BullBreedBoy

Have you considered contacting the rescue you got her from and asking if they can help? I am heavily involved in a rescue over here and we often babysit ex rescue babies for people. That way you're more than likely able to find someone familiar with troubled dogs and equipped to work with them.

I find this to be a very odd way of thinking to be honest. Our primary objective as dog owners and/or breeders should be the long term health and well being of our animals. Keeping dogs in good condition is (coupled with feeding a highly quality diet) in my opinion the singular best thing you can do for them. Blind adherence to a Breed Standard is not the way to go. Weighing of dogs is only useful for correct medication levels as far as I'm concerned. Visual inspection and touching is the correct way to assess their condition. Here is a simple chart that I hand out to all our families from vet west:

You take get a pretty good assessment from a side on photo in all but long haired breeds.

Good articles there. Particularly the second one. I'd say the vast majority of dogs I see out and about are in average to poor condition. My favourite thing is when someone with a clearly overweight dog trys to tell me that my dogs aren't being fed enough and are too skinny...

No not really. They are used to the routine. Dogs do not experience the same hunger response as humans, and in fact their bodies are well equipped to miss days, or even a week of food. The reason I do it is that I have a theory that it reduces cholesterol, gives the healthy gut bacteria a chance, allows stomach acid levels and enzymes to stabilise. In addition I believe it helps control food responsiveness, and has a positive impact on muscle tone and condition. I have a mate who is involved with Malamute breeding and feeds his studs once every 48-72 hours. His dogs are in startlingly good condition and it got me thinking and researching. If you are trying to drop 3 kgs then there is 2 keys considerations on how much you are feeding by weight, but more importantly the digestibility of what you are feeding. If you are feeding a highly digestible diet like raw, barf, tucker time then you actually need to temper your portion sizes a fair bit. My dogs are highly active and are fed a fair bit less than what commercial food companies recommend.

Am a very strong believer in one meal a day, 6 days a week plus bones. My dogs all fast Sunday and have a raw meaty bone on Monday and Friday mornings. With this model they get their weeks food weight across the 6 feeding days.

My neighbour is on a fairly tight budget and feeds Applaws It's All Good. It seems pretty good value for money from looking at the pack ingredients and analysis (compared to other kibbles) I would look into making your own Barf though, which is actually not that hard and can be very cost effective if you buy smart.

what are you feeding him?

That's great.

It's commonly recommended to feed four times a day. Reason is that they have small tummies and fast metabolisms and want to avoid bloat. I feed all my puppies 3 times a day from around 8 weeks onwards and it works for us. I don't subscribe to this meal time regularity concept, and don't recommend it. I'd say what you feed is far more important than 3 vs 4 times a day. My advice is to feed a broad range of high quality foods from early on, and don't let puppy dictate terms to you. He eats what he gets in the allowed time or he gets nothing. Will soon learn.

Okay. Step 1: don't panic! I think you need to temper your expectations a little. You have a baby who was taken from his mum and everything that he knew in the world 2 days ago! I think you are worrying too much, and letting this become tense, instead of enjoying it. Now, where is the crate located at night? If not in your bedroom, then put it in there, as close to your bed as possible. Him being able to smell/hear/see you will help significantly. You ARE going to have toilet accidents. Puppies develop at different rates and he may very well have little to no control at the moment. It's ok, and most important step is to remain calm, clean it up and move on. Poo in crate!? Oh well never mind, just throw it all in the wash and move on. I really think you need to take a step back, throw your bloody plan out the window and work with what's in front of you. You do not need your puppy to learn everything in the 1st week, and it's ridiculous to think they will. I don't care what other breeders, or dog trainers say, I am bloody convinced that the most important thing you can do for your puppy in the early days is love him. Be with him, be in the moment and go with the flow a little. Now get some bloody sleep! Have a nap on the couch with him. That's great bonding time.

I have a theory that advance isn't that palatable. We often get the big bags donated to the rescue, and have tried feeding it to many rescue dogs over the years and give up cause so many turn their nose up at it.

Sighs. Yes, there is a lot more to it. That's why I said it's AN indication. I didn't say it was the only thing that mattered. Personally I take a range of measures including phone interview, house visits, proof of home ownership, google search etc. The inference here seems to be that these so called designer puppies aren't loved, cared for, etc which I very much doubt. I also know of some breeders that take no effort at all to check potential puppy buyers out and sell to whoever has the cash... We see many pedigree dogs come through the rescue. Can only assume at least some of them came from registered breeders.

