Pjrt

47 minutes ago, Simply Grand said:

And in addition, experiences, particularly while young when the brain is still developing, can rewire the brain or affect how it develops  so there are lots of points at which things can go wrong in a way that can't be changed later even with the best training and all the love in the world.

Hmm, sounds like me! 

Oh what a shame. 

I do do know that the symptoms can be variable. Just because a dog isn't screaming or habitually air scratching etc, doesn't mean it isn't present. I believe the only definitive diagnosis is an MRI. And the scan needs to be read by someone who knows exactly what to look for. 

I have handled several CKCS that have gone on to have a diagnosis or have had symptoms consistent with malformation. One had flycatchers. It's so so sad. 

Good luck. 

@Rappie may have some idea of where you could get advice. 

Oh yes!! If you have a dog even slightly interested in poo, please heed the advice above. It's so gross but within a few footsteps of the  cleared areas on the roadside areas, it's a sea of human poop and used toilet paper & tissue

I concur do not drive between dusk and dawn, just don't do it.

I chose to drive less than 600km per day to ensure I could stop at least an hour, if not more,  before dusk and not pull out until around 9am. 

when I went over in May I found fuel quite reasonable actually. I did not pay more than $1.90 litre for unleaded, usually 10 - 20c less. 

Ps, I saw whales at the head of the bight early June. It's been a bumper whale season! 

I didn't have a dog with me but I drove both ways Adelaide Perth Adelaide in May/June this year. I mostly stayed in motels attached to roadhouses but noticed most of them have camping areas as well. Several nights there were dogs in vehicles, tied to vehicles that were backed up to motel rooms. It all seems reasonably casual out there.  

@Canisbellum might have something to add. He did the trip with a couple of dogs and a camper trailer not so long ago 

23 minutes ago, tdierikx said:

I was scared sh!tless of small dogs for many years due to people thinking it is "funny" when their pampered prince/princess has a go at others... and still to this day, I'm much more aware of the fact that I'm much more likely to be bitten by a small dog than a larger one.

 

I still haven't met a Pembroke Corgi that hasn't tried to bite me, and as such still have a deep rooted leeriness of them... maybe they are picking up on that, but it's a subconscious thing that I can't control, as hard as I have tried over the years. Even Pembroke pups scare me!

 

T.

I grew up with a Pembroke and it was a nasty POS of a dog. It bit my brother quite badly once. 

In my 32 yrs of grooming dogs, every single one I've handled has had a go. I just remind myself they are cattle dogs after all, and handle them with that in mind. It doesn't stop them having a go, but it stops me getting bitten! I'm seriously concerned with the massive popularity boom in corgis. They seem to have become popular with a certain demographic that are often first time pet owners, and they are experiencing high levels of 'behavioural issues' (which can mostly be attributed to the nature of a cattle dog) , but don't work so well with young families, suburbia, apartments etc! 

Another trick I use is to add water to each meal. So I drop a chicken neck and his extra into his bowl, and add for my small dog, about 1/4 cup of water, warm in winter, cold in summer. Sometimes I mash his extra depending on what he's got, to make a mash or soup of it! It slows down his eating and ensures he drinks enough. 

Add offal and muscle meat, eggs, oily fish, cottage cheese, yoghurt etc etc to the frames. 

I feed the bone ( in the case of my current small dog that's usually  a chicken neck or half a wing) and with each bone meal he gets one portion of those other things. So he might get a neck and some diced lamb heart, then half a wing and a tbls of cottage cheese, then a neck with some raw kidney or liver, then wing plus an egg, then a neck with a few chicken hearts, a neck and a few sardines etc etc. I'm not too worried if for four days he gets the same extra, I just keep rotating. Some days he gets nothing but a piece of larger bone with some meat on to really work his teeth and muscles as he grips and tears at it. I also like to feed whole pieces of raw fish as a meal, whole small fish or a head off a bigger fish. Raw feeding is so much fun and so much flexibility. 

Sometimes I 'plate up' as if he's in a restaurant !! 

