sandgrubber

There are lots of local add for a frozen dog food supplement called Mighty Mix. Some locals swear by it. I have Labs, who eat pretty much everything except citrus and onions. A friend gave me a few cups of the stuff and I tried it on the dogs. They turned their noses. From the online description it's very fatty (30% plus) and could be anything from lamb/mutton to salmon. I've never seen them turn down high fat food. Curious to know if others have experience with the stuff...or ideas about why my crew don't like it.

Fenbenzidol (sp ?), used to treat tapeworm, is expensive, and unnecessary if tapeworm isn't present. Not sure what it's like in Oz...but in the US I did regular heartworm treatment and only treated worms when they were detected. Tapeworm is gross, and very obvious. Roundworm and other easy to treat worms are covered by some heartworm meds.

I'd be more worried about a kid drinking coca cola than a dog ;-). It's just sugar water with a bit of caffeine and some flavoring. Kids will clamor for more. Dogs don't love it.

Hard to know. Mild, infrequent seizures isn't all that common. Seniors changing peeing habits isn't uncommon.

I'm in the multi dog camp...the pros outweigh the cons for me. Presently I have three. On a very selfish note, be warned about having two young guys together. It will eventually mean you have two elderly dogs together, and the sadness and expenses that come with the last year's and months. I try to keep at least four years age difference between my dogs. Also, a young adult dog will often help teach manners to a young pup.

I'd be cautious about GSPs. As someone else mentioned, they tend to be very high energy, and can be quite loud. They want to RUN more than sniff and poke around. Why not another Lab? You will have a wealth of breeders to choose from, and most Labs are good with other dogs, so dog park could be fun. Also, you might consider a standard poodle...if you don't clip them for show, they look like real dogs :-! It's often the case that 'working' means high drive. It sounds like you want a relaxed but intelligent dog. Or am I misreading? I guess the deciding question is: Agility for fun? Or competitive agility?

On the other hand, a thoroughly disreputable breeder would have just lied and said sorry, the puppy died. If the person hasn't been breeding very long... beginners make mistakes. There are too few people going into hobby breeding these days, and it's good to be helpful to those trying to get off the ground. In your position I would have agreed to the idea of giving the breeder limited stud rights, but insisted on very clear definition, and perhaps some financial compensation (or a pup) for drawing semen.

My vet says the same...and my oldest is a few months shy of 13....but I feed mostly dry food. Mine love bones, but I don't have a good source and I fear cracked teeth from the big soup bones they sell at the grocery. As for pulling apart a carcass... that's never going to happen.

I don't think any bones help teeth. How can a bone get up to the gum line? Tooth rot is worst in small dogs. Wet food tends to worsen conditions. If there's a problem, seems likely that brushing is the only thing that will help. I have Labs and feed mostly dry food. The vets always say their teeth are great.

Likely they'll go on to other things and eventually karma will catch up with them.

Sprocket was the qwirkiest dog I ever owned. She used to howl at sirens. She was a big one for carrying stuff in her mouth. What was funny was seeing her howl with a tennis ball in her mouth. Another tennis ball trick she made up was dropping the ball, generally well covered with mouth slime, in someone's drink. G&T and dog slime is not much appreciated. Sprocket also had stick routines with preference for BIG sticks (or small logs). She seemed baffled when a big long stick wouldn't go through a door or gate. A favorite game was to take a long stick by one end, let the other end dig into the ground, and run pivoting around the grounded end.

Have you tried autism support groups? I can't remember where, but I remember seeing some discussion among parents with autistic children of bring a dog home after finding it very hard to qualify for a professionally trained dog. As I remember, results were mixed, but some people had very good experiences. I think the main lesson was temperament screening is more important than training for kids who aren't severely affected. p.s. Still can't find the discussion I was looking for, but here's a clip from an autism group https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2016/07/15/service-dog-or-therapy-dog-which-best-child-autism Service dog or therapy dog: Which is best for a child with autism? You are correct to recognize a difference between a service dog and a therapy dog. We’d add a third category – a companion dog that’s well-behaved and well-trained. In fact, that’s what we usually recommend when a family comes to us for advice on choosing a dog for a child who has autism. Here are some distinctions to consider when deciding which type of dog is right for a child – or adult – who has autism: Companion dogs As mentioned, a well-trained family pet can be a wonderful calming influence for someone who has autism. An affectionate dog provides unconditional love and friendship on a daily basis. Walking the dog provides both exercise and a “social magnet” to ease conversation with other children. Learning to care for the dog teaches responsibility and practical skills. And pets provide parents with opportunities to teach and model caring behaviors and consideration of a friend’s needs – both important social skills. If you’re considering purchasing or adopting a dog, we suggest golden retrievers, labs and labradoodles (lab-poodle mixes) because these breeds tend to have a calm temperament and high intelligence. When it comes to adopting a rescue dog, we have one caveat. Many rescue dogs have unknown histories. That makes it difficult to predict how they will react when they feel frightened or threatened. Would the dog bite your child if he grabbed it roughly? Is it prone to chase cats? Attack other dogs? ...

