ellz

Congrats to all of the October mums and bubbas thus far! I've pretty much cleared my calendar after Tuesday of this week so BRING IT ON!!!!

Don't LET her be fussy! Dogs don't eat to live, they live to eat. A fussy dog is the result of an owner who has given in. If she won't eat what you put down, when you put it down....take the food away and do not offer anything else until next meal. As for the eye staining...did the vet do any testing other than just looking at the eyes? Did they use an opthalmoscope or do anything to specifically address the question or did they just take a cursory glance at it. Eyes don't just weep. Think about it. If your eyes were teary all the time and making your face wet, wouldn't you think it strange?

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) I have been a breeder/exhibitor since 1986. I have lost count of how many champions I have owned or handled but it would have to be around the 50 mark. I have bred champions in black, buff and particolour. I also bred Australia's first undocked All Breeds Best Exhibit In Show winning American Cocker Spaniel. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? The American Cocker Spaniel as a breed first originated in the USA in 1946. However prior to that it traces back to the land and water Spaniels of the United Kingdom waaaaay back to the 1800's. The actual name "Cocker Spaniel" came about because the breed was originally developed, as the smallest breed in the Gundog Group and the smallest Spaniel breed, to retrieve woodcock. 3. How common is it in Australia? Not as common as it used to be. In my opinion, the "heyday" of the breed in Australia was the 90's. There were usually very large breed entries at major shows. Sadly, that isn't the case today. I could probably count on less than two hands the number of reputable and responsible breeders involved in the breed at the present time. 4. What is the average lifespan? 10 - 14 years 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Sweet and loving generally but that will depend upon the socialisation given to them as youngsters. Their temperament can vary considerably from colour to colour and overall they can range from being very laid back to quite highly strung. Some can be difficult to train and a person who likes a "thinking dog" may find them frustrating to work with. It isn't that they are stupid, they just tend to have their own agenda. Many can be persuaded quite nicely with food! 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Depends upon the individual but I don't think my dogs would survive with anything less than 2 - 3 hours per day of some kind of madness. They enjoy playing games and they are generally quite good at obedience and agility. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? I would like to say yes, but I believe it would depend a lot upon the individual owner (and dog) and the time they are prepared to put into the dog and therefore what they expect to get from the dog. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? No. They have the attention span of a flea in many cases and need to be constantly supervised or they can get into no end of mischief. 9. How much grooming is required? They are a high maintenance breed if you wish to keep them looking and smelling nice. Ears require regular attention to keep them smelling clean. Regular bathing is essential. Regular brushing is essential due to the long coat. They have a double coat and do shed a lot of hair. This matts easily and can become uncomfortable, unhygenic and unsightly and will create health issues if left unattended. They also require regular clipping and trimming to keep the hair length under control. If you don't intend to do the grooming yourself, you should budget for a complete grooming every 6 - 8 weeks and depending upon your expectations of your groomer, your groomer themselves, your dog's coat and behaviour and how much work you do between grooming sessions, you could be up for anything from $40 - 100 per session. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? That would depend entirely upon the dog. Many are too full-on. Some are total sponges and exist to be lapdogs. I would say that because they are smaller, they can find themselves underfoot a fair bit so this may be a problem for somebody with mobility or sight issues. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? Most common are the inherited eye disorders; hereditary cataracts, PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), Entropion, Distichiasis, Cherry Eye. Less common but certainly appearing from time to time are luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, thyroid issues, kidney and liver problems and skin disorders. 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) The very minimum a purchaser should expect is that the dogs have at least a clinical eye clearance from a practicing veterinarian. This should clear the dog of the more common of the eye disorders mentioned above. Some parts of Australia do not have regular or easy access to a specialist veterinary opthalmologist unfortunately so whilst it isn't ideal, a vet clearance is better than nothing. It isn't common to xray for hip dysplasia in Australia so whilst some breeders will do it, there are not sufficient numbers scored to get a good idea of a National Breed Average. Equally as important as health testing in my opinion is ensuring that puppies have been reared properly to have good temperament. They should be exposed to grooming, which includes clipping, bathing and drying from a VERY early age. Many will argue but I maintain that they are a breed which should be socialised properly from the beginning. If left at home unsocialised they can become timid and sadly, many that become timid become fear biters or submissive piddlers.

on other dogs oh my I hope he doesnt start doing that :p :p She doesn't do it often because I can usually read her mind, but from her it is definitely a "screw you" type gesture to the other dog!

Yep....sounds like somebody is trying to assert himself! One of my bitches (a REALLY butch bitch!!!) actually cocks her leg in other dogs' bowls (and on other dogs) if given half the opportunity. :p

Paying her attention, even chastising her when she is being vocal or over-the-top is also reinforcing the negative behaviour. If she is chewing something she shouldn't be doing, take it away and replace it with something she is allowed to chew. If she is barking at you, ignore her, even if you have to walk away from her. If you make any response, including telling her no, you are giving her the attention she is seeking and she will quickly learn that she only has to bark for you to respond. Or alternatively, if she won't be quiet no matter what, use reverse psychology and teach her how to "speak" on command. Believe it or not, that works to help shut them up when they shouldn't be talking too! And yes, some Staffords are just talkers. My 2yo bitch is a mouthy tart. Very opinionated and lets you know promptly when she has something to say about a subject. They can also sound like they're killing something when in fact it's just good old-fashioned play. I remember a few years back, I had a litter in the puppy pen and a friend who breeds Collies came around for a "girls' night in". It was getting close to sleep time for the puppies and they were having their last play and were going at it like a pen full of Tasmanian Devils (and that's what they sound like too!). My friend was getting very concerned at the noises and asked was I REALLY going to let them kill each other like that. She had to watch them for herself for ages to be satisfied that it was in fact very energetic play with very little actual "puff" behind the "blow" before she would relax!

