Gayle.

You might just want to hint that one of the reasons you don't see a lot of certain breeds is because there's not a lot of people who want them. Rare doesn't always equal desirable, sometimes it equals complete lack of interest.

I would actually have really appreciated it if someone had stopped and asked to pat him because he needs to get used to being touched by strangers, and it's good opportunity to teach him to stay still while he's being patted. We don't have enough visitors to get plenty of hands-on experience from others, and where we live it's so quiet that I never see anyone else when I'm out walking. Thank goodness for the dog club though. Plenty of willing puppy-pat volunteers there.

If we ever meet other people with their dogs or puppies out and about, we always stop for a quick chat, or even just a hello in passing. I LOVE dogs and I absolutely adore puppies and I never pass up an opportunity to acknowledge other dog owners and ask about their dogs. Yes, I always ask before touching the dog but jeeze.....if dog owners can't acknowledge other dog owners, what bloody hope have we got in getting dogs more accepted in the community. BTW, all puppies ARE cute, all children are not. And he would love a conversation with you. He's a nice little bloke, doesn't jump or nip, just loves a scratch behind the ears and to be told he's a good boy.

Gosh, what a sad and sorry lot of "dog lovers" we have here. Are you so uninterested in dogs that you wouldn't even acknowledge a cute puppy?

I had a similar experience with Isaak last weekend. We had to go to bunnings so we took him and I stood outside while my husband bought stuff. Here's me thinking it would be a great opportunity to socialize a 3 1/2 month old pup as it was busy with the BBQ out the front and people coming and going. And not one person stopped to say hello to him. Everyone just rushed past, despite his best puppy smiles and biggest wigglebutts. Oh well, thier loss. He's a gorgeous little man and if no one wants to give him a quick pat and say hi, not much we can do.

Combo of all 3 actually. They get a raw chicken piece for brekkie, then a mix of UA and Supercoat for dinner with tablescraps or sardines or just on it's own. I would be happy to feed just Supercoat and raw and ulitimately, I think this might give us the best result of a dog who likes what she eats and also looks good.

I have had to do a big rethink on my dogs diet. They were on mostly raw but my girl developed a sensitivity to it and would vomit up every meal I fed her. So I gradually switched them back to mainly kibble. They had done well onuncle Albers in the past so that was my first choice but my girl isn't too keen on it this time around, and it feels and smells different. So I tried Supercoat as that is Aussie made and her breeder feeds it to her dogs. Now they get a mix of both and I am very happy with how they look. In fact much happier than when they were on raw or even on mire expensive kibble.

I understand. It's about keeping Australian money in Australia. It makes perfect sense to me.

What if the dog has 10, 12, 15 or more puppies, definitely a possibility with a larger dog? Will she be able to find homes for that many pups?

I think the breeder would have to pay for the semen to be collected and the stud fee, plus come to an agreement about how many times the semen can be used.

