Dewclaws

I was reading through the information written in the cairn terrier breed information on dogz online . ' not a man made breed ' is in the first sentence of the breeds history . I am trying to figure out if I agree with that statement or not . I own two cairn terriers so I am familiar with the breed ( have owned 4 in total ) they are deffinetly a very natural looking dog, their coat is completely suitable for their original climate . But I think Charles Darwin would flip in his grave in the assertion they naturally evolved . Humans would have culled overly aggressive dogs . Would have culled ( or not fed ) lazy dogs no willing to hunt the vermin down . Would have favoured and sheltered dogs that were good hunters and particularly friendly . Would have gifted pups from those dogs to friends and relatives thus sharing positive attributes . On and on it would have went until you have the little friendly fearsome hunter we have today . So trying to figure out what the writer of that statement actually meant? Sure more modern breeds in the last couple of centuries have had more concentrated selective breeding , with crossing of already established breeds to enhance it ( Australian terrier for example ) but ' natural evolution ' I feel is things like climate and food sources with no intelligent design and the survival of the fittest . What do you think ?

Yeah it was probably was a automated letter, but surely if they are going to be a professional practice with personalised care they could have a system in which they actually listen to me and do the automated letter sent out at 12 months when I said I would consider desexing . Some hairdressers even send out reminders to get your hair cut in a time frame suitable for your hair style and colour . If a hairdresser can personalised care surely a vet practice can ? If vets want to build a good relationship with clients and their pets then listen to us .

I think this just annoys me because while we were talking she was typing away in his medical history . Surely she could have made a note that I was not desexing at 4 months . If they can make a note to send a reminder surely they can tick a box not to send a reminder . I find it insulting in that she was thinking blah blah blah blah send a reminder anyway . We are not all ignorant , we can make informed choices . There are many highly qualified vets out there who are against routine desexing .

So I get a reminder letter by the vet saying to bring in my 4 month Labrador puppy to be desexed . Last time I clearly told her that I would prefer him to mature first , and perhaps desex between 12- 18 months ( if I feel he needs it ) . Of course she scoffed at my reasons and said he perfectly fine to desex at 16 wks with his c5 vax. And I said I have read research that it might be better for bone growth to finish and him to be mentally more mature and once again scoffed at it . Now I know there is big debate on it . Many vets say sooner the better , others trying for a more conservative approach , others who are advising against desexing full stop and recommending vasectomy or hormone treatment . I though I was doing a more conservative approach , probably will desex but no rush ( especially in a male dog ) . Yet for her to ignore all that and send reminder letter anyway is insulting . I am not a sheep , I will not follow the flock mindlessly . There is a couple of other good vets in the area . I know were my business is going now . Anyone come across this bull headed approach to animal health care in vets ? It's like the god complex on steroids , there should be room for opinions in it without being ignored .

Personally I hate it . Can get incredibly smelly and very hot in summer . Plus if you have a dog who digs . or chews then it can get destroyed very easy . Our backyard is similar to yours , vey much in shade so grass never grows well and turns in to a mud pit after rain . So we are currently in the process of removing all lawn and going to replace it with fine gravel , plus have raised garden beds . It the raised garden beds we will plant native grasses and plants to keep in low up keep .

Just buy a cheap collar to begin with . They grow so fast that you don't need to invest in anything to fancy in the early months . Try to train pup to walk loose on a basic lead . Harnesses are not needed unless your dog needs better control . Then a head harness is better , Buy a good quality feed and water bowls and heaps of chewing toys . Puppy proof your house and give a good hard look at your yard and see if it's totally secure . If your planning on crate training buy a crate in a adult size . Also decide if you going to have a doggy door , I love Doggy doors , my 16 wk old lab is totally toilet trained by using a doggy door Good luck!.

Wow look at the size of those paws ! I though my labs were big lol. Love a big chunky rottie.

