espinay2

I certainly won't be thinking you have bad owners. I have managed a dog with severe HD before. She had a hip score of 29:36 and an elbow score of 2:2. We managed her progressively with catrophen injections in the beginning, progressing to asprin for a while and then onto a non steroidal anti inflammatory when she needed it (progressive management ensured that she had what she needed when she needed it, but we did not start things too soon to limit side effects or the reduction in their efficacy when they were truly needed). She also received nutritional support with glucosamine and fish oil etc. She received plenty of exercise at her own pace to maintain muscle and ligament support for the joints (important - I recommend swimming if you can). She lived until 10 years of age (within the average for her breed - which is a giant breed) and was mobile until her death from a completely unrelated cause. In relation to hip scoring, your dog is old enough to send for AVA scoring as opposed to Pennhip (which is the only one that can be reliably done on puppies, but involves additional x-rays performed by only a specially trained vet and sending the x rays to UPenn in the US). I find hip scoring useful as they are providing a report based on a strict system and it is something they do every day. The average vet will often get it wrong just looking at the x-rays (had a good example of this recently when a vet and I were speculating over some x-rays which ended up coming back with a very different score than the vet thought it would). Here is Rawlinson's web page: http://www.robrawlinson.com/ This is a good site which explains the hip scoring system: http://www.online-vets.com/hipscore_1.html

I am sorry to hear this. How old is your dog? Have the X-rays been sent to a radiology specialist or for scoring with PennHIP? Is your dog showing actual signs of problems or was this just determined through vet diagnosis? The reason I ask is that while TPLO is a useful operation in the right circumstances, it is also the latest 'money spinner' for many vets. So I am always cautious when I see it has been recommended in a young dog. If your dog is showing severe signs of mobility issues already, then it certainly may be the right course of action for you. If this is not the case and any issues are currently minor or it is something your vet has raised, then I may be erring on the side of caution and getting a secondary opinion from a radiology specialist such as Rawlinson is SA. Note that PennHIP has even gone to the extent of releasing a statement about it and including it in their FAQ (http://info.antechimagingservices.com/pennhip/navigation/general/frequently-asked-questions.html ) : "My vet has advised a surgical procedure to avoid the development of arthritis in my dog later in life based on the results of his PennHIP examination. Should I have my dog operated on?" Answer: Until appropriate randomized and controlled clinical trials are designed and conducted, it is premature to use the Distraction Index as an indication for hip surgery, either remedial or preventive. At present several different surgical procedures (Triple pelvic osteotomy, Juvenile symphysiodesis) have been advocated by some veterinary surgeons to prevent the development of arthritis (degenerative joint disease) later in life in dogs with excess joint laxity (loose hips). None of these procedures have undergone scientific clinical trials that have proven THEIR EFFICACY in preventing the onset or slowing the development of arthritis in dogs with hip dysplasia. Although WE ARE not fundamentally against the use of preventative surgical management of dogs with excessive hip laxity, WE FEEL THE WHOLESALE CLINICAL USE OF PURPORTEDLY PREVENTIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURES BEFORE ADEQUATE TESTING IS CONDUCTED, IS UNJUSTIFIED. WE ADVISE CAUTION! It may be that in the future when good evidence exists to support the efficacy of these procedures their use will be encouraged.

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definitely agree that a male is a great first step. It gives you an opportunity to develop a relationship and see how you go with the showing side of things. It is an excellent opportunity to learn and to make contacts. Starting this way can potentially open a lot more doors and mean you may get a much better bitch than you would have if you held out for a bitch first up. One of the most useful virtues for a breeder is patience. Breeding can be a lot about frustration and waiting more than actually doing. even for those who have been in a breed a long time. Good breeders will have waiting lists too and will reserve the best for those who they know can do them justice - particularly good bitches which can be as precious as gems. So earning trust and showing you are worthy of that trust can be paramount. In a nutshell - you want something they have that is precious and a lot of other people want too (a good quality potential breeding prospect is not always a dime a dozen). How can you show you are worth the risk? It is also important to remember how things will be viewed and the impression we can make. Many breeders do live in country areas for example. Travelling can be a big issue and the rest of our lives make things complicated. BUT dedicated breeders make time to go to shows, visit other breeders, go the National or other specialties if they can etc. Breeding and showing can be a reasonable commitment in terms of time and money. If someone is not going to be able to make the time and effort to do things in order to get a dog to show and breed, why should someone think they will do it after? Perception.... don't tell someone what you can't do and how hard it is to get out there. Because it simply wont get any easier once you have the dog. If it is too hard now, it will be too hard then too. Instead have a real think about what you CAN do. Make a plan to achieve your aim. Step one - seek out a mentor or mentors. Find someone to learn from. your aim can be to get a dog to show when a suitable one is available. Poodles are not an easy breed and can take a lot of commitment. Work on developing your knowledge and skills. For example, if you have a pet poodle, perhaps practice putting it in a show clip and seeing how you go maintaining it. It will help you develop your grooming skills and will show your commitment too. FWIW

