ellz

During the early 90's in NSW, one of my American imported American Cockers was the flavour of the month amongst the juniors. He was always booked early in the day for the handlers classes and as one youngster qualified, there was always another to take their place on his list of kids! I'm always happy to help juniors get started, whether it be with one of my dogs in the handlers classes or letting them help me out in breed competition.

I'm another who would prefer my puppy people stay clear of anything that has the potential to overload the system. I advise them to stick with C3 unless there is a probability of them needing to put their dog into kennels. I also suggest they avoid heartworm injections simply because once something like that is IN the system, it's next to impossible to get it out if there is a problem. I'm really very old fashioned when it comes to vaccinations and worming for my animals. I'd rather stick with the tried and true.

And we still have a good old laugh about it ;) It was certainly a classic shot!

There was a photo in one of the puppy listings of a guy whose "package" was rather .....er........"prominent" as he squatted behind his puppy too! I'm not sure what was more offputting, the poor quality puppy or the package!

because I don't get the impression the carport is as a "puppy pen" or specifically a dog enclosure (perhaps I'm wrong?) but doesn't the chaff get up their sniffing little noses? I guess not, or I suspect you wouldn't use it, but just curious . I'm not talking about tiny little babies.....they are always on grass. But for the older babies chaff works well, especially rough cut oaten chaff. It smells nice on the dogs and isn't as abrasive as sawdust or woodchips. The teensy amount that they ingest comes out the other end quite nicely too. Stafford puppies aren't real "sniffers" though.....they're more rough and tumble and tend to wear as much as they'd ever inhale or ingest! ;)

Somebody I know used very fine sawdust with good results. Too small to be chewed and easy to clean up. I've used chaff in my puppy pen in the past with good results too. Most people I know tend to use river rocks over a base of coarse sand in their dog pens though. Easy to pick up, too big to be chewed easily or swallowed accidently and can be disinfected.

I wish you the very best of luck. Over the years, I've stopped doing the "puppy back" arrangement because it has caused me nothing but grief. Now, I take a stud fee and then IF there is a puppy that I like and that is suitable, I will purchase it outright no strings attached and no obligation to either party.

Any puppy that I don't keep for myself, or which doesn't go to a known "approved" show home is placed on Limited Registration with a no show/breeding clause in the written agreement that is signed by both myself and the new owner well in advance of the sale of the puppy. The agreement may not be completely "watertight" in a court of law but because my intentions are clear and the purchaser is clear in their understanding, it would more than likely be enforced. What many breeders don't seem to understand is that under the law, an agreement must be FAIR to be upheld. Unreasonable conditions will not be enforced. A breeder can write anything they like into an agreement but if there isn't "equal" consideration then they have no chance of winning.

Reminds me of when gsdzrul first posted photos of her Weim girl Charli and I noticed that her handler had his fly down! :D

I should probably add here that given that the majority of my puppies go to pet homes, I recommend (in conjunction with my vet) that they at LEAST follow the 8, 12, 16 week vaccination schedule and then from thereafter, follow their own vet's recommendations. I find it a lot easier for pet owners to have a set schedule to follow. What they do after that is their own lookout. I personally ALWAYS make sure that the puppies which stay here get at least the 8 and 12 week vaccinations but am not as "vigilant" after that and thus far, haven't had an issue. I also do not routinely vaccinate all of my dogs every 12 months.

I do C3 at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.

I've had moments of sheer lunacy don't you worry. If it weren't for some wonderful, level headed people around me I probably would have gone stark raving mad by now. flatchat is the most wonderful woman in the world. I know I keep saying it, but if you guys knew what she has been doing, you'd agree. I'm very lucky to have such a fantastic person in my life. People like flatchat and my "bondaged" mate (long story) Rajacadoo are the main reason I keep going to dog shows these days.

YES!!! Naturally sourced calcium is the only calcium that should be given to a bitch in whelp. And "technically" this shouldn't change after the puppies arrive either if she is being fed correctly beforehand (which I know she is! ) The only supplementation that is necessary is occasionally during whelping if things slow down and I believe in a shot of calcium afterwards INSTEAD of oxytocin to help clear things out and encourage milk "let down". Calcium and oxytocin at this time work in the same way but the calcium is a lot more gentle on the body than the contractions that are caused by artificial hormones.

Seriously VC, dog people have been trying for years and there honestly IS no way! If you give him factual information and try to treat him seriously....he twists it and causes damage. If you don't give him anything to work with...he makes it up and causes damage anyway. He doesn't care what he says, as long as he is saying SOMETHING. I do get what you are saying and in fact suggested myself at one stage that working WITH him might be more effective, but then he changed tactics and started going for ALL dog breeders and not just specific breeds. He is simply a parasitic excuse for a man but unfortunately, Joe Q has this distorted view of him as a demi-god. Personally, after the dealings that I have had with him, I see him more as a demi-wit!

VC, I'm going to get cross with you. Believe me, if it is out there to be tried, we dog people have tried it. NOTHING gets through to that man. He is such an egotistical TWAT that he even thinks that insults are good for him. We have been battling him for so long that most of us don't even bother any more because it takes too much energy and isn't worth the end result.

Sowwy feef!

If you're implying that VC is here with no good in mind, I can vouch for her (I think....huh VC? :D) She just hasn't been here for very long and is possibly not aware of the lengths dog people have had to go to in an effort to put a cork in that opening that DB refers to as his mouth, but which dog people have called another orifice for many years.

I would not let a bitch go past 65 days from the date of her last mating without great trepidation.

VC, you probably don't understand that DB has been around for so long and has caused immeasurable damage to many breeds of purebred dog. He doesn't care what he says or how he says it. Believe me, if it were as simple as doing what you've suggested, the deed would have been accomplished by now. He just doesn't give a toss what others think of him, like a good old fashioned weed, he just keeps coming back for more. The more aggressively he is chopped down, the faster he comes back.

Unus of Television's plurimus diutinus irritations PS. Fond memories of the American Cocker roadtest done at the Bungaribee Reserve at Doonside. All going reasonably well until he abused us because we didn't really want our beautifully groomed show dogs to be chasing the ducks in the green, boggy lake at the reserve. We lost all cred then of course because our dogs were no longer REAL gundogs.

Unfortunately they are also popular in Tasmania for fighting and hunting. A very very dear friend has gone above and beyond the call in helping me to get the word out to whomever we possibly can. Not a day goes by that I don't think of somebody else to call. Today I started on the logging companies (I am not far from one of the major logging areas near the West Coast of Tasmania). I will never be able to put into words how grateful I am to flatchat for her help and support. If anything good is to come from Flame's disappearance it is the foundation of a very good friendship that I hope will never end. :D

I'm always happy to discuss my breeds on the phone, but for a "serious" puppy enquiry I prefer contact via email and will then refer you to my puppy questionnaire (if you haven't already completed it) which tells me more about an enquirer than you may think.

Nothing. Who'd have thought a fat, roly poly Stafford puppy was in fact invisible?

Please post it anywhere you think would help!! The more people looking, the better the chance of her coming home.

The "how much" emails are yet another useful tool for an astute breeder to assist them to weed out the homes that they would not sell to. Many breeders would just file the emails in the round filing cabinet. I personally reply, somewhat guardedly and ask questions. It is the replies to those questions and the tone which then tells me whether or not I continue correspondence with the individual or whether our dealings end then and there. As I said, there is asking and there is asking. And anyway, for every person that I refuse to sell a puppy to, there will no doubt be 10 others who WILL sell a puppy to that person. It's not my concern. I have to do my best for MY dogs and that includes finding them the very best of homes.