dougie

is the puppy only 12 weeks?

i didn't see you mention that?

if she is really young it is a matter of socialisation....not psycho analysation..(is that a word?)

anyhow....she needs confidence.

try taking her down town & walking her where there are people...when gets to handle that ok...sit for a while & let people pet her...tell them what you are doing & why. most people are wonderful when it comes to dogs...especially young ones.

there is no short fix. but there is a fix & it's up to you.

just get the best you can afford.

there isn't much difference between the ''known'' breeds.

i have had mine for a while so it could out of production.

that's another advantage of nikon. they don't change their lens mounts....unlike canon who seem to change them every couple of models.

flock or mob....yep.

herd....nup

what breed of camera?

if it's nikon, no probs

if it's a canon make sure the lens mount matches.

try any hock shop.

some of the 3rd party lens are very good.

tamron & tokina are probaby the pick.

the smaller the f stop the better the lens. f1 is better than f3.5 for example...less glass so the lens is faster.....however , the better the lens the bigger the price.

prime lens' give better results than zoom lens but are not as versatile.

the lens i use the most...pretty much exclusivly unless i want to take specific photos, is the nikkor 28-200 3.5-5.6D

it is an excellent lens & perfect for you want.

just something to throw into the equation.

quality of the lens determines quality of pix.

no point in buying a good camera & a cheap lens.

one feed a day....in the morning....

meaty bone at night.

i recommend hard boiled eggs mashed up....shells & all.

for a puppy 1/2 an egg twice a week would be fine.

but i'm not going to argue the toss.....

different strokes for different folks.....

i've been a registered breeder for well over fifteen years also.

I am taking Angus to puppy pre-school next week. I am one week behind the class due to the timing. The class is held at a vet clinic and by an experienced dog trainer. Emphasis is placed on training the owners. I completely trust my vet as the clinic is associated with the university and thus has a vast experience base to draw upon.

As Angus is a giant breed - if I waited until past 14 weeks he would too big for the other puppies and I would not be too popular if he put his paw down on a little maltese or something. He is 11 weeks now and already weighs 12kg! He gains on average 2 kgs per week...

Due to his size, it is very important I get him socialised and trained early.

I appreciate that there is a risk before the vaccination course is completed but it's a bit hard to pop 12kg under your arm and carry them about!

sigh.....

a dog will drink as much as it needs.

if you think it is drinking & pissing, too much have your vet check it out.

dogs can be diabetic.

bloat is not caused by drinking too much water.

Yes but tapeworm segments look like cucumber seeds, maggots look totally different and are much more mobile, surely the OP would know what a maggot looks like? Oh well, maybe not

tape worm segments look just like fat maggots....only slower moving.

i have actually seen them drop out of dogs bum......most distessing......for me & the dog.

I personally think the first training new puppy owners get should be without the puppy - especially for first time owners.

I would have 100% preferred it that way. I could have just listened to the advice of the instructor without having a new puppy to worry about at the same time.

now that is a good thought.

I just can't imagine how the extra 2 weeks would have made a difference anyway - he'd still be the super friendly little moster he is now.

absolutely.

this need for ''socialisation'' is getting out of hand.

once you have had a puppy you know an extra couple of weeks to be safe is really good sense.

cheers

edit....

it more beneficial for the puppy & owner to attend recognise obedience classes anyhow....most kennel clubs have them.

apuppy free for all is a woftam.

puppies do a lot of biting....when the older dog has had enough it will let the puppy know.

at least you know you have a pitbull so you know the problems you face down the track complying with bsl laws.

good luck.

hi uforia -

i understand how you feel. raising a puppy is so confusing and you often get contradicting opinions on what you should do about almost everything.

i had the exact same query as you back when douglas was 11 weeks old.

so i started a poll. 70 people participated. of those 70 people, only 1 person said they had heard of a pup getting sick.

i took doug after his second vaccination - he was 12 weeks old.

it is something you have to weigh up yourself - is it socialisation worth the small chance u will lose your pup to parvo?

>> Link to my old Poll <<

what a wonderful name you have chosen.......

& you have shown good sense regarding your puppies health.

your dougie is as lucky as my dougie.........

people ask for advice & then want to dispute it because of ''folk lore'' bull shih tzu.

if i can save one puppies health & one owners anquish, then job done.

i am frustrated when this place degenerates into a mutual admiration society.....where posters say what they think people should hear rather than what they should actually hear.

you wouldn't let your kids romp around in the infectious diseases ward with any old kid who wandered in off the street.

my advice has been too socialise puppies after they have had their second round of vaccinations. it is just not worth the risk....no matter how remote.

anyone who rejects this advice is foolish, anyone who encourages anyone to dismiss this advice is a moron & i make no apology for that description......it's the only one that is appropriate..

Some tapeworm segments can look like maggots. Bob had a problem with tapeworm last year even though I was worming him regularly with wormer from the vet, every four weeks he'd pass these white maggotty looking things. Most times I pick up the poop as soon as he does it. Two vets told me that they were maggots, but I stuck to my guns and insisted that if they were maggots he was pooping them out! Finally one vet did a fecal floatation and did confirm they were tapeworm segments. A good tapeworm only wormer did the trick. i think sometimes the all wormers just don't cut it when it comes to tapeworm.

zactery what i was going to suggest.......

"anyone who advises anyone to ''get your puppy out & about to socialise it'' before it has had it's second round of vacs is a moron."