Here is another resource I will add. It is a blog by Finnish breeder Juha Kares. I strongly recommend taking the time to read his English language blog posts right back to the beginning of the blog. They are very insightful and have a lot of fantastic food for thought for breeders: http://chicchoix.com/blog/

CCb it is a very complex subject and not one that can be really given justice in a short reply here. Knowledge about breeding is something you keep learning over many years, with much reading and much mentoring and actually covers a wide range of subject areas from structure to genetics, to ethics, to behaviour, training, grooming, coat care, nutrition, general animal management and health, to reproduction and so on. A good breeder needs to study all aspects as well as learning about the history and other aspects that are specific to their own breed. I can certainly suggest a few books for you to get you started. Patricia Craige Trotter's 'Born to Win: Breed to Succeed" is one. Richard Beauchamp's 'Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type' is another. Another good one is 'Structure in Action' by Pat Hastings (actual everything by Pat Hastings is good). And if you can ever get your hands on Mary Roslin Williams's "Reaching for the Stars: Formerly Advanced Labrador Breeding" then grab it. Now to try and touch on yourspecific questions: Q: "So do most breeders select maitings to mainly create/carry-on just one specific line?" They may or they may not. May breeders will develop their own 'line' of dogs through careful breeding over many generations. Some my maintain several separate lines which they may or may not breed together occasionally. Good breeders often use a combination of both outcrossing and linebreeding to achieve their aims. Generally a breeder who only maintains a small number of dogs may often have just one 'line' as they breed with successive generations of (mostly) bitches they have bred (often using dogs from elsewhere). Sometimes you will find breeders work together so their lines may in some aspects be similar. But it really can vary a lot. Q: "Can someone elaborate on 'bettering the breed'? Is it to create 'perfection' in a species? If so, what is perfection? Is it just meeting the breed standard?" It is an often misused or misunderstood term. Theoretically breeders don't 'better' a breed as such as what the breed 'is' as described by the standard, is theoretically 'perfect' for the job it was designed to do. What breeders do however is generall two things - they 'maintain' a breed as a whole by contributing to its continuation and ensuring there is a sufficient genepool for it to go on existing in a healthy and viable manner and so that it still can be identified as the breed that it is and do the job it was designed to do. To do this they need to work on improving individuals in their breeding program by trying to breed individuals that are healthy, can do their jo, and are structurally sound. As every dog has faults, it is about using the dogs to their best advantage to try and lessen the number of faults each time you breed while maintaining an improving breed type. Some faults (such as those diseases or structural issues which cause pain or death) are going to be a higher priority to work to eliminate than others. We all aim to breed the 'perfect dog' (the dogs that is structurally correct in accordance with the standard, has the correct temperament and working ability, is healthy and free of genetic diseases, and oozes breed type) - we never will, but the aim is to get as close as possible. Q: "Are the puppies sold from 'reputable' breeders just a by product of matings to improve the line? If a breeder felt like they had a good line going and quality dogs - is it so wrong to keep breeding for the purpose of providing people with quality pets and getting a small profit? " In many cases a breeder will only breed when they want something to go on with. They choose what they want to keep or run on, and the rest are often sold to pet homes. The main thing that makes a person reputable is that the matings are chosen with care and with a defined purpose of breeding good specimens and with a view to the future. A good breeder IMO thinks of themselves as part of the 'bigger picture' of their breed - building on what breeders have done before, and leaving a legacy for those that will come in the future (they are generally 'active' in their breed community in some way on a national if not international level). The question of whether a 'reputable' breeder will purposely breed for the 'pet market' is a hotly debated one ethically. We need to be careful of accepting many of the labels imposed by the AR debate. At the same time, we needs to ensure that whatever we do as breeders remains for the welfare of the dogs and for the breed (are we putting the breed before breeding?). The issue when the concept of 'profit' is introduced is that measures are often then also incorporated to cut costs o maximise profit and minimse effort to get it - and that may not always be in the dogs or the breeds best interests (or necessarily in the interests of those buying the pups either). Reducing costs when it comes to care, nutrition, the effort put into raising the pups, choosing a dog you own rather than a dog elsewhere that may be more suitable etc can potentially be made. It is not easy to make money when you take into account costs like health testing, quality nutrition and health care, veterinary care, choosing the best dog, putting effort into raising a litter well etc etc. And also making decisions not to breed certain dogs even though they have cost you money and therefore will represent a significant loss financially. Certainly people may come out on top if a litter goes well. Making a little money occasionally from a litter is not unheard of (gross profit if not net). But it is often more pin money to put back into the dogs than anything you could live on. To live off income from breeding dogs, you would in reality need to have quite a few dogs (which would bring you back to the issues of the dangers of cost cutting and maximising profit...). I guess the best question to ask would be - if you were to breed a dog to sell the pups as pets, is it a mating you would be doing otherwise if you planned to keep a pup (i.e is it a quality mating that could contribute in some way to the breed)? And are you prepared to put as much work into it to ensure the pups are raised in a way that will make them excellent pets without cutting any corners. After all - pets are not 'second class' and pet owners deserve the best a breeder can breed. I will add too that that danger with someone whose only focus is breeding or pets is that their outlook will be narrow. They may not see the big picture of the breed or be connected to others in the breed on a national or international scale. They may potentially 'lose sight' of what thy are doing due to no real oversight or visibility by others in the breed of their program. IMO it is all about outlook and attitude towards how they approach breeding. While I personally have no issues with well bred and raised litters of pups being sold to well chosen pet homes, IMO this should never be the ONLY focus of a breeder when it comes to their breed.

