dennyhound

One week on the bitchs mothering instinct is very strong and she has become a very good mother, not excellent but very good. We did experiment at bringing our other dogs home but they proved to bigger distraction for Gypsy and so they have gone back to their 'holiday destinations'. As far as the pups weight goes she is now double her birth weight so she is doing really well. Just an update for those who are watching.

1. What is my relationship with the breed? I own and compete and have recently added breeding to my interest. I have owned all three since they were pups, so I have had Rusty for nearly nine years, Denny for six, Gypsy for four and Isabel for four days. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? http://www.wkc.org.au/Jack-Gleeson.php You may as well follow the link as it is a long explination. 3. How common is it in Australia? They are every where. Go to Casterton, Vic on the June long weekend and they are as thick as flies at a bbq. 4. What is the average lifespan? 15 years minimum I hope. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Mine are pretty laid back but if I go to do anything they want to 'help'. Mine live well with my chickens and kids, they are inside dogs. It takes a bit to make them angry, like an unexpected or unwelcome intruder. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Mine have three good runs a week and we don't stop till they are tired. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? Anyone could own one of these dogs if they can give them a solid foundation in what is acceptable behaviour. They can be a handful if you let them get away with things as pups. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? My experience is no. When we bought our house and my oldest dog went from having a companion to alone she got depressed so we got her a companion and they are fine for an eight hour work day. 9. How much grooming is required? I don't groom mine per say. I take for a swim and occasional wash if they are super stinky. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? Well trained would be a must for this sort of interaction but that's a standard answer regardless of breed i feel. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? http://www.australiankelpie.com/disorder_ca.htm Once again it is easier to give you a link than rehash it. 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? I think the questions you should ask are based on the intend purpose you have for the dog. If you want to work it then seeing its parents work is a must. As a person who's primary interest is working them that it all I care about. I have also put some pictures of my dogs here just because I think they are the best breed ever!!!!!!!!!!!

The differences between ANKC Kelpies & WKC Kelpies are very easy to pick. If you search in Google images alone the difference is quickly apparent. WKC's have been bred based on their working ability with looks second. ANKC have been bred to conform to a standard that a confirmation judge has an understanding of with a working ability second. That is not to say that a ANKC kelpie cannot work but a WKC Kelpie has a far greater pre-dispositon to work. In ANKC herding in Victoria we have 6 'Kelpie' type (general classification as two of mine are pound dogs) that have acheived the highest level on sheep and at least three of them are also successful on ducks but sadly none of them are of 'show' type. I do not want it to come across as ANKC Kelpie bashing here it's just that you don't see many of them competing in structured trials (VYUFDA,ANKC or VWSDA) and until their owners are prepared to come and try we will never know the quality of the dogs. I know that dogzonline.com.au is all about pure bred dogs but their are plenty of 'station bred' Kelpies that will have unknown lines that can be just as good as a WKC one. Sometimes the best dogs show up in the strangest of places, two of mine come from a suburban fringe pound!!!! However when the time came to buy a third i chose a WKC registered dog from parents i have seen work and worked myself because I felt i was ready to take on a dog that could take us as a team to 'the next level' whatever that is and my idea has paid off. For trial type work she is the better dog but for general work (moving paddock to paddock or catching strays etc.) my other two are miles better. At the end of the day you are better off buying a dog that you like and 'make' it into a good dog in your eyes as then you will be happy with whichever pedigree or no pedigree you chose...... Sorry if i have re-stirred a Hornets Nest. LOL.

Things seem to be still going okay. Bitch got a bit of mastitis so i extracted some milk by hand and then the puppy had a feed and emptied the nipple. After the pressure of the milk was gone she let me massage out the 'firm bits' and then after a while the she seemed to settle again. Thank you all for your advice as I am sure that there will be more questions.

I am happy to report that mother & daughter have spent the entire day together with no fuss other than the bitch wanting a toilet/outside break for about 10 minutes. She still appears to be trying to nest in her kennel by digging at the mat furiously but i am lead to believe that this is to help ease the pain of her uterus retracting to normal size. Is this right? Pup also seems to be still gaining weight which given she is a singleton i am not surprised but the big question is, how much weight gain per day should i aim for?? Ideally i don't want her to end up a 'swimmer'?

Mother has started to lick puppy now through the miracle of cheese. I know this sounds strange but the dog loves cheese so much. I think that she was scared/unsure of the puppy. With extreme supervision i put cheese near the puppy which she picked up and ate ever so delicately. I then put a little piece on the pups bum which she licked off and since then seems quiet content to lick her. Thank you Bega Cheese Singles..... She is from Beloka bloodlines and was mated to a Pandara dog that now lives near Casterton.

Kelpie had a singleton puppy by C-Section on New Years Day. Seems to have maintained birth weight and made a little gain. With the recent hot weather in Melbourne, 35oC+ for the last couple of days the bitch seems to let the pup out in the open. The puppy does not whinge so i assume this is to help her stay cool. Also as it is this bitch's first litter her mothering skills are slowly improving. She will nurse and feed the pup but not clean it. Any advice to do with raising singletons or helping to improve the bitch's mothering would be great.