labadore

OMG what an sbsolute tragedy, it is just horrific :cry: - worst possible time with full kennels, worst nightmare ever for kennel owners :cry: My heart just aches for the poor pets that lost their lives, :cry: (run free ) their poor owners, majority of whom will be on holiday and of course the poor kennel owners dealing with such a huge loss of lives and property So pleased that there are survivors with one large kennel block saved. Feel for the firies having to deal with this as well Just so awful

Thanks for your posts. I don't want to get into a debate in this thread about surgery as advised above I am currently researching and evaluating both surgical and non surgical options. I will probably be starting another thread asking dolers with dogs who underwent CCL surgery what the outcome was. I will say I am not keen on bone cutting surgery (not monetary related) and have sought a 2nd opinion from a very experienced vet with extensive experience in performing surgery on large breeds like GSD's, Rotties and Labs with CCL injuries.

Thanks everyone. Whilst lack of Veterinary qualification does concern me somewhat, hopefully the animal physio experience of both Kristine and Helen along with their recommendations by the dog community make up for this and if I decide that the Veterinary qualification is more important, then there is the option of Naomi Boyd who does have the dual qualification. However, the big plus for Sydney Animal Physiotherapy is the underwater treadmill (only one in Sydney) as Hydrotherapy has so many benefits for rehabilitating dogs with orthopaedic injuries and I am really in favour of using Hydrotherapy as part of his treatment whether I opt for a surgical or non surgical option.

My 7 year old Lab boy who I adopted in April this year has sustained a ruptured CCL (confirmed with xrays and drawer test) and I am now debating surgery vs conservative management (i.e. non surgical) treatment options and doing lots of research on both options. Either way, am looking at physio for him which ideally includes use of an underwater treadmill and acupuncture and Sydney Animal Physiotherapy has both, so just after opinions on any Sydney doler's experiences with this place/physios. He is currently on an anti-inflammatory (Meloxicam), JointGuard powder, Fish oil capsules, Evening Primrose Oil capsules (recommended by his Dermatologist for his allergies) and I have already placed an online order for 2 x RoseHip Vital Canine 500g powder (luckily on special), so hopefully all these supplements will also help.

The offleash dog parks I frequent in Sydney are all fenced and are well signposted as Dog Parks, so majority, if not all the other dog owners frequenting these Dog Parks with their dogs, take exception to non dog owners coming into the Dog Park to have their breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks/drink alcohol and then berating/abusing the owners and their dogs when their dogs happen to go up to the non dog owner eating their food/drinking in a Dog Park full of dogs. Also, in my earlier post where I mentioned the family, who did have a dog with them having a picnic in the dog park was in one of these fenced in Dog Parks and surely commonsense should apply that you don't lay down a blanket and picnic basket in a fenced in Dog Park full of dogs I don't think it is selfish at all that dog owners get peeved at non dog owners frequenting the small amount of offlead beaches and parks that dog owners can take their dogs to when there are so many beaches and parks they can choose from to frequent that don't allow dogs or restrict dogs either to onlead or certain hours. I don't understand why non dog owners want to frequent areas specifically designated for dogs, seems to me they are just looking to cause trouble. Dog owners are entitled to take their dogs to specifically designated offlead beaches and dog parks without been hassled by non dog owners looking to cause trouble.

Some people are just bl**dy idiots and it sounds like this group of young ladies fit that description perfectly. It really annoys me when non dog lovers go to offlead beaches and dog parks, when there are so many beaches and parks available for humans only, just unbelievable. About 6 months ago, I got into an argument with a stupid older guy who came into a dogpark with this MacDonald's breakfast and coffee with no dog and berated/abused all the owners and dogs who went over to him as he was eating his food I was so mad I stormed over and had a go at him and told him in no uncertain terms that he was a complete idiot for coming into a dogpark to have his breakfast FFS . Another time a family, this time with a dog, brought a picnic to the dogpark laying out their blanket on the ground and picnic basket and wondered why the dogs at the park were congregating around them, common sense seems to be sadly lacking these days. I think some people get some sort of perverse pleasure out of upsetting dog owners when they go to dog areas without a dog and then abuse dog owners like yourself who are just having a great time with their dog and it gets spoiled by prats like these girls. Sorry your outing was spoilt by these troublemakers who were probably out to ruin somebodies day and unfortunately it happened to be yours. Silly cows!

