cassie

I have not heard of these 2kg rolls before. What brand are they Greychicken?

I just bought a pack of 12 mixed-flavoured BARF Patties (the Dr. Billinghurst ones, not sure if there are any other ones or not?) and was just after a few opinions on them. Has anyone else used them before? How economical do you find them, compared to feeding whatever else? The pack says that they can be fed as a mixture with raw meaty bones, so give one meal of BARF patties and one meal of bones per day. Going by the instructions on the pack, according to my dogs' sizes, they would get 2-3 patties per day each, plus bones. What do others think? Will this work out incredibly expensive? Is it heaps cheaper to feed the "proper" BARF way? I like the fact that these patties are so convenient - no preparation involved!

I too recommend eBay, if at all possible. I got one sent from Japan - it arrived 4 days after I ordered it and was LESS THAN HALF the price of the ones in shops, including postage! Perhaps you could use a friend's eBay account if you don't have one?

SOME breeders do make sure all their pups are scored, probably not many, but SOME do. My Bernese breeder for instance. It was in my contract with her (when I first bought Zephyr) that I would have him hip-scored - at my own cost - after he was 12 months old. It was also stated in the contract that she could use him as a stud dog if, when he matured, she thought him suitable. It turned out she didn't need him as a stud, so when he was 2 years old, I had him desexed, and at the same time, hip-scored. That way he didn't need two seperate GA's, therefore less risk. :D I was totally happy with this arrangement, and didn't mind paying for the procedure one bit. (It wasn't THAT much more, considering he was already under GA for desexing.) And when his results came back (0:2) I was thrilled! In my opinion it was a small price to pay for peace of mind that he is *unlikely* (touch wood!) to have problems with his hips later on, especially since he is one of those breeds that can, and many typically do, have terrible hips. Then again, I was happy to pay for it all because I knew and had read up a lot about HD in my breed, and the importance of screening dogs before breeding from them, (even though he wasn't bred from in the end). But had I not known much, or anything about it, as I'm sure many people don't, I too may have seen it as unnecessary. That is probably half the reason that breeders find it difficult for some/most puppy buyers to have their dogs scored, as the puppy buyers just don't get it. JMHO.

Poor darling girl I am so very sorry to hear this Cazzie. I know how much of an impression these big fur balls leave on our hearts. What a tragedy. At least you know you gave her a good and happy life for the time she was with you. REST IN PEACE darling big boofer girl. At least your pain is gone now You will be sadly missed by your family.

Hey...glad to hear she's all fixed up now! Here's hoping for a speedy recovery ;) She's such a pretty girl

Sincerest and greatest condolences to you Dru for your loss. I am very very sorry to hear this. Victoria was a gorgeous Saint. Hopefully you can find some peace in the fact that she did live a long - and thanks to you, happy - life. I'm sure she will be sadly missed by all. R.I.P. darling big girl

Hey Rhi, My two get Nutro Large Breed (puppy for Oakley and adult for Zephyr) and they are doing well on it. Oakley also gets Glucosamine and Manganese supplements, as recommended to me by his breeder. I just buy the human Glucosamine from my local health shop, which comes in a powder form, and sprinkle the required amount over his dinner each night. Just another option, another way of going about it. Give Sable a pat for me ;) I love that boy!

When they walk on a hard surface (eg. tiles or floorboards) can you hear their nails clicking along? If so - this is the general rule I go by anyway - then they are too long and yes, need trimming. Are their nails white or black? If they are white, your job is 10 times easier! Have a close look and you should be able to see a pink bit, called the quick, running through their nail. This is a blood vessel (I think?) and if you cut into this, it will bleed profusely and can be quite painful to your pup. You need proper dog nail cutters (NOT human ones) and take off only a TINY bit at a time, I'm talking a milimetre or so. If they have black nails, the quick is pretty much impossible to see, so I would take them to a vet or experienced groomer the first time round, and hopefully you can watch them and see just how much (or how little!) they take off. Don't forget their dew claws also. Hope this helps a bit, good luck!

