sheena

Thanks, that was what I was wanting to hear. Maybe if I take him to a really good groomer they could show me how. Thanks everyone else for your suggestions too. Rinsing him off after swimming in the family pool is not an option due to the fact that I would be rinsing him with water from the dam. Drying him off after every swim is not an option either. Stopping him from swimming altogether would be the only way but he loves it & it is good for him. A shame he has such a thick coat & just loves to roll around in the dirt after his swim unless I can get to him in time to lock him up. We have no grass at the moment, our lawn is just dirt, bark & leaves

Yes I have tried that, but it doesn't get the dags out

Cricket the border collie swims a lot, he also has a thick coat. I try to groom him once a week, but I find I can never get on top of the dreds around his back side. I have just spent an hour carefully cutting them out with the scissors, thinking all the time that when he stands up he is going to have a very untidy pair of pants, but surprisingly I cant notice where I have cut. Does anybody here actually clip around their border's rear end? I know it is wrong to clip their coat, but was wondering about maybe just clipping around his rear end & maybe his tummy. He is not a show dog, but I like him to look nice. Unfortunately as soon as he goes swimming again, he is going to look like a real dag

Oh dear, I must learn to read things properly LOL

Yes...I was thinking that too. I would think a good breeder would factor in having a litter & going on holidays. BOTH you would think would be planned well ahead. What is the breed of pup...someone said rottweiler but I couldn't find that reference.

If it were me I would just go for a drive & pick the pup up. Maybe the breeder could meet you half way. It is a 6 1/2 hour trip from Toowoomba. Drive down, stay overnight, pick up the pup & drive back to Toowoomba. What was the original plan for picking up the pup? You must have known that the breeder was in Quirindi.

OMG...... How beautiful...happy times ahead

That is what I use & do...works a treat & am very happy with it. I have tried one of the more expensive supermarket rolls but it was very jelly like & hard to handle

Nothing to add here, from one who has a crazy 10 month old BC pup...except that we need photos

Just curious why the ferminator is a no, no. Does it break the hair or something

I know this is an old thread, but was considering buying a ferminator for my border collies. I get the impression that people on here do not recommend them. Why is that ?? Are they much different to a Mars Coat comb

To stop the pees you could put a belly band on him. It worked wonders with my boy

Yes, there is a Bravecto spot-on that kills paralysis ticks for 6 months. I think it is new & I saw it at the vets when I was in last week. There is also one for cats

I saw it at the vets last week

I use monthly Nexgard but I crush it up & put it on their dinners

I go through heaps of treats, especially with a new puppy in training. I buy the Prime 100 rolls from the pet store & cut them into tiny pieces & store them in the freezer. The Salmon & the Roo are the favourites here and along with the chicken are the easiest to cut & handle. Some of the varieties are a bit crumbly but those three, especially the roo are good.

Yes, thanks everyone for your suggestions. I think I might just go & get one from America, at least then I know what I am buying...maybe I should buy two at the same time

I have had these for many years & they have been great. https://www.comfortflexharness.com/comfortflex-store But time has come to replace them. I am trying to avoid having to buy them from America & the Australian Company, Windchill, is closed till mid January. Does anybody know anyone else in Australia that stocks them or makes similar. They are such a great collar.

Just make sure your dog understands clicker training & what the clicker means. That link above will take you to lessons on how to clicker train. I clicker train all my dogs behaviours

It's great...I get my puppy music from Spotify & bluetooth it to a speaker just behind his crate

Get yourself a cheap whistle & when he is barking blow it hard. Make sure to blow it while he is barking not when he has stopped. You need to interrupt the barking behaviour. Works with my 8 month old

With my new pup who is now 8 months old, up until recently I would put soothing puppy music on for him which I get from Spotify. I also put a frozen Kong stuffed with frozen meat in his bed & generally by the time he has sucked the kong clean, he is asleep. He sleeps in a crate near my room but not in my room. He doesn't like going into the crate at night because he knows that it is bed time, like all young kids. But I now turn it into a game & sit quitely with him & play click & treat....he looks at the crate, I click & throw the treat near the crate & finally in the crate. Eventually he finds the kong & goes right in & I shut the door & put out the light. I don't hear from him till 6 in the morning.

25th September 2007 - 20th September 2019Today we said goodbye to our darling Bindi. She went downhill fast the last couple of days & it was discovered that she had a tumour on her heart & that was putting pressure on her breathing tube. Evidently this was also the likely cause of her sudden kidney disease.Bindi was our first agility dog & 10 years ago, to this date, she & I entered our very first trial (at Coffs Harbour). Virgin triallers the two of us & our first agility run resulted in a Q & third place. Neil Lester was the judge. She became known as "The Queen of Distance" & achieved her Open Agility title 5 times over. She was never a fast dog but hardly ever knocked a bar or missed a contact. She is now at the Rainbow Bridge with her favourite judge, Jody Brown. We learnt to dance together, she loved performing tricks & loved the clicker. She especially loved to show off her tricks for people & kids everywhere loved her. You may be gone, our lovely Miss Bindi girl, but we will never forget you & what you taught us. You will be in our hearts forever. Bojak Bindi Dreaming ADM JDX ADO5 JDO GDX SPDX SD & Australian Agility Dog Title. Just 5 days short of your 12th birthday.

I have just come home from the vets. Ultrasound shows fluid in the abdomen & lungs & a tumour on her heart which is pushing up onto her breathing tube. Only solution is open heart surgery & we are not going down that path...much as it breaks my heart. We have decided to give her her wings. The kidneys were the least of her worries

Thanks Deeds. Update: I didn't think she would make it through the night, but she did & this morning added diarrhea to her lists of woes. Vet said bring her in & dental will be cancelled. I put her on the scales & she had gained a kilo. In two weeks according to their scales, she had gained about 2 kilos even though I could tell she was fading away. Brought this to the attention of the vet. Hmmmm....distended abdomen, difficulty breathing, anemia. Ultrasound showed fluid in the abdomen, but not blood. Couldn't find any lumps but would not rule it out as she had so much fluid. Is having a chest xray this afternoon as she also has fluid in her lungs. So it is nothing to do with her kidneys. A sample of the fluid has been sent away for sampling. Fingers crossed it is from a bacterial infection & not something more sinister. She is a good girlie