Hotwyr

Good grief - this is just shocking. FFS what are people thinking when they do these things. That poor mally girl looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly - and as for rejecting her pups.......... Pathetic excuses for human beings those owners are.

Bless her - she must have brought so much love with her and so much was given in return. What a lovely girl .......

It's no cheaper here in NZ I can tell you that much - my vet told me it's the rolls royce of joint supplements. It needs to be for the price it is! I use a kiwi product called Dogon - my GWP has been on it since he was 9mths - he is now 6years and has no signs of any issues with his shoulder at all..... Rae

Yay - crikey I have been off line for so long that I missed my own breed!!! I will keep it simple and short ... as I could go on for hours... QUESTIONS 1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) I am a breeder - kennel name Hotwyr. I have a mix of Australian/UK/German lines. I also have my very first AUSTRALIAN champion as of 24th October..... I have 9 GWP's at home (4 imports, 3 homebred, 1 NZ bred, 1 SPCA rehome) 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? 1st developed in Germany (no surprise there) as an all round hunting companion that could tolerate all types of ground cover and all types of weather and conditions - hence the Wire coat 3. How common is it in Australia? Not super common but there are a few about the place - same as here in NZ. 4. What is the average lifespan? Up to around 12-14 years 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Clowns, love to work, play, run. Can be guardy if uncontrolled, can also be predatory for the same reason. Will sit on your lap or run around the yard........ mine can be seen with pieces of wood in their mouths most of the time... LOL 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? A significant amount as these are a working breed so need to be kept active or they can become destructive 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? Not really (IMO) we have a re-house who as a pup was sold to a first time dog owner. Needless to say she has some issues... 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? They can but do better with company be it canine or human 9. How much grooming is required? If you have a correctly coated GWP - minimal. If you have the big coated variety - well........ 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? Yes IMO 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? Yes there are a few. Breeders should be testing for the following: vWD (von Willebrands Disease - a clotting disorder), Hips/Elbows for dysplasia, Thyroid levels as the breed can get Hypothyroidism, I also test for any eye problems. 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) Depending on what the dog is to be for - do the parents hunt? Work at all? Successes? Can you see the parents and any other progeny/siblings. Ask about coats, bites, can you talk to any other previous buyers. Results of all the tests - normal parameters differ across countries but results for Australia can be found at LIDA - www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/lida/ and for the USA at CHIC - www.caninehealthinfo.org Do your research - this is a lovely breed BUT not the breed for everyone

hey ya, yep been busy......blurry dogs LOL..... agree one or two dogs are always going to be more sedate that 10 or 20 ROFL LOL RF, two sleep on the bed in the house.......that's enuff.... Hoping Troy does a GWP 101 soon.......... Was at a show on the weekend and got shortlisted for top 5 in group - Judge asked me to bring out the German Shorthaired Wirehair.............. Like WTF!!!!!!

Hi there, yes GWP are very different to GSP and if you research the Mother Country information (on GWP) you will see that the Black colour has been linked to agression. Not only that but Black is dominant so in breeding GWP you are not allowed to breed Black to Black or solid liver to black..... Solid Black puppies are not allowed in the breed standard either. I have a kennel of 10 GWP, only one is a Black/White the rest are Liver/White. I have found the wire to be a more steady dog, perhaps more solid in behaviour and also very standoffish with strangers and easily bonded to one person. That's not to say my wires aren't nuts - they are... just don't seem to be quite as highly strung as the GSP. And before anyone asks - yes I have many friends with GSP's (I like the breed) including one of the top breeders in NSW (who's place I stay at when I am over in Sydney) but my wires just seem a bit more laid-back. Rae

Don't want to be a doom and gloom merchant but if it's been both sides of his front legs - it still could be something like OCD. This is most common in males between 5-18 months. I would re-xray his shoulders and elbows plus I would make sure he isn't getting any food with a protein content of higher than 24% maximum and that he is not overdoing the exercise (including jumping off decks, steps etc...). ETA: swimming is great for big dogs and also any supplement containing chondroiton, shark cartiledge and glucosamine will help! here's a link to LIDA: http://www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/lida/dogs/in...n+shepherd+dog+[Alsatian]&Op=1 You need to be sure about what you are dealing with........... The fact the problem has never really resolved is the worry..... Rae

We had KC a earlier in the year and 6 of my 11 dogs caught it (luckily not my 2 oldies) with the Manuka Honey - don't dissolve it just give the dog a teaspoonful a day.... also Vit C & Echinacea tabs (1000mg) are also helpful for a quicker recovery....just give 1 broken up tablet on food a day and also take one yourself Rae

depends on the dog... I used to live on a 330sqm section with 2 sibes. fencing as follows....at back of house. Gate between house and neighbours left side. Then 2m wooden fence to back 1.5m x .5m wooden fence between gate and neighbours right side. (narrow section) then 1m wooden paling fence to back. Along the back 2m wooden fence. They NEVER jumped the 1m wooden paling fence ever............. But if you left the underhouse door open they would be in there under the house and out under the front steps in a heart beat LOL

