ellz

I'll play too! This is my best mate Roger (aka Woger by his fwiends). 3 months and now, 2.5 years.

Oooh, just remembered one I used to get when I had the American Cockers..... No, it doesn't just grow that way (the hair), it needs to be brushed, clipped and generally cared for. And...no, it isn't a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and no, it doesn't bark with an accent.

Oh and in general.... You do NOT make a lot of money from breeding dogs.

1. Staffords do NOT lock their jaws 2. Staffords do NOT come in black 3. Blue Staffords are NOT rare, nor are they especially desirable

I have a friend who merrily sells things like wedding gifts, yet she goes pale at the thought of selling a dog show trophy. And she cannot understand why I find that somewhat amusing......

Complete lack of respect!! I'm with Rebanne on this one.

Also, how old was your puppy when it had the bad experience? This can make a difference to how you go about attempting to fix the situation. Oh and what was the experience? Was it "man made" (ie caused directly by a human or the way they treated your dog) or was it an environmental thing? These are all things that can be dealt with positively if you go about it the right way.

I'm glad your sister has a relatively open mind. In most cases though, the reality is that they want what they know and if they've previously been lucky and had happy, healthy crossbreds then that is what they'll automatically veer towards no matter how many fabulous purebreds are suggested to them and no matter how often they are told they were lucky with their previous dogs.

I've heard similar. I've also overheard a conversation where somebody adopted a puppy and they saw puppies which looked more like Stafford puppies than the pound puppy did and the suggestion was made to DUMP the other one because these looked "tougher". But the worst personally was when I had an American Cocker puppy come back to me some years ago from a rather affluent young couple because it didn't look like the ones in the books. It actually DID look like the ones in the books but when I questioned them further, they were referring to its hair. Apparently they wanted one which came pre-groomed and clipped and groomed itself to boot. Which makes me wonder why I'd given them a 32 page booklet about grooming and taking care of the coat and spent 2 hours with them showing them how to clip a dog AND offered 3 free grooming sessions and discounted grooming for life.

Implicated and potential. EVERYTHING has implications and potential to do something bad but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen or that the risk is large. As I said, I've known people in the USA who have used these things routinely for many many years (I'm talking decades, not singles) with no issues to health, immunity or fertility in either the dogs being treated or their offspring. As I also said, I wouldn't do it but it is up to the individual to make their own choice without feeling that they are being looked down upon or getting beaten up over their choices. Incidentally, if it is not approved for sale in Australia, then why is it so readily available, quite openly, from so many sources? Given the difficulties that Animal Naturals had in getting a dietary supplement like K9 Showstopper approved and given how many people have had other products seized at customs, one would think that there would not be a ready supply of the product if it were not allowed to be sent to our country?

The Lowchen is on a raw diet with no dry food or anything with colourings etc. Basically a Failsafe diet for dogs if you like. No health issues with eyes, teeth, gums or ears. Excellent fertility. No apparent health issues whatsoever. ACV and Angel Eyes together are doing what raw alone didn't. And despite my doing everything you suggested above, there was still tear staining. Each to their own I guess.

What ratios do you use? (cider to water) Nothing as scientific as a measurement I'm afraid. I generally use a good slosh to a water bowl about the size of an icecream container...more or less depending upon the size of the bowl. If they don't drink it, you've used too much. Been using it for years in all drinking water. Also good for cats, helps to neutralise the pee smells.

Has there been a change in air quality where you live? This happened to a Stafford bitch of mine some years ago, turned out that woodheater smoke caused a kind of asthma in her. When we looked back, we realised the same thing had happened the year before at around the same time, we just hadn't put the obvious bits together.

I am using Angel Eyes in the food, together with Apple Cider Vinegar in the drinking water and I have noticed a difference in my Lowchen's face furnishings. Not just around his eyes but also around his mouth. He also had a hot spot on one of his front legs which healed up but left a ring of stained hair around where the lesion was and this staining is almost completely gone as well.

Forgot to mention yesterday, you can get what is called a "face comb" (or any comb with the teeth relatively close together will do really) to help comb through the under eye area and remove and built up "eye snot". Personally I think that combs near eyes are a lot safer and easier to control than brushes.

Tasmania is largely council by council, case by case, but getting more restrictive overall by the day. There are some council areas in Tasmania, even rural ones, where it isn't even worth trying to get a kennel licence for more than 2 dogs.

Make sure if you use this stuff that it is the natural formula. The other one contains a daily dose of antibiotic (Tylosin) which is unapproved for use in Australia as it's long term effects are not known. With regards to this. I have friends overseas who have used fish antibiotics on their dogs for many years for tear staining (a pinch in their food every night) and none of them reported any adverse effects with long term use, whether physically or with respects to reproductive health either. That's not to say that I personally would do this, but I don't think it is essentially a major concern.

Also adding Apple Cider Vinegar to drinking water can help by altering the PH level of the tears which is how staining occurs in the first place (PROVIDED as mentioned above there is no medical reason for the tears).

I've just set up a spreadsheet. Very simple one. Dates, show name, judge names, class entered, points, other results (ie class in group or show etc) and comments. I used to have a small index card filing system with a section for each dog and I had cards for dog information, health, show results but after a few years this got too bulky.

Some motels accept dogs, as do caravan parks etc. Many people camp. Some stay with friends.

If she has lots of milk and he hasn't been feeding, then her teats may well be too large for him and too hard for him to successfully drain. I'd keep holding him on her for periods through the day, despite his weak sucking reflex and tube him the rest of the time.

I had every intention of keeping and taking care of my father's two dogs. Sadly, one of them had to be PTS only days after my father died due to massive health issues. The other was euthanased last week. He wasn't coping well, his eyesight and hearing had deteriorated in the past few weeks and he wasn't doing well with the travelling between my home and my father's home on the coast. It broke my heart but I did what had to be done. My will states that my Stafford boy is to be euthanased and cremated with me.

Don't take it to heart. For every judge who will make you feel like a tool, there are at least two who will happily laugh with you. ;)

They remove the testicles, not the penis. I've known of a desexed male that has actually tied with a female. Not sure who was the most shocked, her, me or him!

Tube feed him rather than trying to bottle him. Sucking uses energy, energy is needed for growth.