blacklabrador

I think Mason is broken!! A labrador that won't eat fud? Fourlegs is cooked and contains grains. It's not suitable as a diet. My dogs get it as a treat.

The bird one is good ILTBY. It's fine to have a period where your work doesn't inspire you - it's all part of the journey.

Wow - that doesn't look like the same dog! Out of interest was he de-sexed and at what age? He was a dog with elbow dysplasia so he was left entire so he could build up some muscle to support his elbows and shoulders - they were very wasted. It worked!!

This was him at 9 months. There was more of him at 12 months but not much! His head was beautiful but I just can't believe how fine it was compared to how big it ended up!

I did notice his back end looked a bit lighter than the front - maybe he needs some hill climbing to build up some muscles there? I think that's just his build - it's a common downfall in some labradors - In my opinion at least. I like a labrador with a decent amount of ass. It may build with time and maturity though.

I know what you mean, I feed Mason 1,5 cups of Holistic Select a day and a bit of mince, since this photo he has slimmed down a bit more , he seems to only lose on the back half though?? That's because the front part is his ribcage. He has a nice deep chest like a labrador should. He's only 11 months old and has a lot of filling out to do yet. Not fat, just substance - how much though, depends on his bloodlines. I saw this dog when I rehomed him at 12 months old... he was a skinny, ugly (but beautiful) long legged adolescent looking dog. I knew he had the potential to grow into something beautiful and fairly big. I next saw him a year later and didn't recognise him. This is him at three. If it wasn't for those eyes that I know so well, I wouldn't think it was the same dog. LOTS of substance and you can see that I am not talking about fat.

I think that is a bit of an unfair generalisation on vets - I am sure they can overlook breed when they are assessing the body weight of dogs. A well bred labrador is a heavily set dog with a barrel shaped ribcage (well sprung ribs - helps with buoyancy). This is not the same thing as being overweight. There are a lot of labradors out there who are overweight due to their owners indulging their love of food. If you are unsure about your lab then ask your vet. It is not possible to tell by hearing what her weight is. Her diet includes an incredibly high amount of grains and there's no way I'd see Pedigree dry food as a healthy option for a dog. It is so high in grains it makes them poo excessively. Dogs are not meant to eat large amounts of wheat/rice/corn that they fill those foods up with. In fact they aren't meant to eat any at all. If you want to get your dogs weight down then a raw diet is an easy way to do that. Dear Black Labrador Sounds like my black Labrador might me slightly overweight so i want to get her to loose some kilos before it too bad. She is 16months old and has not been spayed as i am planning to breed So I want to make some changes.What food and quantities would you suggest? I did try her on Advance large breed dog dry food only about 9 months ago and i always thought she was very hungry They had a special day to buy from Pet stock so i bought a big bag to try it out I have heard of kangaroo meat and carrot Hope to hear from you Diane Yep - you're right - it's good to get on top of it ASAP. If you look up "BARF" diets online there is heaps of information. It is the generally accepted term for "Bones And Raw Food" diet. You wouldn't have to do a full raw diet but certainly it sounds like she needs to cut down on all the processed stuff. Kangaroo Meat and carrot might be seen as a low fat diet for overweight dogs but it's not a balanced diet. Dogs digest meat best when it's still together with the bone, rather than meat on its own. The quantities are very individual to the dog and you need to keep assessing her every week to make sure she's in good condition. I feed almost exclusively raw to my labs and I have a pointer who gets three times the amount of bones that they get but he is so underweight that his hipbones just poke through (which I hate). So I feed him up on puppy kibble and other high fat processed foods. If I fed him the same amount that I feed the labs he would die from starvation. He costs me a bloody fortune that dog. :rolleyes: Good luck with your breeding endeavours - sounds like you are still in contact with the breeder which is good. Do you have a kennel name picked out yet?

I think that is a bit of an unfair generalisation on vets - I am sure they can overlook breed when they are assessing the body weight of dogs. A well bred labrador is a heavily set dog with a barrel shaped ribcage (well sprung ribs - helps with buoyancy). This is not the same thing as being overweight. There are a lot of labradors out there who are overweight due to their owners indulging their love of food. If you are unsure about your lab then ask your vet. It is not possible to tell by hearing what her weight is. Her diet includes an incredibly high amount of grains and there's no way I'd see Pedigree dry food as a healthy option for a dog. It is so high in grains it makes them poo excessively. Dogs are not meant to eat large amounts of wheat/rice/corn that they fill those foods up with. In fact they aren't meant to eat any at all. If you want to get your dogs weight down then a raw diet is an easy way to do that.

I guess it's about knowing your dog and how they might cope. The OP was actually generalising about dogs playing with other dogs, rather than the pros and cons of dog parks. So that would really include any kind of deliberate socialisation between your dog and another dog, whether known or not.

