ellz

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.

I'm sure most of us do. I'd hope so. But you'd probably be surprised to know how many feed something that isn't really in their budget because they are too scared of being judged by their peers if they don't feed a "brand name" to their animals.

Well, I have to confess that I am not a dog food snob. I don't go for particular brands or labels because they do or don't have certain ingredients UNLESS a particular individual has shown an intolerance to those ingredients. I feed what suits my dogs and my budget and lifestyle. If they're doing well on it, I couldn't care if it were el-cheapo crap from the supermarket. I'll no doubt be lambasted for this view, but I've been doing things "my way" for a long time now and have rarely had a complaint or an issue. On the subject of the Great Barko and Uncle Albers.....my Stafford bitch has been on it for a while now (she didn't do well on a couple of the more expensive, often mentioned foods here) and now, despite being only 3 months past having a litter of 9 puppies is looking absolutely SENSATIONAL. In fact, if it weren't for the slight "undercarriage" I could probably put her in the ring this weekend, except that she isn't entered (darn it). Editing to add as a result of your edit: I think you'd be VERY surprised about the amounts needed. I have found the feeding guide for Albers and Barko to be essentially useless. If I fed what they recommended on a daily basis, my dogs would resemble the Goodyear blimps. It is fair to say that for a "maintenance" diet, half (or even less in some cases) the recommended feeding guide would suffice.

As a result of the actions of others, I rarely offer any comments after judging now. Whether they be congratulations or commiserations. If you congratulate somebody, certain individuals see it as being sarcastic. If you don't congratulate somebody, you're seen as being a bad sport. So if you don't say anything.....they can take it as they will. As for criticism....I don't offer opinions unless they are asked for and even then, my comments will be prefaced by the question "do you REALLY want to hear what I think, or do you want to hear what you want to hear?" Those who know me know that I will not deliberately hurt somebody, but neither will I tell them lies to make them feel better.

Artemis Power is 20% fat. Probably 20 times the price too!

Check out a stock feed place. Most of them seem to have it. Great Barko is 10% fat, Uncle Albers is 12% fat. Barko is Beef/Lamb based, Albers is Beef/Chicken. If you can't get hold of it anywhere, contact Laucke Mills. They may be able to tell you a stockist. I know that if you can convince a shop to carry it, that Laucke Mills are more than happy to organise to get it there.

Will no doubt be howled down about this but in my eyes, THE best dry food for putting on weight is either Great Barko or Uncle Albers. Australian-made....list meat as the first ingredient. Some of mine do TOO well on it to the point where they are almost always on diets. Glossy coats, bright eyes and clean teeth. Not too offensive in the "picking up" either. I have had PMs from others who have tried these food at my suggestion and they have been more than satisfied with the results, even with picky eaters.

Yep, another ignore here. Don't reinforce the behaviour by acknowledging it, or she'll think that is what she is supposed to do. Wait until she is calm before greeting her.

He is fine. playing around and jumping around normally. not pucking, drinking nromally and there is no blood in the stool. i thought it could have been the bacon once but it happened again when there was no bacon so I'm not sure what's triggering it? Sometimes a "reaction" doesn't always occur at the time...it can take hours, days or sometimes even weeks to appear which is what makes the detection all the more difficult. I'd still get him off the dry food, give him boiled chicken and rice or an equivalent bland food and get him back to basics. If he is still doing the same mucousy poo in a day or so, then it could be an infection or virus that may need antibiotic treatment.

Dogs shouldn't be fed bacon or other cured meats!!!!!!!!! I'd be taking him off the dry food, feed him bland food for a day and see if that helps. Is he drinking normally? Is there any blood in the mucousy stool? Is he vomiting? Does he seem otherwise unwell?

