ellz

You'll find that most Aussie DVD players will play NTSC format DVDs now. And if they don't it's not that difficult to alter them so that they do.

I truly believe it is the body language and any correction noise you make when you use it. For example, my dogs are happy to drink from a spray bottle at shows in summer (easier to have a spray bottle at a hot ringside than a water bowl), but if I point it at them and say "ugh" in a correcting tone, they hit the deck. I only need to produce it at home for the cats to scatter and the kids to sit down and shut up! And yes, my children have compared me to many things, including Modern Family and the mother off Malcolm in the Middle.

I'm in the process now of making some leads for a German Shepherd lady for show so I don't see why you couldn't use kangaroo lace leads with a choker.

Spray bottle works fine here for cats, dogs AND kids!! On the rare occasions water isn't enough, a squirt or two of lemon in the water makes a difference!

Thank you for the replies thus far. Always interesting to see what others have to say on such things. I'm still teetering firmly on the "undecided" (ie TORN) side of the fence!

Question for you all, more an "ethics" question than anything else. How old would you consider is TOO old for a first litter for a bitch which only cycles once per year? And, the accompanying question, how young would you consider too young for a potential stud dog for the above-mentioned bitch? Now bearing in mind that these are from a breed which has DNA testing for many of the possible health issues associated with the breed. The bitch is DNA tested clear and the dog is clear by parentage. Enquiring minds would really like some input!!

RnL, I honestly think you're taking it all too personally.

Something to consider. In an ideal world of dog breeding........... A breed standard is a blueprint (the people/club/organisation who made the blueprint are the architects). The breeders' role is to produce dogs which conform to the blueprint (the breeder is the builder). The judges' role is to oversee this and to give their opinion of how the breeder is going (the judge is the council inspector). Joe Q can't just go and build a building and hope that it conforms and that the council won't get stroppy with him. And so it applies to dog breeding.

Probably more than Troy can. He can certainly "shame" the breeder into action and prevent them from advertising on this site, but that is where it would end. Troy has no power within the law.

I found bling to be quite distracting when watching judging. If the sun hits it, it really does take your eye away from the dog. But that said, each to their own. It's just not MY way. I believe that the lead, and the handler, should be as invisible as possible.

Cleft palate is a neural tube defect in animals, the same as it is in humans. Folic acid can help to prevent this.

I match colour of lead to colour of dog, the idea being that the lead should be as unobtrusive as possible. My only concession to that is on paracord leads, I have had a bit of bling with a different colourway for each individual dog. HOWEVER, now that I seem to have "outgrown" my "bling" phase, I'm just going for uber-basic and uber-classy plain kangaroo leather leads for each dog.

There are way more people who THINK they should own a Stafford, than there are people who actually ARE suited to the breed. The reality is that Staffords CAN be dog aggressive but there is also a saying that a good Stafford won't start a fight, but he sure as hell won't let one go unfinished. The importance is finding custodians for the breed who understand how NOT to put a dog into a situation that will escalate and how to read body language and signs and pre-empt a problem. I turn many people away and refuse to sell them dogs or puppies. They don't like it and I would say probably 8 out of 10 times they go elsewhere and somebody else DOES sell them a Stafford but I can at least sleep at night knowing that it isn't going to be one of my dogs that is placed into a potentially dangerous situation.

Has literally just happened to Cockerlover and similar circumstances too I believe.

Whilst I do definitely understand that often people who wish to show and/or breed aren't in a position to keep every dog that they purchase with a view to showing/breeding, those who value their pets definitely step up a notch in my eyes. As an example, somebody jokingly told me that my Stafford puppy Roger should be placed in a pet home. My reply was that he was already in one...MINE! And I've often commented to people that it's a good thing he is turning out nicely so far because he wouldn't have been going anywhere anyway, he was my baby from very early on in his life and he will always stay that way now!

