alpha bet

Insurance can become a trap... we feel if we don't have it then life will collapse around our ears. Consider Life insurance... policies are actually marketed to us to make us feel it is important for the well being of our family, our children will suffer and our spouse will be exposed to unexplainable pressure.... so we spend $1,000's on the off chance that we will kick the bucket early.... yet many relationships only last 5-8 years... ending in a forced settlement and often the end of any commitment to our partners... who can then afford to continue paying into life insurance when they have to pay maintenance... all the previous insurance premium has gone down the drain.... Consider Funeral Insurance.... marketed to the over 50's with the guilt trip to say we should not leave our families with the burden of say $15,000 or even more.... truth be known we just arranged a funeral that cost $3,000 and we sent our dad off in a loving and friendly style..... yet another friends in-laws have spent over $20,000 over the last 5 years to prepay their death expenses.... just hope this company remains valid when the time comes. Consider Education Insurance.... same as the funeral system.... same as life insurance.... Yes there are some insurance we need... things that are immediate such as home insurance for fire, theft, damage.... also for TAC and car insurance to ensure that crashes are limited financial pain.... health insurance to help cover those emergencies of broken legs or cancers... Sometimes you have to draw the line.... it can be easy for a family to spend $10,000 per year for insurance... Car Insurance @ $1,000 each car + TAC at perhaps $400 each car... average family has spent $2,800 House and Contents Insurance @ $1,000 - $2,500 Hospital Medical Insurance for a family @ $3,800 (thats without dental) Mortgage Insurance @ $400 or even more The biggest issue with insurance is that we might not need it... and end up paying for those who do and worse still for those who lie and cheat to claim on this.... Even when we might find we need to claim, we can often be surprised to find what exactly is covered and what is not.... consider that you have a big policy on your house and it burns down... opps you didn't have clear site insurance.... so you loose $20,000 just to clear site so you can rebuild... Personally I draw the line at giving more money to Insurance Companies for pet insurance.... I AM NOT going to spend thousands of dollars on the off chance that I have emergency that I can't afford......and to feel that I can't afford because I have spent all my spare savings on insurance would really sh*&t me...

A secondary fence is ideal... this creates a buffer zone between the dogs... helps to remove much of the energy of the dogs.... If the dogs like to run up and down another thing to try is to make your inner fence irregular... A straight line gives the dogs a good flow up and down and they can just get into this random fence running whereas if you place some objects that they must move around this interrupts their pattern... ideally consider a couple of panels at right angles to the fence or a wading pool, even placing a couple of barrels so the dog has to manouver - you can also move these regularly so it doesn't become a habit.

I also believe that you can't teach a dog who is barking... When the mouth is going the brain is off..... (think of a dog barking, whinging, chewing.... they are off in la la land...) so the first thing you need to do is get the mouth to stop..... We create lots of short easy tricks to get a dog to focus... to build the dogs curiosity.... this stops the barking.... as the dog starts to pay attention and attempt small things they get reward and then a break... we continue this pattern by working on loads of 30 second objectives.... this then builds the dogs curiosity even more.... We don't use traditional obedience exercises SIT, DROP, STAY... these require the dog to stop moving which for active dogs can be very boring....instead we guide the dog into an activity say over a little jump... click... reward and to another activity.... say to jump onto a low platform... click and reward.... walk onto a small ramp.... click and reward.... around the witches hat... click and reward. If the dog starts barking we stop and ignore... however some dogs need to be told off for barking... It is still okay to say NO.... As the dog becomes more curious and interested in our games we can broaden the activities.... then we introduce the quieter and concentrated activity.... I do find the working fanatical type border collies more difficult however we do achieve good success...We work with many different breeds and we work mainly off lead in a group class and the dogs really develop more quickly in this type of environment.... Our latest trick we are adding is to get dogs on the skateboard... this was easy... however still working on getting the dogs to push themselves along... Let your imagination run wild and think outside the square....

It doesn't surprise me that the fees are jumping up... when you hear how some people are claiming many thousands of dollars for operations, sooner or later the insurance companies have to realise they are not going to make money unless everyone covers their dogs OR the people who choose cover pay a great deal OR they start to restrict what you can claim..... OR all of the above. I have four dogs... @ $500 each it would cost perhaps $2,000.... Each year I put this money in a savings account.... it becomes my emergency fund.... I pay the normal vet fees as they come along but this is for something out of the ordinary. If you put the $800 in the bank each year and continue the way you are you could achieve a good emergency within 3 years....

