alpha bet

Looks like I differ from many here. Our dogs don't live up in the pens they live around the house with us. However I only have 3-4 dogs of my own at any time also I have less than one litter a year, so for us it is a fun time for the family. Pups live in our family room from the time they are born. They have contact with people, cats, our other dogs and visitors. In fact the two bitches played tag team in caring for my last litter. Now the younger bitch has just had her first litter a few days ago and has taken everything in her stride. Right from birth pups are cuddled by all our kids (teenagers) and friends. I know there is a risk of infection but the benefit to the pups is more important to me. Have raised 15 litters in the last 25 years and only had one bitch who i separated when people came to look at pups. She was a bitch who was out on breeders terms and she was too excitable around people. Otherwise all the bitches have been happy to be introduced to the people and have their babies handled. Personally I don't breed with a bitch that hasnt had loads of socialising and can handle the activity. Also prefer to leave bitches until 2 years of age before i mate them so they have the maturity. Would love to hear if others out there follow a similar pattern.

Have had litters of aussie shepherds microchipped at just over 6 weeks, no problem......

Babies born - bang on schedule - 13th feb - Although half of them were actually born on valentines day...... not sure what date I should use...... 6 black tri boys and 1 black tri girl Mum and kids doing well.

met lots of different 'doodles'....... great mix of personalities just like with many of the purebreds...... great to see all types in classes....... they can all have fun

Very doubtful if the comercial breeders group would have the funds to donate but no as far as Im aware there is no pledge coming from them. DOGS NSW banner is on the LIDA website and they have pledged 30,000. I hope they have left it open enough to be able to withdraw their offer if it isnt in our best interests for it to proceed without ammendment. If they go ahead and donate as it stands now Im going to be a very unhappy dogs NSW member. What do you mean the puppy group wouldn't have the funds.........Didn't the labradoodle breeder at the conference on wednesday proudly state that she had bred some 3000 puppies over the last 10 years...... Assume that for the first few years or so she was breeding on a low key experimental basis, there is every possibility she has bred somewhere between 350-400 puppies in the last 12 months...... and selling at the $1,000+ price gives her an income of close to $400,000 for the last year.... and that is just one breeder! If this is the case then surely her association should be pressured to contribute some cash to any research...... hmmmmmm perhaps I should go out and start a puppy farm.....!

Currently sitting here at 10.30 on a Saturday night watching a maiden bitch pace around in the first thros of labour. Guess I wont be getting much sleep tonight. this is one of the usual things to expect if you decide to get into breeding. When I was first thinking of getting a litter out of my first bitch (GSD) way back in the early 80's, a breeder friend gave me a book to read - she said if i was still keen after reading this then to go for it. Title : The mating and whelping of Dogs Cant remember the name of the author, but it was a very old book that related to personal statistics and stories that the author had collected from many breeders. I think it was an english author. Gave lots of stories of things that could go wrong and certainly didn't sugarcoat the experience. I was 21yo and really glad I read it as it did prepare me for the experience. Have lent the book to many people over the years who had been thinking of breeding and along the way I have lost track of who borrowed it - if anyone here knows the author could you please let me know as I would love to chase up a copy for my library.

We always give the first vaccination around 6-7 weeks this allows the vaccine to take effect before pups go home around 8-9 weeks. The next vaccination is due about 16 weeks and then at 14 months. The new recommendations mean then the dog can go thru till they are 4 years. Remember if the pups mum is vaccinated pups do get some immunity from her.

I have an aussie that is 12 months old and he has dew claws on the back feet. He was the only one in the litter with them and we didnt even really notice until he was a week old and it was too late to nip them off. If he needs any vet stuff later he will have them taken off then. JRT are usually born with dew claws and occassionally i have seen GSD's with them. They are often not much of a problem but it is often best to get rid of them especially in some of the working breeds.

Also one of the Monks of Skete will be there - Havent really heard much about them except that they are Breeders and Trainers of GSD who follow some more 'spiritual' style of training. This could also create some interesting conversations.