Thanks . Will be another 2 or 3 years before I seriously think of a new pup ( I only do one pup at a time ) but will look it at going to some shows to get a feel about them . My Labrador is only 16 weeks but he has fit in so well and is the most wonderful dog that I gave really fallen for retrievers . I have owned only terriers for the last 20 years so these lovely biddable natures has completely sucked me in . A flat coat might just be different enough yet similar to be perfect .

Reading up on the history they say they have similar origins to labs but crossed with setters .i can kinda see the setter look . There seems to be three well established breeders in vic . I waited 5 years for the right time for a Labrador so waiting doesn't bother me . I like bonkers lol . My whole family is already bonkers with 4 kids, three dogs,cats, birds and fish . I love wiggly bums and sloppy kisses . Might be a match made in heaven ! Is there many entrants in shows ? Might go to the royal this year on the day their being shown to meet some in the flesh .

Great to hear . I currently own a lab puppy ( who I adore ) and thinking of my next dog down the track . I want something similar to a lab but a bit different . Flat coats look so elegant and handsome . They seem slightly finer boned from the photos . Not many breeders in Australia though .

Hi just wondering if a flat coated retriever is much different to a Labrador in temperament , intelligence and activity levels . Thanks .

I know you don't sell live animals but how about a section dedicated to rescues ? Perhaps a notice board with rescue profiles on it or perhaps invite some fosters in the area for ' open day ' when they can bring dogs (and extroverted cats ) in for a couple of hours to meet people and such . Might not bring in direct extra income but extra people coming in to view the dogs might bring business with them . Perhaps on the week ends it can be done ? Might be good place for dogs to meet potential new adopted dogs in neutral ground as well .

Maltese used to be so popular in our area . We owned two we got in the mid 90 s , one from a breeder and a rescue who was bonkers . So sad that they are so hard to get now ...... You would find getting a Maltese x poodle easier ( not that I recommending that ) How about a Bichon? I hear they are very similar in personality ,probably a bit more trainable than a Maltese which can only be a good thing for the purpose you want pup for .

Ok I think I can stop panicking.. This the pack I bought . http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/my-pet-is/dog-puppy/puppy-starter-kit.htm As I said my daughter gave pup the three without me actually having a good look at the packet . I have found two in the yard . The third that I found the little end bit , the rest eaten was the EDIBLE bacon bone . I am still going to keep a close eye on him . So annoyed that my daughter opened up a pack a gave the bones when the package was adressed to me . She never normally opens my mail! But because their was nyla hone advertising in the front she immediately thought 'dog toys ' . He he has really amped up the chewing recently , why I bought the nyla bones to begin with . I am sure he really teething now and will be losing puppy teeth . Wants to chew the world ! Has anyone used shed antlers? Are they a blockage risk?

Help . I ordered a pack of three ' puppy ones ' and my youngest daughter gave my 14 wk old lab puppy the whole three this morning after they arrived in the mail without my knowledge . Being indestructible ( so I thought) I didint think much of it even though I would have preferred to give him one at a time . I noticed he had something in his mouth a little while ago . It was a tiny bit of the end of one ! I presume the rest is eaten ! He is fine at the moment but now scared of a blockage ! How can they sell these horrible things if they break up so easy . My pup still has all his puppy teeth, surely they should be strong enough to survive puppy teeth! Now I am going to be watching like a hawk in case he gets ill. Aaaarrgggghhh. Hopefully he swallowed it in small bits . This happen to anyone else ?

The adults are deffinetly to blame . Some people put are ridiculous large amount of faith in children and dogs that they will behave appropriately . Now we don't know all the details , but if I was ever to take any if my dogs to a friends house with children present they would be on a tight lead under constant supervision . Even if previously they had been good with children . You never know what triggers will be that will make a dog behave in a aggressive manner . It might not even be the child's behaviour , it might be due to misdirected aggression due to another factor . A dog on heat next door . Loud noises from another part of the house . Other dogs on the property . Some other factors that cause an anxious reaction . If the child might br inexperienced or never taught by adults how to acts atound dogs . That all dogs don't like hugs . Or not to jump on their back . Poor child , poor dog . Crap adults .

