dougal

I'd love to come along with my mad mutt(s) ....pleeeeease

Dougal (and daughter) North Shore - HB (x2), DB, DB

One my dogs was raised on BARF, the other I switched over from around 14 weeks. They are both healthy and look great.

Dr Billinghurst's book is a really good read if you want to feed the BARF diet.

Meetu - cockers can manage to twist you around their little finger in no time at all

When mine was young I used the time that I was at home to get her used to the idea of being on her own and rewarding her for it. I would go out for short periods of time (10-15 mins), when she was quiet and being good I would quickly reward her for being "brave" on her own. This involved alot of lurking around, but it didn't take long for her to understand that I would be back and she would get a reward. I gradually built up the time frame over a period of weeks. However I felt guilty leaving her for long periods of time ..... which is why I now have 2

There is a nine month gap between them, which has worked out well, as the first has basic obedience and has taught the younger one the household rules. It gives me peace of mind to know that they are not on their own and they are mostly content and well behaved. When I was looking into part time carers, dog walkers etc, the consistent advice I got was to have two to keep each other company. Not what I wanted to hear at the time, but the advice was good. Also, it's hard to stop at one!

Good luck - cockers are wonderful companions and will respond quickly to positive reinforcement. Although they can take advantage if given the opportunity

I suspect it depends upon the amount of digestive enzymes being produced by the pancreas. Some may still have sufficient to not need medication.

Also .....very expensive depending upon the quality of medication. The medication my boy was worth $165.00 every three months. Even with that, he still couldn't have a "normal" diet, fat content etc had to watched very closely.

Charlotte, my terrier lived with pancreatitis for over 13 years (passing away at 15.5 yrs). His was so serious he couldn't digest any food at all and required medication to digest the food for him. He had two attacks - unfortunately, the vet was unable to diagnose the problem after the first attack, and he had another some time later, which destroyed whatever remained of his pancreas after the first event.

It is quite manageable, although can become expensive depending upon whether you need medication or not and the type of medication.

I put his down to giving him some sausage.

Becky, for the fur underneath the paws, trim to be level with the paw - not inbetween the pads and toes.

Tops of the ears can be trimmed with either thinning scissors or clippers (depending upon colour of dog - golds with scissors, blacks/blues can be with the clippers). Inside the ear is done with clippers.

I groom both my cockers, mainly because I love grooming (and show the younger one). Setting up with the gear is expensive to start with, but well worth it.

I have owned and showed an old english sheepdog and a cairn terrier. Both I groomed myself as the breeders were keen to teach me. The cockers are the hardest by far to keep looking good. I trim and bath each week - a big bill if I didn't do it myself.

Becky, happy to help with some tips if you would like to have a go. I'm still on "L" plates, but have some good teachers

that poor dog. I can only imagine the matted mess.

Booboo, I agree, I'd be hopeless as a groomer, wouldn't be able to control my tongue. I see so many cockers with the "shaggy" coat - I'd love to get my hands (and coat king) on to them. Their owners are oblivious to the condition of their coat.

My 8 month old has always done it - gradually getting better. I have learnt not pick her up when anything exciting is happening unless I want to change my clothes.

Minimal doggie smells at my house - I have two that live inside. They are bathed weekly, fed a raw diet, the carpet is cleaned every other day (they shed lots of hair) and puppy spots cleaned up straight away. When I'm home I make sure the house is well aired. It does smell when its damp outside or the house has been closed up for a while.

Although we are about to rip up the carpet and replace with something that is easier to keep clean. ;)

Thanks BP - I try to walk her as much as possible, but sometimes she has to be carried - ie upstairs etc. I'm hoping that she'll grow out of it, but wondering how long that's going to be - the washing machine is getting a good work out at the moment She is a little on the nervy side with most things, cries in the car, cries when I leave, but there has been some improvement with age and gentle training.

Whilst its great to be loved so much, but ........ my 6 month old pup gets so excited that every time I pick her up she piddles all over me This can be anywhere, anytime of day. Took her out of her crate at a show last week - she piddled all over me. Went to visit her breeder - she piddled all over me and then proceeded to do the same in some of the dogs beds!

In the morning I wait for her to empty the bladder before picking her up, which has helped with the morning messes, but last night I had been home 15-20 mins, some of the excitement had died down, picked her up and bingo.... a flood.

She has been a little slow on the house training, but that side of things is starting to come along and generally she is beginning to learn some basic commands and general household rules. Anyone got any good ideas on how to deal with the "excitement piddling"? Just when you think she is calm (for her) .....

My Cairn had his dew claws removed under GA, for showing purposes. He was about 5-6 mths old, didn't seem to worry him too much.

smokeysue, my breeder told me to give a teaspoon of cod liver oil each day, as well as a teaspoon of flaxseed. Although another breeder has said that it should only be one teaspoon of cod liver oil, once per week

I am so sorry that you may need to make this decision. It is one of the hardest things to do in life. I went through a similar thing 6 months ago and still get teary when I think about it.

