ellz

I managed to get hold of some scrap strips to have a play with. This is my first attempt with leather. From left to right.... Flat 4 Round 4 Round 6 Now to get hold of some thonging and have a REAL go!

These days it isn't always cheaper to take a puppy as excess baggage. It wouldn't be any more than probably around the $150 mark to fly a puppy from Melb to Newcastle. It cost me $180 to fly a puppy in a small crate to Townsville from Hobart with Jetpets a week ago.

If you read my first reply, you will get the information with regard to finding a puppy AND the necessary health testing that should be undertaken by any SBT breeder.

How can you educate people if they just go straight to the newspaper and ONLY find BYBers? That's my point. That is why reputable breeders NEED to "mix it" with the "opposition". Price is quite often an indicator of whether or not a breeder is a BYBer. I would say that it is almost certain that a puppy for $500 is BYB. Generalising of course, which can be dangerous. But by the same token, not ALL breeders charge $1000 or more for a Limited Register companion puppy either. Anywhere from around $650 upwards would be the norm IMO. Not every breeder has waiting lists. Not every breeder KEEPS "waiting lists". For example, I maintain a "register of interest". I take enquiries, work through them and weed them out. By the time I am ready to place a puppy, not everybody will still be interested so I may or may not have to look further for homes. This litter, I had 9 puppies. I did place one advertisement in our local paper and from that advertisement came a wonderful, knowledgeable home. Their previous Stafford had died just before Christmas at the ripe old age of SEVENTEEN!! They still had to go through my normal selection process, although I do admit that I felt that somebody who could keep a dog alive for that long had to have something good about them! I had also put listings on the "P" website and managed (I hope) to educate a few people who contacted me. The whole point is that you cannot educate somebody if you cannot reach them. The clubs should be placing regular advertisements to "catch" the windowshoppers and browsers. Breeders should be using ALL avenues available to them to catch and educate potential purchasers. And above all else, the elitist view of newspapers being "bad" really does have to stop or there will never be any stopping the BYBers and millers who trade on the elitism of registered breeders.

It isn't very nice finding half a dismembered possum or bunny on your pillow either. I appreciated the gesture but did wish it could have been something that smelled nicer and made a little less mess.

Exactly Crisovar. I've often said here, and in other places, that reputable breeders NEED to advertise more in newspapers and on online pet selling sites. If only to give a genuine and interested buy some CHOICE! It's no use complaining about the ethics of people who advertise on the website starting with P, or in the Trading Post, or the local classifieds if that is the first point of call for Joe Q and that is the only choice that he has. Not every Joe Q knows about the state controlling bodies, or DOL, or any of the other places where good breeders "hang out" so they use the resources that are available to them. We need to be there, visible and ready to educate if we are ever going to be truly competitive and put a wedge in the market of the BYB and miller.

Getting a dog from the paper isn't necessarily a BAD thing. It isn't so much where the puppy is sourced. What matters is that it is from a breeder who tests for HC - L2HGA. One is an eye issue (hereditary cataract) the other is a metabolic disorder which can present somewhat like epilepsy. Any prospective purchaser should ask about these tests. If the person on the other end of the phone has no idea what they are talking about, then the purchaser should walk quickly away and look elsewhere. Unfortunately, the problem is proving to be more widespread than initially thought and sadly, not even all registered breeders are testing which means that many backyard litters could at best be carriers of these disorders, or even worse be affected or produce affected offspring. And ultimately, that would mean that the purchaser would end up with little or no support or recourse from the breeder. It isn't completely necessary or sometimes even possible to view both parents. And honestly, unless it is a reputable, registered breeder, it is probably better if the sire does NOT live in the same place as the dam. Especially in the case of an unregistered breeder because this can often mean that the bloodlines are incompatible or that the breeding has been done for convenience and not to produce a quality puppy from the bloodlines and animals that best suit the breeding. It should ALWAYS be possible to view the dam of the litter, unless she has tragically passed away since the litter was born. That is unlikely, but it does happen. The temperament of the dam should be noted. She may not necessarily be kennelled WITH the puppies, but she should still be witnessed with them because her reaction and treatment of them is often an indicator of what the puppies temperaments will be like when they grow up. Don't be surprised if breeders will not allow visiting until after vaccinations have been done. Some do allow visitors from early on, but others prefer not to have strangers in the vicinity of the puppies until they have some protection from illness.

Could be something as simple as a spot of misplaced puppy acne (they do tend to get it on their bellies) or it could be a bite or something more sinister.

Thanks dyzney! I'm still grinning!

I got another lovely email today. I placed this particular puppy with this guy because he wanted a quieter, more laidback puppy that he could take to work with him. The boy he ended up with was the absolute image of my Roger in temperament. A real cruisey, laidback thinker who just lets the world come on down to him! This is what he said today! <paste>Hi Lisa, I need to take a few more photos and email to you. Toby is just wonderful he is the smartest and best dog I have ever had. To be honest, I love him too death and so does everyone else. I honestly, do not know where I can fault him, yet he does play the sympathy card well. I could not be happier with my choice of breeder. Thank you because you picked perfectly. <end paste> Pure gold!

Quite common. I doubt there would be decent statistics anywhere to support it though. Many pregnancies are non-starters due to timing. That is pretty much accepted now. The old days of breeding on the 10th and 12th or 11th and 13th days have been misproven and I think since breeders started to either allow the animals to be their guide OR prog. test, the incidence of non-pregnancy has diminished somewhat.