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) Owned and loved this breed for 16 years - have had over the years 7 sibes but only 3 consistantly in my life. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? 3. How common is it in Australia? Being in NZ - well as common as anywhere else in the world - sadly more common now due to movies like Iron Will and Eight Below...... 4. What is the average lifespan? Just lost my first sibe at 15years 8 months - so if you have a healthy one - 12-15 years is a good age 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Should be very happy, inquisitive, friendly and should NOT bite! 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Depends on the dog but at least 30mins to an hour of good hard exercise 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? No - not easily. and they should never be let off lead to free run in an unfenced area........ 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? No - too destructive. If you like your garden - then don't get a sibe - they like gardens too.....usually in bits and with holes the size of craters on the moon.... 9. How much grooming is required? If you want a really nice coat then yes moderate grooming is required including regular bathing. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? Yes, however my son and sibes grew up together and I trusted them with him as a baby implicitly. They never knocked him over..... 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? hypothyroid, Jeuvenile Catarracts, Hips/Elbows, monorchidism or cryptorchidism (testicles retained), bad bites 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)Thyroid results, eye certs including gonioscopy (should be slight or good) Different lines carry different problems - read any info you can get - talk to many breeders and just because a dog is a big winner doesn't mean it will be a good producer or free from genetic problems... Think about why you want a sibe BEFORE you begin looking around and above all make sure you see the parents and the test papers. Don't believe everything you are told....... Rae

It's quite possible he has a hiatus hernia causing a lax oesphageal sphincter........ would need a gastroscopy to diagnose this - some vets have their own scopes (usually old hospital equipment)

Back the bus up. Dog aggression does not equal human aggression. Yes every dog should be safe in it's own back yard Yes I think the attacking dog should be PTS and the owner fined & made to pay all the vets bills for the other dog. Yes I realise DA doesn't = HA but it's a short step from a loose dog in your neighbours backyard to a loose dog roaming the street and doing god knows what. If a dog can attack another unprovoked then the risk to all is just too high be it dog, cat, kid, sheep that's the next potential victim..... Rae

Exactly why I said I would not presume to talk about your laws specifically....... sadly at the end of the day it's the dog that suffers the consequences - be it attacker (PTS) or attackee (vet's visit) Rae

Hotwyr ? Come on now dont hold back mate.. speak out, many would like to say the name but for some reason cant bring themselves to do it, I asked a few pages back and it' went silent or redirected.. Hi there, I wasn't picking on anyone specifically (in this thread) I just meant anyone who thinks it's a joke not to obey the rules..... It's not a joke - in the end someone get's hurt.......be it the dog/owner/another dog or someone's child...... Personally I like APBT's and have met many a well tempered one......I just don't like people who think they are above the law. But if a banned breed moved in next to my place - well I probably would call Dog Control too just to check all was above board...... Rae

Whilst I don't live in Australia and would not presume to talk about what your laws are or are not -some of the things people on here are saying are starting to p*** me off...... 1stly - a dog attacked another old defenceless dog in its backyard - seemingly unprovoked - sorry but PTS is the only answer (next time it might be a kid) 2ndly - rules are there for a reason DRACONIAN or not and those that flaught them, well I hope you are caught and dealt with sooner rather than later BEFORE your dog(s) does/do something... And before you all get up in arms and have a spazz at me.... I own 12 dogs, EVERY one is registered, I have 6 foot deer fencing around my property (I don't need it for any reason other than I don't want my dogs getting out) I show and race my dogs, I breed, I import......... all but 2 of my 6 bitches are spayed. I am by no means flush in the sense of money BUT I am a law abiding citizen (and most of them I don't agree with) I would rather pay out in prevention measures than have any of my dogs PTS because I couldn't be bothered to obey the law. And I am sick to death at being penalised (and lumped into the same comments about bad dog owners/breeders) because of those that don't obey the laws. Rae ETA: I don't agree with BSL either as it doesn't really work BUT the laws are there so need to be obeyed.....

Dearest Bellatrix, my heart is crying for you as I read your post. Take some solace in the fact you had a joyful time with Luci even in the short time she had. In your heart of hearts I am sure you know she is still with you and will be always. hugs Rae

Pretty sure you are right Idigadog! I have a book called The Last Husky - about the dogs down there and they sure don't look like any Siberian I have or have seen.....def Greenlands from what I remember....

This is one of the most horrifying things I think I have witnessed in my lifetime - I am absolutely stunned at the loss Human and Animal. My thoughts are with the owners of these poor dogs and all others who have lost loved pets and stock in these tragic fires. Hugs and kisses from your NZ fuzzy cousins Rae

My real concern is that possums (most certainly here in NZ) carry Tuberculosis. Also possum claws are very sharp and notoriously difficult for the body to digest.... In saying that - my sibes are masters at playing tug 'o'war with a possum and then finishing it off.....every last bit (and they have been doing this for years - now at 15 and 12 they still try it on) Rae

Of course we could just go on and on and on about diseases and breeding - lets face it - there are lines that have catarracts and yet we continue to see the same dogs/bitches being used again and again continuing to perpetuate the problem, then there's monorchidism and then there's PRA and ectopic ureter and shunts and blah blah blah...... we can site all the studies in the world but in the end if the breeder won't take the right steps and stop breeding with effected or carrier animals we may as well be pushing the proverbial up hill with a pointed stick..... Rae

I would say yes more than likely due to some environmental issue - like Bogarts dog. I had a rehome (Sibe) who did have some staining on one eye, due to the fact she had been in a fight and her third eyelid never fully opened again..... We managed to remove most of it with Eye Envy.... Rae

Hi Loraine, chances are after the 3 sick-ups he may have created a tiny tear in the lining of his oesophagus (from the violence of spasms during vomiting) - this is quite common in humans also - called a Mallory Weiss tear.... most notable in those vomiting after a good night out drinking LOL Soft diet is good...... it may have been a bit of bone but I am picking a tear - as that's more common. You don't do anything for people either..... (I am a Gastro Nurse) Rae

Seems a few posts were removed - probably for the best I think..... Huh

Thanks Steve - appreciate your position.... Rae

Rae