saradale

In this photo you can see the black/white pup has very red extremities. Pup had been drinking well from birth, so I don't think that a lack of lactose or low blood sugar.

In this photo, you can see the off side rear paw has turned black and is effectively dead. Pup was still drinking well and was looking good, but was unfortunately pts shortly after.

Saradale, did this pups extremities remaining darker while it's litter mates "pinked up'?

Did the vet make any comment about a diagnosis of your pups condition/ i.e. it foot, circulation?

Yes, that is correct. Both pups were born with the same extreme redness. after 12hrs, the blue pup had gone from redness to more of a healthy pink colour, while the black pup took longer to start looking "normal", but by this time, the damage had already been done in one paw.

The vet only commented that because they were born premature, the blood was not circulating to their extremities efficiently. The only advice that she could give at the time was to keep them extra warm and well fed so their little bodies could focus on growing stronger.

Poor baby.

So, I'm wondering then if the "reddness" is normal and that it pinks up naturally, but your poor little one had an additional complication due to it's prematurity?

Maybe this "phenonomen" should join the "wives tales" thread.

The extreme redness displayed by this litter is by no means the norm for what I have experienced with past litters. All of my past litters have been a nice healthy pinky colour from birth.

It really is amazing the number of things that can go wrong during pregnancy/whelping!!

In this photo you can see the black/white pup has very red extremities. Pup had been drinking well from birth, so I don't think that a lack of lactose or low blood sugar.

In this photo, you can see the off side rear paw has turned black and is effectively dead. Pup was still drinking well and was looking good, but was unfortunately pts shortly after.

Saradale, did this pups extremities remaining darker while it's litter mates "pinked up'?

Did the vet make any comment about a diagnosis of your pups condition/ i.e. it foot, circulation?

Yes, that is correct. Both pups were born with the same extreme redness. after 12hrs, the blue pup had gone from redness to more of a healthy pink colour, while the black pup took longer to start looking "normal", but by this time, the damage had already been done in one paw.

The vet only commented that because they were born premature, the blood was not circulating to their extremities efficiently. The only advice that she could give at the time was to keep them extra warm and well fed so their little bodies could focus on growing stronger.

In this photo you can see the black/white pup has very red extremities. Pup had been drinking well from birth, so I don't think that a lack of lactose or low blood sugar.

In this photo, you can see the off side rear paw has turned black and is effectively dead. Pup was still drinking well and was looking good, but was unfortunately pts shortly after.

I had a small litter born a couple of days premature earlier this year. Both pups had very red extremities, vet said it was due to their vital organs being slightly underdeveloped and not getting blood pumped effectively to their paws, tip of tail, etc. One pup came good after 12hrs, the other was looking much better except for one paw which went redder, then purple and got blood blisters on the paw and the paw literally died. Pup was put to sleep at 24hrs old.

Will see if I can find a pic... I know I have a couple.

saradale, how is your puppy?

Puppy is doing very well. Is on a mild antibiotic and sores appear to be clearing up. Vet was not 100% sure of diagnosis, but we did not do bloods or anything at this point. We didn't want to put the little guy through too much stress at such a vulnerable age, but if antibiotics didn't work, we would look at next port of call.

Hopefully he is on the mend and we won't need to address this issue again!

Thanks for all advice. :)

5day old pup has sores or ulcers under his tail and on his belly. He is a big healthy looking boy who is feeding well.

Any ideas what could be causing this? He, nor mum have fleas, etc. Any recommended treatments before going to the vet for antibiotics?

I will suggest as always people that are really interested in the way the breeder evolved read "the genetic history of the German Shepherd dog". Its a bit technical in some parts but what makes it interesting is it actually shows the development of the breed properly. They also do a brief on a few countries including Australia.

I found it interesting how they showed what features were selected. Why some looks were bred away from and why some lines died out. If you do your research you will find a variety of dogs in all shapes and colours existed then and now. All were GSDs. The question is why one kind has been favoured by breeders.

Today there are still a number of varieties. There are also always differences in shape and structure in every single litter. Its what the breeder does with it.

IMO what is important is a breeder that is not totally focussed on one type but an overall health. Selecting a GSD as a pet today based on nothing but looks is no better than those that choose any extreme look. There are so many aspects to the breed. Again I strongly recommend that book to anyone who wants to really know. I couldnt possibly some up all those years and dogs in a post or point to any particular turning point.

Good informative post!!

Multi-dog household here. All same breed, roughly same age group 3-7yrs, none have any special care requirements, so all follow the same household rules.

All are crate trained, so makes it easier for individual training sessions and exercise time. Some go to training once a weeks, others twice a week. Generally they take it in turns to spend weekends away, if I'm going to visit parents, etc.

All eat together and are all told to sit and wait while dishes are put in front of them. They then get the "ok" to eat. Once have finished, they go back into sit & wait until all are finished, then bowls are collected. No one sniffs others bowls to try to get left overs. Same goes with treats/bones, etc. Definately no stealing allowed.

There is a lady at my agility club who has a deaf JRT. She has put alot of work into her and always has the dogs focus. She works great to hand signals... she just has to make sure that she always positions herself where the dog can see her on the course. It's a pleasant change to see her on the course, as other owners are barking commands at their dogs around the course, these two are so quiet and peaceful out there.

Can't help but notice people think it is a no no to charge more for pups of a popular colour, or for particular gender. There is nothing wrong with this. If the demand is there. I waited nearly 10 years to get my first red Boxer in a litter from my lines. Finally I had both a red male and a female, the male I had a home lined up and sold the same price as my brindles. The female I kept. You have no idea the number of calls of people insisting they wanted those pups, that they would pay more etc etc. They really tried to twist my arm. I did not budge.