I have had no problem buying from Puppies in Bloom and having them ship to Australia. I think I bought through their Etsy store. They ship worldwide. The delivery was fairly quick from memory. https://www.etsy.com.../PuppiesInBloom#

I have a 6 1/2 year old girl that recently got a bit ...ahem .... soft around the middle. She has not been desexed. She is now getting back to her more fit self, though she does have a naturally more mature figure now. She will likely be desexed soonish. Either desexed or not though I will have to continue to watch her weight!

Puppies in Bloom. They are on ebay I think and have an Etsy store. I like their collars as you can get a range of different sizes. Edited to add they have a website now: http://www.shop.puppiesinbloom.com/PUPPY-ID-BANDS_c4.htm

Great Pyrenees are called Pyrenean Mountain Dog here (only called Great Pyrenees in North America). If you go to my website (link below) you will find the info to answer your questions in the 'about the breed' section. I have been helping quite a few with this assignment this year and most have found it has given them everything they need (and saves me writing it out again ;) ). If you want more than is on the website though, feel free to call or email me.

Protexin Soluble (Orange label). More bang for your buck than the green label (feed less for more probiotics) and mixes easily with food and/or liquids (has no real taste so they don't know it is in there). IS more expensive, but is my personal choice if I want to provide a good hit (i.e. more than they get through normal diet which includes yoghurt and green tripe etc). Note that probiotics need to be refrigerated to remain viable.

T Posting pics as requested (hopefully if the iPad cooperates). Pics are of the same dog. In my breed they should be able to do it all. No distinction. Darn it isn't cooperating. Have to try something else .... Seems I can't add pics from iPad (aarrrgghhhh!!)

Sires on Ice/Rocky Ridge at Calga has it I think.

Remove the dogs from this equation and the whole thing is highly inappropriate, is harassment and borders on assault. Add dogs and why does it become different?

Agree - you can't comply with the rules you like on one hand and not on the other. If they are quoting a legitimate membership number then as a member they must register the litter. Even an oops can be registered though they may be slapped over the wrist if not a good reason for the accident. If they are complying with the use of the membership number in ads they should also be in compliance with the requirement to register. If they are not legitimately using a dogs Nsw number (and using a number to try and 'legitimise' themselves, then dogs Nsw need to know that too as that is fraud. Report if. Then dogs Nsw can determine if any breaches of the regulations and or code of ethics have been made or if other action is required to protect their good name.

If you are on Facebook, check out the 'Australian Dog Show Newbies' group. Lots of friendly help and guidance for new starters.

This. Definitely don't skimp on fencing. You are better over engineering it from the get go than try and make fixes later. Too many people (not saying you - just seen it too many times in these parts) move 'to the country', bring their dogs and think the dogs will stay put or will stay in the farm fencing. Really doesn't work a lot of the time. As a new neighbour to one side of us found when their white GSD killed two of their goats, and as the new neighbour just down the road found out when their border collie would chase every car going down the road... Around here farmers foxbait too so dogs are doubly at risk. When it comes to getting dogs used to other animals again fences are your friend (if not supervised, separate them). Discourage fence running though, and take the dog on lead to 'see new stuff and to learn to be around things quietly. Praise and reward for quietly ignoring stock/other animals.

