very well brought up by his family.They have done some Obedience with him and were thinking about giving Agility a go. I know they will do whatever is best for him, but are just not sure if the injections are necessary, and for how long. Does anyone have any experience in this regards?

I'm another that likes to wait to the last minute to make final decisions on Main or Limit, but I have to give a big thumbs up to Dogs NSW express processing. Yes, it costs more, but I generally get my papers within 24 hours (for example, fax them through on a Monday, the papers are in my letterbox on Tuesday morning AND I'm in a regional area). I always use this service and I've never had a problem (other probs with Dogs NSW processing, but never litters). I think it's nice to send the papers home with the pups as part of their puppy packs. It's such an exciting time for puppy owners, I like them to have their 'birth certificates' in their packs. I know in other states this may not be possible, but I don't find it hard in NSW. I have to say I was quite shocked in a discussion with others in my breed a while back where several said they do not give papers to puppy buyers. These are not 'dodgy' breeders and all the puppies are registered, but the breeders retain the papers. They were worried about puppy buyers doing something dodgy with the papers (such as forging signitures to upgrade from Limit to Main), but I feel strongly that all registered breeders should be proud to supply papers with their pups.

I wouldn't NOT to respond to you in this situation, but I would be a little wary until we had established some rapport. With a landline I can tell approximately where you are, for example, if you have a 02 47xx xxxx number I know you are in Western Sydney, but with a mobile number you could be anywhere in the country, or in fact even OS with an Aust mobile number. If you are calling me from another state I want to know why you aren't dealing with the local breeders in that state. I had an enquiry from interstate recently and I checked with breeders in that state and they gave a very big 'STAY AWAY' from this buyer, as they had bought puppies from 3 different breeders, only to return the puppies in less than a week for a number of stupid reasons, such as they changed their mind about the colour of the puppy! Word had gotten out in that State, so they were now looking Interstate for a puppy. With just a mobile number you might tell me you are local to me, but I don't really know if that is true. With free email accounts, I'm sure at least one enquiry for each litter I have for sale is from other breeders in my breed just wanting to find out what I'm telling puppy buyers and how much I'm charging. I always respond politely and answer all questions, including the cost, but I probably put a bit more info in the non-anonymous email requests.

So why do so many advertisements on DOL say they have pups available? probably because they do have puppies available. Some one else already posted that they had recommended some one else but the OP wasn't interested as they were too far away and she doesn't have a car for two weeks. So, if you restrict yourself to a smaller area, take out the dodgy ones, then take into account personal preference on gender, colour etc there are likely not very many breeders/puppies left to chose from. That's fine by the way, but you need to realise that you might need to be PATIENT in waiting for the right pup. In my breed, I'm the only registered breeder for two hours in one direction, and an hour in the other. So, if some one wants to buy from a 'local' registered breeder in my area there is just me, but I only have normally one litter a year. No doubt there are people who won't sell to people with kids, but there are also people who won't sell to older people, people who work fulltime etc. In fact, I have a breeder friend who won't sell to people of certain nationalities (no need to get in an arguement with me about this - it's not something I agree with). There are heaps of breeders who will sell to people with kids, but they might not have a puppy or dog available right this minute - again, it's about being patient. To be honest, this thread started on March 29, and by April 1 the OP has an appt to meet with a breeder about a dog. In this time she has gone from wanting an older dog, to a young puppy and back to an older puppy. Personally I don't think that is very long to find the right dog. Hope it all works out well for the OP and the dog.

Easter in Sydney? I'd be bringing the wet weather gear :D

Sounds like you are on the right track. There are people who won't sell to people with young kids, but there are plenty who will. I think the bigger issue is with wanting an older pup you might need to be a bit patient. Don't know what you mean by 'older' by the way, I'm assuming six months or so?? Generally when people are selling an older pup it is because they have run them on, and then decide to place them, so there aren't heaps of them around. There is a huge demand for older pups and young adults, so it might take you awhile to find the right one.

Maybe try contacting some breeders, not just those advertising an older pup. Sometimes as a breeder you may have 'run on' a pup but are umming and ahhing about keeping the pup. Often with older dogs I might not be 100% about selling them, but then the right home often seems to just come along, so you decide to let the dog go. If you do contact breeders don't just send an email that says, "Got any older pups? How much?". Instead, provide some info on who you are, why you are looking for an older pup, and how you plan to manage a pup with the kids etc. Ask if i would be OK if you call them to discuss (or alternatively, if they have a website or a listing here that says they prefer to be contacted by phone, contact them by phone in the first instance). Some breeders won't sell to people with young kids, others won't sell to people who work fulltime etc. If you get that response just thank them for their time and move on. There are also breeders who prefer to sell to people with kids, especially if one parent is home full time.