What others say about dogs and kids is to be taken seriously, but all naughty kids aren't the same, and a lot depends on how young. Has your kid been around dogs much? Does he or she act sensibly? How old? Walking a few times a week isn't enough exercise for most dogs, regardless of breed. Costs can vary hugely depending on your choices for food, what you do for training, and what veterinary costs you encounter. Probably not less than $3.00/day, and could easily be double or triple that number. More if you choose a dog with serious health or behavioral problems. As for breeds, I'd say there is a reason so many people with young kids get Labradors. Most are past the chewing and too crazy stage by 2-3 years. They tend to be super-tolerant, playful, and affectionate...and not nervous. Many are couch potatoes. But there's a lot of variation in any breed. You really want to get to know the temperament of the individual dog. Get someone who knows a lot about dogs to help you with screening.

Awful wording. I'd guess they are looking for the word dominant. But as I understand it, dominant genes don't repress recessives. They preclude their expression. Repress implies active interference. To say dominant genes repress recessives is bit like saying birth control pills repress pregnancy, or a vaccination represses a disease.

What sort of stomach bug? I used to breed Labs and have brought 100+ pups to at least 8 weeks. Don't remember ever encountering a tummy bug. Have had pups puke from eating too much or too fast, but not often. Have had pups get VERY carsick and scare their new owners... before I decided it's best to fast them for several hours before travel. If the pup is showing serious Sicky signs, see a vet. Infections can wipe out little guys pretty badly.

That's about what I paid in Perth, years back. It's worth noting all frames aren't equal. Some sources give you skin and a LOT of fat along with the frame, others give you just bone with a little meat clinging to it. My cheaper source was very fatty. I had mostly Labbies, and had to trim of a lot of fat lest the dogs develop a layer of blubber.

Not so different than people. Some like cuddles better than others. Sometimes it depends on who is doing the cuddling, and how they do it . . . and the mood the dog is in.

OMG that's horrible! Can someone recommend a good article on hookworm, including geography, drug resistance, avoidance, treatment etc. I've never encountered this paracite, and always assumed it was a problem 'somewhere else'.

Lagottos require critical sorting. High prices and a rare breed mean some people have been breeding from anything they can get. Temperament faults and or health problems can be concerns. Not saying don't. Just be careful.

You can find Labs with lighter structure. Look for working Labs, not show. People who breed for Guide Dogs may be able to help

My new place is great, but the gardens and orchard show the effect of six months of neglect. The girls are getting their first exposure to sheep...The neighbors have three of them in my small paddock, securely fenced. I hope they soon decide sheep are boring. They've barked a few times, but don't seem THAT interested. Pictures to follow next week when I get my internet installed.

On the ferry. Should be on South Island in a bit more than an hour. I thought I could stay in the car with the dogs, but no...Had to leave them. It's been a rough crossing. Hope they're not Sicky. Tomorrow we'll be at my new place... At last.

Have been visiting the girls in quarantine for the last few days. NZ quarantine is not all that bad or that expensive. It's all the testing before and the transport costs that get you. The facility is as it has to be . . . dogs never leave easily cleanable surfaces, kennels are pretty large, but there's no access to exercise areas. But the people are nice and pretty informal, and they obviously love dogs. You have to wear white coats when visiting, but it's clearly a beaurocrat's joke. My dogs jump all over me and unbutton the white coat and generally max out body contact, so the silly white coat wouldn't do much good if a disease was lurking. I guess they get something serious once in a blue moon, but mostly, everyone is healthy. I want so badly to let them run and get some exercise. Only two more days. Then we drive four or five hours, stay overnight, drive again, take the ferry, and about an hour later we could be to the new place!!!!

The girls are now in quarantine. Jane, at Auckland quarantine writes that they are doing well, though my old girl looks confused. I'd say she has every reason to be confused. I'm still in the US packing (ugh). Miss the girls, but they wouldn't have been much help packing. I fly out on Sunday . . . arrive Tuesday. Thanks Baronia for the info/link and thanks everyone for the support. I'm not getting any younger and decided if I was going to move back to Oceania, I'd better do it while I have the strength to move.