The person being complained about doesn't pay the fee though.....the person making the complaint pays the fee.

What I suggested worked for me with a very scared 8 year old dog who had come from a kennel environment in the USA and through Hawaiian quarantine and a home quarantine situation in New Zealand. I took him from being a dog that was retired from the show ring as a youngster of not much more than 6 months of age, because he freaked out and who would pee when a stranger so much as looked at him, to a confident, friendly All Breeds Best In Show winning dog at the age of 9 years and 2 days and his Australian title. I'm not for one minute suggesting that the OP should back their dog into a corner and terrorise it, but they need to learn NOT to reinforce fearful behaviours with their own reactions and body language. It is tough, but it can be done.

Because you have to pay to report somebody under most circumstances. They say this is an effort to deter people from making frivolous complaints and to pay for the time it takes to prepare the cases for the disciplinary committee. I have NO idea why anybody should have to pay, and maybe things have changed, but that is always how it used to be. Some places charged $50 for a complaint, at one stage some charged up to $200. Hopefully things aren't like that any more but I wouldn't be at all surprised about anything any more.

If you want to pay the prescribed penalty units (vary from State to State) and make an allegation about somebody, then the CC will investigate it. To the best of my knowledge, they will require evidence of some kind from SOMEWHERE to support the allegation. Most of the CCs used to have at least one legal-type person or a police officer on their disciplinary committees to ensure that it is run fairly but I don't know if that is still the case. Each State is different, but all have their own regulatory powers. ANYTHING on the ANKC website is really not much more than a guideline because the individual States maintain their own membership and registration registries and have complete control over them. As SBT123 said, you would need to contact the particular CC for their rules and regulations and information about disciplinary proceedings.

Firstly, the ANKC per se does not have the power to suspend anybody. All suspensions are domestic matters handled by the individual State controlling bodies. A complaint against a breeder would need to be directed to that body, whereupon under normal circumstances the individual would be called to a disciplinary hearing and decisions made based upon the findings there. Not having been party to such a thing myself, I am under the impression that evidence is able to be tabled by both parties and the breeder is given opportunity to present their own information and defend themselves. If a suspension is issued, then it is a reciprocal agreement by all ANKC affiliated bodies. In the case of a cruelty charge, they would require evidence from a court of law that a conviction has been made against the individual.

I would find that insulting and as though I'd been slapped in the face. Best not paying anything at all if $100 is all that is on offer. I agree with the gift idea though, a case of wine or something. Gee Clyde, how on earth did I know that of all the responses MINE would be the one you'd have to disagree with the most strenuously!

What do you do when he exhibits the behaviours? Do you pick him up and reassure him and make a fuss of him? If so, you're simply reinforcing the fact that there is something to be frightened of. Ignore him. Make him stand on his own feet, he does have four of them after all. When you are out walking and he shies away from somebody, ignore the behaviour and keep him walking. Don't pick him up or say reassuring things in a gentle tone of voice. Be businesslike and direct with him and handle him firmly. Show him by YOUR actions that there is nothing to be scared of.

I feed a mince that has a bit of everything, including coarsely chopped chicken frames as the main part of the diet with up to 1 cup of dry food (except for the greyhound who has around 3 cups). Usually 1 - 2 days per week they get bones to chew on during the day with only a small portion of dry at night. They also get table scraps, vegetables when there are extras, sardines and fish frames, yoghurt and cottage cheese in varying amounts depending upon what is around. I only feed the adults once per day under normal circumstances.....generally mid afternoon so that they have time to toilet properly before bedtime. It's not a scientific "method" by any means, but it works.

Great Barko or Uncle Albers here. $31.90 for 22kg. Lasts me well over 2 weeks for 5 adult dogs of various breeds (including a greyhound who gets fat on it). This is a quick photo I snapped of one of my girls this morning.....she had NINE puppies just 3 months ago. Except for the slight tummy, I could put her back in the show ring and could have done from about 8 weeks onwards. She is fed on Barko (won't eat anything else).

A lot will depend upon the breed and the severity of the luxation. If it is just a case of mild slips, then long term, there may be no real impact on the dog. If however it is a major problem, then the owner of the dog could be in for some VERY hefty vet bills down the track because serious luxation does generally require surgical intervention of some kind.

I'm a cheapskate. Put a nice $100 note in a card and write a brief note offering your support if they need it. Perhaps recommend a good vet and/or any contacts you have for physio and rehab because no doubt the poor little tyke is going to need it long term. Any more than that and they'll start thinking you are made of money and possibly expect more. As you (and they) have said, it is NOT your responsibility. I do agree that if your dog had more involvement, there would be a lot more damage. I've seen the end result from when an Afghan pulled a Whippet puppy partially through a fence and that wasn't very nice at all.

It can be very difficult to accept criticism of our dogs (or our children). Most people DO take it personally and it is very difficult not to.

Yes. My dogs get a good quality mince and/or raw meaty bones on a regular basis as well as table scraps, veges and other goodies from time to time as well....sardines, cottage cheese, yoghurt etc.

Exactly. I've said it hundreds of times on this forum and each time have been howled down by the premium food snobs or BARFers. I don't feed BARF because to do it "right" you have to feed offal and it is illegal to do so here in Tasmania. I don't have the imagination or time to work out alternatives and nobody has, as yet, suggested any that I am willing or able to substitute. So, I'm happy to feed what I feed and know that whilst they may not be popular choices, my dogs are doing well on them. And because my dogs are doing well on them, I'm happy to recommend them to others.