AJ Akira Alera Ali x 2 Alice Alika Alchemy Amber Amelia Amy x 2 Anais Annie x 2 Anastacia (Annie) Angel X 4 Anishinaabe Annabelle Annabella Anouk April April RIP x 2 Ari Arizona Arki Asante sana Asha Ashka Askari Ashleigh Astro Athena Aubrey Audrey Aura Aurora Ayla Baba Baci Bailey Basha Beanie Beans Becky Bella x 5 Billie Bianca Bit Blaize Blossom Bonny x 5 (Bonnie) Bonita Boss Brandi Brandy x 2 Bree x 2 Brianna Bridie Bronte Buffy Buttercup Cally Cara Casey Cassie Casper CC Cedar Chapparelle (pronounced Shapparelle, and shortened to Chappa (Shappa)) Chelsea Cherrie Chevy x 2 Chloe x 3 Charley Charlie Charlie-May Charlotte Chiko Chilli Choo Choo Chops Cider Cinders Cinta CJ x 2 Claire Claudia Clover x 2 Cleoparta Coco x4 CocoNut Colour (for a greyhound who's not grey!) Cookie Cossette Courtney Crystal Cristie Crupi Daisy x 2 Dallas Dancer Danika x2 Darla Delilah Delta Demi Dempsie Dexta Diazz Didge Dinky Dixie Diva Dizzy Durham Dusty Dyzney Ebony Echo x 2 Elizabeth Ella x2 Elley Ellie x3 Elsa x 2 Emily Emilly Emma Emmy Enya Erin Esky Evie Faith Fanta Feather Feonix Finta Flame Fleur Flossy Flute Frenchie Froggy Gabbie Gabby Gael Galadriel(Gala) Gemma x 3 Genie (not exactly a girly name but I thought it suited my goldy) Genevieve George Ginny Gita Glitter Goldie Gooby Grace Griffin GT Gypsy x 6 Gyrle Harlow Havarna Hayley x2 Heather Heddy Heidi x2 Holly x 6 Honeyx3 Honour Hope Imme Imogen - Imy Indi India x 2 Jade Jamie Lee Jane Jasmine x2 Jaxx Jay Jay Jazz Jazzman Jedda RIP Jelly Bean Jenna x 2 Jess x2 Jessi Jesie Jessica Jessie x 3 Jeune Jezebel x 2 Jindi Jinxy Jodie x 2 JoJo Juliet Juno Kara X 2 Kari Karma Karmen Kaos Kassy Katie x 2 Katy Kayla KC Keeta Keilani Keira Keirra Keisha Kelli Kelsey Kenzie Kibah Kiesha Kimba Kiri Kiri-Lu Kirra (agility name Kiz) Kishka (called Kish most of the time) Kitty Kizzey Krissy Kuean - (Queen) Lacey Layla x 2 Lea (lele) Leader Leia Leila Lexi x 2 Lexie Libby Lily x 3 Lizzy Lobo Logan Lola x 2 Lottie Lucia Lucky (yes, a bit tacky, but I loved her) Lucy x5 Luuka Mable Maddie x2 Maddison Maeby Maggie x3 Magic Mallee Marie Claudette Marina Marlo Maya Meeka Meg x 2 Meisha Merrique Mia X 3 Miekah Migaloo Milky Milla Millie x4 Mindy x 2 Minky Minnie x 2 (Mynni) Minouche Mischka Missy Missie Mistletoe Misty Mitzi Molly x 9 Molly Coddle Monet Moochie Mung Bean Mya Nala Nandi Narla Natasha Nena Ness Nora Nyima Olivia Ollie Pagan x 3 Panda x 2 Paris Paxy Pearl Pebbles Peggie Penelope Penny x 2 Pepper x 2 Phoebe x 2 Pink Pip Pippin Piper x 2 Pixie Polly x 2 Popcorn Porridge Porscha Prada Quince Rani Razzle Reba Rebel Reno Rhoda Riki Ricky Rizzi Rogue Rommi Rose Rosey Rosie x 2 Roxy x 3 Ruby x 4 Rumour Sabrina Sadie Saffron Safire Sahli Sally x4 Sarah Sarah Jane Sari Sascha x 2 Sasha x3 Sarsha Satu Savannah Scandal Scruffy Serena Sha Shae Shandy Shannon Sharnie Sharon Sharna Sheba Shelby Shimmer Shine Siann or Cyan Sinta Sienna X 2 Skye SkySnow Sola Sooty Sophie x2 Sophia Sparkles Springy Sputnik Spook Stella x2 Stimpy X2 Storm Stussy Sue Summa Suzie x 2 Sybill Tait Tamar Tameeka Tango Tara x 3 Tasha Tashi Taya Tayla Teegan Tess x 4 Tessa Texas Tia x 2 Tieke Tilba Tilli Tilly x3 Tinka Tinny (tin tin) Toot Tori Tully Tyra Tyneal Vada Vicki Viviane Voodoo Wandy White Whitey Winnie Winter Wilhelmina Wolf Xena Xanthe Zara Zillah Zippedeedoodah Ziva x 3 Zena Zoe x 3 Zola

Google lethal merle genes. Now THAT'S a health issue caused solely by colour The gene itself is not actually lethal. A double up of the merle gene causes blindess and deafness in some/most pups. The name came about because and double merle pups were usually put to sleep at birth. And merle is a colour gene is it not? Merle isn't a colour, it's more of a pattern gene, I suppose. But it definitely doesn't set the colour.

Totally untrue Yeah, poor choice of words on my part but I think I clarified what I meant further on.

I didn't say they weren't ethical, you misunderstood what I meant. Noe I think I've lost track too. It's not unethical to sell pups at 8 weeks of age. Going back to the OP, one of her criteria is not rehoming pups til 12 weeks whereas it's perfectly fine and just as ethical to send them to their new homes at 8 weeks.

