sandgrubber

I'm very close to getting a mini-sulky with a dorsal hitch as a way to challenge and exercise my dog mob . . . and take pressure off an ankle that has been giving me a lot of trouble. See www.rjwalsh.com.au/mini/index.htm to see the product line. Have a trainer lined up to help get it going. I'm a dismayed to find that, although sulky is made in Sydney, most of their sales are to the US, and the recommended sources our harnesses and other tack is in the US . . . which complicates the process of getting started and makes it a lot more expensive. Can anyone recommend a good Australian harness maker or dog outfitter who might be amenable to working on developing gear for the Australian market?

Please tell, how do you determine what is 'noble'. I see little resemblance between any GSP I've ever seen and Queen Elizabeth -- or most of her relatives. I don't think the [uK] Queen would appreciate nobility being identified with lounge lizard characteristics. She seems much more focussed on duty and honour and the stiff upper lip. Note, I'm responding as someone with a science background is annoyed by breed standards that include subjective words [like noble] and open ended terms [like broad, narrow, deep]. Subjective words leave too much to the judge's interpretation. Open ended terms result in directed selection for ever more extreme characteristics . . .which has to be unbalanced and probably unhealthy.

GREAT ANSWER! I'd find it pathetic if the vet nurse took time to write out an expiry date on, say, a worming tablet or a round of antibiotics that was intended for immediate use.

bull arabs are pig dogs & very goods ones at that, they were & are breed for pig hunting, but can be just as good as a house dog as well, they are fantastic dogs. Gina No offense meant. Just trying to help in fishing for words. The original post said 'restricted breed' -- which doesn't include bull arab, or, for that matter, pig dog. If it was a restricted breed with a two word name, almost has to be Presa Canario. There are five breeds restricted in Australia. APBT, Presa Carario, Fila Brasiliero, Japanese Tosa, and Dogo Argentino. The Presa Canario and APBT are the only ones known to exist in Australia . .. although the Presa Canario is very rare.

Who knows . . . perhaps the dogs are kosher (which prohibits eating fish without fins) and don't like the shellfish taste (it isn't simply fishy . . . it is mollusc taste . . . try it yourself if you don't believe me). . . or maybe they just like the meat or meat rolls so much better than the dry that they're turning their nose on the stuff. No big worry. I don't think missing a week or two will have a long term effect on health. Next time I hit this problem, I'll have a go at mixing with chicken blood or some such and see if they'll accept it as a gravy.

Based on boarding kennel experience, "restrained" in the breed standard, is inaccurate (should read: "best if restrained"). I also don't understand what "noble" means. If GSPs represent nobility, good thing we're not a monarchy. I would not like to have beasts with this temperament in control. Most GSPs are dogs you would not want to greet in the morning before you've had your dose of java. Many pet GSPs don't seem to have had the early discipline recommended by many people on this thread; and many don't take 'no' as an answer. By in large, they are graceful, affectionate dogs; they eat huge quantities of food and stay lean; they mix well with other dogs and do a good job of making sure the whole pack gets tired; and they are less prone to digging holes than many gun dogs. Great dogs, but high energy and demanding of interaction.

Perhaps it was 'pig dog'? Not Bull Arab.

My own dogs haven't been arthritic and I have no personal experience with Sasha's blend. Sometimes I get dogs, in the boarding kennel, who come with a supply and instructions to sprinkle a spoonfull over their biscuits. My experiences is that, often, this results in the dog not eating the food. I tasted a tiny bit, and it really is STRONG. Of course dogs often like nasty tastes. Just curious, do people who use Shasha's blend have trouble with food refusal? Or do you do some sort of trick to camaflogue (sp?) the stuff?

