Tassie

That is very upsetting.    A couple of thoughts about trying to contact the breeder

. - I'd keep a dated, timed and written record of all your attempts;  

If you're  really getting nowhere, then you could try seeing if you can get help with the contacting theough Dogs Victoria - assuming the breeder is a Dogs Victoria registered breeder;

you could try contacting the Golden Retriever Club of Victoria to see if they are able to offer any advice;

it might be possible for your vet to contact the vet who did the pup's fist vaccination and microchipping - it wouldn't be unreasonable for your vet to ask the initaial vet if there had been any signs of problems apparent at that time;

and there's always snail mail … if Australia Post still have the registered/certified mail option where you get proof of delivery/receipt.

Did you get any information about the eye and heart health certificates of the parents?

I do hope you can get some information which may help your puppy.  It might be worth asking for a referral to a veterinary cardiologist for a specialist opinion too.

2 hours ago, April_Mum said:

Thanks so much everyone for your help. We checked with Dogs Vic (member) as well as the club and got great reviews for the breeder. I guess the restrictions are unique circumstances and ensuring everyone's health and safety is critical. To date our breeder has been really helpful and supportive so we are proceeding with them. Will share cute puppy pics once we pick the fluff ball in a three weeks.

That is excellent to hear.   Trust me, a helpful and supportive breeder is gold!!!!   Be sure to keep up that relationship if you can.  Good breeders love to know that their pups that they have bred and raised carefully are in good loving homes.

Some great advice here.   A couple more things to consider.

I would definitely be crate training your pup.  It will save your sanity, and his.  Basically .. using a wire crate, which you can put some sort of cover on when you need to, make it a wonderful place for pup to be … for short periods of time at first … with super good things ..like meals, stuffed Kongs or similar etc. happening in the crate .. then … make sure you train a release word - that is going to  be the permission word for the pup to do things like come out of the crate, come off the mat (the place training that @Rebanne was talking about, going out or in the house doors, the gate, out of the car ...etc. etc.    My 3 year old Border Collie girl is still on the crazy side, so she has spent time in her crate after meals, so that she can learn to relax.  It gives their cortisol levels a chance to go down.

My dogs sleep in crates beside my bed, so I can know when they need to go to the toilet at night .. like last night .. 3.30 am … so the lead goes on, pup is taken outside to toilet praised for that,, then back inside and straight back into bed in the crate, with a treat.   So my young one has a lead on as part of her normal day.  Initially  she would get a treat every time the collar went on, and the lead .. so again, it becomes a non issue.  You can actually just sit down with the pup anytime, inside, and play lead on, lead off  with pup sitting with you ..treat for lead on, no treat for lead off … high value treats to start with.  Then take the behaviour outside.

Your pup does need to get used to the outside world .. but frankly, I would not be trying to take a 10 week old pup for a street walk on a lead.     It would be better to just sit in the front yard with the pup and lots of treats and just let him watch the world go by.   You can do the same thing if you take the up in the car to somewhere not too overwhelming, and just sit with the pup so that he can take things in, but doesn't have to do anything.  Once he knows some basic behaviours, like sit .. you can ask him to do those while he's somewhere watching the world.   Again .. lots of rewards for what he's doing. 

If he's fearful, it will take time and patience and respecting what he's telling you, to get him comfortable.  It will take as long as it takes,  There is no rush, as long as you're getting him out and about to see and hear the world without having to actually interact with it.   And the more relationship building games he plays with you, the more he will have confidence in you.

There are some great force free trainers on line.   Kikopup's YouTube channel and her Dogmantics site have great material. and you can also check out Zak George on YouTube, and Spirit Dog Training;s website.

On 18/06/2020 at 3:19 PM, julesluvscavs said:

Hi, i have owned Cavaliers for a long time, quite a few.  Always has been my fav breed, and always will be. We only have one now, which we adopted quite a few years ago. We don't think he is a pure bred one (all our past ones have been from registered breeders). Our previous precious girl- Miah (the tri in my profile pic) was everything to me. She only  lived to 7 years. We did buy  her from an Ethical breeder. She unfortunately developed some serious health condition in her short life that required lots of meds, vet bills and lots of 24/7 care. She ironically passed away from something different,  a ruptured spleen tumour which came out of nowhere. We had no choice but to give her her wings. This was about 10 weeks ago, so im still badly grieving.