Many factors: Remember you have to consider what the objective of the cleaning is - tidy up, just a clean, prevent infection, sterilize......I own a boarding kennel, so would like to make a few points on this. When I had a large incubator for hatching eggs, a friend (degree in chemistry) lent me a book which was about cleaning chemicals and how to sanitise. This brought up some very interesting points. 1. Chemical products must be used at the dilutions as per manufacturer recommendation... over or under dilution can alter the way they works. 2. Using two different chemicals can counteract each other as they can have different bases. 3. Impossible to sterilise most normal environments as you have to remove all dirt first, including anything you are going to put into the room, books, beds, chairs, dogs. Often people think that they need to use chemicals to sanitise the area to prevent spread of infection or just to prevent contamination from one dog to another.... however consider this.... The most effective way to sterilise anything is to first clean to remove dirt, then wash with clear water to remove any residuals from the cleaner. The next step is to steam clean ideally with a temperature over about 70 degrees celcius. Hence this is impossible to do in a kennel environment.... dogs cannot be steam cleaned.... and even if you steam cleaned the floors and walls of the kennel the minute a person walks from outside to inside they bring micro organisms back into the kennel.... Also most of the infections we might be worried about are airborne... so a dog barks which can release bacteria into the air and spread..... There are also many issues with how the kennels are set out.... fully indoor facility such as some of the new ones we are starting to see which are build in industrial areas in a type of factory... or large sheds with indoor pens and some outside paddocks or ones who have each pen with indoor or outdoor... there are also some kennels that have outside pens with a small shed for shelter.... Different environments might need different approachs... good ventilation is important..... either natural or processed.... remember that air conditioning can pose problems especially if the unit isnt serviced properly or situated to even distribution... Washing also is another issue... as having dogs on a wet area can pose health problems. The more complicated the process the more issues that can develop.... and trying to make regulations just poses further problems. For the record.... generally we don't use chemicals (dogs have 1,000's more nose receptors than us so more issues for the smells) we might throw some soapy water on a dirty area and broom off but thats about it. We have an indoor area with painted concrete and outside sand - deciduous trees that shade in summer but allow sun in winter. Lots of natural ventalation but insulated roof and solid mud brick walls that remain at a comfortable temperature We use a blower to remove the dust and when needed we use a pressure wash to clean Dogs go out during the day to play into large paddocks, full of trees, grass, dirt and bathtubs with water that often gets dirty as dogs jump in and out... 20 years and we don't have issues with health, nor have we had kennel cough to this point.

We have our girl confirmed pregnant, due about the new year.... scan shows potentially 8-9 babies... even able to see their little heart beats which i am ashamed to admit that excited me more than when I had a scan for my own pregnancy.

When a dog is using his mouth the brain is turned off... (barking/mouthing/chewing/heavy panting) Perhaps some working dogs for guard work or the like is appropriate to have the bark although personally can't see what benefit it would possibly do except that everyone wanting to break in can hear the bloody dog.... (but then a siren would have the same effect)...but the manic barking that is often heard with agility, flyball is painful.... We work dogs quiet, get them thinking and concentrating on whatever the job at hand. Shut the dogs mouth and get his brain working....

BAD

We also don't register until 8-9 weeks... They have their vet check at this time and receive a microchip... then they stay here for 5-7 days before going to their homes... with puppy pack and a 5 generation pedigree and contract. Paperwork is into Dogs Vic once they have microchip and Dogs Vic take 2-3 weeks..... Pups are all registered and microchipping in my name and then papers sent off to owners... So perhaps a month before owners have their official papers. I have met some owners who still haven't got paperwork 12-15 months later.... shocking...

What type of venue do you need.... what facilities..... My training facility is located in Wandong..... Northern Suburbs - near the Hume Highway

Aziah, I agree with you... the new system for vaccination is to vaccinate the pups at about 8 weeks - so like you we vaccinate and microchip at 8 weeks and then I send off the papers for registration... which means pups go home without papers but I supply my own 5 generation Pedigree for the owners information. I usually have the official papers back from Dogs Vic by the time pups are about 12 weeks and then forward to the new homes. Even if you have to organise DNA this takes perhaps 3-4 weeks at most... therefore you could have the official paperwork to the new owners by about 16 weeks. It is a case of breeders getting their paperwork organised pronto.... and when you consider that most pedigree dogs are $1300 to $2000 it is well worth breeders making the effort. For a breeder not to supply papers for a 10 month old dog is disgraceful.... they should get a big slap on the wrist from the association.... No wonder there are members of the public who get frustrated with how hard it is to deal with breeders and end up with 'oodles' Breeders need to act more professionally.

Website is a tool.... a very useful tool.... I agree with the frustration of the Original Poster - if a breeder has a website they should keep it up to date... (at least up to date for the month or so). If they are not prepared to then delete any reference to website on Dogzonline or any other advertising.... It is not that difficult but there are many who seem to be just lazy about their sites. I have a complex site to advertise my business as well as the breeding - hosted by a commercial company that handles any bugs that come up... and costs only $395 per year and also allows me to have 5 emails under my web address which means if I want to move from Telstra I don't loose my email address. They also taught me how to manage the site and change and add info which is really cool. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives but often these are the problem as there is little if any help with issues... so often end up messy and slow. Websites are a great way to help the public learn more about the various breeds and also a great way to promote the ANKC system of pedigree dogs... It is important that the breeders get more website savvy to combate the commercial breeders dominating the market in the future. Have to say that the Dogs Vic website is shiiiite...

