Jump to content

SmokeyR67

  • Posts

    76
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by SmokeyR67

  1. Cool, your animals are perfect, I understand that, but parasites are just a fact of life, we all have them, bathing, grooming and insecticiding (I think that's a new word ) just controls them..I just think it's better to acknowledge that and control the issue than assume that we and our pets are immaculate beings.
  2. Guys after spending a few hours watching you tube video's, I've decided that not getting 2 pups of the same age is a good idea....I'm going to get one of every breed, smother myself in bacon grease, lay down and try to survive an attack of the psycho puppies:)
  3. Every dog has fleas, just like every human has face lice, it's just that we keep them under control:)
  4. Hi Guys, I'm going to be getting a new mate soon, and I'd love to get your opinions on diet. Of course, I'll be feeding whatever the breeder suggest for the first months, but here's what I like to feed my dogs, please tell me if I'm doing something wrong. My plan is to give them a good quality dry food as the base, with chicken frames or lamb neck for the chewy bits, raw eggs, sardines, tomato (paste is easiest), some raw shredded vege's and a wee bit of pasta to hold it all together. For training treats, I'd like to dry my own meats - liver chicken and beef, obviously finely sliced and well cured. Do you see any problems with what I'm planning, and am I missing anything that they will need?
  5. G'day guys, I've just gone through my dog toy box, and most of them are more than a bit worse for wear, so as part of my preparation for bringing in a young crazy furry thing into my house, I'm going to restock on quality toys. I like Aussie dog toys, a turbo chook, home alone and a big yellow treat ball where amongst my favorites, along with big kongs, and canvas covered throw tube thingies, but that was 10 years ago, so I'd love to hear what you guys have found to be great toys for pups through adolescence.I'm also thinking that those toys where great when my dogs where a bit older, but a bit too big when they where little guys. I should mention that I'm looking at Viszla's, so medium size dogs, and I'm not a fan of tug toys, if a human is one of the tuggers:) Thanks for putting up with my questions, Shane
  6. It's funny what Labs can cope with diet wise, I had one who loved to eat cane toads, at first I panicked but after the 3rd or fourth trip to the vet I realised that the only problem post a meal o' toad was his horrendous breath! Mind you, he may have developed a cast iron gut after he ate a red back at 9 weeks old, damn near died but after that he could eat anything without fear I was a soldier at that time, and he managed to get into my kit and eat an entire 24 hour ration pack one day, tinned food, chewing gum, coffee, sugar and toilet paper - the whole lot - he didn't skip a beat, just went and raided my tomato vines yet again. To the op, it's probably too late now, just watch your dog for the usual signs of caffeine/sugar (high heart rate, extra crazy nutiness) and any blood in their stool from the acid and take them to the vet if they start showing any dodgy signs. Shane
  7. Thx Barb, I think the pup(s) will get plenty of sleep time, I've been a shift worker for 30 years so I'm a master of the nanna nap:) Papillion Kisses, thanks for the links, they'll help me no end, and might even stop me asking silly question on here (thats doubtful ) Rascal, when I think about it, it was a poor situation to bring in a young nutter to the household, my dog was middle aged, I had my elderly father living with me (and they had bonded very well, although I can still here my Dad saying "bloody dog" every time my GSD lay patiently waiting for the crusts from Dads breakfast toast) and I was working 12 hour shifts, with ots of travel, so it wasn't a settled household. Anyhow, thanks everyone for your replies, my next question will either about nutrition or toys, so standby for a new thread Shane
  8. Rascal my GSD was middle aged, maybe 6 or 7, and he'd been through a lot, 2 hip replacements (my bank account to a hit on that too!) and she was young, 12 or 18 months old. She was a cattle dog, not by breed but by design, and whilst she was a lovely dog, she was very very annoying, She did have a decent life, trying to herd pigs
  9. Thanks Rascal, Ive only once had an older dog and introduced a younger bitch, He was a very protective GSD, she was a rescue. It took a few months of heartache, but we found the rescue girl a new home on a farm, where she was scared of sheep, but she ended up being a house dog
  10. Thx Roova, your artical has reinforced popular opinion, mad me have a couple of rebelious seconds, and then settle down and think, ok, first one at 8 weeks, second at 8 +26 Back to the topic, socialisation aka giving your furry bundle of joy the best possible chance of being a valued member of society (or just a cuddly mate who doesnt want to kill the neighbours) 1. A trip to the vet just for a cuddle. 2. A play in a baby bath. 3. Foot rubs, with a file or clippers (no cutting) 4. Meet the public - a trip to the local firies or ambos (I suggest firies all they do is play volleyball and brag about their hoses) 5. Puppy playgroup - Ladies, you can say how cute, Men, I'll have 5 bucks on the foxie to try and shag...any and or all of em! Post vaccs 1. the park 2. the local shops (single girls, this is where you look the hottest, single guys...ditto) 3.If you still have the key you should have handed in when you retired - an office block elevator (lots of cuddles needed) 4. a walk around the block (I like to ring everyones door bell when I have a new pup, but thats optional) 5. Visit the local Stables (let the pup meet the nicest mare) Optional, but desirable 1. Put a harness on the dog, sunglasses on your face and do your shopping at Coles or Woolies 2. On a Sunday, take a walk through the city centre (can be combined with #1) 3. Go to your local Army barracks, and with a bit of luck your dog will be adored by a Battalion while clanky old vehicles rock and roll in the background - this might take a call to the local PR Officer, if you want to do it, let me know, I'll give you his number:) 4. Sit outside your local church after Mass - the challenge is to make sure your pup doesn't jump. 5. Take your dog to the local produce/pet shop, Keep a loose leash and let them explore the wonderful scents Now, back to that retirement thing...I wont have time to do what????