Hi all, Just after some advice on how to teach a puppy (5 month old Saint Bernard) how to take treats/food from your hand gently, and without snapping. At the moment if I feed him a treat, he will jump up to where my hand is to get it, and snap up the treat. I always correct him for doing this, make him sit again, and say "Geeeeeeeeentle" in a sort of soothing voice, hoping he will get the idea. Then, while he doesn't jump at the treat again, 9 times out of 10 he will still snap it up, (and often gets my fingers!), rather than taking it nicely. Any suggestions? I never had to teach this to my other dog, as he was always gentle anyway. Thanks for any help offered.

:cool: That's hilarious! Poor little pups! They'd be like "Ok, I'm up, I'm standing, now...come on legs...you can do it...one step, two steps, woohoo! Look at me Mum! I'm walking! Woah look at me go!" *pup gets excited and so wags his tail* "Ohhh sh*t I'm down again!"

Ohhhhh what a beautiful boy! ;) Gotta love a wet Saint! Look out when they shake! :p Boris is looking really good Susan How old is he now? What does he weigh? Have you shown him much? Also you should come join us in the Giant Fluffy Breeds thread in the Breed Sub Forums, located up the top of the General Discussion page if you didn't already know! Come share more pics of your beautiful boy with us!

I paid $4.60-ish for about 6 in a bag from Woolies. I agree though, they are rarely available Shame coz my boys love them!

My boys get the turkey necks too and they go crazy for them!

Agree with that, definitely not before 8 weeks. Up til this time the pups are still learning vital life lessons about how to behave around other dogs from their dam and littermates. Someone else can probably explain that a little better! Some breeders even keep their pups for longer, maybe 10-12 weeks, but I think that is generally with the smaller breeds. Your breeder will let you know at what age you can pick the puppy up anyway.

Aren't they banned in Victoria? ETA: rhapsodical I think we posted at the same time

So sorry to hear this Kristie. At least he has his wings now, and is happy and running free and having a good time once again. I'm sure he will be watching over you and your family, and he would want you to know that he doesn't blame you for what happened, and you shouldn't blame yourself either. R.I.P. Barker :D

Totally agree with this It is particularly true for large breed puppies. This could be another reason why your breeder mentioned it at all

Ahhhh is tomorrow the big day Lauren??? I want piccies!

Hey Lauren! I know how excited you are about getting your new baby - can't wait for the photos! He's going to be just gorgeous! I think introducing them in their crates first of all is a good idea. Also, I'd let Lucky out first while Puppy is still in his crate, so that Lucky can walk all around the crate sniffing and getting to know Puppy, without them being in each other's face. If Lucky seems ok, praise him lots and lots! Big cuddles and pats etc. He needs to understand that Puppy is a *good* thing, and that Puppy's arrival doesn't mean that Lucky will be getting any less cuddles/attention. Then if all seems ok between the two, then I'd let Puppy out so they can sniff each other and sus each other out properly. Just my idea, others may suggest something different. Wish you all the best! Cassie

Hi Em :D I'm not sure if this is the "traditional" way to teach shake or not, but this is how I taught my two, both at a very young age. Start with a very smelly treat - eg. a liver treat, something that smells scumptious to them! Tell the dog to sit. Let them see the treat in your hand, then close your hand into a fist (with the treat inside) and hold it just in front of their face. They will start sniffing your hand and maybe even licking at your fingers, trying to get at the treat. Do nothing at this stage. Eventually (it might take a minute or so) they will paw at your hand in an attempt to get the food. As soon as they do that, say "Shake!" or "Paw!" or whatever word you want to use, and open your hand so they get the treat, and tell them "Good dog" etc...lots of praise. Does that make sense? Try it several times and soon enough when you say "Shake!/Paw!" they will, and you don't have to have the treat in your closed fist anymore. Good luck!

Are you on commission or do you own the place you keep flogging on this forum. I agree Annoying much?

I'd also suggest Ziwipeak, although it's far from cheap.

Try using pieces of ham or something similar, as they are large and "floppy" so the dog has more chance of catching it, does that make sense? Even if he just grabs a little corner, he'll be able to slurp the rest up! Have also heard of people using crackers, like those Sakata crackers for example, as they sort of "float" through the air a bit and are easier for the dog to catch. Just a suggestion.

Hi nume, It's good good good! I love it! I've actually noticed he's leaving less hair around the place which is FANTASTIC! I use it about once a week-ish