Lowenhart

Laser Lites Show Spray works wonders. Avoid Mason Pearson like brushes (combo boar/plastic) as it just makes it worse.

Garlic does not work on fleas.

After seeing what Leo's ear cleaner did to someones lip when it accidently splash on there... I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial pole.

I don't use or recommend a C5 at all. I use C3 or C4, and taper off as they get older. I was showing my 9 year old girl in Veterans & Neuter and it had been 2 years since she'd had a C4 vac. She wasn't vaccinated again, she'll be 15 in August. I stopped showing her when she reached about 10 and acouple of her front teeth fell out. She rarely goes any where now and prefers I don't either .

I rarely use the Rescue Remedy, but have used other Bach & Oz bush flower remedies. The biggest success I had was using Oz bush flowers "Confid" mix on dogs that find dog shows all too much. Given every night with dinner and using training techniques I was able to get the dogs to show happily. It builds up over time, giving the dog more confidence in themselves and stops them switching off when things become too much. It means you can train and shape, give them more confidence through that and you soon see the improvement. I used Larch, one of the Bach Flowers, for the same thing and in particularly difficult dogs I'd use both. For me RR is not the solution to every situation. It's really important to have an idea of what is going on and tailor the remedies to that. Also these sorts of remedies are just one part of the final solution. For human show nerves it can be that you need to find other things to calm yourself as well. I learnt to smile - force the smile and then slowly the body relaxes. Plan out how things are going to go in the ring, watch what the judge is doing, ask the steward how the judge wants you. Think through the steps that get you through it all, even do stupid miming if you have to. Find ways to trick yourself into a calmer state and every time you come out of the ring in 1 piece is going to make you more confident.

Don't forget to worm him You can also take him to a Chiropracter to make sure that nothing is out. We had a couple of underweight dogs who were out and within 2 weeks of being adjusted were looking super solid and starting to get fat.

I've heard of cronic barkers being lightly sedated for the first couple of days. It's the first 5-7 days that keeping them quiet is the most important from what I've heard which is solved by crating them away from stimulisation. Neither of these 'keep quiet' solutions are long term ones.

I give mine a quarter of a large dog tab too. Not daily though.

I've bought from catchoftheday before (a few times) and never had a problem. I don't know about this particular item but it looks almost exactly the same as the Deals Direct peti buffer.

Heads up for those looking for those "Pedi-Paws" equipment http://www.catchoftheday.com.au/smallfish_...roducts_id=3160 Works out to about $14 posted. Until 12 noon Sunday 3rd May Disclaimer: I do not profit from this :rolleyes:

Going through the skin and into the larynx gets a quieter result but also can have more scar tissue issues and a constriction of the wind pipe at the incision point. In worse case scenarios it can mean the dog has trouble getting enough air into it's lungs during hard exercise. Down the throat is less invasive with less chance of infection (no incision wound). I have heard of some dogs needing to be debarked twice.

Also don't forget teething plays havoc with ears and tails. High tail carriage during teething is not unusual.

I own a ChallengeAir, use it once weekly for about an hour so very light use. It's light to carry, the filter is quite easy to clean (but I did have trouble putting the cover back on). It does knock over easy when I'm using it but keeps on going. Not too noisy, good quality hose and easy to use attachments. My biggest complaint is the Off/Low/High switch broke in the first week I had it. I should have returned it to Clipperworld but I had big shows coming up and needed it. Still haven't returned it so mine now only works on "High". The actual switch set up was annoying, it's a 3 option switch, left for Low and right for High with the middle being Off. I found I kept clicking on Low instead of Off from the High position. I wasn't looking for a super powerful dryer so am quite happy with my Challengeair.

Cowanbree there are repro vets in NZ Info found at NZ Vet Council Site ctrl-f and search for Reproduction. Has addresses and contact info.

Just with CPV (Canine Papilloma Virus) there are 2 different kinds, one that affects mucus membranes (mouth, lips, gums etc) which seems to be more contagious than the other one that affects the skin. Weakened immune system is attributed to dogs who have a few papillomas, such as during adolescence or whilst taking immune suppressants. My older dogs come up with skin tags which don't look like Papillomas, they aren't cauliflowered like CPV warts are. With any growth/tag/wart if it changes size, shape, colour then take it off. It may cause him some irritation, but if he keeps at it and it bleeds etc just get it taken off.

I use a cheap human pair bought from a hairdressers supplier on my dogs and myself - there is no problems there... And I use human clippers to clip my show Lowchen at the moment. They are quiet and don't get particularly hot. They are about the same cost as a clipper blade and last about the same amount of time as blades do before they needs sharpening. Sometimes you can use the human stuff without any hassles...

Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide, it comes from Chrysanthemums. Not that it's particularly "healthy" if your dog eats it and the dog can be allergic (like any substance). There are dips and shampoos that use Pyrethrin as their active ingredient. Tea tree oil and Eucalyptus oil are natural insect repellents. Again not particularly "healthy" if eaten and the dog can have allergies to these substances. I use tea tree shampoo in conjunction with twice weekly Capstar tablets to keep the dogs I have at my house pretty flea free. I have a neighbour with a wandering wildlife killing cat , so I get some fleas from time to time (along with discarded bird & lizard carcasses). The shampoo is great for the whites on my dogs and I would use it even if I didn't have the walking flea spreader next door. Garlic is hopeless. My oldest sister gave me a cat she couldn't keep it any more, it was barely out of kittenhood, that she had been feeding garlic to control the fleas... Well the cat was carrying a huge infestation of the most virulent strain of fleas I've ever heard of. :D It took almost a year and thousands of dollars and I hate to think of the amount of toxins to get ontop of these evil garlic strengthened fleas.

I was working in an office and a guy there heard I had dogs and started asking me questions. I have hairy dogs so he asks do I get them done professionally. When I tell him that I do them myself he then asks if I groom other peoples dogs... Cheeky b*stard wanted me to groom his new Shih Tzu cross!! I told him I've tried working in a salon but it's really hard work and I get paid more to sit comfortably in air conditioning :D I did tell him to book a regular appointment at a groomers well in advance so he didn't have to do the ring around.

Mammary cancers are quite uncommon. I'd really like to see the studies of % of entire bitches who end up with them, I am sure the other hundreds of kinds of cancer win out. Seasons are messy and inconvienient, especially first ones! If she looks like she could be coming in, spay just before - the hormones have spiked up so she's finished growing. Dogs need the hormones to trigger a number of important developmental things (like closing of growth plates). For me I don't mind people to spay after the first season or just before. I am however not a fan of early desexing.

Well you'd be surprised! I live in a 2 person household and have been bathing 2 small fluffies for dogs shows pretty much weekly. Our household uses less than half that of our neighbourhood! Depending on how you do it, bathing a dog can be equivalent to 1 human shower, now think of all the people who take multiple showers a day! Bathing a couple of dogs once a week is not a huge amount of water. The other option is to collect water and wash using rainwater. It's such a waste that so much good clean water goes down the drains!

I only take my dogs to Robert Humphreys, he's in North Maclean/Jimboomba. He's trained in Human Chiro (his dad was one and I personally go to his brother for work) and is great with the dogs. Alot of times you think the problem is in one place but it is caused by something somewhere else. I have a lot of faith in him and we have used him for over 12 years.

I've been in contact with an Edith Hampson from BVSC and she was unwilling to do the unchipped dogs but told me she's put it to the ACES board (so they were similar to CERF) and currently won't return my calls.

Actually I run the online Health testing database for my breed world wide, the AVA scheme doesn't have international links and in a breed were only a handful of breeders eye test in this country the international database I run has more information than the AVA scheme one does (or may ever have). Eye testing ALL the dogs I breed benefits the breed, whether the AVA records it in their little database or not. I am looking for an independent vet, because the AVA ones won't touch my dogs. 2 years ago I was testing my dogs and those same vets won't deal with me now. If I was an unregistered breeder of pure or mongrels I could use their services with my unchipped dogs. Microchipping may become compulsory in QLD down the track but right now it's not. I am unwilling to microchip my 9 & 10 year olds for a single 15 minute (or less) consult with a vet. If ACES allowed me to test dogs without permanent ID like CERF does then I'd have been to the vet with the first lot of 7 dogs already. It's just frustrating. But I have a lead on an independant eye specialist... fingers crossed!

I've got a problem, I began eye testing my dogs 8 years ago and did so diligently but for the last 2 years let things slip a little as we weren't breeding etc. Most of my dogs that I want to test, including those who live as pets, are not microchipped - they don't have to because I live in QLD and I prefer not to put foreign bodies into my dogs when I can avoid it. I need a vet in S/E QLD (preferably Brisbane) that can eye test the dogs, I have tried talking to ACES vets but they are "just microchip them". I am not willing to put microchips into my oldies just to get final eye clearances on them and when I pointed out that the American CERF system allows for dogs without tattoos or microchips they seemed honestly surprised. I'm not just eye testing breeding dogs but also paying to eye test their siblings/offspring that are neutered/spayed pets. I want to be a responsible to my breed but this ACES thing is actually forcing me to breed from untested stock. Yeah, smart huh? Any ideas?

My Lowchen eat Mango each season, too much causes the runs but they are otherwise fine. They also eat Mulberries, cherry tomatoes and peaches when they are ripe too