I think its really important you always research any breed their genetic health issues that they can be predisposed to, regardless how fantastic a breeder is. Sometimes they cant stop the issues even if their dogs have all been healthy in their lines .  Our breeder stuck by us the whole time (and has been shocked and heartbroken by what happened), so i don't regret having our our girl come into our lives, theres were lots of good times too..
 There is never any guarantees with  anything in life.. but do your homework thoroughly first. Cavs do have a list of health issues and major ones at that.  Our Cavs have loved living inside but loved going for walks, they shed hair heaps (we never clipped ours) but they have all just been so loveable and perfect in our eyes 

I met a toy poodle the other day that seemed to take to me, was  extremely friendly. And seemed to be  like a Cavalier in nature, well this one was.  I have no idea of their health conditions etc 
It did make me think what it would be like to own one

There is a thread dedicated to all breeds of dogs on DOL called  Dog Breeds 101

All the best

ps Some Cavaliers can get very vocal  ;-) 


 

So very sorry that you lost your lovely Misha too young.  That sort of sudden loss really hurts, especially when it was unrelated to the other condition you'd been managing.  it's good to hear that her breeder stuck by you.   She would have been devastated for you too.  

Everything you've said sounds OK from my point of view.  As @jemappelle has said, many people - myself included- have bought pups from interstate without having seen pups, or parents, in person, or the breeder.   You've done good searching, and in current circumstances, you are probably lucky that you are actually able to get a pup from a reputable breeder.   

I would not be concerned about not being able to pick up the puppy from the breeder's home.   Although the risks of COVID are diminishing in places, the flu season is just getting going and if a breeder or family member is in the vulnerable group, then they will be super cautious -- rightly so.   I probably wouldn't be too worried about the photo quality or lack of videos .. again if the breeder is older, and/or not tech savvy, 

Wow - how beautiful is that!  Thanks for the find!

Yes . as others have said, it depends on the breed … each one will have a range of conditions with a range of inheritance.  Some can be completely ruled out - by breeding 2 genetically clear dogs, while breeding a genetically clear to a carrier will produce a mixture of completely clear or carriers..    Carrier status for conditions like Collie Eye Anomaly in my breed… Border Collies .. means the pups will not be affected, but if they are to be used for breeding as adults, the person breeding them will need to find appropriate and genetically (DNA tested) partners.

In answer to your questions .. yes, indeed .. any good breeders will have their litters health checked by a vet .. if necessary, at birth or soon after, but at the very least, at about 6 weeks when they are taken for microchipping and their first core vaccinations.  In several breeds, pups will be tested for any hearing deficiencies too.

Hope that helps.

17 hours ago, NikkiandKane said:

Awesome thanks guys!

we had a private training session with a dog trainer tonight. I got some tips on lead training but I am discouraged about not going for an actual walk for Sometime ( trainers advice). Good to have some other skills to add to our repertoire.

other things we are working on are a solid recall and “leave it”, those rocks are a risk to his wellbeing if he gobbles them. 
I am so happy with this little guys personality, he is sweet and unusually calm for an Amstaff pup.

Don't be discouraged about that.  There are years of happy walks ahead of you.   This is a perfect time to be playing relationship games with him, in short sessions, which will build up the value he has for you, over other things.. like rocks! .. in the environment.  There are lots of games - which hopefully your trainer will sow you .. that you can play indoors or out, and just for a couple of odd minutes.... but many times a day.   Think of it as one trainer described it, as coffee break training .. or things to do while the kettle is boiling.  Hide and seek is a great one for building fast recalls, and most dogs really enjoy it.

Good to hear he's well enough for walks.

Think of the walks as a training exercise, rather than thinking of getting any distance at this stage..  You can use tools like front attach harnesses, or head halters  = one that connects to the collar at the front as well as the lead at the back .. helps to prevent accidental jerking.'

With both of these tools you need to condition the dog to like or at least tolerate them first, and practise using them in quiet situations... using your treats.

There are lots of force free methods … best practised in quiet environments .. an empty sports field for instance,, where you can do lots of 'doodling' short distances .. as in a few steps, with lots of smooth turns .. you just change your direction, reward dog as he responds to you and catches up with you .. rinse and repeat.  If he starts to pull you change direction .. the idea being that he gets the idea that he's going where you go, rather than pulling you where he wants to go.

YouTube resources you might find helpful .. look for Zak George,  Kikopup, and Glasgow Dog Trainer. 