Vets are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Buying a bottle of 100 tabs and dispensing them in envelopes or whatever is a lot cheaper than buying the individual foil wrapped bits. As a consumer, I am happy to benefit from this economy, as I hate throw-away foil wrap things, whether it's lollies or pills. I curse the vet who sells me Clavulox at $5/tab instead of Amoxiclav at $3/tab -- so far as I've been able to tell, they're exactly the same thing. BUT, chemistry is clear. Things degrade a lot less rapidly if they are kept cold. What's called the Q10 principle says the decay rate halves for every 10 degrees. A good first guess for organics. Many inorganics (like, say, asparin sp?) and some organicsdon't decay for donkey's years and you could store them at 40 C for years with no loss of potency. If you want your pills to keep longer, store them in the fridge. Expiry dates are inexact, and I seem to remember a lawsuit in the US against drug companies for giving unrealistic expiry dates, resulting in people (mostly doctors) throwing out perfectly good meds and making people afraid to buy in bulk.

Old age is relatively rare in greyhounds, unfortunately. But I've never heard that they are more or less prone to loss of eyesight than other breeds. Grumpyness has not been a feature of the blind dogs I've looked after (in kennels). Some are a bit tentative and passive. Some just stumble and bump into things. If you move furniture and the result is the dog bumping into the thing in its new position and avoiding the place where it used to be, I'd say serious loss of eyesight. Blurring of vision is hard to identify in older dogs, cause they generally don't move fast enough to bump into even a blurry object. If your guy has cataracts, it may take a vet opthamologist to provide an accurate diagnosis of the type and seriousness and prognosis. But unless you're thinking of doing surgery -- probably not advised for a dog of that age -- I don't see what use the diagnosis will be.

For people living in Perth, especially SOR, Vitality High Performance is a great option. $45 for 15 kg. It's mostly produced for export but can be picked up from the manufacturer in Naval Base. Beef/lamb + various grains, including a lot of rice, with generous supplementation of an Omega 3/6 rich oil (mostly flax seed). But whatever you use, do add a good amount of raw stuff . . . chook frames are generally cheap and very nutritious.

Banannas are a good source of potassium, so in small amounts they may do some good. Otherwise they are mostly a carbohydrate . . . about as good for your dog as white bread.

Molly whelped two weeks ago. About six days after whelping she got some sort of abcess in her mammary glands, accompanied with hardening of mass behind the teats and loss of appetite but not fever. The vet prescribed Amoxiclav for five days. She responded well, but it's been slow. I went back and got a script for another four days when she still had the hard lumpy htings -- though reduced in size -- after five days. At 10 days the lumps are almost entirely gone, although I can still feel one spot, presumably where the abcess was. Question: I've been taught a rule of thumb that antibiotics should be continued for two days after the patient is asymptomatic. Do others agree on this principle? Does asymptomatic mean lumpyness completely gone, or appetite and energy level back to normal?

I think Rex is saying that you can breed the aggressive tendencies of a breed up or down and GSD breeders have had to breed the down to end up with a socially acceptable household dog. To me that's the point. BSL is a clumsy tool. But where breeders in a specific breed are tending to breed up HA or DA, it may be appropriate for government to intervene. Would you like to live next door to a dog that was the endpoint of several generations of selection, all aiming to produce the ultimate junkyard dog? On a personal note: I got bitten by a junkyard GSD . . . in a real junkyard during open hours . . . in the 1970s. Fortunately I was wearing heavy boots or my Achilles tendon would have been at risk. I don't blame the dog or the owner and I took no legal action . . . . but I do fault the system that permits such dogs to be at large during open hours. If dogs are bred to be highly protective, and/or trained to attack, it may be appropriate to restrict their appearances in public places and their 'use' as weapons. Often this goes along breed lines.

Several forms of vaccine get called C5. I am not an expert on the differences between them. But my vet said, yes, it was possible that the vaccine she used caused the disease. Antibiotics are ineffective for KC itself, but may help with bacterial infections that often accompany bad KC. Unfortunately the antibiotic of choice cannot be used on young pups because it harm the development of enamel in the adult teeth (my vet says). I probably ended out using broad spectrum puppy ok antibiotics on some of the pups . . . can't remember exactly, it was some years back. Mostly, the care regime involved trying to keep the poor little guys comfortable and allowing them to heal.