Have seen bits and pieces of the video, but nothing like having first hand chat.

What do you do if you find that this is not the case? ie that the dog does not improve or shows no sign of considering other options? Sometimes it can mean you may have to look at ways to manage (live) with the situation. This is a very individual thing as it runs case to case. For some people it is a case of building a pen to have a place where they can leave the dog safely when not supervised. For some it may mean rehoming with people who can deal with the issues. In some extreme cases it may mean putting a dog down. One thing that needs to be remembered is that often there is confusion as to what is aggression and what is social conflict..... If unsure you need to consult with someone with experience in this field. I have become more and more convinced that developing good social skills for dogs is crucial for the development of good family pets - even to the point that I am attending a seminar in the USA in March. One of the key speakers is Sue Sternberg who has worked for decades on the rehoming assessments. Should make some interesting discussions....

I would question whether you need to do anything.... I have had a couple of my own dogs who have developed heart murmurs later in life. They have continued on for years and never a problem. Have also had dogs with murmurs stay in the boarding kennels. The owners tell me how the dog normally reacts and then we set a plan from that. Often they will go out in the small shaded paddock with just a couple of old quiet dogs where they have a relaxed wander. Some were dogs with heart murmurs from young and even at 10 years still operate with no real problem. Perhaps just quieter. Unless there is a particular reason for a scan or an xray why bother putting the dog thru any pressure or for you to have any extra cost. Enjoy your dog, he is likely to continue on for years......

This is one of my favorite subjects, so just have to comment. Have dealt with many dogs over the last 15 years who show aggression to other dogs. In my case tho it is not to assess dogs for rehoming but more to work with the families who already have got their dog. Often the families get dogs (yes sometimes from shelters) and they have not been given much information about the dogs. Quite a few with strong reactions to other dogs and then families left trying to deal with a real handful. I have found that it seems to take about 3 months for a family and a rehomed dog to fully develop a their relationship. I love it when a family starts some social classes as soon as they get their new dog because it does seem to speed up the process as we can get some good habits started from the beginning. Personally I feel there is often a lot of emphasis placed by the refuge onto assessing the dog but then there is often not the experience of dealing and educating the families. In answer to your question : Many factors have to be taken into consideration however I am always happy to give dogs lots of opportunities to adjust. I don't expect instant acceptance but I do want to see a dog who is willing to consider different options. There are the rare case where I see people with dogs that have very little hope of improving, although it is not always the dog as the family has to be prepared to work for it. Usually by the third or fourth week we should start to see steps forward. Nothing excites me more than seeing an older worried dog learn how to play and the best reward is when you see the enthusiasm the family gets for their dog developing new abilities.

Ian Bidstrup is great, he also travels to Kilmore on a regular basis - much closer to you than wangaratta. Also in Michelham is George Schoefield - the original master of chiro work on dogs. Both are people I am very confident to recommend.

Well of course you can report it.... That can give council the ammunition to close the dog play zone..... Yet more places that our dogs will be restricted.

It is often the luck of the draw as to whether your house is in the region of a snake territory. Being near a creek is probably the worst problem. We visited the snake display at the Seymour Farming Festival with great interest and learnt a lot about the life of the snake. Snakes are territorial - many will kill and eat another snake in their area. The snake man told us that the red bellied black snake is considered a good neighbour as it particularly kills others but whose venom and bite is not of a high risk. Also remember some snakes are not at all poisonous..... just hard to tell which is which. We have boarding kennels and the dogs have access to paddocks for the whole day. Snakes also don't like ground vibrations and tend to avoid high traffic areas. We graze the horses around the paddocks regular as well as using the goats to keep the paddocks mowed down. Goats eat right along the fences and keep the line clear. As an added precaution we have placed avairy wire on the back perimiter fence and folded and pegged down to create a skirt. This is not going to guarantee snake proof but it will reduce the risk. As others have mentioned we keep lawns mowed and no stacks of firewood or piles of stones near house or kennels. Yet we still have a large garden with pea straw mulch and we also have water troughs in all paddocks. I also use the black ponds with a flat base for the dogs for wading pools and soaker hoses high on the fences and turn them on before feed time to mist out the kennels to cool on hot days. The kennels have been operating for 13 years and we have had dogs cats horses etc here for 25 years and (touchwood) not had a problem yet. Most people I know who have had repeat problems are near creeks or rivers. Running water seems to be the biggest problem. Dont loose the enjoyment of living in the country over the risk of snakes.

