SparkyTansy

I'd love to CC but i'm pretty sure I am out for the entire weekend... visiting friend, hens night and a show on Monday... so much for a nice relaxing 4 day break...

CC have you put up an actual photo of your tattoo yet? glad to read about Indy :) of course no good there is some pain but better than having arthritis! It's ok, now... the PO left a card at my house on the 26th to pick up my package - so I finally managed to get there this morning (took a bit of time off work to get there when they opened) only to be told it wasn't there and that it wasn't scanned in, and to ring Australia Post so they can tell me where it is. After numerous periods of hold I'm told that they have to launch an investigation into the location of the package! about 6 hours later the guy who originally went looking for my package at the post office called me to tell me they found it, but it was hiding... :eyeroll: :laugh: In saying that though, they were very good about it all - very friendly and willing to help. i can't complain too loudly!!

plus make sure the titres etc are well up to date for when you are coming back... make sure you know what is required and plan ahead!

Customer service is so fantastic. At my recent trip to the Uk I was appalled at how terrible their customer service is. Right at the end of Crufts i purchased something from one of the stalls, but they didn't have the size available. When I said I'd have to leave it, as i was going back to Australia, they said that they ship FOC to anywhere. I was so impressed with their service I bought two of the items! Order is processed and on it's way to me. I usually have great experiences with most online stores. Whelping supplies always worth a mention, and clean run even though they aren't an Australian business, they provide great service.

oh yeah had someone across the road from me growing up who named their cat POC (as in piss off cat) - charming

LOL a friend of mine had a litter of pups and the biggest girl was a real pushy thing in the box, so I insisted she be called Dozer. Another friend ended up with her, but she now has a very respectable name of Abby.

When i was a kid the guy up the road had two border collies - Bess (normal) and Woof Had a couple of dogs in rescue - one is Boof and another, Padfoot :)

CC I hope indy goes ok! Ptolomy you aren't the only one with a hole digging gundog. Looking after Miss Aneira (Faolmor's Irish) and she seems to be having a phantom, complete with den-like hole digging tendancies!! BTW - I too, hate Australia Post today...

Phew!! who would actually opt to feed any living creature (especially a growing one) something with low nutritional content?!

would love to go down mirawee but I'll be grooming a dog for Saturday! that's good news MG!

please tell me your vet didn't recommend you feed chum...

Thanks guys - I've read similar feedbacks as yours FHRP, about the rubbing. they say to make it quite tight so it doesn't rub but it makes it quite hard to ensure a good fit when you are ordering from overseas...

Mine always wanted to skip the kibble meal, and preferred, always, the raw. i ended up feeding 3 times daily with the occasional late night snack. I'd leave the kibble down for their midday meal and it was usually left until their afternoon/evening meal, which was a raw mix with bones.

absolutely stunning - what an honour! both the painting and the original photo are beautiful!

does anyone put any type of coat/body cover on their dogs to protect them from harder scrub? I know they are gundogs but last time Lulu went into rather heavy, hard scrub she ended up very scratched up underneath. If anyone does use something, can they make any recommendations please?

for the cost the fact that it includes dummys makes it worth it even if it doesn't work!!!

I'll PM you vicsta

No it's not a suitable response from the breeder. Hip dysplasia is genetic, particularly if it is in both hips, but environmental factors can cause it to deteriorate faster The breeder doesn't sound as though they wish to take any responsibility so it's up to your brother if he wishes to pursue it further. Perhaps check with the GSDC in the state - they might have a policy regarding testing and scores and if that breeder is part ofthe club you could report them...

Hmmmm.... if there were more than 24 hours in a day, I could probably have done it with each puppy, but as it was I spent most of the last 3 weeks just cleaning up after my puppies before they went to their homes! I did start crate training at 6 weeks, have people come to the house and do some basic things, but unless it was a small litter, I'm not sure I could manage it all.

omg mirawee I had the same issue with Lulu she's a bit more aware of it now, but it took her a while!! She'll figure it out herself if she doesn't like getting pee stream on her!! :laugh:

I'm not sure where you got that information from... yes, it's not a "requirement" set out by the ANKC or the Breed clubs, but most breeders do hip score. MOST breeds, especially large breeds, have HD occuring in the breed, and just because it's not mandatory to score it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done as a precaution. It's also a polygenic condition, meaning just because it hasn't shown up for 5 generations it doesn't mean it won't show up. Hip scoring is not foolproof - you can have two great hip scores and still produce a HD affected puppy, but by screening for it beforehand means it is just one more step the breeder has taken to ensure that they are trying their best to make sure it doesn't occur. I score my dogs, and will continue to do so, however I will never guarantee that it can't occur, because there is no way I can predict that - I can only do my best by scoring and hoping for the best. I have a dog with HD, it's a debilitating defect and horrible thing to go through, both the dogs and the owners. Weimaraners also have many other conditions worth asking about - skin problems/ear problems, HOD, Immunodeficiency. If you aren't getting answers from the breeder, seek out people through the breed club who have puppies from the breeder. If your breeder isn't being forthcoming with information, previous puppy buyers have no reason not to be. As for the OP - I think that a lot of it was very on the money, but I dont like to cookie cut buyers. I answer all enquiries thoroughly (sometimes perhaps a little too thoroughly because I think i've scared off a few people in the past). I also like to use my gut. I try to come across as friendly but the care I have for my dogs and puppies I'm placing in homes is paramount and if that puts someone off I don'tmean it.

Allerzeit that photo is hilarious!! Congrats SwaY thats a wonderful achievement!!

Agree with advice given on not giving extra calcium. I also agree this can happen during teething as teething can play havoc on all sorts of things in a puppy! Just on a seperate note, removing dew claws will not play a roll in pasterns and splayed feet. Nutrition is the leading cause of weak pasterns and splayed feet, with a secondary cause for splayed feet being a genetic thing!

I haven't read all the other posts so just responding to the OP. i think there are a lot of people who pick breeds based on their look, or that they sound nice on paper. I have also found, based on having to try and talk a few people out of my own breeds, that people only hear what they want to hear. I, admittedly, picked the English Setter based on looks (but I was 8 years old at the time) and learned more about them later, however I was never prepared for some of their less than ideal personality quirks, and it was a big reality check after having Weimaraners for most of my life. I read and met as many as I could for over 10 years and I still wasn't prepared. I am one of those people that worked hard to learn how to deal with the breed because of how much I love them, but not everyone will do this. I definitely understand where the post comes from, but I think that this sort of thing occurs more often than not, when it comes to choosing a dog breed. I also think that this person should be highly commended for actually attending obedience classes, and probably needs more help and guidance from people experienced in the training of this breed... and, if they are serious about owning and training this breed, then they will do that.

barly pascal is devine