51 minutes ago, moosmum said:

I can understand why some breeders desex early, but it would be a deal breaker for me too.

 

Seems in some cases, it might mean more responsible buyers go else where?

I agree with this, and I would actually be one of those buyers who go else where. 

try some tuna. Use the spring water one and drain really well. Just offer a mouthful every hour or so rather than heap all at once.

Ive been grooming dogs for more than 30 years, and I can say, no, not all dogs have fleas. Yes, all dogs can GET fleas, but that doesn't mean all dogs HAVE fleas. Day in day out as I bath, blow dry and clip, my hand and eyes, meeting literally every part of every dog, very few actually present with fleas. 

Personaly I do not routinely treat my own dogs with flea prevention treatments, despite them hanging out in the salon with all the dogs coming and going, and walking here there and everywhere in the great outdoors, and I am certain that we have no fleas. 

I monitor the situation, and if fleas are detected at grooming time, or I'm alerted to through scratching and biting, then I treat. Once dispensed with, treatment ceases. I've had to treat my dogs for fleas only a handful of times, the last time being more than 5 yrs ago. 

Fleas are a little more of a problem in warmer climates, yes, but even then, I reiterate, ALL dogs can GET fleas, but that doesn't mean all dogs HAVE fleas

To be honest 8 months is a bit too late to expect much success with ear taping I think.

Its a bit of an art and honestly not something I'd recommend for a novice owner. If your dog is a pet not a show dog, then I'd suggest you just get used to his unique "character ears".  If you really think you want to give taping a go, you probably need to include a stiff structure taped to the ears, and the ears taped up together and around the head to stop it coming off every five seconds. 

Others here might have some pictures and ideas, but I reiterate, I think it's too late. 

Most small poodles have considerably less bone substance  than the average cocker, so I wouldn't panic to much with that mix. If your puppy is active, eating enthusiastically, toileting without issue, and putting on weight, then I'd say all is well. You can't really compare your puppy to a cocker puppy of same age, as your puppy is not a cocker puppy. 

Many of the smaller puppies in a litter with thrive and even overtake their litter mates, given time. You don't want to force weight gain on an otherwise healthy puppy. The ones that grow steadily do better than the ones that are forced to grow overly rapidly. 

If you have any concerns raise them at your next vet visit, which at your puppies age, should be in the next few weeks. 

Here is the judging schedule for the Royal Adelaide Show.  You need to file through and check what breeds of your interest are on what day. Unlike other shows, the dogs must be kept at the venue all day, even after their judging is complete, in the aim of letting the general public get access to seeing the dogs and meeting their people. 

Just because a breed is listed, doesn't guarantee entires, or entries that will show up, but the Royal is one of the best venues to meet breeds of lesser numbers, as interstate dogs often attend. 

Royal show dog judging schedule

Other breeds worth a mention just for non/low shedding coats, that push into the medium to large range are Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Puli, and Bearded Collie. All of these coats need regular grooming and are best kept to a short utility clip for family life. If  clipped and brushed, the Puli is not much different to keeping a Lagotto coat, so don't let the cords put you off if the breed interests you in size and temperament. 

Re post above, if you enquiries about and liked the Irish Water Spaniel, it may be worth the wait. I believe there is a breeder in SA 

also, although they weren't what you were enquiringly about, 2 other breeds mentioned there shed a lot, being the Chesapeake Bay and the Curly coat retriever

ive seen a lot of variate in the Portuguese Water Dog in regards to size and temp, but liaising with breeders might be worth the effort

A breed that hasn't been mentioned is the Bedlington Terrier. I think they're ace. Around the size of a Miniature size poodle, they are sturdy little clowns, good learners, and always up for a game with the kids or a romp at the park. Remember the haircut is just that, as with the poodle, a dog like the Bedlington does not have to have the frufru trim. They look quite handsome and practical with an all over utility clip every 8 to 12 weeks, or kept in breed trim, 4 to 6 weekly trim. I've known several as family pets over my grooming career and I really like them, so often overlooked. 

http://dogandcatboard.com.au/news/new-dog-and-cat-laws-handy-overview

http://tellus.sa.gov.au/index.php/591227/lang-en

http://tellus.sa.gov.au/upload/surveys/591227/files/08RFC-private-small-HD-standards.pdf

things are about to change on SA 

14 minutes ago, ~Anne~ said:

I'm not sure if this has been posted. Along the lines of your comments above. Exhibit A - this dog, in an overseas competition, won (hence the ribbons and proud look on the handler/owner). 

