ellz

Whichever way you do it, you'll still cut whiskers. And leaving any facial hair at all has the effect of acting like a wick, drawing grass seeds and debris into the eyes.

See that's my point,WHY do you have to clip their faces,let alone whiskers? To make them pretty.... but have you ever tried not doing it and see for say 3-6 months if it affects your placings....? Doesn't have much to do with showing them, but they DO like to be able to see and they certainly cannot do that if left untrimmed! And anyway, as a gundog, excess hair around faces leaves them more likely to get debris in their eyes. You tell me....what is healthier for the dog..... This Or this? Same dog, before and after clipping.

Anybody want to come and watch me try to clip my American Cocker faces, but leave all whiskers intact? Hmmmmm.....think not!

You can always ask, presumably they'd have done a breakdown after the close of entries to work out some form of a timetable. And yes, it's standard in Tasmania to receive a breakdown of entries with your numbers. But we also have to post SSAE with ALL entries anyway, some States don't do that. And also yes, some shows in NSW do it as well.

In layman's terms, shampoo opens the hair follicles so that they can be cleaned. Conditioner closes the follicles. If you don't condition, then theoretically, your dog will get dirtier and the hair is also much more susceptible to breakage.

If you happen to have any Listerine in your cupboard at home, that works too.

Would you get this from a pharmacy? Or Health food shop. Organic food section of the supermarket too. MUCH cheaper!!!

Grinding gets them shorter without any sharp edges and if you do happen to go a little too short, they don't bleed and don't hurt the dog (as much). And we all know that if you hurt them once, it makes the job hellish next time! From a coated dog point of view, for show trims, the shorter the nails the better. Much easier to trim a nice foot if you aren't trying to dodge long toenails. And not to mention that when clipping, for fear of cutting too short, most people leave the nails too long which isn't good for the foot.

You can get the Ozito brand from Bunnings. Just buttonhole somebody there and ask them about hobby grinders or even explain what you need it for. They probably won't even bat an eyelid. Most have heard it all before! I currently have the Rok brand from Mitre 10 which was less than $40 and works a treat.

It's so hard to explain....probably why nobody has ever managed to bottle it yet. I'd describe it almost as a warm, sweet vinegar smell.

OMG, puppy breath withdrawal here! Will somebody PLEASE learn how to bottle it? But seriously, I believe that young puppies have a unique smell in much the same way that human babies do. And both tend to grow out of it WAY too quickly and become smelly little grubs before you know it!

Substance usually refers to boning and body type IMO. If a dog has "good (or lots) substance" then he is well made and well boned and not toyish or fine-boned. This shouldn't however be confused with bodyweight. It's easy to get a dog fat, but that doesn't mean it is correct or has correct substance for the breed. We used to always jokingly refer to fat American Cockers as having "Victorian body". In other words, incorrect ribspring and substance but lots of fat instead. It was for a while a common fault amongst certain lines originating in some Victorian kennels. Thankfully that was many years ago and the problem doesn't seem to be as widespread these days!

I'm on 25 acres. My Fang (ex-racer) knows the boundaries and although he tends to prefer to stick in or near the house and house yard, he does sometimes take himself off for a gallop. It is never usually very far or for very long and in probably 90% of cases is to race my 5 year old Arabian Gelding. He doesn't chase, just gallops alongside. They seem to decide each day who is going to win....nobody seems to win 2 days running! Fang (now) comes when I call him at least 99% of the time. I can always see that he is torn between chasing and loyalty, but I never have to say his name more than twice before he is back with me, bouncing, barrel-rolling and chortling at me! :rolleyes:

And if you have long hair, tie it back before you start as well. A good method to keep the hair on the foot out of the way of the grinder, is to put the whole foot into an old stocking and allow the one you want to clip to poke out through the fabric. Then you can see the toe you're working on and don't have to hold the rest of the hair back at the same time.

Any rotary tool or straight grinder will do the trick. Dremel brand name tools are expensive. My current toy is a Rok grinder purchased from Mitre 10. It was under $40. Came with a heap of attachments, including the flexible shaft which can be handy if you're dealing with a wriggler or a dog that is freaked out by the unit itself.