But had I not planned to keep the bitch and if the red male had not had a home lined up already..there would have been nothing wrong with a higher price either.

Just my thoughts on this matter. Supply and demand drives it. Sorry to sidetrack.

The problem with this (in my breed anyways) is there are breeders cropping up everywhere who are breeding solely for these fad colours so they can cash in on them and unfortunately are not taking much else into consideration. Some of these breeders are advertising these colours as "rare" and are making a point of breeding for colours that are not in the ANKC standard.

So in the overall picture, they are not doing the breed any favours by producing inferiour dogs and selling to unsuspecting buyers.

In regards to the original post, RE: $1800 Wheathen/white BC. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the inflated price was to cover the vet bills that this pup would already have accumulated due to the bout of Pavo.

I was taken for a ride when I purchased my first "show potential" pup. I was young and obviously uneducated, as I thought all registered breeders were good. I was promised the world with this dog... would title in no time at all and would then go on to be a great sire, producing exceptional puppies, etc.

Needless to say, this dog was desexed just after 12mths. I didn't even both showing him after getting a few judges/ other breeders to critique him, no puppies carrying on his not so desirable traits... thankfully.

He does however have an awesome temperament for his breed and has gone on to become a Delta Therapy Dog and title in obedience and frisbee. So yes, I got my monies worth in other areas, but not in the area I initially purchased him for. I do love my lanky, leggy boy!!

What breed are you looking for Saradale?

I have border collies. And as is happens, the best dog from this particular litter is coloured, and are from bloodlines I've been trying to get hold of for ages. I unfortunately have a gut feeling that the colour is influencing the inflated price as well as the fact it is MR.

My main register pups are free - they must be/are co-owned.

What are the conditions of your co-owned pups (in brief)??

Is this for the life of the dog, or does ownership transfer to new owner after you have a litter or two, etc.

Hi there, I was just wondering the general opinion on pricing of puppies... main vs limited register... and whether you charge more.

As a breeder, I'm on the search for a Main Reg pup and have so far been quoted up to 50% more to have a pup on Main Register.

Actually, sadly I have heard from a number of people that they believe the red/wheaten BCs are more suitable to be pet dogs rather than working dogs???

Someone obviously forgot to tell my red/white boy this at birth...

The mind boggles

I just "liked"... only 4 more to go now!!

The problem is for people like me, that we have no real idea of what is really good and what isnt (who the decent/ethical breeders are). I would have thought that breeders registered on here would all have been decent, though Ive now discovered that isnt the case. Such a minefield!!

Cheers

I find that it all depends on what you want your new dog for. If its for showing, go check out some shows in your local area and meet some breeders and ask questions. See what dogs are being awarded titles and challenges, etc, and go from there.

If your after a sporting dog, do the same. Go check out agility and obedience trials. Talk to owners, ask who the breeder of their dog is and all questions you can think of. See what dogs are performing well and have the "temperament" that you'd like for your next dog.

If your just after a nice dog for pet/companion, seek a breeder who has done all relevent health tests, hip/eblow score, can answere all questions you have and show you any necessary paperwork for parentage tests, etc. Ask what they charge for a black/white pup and then what they charge for different coloured pups. If these prices differ in any way, I wouldn't be purchasing a dog from them. I can understand breeders asking different prices for Limited Register pups vs Main Register pups. But having said that, at the end of the day, all pups in the one litter cost the same to rear to a saleable age (with exception give to any individual pup requiring vet treatment, etc), so is each individuals perogitive.

Playing hide and seek with toys around the house keeps them amused for ages. Start by putting the toy somewhere they can see it and gradually make it harder for them, so they really have to use their brain and nose to find it. You can then go on to giving different toys different names, and making them find a particular item. I've taught my guys to bring me the tv remote and my slippers so far. OH of course wants to teach them to fetch him a beer!! Good luck to him I say! :D

It's horrible to say, but its these people that you wish have every problem under the sun when they do eventually breed their "lovely dog" and end up that out of pocket they would never ever consider breeding again, but as murphys law has it, these are generally the ones who have a text book mating and whelping and do make a couple of bucks out of it.

Maybe I'm just getting cynical.

Not sure if realistic looking plastic snakes will help along the beams. They seems to work for my peewee problem.

Hi everyone,

As stated, a friend is needing to transport a dog from Sydney to Nth QLD and has asked for my assistance. Initially this was not going to an issue, as the previous owner of the dog was going to be flying north, so the dog could travel as "excess baggage". Unfortunately this is no longer the case and now the dog will need to fly unaccompanied as "freight". As the dog is 22kg, this is quoted to cost $350-400. This is not a fee that my friend had budgeted into the purchasing price.

So, if anyone is flying north to either Mackay, Proserpine or Townsville from Sydney during April and can help out, this would be greatly appreciated.

You will not require any contact with the dog, as the previous owner will book it in at the frieght terminal in time for your flight, and I'll be picking the dog up at the other end. All fees will be taken care of by the new owner. I'd greatly appreciate any assistance. Thank you.

BC's do have a tendancy to get fixated on moving objects. It may be the case that he sees an insect, etc. and is pacing/following its every move.

A friend also had this issue. The insects were usually that microscopic to us that noone could see what she was looking at, but she would litterally do backflips when she got in "the zone". Short training sessions at this point were the methods used to get her attention and focus it elsewhere. But definately don't allow the behaviour to continue.

Do you own the house or are renting?? It may be an extreme measure, but better than rehoming Hector, you could all move together.

There is much truth in there.

Thing is we have become a society that likes rules. We like being told what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how often to do it, not to do it.

There is no room left for individuality, being accentric, doing your own thing or sheer common sense.

We must have black & white rules for everything.

Everyone else must agree with our way of doing things.

We must all be the same kind of normal.

I think this sums up and equates for alot!!