dancinbcs

Don't take him back to obedience until it is gone. Never take a dog to training or trials if it has anything contagious.

My vet always removes any retained baby teeth at 6 months.

No idea about Vetrazin but when I worked for a pet supply warehouse the most popular fly repellant for use on the dog's ears was citronella mixed with vaseline. I have never had a breed prone to fly strike but know many people with these breeds who swear that this is the only concoction to work.

Rule 1: NEVER let her loose in the house, even under supervision, unless she has just toileted outside. Rule 2: Take her outside immediately when she wakes from a sleep, any time she sniffs around and when she is excited. Rule 3: Keep her outside for at least half an hour after each meal. Rule 4: Set up a puppy pen near the back door or arrange the laundry with newspaper on the floor and put her there when you cannot watch her directly. Rule 5: NEVER leave her unsupervised in the house until you are sure she will let you know when she needs to go out. Rule 6: Use a command word to get her to toilet on command. It saves a lot of waiting around. Rule 7: Always praise her for going where you want her to. You could try fencing off a small toilet area for her outside so that she will be separated from the other dog until she goes. Borders are normally toilet trained in a couple of weeks but as she has been allowed to make mistakes in the house, and therefore trained to go in the house, it will probably be a much slower process as you are now having to re-train her. The secret to quick and easy toilet training is to never let the puppy make a mistake.

I would suggest going out to Luci Ellem's. She is at Austral, so that wouldn't be too far for you. http://www.camarna.com/main.htm Vet wise Marilyn & Jim Gill's Austral Vet Clinic - Shop 4 Edmonson Ave AUSTRAL (02) 6906 9312 I can second these recommendations for both puppy pre-school and the fantastic vets used by all the breeders in the south west and from further afield than that as well. The puppy pre-school is indoors with puppies on lead so no need to have classes for different sizes. It is designed to teach you how to train your puppy and is NOT a "free for all" where puppies can terrorise each other. The idea is to teach the puppies to respond to training in the presence of other puppies not to just let them play. So very different from the average one run by vets who know bugger all about the correct way to train a dog.

Thanks Stitch. What breed do you have ? I have never used clicker training but have knowledgable friends who have used it successfully on little babies. I could never remember to have the clicker with me so just use the word "good" and treat. Must have a go at clicker training sometime to see how well it works.

It is actually better if the other puppies can watch the training session. Jealousy works wonders. When one puppy is taken out of the run and given yummy treats for doing a couple of minutes training, the others are all keen to have their turn. Don't worry too much about setting a routine. Just try to fit in a few minutes several times a day. It's amazing what you can achieve in two or three minutes with a baby. Having BCs it becomes routine to train puppies for a minute or so every time you interact with them. When I just have one left, every time I go out into the yard or the puppy is awake inside there needs to be little bits of training going on. Letting a BC develop bad habits is a recipe for disaster so the earlier training starts the easier it is on everyone. When not asleep a BC puppy has to be doing "something" so I just make sure it is something that I want them to do. The biggest problem we have selling BC puppies is making sure that the owner is smarter than the puppy. They do have habit of training the owner if not very carefully handled from the start. The early training is the reason that I will never own a rescue dog again. Yes, I have trained older dogs in the past but it is soooooo much simpler to train a baby puppy before the rebellious stage at 4 months hits than it is to start afterwards. By the time my puppies are first shown at 3 months they are show trained, crate trained, toilet trained and know their basic obedience commands as well as a couple of little tricks like "shake hands". They of course still chew and dig and do all the normal puppy things (some much more than others) but their basic training is well and truly underway.

I teach all my puppies to heel without a collar or lead from about 5-6 weeks, using food as a lure then a reward. Once they will heel around the yard I do it with a collar on then work up to attaching a lead. All training sessions are just a couple of minutes several times a day and by the time they are eight weeks they walk roughly at heel with or without the lead. The lead is only there to stop them wandering off not to guide them in any way. Once they are happy to walk with a lead attached I get them used to gentle pressure on it and finally being restricted by it, rewarding all the way. My puppies all just accept that they should walk on my left side and if they feel any pressure on the lead they come closer to relieve the pressure. I devised this method over many years after starting with my first show dog who took four months to learn to walk on lead without throwing himself down and screaming. He went on to gain his CDX and become a Best In Show winner but it sure was hard work at first. I now make sure that any puppies I breed are basically lead trained, toilet trained and have started on the basics of stand, sit, drop, watch and come before they leave at 8 weeks.

Jim and Marilyn Gill at Austral also do a lot of hip x-rays for breeders as well. Basically any of the three main breeder's vets in Sydney ie: Hedberg, Zammit or Gill are all excellent vets and all do a lot of hip x-rays. Just depends where you live and may also be worth comparing prices. These three surgeries have most of the registered breeders in Sydney as clients between them. They are all breeders themselves and have great reputations in the dog world.