It depends if it is creating issues for you. Is letting your dog build a high value for other dogs impacting on your ability to proof them around other dogs in a training situation? (for example). As I said earlier, I would rather teach my dog straight off the bat that other dogs are nothing to get too excited over rather than teach them that they are super exciting and then have to spend a lot of time training them not to think that down the track. It won't be a problem for some people of course but it is a common problem faced by dog owners at my obedience club. Having a dog who will have lasting behaviourial issues for the rest of his life because I thought letting him run with strange dogs at the dog park and allowing him to learn how to "manage" them and himself was the right thing to do, I will have to respectfully disagree with you on the above I will never take a puppy to a dog park for a free for all ever again. When I have a puppy or young dog again I will do what I did with Daisy and set up play dates with dogs I know are friendly and well balanced. They might not be strange dogs for me, but they will be dogs my pup/dog hasn't met before. I don't think a pup/young dog needs to meet dozens upon dozens of strange dogs to have a stable and balanced view of other dogs and to be able to interact with them appropriately. The last thing I would do with a timid dog would be to take them to a dog park that was full of dogs I didn't know - way too much of a risk for me, but then again, I have seen what can happen when it all goes wrong. How do you know what he would have been like if you hadn't socialised him? Some dogs get attacked at the dog park, learn a lesson about socialisation ie being a bit more wary, and bounce back to be beautifully socialised dogs. I know T bone had to be nipped and be told off severely quite a few times before he learnt better manners. It never affected his confidence and temperament though - but that's just typical of the breed if you care to generalise. If I had a dog that I thought would be forever scared by anything less less than a severe attack then I wouldn't take them to the dog park. I know my dogs and know that I have no more to fear than anybody else who enters a dog park (there are always going to be risks). My dogs are friendly and the boys actively avoid conflict, Poppy is a little tough nut who will run towards a fight but won't pick one. In my experience dogs value other dogs less as they mature. It doesn't cause problems for me, except I'd like to have better control over their excitement between when I get them out of the car and when we get to the gate. Play dates are fair enough if that's what you're wanting to do. Personally I don't find it convenient or available enough to do frequently. We have a great mix of dogs at the dog park who are there any afternoon we want.

But if they have a good time with other dogs, they are trustworthy and enjoy the experience then why is there the need to even question the practice? Meeting strange dogs at the park is very important for young dogs. You can't protect them from strange dogs their whole life (unless they just never leave the property) and they will encounter them on lead in various situations so isn't it better to have a dog who knows how to cope in situations with strange dogs? If they only hang around the dogs they live with then they dont' get to experience the broad range of body language that different dogs might show, or the different ways that different dogs will react to them. My pointer is a bit timid but he's learnt, through regular visits to the dog park, to manage himself there. He used to spend the first ten minutes having a quiet freak out but now he's fine. He's always been keen to go but was obviously overwhelmed initially. He has no difficulty socialising with my dogs in my backyard but I want for him to have social confidence in situations with strange dogs. He is very gentle and mostly plays chasing games, unless he meets another labrador and then you see the whole "I know how to play with that one!!" kind of confidence. Otherwise he would be a basket case when I took him out to a dog show or a trial etc. I really don't care if other people want their dogs to socialise or not. My dogs love it, I love going to the park with them, I believe it benefits them because they seriously love it and it tires them out. So we shall continue. If they were happier hanging out in the backyard then I'd leave them there.

If you saw dogs who enjoy socialising you wouldn't have to ask the question. I am not fixated on having my dogs play with other dogs but when they do they have an absolute ball so why would I want to withhold this experience? I am interested in providing my dogs with an enjoyable and stimulating life and part of that involves trips to the puppy park which are anticipated with pure joy by my dogs.

So sorry J. He sounds like a little character.

So sorry BB. She was a beautiful girl.

Another good topical reliever is using oats in a sock or stocking and dabbing it on wet. When you wet it the water that gets squeezed out is milky and brilliant for soothing itches. Like the oatmeal in Alloveen and other products but you don't have to wash her several times a day to get the benefits. Hang the stocking up to dry and just re-wet it when you want to use it. It won't cure anything but it may help ease her discomfort. Fish oils also help reduce inflammation - I would add some capsules to her diet.

Ewww do we need to give it a wipe down Leeshy?

Actually no you haven't. What are you saying? I think this is the same as ours.

Reflux won't show up in blood tests as it is a mechanical issue with the stomach. It is normal to have some reflux transiently, particularly when there has been a lot of digestive upset. I would be feeding bland foods and supplementing with a course of probiotics for a while.

The Canon 100mm is good. I think they are around 1K (I'm not sure what "reasonable" is for you as everybody is different). OH has this lens and I just love it. He uses it for taking pictures of skin cancers up close so I only get to use it on the weekends. Leeshy has borrowed it a few times and would be able to give you a better critique of it's quality and ability than I would.

I second changing the diet and getting rid of grains. I don't know what is in Artemis but removing wheat/gluten may not be enough. Corn and Rice ferment in your dog's gut and grow yeast (candida) too. I'd try a completely raw diet for a couple of months and supplement the dog with probiotics to get the gut back to normal balance.

That is so true. The better the relationship you have with Berner breeders around the place the more likely you are to be offered something of real quality when the time comes. It can be difficult for breeders to trust somebody they haven't known for long, so the longer you've shown commitment, the better!

I think Kitkat mentioned that there is no club in Qld. There is much to be learnt by enquiring and watching and listening, even if you don't get a dog from one of the people you hang out with. I think it's in a dog owners best interest to know as much as they can about the breed. Five years sounds like an excellent amount of research time - far more than most would do but if the interest is there, why not?

Can you take your dog to the park a few times per week? I really think that dogs need to run as well as being walked. I know my dogs use the yard for running and silly games/zoomies etc.

I think that is far too small for a big dog. It will also turn to mush because the grass won't grow with him peeing and pooing on it. Mud pit/dust bowl doesn't sound like too much fun with a white fluffy dog. If it's paved then I think that's pretty horrible too. Plenty of people do raise their dogs in tiny spaces like this though - I guess it depends on the temperament of your boy as to how he copes. I don't know anything about typical Samoyed nature so I'll leave that to somebody else.

I don't think it's too early to make yourself known to a few breeders. Take a day trip to a show where some might be being shown and make plans with a breeder to meet up. I think they are just beautiful but I heard that they are quite short lived? Is this true?