"if your ''trainer'' is so damn good he/she will have no trouble socialising a puppy AFTER it has its full course of vaccinations.....if they can't.... get a ''real'' trainer.......too easy."

who does that help?

it helps everyone the good sense to listen to good advice when they hear it.

anyone who does advise to the contrary is a moron & a some poor bloody puppy owner who accepts this idiotic advice will pay the price....not will maybe pay the price, but will pay the price....

someone, somewhere..

stupid advice given by stupid people make my blood boil.

as does stupid advice endorsed by equally stupid people.

the poor little puppy was terrified for cr'is sake.

it wasn't the puppy pre school.....(what a scammy name that is for a start)....that did the business....it was the confidence the puppy gained at ''home''.

the pet ''business'' is a huge business......scammers are in for their cut.

little puppies are still babies at 12 weeks......

there must be some sorry owners out there if their puppies need to be socialised at 8 weeks.....

good grief....i would say they are novice owners being conned by a money grubbing minority.

any one who really wants their puppies socialised & to receive basic training at the same time should contact their local obedience club.

people who do the business for the love of it.......& know what they are doing.

And Dougie, we talked about diet in general, what is considered safe to feed your puppies, things that you should never feed a dog. We did not recommend any particular brand, nor did we hand out any food samples, other than training treats that we did not sell in the clinic. It's not always about forcing products onto new puppy owners.

I don't think anyone could complain about being given a worm tablet and being shown how to worm your puppy.

If you and your puppy can learn a little from pre-school and you feel more confident in training your puppy and dealing with issues like house training and biting, then what is the harm ?

Has anyone ever come across a puppy that contracted parvo from a pre-school. I know of over 1000 that have attended and not one sick puppy amongst them.

i do all that before a puppy leaves my place.....

i give the new owner kibble & kangaroo mince & list of additives to include on a regular basis.....including sardines, fishoil tabs cheese etc, hard boiled eggs left over pasta etcetc.

i also make an exaggerated show of worming thier puppy before they take it......1/4 of a tab down the throat, close the mouth, rub the neck until swallowed.....they see it done & realise how easy it is......every month to six weeks...without fail

i also show the new owners how to trim toe nails.

& i tell them, under no cercumstances are they to take not MY puppy where other dogs frequent until they have their 12 week booster shots.

they leave with my telephone numbers & entreaty to ring me....anytime......most do....for the first couple of months with little things they aren't sure off......after that it is pics on web of gorgeous healthy little tanker dogs....gotta love 'em.

pre puppy school,,,,,,,,bah humbug

6 - 7 weeks old? Don't think it matters where they came from, the vet runs the classes from after first vaccine, so they are perfectly allowed to be there according to the vet, I don't agree with that at all either HH..........

just bring your money with you.......

sad.

What do you consider to be a 'one puppy wonder' Dougie?

i would have thought that was self explanitory.

Dougie- if you have never seen a 10- 12 week old pup with issues, clearly you haven't seen enough puppies! I question your experience with dogs of different ages AND breeds.

.......yeah, right.

Dougie - probably best you steer away from the training forums, it's not your forte.

this is the puppy forum....i know puppies.....puppies are my forte.

Yes yes Dougie, but you can't actually provide any concrete evidence that you *do* know what you're talking about.

if your ''trainer'' is so damn good he/she will have no trouble socialising a puppy AFTER it has its full course of vaccinations.....if they can't....

.......get a ''real'' trainer.......too easy.

''real'' training schools wont accept any dog without a current vaccs certificate & puppies must be a minimum of 3 months....with an appropriate vaccs cert.....go figure?

Hogwash, get with the program Dougie, alot of those 'real' schools are now offering puppy classes themselves.

The critical socialisation period for pups is usually well finished by 18 weeks, which is the age most pups will be after their full course of vaccinations.

I will take a younger pup into my pre-school if it is about due for it's 2nd Vacc, particularly when all the others have had a 2nd Vacc, because by the time I begin a new group it will be too old. You don't actually take classes and wouldn't have the faintest idea so I'll enlighten you: Puppy owners will go to a pre-school that's convenient, if I don't take them, and refer them onto another 'real' trainer...they may not go, based on the fact that it's 15 more minutes travel on a weeknight.

They particularly don't want to go elsewhere, when they've been specifically referred to me by the local obedience club, by one of the several councils that refer or some of the Vet Clinics in the area.

I would much rather take a younger pup into a class THAN IT NEVER TO GO TO A CLASS AT ALL, because that's what happens on a very regular basis.

You're in Staffies which are a highly adaptable breed, love people and are generally outgoing, and you probably do a lot of socialisation at home before they go, but the crappy breeders are unfortunately still the majority.

I'd much rather take a younger pup into the group than see it at 5-6mths a f**ked up mess because the owners wouldn't take it out for socialisation, you can't undo a pup at six months like you can a pup who is only 10-12 weeks and showing the same behaviours. Makes my life - and the real trainers I refer to later on- much much easier.

Mel.

self praise is no recommendation.

here we have people with nothing to gain...monetarily......& people that do.......

make up your own mind folks.

Makes my life - and the real trainers I refer to later on- much much easier.

i am yet to see a screwed up 10-12 week old puppy anyhow.

there is nothing to unsrcew.....it's a sinecure......

talk about pet store rip offs....this is another one.