To relieve the itch try soaking him in a lukewarm bath with Alpha Keri Oil added to it for about 15min then let him air dry or use a hair dryer on low heat. Do not towel off or you will remove the oil. He will come out looking like he has been slicked with hair oil but it does not stain and the skin and coat will keep absorbing the oil over a few days. I have also, always used phenergan antihistamine as a first line treatment for a suddenly itchy dog. Sometimes a few days of antihistamine will knock the reaction on the head and stop it developing into anything more serious. He hasn't been vaccinated in the last few weeks by any chance has he, especially with the heartworm injection? My dogs both became itchy after heartworm injections, two years in a row. I no longer use it but highly suspect that it was the cause of the itches. It is also possible that an ordinary vaccination will prompt the immune system to temporarily over-react to something that does not normally worry him.

Both are available from most chemists. We have used Icthammol on dogs, cats and humans for all of my life and my parents were first put onto it by an old greyhound trainer who had used it for many years before that. I always use it first for any sort of infected wound, abcess, puncture or splinter and rarely need to end up at vets or doctors to treat these wounds on man or beast. I have seen Magnoplasm used successfully for dog bite punctures as well so it must work the same way.

You don't actually need a referal to go to a veterinary opthalmologist, you just book an appointment, but your vet should be able to tell you when one may be visiting the area. Otherwise there are four in Sydney. Any suspected eye problem should be checked out by an opthalmologist. Many breeds, including labs, have a variety of eye problems that they can suffer from. Breeding stock have annual eye exams in several breeds, that I think include labs, and DNA testing for some eye conditions is gradually becoming available.

Magnoplasm or Icthammol both work just as well on dogs as they do on humans. They will draw infections or foreign bodies out of any wound.

Thanks for that......I think I have been definitely convinced that 8 weeks is better for their first vaccination......& no more than a C3. I always thought I was doing the right thing by giving them the C4 or C5, but the more I read the more I am convinced that, especially for the first shot, less is better. Forgot to mention in my post that even though we have always vaccinated successfully at 6 weeks it was only ever with C3. In fact that has been all that I have used on any of my dogs for years until this year when I went travelling with the two dogs I have at the moment, and used the nasal spray KC vaccine as well in case I needed to have them minded at a kennel. As to why it happened to you? Just sheer bad luck. Sometimes even when we do everything right bad things happen. Hopefully you have now used up all your bad lack and only good things will come to you and your dogs now.

First let me say how terribly sorry I am to hear of this tragedy. It truly is every breeder’s nightmare. I have been breeding since 1983 and know many breeders who were 20 years in front of me. In all that time, I have only ever heard of one breeder, that I know, losing one litter to parvo and that was about 20 years ago. Thankfully, it is a very rare occurrence and that is probably why there has not been any advice from anyone who has been in the same situation. Every breeder I know personally has always vaccinated at 6 weeks and 12 weeks with an occasional extra vaccine at 16 weeks depending on how much parvo is around at the time. Having a very active breed, the puppies are always outside from about 4-5 weeks onwards and the level of quarantine varies between breeders. When raising a litter, some never take any of their dogs off the property, always take their shoes off at the door and don’t allow anyone else to wear shoes in. They don’t allow other dogs to visit or have friends visit if they have been to shows or training. At the other end of the scale are those who continue to show every week, have lots of visitors and take puppies out to socialise from 8 weeks. Personally I have always been about in the middle but take particular care (especially with the shoes off at the door rule) when the puppies are aged between 5 and 7 weeks. I believe that is when they are most likely to be vulnerable if the immunity from their mum is wearing off and the immune system is compromised for several days after that first vaccination. I take puppies to the vets to be vaccinated but carry them in one at a time or get the vet to come out and do them in the car. With your litters, my “guess” would be that someone walked the virus in at the time that the puppies were vaccinated. If their immune systems were coping with the first vaccine or the second one in two weeks, at the exact same time as they were exposed to the virus then they would have had no chance of fighting it. The vet may have been treating parvo cases that had not had not been diagnosed as parvo. Not all dogs get drastically ill from it and if they recover quickly, the diagnosis may never be confirmed. Maybe someone else walked it in or one of your other dogs brought it in if they had been off the property. They can carry it on their feet and coat without being affected by it themselves. The newest vaccination protocols from the AVA do not give a recommended age for first vaccination but do state that the final puppy vaccination should not be before 16 weeks. Quoted from the AVA site: “Because of maternally derived antibody and the variability in its level and duration between individuals, vaccines should ideally be administered two to three times to puppies and kittens, with timing of the final dose being variable but not earlier than the age of 16 weeks (the suggested age varies with the manufacturer and the vaccine). If cost is an issue and only one vaccine is possible, it should be at the age of 16 weeks or older.” How to make sure you avoid it in future? Other than following the strictest quarantine measures you can think of, you can only cross your fingers and hope it never comes your way again.

