Salukifan

Yes. But the colours keep changing! Miss Lily is alway pink though - just changes shades.

Each parvo jab gives some coverage within 72 hours. There is no way I'd confine a pup inside a house for the next 8 weeks. There's your peak 1st socialisation period gone before she's experienced anything. I would be allowing toileting in the yard. Take the pup in the car OUT of the area to somewhere that's low in dog traffic for socialisation.

I think when you have a 17.5 year old dog, the fact that they HAVE teeth is testament to diet (and regular dental). :D None of my dog's teeth have ever looked worn. Lily the senior girl did have a slab fracture in one of her teeth and it eventually had to be removed. Could have been from a bone. No way of knowing really.

18 years of feeding digestible bone to dogs. No issues. I don't feed cooked or non-digestible bones. I think those are the problem ones.

I feed a supplement containing tumeric to my oldies.

New owner opened the crate door when he arrived in Canberra. He ran. I dont know what the facilities are for collecting dogs but common sense tells me crates need to be opened in a secure room. Or car. New owner probably wanted to toilet the dog. Who knows?

New owner opened the crate door when he arrived in Canberra. He ran.

Unless, of course, you become a barrister.

No. Not a prosecutor.

Trust me when I say it would be the fast track to a level of cynicism that makes me look like Pollyanna. Your much vaunted values wouldn't last long. Your first dog cruelty defence would see to that.

I only wish that the solution was as easy as you suggest. The question you might want to start asking yourself is what causes "heavy handed law enforcement". And where is the society that obeys laws as they expect law enforcement officers to?? What you don't and will never see in the paper is the human cost of law enforcement on the people who do it. When you work with people who are abused, assaulted, bitten, spat on on a regular basis, who'll tell you they'd rather raid an OMCG meth lab than walk through a door into a family violence situation or execute a child recovery order, or who casually inform you they're awaiting the results of their latest HIV test as a result of simply doing their job, you start to realise that for some members of the community, law enforcement officers are punching bags no matter how restrained they are. Does it justify them using excessive force on others. Of course not. But what it does create is a situation when they simply never know how their shift will go and whether not they're going to casualty before they clock off. That does tend to colour my views of people behaving like idiots when others are simply trying to do their jobs. How do you deal with the choices and actions of those who overstep the mark? You tell me. They generally aren't bad people or they don't start that way. Society never accepts it and it judges it with the benefit of hindsight and pretty much no understanding of the demands placed on people, most of whom who are trying to do a decent job. We constantly wean out those who cannot deal with it and throw the book at those who overstep the mark. That is as it should be. I personally think its a shame the rest of them have to continue to shrug off the abuse, disdain and violence directed at them. So when some idiot cheerfully walks his dog on lead along a beach for the TV cameras when he refused to it for his community, and you can see the dollar signs in his eyes as he talks to the camera about how he's a victim, I do find it difficult to consider him in as a innocent. I think, "gee but for you getting your hand off it and being a responsible dog owner, none of this would ever have happened". Pardon me, my cynicism is showing. I'll usually be on the side of law enforcement officials and show little sympathy for those who antagonise them. You and I have sparred long enough for us both to know that. That doesn't for a second mean I will ever condone law enforcement behaving like thugs - it is actually my job to ensure that they obey the law and I take it damn seriously. This is a particularly difficult week for those who work in law enforcement. That does not justify any person who is authorised to use force for law enforcement over stepping the mark. I doubt any such authorisation was available to the rangers. But I can understand what drives them to it at times.

I wonder if they actually will. My guess is that "Vegan" (God help us) will conveniently disappear. I saw a few beggars with dogs in Europe. One cat too. All were well cared for.

I'm more than capable of remembering what I wrote. I think I'm also more than capable of understanding my train of thought without your assistance too. The reason the rangers were called was ... because this guy's dog was offlead. He is the reason the rangers where there, yes? My guess is his response when asked to leash his dog wasn't "yep, no worries guys". Then yes, his refusal to obey a minor law is the catalyst for what followed. It doesn't justify it but it CAUSED it. So it goes like this. Obey the damn laws. Even if you think they are minor. Then you avoid the attention of heavy handed people who appear to have overstepped the mark and probably should have called the police before deciding to use force. My guess is they have no training. So now one man is out of a job and rate payers will be shelling out cash because someone thought they were above the law. I don't call that a good result for anyone. A permanent neck injury is a high price to pay so I don't think he's getting of scott free at all. An ugly situation all round. Best avoided by not behaving like a prat in the first place don't you think? That goes for everyone involved. The best way of avoiding heavy handed law enforcement is not to break the law. I find nothing "distasteful" in that statement whatsoever.

