ellz

aww.. woger. I love his huge grins though.. forgive him for anything if he shot me one of those smiles Like this one?

Hi bridie, I can see you here in the thread again. Could you PLEASE update, there are a lot of concerned people here. And yes oakway, that is my thought too...that is how my old Stafford bitch Dolly presented when she had to be sectioned and desexed on the table or bleed to death.

Satine

Nope, Roger isn't stubborn. It's just that his ears are painted on and he can't hear what he's being told to do!

Update please bridie....I can see you here in the thread??

It concerns me greatly when breeders of long-coated dogs don't agree with crate training!! Considering that the vast majority of them will end up at a dog grooming salon at some stage and will then generally be caged for at least a few hours, I would hope that that the breeders (and owners) would realise that advance crate training makes for a more relaxed and happy dog and a much easier job for the groomer! As for raw chicken, my puppies get raw chicken wings and necks from 3 weeks of age onwards. Pretty much as soon as they have teeth, they get chicken bones. Supervision is of course required, but the average puppy is more than capable of disposing of chicken pretty swiftly.

No, not WILL be....MIGHT be. The problem is that you will never actually know. The vast majority of people are sensible, but I've known of people who have had a dog steal chocolate, or who have given it chocolate on one or two occasions and not had an issue so they have decided that obviously it isn't going to be a problem in the future and kept on giving chocolate, or started giving chocolate....with disastrous effect.

Just remember too that it can have a slow buildup effect. Any dog may not necessarily show any sign of after-effects the first time, but that doesn't mean that the next time won't be fatal.

IMO all a breeder can do is RECOMMEND a particular diet that they have found to be successful for them. They cannot guarantee that that is what an individual will do best on and they certainly have no LEGAL right to dictate to somebody what a dog should be fed after it has been sold on to another party.

I would also suggest that whilst you may like to fly interstate to check a breeder and/or their litter out....in some cases you might be sorely disappointed because not ALL breeders welcome visitors prior to their puppies being vaccinated.

That is why it is best to start taking temperatures at least a week prior to the due date so that you an establish your bitches normal temperature ranges. The drop is absolutely unmistakeable when it happens. It won't be a slow creep down, it will be a SUDDEN drop. Once you know the normal ranges, anything out of the ordinary will have you on alert.

I wish I could say yes.....but.......... what is an acs? was thinking u meant australian cattledog? are u? my family has had them from the day i was born and ive never seen one of our dogs with any of the issues u name or blindness issues, one just pegged it at 14 from prostrate cancer? still fine in the eyes though. umm does this qualify as a question? not a comment? No, American Cocker Spaniel.

LizT, I managed my first foaling down in 2008 and found it infinitely more stressful than whelping a litter. The principles are the same. Watch carefully for signs of trouble. Make sure airways are clear. Make sure they get that first "mummy drink". That's pretty much it. Oh and dogs are a lot more portable. Not recommended but if need be, you can always keep them with you 24/7 when they're due to whelp and it's a LOT easier to get help if there are problems!

Yes, every day. As Clyde has mentioned, when you have Staffordshire Bull Terriers each and every day is yet another in which your dog can completely and utterly amaze and bamboozle you with what appears to be their "normal" behaviour!

Mmm interesting ! Well then...how can the 'ANKC' make a decision on this when the ANKC is 'a meeting' between delegates from each States controlling dog body? Each delegate makes up the ANKC.......so how can NSW not be aware ? How many other State CEO's are "not" aware???? We need to do something people.......so get writing and voice your concerns or disgust to the ANKC President and copy in all committee persons of your States controlling body. Perhaps you guys need to complain directly to the FCI, not the ANKC? My thinking is, doesn't the ANKC represent the FCI in Australia - it is the only registry in Australia that belongs to the FCI? Yet the ANKC is discrediting what the FCI stands for, and not allowing dogs to have FCI approved titles on their pedigree. So perhaps an outcry of Aussie breeders & working line owners going directly to the FCI would make an impact? I don't think the ANKC is a "full" member of the FCI. I believe we are an associate member only.

Just wondering if all other countries recognize and publish all titles gained in Aust, and do these titles appear on the dogs “new” pedigree papers when issued. No, the AKC does not recognise titles granted outside the USA.

For my part, if there is basis for rules, then I'm all for it. But it seems lately that rules are simply being made to remove the rights of reputable and responsible breeders to make their own choices for their own dogs and breeding programs.

When was the last time you had your dogs' eyes checked? Last time I had a dog which had a major response to a flash like that, it had retinal dysplasia.

What breed of dog do you have? That will also make a difference as to what shows you can enter. And of course, most importantly, is your puppy registered on Main Register? If not, then you cannot enter ANY shows. After the age of 3 months and until 6 months, you can enter a Main Register puppy in shows in the Baby Puppy Bitch Class. You can enter any All Breeds Show, any show that caters for your group alone and any show which caters for your breed, or group of breeds alone. Open shows, Parades and Members Competitions are unusual in NSW so you would be mostly looking at shows which say All Breeds Championship Show in their heading, or which clearly offer classes for all breeds in all groups within the body of the schedule. If there is a specific breed club for your breed, you can also ring them for advice, or alternatively look in the show section for a club that is in your local area, I'd imagine there would be a few. Give the secretary a call and I have no doubt you will get a lot of help from them. Hope this information helps.

I wish I could say yes.....but..........

HA dogs wouldn't last long here either Kirislin. ANY dog that bites a human unprovoked for ANY reason goes to doG here. HA isn't tolerated. DA is different, a lot depends upon the circumstances and how well you manage them.

Eyes first Skin issues second (not as common) Digestive issues (not as common again)

Hmmmm......biggest challenges in order would have to be health, followed by temperament and then type. I feel that if you choose your dogs properly and breed the best you can to the best you can that type is relatively automatic, ie they will still look like an American Cocker Spaniel. It is breeding the dogs that people can live with (ie, good, stable, sane temperament) for a LONG time (ie good health) that is the most difficult and most important IMO.

Well, I can try Steve. It's interesting...and frustrating!

How long is a piece of string Whippets? Half of the problem is identifying what kind of cataract it is. Many vets will allow a unilateral cataract to pass an eye test, claiming it to not be hereditary and that only bilateral cataracts are hereditary. The reality is closer to being ANY cataract is potentially hereditary AND blinding and ANY cataract should be removed from the breeding program, as should the parents. But many breeders don't. And many, as Steve said, THINK that their dogs should be ok and continue breeding with them. And editing to add: This is also why many breeders will not breed from an ACS under the age of 3 years. It was always anecdotally accepted amongst reputable breeders that 3 was the earliest age to breed whereupon most issues would have become apparent.