gcv-border

14 hours ago, beachdogz said:

Thank you!  I will check it out!

edited for additional info:

So there are two on Chewy - Elite Vet and Ora-clens.  Which do you use?  thanks

 

I use the one on the left. I was not aware of the Ora-Clens product, but a comparison on the Chewy site suggests they are the same. Just branded, and priced, differently?

12 hours ago, beachdogz said:

Well gcv-border, you got my attention here!  Can you tell me more about 1-TDC?  I looked on Amazon and they have a few brands.  What brand do you use?  It looks like you twist off the top of the gel cap and apply it to the gums?  Or do you apply right on the teeth?  Does one capsule cover all 4 sides, or do you use 1 capsule per side?  And do you rub it on with the capsule or use your finger?  Thanks for any info you can supply me with!

I buy the 1-TDC from Chewy. I think it should be available from the company's website itself, but since I order dog and cat foods from Chewy, it's just as easy to order from Chewy. I wouldn't order from Amazon due to many counterfeit products.

There are a couple of Youtube videos describing how to apply the 1-TDC. Primarily spread it on the upper gums, but you don't have to use your fingers. Just use the little applicator and squeeze out through the tab end. Note: IMHO, it is a pain to twist off the tab so I just cut it off at the stricture.

I use one capsule per dog daily. Dogs are 35-40 lbs.

Have you heard of Sniffspot?  It's an app for your phone that you can use to find locations in your area that allow you to rent what is essentially a private dog area/park. Sniffspot hosts list their private property for rental by dog owners. Each listing provides the specifics - rental fee per dog, description of the rental area (size, fenced/not fenced), any extras. All booking and payment is through the Sniffspot app. Maybe there are a couple of Sniffspots in your area.

I have read that people with reactive dogs, or dogs that need a fenced area, appreciate Sniffspot offerings (if fenced). Or some may just bring their dogs to someplace different.

Another thought: a product that I have been using to keep my dogs' teeth clean is 1-TDC. It was originally marketed as a join supplement, but they have discovered that it is great for cleaning the teeth and is the marketing has pivoted more to the dental benefits. One of my dogs was beginning to accumulate tartar, and her breath smelled. After a couple of months of applying it once a day (maybe 3-4 days per week although the instructions call for daily use), her teeth are much better and her breath barely smells.

I agree with comments/suggestions above. Best of luck to Charley.

On 1/15/2024 at 6:49 PM, Lawgirl said:

I don't think this is a spoiler, so I will discuss it.

The sire of the litter is the current main trialling dog of the breeder, and is heavily white factored.   The dam is traditionally marked black and white as far as I saw.  I think in the trailer that I posted, or in the photo, people noticed that there was a lot of white in the litter of puppies.  One of the puppies was completely white, and found to be deaf.  The response of the breeder was that while he would not be suitable for herding, he was a wonderful cheeky puppy and would go to a good pet home. (PS you do find out what happened to this deaf pup at the end of the series and it is the best outcome I could have dreamed for him.) 

It is noted that a white dog working sheep can be tested by the sheep more than other dogs, as the sheep will not necessarily see it as different from a sheep, being the same colour, and it will need to have more presence and perhaps more bark.

I am interested in what other people might think about this?

When I saw the ads, one of the first things I noticed was the white-headed pup and immediately wondered if s/he was deaf. (Apparently so.) I believe that is a risk when breeding a heavily white-factored dog, but if the parent is a high-level worker, it may be a risk the breeder is willing to take. I dunno. If this was the first litter of the sire, I would be very cautious about using him again - and would pick a mate with extreme care. I would never use him with this female again. If he has been used before with no white-headed pup, well - genetics can be a cr@pshoot. 

Of course, because of the white-headed pup, my thoughts wander to 'what type of genetic testing is used before deciding on a mating?'. Is genetic testing in BCs common, or becoming more common, in Australia?

As far as working efficacy or how sheep react to a mostly white dog, I can only relate one acquaintance's experience. She is a very experienced handler and had a mostly white dog, but with black ears. Her report is that sometimes new sheep would look 'askance' at her dog, but they would soon be responding to him normally. i.e. the interactions were as expected from using a more traditionally marked dog. She used him A LOT for set-out at sheepdog trials so he saw a wide range of sheep breeds. The take-away was that the presence and working ability of a dog was much more important than the color.  Yes, there are old wives' tales about color and working ability of a dog, but that is simply that - an old wives' tale. (I have heard similar about red/white dogs.)

If he has a good body score, he is eating what he needs (probably).

Here are some thoughts since you don't describe your feeding routine. (You may already be doing some of these.)

Feed twice per day - no leaving food out for him to graze as he wishes. If he hasn't finished in 10-15 minutes, pick up his food bowl. He does not get fed until the next routine feeding.

I also add a topper to the dog's kibble AND I add a decent amount of water (maybe 1/2 cup) and mix it up into a stew. Although my dogs have 2 large water bowls in the house, they often pass on water when exercising. So I 'force' them to get a little water by mixing it with their food. I don't presoak the kibble, but that might be a strategy to try and see if it helps his appetite.

Purina Pro Plan is a quality food, but I know that sometimes a dog just doesn't like a food. That is where the toppers can help. I have used the Purina Pro Plan Shredded Chicken kibble, but I have one hard keeper. I noticed that the PPP Chicken had fewer calories per cup than another PPP kibble (Sport). Once I switched to the Sport formula, my dog did gain a bit of weight. The point being that if your dog is too skinny and is not eating enough, perhaps change to a food that is more calorie dense.