I had a whole litter of pups come down with serious KC after being given the nasal vaccination. The subsequent litter of pups also got it. When I asked about this on DOL, others reported similar experiences. When I tried to report the problem to the vet or drug company, no one was interested. They may say it's not common. . . but they don't try hard to find out.

It is unfortunate that they didn't include extremely HA breeds, eg, the Fila Brasiliero, in the study. I suspect that, had they done so, they would have come to a different conclusion. The more I read on the Fila, the more I conclude that it is a true example of breeding for hostility to those outside the pack can be successful . . . and that aggression can be inbred. I would encourage others to Google the breed and read what clubs and breeders have to say. Breed advocates, in general, agree that good puppies show "aversion" to strangers from a very early age. Show standards say it's ok for the dog to bite the judge . . . dogs are supposed to be aggressive to strangers. Also, that you need to put a lot of training into your pup if you want to end out with a dog that won't attack your house guests. Note, this is not an anti-Fila campaign. From what I can gather, the Fila is a lovely breed . . . but dangerous if not managed properly. I think the danger is adequate to justify laws. I have no doubt that the HA tendencies could be bred out if breeders were so inclined. . . .but in general they aren't. Ok in rural Brazil (unless you are an indigenous person who feels it's ok to nick an occasional bovine that has been put on your ancestral land . . . or a jaguar). I am against BSL for the APBT, Rotti, Dobe, or GSD. But, in principle, I think legislative solutions are appropriate where selective breeding brings out HA or DA potential. It is unfortunate that the law is not skilled enough to affect the cause .. . . breeders who breed for a weapons grade dog or a dog for the fighting ring. I think that blanket anti-BSL attitudes are a denial that aggressive tendencies can be hereditary . . . and thus lessen the pressure to breed for dogs who can easily be trained to standards that are acceptable in Australia (or other places where gunslingers, kidnappers, pirates, and other outlaws don't have a major impact on day to day life).

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll have to source a pile of Nature's Gift. Of course, the Chum and Pal raised dogs may find it too wholesome and refuse it . . . maybe I'll try a few cans first. "Gift" being German for poison isn't the best portent.

I distrust chicken mince. It's like sausage in a situation where there are no health inspections. It often smells almost as bad as the farts of the dogs that eat it. And if you shop around you can probably find chicken carcass that's as cheap, or cheaper, than mince. Whole carcass has the advantage that it keeps your dog's teeth clean, AND you can see exactly what you're getting. Also, for Labs, you can trim off the fatty bits, which is great for avoiding weight problems.

Whenever possible I feed whole, raw food to dogs. When they won't eat raw, they generally get a good quality dog polony roll. However, I get the occasional dog in kennels that was raised on canned food and will eat nothing else. The little guys generally go for My Dog. Ok, they don't eat much, so I can live with the price tag. In feeding the bigger dogs, MyDog is too expensive, and it comes down to Pal vs Chum, vs Bush or store brand or something else. I HATE canned food and tend to class it all as rubbish . . . which makes me tend to go for Chum over Pal because it's 20% cheaper. The dogs don't seem to care and I don't mind using a can opener instead of getting peel off lids. Is there any basis for deciding which is the least bad of the canned foods.

Thoughtless -- in either direction -- is bad. I think a lot of BSL is thoughtless, based on sensationalism, and damaging to dog welfare. Better to have no BSL than something as overblown as the Bermuda laws seem to have been. On the other hand, ruling out BSL altogether may be throwing out the baby with the bath. In a society where violent crime is realatively rare, guns are controlled, and vigalante-ism not accepted, I think it appropriate to direct BSL against any breed in which recognised and respected breeders actively and publicly breed for dog aggression or human aggression. Dogs should not be used as weapons, and dog fighting is not an acceptable sport. I hope, where BSL is repealed, there will actually be an effort to move against people who are breeding for dog fights (formal or informal), or selecting, managing, and training for human aggression.