SOLD

Koda, Vanni, Fang and Gerti all came with their names. I suspect Fang is so named because he is a guts. For all that he eats it is a wonder he isn't the fattest greyhound on the planet! Rimes is also called Mr Rimes. His registered name is Ellz Can't Fight The Moonlight which of course Leane Rimes wrote and sang but as I couldn't call a boy Leane without raising some eyebrows, he was christened Rimes instead. Bad Alice is exactly that! Although she also gets Malice (ie MAD Alice) from time to time too. She's Rimes' and Vanni's daughter. Her registered name is Ellz Through The Looking Glass so she is named after Alice in Wonderland. Kind of appropriate too if you have ever read the book. We have a couple of cats who would fit the role of the Cheshire Cat and everybody else is pretty nutty too! Roger (aka Woger and Woggles) named himself. He was the first of the litter of 9 to waddle over to me as a baby in the nest and try to climb on my knee. As he did that, the name ROGER popped into my head. I don't even really like the name but how could I argue with him? Flame is short for Ellz Flame Trees (her registered name - brother Roger is Ellz Forever Now - my Barnesy/Chisel themed litter). She gets Flumbles and Flubber as well.

Oh pffffft! The pleasure is MINE! It is such a relief to me to know that I have capable people around to help me when I get in a flap and who I can trust to show my dogs for me. As we all know, Mr Ellz is such a pussy when it comes to shows and your girls are fantastic helpers. AND THEY LISTEN!!! That is the best skill any young handler can have!!! PS. Tell Miss O I've been working on Woger and Flame. Woger is past the klingon stage and well into the scuttling phase but will stack until the cows come home, Flame goes like the clappers but burps fire when you ask her to stand. She can take her pick!

In addition to what Jed posted, sometimes dogs just don't DO well in a volume setting. Some would prefer to be an "only" or one of a smaller pack in a different environment. Most good breeders/exhibitors can recognise this in their own dogs and will make whatever arrangements are necessary to ensure the ongoing health and happiness of the dog/s concerned.

If it is in BOTH eyes and has been there for a couple of days, I would be VERY careful if I were you!

Will add here too that one of my most recent litter went to a wonderful older lady who already has two old Staffords and who has been involved with the breed since she got her first show Stafford in the late 1970's. Her family had poo-pooed the idea of her getting a puppy, telling her that she was too old and that they wouldn't take him because they don't like the breed. I was able to reassure her by telling her that I would take Ben back without question if anything happened to her, or she was unable to continue to care for him. I also told her that she was to send her two oldies here if anything prevented her from caring for them as well. They're nothing whatsoever to do with me, but if one comes here, they might as well all come here.

I can't really "get" what you're trying to explain but I would be taking her to the vet. If it is on her lower lids, there is always a possibility that it is distichiasis (ingrowing eyelashes) and that will need veterinary attention. You don't mess with eyes.

I will always endeavour to take back dogs that I have bred and I state that in all of my puppy sales agreements. I also try (where possible) to assist people who have puppies sired by any of my stud dogs. HOWEVER. I do NOT take back my dogs if the person relinquishing them is asking an unreasonable, exorbitant amount of money for the dog. Firstly, I cannot afford to do that. Secondly, I think if a person is trying to blackmail me into taking back one of my own, then to agree to their terms, conditions and prices is only going to serve to encourage them to do the same thing in the future OR to think that their dog is a disposable commodity. Editing to add: And now that microchipping is compulsory in order to register dogs with the TCA, Inc, I also put myself down as the second contact for the dog on the microchip forms. Even if I am not in the same state, it is unlikely that I will be uncontactable by the CAR so a static contact is better than nothing.

+1 I saw SO MUCH consistency in my recent Stafford litter of 9 (outcross) that although it would be tempting to see if I could wing it again, I can't see the point. Almost without exception, I could have gone "eeny-meeny-miney-moe" and chosen a puppy and still ended up with something very promising. I was stunned to the point of amazement and I've never seen such a litter before and probably never will again. It has been suggested that because I was so pleased with the union, that I repeat it. But why would I do that? I have a dog and a bitch. I saw the other 7 puppies daily until they were at least 9 weeks of age. The dog I chose for the WORST reasons, mostly sentimentality but hey, you've gotta love them first and foremost...right! The bitch I chose because she came closest to what I was looking for in a bitch with some of what her mother had, but more of what I was hoping to get....and she was marginally shorter in body than the next closest bitch. I'm just VERY glad that they were all "labelled" with coloured collars at birth or I would have literally not been able to tell them apart without a lot of confusion! What I probably WILL do is consider using a brother of the dog I used (there are 2 others available at stud) or even perhaps the sire of the dog I used. It will be interesting to see if the genetic potential of the brothers is the same or wherever else what I got came from!