Wow had no idea of gum trees policies . I am astonished. If the trading post enforced the same rules then the whole dog section would vanish overnight ! The vast majority of dogs are backyard/puppy farm bred (passion for pets is the big outlet in vic) and the vast majority are being sold way way over $500. Considering the trading post is privately owned and breeding sogs is not illegal then I doubt rspca could do anything .

That might be what is currently the expectation at the moment but if the prices keep increasing the way they are and if people get reports from vets saying that dogs are dying or suffering from illnesses due to conditions out of THEIR control then they will seek compensations . I think it's naive to think a person will buy a British bull dog for $5000 and have it die young or have ongoing health expenses and for not an increasing minority's not feel cheated and hard done by . In every other business you pay your what you get . You buy an expensive dog then then the expectation is it will be if sound temprrement and body . If you can not guarantee that then charge a lot less for it . The current philosophy is charge as much as people are willing to pay without these breeds actually improving health wise . It's only time before you see people on a current affair crying about spending a fortune with only a dead dog to show for it .

Here is the laws around consumer guarantees. https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees These are seperate to point of sale warranties . There us deffinetly room to claim that a young animal that dies of a genetic disease or inherited condition has not lived up to to this guarantee .

Actually Steve that is incorrect . I have studied a fair bit in to consumer law. Just because someone has a sale of contract that is signed Does not mean that overrides consumer legislation . The thing with pups and dogs is that It never gets challenged in courts . If someone buys a cavoodle for $ 3000 that dies at 18 months due to a congenital heart defect they deffinetly have a case in the small courts that the puppy had a unreasonable length of usage . Doesn't matter what the sale contract says about health warranty . Now it actually costs Approx $500 in administration costs for a case to be heard in in small claim courts (which deal with claims under $5000 ) previously it just was nothing worth the effort . But if your buying a oodle for $3000+ Suddenly recuping some costs sounds worth it , With these zooming costs in many breeds there is no doubt expectations of a healthy animal will increase .

Yeah I even saw a kelpie x litter Selling for $750 . You can get a desexed pup of Similar breeding for half that in rescue !

Hi all . I was looking on the trading post website . It simply amazes me that cost of some puppies . Pugs for $3500 . Oodles fir $3000 French and English Bulldogs $5000. Most of these puppies are backyard bred with little health testing done . Now I am pretty sure dogs and the selling of dogs is covered by normal retail consumer law . No doubt some of these dogs , especially brachy breeds, are going to have on going health problems . Even at a young age . Do you think with these massive prices now being charged for dogs that more people will be taking breeders to small claims court demanding refunds for 'faulty products ' .? There is so serious money exchanging hands ! If you take out the sentimentality of adopting a family member then what you are left with is a product who is going to be very much not fit for purpose yet was a very expensive investment.. I run a business myself . I know my products need to be a certain standards because consumers has legislation on their side . If I don't refund or replace I can be taken to court or fined heavily . How long will breeders (obviously none ethical ones ) get away with charging these prices and not offering the same conditions of sales. . One pet shop on there has a six week health guarantee. Yet charging up to 5000 for a pup . I think these breeders got away for this for a long time because the price of puppies was not worth the bother of going through the courts . But the price just seems to be zooming up every year . My own breed of choice price has gone up about 500 dollars in a couple of years ! It's well over the normal inflation increases of other large purchases . I get that the market is self regulating. But then won't the expectations increase as well?

I got my Labrador puppy on the 5th of January at 8 weeks and got his pedigree papers sent to me with a dogs vic pamphlet and information pack two weeks later . I would say your breeder is just taking their time . Contact them .

Yet the current thread that people are recommending greyhounds, bull terriers ect is doing just that . The op was honest enough to say they both work very long days .

I think people should just give more honest, even if it's upsetting , advice and say a dog is not suitable for your home instead of throwing in the 'default' greyhound . Because a greyhound won't rip the house apart or annoy the neighbours with constant barking does not mean they will be happy if left alone for long periods for days on end