Not dogs and can't help with a recommendation (wrong state) .. but I had great results - over a longish term from a really skilled Bowen practitioner (and remedial massage therapist) who was able to fix shoulders that were on the way to being frozen.   I certainly have friends on the mainland whose dogs benefit from regular Bowen sessions.

Oh the poor lad!   But so glad the vet check went so well.  Now just wrap him in bubble wrap! 

So glad this was picked up early and able to be dealt with before any major damage .. except to your bank account.   As I was reading I was thinking how good it was that you had already taken him .. and that the markers were in his system to make diagnosis much more rapid.

A big xpen or portable dog run might be a solution for unsupervised outside time.  I hear you about the sticks from the big trees .. some of those sticks/branches end up inside my house too .. oh joy.   And the muzzle training sounds like a good plan.

My BC boy .. now 11 .. did go through a period of interest in rocks at about 12 weeks.  I can remember it was a real problem when we visited my cousin's house at Christmas time .. she had a big pebble and small rock collection rom their travels round the country.   Rory found them irresistibly fascinating, so I spent quite a bit of the visit outside supervising him .l the rock collection was up on the outdoor table by then .. but he could still get to it.    He seemed to grow out of it .. but maybe that was because he didn't come across another collection like that.

Very best wishes to you and your little man.

Hi @Hannah  -  just sent you a PM.

Congratulations!  Fun times ahead I'd say … look at that bright, cheeky expression !  

Such a tough time with your oldies  … they are so very fortunate to have you.    Good news that the savvy vet is back and that you can see him Monday.   Wishing you and Tamar all the best.

2 hours ago, juice said:

Good to know as I often get people at work asking me where to get pups . I always send them here first . Although when breeders don’t bother to reply it’s embarrassing which was what happened yesterday after I sent the poolshop guy here to look for a new dog . 

I know some breeders are not always quick to reply at the best of times … but just wanted to say it's a really tough time for breeders with so many people deciding they must have a puppy - now!!!.   Not saying that's your pool guy … but truly the breeders are not to know.     My boy's breeder had more than 50 inquiries in 2 days. … bad enough at the best of times .. but trying to sort the wheat from the chaff at the moment …. Eek. 

And please don't wait till after the final vacc . especially if that's 16 weeks to start some gradual exposure to the outside world .. hopefully it will be a bit more normal world by then  ….. but lots of safe ways to expose a puppy to the noises, sights and sounds of the world .. especially important for breeds that are typically a bit OTT and stimulated by moving objects and by sounds.   Car trips. being carried around shops etc. , Bunnings trolley trips, meet the vet for well puppy visits.  play dates with nice vaccinated dogs owned by friends, family, in safe yards.

5 hours ago, Nepal_AU said:

Thank you everyone for your response . I could manage to pick one litter from registered  breeder in Melbourne.  Went and checked out both parents and its siblings. Healthy and well taken care. Picking up in 4 weeks. Cant wait to have him. I was researching and setting up for 1.5 yr it was not just purchased out of covid boredom. It was a right time  as i will be WFH next 3 months atleast.

Thankyou all. Any suggestion  on bringing new puppies please do let me know.

 

 

That's great.  Because you'll be WFH, one of the things you'll need to pay attention to, is making sure the pup has plenty of time actually physically separated from you .. so building into your training some set time during the day most days, when you go out without the pup, or the pup is in another room …. which will be super hard with a cute Britt baby.

There are some great training videos on YouTube ..look for Kikopup, Zak George, Donna Hill among others

And some free downloads from

 Ian Dunbar

Sorry to say I agree with the others.  This is probably the worst time to try to get a puppy from a good breeder without having built up a relationship beforehand.   The good breeders that I know are being swamped with requests from people who are deciding that lockdown is a good time to get a puppy .. and have not thought through whether they are in a position or have the ability to make a 15 year commitment to a dog.   

I know that you are not one of those people, as I remember your posts from August last year. so you've been thinking this through for a while.  Just warning you that the good breeders are getting rather swamped with emails and phone calls, so please don't be put off if you get a less than enthusiastic response to a puppy enquiry. 

It's great that your future dog will have lots of wonderful activities - but do remember that you need to consider a few things.   Your future dog will need to be about 12-15 months old before he/she will be physically mature enough to be able to join you in any serious hiking and especially biking - in fact for serious biking, you would want to wait till 18-24 months.   During that waiting time you will need to spend lots of time building up a great relationship with the pup, training for loose leash walking and general good behaviour, getting to know your pup and possible characteristics you nmight need to work on .. I'm thinking of things like herding dogs and moving animals, gundogs and birds etc.

so one of the things you might want to consider is whether you might be better off taking on an adult dog of a breed you're interested in.

