Christina

I have quite a few small breed dogs. First thing is you don't have to agree on how these dogs were raised. You are only minding them short term so as long as there isn't anything cruel, which there doesn't appear to be, its best to keep things as normal as possible for them. They have only got small tummies & if they share food it is best to free feed them. Mine get a meat breakfast & then free feed dry from lunchtime. If you have to be out then leave it all down in the morning. If that is what they are used to do it as they or one of them may drop weight quite quickly. If they are used to being inside most of the time keep them inside & go outside with them. Escape, snake bite or accident is not what you want to occur while they are in your care. Don't worry about walks as they are not used to them. They will chase & play with each other & a good half hour in your garden when you can as long as its big enough will be ok for the short time you have them. They won't handle excessive heat & are not used to being left out. Can you put them in one room of the house when you are out that has not got carpet, like the kitchen. Then clean up any mess when you come home. It will only be small mess, if any. Crates & pens are upsetting for dogs that are not used to them & the owners will be upset too. They won't want there dogs to be crated & penned up & should have checked & run through everything with you first.

Some. Depends how quickly it gets on my nerves & the mood of the pack. A few minutes I guess. They have to bark some of the time, its talking. Neighbour considerations aren't any issue here.

Not that one but have used a patch of fake grass on top of the upside down lid of a 32 litre storage container. Cheap puppy loo & yes some did use it but had one litter that only used it to sleep on so took it out. Keep a small patch outside to on the gravel. Some of the dogs always go on it. Tiny breed.May not be big enough for large breed.

Very small or very big dogs appeal to me. Chihuahua & Great Dane have been 2 of the breeds I have owned, as well as others. I also like them to be fairly symetrical in shape Short legs, long bodies, huge ears, pop eyes are not cute to my eyes. Long noses as opposed to flat faces as I always feel I want to pull them into shape & cannot imagine how breathing feels through a squashed nose. Wrinkles & drool don't do it for me either. Having said all that I have always loved & been fascinated by all animals from a young age & could love any dog at all no matter what it looked like. That is just my preference if I was choosing.

As above. Rough use of the brushes if there are any red patches or scratches on the skin or sores or scabs. Or is it like a dandruff type thing ?

Have known of this at several places. Handling of cats not good either. No way of knowing how many do it this way if the cats are difficult they won't say so & most clients are not behind the scenes to know about it. No sedation is not always something good as often implied. Sedation at the vets for stressed cats & dogs is kinder. Keep away from there.

What has you friend got in writing ? If the dog was on breeders terms They would need a written agreement, even breeders who are friends usually do that. If the dog was sold to them for full price & nothing in writing your friend owns the dog & can desex at any time. If there is no paperwork & the breeder doesn't pay any stud fee the only thing your friend can do is not sign the service paper. This doesn't stop the sale of the pups but it means no pedigree with them. For future it would be best for your friend to desex the dog & not dabble into breeding any more without further research & strong desire to do it with knowledge.

Great Dane. Lymphatic cancer. Died, PTS at age 7. Doberman. Mammary cancer. Died PTS age 10. Chihuahua. Aging signs at about 13. Died age 16. Chihuahua. Aging signs at about 11. Died age 13. Poodle. Aging/dementia/problems at age 11. Died age 12. Poodle. Bad byb, big mess/health issues from age 3. PTS age 10. Poodle almost 12 now. Slowed down about a year ago but still eager for the girls on heat. No health issues apart from lack of speed but still active, just runs slower.

The first part of the title. Yes he is stupid.

There is no way what happened to your cat can be justified, so very sad & I am sorry but you are getting off track somewhat. Yes this is a dog forum but many have pet cats too & some like myself also breed & show cats so no it doesn't attract anti cat people here. There isn't a battle between cat & dog people. Quite simply some dogs do instinctively kill cats & always will & others are fine with them however When someone has a cat & just lets it go outside to roam the cat is at risk of all kinds of hazards & not only dogs. There is no reason why they cannot be kept indoors & with access to an outdoor enclosure with a cat door or safe enclosed verandah. There is no need for councils to rewrite their already over kill rule book or even become involved. This topic isn't about the wild cat problem but I doubt that many animal lovers in general would approve any of the above methods to solve it.

how do you know the cat was off it's own property? Well it was outside obviously. As the article doesn't say it was behind its own garden fence & the dog broke in to attack it we can assume it was loose on the street where the dog was being walked. If it had been contained & the dog broke into the yard/garden the media would have had a field day on it.