The thing is, it is not the ANKC as such that determines these things. Delegates from all of the State/Territory bodies meet and vote on these things. Two delegates from each State/Territory attend the conference. NSW, Qld and Vic have two votes each, all others have one vote. So, I'm guessing Qld voted no and most others voted yes, and now Qld are acting like a spoilt child because they didn't get their way. By the way, I think this title is stupid. Maybe not the title as such, but how it is awarded. Normally to obtain points you need to beat all the others in your breed, or at least all of one gender, whereas with this new title you just need to win a class to gain points. I don't think there will be many instances where there will be more than one Neuter entered, so it will just be a matter of entering 17 shows and getting 6 points a show. Yes, I know this happens in some breeds anyway, but I don't think it is much of an achievement just turning up 17 times. I guess that judges can nil award, but it rarely happens with the CCs, so I doubt judges will be more inclined to nil award a class (actually can they even nil award a class? I thought judges could only nil award a Challenge). Even though I think the title is stupid I think if it is voted on by the delegates then it should be implemented uniformly across all states.

You can also make doggy toothpastes - just Google for plenty of recipes

I only test for Parvo and Distemper. I guess it is a risk, but I am happy with it. I think most people would agree that Parvo is the 'biggie' here. I have spoken to a couple of vets, and they have said although they see Parvo all the time, each vet I have spoken to says they have only ever seen one or two cases of Distemper and none of Hep. Of course, the arguement is that Hep and Distemper aren't really around because people do vaccinate, but for me it's an acceptable risk just to do the WA test. I pay around the $100 mark for testing.

Well yes, I think all breed clubs have these members - people who aren't happy with the state of affairs and are happy to say so. Funny, they never seem to be there when volunteers are required to actually do something :D OK, so you are not even a member of the Club, but some how the Club should have known to come looking for you to organise the show, and you would have done a better job than they have? But again, you still have NO IDEA what other venues were available and an understanding of budgets etc. Honestly, I think you need to join the Club (I really don't understand why people wouldn't join their state breed club if they were active in the breed), and then volunteer your services. Now, had you actually fully researched venues a couple of years ago and found something more suitable (considering costs, availability, insurance etc) and THEN they turned you down, I could understand your gripe.

Whilst I think it would have been very petty had your entries been cancelled, I think you need to be a bit more realistic. If you wanted a say in the venue for the show you should have probably been involved in the organising committee about two years ago, rather than asking on DOL a few weeks before the show and saying "What really annoys me is within 12 hours of posting my question here - I was able to find an ideal venue just around the corner from the venue they have, imagine if I had a couple of years to organise it LOL". How do you know this is an ideal venue? Do you know if the venue was available on the particular weekend? Do they still allow dog shows? Have you done a fully costed budget? What are the insurance and cleaning requirements? I think you need to give the committee a break. Maybe they could have come up with a better venue, for that matter, maybe they could have better caterers, or a better schedule, or better prizes. I'm sure they have all worked very hard though. You say, "It is a sad day when a Club cannot appreciate another persons opinion and is so touchy to criticism.", but there would be no options to change venues at this stage, so really your criticism is not very constructive. Sure, it is not great to have the dogs outside, but whinging about it now is not going to change anything. If it was my breed I would get together with a group of friends and organise a roster for a couple of people to be outside with the dogs at any one time, and the rest in the venue. I'd make it festive in the outside area with drinks and nibbles to make it as fun as possible for those missing out on the 'action'.

I understand your frustration, but it might be a financial decision. My Club looked at Panthers a few years ago, can't remember the price but it was very expensive. No way we could afford it. I have no idea how many entries the Dobe National attracts, maybe it wasn't doable financially. It's a shame NSW doesn't have an indoor venue that is more suitable, but also affordable.

No idea I'm afraid. She seemed perfectly normally, ate breakfast in the morning and didn't have any discharge. It was early afternoon when I noticed the green/black discharge and straight to the vets. There hadn't been anything 'odd' about her pregnancy at all. This was her first pregnancy. If I do mate her again I think we will be doing regular monitoring of prog levels. It may just have been 'one of those things', but I would prefer to get regular prog testing done than lose an entire litter again :-( Her mother didn't have any whelping problems, and a litter sister (owned by some one else) also had no whelping issues. I just don't know if I will mate her again or not. She wasn't the easiest to get into whelp in the first place, but if I got a puppy from her that was even in the same ballpark as her quality wise I would be over the moon. ETA - no, at the time we didn't check her prog levels.

I actually don't have puppy buyers over until the pups have had their first vacc, unless one is going to a 'doggy friend'. Previously this has been about 6 weeks, but going forward I'm not going to vacc until 8 weeks. I'm not real stressed about selling puppies early. The only thing I find a pain is people asking me what is wrong with my puppies, given they are 'still' available at 8 weeks. At six weeks or more, the pups are pretty independent, and Mum is pretty over them. When puppy buyers come over the whole litter will be running around in the house/yard with all my other dogs, although if it gets a bit hectic some or all of the adults will get crated. Some of them just get a bit excited when people come to the house. For my last litter I had people come over and say, "oh, how lovely, Mum is playing with the puppies.". Um, no, it was one of my other girls playing with them, Mum was on the sofa. So, Mum will be around, as will all my other adults, but it doesn't mean she will be interacting with the pups.