That looks like an Azawakh sight hound breed, and they should appear very lean, but that dog does seem disturbingly lean. Maybe it's a cranky camera angle. Maybe it's taking things to the extreme.  I think I'd like a bit more cover on the dog, even for this breed. Hmmmm

8 hours ago, westiemum said:

Hello!  I didn't realise that was you!  Thanks tons - would be really good to know as the westies loved them.  Thank you! 

https://www.facebook.com/TreatYourDogAustralia/

Give Steven & Robyn a call. 

If they were the ones you got from me at my (former) salon on Payneham Rd I can get you the contact details for the supplier

One thing that I can't work out is the conformation show ring system too. I think it's sort of once youre in there you can't see it from the outside for what it is. 

ill try to explain how weird, flawed, I think it is, by comparing it to sports and the Olympic Games. Winning at your own sport is excellence in sporting (breed level). 

But how stupid would it seem if then all the water sports , all the racket sports, all the ball sports, all the throwing sports, all the cycling disciplines etc etc, had to compete against each other for a bigger prize (best in group)

and how extraordinarily stupid would it seem if all the 'group winners' from all the different groups of sports had to compete against each other for an even bigger prize (best in show) 

i know now many breeders pride themselves on breed level wins, and feel it's most important. Why why why encourage judging beyond breed level? Oh wait, prizes and shit. What is actually gained FOR THE DOG?? 

A simple way of explaining one part of the problem is that things went bad for dogs when folks started thinking it was more important what other people thought about their dogs, than what  they thought about their dogs.   

A breeder of good dogs knows they have good dogs. They don't need a judges opinion about it. But somewhere along the way, slowly but surely, in some circles, a judges opinion and accompanying titles and prizes, has become the measuring stick for a good dog. 

11 hours ago, moosmum said:

 If you accept the integrity of  being known as a  'Dog Breeder',  depends on a C.C membership (and pedigree standards) as seems to be implied by the 2nd link in Asals post,

then isn't there also an implied duty as a C.C breeder, to recreate a breeders environment in that, your own image? To subsume or discredit ( to cause rejection) what lies outside of your own image?

 

A bit of a paradox, that,  when its failing because the integrity of a 'breeder' depends on its retreat to a singular culture.

 

If the integrity of your identity depends on adherence to a singular cultural influence, thats the only way  to ( attempt) expand that cultural influence.

Subsume or discredit until whats left is your own image.

If you can do neither, or realy  in spite of either, the end result must be entropy, because  evolution is a deviation from the specified singularity.

 

Responsibility isn't just  about regulation. Its about recognition. Recognition of all you have  to respond to.  Only that can give you any ability to respond.

There has got to be a dog some where in that Pedigree. A dog doesn't start and stop with a pedigree but thats the belief  being promoted without recognition of the species beyond a pedigree.

 

 

 

Folks might struggle with this post moosmum but that last line drives the nail home. Yes. 

Yes all the modern 'pedigree is, is an assurance of 'purity' 

Every dog has a pedigree. 

Farmer Jims best sheep dogs pedigree might read Jim's Freckle. Sire Macks Jet, Dam Jim's Gorgeous. Grandsire Kingsleys Prince, Granddam Macks Precious etc. But that doesn't mean the dog is a dud, or has no 'real' heritage. All it means is it has a less pure, possibly less predictable, pedigree

Another thing gone wrong is this modern world is the histrionics if you even think the words 'judicious culling'