+1

Although the plan for my last litter (November 2009) was to be born in the whelping pen at home, they ended up arriving via c-section at the vets. However they were soon home in their pen, outside my bedroom door and about 1 metre from my bed. The pen is located in a hallway that can be closed off from the rest of the house if need be, but is easily heard and accessible as well. I set up a lamp to illuminate the area if needed, and a power board that the heating lamp and heat pad are plugged into and this is run across the doorway and down next to the pen. The pen has a "bumper" type arrangement around it to keep out drafts at floor level and has a door for easy access to bitch and puppies. The pen is on lino which is placed on a large tarpaulin for easy cleaning. Newspaper is layered on that and the actual bed is placed in the back corner. I use wool beds with raised sides and cover these with polar fleece in the early days and drybed when the puppies are up on their feet. When the babies are still very small, mum doesn't usually want to leave them so she is fed and has fresh water in the pen and there is sufficient space at the side of the bed for her to escape if she gets too warm or just wants some time out. For the first week, I literally sleep with my head and upper body in the pen with the puppies and then for the next few weeks I am no more than a metre away. I never sleep much when I have babies...am alert with every squeak or snuffle and check them hourly anyway. The heat lamp light is great for this. For the first 10 days, they have the heat from the heatpad under their bedding and the heat lamp over the top 24/7. Then after that, depending upon the weather, I will use either the pad or the lamp. The lamp is suspended by way of a pole which enables me to raise or lower the lamp according to the temperature. If the weather is especially cold, I put a cover over the entire pen to create a nice, dark and warm "cave". I also do this if mum is becoming stressed with too much noise in the environment or if there are lots of visitors. My girls seem to prefer privacy. My days are spent handling the puppies and changing bedding and newspaper in the pen and of course feeding when the puppies are 3 weeks old. My puppies have their nails trimmed every week, are weighed every day for the first 3 weeks and have photographs taken every week as well. At 2 weeks, they are wormed for the first time.

I've lost count of all the puppy-induced injuries I've had over the years, but I have to say that the most recent was a doozie. I was walking across my yard with my arms full of firewood and my 7 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy flew across the yard and cannoned into the back of my legs, literally knocking me flat. My shoulder and back were a little sore for a couple of days (left side). Yesterday I was walking outside and my right hip went POP and my leg almost collapsed from under me and I could barely walk for the pain shooting through my leg and back. Last night was a shocker and today I went to the Dr. I have a herniated disc in my back. The fall might not necessarily have done it, but it may have contributed to it.

Definitely looks like an allergic reaction to me. Could he have come into contact with a castor oil plant in the backyard? Or another thought was that some years ago, one of my Staffords used to enjoy munching on wooden clothespegs and he came out in a rash not unlike that to look out....literally covering him from head to the tip of his tail. It turned out that the pegs were cheap imports from asia and had been treated. Anti-histamines internally and bathing in baby shampoo did the trick but it took a few days. And yes, the anti-histamines could slow him down, they are mostly designed to have a sedating effect to help lessen the urge to scratch but if the drowsiness becomes very pronounced get him back to the vet because he could be having a reaction to the drugs themselves.

I'm thinking there is a lot more to it than meets the eye and that there may be three sides to the story!

This isn't necessarily fair to registered breeders. Many people have "oops" litters for various reasons no matter how much care they take. Bitches can have silent seasons, especially young ones. Coated breeds may cover it well, especially if they aren't house dogs. And some bitches keep themselves very clean as well. And then you have the bitches which escape from wherever they have been isolated, or dogs which manage to bust into wherever a bitch may have been isolated. But the answer to the question is that the age for most breeds, with the exception of toy breeds is 12 months and that is the age of whelping, not the age of mating.

Does the same apply in all breeds if the tail has been banded?? I know that banding is more likely produce a naturally tapering tail end in some breeds, the ones I banded always did anyway.

Some hounds would do ok in a rural environment....a lot would depend upon the type of fencing. Definitely agree with the long coat situation though, that is part of the reason why I'm leaving my beloved American Cockers as a breeder/exhibitor. They just aren't compatible with the environment here in the country. 6 months of the year it is too dry and too many prickles for them, the other 6 months it is wet and muddy. Just not suitable terrain for a long coat of any description!

Sounds to me like it could be one of two scenarios. If there is, as you say, a gaggle doing a pack attack then either the newbie does in fact have a dud, OR they have something which is very nice and the competition are worried. Whilst I do know that it isn't a nice way to welcome a newbie, the newbie, like everybody else needs to learn to rise above it. The cream always rises to the top.

Definitely wouldn't recommend an American Cocker for this situation either. IMO it really doesn't matter WHAT the breed is going to be like with the children, the issue in this case would ultimately be the living conditions and the expectation of the adult humans.