From a Board Member less than a week ago. "It is a very complex issue, and the Board is still working through the issue." Same person confirmed that there is no issue with Council or Insurance on people staying overnight (i.e. one night stay only), but Dogs NSW does not want to have to police how long people are staying. Alternatives --> http://www.springfair.com.au/accom.html

Thanks for the response nynka. So, different approach but same lousy outcome. I googled and read books for hours at the time (post the event) and all I could find was advice to get to the vet for a probable c section when you see the green discharge, which is fine, but those recommendations were based on bitches being at term. I couldn't find much on pre-term. Can I ask if you ever mated that girl again and the outcome? This is why I am revisiting this in my head, I'm at the stage where I am thinking about what to do with this girl. On the downside is the whelping issue from last time, on the upside, she is the best I have ever had. My head says not to do it, but heart says I should give it one more shot.

I have been thinking about a disaster litter we had last year, and wonder if anyone has had the same but with a better outcome. Bitch had a premature placental separation (indicated by a dark green discharge) at day 55. Obviously we were losing a puppy, so off to the vet. Bitch had an open cervix but no other signs of labour (no panting, straining etc). An ultrasound showed pups with heartbeats, but they weren’t as strong closer to the dead pup. We decided to do a c section in an attempt to get out some live (but very prem) babies, but sadly none were viable. Likely she took from the second mating, so was more like 53 days. I wonder if anyone has experienced a similar issue (placental separation pre-term), and lost that pup, but managed to hang onto the rest of the litter? I wonder if we should have let things progress a few more days (monitoring the bitch) and seen if we could have gotten the other pups further along in their gestation, or if once things have started there is no going back, and it could have put not just the pups but the bitch at risk. I was particularly concerned that there seemed to be no indication that the bitch was actually going to pass the dead pup. I wouldn't choose to unnecessarily risk a bitch for the sake of puppies. Of course it is all very well with the benefit of hindsight to ask ‘what if?’, but I would be interested in other experiences in case I come across this again.

Our local snake catcher is actually listed in the phone book under 'snake catcher', but before we found him there we had been onto the local branch of WIRES, and they gave us his number. Advice from the snake catcher was if you seen a snake turn the hose on it. The snakes don't like the pressure of the water and will move away from it, so you can sort of push it in the direction that you want it to go with the water. Not very helpful in an enclosed backyard though. Don't antagonise the snake (obviously!), but try and keep an eye on where it was in case it moves. You don't want to have a sake in your backyard and not able to find it.

With Advance, keep your eye out for 'Bonus' bags where you get 33% extra for no cost. So, the 15kg bag becomes 20kg. Sometimes I find them at Petbarn etc, but couldn't recently so I ordered from http://www.dogfood.com.au Their price for the Advance Adult 15kg bag with bonus 5kg (so 20kg in total) is $97.60. If you order over $130 delivery is free to most places, and they delivered to me in a regional area the next day.

I have 8 dogs. 4 adult bitches, 2 adult dogs (9yrs and 2yrs) and a younger dog and bitch. This issue is with the two adult boys. The older boy is desexed and has some serious health problems. The boys aren’t best friends, but I’ve not previously had any issues without some sort of provocation (such as bitches in season). In the last week the young dog has decided to challenge the older dog for his position in the pack. The older dog doesn’t seem to have a problem with that – he seems fine to let the younger dog take his position. The older dog now won’t make eye contact with the younger dog, and will walk the long way round the room to avoid the younger dog. The problem is that the younger dog is not prepared to leave it at that, and continually wants to challenge the older dog, even though the older dog is being submissive to him. The older dog is miserable – he just wants some peace. The younger dog is also a bit 'needy' and wants my attention a lot. It was suggested to me that I ignore him and not give him too much attention, but I think this is making the situation worse. I’ve been keeping them separated – I have separate yards that I use when there are bitches in season. This works fine but is not a long term solution, as they are all house dogs. I’m planning on bringing them back together on leads and rewarding appropriate behaviour and addressing inappropriate behaviour with a verbal reprimand, and if it escalates the younger dog will be put in another room. Try again, and try and get further each time. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

I am having some sucess with Sard's wonder soap on a dog with stained whites (30 days in quarantine will do that!). I have used it before on another dog, and it did nothing for him, but does seem to be helping this boy. I often find that what works on one doesn't work on another. I also shampoo, then shampoo again with a 'purple' shampoo, then the regular shampoo again. I'm making inroads, but the staining doesn't go away overnight. I'll be interested in what other people have to say.