  11. Maybe thats the issue, I've only ever had a young bitch (less than 2) and a new 8 week old pup...maybe I need to let my girls mature before I get a second dog?
  12. Thanks Tassie, I do have a tendency to over think things, I take medication for it but I still have a bit of OCD:) - I will build a new set of steps so the pup can learn to climb them, I have a standard 1 story brick veneer home, so the dogs may never even see a staircase, but you never know I think playing with the local dogs (the labrawotsy and beagle bitches) will be fine once the pup is fully vacced, They're both sweethearts, and neither are large or boisterous.(well, the doodle dog sort of is, but she's so fluffy and runs in circles, so any impact is shock absorbed) I would love to take pups over a small foot bridge fairly early on, I've had a big strong fearless GSD pull up and refuse to cross a tiny bridge once, the poor bugger was absolutely quivering with fear, and this was a dog that chased lightning and told thunder to shut the hell up:) I might build a little bridge from pvc pipe in the backyard - not an ideal solution, but at least it a start. My nephew is 12 or 13, he's a good lad, loves animals, so I trust him to look after a pup, and when I let he and his mates go crazy, it'll be well supervised, with the pup at my feet until I'm confident that the lads are tired and the pup is confident. I need to balance my desire to have the pup well socialised and my over protective instinct. (my last bitch was over socialised if thats possible:) ) Now, getting back to the retirement thing, I'm worried that you all think I'll be too busy to devote half my life to raising dogs! If that's the case, why did I spend the best years of my life scrimping and saving for retirement:(
  13. You might say that Dogsfevr, but what your saying is baseless, and slightly insulting. (Don't worry, I have a very thick skin) Yes, I question what I read, and respond with questions and statements, it's part of the way that I learn, I don't dismiss anything, but I question everything, it's how I've gotten through life with a modicum of success. From what you and others have said, I'll be reconsidering my approach, and trying to work out the best way to introduce a couple of pups into my home. The crux of this topic, socialisation, will remain the same, I dare say I'll go through the process twice, but I'll learn from the first time, re jig my plan and end up with a couple of fantastically adjusted dogs who love their morning stroll, their afternoon run, and will be the best furry hot water bottles on a cool winters night:) Shane. P.S. I'm confused about retirement not being easier - I won't be working 12 hour shifts, 2 night, 2 days, 3 off if I'm lucky to being a 7 day a week man of leisure, how can that not be easier - please tell me that I haven't spent 33 years chasing a non existent dream!!!!
  14. Thx Rascal, I've never had litter mates, I've always had an older bitch and a younger dog, and to be honest it's never been perfect, there's always been that little bit of play that go's too far, the bitch becomes a little too assertive and the young fella ends up resenting the older girl. It's obviously something I do wrong, now I've identified that, its time to work out what why and how to fix it.
  15. My old Uncle used to sort of stick a thick pad of felt into his dogs ears with vasoline to get them to stand upright , but he only did that if they where totally drooped. It also made a great sound when the dog shook it's head and ejected the felt onto the side of the chook shed, kind of like shlump instead of thump.. Sometimes the dog had erect ears, sometimes not, but the chook shed was always well greased
  16. Mate, they're going to spend 99% of their time within arms reach of me, so separation anxiety will always be an issue, whether I start with one or two. I am about to retire, 12 days and counting. I'll have all the time in the world to train them, whether I start with 2 litter mates, or they're 12 months apart. As for the breeder not selling me 2 pups, thats cool, I really hope they do their best to assess me and my situation before they even consider letting me near their dogs, and if they have an issue with my plans (and I will provide them with a plan for the pups first 12 months, health, socialisation and training) then we'll discuss the concerns, resolve the issue, or part ways with a hand shake. I can understand what your saying, and I appreciate that your contributing your experience, and I'm taking your advice on board, but I also have some experience, and I've found that bringing in a new pup into a young adult working dogs home (and to be honest, when I have dogs, it's their house, they guard it and I mow the lawns ;) )- there can be lots of problems, not from aggression, but from boisterous play. A 35 kg teenager won't mean to hurt the 10kg toddler, but it happens, and it can cause friction throughout their adult life. Anyhow, back to socialisation, be it one pup or 100, do you see anything in my plan that I shouldn't do, and is there anything else that you'd suggest would be a good experience for a young dog? Thanks Shane
  17. Thanks Dogsfevr for the advice, I'll definately take it on board. I am convinced that the pain of having 2 puppies the same age is offset by the bond that they share, so I'm still happy to go that route. As far as the puppy pre school thing, I'm not talking about doing 2 sessions back to back, I was thinking, say, tuesday night dog a is in the class and dog b has to learn to sit out, and thursday night dog b trains and dog a is in the crate. It's been a long time since I've had puppies, and I can see your point about the one in the crate being a huge distraction, but I do want them crate trained and to reduce separation anxiety.... I might have to find a willing neighbour to puppy sit twice a week.. Thanks again, Shane
  18. Hi again, Well, I've decided on getting a couple of Vizsla pups, and even though it's a long way off (I haven;t even contacted a breeder) I want to plan their early puppyhood experiences. I'll enroll them in 2 puppy pre schools, crating one while training the other (and let the caged one loose to play at the end of the lesson:) ) and I 'm thinking of a few other experiences for them. Firstly, I'll take them to the vet for a play, no shots, no bath, just fun and liver bits. Within a 10 minute drive of home, there's both a fire and ambulance station, so I'll contact them and see if they mind me bringing a couple of leashed pups to watch them work. I figure I can do that fairly early on, before they get fully vaccinated as it will be low risk. There's a park nearby that has your standard open spaces, kids playground and best of all a bridge, I'd like to take them over that bridge as soon as possible, but I'm not sure if I can take them to a park before they're fully vaccinated? My Sister is 5 minutes away, she has chickens and a son, so initially I'll let the boy and the pups loose to do what boys and pups do, and after all their shots they can check out the chooks under supervision. I also have a mate who's a dogless dog addict (obedience trainer, had the craziest schnauzer and trained him to a tiltle), he'll love them and he's an hours drive away, so good car training and some fun at the end of the trip. At this age (fully vacced) I'll start them at the obedience club, again, one crated one training, and we also have a pony riding for the disabled school very nearby, so I'd like to take them down to meet the kids and learn to be around the horses. I'm only a 15 minute walk from the local shops, so I'll take them with me while I buy a loaf of bread in the morning. A couple of my neighbours have dogs, one is the sweetest labrawotsit bitch, the other a nice beagle bitch, both are well cared for, healthy and I'd like to introduce them to my pups as soon as possible, but like any expectant pup adopter, I'm nervous about any illness that they may catch. I'd really appreciate your input, if I'm planning something stupid, please tell me, I won't take offence, it's been 10 years since I've had pups, and things change (and I forget stuff) Shane
  19. Hi everyone, Thanks for all the advice, it's really appreciated I think you've convinced me that a couple of Viszla's will suit me to a T, and you've reminded me of a young Viszla named Max who I knew in the 90's, he was a funny bugger, friendly and extremely inquisitive, he was great mates with my GSD at the time...They both had the best of intentions, but always managed to make a mess and make us laugh. Now, the next question is; can anyone recommend a Viszla breeder that will be expecting a litter in the next 6 or so months? Thanks again, Shane
  20. Hi all, I'm about to become semi retired (woo hoo!), and after being dogless for a couple of years it's time for me to bring a couple of pups into my home. My experience is with GSD's and Labs, but I like all working dogs. I prefer medium to large dogs, not because I don't like small dogs, I'm just the type of guy who loves to give them a big hug, and I'm scared of breaking the littler dogs:) I'm on a quarter acre, fenced, I like to walk my dogs for about 45 minutes in the morning (taking the dogs for a walk is less about exercise for them, more about sniffing and exploring) and take them to the dog park in the evening (weather permitting). I'd like to train them to compete in obedience, and I'd really like to try tracking. I'm considering are GSP's, Weimaraners , Irish setters and similar breeds, and I'd love to hear anyones opinions about these dogs (especially from breeders who have litters due this year:) ) Thanks for reading my semi coherent thoughts, Shane
  21. Ben, The best way to protect yorself and your dog is to make friends with the other dog and it's human. Legally, if it attacks you, fight back and send it home, but dont follow them home and then attack them.
  22. Why not get two, then they can bounce off each other before they eat your furniture:)
  23. My suggestion is to leave your dog at home, take a couple of treats and confront the dog in a friendly manner, make it sit (using your treat) then make the comment that thats how you train a dog. The other option is a lead hearing aid for the owner, but that tends to be frowned upon in modern society Smokey
  24. Hi all, It looks like I'll be retiring shortly, and I think I'd like a couple of dogs to keep me on my toes:) I've always had either GSD's or Labs, but I have dodgy shoulders so Shepherds are out (I have issues lifting 45 kg into the back seat of my ute) and whilst I love Labs, honestly, I'd prefer a thinner dog... My personal habits are 1 or 2 walks per day, weather dependant, and at the moment my body clock is out of whack (25 years of shiftwork) but I hope to establish a normal routine on retirement. I'll be starting with general obedience work, and then see what the dogs like before going further, either obedience or agility, anything that keeps them happy I love working and sporting dogs, especially gun dogs, and I'm leaning towards dogs about the size of an Irish Setter/ GSP, but Id love your help in pointing me (no pun intended) in the right direction. Thanks Shane
  25. Is there any sort of legal requirement for warning signs on these electric fences???
×
×
  • Create New...