And the sad fact is that you'll get what you pay for. A bargain-basement priced dog with bargain-basement type rearing and husbandry and more problems than you could ever have imagined. By listening to what reputable and responsible breeders are saying, you would be more able to acquire a quality bred dog and LIFETIME backup, 24/7 for you and your dog (and beyond sometimes). The transaction doesn't just end when the money is handed over. There probably are breeds out there that would suit your circumstances. In fact, of my current doggy family, my greyhound would more than likely fit right into what you require of him. But you won't know that if you purchase a puppy and you certainly won't get it from any of the Staffords that I have owned or bred. Simply, because I wouldn't place one in your environment. As a child we had had a greyhound x, he was a brilliant dog! OK, so why don't you look into a GAP greyhound? There would still be the issue of needing to have access to warm housing, and the greyhound does enjoy people company as well, but they are essentially a clean, unassuming, VERY people-friendly dog that might suit a semi indoors/outdoors existence. My greyhound prefers to sleep outdoors, even in our sub-zero temperatures....but I also make sure he is "dressed" for the temperatures in his pyjamas. He is also fed extra to ensure he has the caloric intake to keep him warm and if it is VERY VERY cold, I'm a nasty, mean "mummy" and insist that he sleeps inside no matter what his objections may be!

And the sad fact is that you'll get what you pay for. A bargain-basement priced dog with bargain-basement type rearing and husbandry and more problems than you could ever have imagined. By listening to what reputable and responsible breeders are saying, you would be more able to acquire a quality bred dog and LIFETIME backup, 24/7 for you and your dog (and beyond sometimes). The transaction doesn't just end when the money is handed over. There probably are breeds out there that would suit your circumstances. In fact, of my current doggy family, my greyhound would more than likely fit right into what you require of him. But you won't know that if you purchase a puppy and you certainly won't get it from any of the Staffords that I have owned or bred. Simply, because I wouldn't place one in your environment.

Grinder for me too! All of the dogs, from the Pug through to the greyhound are a lot happier with the grinder and the results are fabulous.

Not for "outdoor" dogs they wouldn't. A coated dog + outdoors = grooming disaster and a heck of a lot more work for the OP than ANY indoor dog could generate. And remember, there is essentially no such thing as a non-allergenic dog. It would depend what the sufferers allergy is. If the OP and child have a dust allergy then it is more than possible they would have issues with skin flakes and that is something that every dog sheds.

Especially considering the Stafford was originally bred to live indoors and was considered more a part of the family (as a major breadwinner) than the kids were!

I would imagine that in most states, the clubs aren't required to hold as many non-championship shows to qualify for affiliation. Part of that was due to declining entry numbers. And it costs almost as much to run an Open Show as it does to run a Championship Show. And I guess with the way that Judges' Training is structured now, they aren't as necessary as they were previously.

I WAS a diehard Supercoat person. I fed it to my dogs and recommended it to my puppy people. Then a few years ago, something in it changed and it was no longer the product that it had been. I found that the volume and consistency of the "output" was completely unacceptable and it took more to keep weight on. Plus coats became dull and listless and there was evidence of more flaking skin. Overall, the entire condition of the dogs was just not as good as previously. I no longer recommend it and have removed it from my puppy information guide as well. There are far better products out there for comparable (or cheaper) prices if you don't wish to go the route of a Super Premium food.

Good quality very fine grade mince initially (getting coarser as they start getting teeth and enthusiasm), straight off my fingers. To drink they have fresh water available 24/7 but I also give 50/50 cows milk with warm water for breakfast and supper. Depending upon the litter (some "get" weaning more quickly than others) I may soak puppy dry food in the milk/water mix to encourage them to eat dry and to drink from a bowl at the same time, but most litters just get the hang of chewing (and laying in the bowls) quite quickly so have dry food on the side of their mince. As they get older, I start adding veges to the mince and when they are on separate bowls for feeding, I'll add their dry food and mix it in so that they have to chew it or they get lazy and leave the crunchy stuff because the other stuff is yummier and quicker to eat.

I feel for you. I made this decision myself only recently. In my case, my girl wasn't as old as your oldie (she was only 10). But she had deteriorated mentally quite rapidly and although she was quite fit physically, she just wasn't "herself" and I didn't want her to get to the point where she was injured by the danger caused by her wandering, or where I was angry with her all the time because of her declining physical habits which were really becoming intolerable and most definitely beyond her control. And she HATED to be dirty....she knew and it broke her heart every time she had an accident but she couldn't do anything about it, and neither could I. I remember her as she was, and although I do still wonder if I acted prematurely, I know that she was happy when she crossed the bridge and that's what matters most to me. Good luck with your decision. It is the one that every pet owner hates. Hugs.