kelpiecuddles

Thanks Riverstar, I'll bear them in mind if I ever have need to get a titre test for the purposes of boarding, etc.

Fabulous, well that was my only concern. When we go on holidays the dogs usually come with us, otherwise they are cared for at home so we don't need the certificate any way.

Well i don't care about that, we don't board the dogs and at this stage they don't attend training or anything. Do you have to sbhow certificates in order to attend dog shows?

OK well I might look at doing that then, they were at the vets only last week so i might just ring around and go with whoever is cheapest for the vaccs, my usual vet isn't super cheap and to be honest I'm kinda still miffed about the attitude she gave me and the third degree about my choice to not vaccinate annually. I explained that my kelpie has funny reactions to some things and that I prefer to keep things like vaccs, medications, etc to as infrequently as possible but apparently I'm not capable of making informed choices for my pets

So is it exactly the same? If it is I'll just get the 'annual' one and ignore the next couple of reminders. She was hassling me get to get them redone and I told her I get them titre tested to shut her up, she didn't seem impressed that I didn't want to comply with her preferred annual schedule...

Thanks MUPP, I'll try South Nowra, we had our cat treated there when she went down with a tick when our more local vets aren't open and they seem nice there so i don't mind driving up there :)

Well I asked my local vets and they said they won't do them "because they like to do the annual one so the dog gets a yearly check up". All well and good for them but my dogs are there plenty anyway and I'm quite comfortable with my ability as an owner to ensure my dogs health is checked when needed.

I've already rung a few vets around Nowra and it seems it's hard to find someone who does the triennial down here so wondering if anyone knows of someone who does it? Anywhere between Bateman's Bay and Wollongong would be acceptable but the closer to the Ulladulla-Nowra area the better(we live half way between Ulladulla and Nowra)

Have you ever fed her anything other than supercoat? I only ask because I gave my girls supercoat once not long ago when I ran out of other food and couldn't get to the pet store and within a couple of days they were really dull and my basset started losing condition. back on their usual food and they look great again...

I agree about the 'protective instinct' maybe being what has caused issues. I'm sure the poor GSD breeders get more than their share of yahoos who think that just because it's a GSD they'll get an agro guard dog, stating you were looking for protective instincts might have got them worried if they misunderstood you just wanted a dog that would bark if there was a reason.

Something like this? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pet-Step-Ladder-Stair-staircase-with-Washable-Cover-for-Dog-Cat-/171123104937?pt=AU_Pet_Supplies&hash=item27d7bb5ca9

We had one who was a border collie come in to the vet I used to work at. The dog was desexed and had a happy, normal life :) Whewn the vet opened the dog up it had both ovaries and retained testicles

Unfortunately you can't see any of the clickable picture links unless you are a member

If anyone is coming from the south along the coast and is self sufficient we have a vacant property on the Princes Hwy at Wandandian which has reasonable basic fencing where they are welcome to park a caravan or even just stop in for a pit stop and run the dogs. It's about 1 1/2 hours from there to Mossvale so maybe not for the night before the show but fine for those wanting to take an extra day or two travelling or for those wanting to just stop for a bite to eat while the dogs potter. There is water on site but no power or toilets(there are toilets 50 metres down the road at the servo or over the road at the community centre though). Not suitable for dogs who jump fences as it's 4ft small mesh farm type fencing but we run our kelpie and basset there with no problems :)

If your puppy is a snacker you could leave some dry food for during the day. Try putting a bowl of food out on a day you'll be home and seeing whether he goes for broke or whether he just picks at it so you know.