I tend to concentrate more on protein levels. But interestingly, my dogs gain more weight on GB than they do on UA......

Did they have their head buried in the sand? I find it surprising that this womans vet would not be more aware of what was going on. Pleased that is legit though Bindi I daresay there was probably more than one vet. But definitely proof of the old saying that "what is in the shop window, isn't necessarily the same as what is behind the counter".

Sadly, only the RSPCA has the power to do that and provided she complies with their directives, which she apparently has, they won't/can't touch her. I think you can possibly rest assured that many eyes have been opened in Australia, but it won't stop her from breeding and exporting en masse to the Dealer from Hawaii. It's probably only fair to point out too though, that she isn't the ONLY breeder exporting to that dealer and you would be very surprised to discover how many "important" and well known longstanding breeders and judges who also sell puppies via that avenue. Hug your new baby, keep her safe and keep telling yourself that you did a GOOD thing by rescuing her from that place!

Always best to look at the cause FIRST and then worry about the cosmetic stuff after that. Definitely a trip to the vet needed.

I think you will find that unless she has actually been convicted, DogsNSW will not have the power to suspend her. Having said that, is it a wise move anyway? To suspend somebody who is obviously breeding en masse means that you are giving them a green light to continue their activities, answerable to nobody except themselves. If you remove one part of their income, they will supplement it with another and that would potentially mean farming on a greater scale and the obvious introduction of the ever-so-profitable cross breeds. Sadly, this breeder WAS a highly respected breeder and her reputation will take an immense beating after this, rightly so. Whether it was mental health or greed that got her into this situation (or both), she will find it very hard now to get out of it. I pity the rest of the dogs because unless she continues breeding, they will be the ones who will suffer the dramatic reduction in income. Oh and FWIW, as soon as I realised who the breeder was, I emailed Troy (7.49pm last night).

Congratulations to all confirmed litters thus far! My Stafford girl is 3 weeks on Thursday and I'm thinking that at this stage, the signs are promising. She has had morning sickness but is now eating like a horse! Temperament has changed to UBER-UBER-UBER sooky and cuddly (Mr Ellz commented that she is being SUCH a wuss that he wouldn't be surprised if she expected me to give birth to the puppies for her! ). Twat is still mildly enlarged. Teats are still prominent with a slight filling in the channels underneath. Underline starting to change shape. And this is an amazingly fit, rockhard bitch who normally tends to the lean side when she's ripped so the underbelly change is quite noticeable. Could still be changes after her season of course as it is early days but I can't recall her having taken this long to get back to "normal" during her cycles in the past.

Small things amuse small minds! I just felt the puppers move for the first time!!

I want puppies NOOOOOOW!!! *pokes Vanni* Hurry up and cook!!!!

Well, today Miss Fussy has decided that the Woolworths Select that I dragged out of the back of the "might need one day" cupboard is the way to go, but ONLY if I put the "juice" from my 2 minute noodles on it!

Uncle Albers has a slightly higher protein content 24% as against 22%.

Can I assume from reading this that you leave food down with him to graze on? If so....stop it. Put his food down at specified meal times (and at 11 months, it wouldn't hurt him to be on one quality meal per day) and if he doesn't eat it, take it away and don't feed him again until his next meal time. If he is otherwise well, he will not starve. If on the other hand, he is showing signs of being off colour, then yes, a trip to the vet is in order.

You better not tell my mum She is still trying

I WISH!! Vanni looks at it with an absolute expression of horror and then glares at me as if to say "you don't honestly expect me to EAT this do you?" :D She will occasionally lower herself to eat some tinned cat food, but only if she thinks that the cats want it at the same time. Only problem with that is that they don't particularly like it much either so they have to be pretty hungry to inspire her!!! Honestly, it is easier getting children to eat vegetables! :p

I swear it only arrived this week. And was hidden by hair as well! :p Seriously though, until this week, she was only slightly thicker around the middle. The only real symptoms were the pickiness with her food, her nipples staying perky after her season and her slightly enlarged vulva and gummy discharge. If that belly hadn't appeared, I would have sworn it was a very cunning phantom! :D

Mine rarely turn their noses up at Great Barko. However, I'm in the same boat with a bitch who is 7 weeks in whelp at the moment and all she is interested in eating is roast chicken, pasta and mashed potato. To keep her vits and mins up I'm adding a supplement and a raw egg on alternate nights and when she'll eat them, chicken necks and frames for the natural calcium benefits.

Well....I think it is fairly safe to say now that my 25th October litter is no longer "Not Confirmed"...... This is a 7 week belly.......

NO JUMPING!!! That could have been the cause in the first place. Definitely restrict his movement if you can. You will probably find your vet will put him on crate rest anyway.

Luxating patella Legg Perthes Avulsion fracture cruciate ligament

One of the most important things to understand is that if the bite is allowed to come in misaligned (ie with adult teeth all over the place because of retained milk teeth), then it increases the likelihood of dental problems in the dog later on. Crooked teeth create many lovely little hidey holes for plaque and bacteria which in most cases are not attended to on a regular basis resulting in illness and pain for the dog in later life and lots of wealthy vets as a result of the tooth cleaning procedures and extractions that will result from them!