So sorry for the tragic loss of your beloved boy terriby devastating to lose him to an adverse reaction to a medication . Have you/are you contacting the manufacturer regarding this? My thoughts are with you during this very difficult time. Run free gorgeous boy you will be forever remembered and missed by your family.

Great idea! We could possibly offer a "premium" box and a cheaper alternative. We've got a lot coming up in the new year, as we received a lot of great suggestions from people who stopped by our stall at the Sydney Dog Lovers Show, so this will be another on our list of things to do :) Thanks for the suggestion! Issue with these cheaper toys is that they will more than likely come from China and will probably contain toxic materials i.e. bisphenol-A (BPA) and phtalates and vinyl/PVC. This is not to say more expensive dog toys will not contain toxic materials, but more chance the cheaper ones will. I try to buy dog toys that are made from non toxic materials, but manufacturers do not make it easy to ascertain what type of materials are used in the manufacture of their dog toys. Normally the ones that are made from non toxic materials state this as a point of difference/selling point and I will always pay more for non toxic toys as having Labradors who love their toys and constantly carry them around in their mouths, I try to wherever possible seek out non toxic toys for my Labs and normally purchase these overseas. Maybe offer a "non toxic toy" box/parcel :) Also as I do virtually all my doggie shopping online and have done for quite a few years now, I prefer to know the postage costs and have them separated out from the cost of the items, so it doesn't cause confusion as to cost of product and therefore avoids the issue of people feeling they are being ripped off (when that is not the intention) as the "invisible postage cost" is being included in the total cost.

I am not sure what paranoia you are referring to. My own paranoia for the checks is due to the fact that my boy is due for his 2nd titre test next month, so I thought that I would get all the relevant checks and tests done at the same time as my boy hasn't been to a Vet for about 3 years as he hasn't had any issues and with having lost my 10 year old Lab boy to Hemangiosarcoma, I just want to make sure that I cover all bases for relevant checks/tests specific to intact males as well as male dogs in general as a preventative/early diagnosis measure. Also, first boy I have kept intact, so was just asking what relevant checks other owners of intact males do. Like you, my hands are on my dogs daily, so I am aware of any physical changes and I don't check testicles daily, probably more likely weekly.

I am not a breeder, but I know a few breeders, including my youngest Lab's breeder who go to Rob Zammit at Vineyard, link below: Vineyard Vet He is a very knowledgable vet of many years experience and has been a breeder and also a show judge. I went with my boy's breeder for a consult with Rob when I had questionable advice from my regular vet (which in fact turned out to be incorrect advice) and he was great and I also took another of my Lab's for a consult with him. I will be taking my other Lab boy for a 2nd opinion on an leg injury he has sustained. Rob isn't my main vet as my main Vet is local, just up the end of my road, but he would be if he was closer, but is a great backup, particularly for 2nd opinions and xrays etc. He did hip and elbow xrays for my Lab youngster when he turned 18months old so I could have him hip and elbow scored. Not sure about caesarian costs, you can check those out, but happy with normal consult costs for my other Lab and my boy's breeder paid for the consult for my youngster.