If any breed -- rare or not -- as part of their show routine included tests and criteria that have the effect of causing breeders to systematically breed for human or dog aggression, I think it is appropriate to direct Breed Specific Legislation against that breed. In my opinion, breeding for Human Aggression should not be acceptable in Australia. A shephard-type protecting herds against wolves, and getting tough with people who come up to the house is one thing. Grading pups according to how nasty they are to unfamiliar people, or allowing a dog to bite the judge at a show is quite a different thing. Sure, there are less aggressive pups . . . but they are graded as inferior by leading breeders. Claiming a heritage of chasing down escaped slaves, and then after slavery ended, cornering jaguars (onca) and cattle thieves, is not a good look. I'm sure the Fila would make a great pig dog. I'm glad no one has been able to import them. The Rotti's heritage is as an all purpose farm dog in country that has suffered a lot of warfare and where peasant dwellings have high walls and have historically liked a dog that acts as a guard. That is a long shot away from the Fila's heritage.

BREED STANDARD FOR ROTTWEILER Temperament Behaviour and character. Being good natured, placid in basic disposition and fond of children, he is very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behaviour self assured, steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness. As I understand it there is no test of biting tendency or expectation of distrust / hostility toward strangers at a Rottweiler specialty show . . . and a lot of running. If Rotti specialty shows began including the tests described for a Fila, I have no doubt there would be a good deal of discussion of directing BSL against Rottis, and probably they would end out banned. The Rotti breeders I know do not find aversion to strangers a positive trait. See also, the following description, written by Fila breeder, Hon. Secretary of CAFIB, and MM-Correspondent for Brazil, AmericoCardoso dos Santos, Jr. (clipped from http://www.dog-pictures.co.uk/dog-pictures...asileiro.shtml) "Ojeriza" to strangers The feature that perhaps is at first sight the most apparent in a Fila's temperament is the "ojeriza" to strangers (ojeriza - sharp aversion). On the contrary to other puppies, a Fila Puppy is not inclined to relaxed playing with anyone. He attaches himself quickly to those with whom he lives but is, however, from his earliest youth suspicious of persons he does not know. Suspicion may make him irritated and annoyed and to some extent even make him growl with a certain amount of aggression, but yet without sufficient self-confidence to attack. In the course of his development the aversion against strangers will become more and more apparent. Already as a puppy the Fila will clearly show his displeasure if a stranger would try to touch him. At about the age of one year the Fila would attack any person unknown to him who would try to touch him. An agitated or restless disposition in a Fila is highly undesirable as it may be a symptom of nervousness and insecurity. One must remember that the Fila needs provocation in order to attack, for example, when an unknown person stares at him fixedly (as a challenge). Here it becomes evident another typical feature of the Fila: his courage will not allow him to move one step back when facing a provocation of any kind. No matter which instrument is used for the temperament test (rod, broom, towel, chair, etc.) the Fila's reaction is always prompt. spontaneous, and without any sign of insecurity. He throws himself forward and upwards (making the characteristic diagonal ascent, mentioned in the CAFIB-standard) attempting to reach the face or the throat of the aggressor. Exactly at this point the Fila differs from other dogs (like German Shepherds) who attack only when ordered, doing what they have been taught to do, showing rather the extent of their conditioning than true courage and instinctive reaction against aggression. I don't know the Fila well . . . but came to appreciate them when I lived in Brazil.

If you had the dog on rilexene for a reason, you should be talking with the administering vet. You may want to use a different antibiotic, or some other alternative therapy.

But, again, there are some things I'd rather not experience first hand. Can you imagine being a judge at a specialty show for the fila. How exciting to do the routine testicle and tooth check on a 50+ kg dog who was given credit toward the Ch. title for showing aggression to the judge. No way. I know the breed isn't represented in Australia . . . and I have no problem that the breed is banned. That may be the only place where I'm glad of BSL. But there are limits. The point is that BSL isn't simple, all or nothing. I think decisions regarding dog legislation need to be made on a case by case basis. For me, it is enough to know the dog is massive and being selectively bred -- by the breed standard -- to be aggressive to strangers, to say I'm in favor of banning the breed from Australia. The more I learn about the APBT, the more I'm against legislating against the breed.