My first family dog (dog came before me) was a kelpie. I remember him as a great dog and full of energy. I remember the green and white ball I got for my birthday when I was 4 (was looking at a picture of me with it in with my mother a couple of weeks ago!). The day after I got it he stole it and put holes in it! Lol! I remember I wasn't really that upset as he had such a great time with it. My first 'you have responsibility for choosing and helping to look after' dog as a teenager was a dalmatian x something. She was from the pound (which is the only place we looked. We just went there looking for a dog). It is a bit of a joke as I was told I could get a small male dog. But I fell in love with the female puppy with big paws! I remember her being a relatively easy dog to own (we had quite a few dogs but she was the first I had a major role in getting). My first dog as an adult was a Pyrenean Mountain Dog. When I was ready for a true dog of my own I decided it would be purebred, I would do the responsible thing and desex (our family had always done that) and I would take it to obedience classes. I moved into a rental house with a good yard and a clause in the lease that I could own a dog, specifically so I could get a dog. I spent a lot of time looking at different breeds and was actually considering a springer spaniel. In those days no internet so I looked at books i. The library and in pet stores and bought dog magazines. It was the Puppies USA Annual where I first read about this breed called a 'Great Pyrenees' and instantly fell in love. I bought a book from the pet shop on the breed (one of those general TFH ones) and then called the then Canberra Kennel Association (found in yellow pages when people actually used them). They set me straight on the name and put me in touch with the Victorian club who put me in touch with a breeder. I was filled in on all the barking and escape artist issues but it didn't deter me. So Halley joined me (first time I met a pyr was when she arrived by plane at 9 weeks of age). And the fun began! She REALLY a taught me about the barking and the escaping and the independence lol! But it was too late. I was in love with the breed and no matter the difficulties she cemented the deal for me. I just had to learn to adapt to their needs ;-)Photos of Halley here: http://www.espinay.com/halley As for recommending Pyrs for first time dog owners, it really depends on the person. There are some I would not recommend them to. (Even some experienced dog owners I would not recommend them to though). And some I feel could cope well. Really a person needs to be a good leader in their bearing for the most part and able and willing to adapt the way they do things to suit the breed. Those that are too 'soft' in general (we all have seen them - the ones that plead half heartedly with their children to behave as the kids act like uncontrolled monsters ...) or too rigid in their requirements from a dog (ie want a dog to jump at their commands willingly etc) will not work

Love Pyreneans with a passion. Would not own a Maremma. They just don't do it for me.

Ditto on all the above. They would be my top three.

You may need to reload the program on the new computer. Do you have a disk from breedmate? Without the program loaded your data will not run. If you don't have a disk from them you may have to contact them and get it sent electronically for you to download. Whether you will have to pay anything for a new program will I guess depend if the version you are running is still supported or if you will need to upgrade.

I think it would be great, but I think the price would be prohibitive for most. How many dogs could you fit on the plane? And would you take passengers too?

From memory I have paid around $20 for a day stay. I think that was with food. It has been a couple of years since I have done it. A very handy service when bitches are in season. I would drop my boy off while I was at work for 'peace of mind' and to give him a break/chance to eat rather than think of other things! Biggest thing I needed was to be able to pick up after work and get feedback on what/if he had eaten. I would pay a bigger fee for that convenience.

Where were the hotspots located? Often if there is no obvious external reason there may be an internal one. For example a hot spot may develop over a source of 'weakness'. Sometimes the site of an injury (old or new) or some other systemic weakness. Looking at ways to boost the immune system or address the 'weakness' may help in those situations.

There is a facebook page called 'The secret life of showdogs' but it isn't overly active. My favourite though is 'National Purebred Dog Day' which is doing a great job promoting purebred dogs. A well run page or blog about the 'other life' of show dogs would be good I think. One of the things I make sure I do on my website is have photos not just of the dogs at shows, but also doing lots of other things too - whether it is cuddling on the bed, interacting with children or elderly (or us!) or at football games, public events, with chickens, playing in the paddock, and simply doing 'everyday stuff'. It shows there is more to them than dog shows and also shows their temperament and versatility. I loved this when I saw it on a friends website (with a different breed) so was sure to do it on my own. I find people looking at the page love to see it and a lot of the pet enquiries I get, people specifically mention how much they loved seeing the dogs doing different things as it really gave them a feel for what they are like. A lot say they chose to contact me because of it.