Do any of you owners of intact male dogs (particulary large breeds) have your dogs vet examined and/or bloodtests/urine tests on an annual basis for the potential health issues for intact males i.e. Testicular Cancer, Prostrate Cancer and Perenial Hernias? Just interested in what other owners of intact males do with regards to regular health checks and preventative measures. My 5 year old black Lab male is the first of my male Labs that I have purposely kept intact. I was originally going to have him neutered around 3 years of age after he was fully physically matured but I was a bit paranoid about having him neutered after doing copious amounts of research on the pros/cons of neutering with regard to health benefits after I lost his predecessor, my beautiful 10 yearold black Lab boy to the wretched cancer, Hemangiosarcoma . Also he has been an extremely good boy with a bomb proof temperament, has been well socialised from a pup and have not had any issues with marking inside etc. He does try to mount some dogs at the dog park as he matured, but I knock that on the head quick smart as won't tolerate it, even when owners of the poor dog being humped is saying, "it is okay, they are only being dogs". Along with not neutering him, I have him titre tested instead of yearly/3yearly vaccinations and keep him as chemical free as I can (no flea/tick treatments etc as luckily I don't live in an area where these are problems). He is due for his 2nd titre test next month which is 3 years after his first titre test (he had his puppy vacs and annual booster and then his 1st titre test a year after his annual booster). I know potential health issues for intact males include, Testicular Cancer, Prostrate Cancer and Perenial Hernias and whilst these normally occur in older dogs, I am going to get Vet to do thorough physical examination in all these areas when I take my boy to his get his titre test next month and will probably get a full CBC and urine analysis done at the same time. I also plan to have annual full physical Vet checks on my boy from 7 years old onwards and relevant bloodtests/urine analysis as hopefully a preventative/early diagnosis measure for the potential health issues for intact males as well as for other potential health issues, particularly Hemangiosarcoma, which unfortunately is becoming too much of a frequent occurrence in dogs . My boy is extremely healthy and hopefully he will stay this way for many more years to come and hopefully live to a ripe old age like his two Lab mates that helped me raise him did (15 years and 15.8 years of age). I know keeping him intact is no guarantee for a long life without health problems as I know genetics play the biggest part in longevity and I wouldn't hesitate to have him neutered if he was unlucky enough to get testicular or prostrate cancer or any other health condition that necessitated neutering.

Very sorry for the loss of your beloved Tibor My thoughts are with you during this very difficult time. Run free at the bridge , you will be missed and remembered always by your family

I am a diehard Labrador lover of many many years and could never imagine owning any other breed, they are my breed of choice for life. When I get old(er) and dotty, I will adopt senior Labs only :) . I do like and admire some other large breeds, but Labs are the only breed that I will own as I simply adore them

Lovely story, very smart and courageous dog following them everywhere. I was a bit worried about him swimming by their kayak as you never know what could be lurking in the water, but very relieved when I read he was pulled into their kayak. Hope he does ok being confined in quarantine after living so free and will be interesting to see how he adapts to life in suburbia. Hope they do a followup story when he is released from quarantine.

Too cute, what a bundle of adorable black babies . My lab youngsters love teddies, some too much so

Nothing wrong with a breeder requesting pics and information at least they are being thorough, although I can see an issue people might having with supplying a pic of themselves, but can understand reasons for breeder requesting one. Lots of pups are purchased interstate without breeders and purchaser meeting face to face, nothing wrong with that at all if breeder and purchaser have been communicating by phone and email to establish a relationship before pup is shipped. Also I don't have a problem with people searching for available pups, sometime people's circumstances are such they are ready for an available pup.

To be honest you can't blame the breeder's mum. You were undecided, another purchaser came along that wanted the pup. What would have happened to the pup if you decided in the timeframe given that you didn't want the pup, then that pup potentially missed out on a home with the person that wanted the pup. The breeder's mum probably stepped in because she has probably seen this happen before when the indecisive person probably didn't even come back to the breeder to let them know they didn't the want the pup and in the meantime, they have turned down other homes holding the pup for the indecisive person who never got back in touch. Not saying you would do this, but they have probably experienced this situation from other potential indecisive puppy purchasers in the past. Was meant to be, there is another pup waiting for you :)

So sorry for the loss of your beloved little man, such a gorgeous boy and my thoughts are with you during this very difficult time. Run free Alfie at you will never be forgotten and will be missed always.

Very sorry for the loss of your beloved boy He lived a long and wonderful life which is what we all hope for and he knows he was loved and will always be missed and never forgotten. My thoughts are with you during this very difficult time.