I've already said that.

My guess is that the incident would never have occurred. The owner needs to step up and take some responsibility for that. No, it doesn't justify excessive use of force but where I sit, nothing justifies a person blowing off the law because it suits them to. The fact he'll leash his dog for the TV cameras and not his community? Well that's telling now isn't it.

The most astounding part of that news story was that the dog owner actually managed to have his dog on a lead for it. If he'd done that when asked....

Herding instinct makes a dog herd, not guard. You saw territorial behaviour I'd say. Herding instinct is modified prey drive - I'd not be too sure your dogs' behaviour towards guinea pigs isn't predatory. I've been meaning to respond to this thread to say I used to see a lot of over excited dogs in class that had been allowed to run madly around with others beforehand. They were, quite frankly, over aroused and their attention spans suffered accordingly. When you consider the impact of adrenalin on the brain that's unsurprising. Save the play for AFTER class. Its a good reward to let dogs let their hair down afterwards and blow off steam. Border Collies are highly trainable. Arguably THE most trainable breed and most, when working, have no interest in other dogs. I'd say you need to work at her focus, reward it when you get it and show her that 'working' for you is way more exciting than blowing off steam. She's no longer a pup - she can work if you motivate her too.

I'm sure you can. However if her exercises is restricted. bad weather, car trips, stay off the RMBs. That should do the trick.

You know what, she wasn't being walked much at all due to the hours I was away. I'm sure that had an impact as well! Can you feed dogs drumsticks? I though weight bearing bones were a no go? They're normally talking about weight bearing bones on the bigger animals that can't be digested. My dogs don't have any difficulty with them.

And a not insubstantial proportion of dogs that do well on a combination. It doesn't have to be choice between the two. I'm loving the idea that feeding kibble requires you to only feed that each and every day. Bottom line, feed your dog what it does best on. If it become apparent than all raw ISN'T what it does best on then change the diet. Dogs won't give a toss if your 'principles' have to be compromised to give them what they need. Oh forgot to suggest physilium husk. Often used to increase fibre in a diet. Can be bought at the supermarket. What the OP needs is helpful suggestions that won't break the bank, not a lecture of the evils of kibble. I think its best to stay focussed on providing suggestions (which I have) and to assure her that feeding some kibble, if that is the best solution for her, is not the end of the world. Some of those diabolical kibble companies actually make kibble for mature dogs and there is one for GSDs that I know of. And yes, I used to be a dyed in the wool, fanatical raw feeder. Then along came a dog that didn't give a toss about my raw feeding philosophy and would rather have starved than eaten my carefully prepared BARF mix. Now I feed a mix of RMBs and kibble and you know what, it works for me. It might for the OP's dog too if people weren't hellbent on using this thread to push their own barrows. Yes, dogs in the wild didn't eat cooked food or grain. I don't recall them taking supplements or cracking coconuts either. Feed what yu want to feed but don't let your ideals get in the way of a dog getting the diet IT needs folks.

Some level of penile discharge is normal in a male dog but if you think it is excessive, if it is bloody or he is licking excessively, then a vet visit is recommended. I'd rather feel a bit foolish being told the discharge is normal than ignore something that might be more serious. I'm sure your vet has seen it before.

No offence but isn't Vets All Natural a commercial food largely comprised of undigestible grain? You can demonise kibble if that's how you roll but there are plenty of happy healthy dogs around for whom kibble forms at least part of their diet. I get where the vet is coming from. Kibble IS a relatively cheap method of increasing the fibre in a dog's diet. And the dog needs more fibre. If fur and feather aren't available then non digestible cellulose in the form of plant material is where you look to. Bone is NOT fibre. Diced frozen veggies and dry baked pumpkin are two options. As dogs age, their digestive system becomes less effective. Clearly this dog isn't handling the level of bone in its diet that it did as a youngster. Not the first older dog that I've heard of that required an enema to remove compacted bone from its bowel. Never let principles get in the way of a dog's health. If cost is a factor and other fibre options (raw meat is mostly water by the way) aren't available then don't write off using kibble to provide fibre. If grain is the enemy in the owner's opinion, then grain free options are available. And yes, Vets All Natural is another commercial option. Surely the focus must stay on preventing the recurrence of the issue. As Wreckit has highlighted, exercise also stimulates the gut to pass bone. More walking will help.

How about chicken drumsticks? They have a higher proportion of meat to bone. Aldi have them at a good price. Chicken Marylands are also good and often seem to be on special. A lot of chicken carcasses don't seem to be much but bone. I'd just mix it up more.

I like yours better Better

Edited post to add that Rosie is playful ????