Dogs also didn't cost a lot of money to breed, feed and maintain in those days either. It wasn't normally the "done thing" to purchase a puppy from a registered breeder and turn around and decide to "try and make your money back" as seems to be the norm now. And dare I say it, but it seemed that people were more honest back then too. Breeders COULD sell (or even give) a quality puppy to a family and know that their word would be kept with regards to any agreements made about that puppy for the future. Tying dogs up in red tape to keep purchasers honest was almost unheard of and a mans' word was his promise.

My last lot went with: Puppy guide which included diet, grooming, worming, vaccination, crate training, health, basic training and management information. Breed standard Copy of puppy sales agreement, clearly outlining that puppy is being sold on Limited Registration Membership application form for relevant CC and the MDBA Certificate of pedigree and 7 generation family tree (Limited registration papers to come later when back from TCA) Written vet certificate passing as ok for sale Vaccination certificate Health summary including worming protocol plus enough worm tablets for the next 2 wormings. Microchip transfer with me as second contact Puppy Primer book Soft toy Polar fleece blanket Collars from first crocheted collar until present CD with photos of sire and dam and littermates from birth until home time 6 weeks Pet Plan insurance Bayer Club gift pack Rubber Curry comb For local puppies, 3 day supply of diet.

Heck, I'm as busy as anybody with my other animals and family but I still manage to reply to emails, albeit some with more detail than others and provide at least weekly PUPdates to everybody on my pupdate list which usually include photos. AND put those same photos on the website so that if for some reason the email goes astray, the puppies can still be seen. I understand that you don't want to be a nuisance but purchasing a puppy sight unseen, from somebody you probably don't know is a leap of faith for BOTH parties. You have to trust them and that you will get what you are handing your hard-earned over for and they have to trust that their gut instinct is right and that you are a suitable home for one of their babies. And the ONLY way to do this is to correspond, talk and exchange information. And for me, this isn't only during the leadup, the pregnancy, the early days and weeks and at home going time, it is for the life of the dog (and beyond if necessary). I WANT to be the first port of call for my puppy people if they have a problem, or want to share something funny, cute or sad. It's the least I can do.

There have been a couple of notable repeat breedings in American Cockers and the progeny were as varied in each subsequent repeat as they were in the first. I think it may have been repeated 3 or 4 times and there were dogs titled from each one. I am seriously considering a repeat here myself now. Given that there were only the 2 puppies (1 surviving) in my last American Cocker litter and I still think that at birth, the girl who was euthanased was better than the girl who survived, I think I'd like to see MORE of the breeding so that I can get a better basis of comparison of the success, or otherwise, of the combination.

Bluefairy, I have to step in here. Breeders who advertise on DOL most certainly ARE registered breeders. Troy requires your prefix and membership information before he will accept a listing. HOWEVER, not all registered breeders are REPUTABLE breeders. Many have little more of an idea about what they are doing than the people to whom they are selling puppies. The onus is on the purchaser to do their homework and ask the questions. And if at ALL in doubt about the honesty of any breeder, or their practices, then don't lock yourself into a sale. Make more enquiries and if they don't check out...then walk very quickly away!

This is a recipe that I have used from time to time if one of my crew has diarrhoea or is recovering from an illness. It isn't recommended for long-term use, usually only a maximum of 5 - 7 days. Potato Stew Ingredients: White potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnip, slice of leek, boiled chicken or beef Instructions: Boil vegetables until stew-like and mix with the boiled meat -- which should be equal to 30 percent of the total recipe.