Kajirin

Scout had yeasty ear, front feet and face. Seemed to correlate with poultry/beef [including turkey]. He's on raw roo meat now and sardines - he can also tolerate Blackhawk fish and potato dry, he also gets apple cider vinegar drizzled over his food. I'd use diluted apple cider vinegar and water and wash his paws [soak his paws in a container for about a minute] and face, for his ears I'd use rufus and coco ear wound cleaner [which cleared his ear up].

Use the dremel on my boys, one detested nail clippers and would get humphed at just seeing them. The dremel is much quicker adn I'm glad they don't have any issue with it. There is the dremel pet nail [but not sure on availability over here]. Dremel Pet nail

One needs to have a good relationship with their vacuum cleaner when owning a husky. I used to have 3 of them [all at once lol]. Loved them to bits, but they were 'different'. As pups they were left alone outside [although as more were added to the pack they weren't alone if you know what I mean]. Most of the time they just slept and slept during the day - laying there like sunning seals. In winter they preferred to be outside in the cold, they loved it. Mine were never destructive, but very prey driven [if anything came into their yard it was fair game to them]. Training wise they were great to train, I did have one who could be off lead and had 100% recall [even in the midst of chasing a rabbit or the like in the paddocks, but he was an enigma and not like a typical husky at all]. The other two were not the types to be off lead at all [they always ran on long lines when out walking]. They've been dead for over a decade, but I still find the odd husky hair on things lol. The three nerds [do miss them].

Looking in the puppy pages there is one gold male pup for sale in NSW ETA: That listing was updated on May 8th

Was thinking ravens too, they are rather carnivorous and take ducklings and other small mammals regularly.

Mmm my DVD copy of Idiocracy arrived this week [got it on sale and only $1.60 postage], I have yet to watch it...one of my favourite movies and reading all of this has made me want to watch it again

Happity Birthday to my St Patrick's Day Pup - he's hit a milestone on reaching 10

I've been wary of RBBs, since learning they can cause circulatory problems and you can lose limbs if envenomated. They are beautiful snakes though.

Usually buffalo grass is shade tolerant - some varieties are good for up to 80% shade. That's if you didn't really want to go down the artificial turf route.

Thank ye very much Denis

I read the RSPCA lead by example a few months ago and just sighed.

Have to remember the proposal is for trainers only to use e-collars not the general public...it's only for an exemption for trainers who undergo the specific snake aversion training using e-collars.

In all honesty I've been zapped by many electric fences and it's like a ping but not painful...feels more like pressure on the skin which radiates out. Dogs next door have been zapped by the goat electric fencing, they have never been back near the fencing since to try and climb under.

Mine do full butt wiggles too, they're non bobtails with full tails. If Scout wants an actual bum rub he'll reverse into me until I scratch the base of his tail. Or go between my legs so his bum is at the optimum place for double handed bum rubs :laugh: which starts him off on a back leg dance side to side.

The e-collar training in this instance is fast paced and remote....the dogs are working on multiple tubes with food rewards and a scent [live snake]. Going by the video the tube is clearly marked for the trainer, so as soon as the dog investigates the live snake tube and gets the scent it is instantly corrected remotely. Repetition of this would cement avoidance more so than verbal or other positive based training IMO. When working on lead with the live snake on the ground and the dogs get too close when scenting, the stim did look as though it made them associate the snake sight/smell with avoidance. Again repetition training would allow them to associate sight/smell with avoidance more quickly. As this type of training isn't allowed here in SA, I can only go by what I'm seeing in videos and personal anecdotes as opposed to seeing it in real life. Also, from reading up on modern e-collars I can't see them in a bad light when used responsibly.

...in this video they mention a refreshing course after a 'couple of years'...whatever this means....I guess every 2 years would be good?...you might not even have to use the collar, just a checkup on how the dog responses when seeing or sniffing the snake. You probably would need refresher training, to ensure avoidance is still exhibited.

Just had a brown snake here out the front near my garden tables this afternoon, was standing right near it and didn't see it until it slithered away The dogs were safe though around the back in the concrete summer run [which gets checked before they're allowed out].

I did do some reading up on electronic collars - with modern collars, the stim used is generally less than a static charge you'd get rubbing your feet on carpet and is way less than a electric fence. The stim goes from point to point and does not affect the circulatory system of a dog. Shock collars of old got their name from issuing a very large shock to the dog which was painful.

Amended original post to include the facebook post asking people to submit letters and where to. Thanks Sandgrubber for pointing that out.

Been reading on FB how a local snake catcher wants to garner signatures [by means of letters of support] to try to change the SA animal welfare act to include electronic collar training for reptile avoidance, by approved trainers who have undergone the specific training. But I think at the moment he's pushing for just a trial to see how it fares, as in the West this training has proved quite effective and also in Qld with cane toad avoidance training. Facebook post Personally I can see the positives rather than negatives - if it helps train dogs to stay away from all reptiles. I guess the only thing I object to is it being called shock collars - as technology has changed since the old actual shock collar days. Here's the Messenger press article [also posted in case others can't read it] http://www.adelaiden...8a5235eec731baf For those who have FB accounts the page can be found here https://www.facebook...akeAwayServices Video...today tonight Snake Avoidance Training

Generally as having Boxers I don't like to walk them if it's too hot [by too hot anything over 30 these days]. Although they were tested to the max during the fires back in January, having to evacuate, they were out in 46-48ºC temps with blistery winds. They did very well considering, kept them in the shade as much as possible - but they did get sore paws somewhat from the ground

sorry my ignorance, but why desexing a dog that's shooting blanks anyway?... I guess in case of testicular cancer down the track - ETA also in SA desexed and microchipped dogs are around half price for yearly registration.

As a pet owner and not a breeder, I don't mind paying good money for a quality pup that has had health testing etc. With my first boy, 9 years ago he cost $1000 [which was the going rate back then, it's now around $2000-$2500]. He came from a litter of 5. The stud dog fee was from recollection around $2500-$3000. One male pup was kept for showing, the rest sold as pets. I don't think the breeder made much of a profit from the litter after medical/feeding costs, time off from work to ensure the pups were safe etc. As it turned out the pup kept for showing/breeding ended up shooting blanks, so he was desexed and sold as pet. So that particular showing/breeding line they were going for was lost. So all in all, if they make a profit on a litter good on them - as it all goes back into the showing, breeding and rearing of new generations...so we as the public can enjoy happy and hopefully healthy dogs to have in the family.

Scout is camo colours, coat and collar Sarge is black - coat, collar

1st one looks like Australian sword fern, non toxic to animals