Beat me to it, sadly. I once saw a petshop selling "poodlexmaltese puppies(forgot what the fancy name was) for $1800. Thing is, all the pups were sable coloured.. snork. They all sold within a week. Always with the strawman arguments are on forums... Yes I'm sure there are exceptions but in general, price is an indication of commitment (which was my point). I often have unsuitable dreamers contact me. When I tell them that the cost of my puppies is approx $2000 the vast majority never hear from again. That doesn't mean that some people don't buy expensive puppies from pet shops though so congratulations.

I ran out of raw food yesterday and didn't realise. Baxter the Bullmastiff had to eat canned food from emergency stash. The look of sheer devastation on his face after he sniffed it was priceless and he sulked for the rest of the night lol.

Personally, I think taking some time off is a great idea. I would primarily be using the time to bond with your pup, and gain it's trust. Sure, give the pup some exposure to the area it will be left in, but don't stress! Puppies are much more adaptable than what people make out imho. I often look after rescue puppies who have been moved around and in a variety of home or kennel settings. Vast majority of them are fine, and settle in here quickly. The key to success with puppies is being firm and consistent. Invest most of your energy into positive reinforcement.

That's cool, wasn't going to tell you to feed raw. Just that some kibbles do get them drinking a lot. Try going for the mince at night time and see if it makes a difference. Edit: also some treats are high in salt, and this can really affect some puppies making them drink loads of water.

Out of interest, what are you feeding at night?

I seriously think you should have a real look at Bull Terriers. They are wonderful family dogs, love kids, and being around people but also ok with being independnet and like some alone time to. My puppies love games of fetch and tug etc and almost all my babies go to families wih kids. They are also protective of their human pack, but not vicious. Certainly they are big enough to intimidate (one of my boys is 38kgs) if this is your objective. Also despite what some say, they are absolutely trainiable and are very responsive to obedience training (actually think it is critical for their mental health). I don't know if they'll upset your allergies, but I genuinelly think from what you've said would be a wonderful fit with your other requirements. Lot's of breeds to choose from!

I've had some success with a patch of fake grass (1m x 1m) on hard flooring where it's easy to clean. Get 2 patches from bunnings for really cheap. Then you swap them out between wee's, and take the wet one outside and hose off. There will be enough of the urine scent left for puppy to smell it when you bring it back in. I had a very stubborn toilet trainer boy and I did this with him on another breeders recomendation and it worked well. I just gradually moved the patch out the door, and onto the lawn. In about 10 days had him going on the lawn consistently and gradually removed the turf patch. Reading through the thread I'd say you're being way to hard on yourself. Toilet training can be a stressful and difficult experience. I know I've been there. Don't get down on yourself. Just time to try something different. :) Give the turf patch a go, I reckon it'll help, and doesn't cost much at all. You could probably pick up some offcuts for free from a landscaper etc. Anyways, hope that helps, and many of us have been there before. It's hard!

Yes no problems is a great way of picking up a more mature dog. I was just explaining how it works, and that IME it's not a cheaper way of accessing a puppy.

Over here the arrangment is generally that you pay full price for the puppy, and then have that refunded if the puppy is used for breeding, and if there is an agreed minimum number of healthy pups come from the mating. I would never release a puppy for a reduced cost upfront as am a firm believer in the price being one of the indications of commitment. People are not going to pay $1800+ for a puppy on a whim...

It's a shame, because the Bull Terrier fits all your requirements perfectly, and sounds like would be a great match match but I guess this would upset your allergies?

I'm a litle confused. Are you talking about standard breeders terms, or something different? It's not unusual over here for puppies to be sold on terms, particularly so with some of the less prevelant breeds. Under normal terms, essentially you own the puppy, but the breeder will access it at around 6-12 months old to decide if they want to use the dog in their breeding program. If they decide to proceed with using it then generally you hand the dog over to the breeder for pre-determined periods for matings, pregnancy, whelping, etc (depending boy or girl) Terms can work well if you have a good relationship with your breeder and trust them to look after your dogs and your interests. I do know of circumstances where they have turned nasty, but I'd say almost every Bully sold in WA is on some form of terms and in general don't hear of many issues. One thing to consider though is what sex puppy you want. Beeding is obviouslly much more disruptive for bitches than studs, and depending on the breeder time periods away, feeding requirements etc are all a consideration. I'd say don't be scared off by the arrangement, but go in eyes wide open. As with any contract, don't sign it unless you understand it, and any breeder worth their salt will sit with you and work through he document explaining it all in detail. I suggest you make sure things like vet checks, food cost, transport etc are all covered off before proceeding.

Firstly, if you feel uneasy then I'd be letting the breeder know that. I agree with others that it's good they've been upfront, however feeling uncomfortable is a red flag you shouldn't ignore. Can I suggest you arrange with the breeder for the pup to be taken to an independent vet for a health assessment, prior to going any further. You could then speak with the vet directly, and have some confidence in your decision.