So sorry for the loss of your beloved Indiana, my thoughts are with you during this very difficult time. Run free gorgeous boy

Anniversaries are very difficult they remind you of just how much you miss their physical presence and how time just rushes quickly by . Very sorry for the loss of your beautiful girl, she was obviously a very loved and adored girl who is missed very much but never forgotten with a lifetime of memories

Huh. I have owned 7 entire male dogs (4 different breeds) and have never seen this happen unless they had a bitch to mate. When does it happen otherwise? I have also never had a make that humped anything other than a bitch. As for being unclean, I find males faster and easier to housetrain and the girls have always marked outside just as much as the boys. Some people have some really weird ideas. I find that puppy buyers tend to have heard that girls make the best pets but once the temperaments are explained they come round and are happy to take a boy as there are always way more boys available for sale than girls. My young male Labs have always had erections when they are excited. The amount of pics I have had had to discard showing erect penises is amazing. :laugh: My youngster who is 5 years old, still gets an erection when he is very happy which can include from doing zoomies, from me praising him or revving him up, getting him to pose for a pic or getting in a highly exciteable state around another dog, male or female. When I see it on show, I laugh and tell him to put it away. :laugh:

What I hear the most about people preferring females over males is the "cocking of the leg" and inappropriate erections :laugh: I just laugh at the erections which for my youngsters seemed to be always on show when I was just capturing that perfect pic. :laugh: People seem to think males cock their legs on everything inside and outside, not true, none of my males have ever cocked their leg/marked inside. Cocking their legs outside is fine and doesn't worry me one bit. Out of the 7 Labs I have had, 6 have been males and I have had multiple males at same time. I have had 2 sets of 3 males and 2 sets of 2 males at same time and in each set, one of the Labs was one that I had raised from a pup, the others were adults I adopted from completely different backgrounds ranging in age from 6-10 and all my male labs have got on fabulously with each other and they all just slotted in perfectly with the pack. My one female was a fantastic dog, who I loved dearly, but she was very independent unlike my sooky la la boys who have to be around me and all my males have been extremely affectionate and worship the ground I walk on :laugh: Whilst my preference is males, I won't say that I won't be open to adopting a female Lab in the future, depends on the dog. I love the boys and a saying that is used quite a bit with regards to females vs males is that "females love you, males adore you", so true and also, they don't call them bitches for nothing :)

Wow - what is wrong with these parents putting their kids into potentially dangerous situations . All these parents including the ones involved in my incident have failed to anticipate the unpredictability of dogs encountering other dogs and the potential of real harm to their child that is holding the lead of their dog singlehandedly. It is actually very frightening

Thanks to all who have responded in this thread, I appreciate your thoughts, concerns and advice :) . With regards to children walking dogs/being in sole charge of the lead, I personally believe this should not happen until they are of teenage years i.e. 13 and over for small to medium dogs and older teenagers for larger/stronger dogs. In all cases of kids walking dogs, I believe they should have either attended dog handling classes to teach them how to have effective control over their dog and how to react in certain cirumstances when out walking their dogs or taught all this by responsible dog knowledgeable parents. In addition, the body size, strength and maturity of the teenager needs to be matched with the dog type/size and strength of the dog they will be walking and I believe that any teenager walking a dog should walk during daylight hours for both their own safety as well as their dog's safety. The rules applying to teenagers to have effective control over their dogs also applies to adults as unfortunately many of us have witnessed adults who do not have effective control over their dogs. with their dogs dragging them around by the lead or have been let off lead with no recall and some with aggressive tendencies. Whilst I appreciate there are times when our dogs will catch even us most vigilant owners off guard when they pull or do something unexpectedly, we need to be able to react quick enough to regain effective control over the dog. My breed, Labradors are extremely strong dogs, particularly males and even more so, intact males who have been allowed to develop as nature intended as I believe they are actually stronger than males who were neutered before they were fully developed (i.e. before 3 years of age). Majority of Labs get very excited when encountering other dogs that they want to meet and greet and they can easily drag adults around letalone kids, so Lab owners need to be aware that adolescent Labs still have a lot of growing to do and very quickly develop into big strong dogs which can be too much dog for even a teenager to walk by themselves. The amount of teenagers and pre-teens that I see out with their dogs being dragged over by their dog to meet my boy (who for friendly dogs luckily drops down to the ground waiting for the dog to approach and he has done this since a pup) is frightening and I normally have a friendly chat with them about this to try and get the message through to them that not all dogs want to be approached by an excited and seemingly out of control large friendly dog.