SkySoaringMagpie

I think we have everything we want to show so I'm going for a future technology wish. A bullshit jammer. Like a mobile phone jammer, but for bullshit. :D

Good luck!

What a shame. I agree with you that it's best to nag vet clinics if you don't get a response as things do get lost and overlooked - I also get them to do a copy for my own personal files for each dog. Perhaps your sad situation will help other DOLers dogs. I guess what you do now depends on whether the tumour turns out to be life threatening in a way that it would not have been if picked up at the time of the test. If this was me every step I took from now on would be taken keeping in mind protecting my options to seek compensation of some kind - even if it's just a refund of the cost of the test. Best wishes for Bruno, let us know how he gets on.

Great save Alyosha, you really hung in there advocating for Roy

Agree. Well said.

As a Sec I've been asked to do letters for DogsNSW and DogsACT on the odd occasion in this sort of situation but usually it's been for a Grand or Sup when the dog is a veteran and it would be a significant hassle to bring them out again. I suppose it depends on whether it is easier just to get another Challenge with the necessary points or do the chasing of the Secretary.

Another angle on the shedding thing, I'm someone who doesn't mind dog hair as a general rule. So in the past I've had trouble wrapping my head around why it's so important to others. However, we do have one dog who is a drooly breed, one of the less drooly ones, but still we have to deal with drool. And I would rather deal with a hair tumbleweed the size of my head, than drool. So while drooly dog owners might think me precious, I personally would choose to avoid any dog that drooled. Understanding that has helped me understand other peoples' "I'd rather not if I don't need to" dog preferences. OTOH - I also agree with HW that there are some pretty unrealistic expectations out there about a "low maintenance" dog and "non-shedding" is often wrapped up in those unrealistic expectations. Part of the point of agreeing to take care of a living creature is that you're going to have to do at least some maintenance, so it's about picking the jobs that bother you the least. I'd rather vacuum than clip, but really, if the breed I totally loved required clipping, I'd just learn it.

What does it mean for the existing Community Companion Dog Club given the RSPCA is going to run training classes - I've heard they were not consulted?

for everything you have done for Roy.

Interested in how people assess skin problems in breeding programs. I've been fortunate with my Salukis in that the only skin problem I have ever encountered has been one of my boys getting a hot spot while I was overseas. It healed and the fur grew back and now you'd never be able to tell - I suspect it may have been stress induced. However, I do know of relatives that have had skin problems. How much do you put down to the owner/food/environment and how much to a susceptibility? Is this a sort of sliding scale thing with an easy keeper down one end, a dog in the middle who is fine if fed the right thing and lives somewhere dry, and a dog down the other end who has chronic problems no matter what you do? I live in a dry, temperate climate with low humidity - does that mean that I may not see susceptibilities that someone who lived in a tropical climate might see? How long is a piece of string?

My thoughts exactly And mine. Social media has given people a whole new audience for conspicuous compassion.

Not sure what Hall Vet does in this context but I've always found them to be excellent and we've had some difficult stuff. There are three Canberra Vets I recommend to people: Helen Purdham at Hall Vet Ivan Gavazov at Weston Woden Animal Hospital (particularly for Sighthounds) Sandra Hassett at the Animal Medical Centre in Philip (particularly for performance dogs/structural problems) I also hear good things about Hamish at Queanbeyan but I've never been there.

That is what I did, partly because I didn't know which was best for the purpose - but also for the colours :laugh: SSM I have some left that I am happy to bequeth to you, it is the cupboard taking up space. It is not enough for all you will need tho. I think for the rest I will do the half and half thing and see what works best.

We don't use vet bed much but I need to purchase some for a whelping. What is the difference if any between rubber backed and green backed? Any thoughts on what you prefer and why?

I'm sure I saw a flowchart posted on DOL a few years ago that explained the Australian judging system better than the acres of text in the regs. Does anyone have this and can they post it up here? I'm wanting to explain things to my import puppies' breeder and not doing a very good job of it!

Rebelsquest looks like that is a greyhound in your picture so hopefully it's the hounds you're interested in. BIS at Hound Club both days was a Std Long Dachie. Borzoi RUBIS Saturday and Beagle RUBIS Sunday. Friday Hound Group and BIS was a PBGV, RUIG Saluki. Saturday Hound Group was a Beagle, RUIG IW. Sunday Hound Group was a RR, RUIG Borzoi.

I agree with Diva about consulting the breeder. We feed RC, but when we were feeding RC Giant to our Irish Wolfhound he got very manky ears. So we switched him back to the RC that we have the rest of the dogs on (Adult Maxi) and the ear problem disappeared. A shame, because the RC Giant kibble is a really good size for giant breeds, they can't hoover it like they can normal kibble. But it might work well for you - with food whatever works, works. But you can shorten the time it takes to work out what will work for your dog by consulting with people who have dogs from the same lines, for preference, the breeder.

Sadly, while it continues to cost $190 to walk in the door of the Animal Emergency Centre, and the first thing the Centre wants is your credit card details, some owners will seek cheaper alternatives. On occasion, they will get precisely the result they haven't paid for. This. There was a huge kerfuffle not so long ago when the vet in question was voted "Best Vet" by Mix 106's listeners, their FB page blew up immediately with posts by people in the know. However, I'm sure one of the reasons the vote came out the way it did is that there are vet practices in Canberra that take practice building and assumptions about Canberra pricing as far as they think they can take it when it comes to charging. Fortunately there are also excellent vets who are reasonably priced, but not "cheap". This is the middle road that people need to find. Good vet care isn't "cheap" but it shouldn't be prohibitively expensive either. However, finding those vets usually means connections, because the best are are not necessarily the biggest and the shiniest.

We made one ourselves when we lived in suburbia and it worked well. We drilled holes in a plastic garbage bin and then dug it into the ground in the corner of the yard so the lid was just above ground level. Rather than using worms we used a septic system enzyme product dissolved in water every now and then. It broke down well and didn't smell with the lid on. The only reason we haven't done that here is that we're now close to a river, and I'm not so sure it's wise to have dog poo contamination running into the river. That said, I do drop it into the holes that they've dug around the place to stop them redigging them. I can't imagine buying one that relied on worms - too tricky to work out when you can use it and when you can't if you worm your dogs.

There's a strong incentive to shoot one down for a free dinner! Can't see that lasting ;)

Thought people might be interested in this legislation coming in in the USA. http://www.naturalnews.com/040683_drone_legislation_Texas_police_surveillance.html

Agree that training is the answer with "male urges". I'd also not do it before 18 months, and TBH, these days I wouldn't at all if I lived somewhere with secure enough fences etc that my dog was not a roaming risk. I've just finished doing a canine theriogenology course online - they usually come around again and repeat the courses so it should come up again. It took 6 weeks of committing time to work through the material but I wish I'd done it 6 years ago. I recommend it for anyone planning to have multiple dogs who are unsure about how to handle the reproductive side of things. I have a much clearer view of how I personally will choose to manage things having done this course.

That's easy for you to say, southerner ;) ETA - the guy on the far right looks suitably embarrassed.

Like road rage, trolley rage, whatever rage I guess. They're angry and looking for a target - whether consciously or unconsciously. Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.