ANKC state clubs should treat this seriously... no one should be using their membership number (as a breeder or not a breeder) in any form of advertising unless they follow the code of ethics of the association.... The state clubs or the ANKC should be asking for a "please explain" as a bare minimum and also if happening on different occassions, they should be suspending membership....as well as name and shame.... What is the point in having the breed association if they don't enforce the guidelines. Dob the person in - as members we should all be pushing the state clubs to take action against "backyard breeders" - and having pups from registered parents and NOT registering the pups definately is a 'backyarder'.

Jemmy, I suspect that the premium increases are due to the fact that there has become a higher percentage of claims from people who own policies.... nothing really to do with breeds or whether xbreed.... There is also the possibility that there are medical procedures now more affordable for people as the majority of the expense is taken up by insurance... perhaps some of these procedures would not have been offered in the past as out of peoples pricing... after all to spend $7,000 to have both hips done is not something many would have paid for in the past.... but if up to 80% is paid by the insurance then this is a completely different matter.... consider how many years premiums would be needed to cover just this one dogs bills....... Vets are introducing new procedures which are more expensive... Personally, I have concerns that vets can be tempted to charge premium prices when they know that the insurance company can be bearing the brunt of the cost.... I predict we will see continual rises in costs as well as perhaps some breeds (and the cross breeds) being excluded - we are also likely to see exclusions from the insurances, for example some hip problems will be taken out of some if not all breeds..... Me, I put $1500 per year into my rainy day account instead of insurance for my dogs..... have had two overseas trips on that money.... still have $3,000 in my reserve.

Liz, we run puppy school up in Wandong... only 30 min up the road... but then we follow on with older classes as well which is useful for ongoing help and learning off leash skills.... you can check my website from profile.

We own a fencing company.... Sometimes from first look there can be no difference between two fencing products.... however there can be a huge difference in the quality of the posts and wire. There are different gage of wire.... and different thicknesses.... naturally the thicker means heavier as well. In our boarding kennels we use heavy guage wire in the enclosures but a lighter guage in the paddocks... We also have heavy pipe but that is because we have access to plenty of second hand posts that we have removed from sites and re-home in our paddocks. For personal use - you might find that it will not matter as your own dogs are less likely to damage the pens.... but take care if you are planning on looking after other dogs - we have difficulty with staffies as they will grab the wire and pull and pull - not uncommon for staffies to tear the fence..... My suggestion is to have a look at the panels personally... check the welds and see if they look clean - there is a lot of product coming in from China - quality control is really poor. farm gates particularly are so cheap these days but if a cow decides to rub its bottom on the gate just watch all the welds pop and often the frame can snap.....

From what you have said your Dog seems happy to have wet food... she eats bones.... therefore whats the problem ?.... perhaps she has more sense than most people and feels a more natural diet is what she wants instead of the highly processed food..... I don't care what your vet or others might say... dogs don't have to eat kibble....

Aleksandr, what is the breed you are bringing in....

Four.... But I work full time with dogs so I'm around 24/7 - we average three years between dogs so they are all at different stages of their life.... love having an old dog around and the mature dogs always seem to help teach the young one coming up..... also important that I can fit all in the car at once but also all of them get chances to spend one on one time... To me the ideal number is - whatever you have time for.

Sunny Sunday mornings take your dog to St Kilda walk along and visit the markets... many of the stall owners put out bowls for the dogs.... down to the beach for a swim and watch the sailing boats - if warm enoughhave kids go for a swim with the dogs.......... then one of the outside dog friendly cafe's

Might put pressure on the other vets clinics to be a little more cost conscious.... When you consider that most of the time a vaccination visit takes 5-8 minutes and they charge around $70. Bet the vaccination costs the clinic about $10. Not long ago I had a vet supply a cream for injury to a horses leg... cost $48 just for the cream... I went to the local chemist and brought EXACTLY the same cream for $7.50... complained to the vet and she just shrugged her shoulders...... however see her driving around in a brand Rangerover.... mmmm

Remember if you have a close look at VAN you will see it is oats (not wheat) as well as other legumes - the oats are also crushed and then the soaking creates a more readily edible food for the dogs.... It is not necessarily the grains but the dogs ability to process heavy grains. Wheat tends to be the more difficult of the grains..... When I was in the states at a conference we had the chance to chat with Wendy Volhard... she has also conducted huge amounts of research and developed her own feed regime... she and David Syme seem to have developed a very similar program independently.... I feel very confident that they have a good program and certainly my dogs and the litters I've raised on VAN are proof of the value of Van diet. I have access to good clean roo meat but find I often have to add more fats to some of the dogs to get some extra weight on.

From memory I think the breeder can change the registration from Limited to Mains but there is an age limit... for some reason I think it is 18 month or 2 years.

Surprised that there aren't more on here supporting the use of VAN Have been feeding this for the last two years and raised the last three litters totally on the VAN system... Did a cost comparison and it worked out the same as using commercial foods but had better coats and poos are much easier to collect.... also less farting... I recommend this to clients in dog class and to puppy buyers. This photo shows the condition of my boy and this is without any washing or brushing. Couldn't ask for better.

Yes I guess its another company looking at making some bucks of well intentioned pet owners... Don't you get sick of the marketing hype with things like this......