In terms of breeds, the Brittanies I've known are delightful and great fun .. but not the easiest dogs in the world to train .. they take time and patience!   

Yep .. I fed Supercoat to several dogs for years with no apparent problems.  As @Rebanne says .. some cheap raw, and some veggies and fruit occasionally if he can manage, and the dog should be fine.

No direct experience, though a couple of dog world friends have epi dogs … they have been able to find a combo of meds which have seemed to give the dog very long periods seizure free … but it seems to be a matter of chance as much as anything whether a combo of meds can be found which can give continued quality of life.   And although, I have had to make decisions about a few dogs, thankfully, none have been in this situation ..but truly, I think the possibility of long term quality of life for the dog has to be a very strong determining factor in whether to PTS.   I feel so sad for you being faced with this tough decision, but a decision made with the best interests of the dog in mind can't be the wrong decision, IMHO.

So very sorry that you had to  farewell her.   Dear little thing .. she certainly landed on her four little feet when she became you foster fail.  No-one could have given her more love and care.  Take good care of yourself.    And thank you for sharing your precious little girl with us.

Good for you for being open and responsible.  No specific advice, but this reminded me of when I was getting my previous girl .. born before there was a DNA test for Collie Eye Anomaly.   Affected pups were only discovered at a 6 week check with a vet ophthalmologist.   I knew that CEA was a possibility as her grandsire was a carrier, so her dam could have been, although the breeder had tried hard to find a non-carrier sire, but since she was not going to be for breeding, just for performance, that was not an issue for me.    So I got a phone call from the breeder after the pups had had their 6 week check, and 'my' pup (2nd pick .. breeder was going to keep the pick) was CEA affected.   The breeder said it would be completely understood if I didn't want to take her, but that she had arranged that the ophthalmologist was happy to talk to me on the phone if I wanted to call him .. I was in another State.    So I did call the specialist and had a really good chat with him .. he was particularly concerned that I wouldn't be wanting to breed with her .. I wasn't!  ,,, but he felt that she would be fine for obedience and agility.    So I went ahead with the purchase, and had my lovely girl for the next 15 and a quarter years and had heaps of fun with her.   She saw the specialist once a year for 4 years, just to make sure all was going normally … and I'm happy to say that her blood sample may well have made a contribution to the discovery of the gene responsible for the defect, and the DNA test which now ensures that with responsible breeding, there are no more affected dogs.   The whole process was so open and pleasant, with full disclosure and discussion.  I was absolutely happy to pay the full price .. but her lovely breeder discounted the price because she wasn't able to deliver the perfect puppy she had been hoping to send.

So on the basis of that experience, I'd say that full and open disclosure and discussion of options before completion of the purchase is really important.   I wish you and the puppy all the best.

16 hours ago, Stitch said:

Thank you both for your replies.  I will sign up for the Home School program.  It sounds great!

Physical activity presses all my dogs buttons.  His brain leaves his body and he is very easily distracted.

I hear you!!   My cray cray girl goes completely OTT even now, so we have to take time to do the settling .. and the focus, and then when she starts "working" she can't help barking for the first few minutes.  If it gets extreme, I fold my arms and turn my back on her .. and if necessary , move away from whatever it is we're working on.  That usually helps her to get her act together, because she really does want to do things.   She's calmest of all when she's tracking (trained and handled by a friend … hmmm .. maybe that's part of it .. but I think Pippa has also worked out that if she's barking and dong cray cray she can't get the tracking right, and she does have a strong work ethic.   Even tracking, it all happens fairly fast .. but she has also over many short practice tracks, learnt to be calmer and concentrate.  She's being trained footstep tracking method, and has been built up in small increments over the years.

In addition to the great advice above .. you might want to have a look  at Susan Garret's current free course  Home School the Dog  . …   I think it's still open.

https://dogsthat.com/home-school/

I find with my delightfully crazy BC that food rather than toys are a little dampening … And if as she frequently does, she goes OTT with some agility exercises .. we have time outs - which might be just me turning my back, or going a little distance away to sit in a chair..   I also find that the Susan Garrett game of 'verbal fun' .. quick responses to simple positional cues .. usually sit, drop, stand, walk back, …. whatever the dog knows .. that seems to refocus their minds a bit.