Today is Monday so you have 5 days before then to help puppy get ready. Unless there is some reason your courtyard isn't secure or the weather would be unsuitable I think the courtyard would be fine. I would suggest that your wife puts the crate outside each day when puppy is fairly tired, leave the door open and allow the puppy to get used to a little bit of alone time. Start with short periods and try to only go out and retrieve puppy when settled(so if puppy falls asleep leave him and try to go out when he's just waking up, before he gets upset and starts to whine so he doesn't think whining is the way to get you to come and get him). So maybe this afternoon for a short while(or a little longer if he is settled and falls asleep) and then increase up to a few hours on Thursday. If he can cope for a few hours on Thursday then he should be OK on Friday, he might not be super happy but he'll cope and he does need to learn at some point that he will survive if he's alone.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/244893-french-bulldog-with-a-prolapsed-bowel/page__hl__prolapsed

I'm fine with my kelpie and basset but jack russels give me hives and I got kissed and cuddled by someone elses kelpie at work the other day and I was SO itchy afterwards. Maybe have a break from rescues for a few weeks once these ones go and see if it settles, you may find it is just certain breeds that you have more trouble with.

It's not ideal as I believe blood, etc is important too but just for your training treats you could cut steak in to little cubes and then put it in a colander and give it a good rinse and then dry it on some paper towel. That way it would at least not be quite as messy.

I don't see a problem with it, I think the statement "When you adopt a mutt you adopt a unique breed" sums it up nicely. They aren't saying these dogs are purebred, they are making a tribute to the uniqueness of mutts and the fact that every one is different. Basically they are saying to people "Hey, these dogs might not be purebred but they are still a valid choice that will mean you have your own special dog who is like no other". From the intro it sounds like people have avoiding pounds dogs in the past due to the fact that they favour pure bred dogs so it doesn't sound like there is too much danger of it encouraging people to deliberately cross.

I understand where you are coming from Lasareina. My older dog Sascha cost me $20 from a farm on the side of a road I was working on at the time! I started out in the same place as you and I absolutely love my kelpie, she's been a fantastic dog and I don't regret buying her for a second. She is 9 years old now and my basset is 5. It was actually my husband that led to me getting our basset, he'd always wanted one so i bought her for him as a wedding present! She has been my first foray in to the world of pedigree dogs and it got us totally hooked. I'm now waiting patiently for our second basset who is a 4 year old girl who I will be showing. She has cost me nothing. More recently just in the process of chatting and getting to know breeders I was actually offered a basset puppy for free! The breeder wanted him to go to a show home but unfortunately the timing is no good for us so I declined. Josie cost me around $1300, my next girl will cost me nothing and i could have got this puppy for nothing. I guess the point I am making is that if you really want to get in to showing and you become active and get a name for yourself as someone who is keen you won't always pay the same price as others because all breeders want to see their pups in good homes and many would prefer to give away a pup with potential to a show home than sell it to a pet home. In the registered dog breeding world it's not as simple as one price fits all, breeders costs are much higher because they are paying for health testing, vaccinations, worming and some even desex non-show dogs plus good quality food. Some charge the same for pet and show animals, some charge nothing to the right person. Ultimately while it may not seem that way at first you do get great value for money by buying a puppy from a reputable registered breeder.

Oh yes I know, very frustrating! Funnily enough my kelpie will jump up to say hello on an adult but wouldn't dare on a child. The reason that in the past when she's jumped on strang adults they more often than not will pat her regardless of whether I am telling them to growl at her and tell her to sit, if she jumps on a child she is growled at straight away so she's developed a double standard now :p

Some people truly are clueless Steph. I joked to someone that the little chi puppy I was holding was 'really a rottweiler' because of it's personality and she turned to her father and said, "See, I told you it wasn't a chihuahua, it's a rottweiler" Sadly she was serious

Oh good one! Watch out that evil mastiff of yours doesn't kiss your child to death or squash him/her flat with a giant paw. :laugh:

I had a lady come in to work today and buy a dog bed, collar, lead, etc. My work mate asked her if she was getting a new dog to which she replied, "I've got my name down for a border collie puppy but I'm having second thoughts because they're a working dog and you can't just leave them in the yard to entertain themselves...so I was thinking about a beagle instead"! Cue me jumping in to explain that beagles are hounds so they like to be around their pack and that left to their own devices they can be prone to escaping, destructive behaviours and barking. I reminded her that both breeds have some big pros and cons and that maybe neither are right for her and maybe she needs to think a bit further about what sort of dog would suit her lifestyle. She probably thought I was crazy but I am constantly amazed that so many people just have no clue about the dogs that they are planning to buy. Really it is no wonder so many end up in pounds