Perhaps the americans saying should now be Guns don't kill people - gundogs kill people !

Pet Insurance could end up being our worst enemy. Who has had their vet ask if they have insurance before they tell you how much they are charging?

There is nothing stopping you from applying for an ABN for a business. However if you wish to claim GST payable on expenses then you have to charge GST when you sell pups. You cannot claim the GST component of any expenses as a tax deduction, this comes of any GST you have collected. All breeders should keep expenses/income relating to any litters - as this will help should you be queried at any time. The idea of running a business is that you have an expectation of making a profit. With all business that would mean that you have a business plan showing a five year likelyhood where it can show a growth in business. Having one or perhaps two litters a year is not likely to be considered a business, unless the pups are considered to have an above market value. For Example: You may own a Thoroughbred mare and you breed it to a racing stallion each year, you run the foals on and sell them off for a basic fee (perhaps $5-10,000). This is not really considered a business, however should one of the foals grow up and win lots of races then the future offspring of your mare may fetch high price at the yearling sales $200,000 (not uncommon for a proven winning bloodline) Now the ATO would be likely to consider you are running the breeding as a business and therefore subject to tax.

Glad to see there are many here who support the work of the GSDC - often on topics here it seems people are quick to dismiss their work. The breed would not be where it is today without the schemes that the GSDC introduced. In 1979 I got my first shepherd thru the breed survey system - and it was the days not long after the ban was lifted where you could go to all breed shows and see pale gold shepherds that would be lovely coffee tables with big wide soft backs and yet go to a specialist show and find a totally different dog. They were the first breed association to introduce a breed survey system as well as tattoo id and temperament testing. They were the only breed club( in victoria at least) that provided a base for training in obedience, showing and demo. Whether you agree with them or not they are the ones who have set the way and many other breeds have followed their example. Back in the 80's it was common to see gsd's with HD now it is rare. In 30 years I have owned/trained and bred dogs and always thru the Survey System - (lucky to never have a dog with Hip Displasia or OCD). I have watched the breed club in vic grow and change over the years, always with the intention of improving the breed. Anyone who wishes to start out with the breed should join and work within the club as the help and advice is always there. Certainly the best place to start.

Like others here - for an animal photographer i would go for the photo card - perhaps just your Business name and phone number on front. Perhaps clean black and white details on reverse side. As a suggestion - your business name of Unleashed is great - perhaps a photo of a dog running full pelt stretched out would really set you apart from others - rather than just a cute dog head. Good luck with your venture

get one puppy - if you get two you will probably have double trouble. Seems fine at first because they are company for each other but by 6months of age you will be pulling your hair out unless you are both dedicated to working with them as individuals. wait till first dog is at least 18 months old before getting a second pup. Each puppy should have time and training given to them as an individual - more fun for you and more fun for the pup.

That wouldn't be so bad, IMO. I'd love it if kennels would see their way to accepting Titre tests as an alternative to mandatory annual vaccination. I accept titre tests at my kennel...... now that the AVA has accepted it.

Aussie Shepherds - half acre back yard as their space but they spend most of the day in and around with me. They also have at least a 10 acre paddock for a daily run down to the dam for a hoon. Seems like many of the people here are lucky to have acerage.... we get to excercise our dogs easily.

I had a Boaerboel in classes last year. Big boy, entire and aged about 12 months when he started. Lovely young dog with a very sweet nature. We were fairly careful about socialising him as he is entire and sooo big. We took time and he proved himself to be a good social dog who enjoyed playing with others. Fairly slow moving dog and did everything at one pace - slow - including the way he worked in class.