I would be getting the vet to check him out. He could have a bladder infection because in my experience puppies don't wee anywhere near that often without a medical reason.

Puppies are usually checked for cleft palates on day one and pts asap. If they are missed they can sometimes survive but have a very high chance of repeated bouts of pneumonia until surgery can be done to cover the hole. Brain damage is also a definite possibility. With this puppy probably being blind as well I would definitely pts now rather than later. Also have a look at your pedigrees as cleft palates are more common when line breeding and especially when inbreeding. If you breed the bitch again then next time find an outcross. Not an easy task with BCs as the lines are all pretty tight despite the popularity of the breed but the chances of problems are less with a pedigree with no more than one common dog in four generations.

The info link is from before the test was developed. We have now had a DNA test available at the Uni of NSW for about 4 years and all Border Collies need to have their genetic status determined before breeding. TNS is found in ALL bloodlines, including working lines all around the world. As TNS is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition both parents need to carry it for puppies to be affected. Therefore, so long as one parent of each litter is DNA normal, the puppies cannot suffer from TNS. If both parents are DNA normal then all the puppies will automatically be normal as well and will not require testing. Puppies from a mating with one carrier parent only need to be tested to determine if they are carriers, when and if they are to be used for breeding. Border Collies also need to have their DNA status determined for CL and CEA before breeding and the same breeding guidelines as TNS apply for each of these conditions. All reputable breeders have now been DNA testing for 3 or 4 years and it is really only the puppy farmers and those breeding just for the pet market that will have untested stock. There will shortly be an ANKC breed survey out for breeders/ owners to decide about mandatory testing before litters are registered. Having these tests available means that there should not be any more Border Collies born suffering from any of these hereditary diseases. As other hereditary problems are extremely rare the breed is now one of the healthiest available.

You sound like you are on the right track and have a breeder you can trust to guide you. Your breeder will probably become your best friend for the next few years as you will have many, many questions The suggestions made so far have been great but one further thing you can do is to try to see as many of your puppies ancestors as possible. even if they are old it is preferable to see them while they are still alive, and if they have passed on, study as many photos and videos as you can get your hands on. Also study as many former "greats" in the breed as you can and when the time comes to look at stud dogs, study the ancestors behind any dog you are considering as well. Doing this means that when you look at a pedigree you will see "dogs" not just names on a piece of paper. You will start to form an overall picture of the traits that dogs on that pedigree had and understand if the dog you are looking at is typical of his lines or a fluke. You will hopefully also develop an "eye" for the breed where you will know immedately, when you look at a dog, if it is what typifies the breed to you. Good luck with joining the ranks as a breeder.

Mine have all eaten most of the regular fruits and vegetables (banana, apple, persimmon, carrot, celery, broccolie, etc) but have had a particular passion for parsnips and mangos. They also love Italian leftovers. Anything with a tomato based sauce. Just don't offer them dog food. They only eat real food.

Try Dr Ann Neville in Benteigh. She is a vet who also does Traditional Chinese Medicine. Details here: http://www.yellowpages.com.au/vic/bentleig...91-listing.html

Drape is fine for a BC, Afghan or a pet spitz but it is not what you need on a spitz coat if you are showing. It does exactly what the name says, weighs it down and makes the coat drape.

Try misting through the tail with an anti-tangle spray then brush from the tip of the hair at the end of the tail and work back towards the body in layers. This is the correct way to brush any spitz coat and especially so with the tail. You can use a good quality slicker, pin brush or a good bristle and nylon one, whichever you find easiest. A collie comb can also be useful on these coats as well.

