Aroura

Hmm, thats weird about my page, it works here... :-? Try looking again and let me know if it works... I'm thinking about going with someone else, Geocities is easy, if it wasn't for the stupid photo thing I'd have no troubles at all! Coals site is cute :angel:

Oh, has anyone mentioned a towel? And a blow drier? All my dogs have their own towels :wink: Just to expand on the prong collar thing, if you look into some studies on animal behaviour it is consitently found that animals react better to reinforcement techniques than to punishment techniques. We have a few old check chains from when we used them, all they are good for now is for tieing the dogs up at bath time, they can't get away but unlike a collar you can wash underneath them easily! Very convenient, though none of our dogs will ever have to hear that dreded check again :-?

Good list, BUT I can't advice strongly enough AGAINST the use of negative training. I'd say toss out the idea of a prong collar altogether and instead buy a clicker, the book "clicker training for obedience" and another book called "click to win" by karen pryor which is supposed to be good. The first book is excellent, if you want the name of the author I can find it for you, I suggest you buy the book now so you can have all the ideas firmly planted in your head, ready for when you get your pup. Compulsive training has the potential to ruin dogs, two of our dogs which were trained with those methods now will cower even at the thought of training, our clicker trained dogs on the other hand are the most loyal, obedient dogs out and they never take their eyes off you, their recall is fantastic too! Can I ask what sort of dog you intend to get? For you, if you intend to show you'll need a nice outfit with pockets. Apparently there are show classes that you can attend too. Look into diet, if you decide to feed a BARF diet now might be the time to buy a book such as "Give Your Dog A Bone" by Dr Ian Billinghurst. Of course you'll have to look into things such as Puppy Pre-school and continued training etc. In a few days hopefully I'll have the puppy part of my web page completed, so there'll be as much helpfull information in there as possible, including choosing a breed, finding a puppy/breeder, the first few weeks and diet information.

TDG, do you mind me asking what sort of concerns steered you away from commercial food for that particular dog? I feed a wide variety of foods. My Papillons are both on a BARF diet, they get meats such as beef, lamb, turkey chicken and roo, they also get sardines and offal twice a week. They have their meatballs which are made of meat, eggs (with shell), veggies, fruit and a bit of grain (brown rice, oats or pearl barley), to which they have flaxseed oil, kelp, brewers yeast, wheatgerm and spirulina added to. They get either chicken or lamb bones every night, as well as minced chicken carcass in their meat balls. When I get my pup he'll aslo be having a fruit, oat and yoghurt/cottage cheese meal once a week with extra virgin olive oil. He'll also be getting roo and rabbit bones as well, and will have an egg added to each of his sardine and offal meals.

Thanks guys. I was really very suprised with it, which is what makes me even happier :D I can't wait to get them both into level one, they will be doing level one together. I've put off doing level one with Montie for such a long time, because after he went through begginers I was training the next begginers course, then of course Cassie came along for the next one, so finally I can do level one, with both of them together! All I'll have to do is put a tent peg in the ground and switch dogs during classes, the advantages of having such small dogs! And then next session I'll be bringing my puppy! Monties going to blitz level one though I think, he's a bit unsteady in his stays, but even though he has only done the begginers course I think his heeling is at top competition level, he stays glued to my side and prances along, not taking his eyes off me and waiting for the next turn or command. Can't wait to see how they both go in level one... they'll have each other for competition! :o

It was competition day yesterday at dog training. Cassie has been in the begginers course pretty much since the day I got her 9 weeks ago (the courses go for 8 weeks, plus a week off for the trial). Cassie was up against some pretty tough competition, but despite being kept in a kennel her whole life and having to adjust into a whole new lifestyle etc she still managed to pull of a first place yesterday! I'm very proud of her, I've had to work quite hard with her as she's so timid and is scared of everything, if there are any noises in the house I can't train her because if she knows Katie (my housemate) is around she just runs and hides and I can't do anything with her. It just goes to show, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!!! :D

