piper

Eek!!! No need to apologise. Health comes first!

I didn't see suggestions for a pen? I have read pros and cons of soft (fabric) crates, plastic crates/carriers (vari kennel or PP20/40 etc) and wire crates. Wire crates are NOT pens which I think you might be confusing them with. A puppy pen does not have a floor and is a larger area much like a babies play pen. Sometimes it has a roof, other times not. A wire crate is a wire version of a soft crate/vari kennel and is completely enclosed and usually purchased to be just big enough for the adult size. Apologies if I missed someone suggesting a pen but I have read several times you saying you didn't need that and each time it seemed to come after a wire crate suggestion. Dancinbcs gave you a link to a great wire crate that would have excellent air flow and would safely contain your puppy for car rides, vet trips etc. And if needed a light weight sheet can be thrown over them to cover them and make them more enclosed.

Ricky would have been about 6 to 8 weeks on the antibiotics. It was 1995 so I can't remember the specifics of size of dose or length of time. I remember he was hospitalised 10 days and then the antibiotics still needed to be given intravenously 3 times a day for another week or so but the vets were great and would let us bring him home during the day with a shunt in his leg covered in vet wrap. I think it was 5 more days of that before that was removed an he went onto oral antibiotics. I think we were more traumatised than he was. What started out as a few puncture wounds over his hips ended up being all of the skin removed in an area well over the size of my hand. In the end he had a patch of firm scar tissue on his back between his hips. It was pure scar tissue - no hair follicles at all and totally smooth. Had he been a smooth coated dog he would have had a bare patch there but luckily his coat covered it so most people never knew.

Waiting waiting waiting. 2 weeks today.... I did finish setting up the whelping room on the weekend though and went through my box and checked what I need to get/replace and cleaned things that needed cleaning. All I need to do is put the baby gate up, replace the battery in the thermometer and the room will be all set to go. Oh and make the bed in there so I have somewhere to crash.

Yes, I bought one when we bought the Sony A55s (one each to avoid confrontation). It is great, I had read some reviews of it and looked at quite a few examples of its work. Love it, lives up to its press. But (there's always a but) I do have a 150mm Sigma macro with a Nikon mount, and if I want to "do" macro I tend to pick up the Nikon rather than the Sony. Nothing against the Tamron, it is a lovely lens. If I can chase up anything I've done with it I'll add it here - changing computers around, they'll be on an external drive packed "somewhere". Thanks PossumCorner, that would be great. I am looking at a Sony mount as well.

Bigpuppy, This is not exactly like your situation. Many years ago my first border collie was attacked just before his first birthday, taken to the vets and the wounds appropriately treated surgically, drains inserted etc. After a few days the drains started leaking the most putrid fluid you have ever smelt. Straight back to the vets who when we rang said oh yes leaking is normal but bring him in for a check up. When they saw him they knew immediately it was not normal. Some of the skin had also started to look odd but we thought it was bruising. Poor Ricky had some incredibly rare bacteria that turned into 1 of those flesh eating diseases. They kept him in and on mass doses of antibiotics and surgery daily to try and get back to clean healthy skin. When the cultures came back whatever it was could only be treated by 2 different antibiotics and big doses of them. We were given the information on the 2 antibiotics - neither of which were great and had big issues associated with them. The "safest" of the 2 were given intravenously for the next 5 days and we prepared for the fact that Ricky would not have a full lifespan due to the likely damage and he eventually came home with a massive gaping wound on his back and multiple drains and more stitches than I could count with more antibiotics for weeks until the hole (so much flesh was removed that they did not have enough to be able to close it over) had filled in. Anyway, the point of all of that information is to say that Ricky lived until 13 and died of an issue not at all related to the issues we were told to expect and look out for. So although right now all seems bad, you might be like we were and be "lucky" in that your boy is not damaged by them. Good luck. It sounds like an awful situation to be in

Actually I would think a whippet is a great suggestion based on some of the other info. Less fragile than an iggy. If she is considering a weimeraner than she doesn't want a little dog and while not as big as that they are not small. Low maintenance and all the 1s I have met have been lovely dogs. Maybe take your Mum out to a dog show and let her meet some different breeds. Otherwise I like the suggestion of getting her to read about some without knowing what breed it is to see what traits she likes the sound of.