QUESTIONS 1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc Breeder. I bought my first Border Collie 26 years ago and became involved in Showing, Obedience, Agility, Herding and bred my first litter 21 years ago. I have been on the hereditary diseases sub-committee of the BCC Club of NSW for over 20 years so have been heavily involved with the research and development of DNA testing. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? The breed originated as a working sheepdog in the border regions of England with Scotland and Wales. Australia is the country of development of the “show” Border Collie as the first standards were drawn up here and they were shown here from the 1930s.They were not recognised as a show dog in the UK until the about 50 years later. 3. How common is it in Australia? Definitely a common breed these days. We have often had the top entry at All Breeds shows over the past twenty years and the intelligence and versatility of the breed makes them very popular for obedience, agility, flyball, dancing, herding and devoted companions. 4. What is the average lifespan? 14 years is about average but it can vary from 11 to 16 depending on the lines. Many Borders are still successfully shown until 10 or 11 years of age. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? They should be highly intelligent, loyal, devoted and extremely willing to please their owner. Any Border who is not like this has an incorrect temperament. Activity levels range from relatively laid back to hyperactive maniacs. These can occur in the same litter so it is not just a matter of different lines. Temperament and personality are fairly obvious by about 7 weeks. All Border Collie puppies are active compared to other breeds. It always fascinates me to see litters of other breeds at the vets in open baskets being brought in for vaccination. ;) With Borders if you tried this, the first one would be out before the second one was even in, let alone a whole litter. :D Basically, they never just sit still and look cute. If they are not asleep, they have to be doing “something” As adults most have an “off switch”, so they will be as active as the circumstances require/allow then just chill out and snooze until the next bout of activity. Calmness can be fostered by rewarding calm behaviour. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Anything from 30 minutes (walk/run/ball,etc) to several hours a day. It depends on the dog and the situation. Working dogs can easily cover 40km in a day but most don’t need to have that amount of exercise. The more exercise they have the more they crave. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise and many Borders are happy with less physical exercise if they have plenty of interaction with their owners. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? Again, it depends on the dog and the owner. If you are keen to embrace some form of training/competition then yes, a first time dog owner could cope well. The biggest problem with first time owners is that the dog is often smarter than the owner and it ends up with the dog training the owner instead of the other way around. ;) If you are not experienced with dogs, you need to have a good mentor or contact with experienced trainers to successfully raise a Border Collie. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? Sure, they can occupy themselves but it may not be with an activity the owner approves of. I find that bitches cope better on their own than dogs do but they are a breed that needs to be with their owners as much as possible so I prefer them in homes where they are not on their own for longer than a maximum of six to eight hours a day and preferably a lot less than that. 9. How much grooming is required? For a long coated breed, they are relatively low maintenance. A bath and preferably blow dry every month or two with a good brushing of 15-30 min once a week is fine for a pet. Show dogs are bathed for every show weekend. The only trimming that needs to be done is the hair around and under the feet. As with all breeds, the nails should be kept short. Once they are desexed the coat becomes more woolly and doesn’t shed cleanly like it does with the entire dogs. When they shed twice a year it is easier to groom them with something like a coat king if they are desexed but you would never need one on an entire dog. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?) Like any active dog of this size or larger they need to be trained in basic manners to avoid them knocking over very small children or infirm people. Once trained they make great Pets as Therapy dogs. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) Answers to 11 and 12 together. Now that DNA testing is available for our three main problems they should be one of the healthiest breeds available. All breeders should know the DNA status of all their breeding stock for CL, TNS and CEA by either testing or parentage before breeding. Puppy buyers need to be supplied with copies of the test results to prove that at least one parent of every litter is DNA normal/clear for each condition. It is fine for carriers to be bred from provided they are only bred to partners that do not carry the same condition. Puppies do not need to be tested unless they are going to be bred from and they have a parent who carries any of the three conditions. If testing is needed it can be done at any time before before breeding. /it does not need to be done when they are puppies. Most breeders also hip and elbow x-ray and score all breeding stock as well. Elbow scores should preferably be 0 or 1 for each elbow and hips are usually considered fine for breeding up to a score of about 6 on each hip. If they score a few points above this and have other qualities a breeder thinks are worth continuing with they will usually be bred to a partner with a much lower score. There is no actual cut off score for hips and elbows but breeders need to be able to explain why they have bred from a dog with a higher score. One final point for puppy buyers. Steer clear of anyone charging more for coloured puppies than they do for Black/white. There is nothing special about coloured Borders other than the fact that their coat is a different colour. They are still the same dogs under the coat and many puppy farmers are cashing in on the public's desire for colours. The colours are recessive so most breeders get them sometimes but colour is usually way down the list of desirable characteristics that reputable breeders consider when breeding. Good dogs do occur in all the colours occasionally but breeding for colour first leads to a decline in quality so anyone offering colours at inflated prices is putting colour before qualtiy. Most good quality puppies from health tested parents are currently around $1000 or less regardless of colour, sex or register.

I have never heard of anyone contemplating dying a dog a different colour. It is always about touching up the existing colour and it it still against the regulations for a good reason. Fading coat colour is a genetic problem just like anything else. My BCs have always drawn comments from people about their intense black coats and I am forever being asked how I get them that black. The answer is that they are born that way and if they have really intensely coloured coats they do not fade or redden. The white markings are also a whiter on dogs with deeper coloured coats than on those with reddish/black coats. From discussions with another long term BC breeder who breeds colours I am definitely of the opinion that coat colour intensity is inherited separately to the actual colour.