I quite frequently change up the kibble brand. About every 3 or 4 bags, I may buy another brand (Inukshuck, Wellness or ??), then go back to the PPP kibble. I am not a believer that a dog should eat the same kibble its entire life.

You could use raw as a topper. I agree that I am confused about how to balance a raw diet for dogs which is why buying the prepared raw is comforting, but beyond the budget as the main diet. I can afford to use it as a topper once in a while.

I have also heard the "double the weight at 4 months" theory. I think it as good as any, but obviously with very MANY exceptions.

For example, one of my dogs is from a sire (about 40 lbs) and dam (about 33-35 lbs) who produced my dog (about 40 lbs) but also another brother who is about 55 lbs lean. It can go the other way too (ie smaller that either parent).

So happy that Season 2 has dropped. I hope that it comes to Netflix soon! Very soon. I checked 2 nights ago, and they were not yet offering it.

Definitely an older dog can learn new tricks !! As long as they are in good health. Many of my dog sports friends will transition their retired agility, flyball or disc dogs to nosework/Scentwork.

Dogs love to use their minds so any activity that engages their mind, but is easier on their joints will be great. 

Thanks so much for the update! So looking forward to it. Those are some high white pups. At least the ears are black which usually indicates that their hearing is fine.

Agree with Ruth.

Signal boost —-

For those of use who are long-time members, and for anyone who wishes to support a true rancher, another long- time member needs our help. I have always enjoyed Tea’s contributions over the years and have donated in hopes that she can continue the ranching lifestyle with her wonderful dogs.

Link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/uvsq6-life-crises

Thank you in advance.

Amazing. Thanks for the link.

Good news -

As a volunteer with BRBCR (Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue), here is an update. Our rescue could have taken up to 9-10 fosters. Our intake coordinator contacted them Tuesday afternoon, then they were closed on Wednesday, and when she contacted them again on Thursday morning, all dogs had been either adopted locally or found places in rescue. Only 2 remained- one was HW+ (the only one of 79) and one that was ‘not nice’.

5 hours ago, Journey said:

Last I heard they had 30 in a load from Saturday and were again making a trip today for another 30.

I follow their FB page, and my understanding is that they only made one trip. They needed the weekend to mobilize all the resources needed, then made the trip today and returned with 38 or 39 dogs. That still leaves a LOT of dogs.

10 hours ago, Chick-N-Picker said:

 

Yeah, sorry I re-read your Capstar suggestion after posting. I looked it up and it said it only works for 2 days and quickly leaves the system. Not sure how effective that would be for my situation.

Yes, Capstar is for those cases (as in rescue dogs) that come in covered in fleas, and something has to be done FAST.  It has been reported to give almost immediate relief. If you believe your dog is allergic to fleas, then you probably won't see immediate relief because the the dog will still itch for a while after the flea bite. The monthly flea, or preferably flea and tick, treatment should keep the fleas controlled.

First, I would NOT recommend using an insecticide formulation meant for crops on your dog. It is too easy to apply an incorrect dose, and then your dog might suffer - side effects or even - death. Don’t save a few pennies with this treatment. It’s not worth the risk.

There are so many flea treatments (or even flea and tick treatments) available that I believe are pretty comparable. Since I use a monthly spot-on as flea and tick preventive (K9 Advantix II), I don’t have personal experience  with flea only treatments. As I stated in my previous post last week, most rescues in my area use Capstar tabs for rapid flea kill. Capstar is readily available through Chewy.

 I am sure you will get other suggestions.

Even though you have checked her for fleas, it is possible that with her heavy coat, you may have missed some. (I know I am not expert at checking for fleas. IMHO, the easiest thing to try first is to treat for fleas to be 100% certain that she is clear. Around here, the shelters use a Capstar oral medication. I do not know if it is available over-the-counter or if you have to get it from a vet. Check out what you can get at a local reputable pet store. Do NOT buy stuff from Walmart or a Grocery story (Sentry products - not good) since I have heard of too many adverse reactions from those products.

It will take longer than a week for a diet change to show effects if you are thinking about allergies.  More like a month.

Many people have had luck adding fish oil to their pets food to deal with itchy skin issues.

She is a cutie!

Same questions as Journey. How much are you feeding her per day? What is her goal weight?  Be aware that most of the time, the recommended feeding amounts on the bag are too much. (The company wants to push you to buy more food.) 

Glad to hear you are giving her a joint supplement.

Consider buying her a harness that you can use to help lift her up and maybe support her rear end while walking in order to give her more exercise.

He thinks that if he surrenders the ball to you, that the game will be over. He is playing for himself. You are not seen as a partner in this game.

Fetch is not just the dog running after the ball, IMHO. Appropriate fetch games include the dog happily returning the ball to the handler.

And since you don't want training tips........ you got what you got.

Cute puppy. I hope you get the coat type you want.

So sorry. Paws on your heart.

I am so glad that Kelso, thanks to you, was able to fully enjoy life.

Good luck. And thank you for fostering.

On 6/4/2023 at 8:59 PM, Lawgirl said:

For anyone who has not watched it, Muster Dogs Season 1 is now available on Netflix UK and USA.  I hope that means they will pick up Season 2 as well.  People may need to rewatch it to make it an attractive idea.  It is pretty good for kids as well, I think. Spread the word!

Ooooh. Thanks. May watch it again!

And yes, I hope Netflix picks up Season 2 - with a shorter lag time.