Nice page Shara, well done. Would you mind if I use your peeing dog gif in my web page? I've just started mine, having a few problems such as it wont let me upload pics... so I downloaded netscape and managed to upload one pic of Lily, then the next time I went to do something I couldn't upload pics again... I click on "upload" and it just doesn't do anything! :-? My page now is [url]http://www.geocities.com/jeannebowry[/url], you can have a look, not much has been done yet, I'll work on it after my last exam. :roll:

Guest, I hear what you're saying but when we say "designer breeds" we're talking about two purebreds slapped together and given a fancy name and sold at a ridiculous price. There is no such thing as an analab, or a chipoo, or a puggle... they are all just made up names, made up purely so they can be sold to well meaning people at horrendous prices and with promises such as "it wont shed" or "it will have the intellegence of a poodle, but be as docile as a cocker spaniel". Purebreds are bred for predictability, by no means is every purebred predictable, unfortunatly I found this out the hard way, but with conformation shows etc at least you can research the lines. If someone wants a mutt, or what could be considered a "designer dog" there are plenty at pounds waiting for someone to give them forever love and comfort. The funny thing is, people who just let their dogs breed willy nilly have the impression that the pups have just as good a chance of going to a good, forever home then those who are pure bred, in my experience this simply isn't true, the number of mixed breed and "designer breed" dogs at pounds is astounding, also, considering that about one in 10 dogs is purebred, I find it also astounding that about 9 in 10 dogs that go to dog training are pedigrees... do the calculations, where are all the lovable mutts? I'm not saying there is anything wrong with mutts, but it is clearly evident that they have less of a chance of finding a good home than a purebred with champion lines and a breeder who looks into all potential homes before rehoming. I myself need predictability in a dog, I need a dog that I can see the parents and research the lines before bringing it into my home, this is why I'm getting a purebred, designer dogs don't give you this, all you get is 50% from each breed, and you've as much chance of getting good traits as you do of bad, and the "good" breeders with good lines tend not to waste thier champion lines with proven temprement in mixing them intentionally with other breeds.

I don't know where that quote is from, but it makes no sense what so ever. Wolves evolved, survival of the fittest, they evolved to be as best suited to their natural environment as possible, there is no way a dog in australia would naturally evolve to look like a wolf, thats why we have dingos, if dogs were left to breed willy nilly here they would probably end up more similar to a dingo than a wolf. There is no "full circle", just evolution created by the survival of the fittest - the fittest in one environment is certainly not the same as it is in the next. I have absolutly no problem with "mutts" as such, just people who intentionally cross breed dogs and slap a label on them in an effort to make money :evil:

Before you get a pup make sure you'll have a forever home for her. It sounds like you may not know where you will be in a year, let alone 5 or 10 years, renting is hard with dogs and especially if the people you live with don't like dogs it can be terribly hard. Do you have a steady job? How will you pay for this dog? Where will it live, in or out doors? Where will it go if you go on holidays? I definatly agree that you should adopt from a shelter though, there are plenty of puppys there looking for forever homes :wink:

She's just too cute. People like that don't deserve dogs, it makes me so angry that people like that have dogs that would give their life for them, and it makes me so upset when people like me who do everything right need to have our beautiful dog put to sleep because of bad breeders and irrisponsible parents :cry: Sorry, seeing those photos brings back all kinds of memories :cry: She is very cute, I hope that all goes well and she settles in nicely - plenty of treats and positive training will help that happen :wink:

I signed the guest book, but is there anywhere you can view the guestbook? I think I got my general impression about these mutts across, lol, I wasn't nasty but I certainly stated my mind!

When you're still getting them used to it do you add toothpaste? Will a childrens toothbrush do the job?

You can buy marrow bones from butchers, also feeding chicken necks and wings regulary can help, also lamb off cuts etc. Raw bones are a lot more effective and a lot SAFER than rawhides which can build up in the stomach and cause all sorts of problems - its a wonder they are still sold. Raw bones unfortunatly as I've just found out, are not a cure all in some breeds. Our big dogs do great, beautiful, shiny white teeth, but tiny little Montie and Cassie still get browning teeth, despite bones every day, so I'm also going to have to check out the "doggie toothpaste". Also there are digestive enzymes in a product called "breath fresh" that you can add to meals, which also breaks down gunk on teeth.

