Salukifan

Corvus: Agree. Training won't change temperament. That said, I sometimes wonder how many dogs end up medicated when their owners are the root cause of their problems. I can think of a few dog owners I'd need medication to be around 24/7 Seen it with horses too - some folk radiate stress/anxiety and the animals pick it up.

My Toy Poodle doesn't handle Drontal well. The other all wormers are better. I think I'm using Milbermax at the moment which seems easier on the digestion. I buy my wormers in bulk from the online vet shops. I don't hold with treating for issues that my dogs don't get so I don't use the "does everything" products that include flea and tick treatments. However almost everywhere can see heartworm cases these days so I treat for that from September to March, noting that Milbermax does in the months its given. Vets are seeing heartworm cases in Canberrra now. "Chewy" wormers? - not for my dogs who clearly think they taste like shite. I just pop the pills in and follow with a treat.

Why? 1. Because they can. 2. Because its a big world outside that fence and some dogs want to explore it. If she gets a taste for it, it's damned hard to stop. I'd be looking at raising the fence or adding a barrier to stop jumping NOW.

I think it is easier when the older dog is the smaller dog or it is an aged dog. You'd not want to leave a young Labrador unsupervised with a smaller breed pup for quite a while I think. They tend to play too hard for a lot of adult dogs. One option might be an ADULT smaller dog. I think there would be a few terrier breeds that would whip a Lab into shape pretty quickly. Strongly recommend you go for a dog of the opposite sex

I hope you understand that taking your other dogs to any popular dog area means they can bring diseases like parvo home. So can you and your family - on shoes and clothing. Don't go or take your other dogs to popular dog areas if you won't take the pup there.

Malti:> That's good because I wasn't. My response was NOT given in response to rescue dogs but to THIS scenario: I would never deign to tell any rescue what they should and should not do with the dogs they rescue.;However, when it comes to rescuers (or indeed any person) "educating" owners of dogs already in homes, my completely misguided thoughts were that a balanced view of the procedure, rather than scaremongering, was the way to go. The timing of the procedure matters, particularly for giant breeds but also for some others. As i said, I won't be sharing knowledge in this forum again. </div>

I went last time Suzanne visited - she is awesome!

If you wait until 16 weeks to take your pups out, that's an entire critical socialisation period missed. Some prefer to do that and some pups don't miss a beat. Others would benefit from it. I prefer to risk manage it after puppy comes home. Vaccinated puppy safe dogs and owners of same visit me. I take puppy to a few friend's places (not public). I think a change of scenery and new experiences are important. Theres usually a fair few car trips. I also happily take a pup to a decent puppy preschool in a vet clinic that has appropriate hygiene practices. Footpaths and non-dog frequented areas I'd also chance on lead. I've had to drive pups home from interstate and I've always avoided the popular roadside stops then. Dog parks? NO WAY FYI, my vet says you have some coverage 72 hours after a vaccination shot. Pups are in the show ring and at most dog obedience schools from 12 weeks. Most people are careful about where they have them though.

The wonderful thing about finding reports of this or that, is the way one side or the other has a way of making them prove a point. Like the anti child vaccine arguments. I understand breeders feel passionate about it but it's offensive in the rescue section. We desex. We also care. And the little jibes about it being detrimental and convenient is way out of line. Maybe there is a desexing risk, maybe not. But I'm not interested when frankly on the ground and out of the showring, I'm fed up with pyometra, mammary tumours ....... testicular cancers and enlarged prostate tearing open a massive hernia in the poor boys. I'm fed up that it could be prevented and the dogs we get have been suffering, sometimes terminal. There is zero need for people to have an entire pet if they can't prevent matings, or tell what a uterine infection is and can't see a tumour hanging of their dog's balls. I agree completely. I am sorry that sharing knowledge of research about the ramifications of desexing, in particular early age desexing in a rescue page offended people It won't happen again.

With all the dogs that have been cleared of disease before flying in? No thanks - the health status of every one of them would be at risk.

I hope you also tell them about the increased risks of osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, prostate cancer and geriatric cognitive impairment that desexing their male dogs will create. It would be great if desexing dogs was all good news but quite frankly a procedure carried out largely for the convenience of human management of our dogs can have some negative effects, ESPECIALLY if carried out on young pups. I'm all for desexing but people should be informed of the whole story before its done. That's an inconvenient truth not often shared by animal welfare groups. As for entire male dogs being a risk to desexed bitches? Nope. If they get out of line or frisky, I'd suggest the risk flows the other way!!

I'd like to see those statements expanded upon. Artificial pets triggering human emotions - I don't doubt it for a minute. Can they satisfy skin hunger, lower blood pressure, encourage responsibility in children, encourage exercise, provide warning of intruder or fire? I don't doubt that a very complex robot might do all those things. But the idea that it would be "cheaper" than a dog, at least initially? I don't think so. And I don't want one.

They would never be euthed here, we have some compassion. He's lucky he didn't try this in Asia, they'd have been euthed on the spot and not humanely Quarantine will euthanise illegally imported animals but they have generally been abandoned by their importer. It's about maintaining biosecurity, not being cruel. Of course, most are probably smuggled birds and reptiles not cute little dogs owned by movie stars. But don't doubt for a moment the "leave or PTS" message was real and it happens. And when it happens, the importer is the one responsible for the deaths.

Very lucky here. No multi-dog permits required. God bless you New South Wales. :)

For anyone interested in the requirements for importing from the USA, they are here Neither cheap, nor quick. What a crying shame Mr Joyce's intemperate language has distracted people from the utter disaster that a breach of our quarantine laws could mean for Australia.

There was a similar kerfuffle about Elizabeths Taylor's dogs many years ago. She sailed into the UK with six dogs onboard her yacht and used it to circumvent the UK's strict 6 month quarantine laws but keeping the dogs aboard. Life is tough for celebrities. NOT

As above. Slicker brushes are fantastic & will remove heaps of loose hair. Lawrence is the best brand & is made in England, they last forever. The cheap ones are so scratchy & harsh on the dogs skin. Try the brush on your own head first & if it hurts don't use it. I use a slicker brush for my own considerable amount of hair after washing. Gets the knots out without breaking it. I"m a Doggyman soft (pink ring on handle) woman myself. :) That's on the poods, not me. For me I use the long silky coat dog's brush of choice. Mason Pearson!!

Amen to that. These dogs CANNOT spend time in quarantine alongside dogs that have had six months worth of vaccination and testing before they get here. They have to leave the country. End of story.

Parent may like to know that it's virtually impossible to buy a decent qualitty brush from your average pet shop anyway. It's all nearly always crap and the big franchises sell only crap. I'd be prepared to try a soft slicker brush but the Kelpie folk would know best.

I've read a range of comments online ranging from the misinformed to the downright cray cray. What's interesting is the profound level of misunderstanding most AUSTRALIANs have of the requirements for importing a dog from a rabies affected country. The dogs' groomer deserves a good slap in the back of her head for the sheer ignorance of her comments. The process of importing starts 6 months out from flying. The idea that these pooches can spend a 10 day cooling off period in Quarantine kennels (alongside dogs who've had 6 months of time after rabies shots and testing) and then reunite with the owner is, quite simply, ludicrous. Spare a thought for people flying in pets and breeding dogs from such countries. They leap through a lot of hoops and spend $$$ to get their dogs here. Export them and have done with it for pity's sake.

Recognition by the ANKC recognised national kennel control in country of origin is the key issue. For the Hovawart, that country, as Lhok says, is Germany. The person who heads the ANKC National Breed Standards Coordination Group is Mrs Marie Merchant. I would suggest you contact her via FB, Dogs SA or the ANKC and get what is required for recognition direct from the the chair of the body who will recommend or not recommend any application for recognition by the ANKC. The type of pedigree provided by the country of export matters. You also need an approved English translation of the breed standard. Get what is required up front or it could cost you a lot of money and heartbreak with no recognition of your imported dog as one possible result.

Ask the pup's breeder!

Haredown, sorry but do you have a link to veterinary studies or papers? PM is fine, I'm very interested now you've brought it up. Long story and very off topic. :) Let me google. :) This website looks like a good start I see white dogs rate a few mentions for cancer too. Another

VETERINARY science has established quite a few genetic links between colour and inherited health issues. Lets start with the best known - dilute COLOUR alopecia We also have studies noting the increased incidence of certain cancers in black dogs (those I thought might be of interest to an FC owner) Then we have the multitude of issues that can arise with blue dogs - thyroid, skin issues etc. White pups? Deafness, thyroid issues... Merle to merle matings - the "lethal white" issue. I'll save the garlic for my cooking thanks.

Mine don't have velcro. I just run them around the sides and use bobble elastics to attach them to the top and legs. A bit longer than the side doesn't matter. You usually only need it on two sides to protect from the sun anyway.