. fresh start. If you were to do it.. maybe contact your dog's breeder and she can take him back and rehome the dog for you or contact NSW Samoyed Rescue. I wouldnt rehome to friends or family either. Why not if they are suitable & love the dog ? Don't understand this ? Surely it is better to leave them with someone you know & trust than with a complete stranger ? Having had to rehome a small few I have been so relieved when they go to someone close & I know 100% that they are settling fine & that they will be truthful & honest with me.

Exactly. Guess it wouldn't get as much outrage & reaction if the headline read Stupid cat owner lets pet cat out & dog kills it. Poor cat.

Absolutely hopeless. I switched to a high quality, fairly expensive dry food for my siamese cats as trial for ease for minder when I was going away for a short time. Fed recommended amount for 4 days & they all lost weight. High energy cats but I found it took double the amount for them to be full & just leave a little in the bowls. Usually have raw breakfast then free feed dry from lunchtime & yes they are wormed so it wasn't that. Sometimes they under estimate the feed guide of how much they need to make it seem cost efficient when its a more expensive brand although Black Hawk isn't terribly expensive. Feed what you think.

No idea as I don't believe there is an exact right way/one fits all way of training. However no beating around the head re Barbara Woodhouse. Never read her books but used to watch her in the UK. For entertainment value & making me laugh she gets top marks :laugh: That was no help to anyone was it :)

Would think it would make his heart stronger. Its certainly on the list of things that keep you healthy for humans :) Another old wives tale. For it to affect his heart he would have to be used daily to the point of exhaustion. Its exercise & could only affect him if he had a bad heart to start with & died of excitement.

Varies according to ethics of owner. Choices are Shifted around to various branches in the pet shop chains. Taken home by staff. Discounted. Dumped at RSPCA Sent back to breeder. Took out in paddock & shot. Yes it happens.

I must go against the usual as I let the buyer choose their puppy. First I ensure that they know the breed, grooming & companionship requirements & understand that they are an inside pet. Other animals & age of, if any, children. If they seem suitable & I am happy when I meet them they can choose their puppy. I advise on temperament of each puppy, even caught a short & lovely video that was the perfect example of the pack order of a litter of 3. So helpful for someone who had previously had a bossy little dog who was loved & lived a long life but preferred a little more laid back this time. My breed are easy temp wise, intelligent, easy to train & well suited for their requirement as a companion pet. The only person I ever refused was a long time close friend who wanted a particular pup to keep her dog happy as his older friend had died. She had got both dogs from me & I knew miss bossy boots would not get along with her dog so I said no. That didn't go down great. I will advise if they ask, refuse if I feel its wrong but unless I can see big reason to refuse I let them feel it is their choice but will choose for them if they ask me to.

Can you create a safe space outside & only use the crate for inside ? I have about 10 of the Bunnings compost panels joined with plastic cable ties to make a safe space for pups to play outside. I also join up 2or 3 large size dog crates to make a safe inside space & that's for my toy breed so a lab needs more room than a toy. Get a huge marrow bone & get the butcher to cut it into 2 or 4 with the saw & have a bone in the pen & a bone in the crate. Pup is probably teething & they may be driving him nuts. A huge bone will really help & keep him occupied. Pups are crazy but they do grow up.

Its never going to happen. Thankfully there are people like you on this planet too

Well my friend has one that shoots fairy floss from its arse. It came with a pedigree & a recipe book

The phonetics are more confusing than the actual names for me :laugh:

Maybe it was the flea treatment that triggered it off. If he has been on the same diet for a long time its unlikely to be his diet thats causing it now if its occurred recently. Look for other causes before messing about with diet unless you have recently changed his food.

The only way to stop it all is to ban greyhound racing & get rid of the industry. Then the greyhound would become a rare breed in a few years. This inquiry won't alter a thing or reveal anything that is not already known.

A toy breed would not suit on 10 acres of unfenced property with a dam. Something a bit bigger & more robust would be better. Unless they go out every time with their dogs it would be best to have a fenced area for when they are out alone. What about a Corgi. A Poodle would not suit at all.