Of course there are going to be exceptions, there always are but the vast majority of breeders don't desex pups prior to sale and do adher to standard vaccination protocol. It's not the mark of an ethical breeder to hang onto pups til they are 12 weeks of age, it's simply the circumstances of that particular breeder. Pups being run on for the show ring aren't obviously destined to be pets. But lots more puppies are.

Papers aside, the breeders should also be doing health tests on the parents and providing proof. Vaccinating, worming and microchipping, while very commendable are often done by backyard breeders to establish "authenticity" as a breeder when they are anything but. Hips and elbow scores, eye tests, DNA testing etc, these are the tests that ethical breeders carry out on their breeding stock to ensure they aren't generating inheritable defects. Also, 12 weeks is a little old for a puppy to be going to it's new home. They should be pretty weel established with their new family and getting out and about and being socialised by that age. Crap, there are breeders more than capable of socialising pups and 12 weeks is not too old to be leaving home. I'm sure there are plenty of breeders capable, but what's the advantage of keeping a puppy destined to be a pet until 12 weeks of age?

Papers aside, the breeders should also be doing health tests on the parents and providing proof. Vaccinating, worming and microchipping, while very commendable are often done by backyard breeders to establish "authenticity" as a breeder when they are anything but. Hips and elbow scores, eye tests, DNA testing etc, these are the tests that ethical breeders carry out on their breeding stock to ensure they aren't generating inheritable defects. Also, 12 weeks is a little old for a puppy to be going to it's new home. They should be pretty weel established with their new family and getting out and about and being socialised by that age.

I must be the worst kind of dog owner cos my dogs sleep inside but get turfed out at 5am into the cold dark courtyard. Including the 3 month old pup. And horror of horrors.......they don't come inside during the day. Ever.

We have a long, not overly wide paddock that I use for playing frisbee in. Unless I want to be scaling 6ft fences to collect it from the neighbors yards, I have to be able to control the frisbee and where and how high I throw it. I find the Kong one to be the easiest to control out of all the ones I've tried. However, I haven't tried the ones mentioned in this thread but would very much like to.

When you are putting some serious thought into making your decision about desexing, make sure you're working with facts, not myths and legends as seem to be perpetuated on internet forums. And if you have an agreement with the dogs breeder to desex before a certain age, it's not up to you to change the rules.

For a young puppy yes......a puppy that's feeding 4 or more times a day, but by around 3 1/2-4 months, a puppy doesn't need more than 2 meals per day.

Dusty is our resident frisbee freak and we play frisbee every day. And we've tried loads of them. The best by far, and the only one I will buy now is the Kong Flyer. It's rubber so it's not hard on her teeth, but it's very strong so when her and Benson use it as a tuggy, it doesn't split or tear. We use the red one, which doesn't float but I believe there is a similar one which does, if you wanted to use it around water. Our first one got lost at the beach when it was carried out by a wave, the second one got lost in our recent house move, but I'm sure it's in a box somewhere so I went and bought another one. I have tried ones from toy shops, department stores, sports stores, other pet brands and nothing, absolutely nothing comes near the Kong for durability and flyability.

My 15 week old Aussie Shepherd puppy has a chicken wing for breakfast every morning. He can't fit the whole thing in his mouth so he has to take his time and chew it and he absolutely loves it.

Last Christmas my son and his girlfriend brought their two dogs to stay with us over the holidays. They have an orange belton English Setter and a cute little rescue mutt. One day I walked my three.....two Aussies and an old Lhasa Apso, as well as their two, home from a play at the local school grounds. I felt exactly like the dog whisperer. Thank goodness they were all tired from playing cos I might have been the dog flyer if they'd decided to take off after a cat or something.

For your puppy's treats, just use some of her kibble. I have a 3 1/2 month old Australian Shepherd puppy, he's as happy as can be with a piece of kibble from my hand as a reward, and I feel that I'm not setting up bad habits of treats that might not be good for weight management later on. Plus kibble is always easy to come by, and it's easy to deduct from their meal portions so you know you're not over-feeding. One way to tell if you're feeding too much is if she's pooping a lot. One or two poops a day is about right, more than that and they're eating too much and you're just wasting food.