Shelties are wonderful dogs. I suggested a sheltie! My siblings concern is that it will require alot of grooming. Ask your Mum - does she want a dog that requires regular grooming or not. Maybe get a list from her of things to consider eg coat length, size and then come back and ask for suggestions of breeds that closely match her preferred criteria? If she is thinking in terms of an Iggie something like a sheltie with a lot of coat may not be to her liking at all no matter how nice they are :)

Well done Tassie!! That is most definitely worth a brag :)

I was surprised to be able to find the proper folding legs. They were the most expensive part of the table at about $20 to $25. Giraffez, have a look around at burnings as I have since seen half size folding trestle tables there for a good price that look like they would do the job with just a non slip mat on top.

Should be sturdy enough for a mini schnauzer when it has had border collies on it all it's life. 1 of my girls likes to sleep on it so is constantly jumping on and off of it without me there supporting it or anything. The legs on it are exactly the same as I have seen on commercially made tables. The thing I would say is look closely at the piece of ply you select (I think mine is 12mm thick), I didn't and the piece I got was quite bowed when I got it so the top of my table has never been truly level. If I was replacing the top I would compare a few pieces for the least bowed piece.

Order number 1 arrived this morning. Jazz LOVES the doggles balls but everything else is sealed away ready for her puppies. The chequered donkey was smaller than I expected but looks really good. Now to wait for order number 2, lol.

Here we go, pictures: Folded up (this table has been standing up under our pergola and I have never actually folded it up or put it away so I wasn't sure the legs would actually fold and the ply is showing some signs of water damage) Looking at how the legs are attached Standing up:

Mine is the same height asa normal grooming tables. Not sure what height that is but I can easily do my border collies when standing up and I am not tall.

I'll take some today. It just doesnt have the nice edging around it.

Make your own :) Go to Bunnings and buy a piece of play 900 x 600mm. They have these as a standard size. Then find the trestle legs and pick up a set. Next go to the flooring area and buy a piece of the pyramid matting to fit. Finally some adhesive for the pyramid matting. The trestle legs take 3 or 4 screws (and mine came with these) each and come with instructions. They took about 5 minutes to attach. Then stand the table up, smother the top with the adhesive you bought and lay the pyramid matting on (I bought a bigger piece than needed and allowed it to overhand all sides then once dry I ran a stanley knife around the edge so it was trimmed to an exact fit). Then you can either put something on top of the matting to weight it down or turn the table upside down again so the weight of it helps the matting to stick. Mine has lasted well over 5 years so far and a friend who did the same has had hers 8 or 9 years. The cost was around $50 and the time including the trip to Bunnings was less than an hour.

I like your template Espinay, thanks for sharing :)

RIP sweet little Orange. Life is just not fair sometimes

Has anyone else had a package take a week or more from clearing customs to landing on their door. I am in a capital city and tracking shows it cleared customs at the beginning of the week. I had a card today and was all excited but it was something else I don't NEED the order in a hurry as the puppies they are for are not even born yet, but I want to see everything!

They were clearly helping you with some necessary excavations! lol

Thanks, I knew I had read something on here somewhere about it. My quick look indicates it will be quite a bit more expensive which means out of my Xmas budget. But that's ok - with a release date of late November/early December I may be able to pick the older 1 up at a bargain price :)

Does anyone have the Tamron 90mm f2.8 for macro? I am currently looking for ideas for Xmas for me. I really want a 70-200 f2.8 but I know that is out of the budget so I started researching macros and found the tamron is quite affordable with good reviews.

I'm still waiting. My first 1 says it cleared customs several days ago

Last time I just put Jazz's bowl in the whelping box for the first couple of days and then move it to just outside the box. It was in the room with her for the first 10 days though I think as she was not keen to leave the room.

Well I hope she is as good for you as my Piper has been for me! My Piper is 11.5 years old now, I got her with obedience and agility in mind but then she showed me herding. Piper is titled in obedience (CD), agility (AD, JD) and herding (HSBs HIAs HXAs). She is the highest titled dog in ANKC herding in SA, with titles on multiple course and stock types. At the first border collie nationals she was the most consistant dog across performance venues - gaining 3 x 3rds and a 4th in obedience, agility, jumping and herding. From what I could find in the results se was the only dog to place in all the performance areas and 3 of the 4 events were qualifications (damn you last bar in agility!). Whatever I ask piper to do, Piper does. We did dancing with dog demos well before it was a sport here and I keep thinking at 11.5 years of age I should enter her in that too as she loves working. So I will hope that your girl is your everything too :)