:lol: :lol: :lol: Now thats just too funny!!! I'll have to forward it to my boyfriends mum, she races sled dogs, its her life, I'm sure she'll split her sides at that one! :lol:

Well I don't know what the go was, but its fixed itself now! :o Very strange indeed :-?

Thanks for the help - I think I might pass up on taking these puppys now... I guess there is always the next lot (in the world of abandoned animals unfortunatly there is always a next lot...) so after I get my pup and he is fully vaccinated he can play with other puppys! Like sleep overs :) Good to hear from you smooshie! Yes, its very sad and just seeing your beautiful boxer brings a tear to my eye. Seeing as boxers are such a common breed it makes it so much harder for me, everytime I see someone having fun with thier boxer I remember the good times I used to have with Lily :cry: I have weighed up the pros and cons of bringing the pup out before 14 weeks, and have come to the conclusion that the extremely slight risk of the pup picking up a disease is not so much to worry about as the huge risk of him picking up behavioural problems from not being socialised in the critical age. Seeing that parvo is the main worry around here (though I've never heard of a dog dying of parvo in this town, but I'm sure its out there somewhere) I have decided to go for a puppy sling. That way we can go to schools and into town, around traffic and strange people and noises etc but he wont be in contact with the ground. Here are the two boys I have to chose from anyway :angel: [img]http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v299/Aroura/Lois_puppiesboysf.jpg[/img]

I hope this works - if I don't reply can you please email me your responses? Dogo has been playing up on me, real weird stuff, so I'm not able to view new posts, but I'm posting here now because I'm curious about something and need to know! How long after vaccinations are puppys safe? I know the whole 2 week thing, my pup is going to come everywhere in a sling with me until 2 weeks after his final shots so he can be socialised but not run the risk of getting parvo. But the RSPCA has some rotweiler x pups, 11 of them! :o They want to know if I can look after one... or two... or three of them. I've told them no, not until I know more about vacinations etc. If I bring one into the house will it put my pup at risk when I get him? Should I wait a bit, then take one? I'm not entirely sure whats going on with the vaccinations, they are under 8 weeks old and although they have been vaccinated obviously haven't had their final shots, is this a worry?

Anne, I can see your post - but only after I posted - Courts post is still showing as the last one, even now that I've gone into "post a reply" your post and all of my last ones have disapeared again, I think its the same with all dogo topics, its not showing me any recent ones, thats why I haven't been posting, I've got nothing new to post on! Whats going on, I'm confused :(

This still isn't showing, if anyone can see this post please email me at [email]creamy_pumkin@yahoo.com.au[/email] with something like "Post is Visable" as a heading so I don't delete it as junk mail! Thanks :wink:

Ok... thats funny - now my old post that I posted days ago is showing also... I'm confused :-? :drinking:

Is it just me or is there something funny going on here? I posted the last post, saying good post to Court... but on my computer it says that I was the last poster, however, when I go into the topic courtneks post is the last and mine doesn't show??? :-?

Well I got an email from Pets Paradise re Innova, it was very helpful BUT since I've decided to stay with BARF and Innova has all ingredients I'd have in a regular BARF menu, I'm going to buy the Eagle Pack and just feed it twice weekly, a bit more often in the pups really young days. I just couldn't bring myself to feed kibble, it felt too wrong :oops: I've decided I can make the meatballs quickly and easily, so long as I organise myself... so there's really no reason to feed kibble. Montie and Cassie are just doing so well and I couldn't take that away from them :wink:

Oh can we see photos??? Congrats on getting the best breed out! Or am i just biased? :wink: I've never seen a Papillon with ear problems, though I've never had a Papillon as a pup either, but I hear that all sorts of funny things happen in those early days re ears. My first Papillon didn't even have any fur on his ears when I got him!!! His litter mates had chewed it all off, he looked more like a bat then a butterfly! :lol: Here they are :D [img]http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v299/Aroura/CassieMontie.jpg[/img]

Good post Court, you have posted before that you want a Papillon some day, I think you'll make a great "little dog" owner :angel: