Sabarka German Spitz

26/11/2023

A awesome day yesterday for Angela and Fraser at Dalwood Shows. Fraser won Best of Breed at both shows and Best In Group and Australian Bred In Group at the PM show under Non Sporting specialist Dr M Donald (NSW). They are making such a great team. Only the best is to come.

13/11/2023

It’s been a while. But we welcomed 2 little fluff balls into the world in 22 October. Currently 3 weeks old and little personalities starting to shine.

10/02/2022

This is so true.

Not a week goes by where I don't have to reassure a concerned dog owner their dog's social behaviour at the park is 100% NORMAL!

It's so strange the way we expect our dogs to go to the park, meet 5-10 random dogs, and get along with them all perfectly.

Me? I hate going to nightclubs. I'd rather have coffee with one or two friends, or maybe a walk. Maybe you're the opposite and love going to crowded pubs and making new friends! Neither of us are 'abnormal'. Ok ok, maybe I am - sometimes I take a book to the pub to sit quietly and enjoy my craft brew...

Dogs too fall on a spectrum of sociability. Many puppies start up at the social end, happy to play with whoever they meet. Most dogs are more selective and choose their friends carefully. Some dogs truly fall on the aggressive end, and may not have many or any doggie friends.

So the sooner we all realise that our dogs have personalities too, the sooner we can stop creating goals for our dogs that they'll never enjoy.

For an aggressive dog, a reasonable goal is to walk past another dog on leash at 5m distance. It's not a reasonable goal to expect them to enjoy playing with random dogs!

As humans, we rarely stop to chat to folks on the street, unless we know them. Somehow this idea goes out the window with dogs, there's this expectation to meet every single other dog on a walk!

Most people want want their dogs to cope with the fair expectations of living safely in our community - to be neutrally social and robust. So let's set some fair expectations:

🐩 Think about your dog's play style. Different breeds play differently! Eg herding, wrestling, body slamming, chasing...

🐕 Find a couple of well matched doggy friends for your dog, and let them play in low traffic locations (eg someone's backyard, a secluded park) to enjoy play time.

👋 Set the expectation early that not all dogs are there for play! Teach your puppy that most dogs you meet on the street aren't relevant to them.

🤚Advocate for your dog in play. Don't allow dogs to 'sort it out', or for your dog to bully or be bullied.

🤷‍♀️ Avoid dog parks. Sorry folks, these places generally suck for fair, beneficial and harmonious play.

Happy playing!

24/01/2022

And just like that they are 2 weeks old. Eyes are open and they are mobile. Even if a little (lot) clumsy!!!!

18/01/2022

Growing nicely.

12/01/2022

Proud mummy and her babies. She is a brilliant mother and her babies are growing beautifully.

10/01/2022

Started 9:30pm waters broke. First puppy 11:30pm and last puppy 3:00 am. Well done Freya.

10/01/2022

These gorgeous babies arrived in the wee hours of this morning. Mum and bubs doing well. Think I crawled into bed at 4am!!!

02/01/2022

Looking forward to Freya’s babies arriving.

17/08/2021

These gorgeous two are 1 week old. Mum is going so well.

15/08/2021

Welcome to the world. These are our gorgeous Jazz Harley babies. Born 9 August 2021.

26/06/2021

DOG DISEASE - EHRILICHIOSIS
Deadly dog disease 'explodes' across the north as the nomads return.
A veterinarian working across northern Australia has sounded a new alarm over what he calls "an explosion" of cases of the deadly dog disease ehrlichiosis.
Flying vet Campbell Costello said thousands of dogs had now died in the Northern Territory and more were dying daily.
"I am sick of looking at dead dogs, tell people down south they have no idea what is coming."
Ehrlichiosis is a disease spread by the common brown tick which was first discovered in northern Western Australia early last year.
Diseased dogs or ticks have since been found in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.
Dr Costello, from Outback and Airborne Veterinary Services currently based at the Barkly Veterinary Practice at Tennant Creek, said the re-opening of borders has seen the return of the grey nomads and other visitors for the dry season in the north.
He has already been called on to treat their dogs for ehrlichiosis infections, and keeps seeing a 80 per cent mortality rate.
"Little Fluffy in the back of the van is either going to die up here of be a carrier when they go back home."
Dr Campbell Costello working in a makeshift surgery trying to save yet another dog from a highly lethal new disease.
Dr Campbell Costello working in a makeshift surgery trying to save yet another dog from a highly lethal new disease.
Dr Costello said he was appalled there were no biosecurity road blocks for people travelling north to advise them of the outbreak, and warn dog owners to get two kinds of tick protection.
"It just shows you we were not ready for this, or for rabies or whatever else comes in," he said.
"We are getting crucified up here, we are snowed under ... 80 per cent of the dogs that come in have it.
"The official advice is that ehrlichiosis is well established but that's not right, it is endemic."
Dr Costello said the disease had not only decimated dog populations in remote communities but was killing backyard pets in urban areas as well.
"Cases are going to explode across Australia after this grey nomad season."
He said the only defence to ehrlichiosis was two forms of tick protection, there are no vaccines.
He said the chewable tablets people often believed provided adequate tick protection were not enough.
Cloudy eyes as the disease takes hold.
Cloudy eyes as the disease takes hold.
"That takes five hours to remove a tick, it is only taking 30 minutes to an hour for a tick to pass it on."
He said a repellent like a Pyrethrin collar was also needed.
"If you think you can just run your hands over your dog and find the ticks you can't.
"I have been a vet for 11 years and I still miss them."
He was alarmed there was not a greater public biosecurity alert about the disease.
"It has highlighted how underprepared we are when a new disease like this gets in."

06/05/2021

These special babies are now almost 4 weeks old. Shown here at about 2 weeks. Need to take a new photo. 3 boys and 1 girl born 10 April.