There were several things that led to me making the final decision, but I think the one thing that stuck in my mind was that I was hoping each morning that my Barney had just gone to sleep overnight so that he was relieved of his pain. Then I realised that if I was thinking that way, then it was time for me to do something to help that along. Barney had so many things wrong with him (one of which was a heart murmur) and reached 15.5 yrs. We still miss him terribly - he has a burial plot in the backyard where we all continue to visit and tell him our troubles.

I received some wonderful support and advice from people here that helped me through some very hard days. It is an awful decision to make, but in doing so you are truly showing such a depth of love for your companion. Only you will know what is the right thing to do and when the time has come. Sometimes it takes a long time to get there, but in the end be brave, and do what is best for your beloved Daisy.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions - we're not looking at a holiday until late June, so that gives me a bit of time to search around for the right carer. I'm leaning towards an "in home" situation where I can trust the sitter to follow my wishes. I just can't imagine my two being the least bit happy in a kennel environment.

Alternatively I need to convince my Mum that she needs 7-10 days bonding with two adorable mutts

"I fretted for them the whole time i was away but the dogs were fine"

Yep that will be me.

"You need to be careful of other's people's ideas on how raw meat should be kept for your dog. You have no control on whether or not the raw meaty bone is left sitting defrosting on the bench all day and left to go off and then fed to the dog."

That's one of my worries - I'm so picky about everything with the dogs. I'm starting think I might just fly my mother in to dogsit - probably a cheaper option if we're gone for more than a few days - just have to housetrain her :D

Hi Wagalot ..... how about moving to Sydney

mmm I'd be pretty cranky FHR if I'd gone to the trouble and my dogs didn't get their food.

The last time I put my (now passed) terrier in commercial kennels he came home with a broken foot/toe The kennel owner's did their very best to hide it - carrying him to the car because the grass was wet and they didn't want him to wet his feet! I got him home, he was limping, down to the vet, plaster, etc etc. I haven't trusted any kennels since then.

mine are a bit like The Divine Miss Sophie dogbesotted - I think they'd eat what was put in front them - its their Mum that's the fussy one I spend hours chopping, mulching and mixing .... OH is complaining that the dogs get fed better than he does

good idea on the freezing. I was thinking along the lines of a home carer situation rather than commercial kennels- preparing myself in advance will overcome the concern of somebody else getting the balance right and make it easier for the carer.

Just thinking ahead in case I get to go on a holiday soon I'd be interested to hear how people manage to continue feeding BARF whilst their dogs are boarded? Have you heard of any kennels that will meet a special diet? (I'm in Sydney)

Usually I take my dog away with me, but now I have two, it may not be as easy. Both dogs are about to start in the show ring, so I'm looking at options where they can continue on their normal diet and get some special care. I have rarely used kennels over the years - had a very good experience with one and a pretty awful experience with the other.

I'd be really interested to hear what others do with their BARF fed dogs when they go away

Living with two very pesky miner birds .... my personal favourite is "get the birdies" gets her to bolt out the door, barking at full capacity

Works every time - less bird poop on my deck!

yep, I have a cocker spaniel - the breeder recommended Martha Gardiners Wool Wash. I use it on the feet/feathers alot - keeps them really white.

Barney, my wonderful old boy, our life will never be the same without you. You were my first baby - kept me company when life was lonely, cheered when life was good and brought a special something to my days that I don't know how I'll live without. You were Ba Ba to the crazy toddler that chased you around - never a harsh word when you probably just wanted your older family. You went into the show ring and prounced around, surprising us all by becoming a Champion. At the prime of your life you became so ill, but fought for 13 more years. Your courage and determination went far beyond anything any human could ever endure. My heart is broken - there will never be another you - I hope and pray that you are truly at peace and that your knew how much we loved and cherished you. Please forgive us for the hardest decision of our lives - yesterday was so hard, today even harder without you. I wish we could have comforted you more, but in my heart know that was not possible. Please be happy my boy - we love you so much.

Rest in Peace - Barney doggie - Aust Ch. Stromness Jesuis Jacque (Cairn Terrier) 27 April 1990 - 5 September 1995.

I have only recently discovered the BARF diet, although wish I'd found it years ago.

Things I've discovered between feeding a "commercial" diet and BARF - my old dog has been on pancreatic enzymes since age 2 (now 15) as he was unable to digest anything (radical weight drop etc). Since finding out about BARF with my new pup, I have put the old dog on BARF. His arthritis seems markedly improved (he is now off Rimadyl), raw meat from bones is being digested (without medication) and as soon as I feed him commercial dry food his stomach plays up again (smelly/sloppy back end). Is the improvement from the BARF diet?? I can only assume so - it's working for me and my dogs.