October 2026

Continuing very dry, not a drop this month. My phone told me it would rain at 6pm last night and I got a bit excited. Nope! My neighbour’s barley on the black soil is hanging on but will be battling to fill. As I’m typing this next morning it’s started to rain!

A very busy month with the three litters, Vamp, Naka and Mina to keep the good tucker going so they milked well, and then getting the pups onto some solids. All good except for Naka’s three smaller creams… when mating her I was hoping to be able to foster some of hers onto the other two bitches as she had trouble last litter. This time she came through the pregnancy well, the Moringa powder she had each day helped and then I added allergy herbs after whelping…last litter she had an auto immune problem after huge doses of steroids years ago for a mystery illness. All that didn’t help her milk supply; or was it something affecting the pups themselves? The three black/tans and a cream boy seemed fine, not sure if they were stronger and hogging the tucker. Anyway I managed to foster one onto Vamp but she was very doubtful about it and I didn’t want to push my luck, so I supped the two smallest with the goats’ milk brew. Much better than any powder you buy.

Vamp has been a perfect mum and her pups, plus foster, have done really well.(below)

Mina had eight so was unavailable for fostering duties! her one female pup was born smaller and didn’t make it, very sadly. Her seven boys are just beautiful, but I’m pretty excited to hear a semen sexing firm operating for cattle is coming to Stanthorpe next year!

Mina’s boys by Barru Spinifex.

The constantly smaller number of bitches being born is limiting progress in improving our dogs. It’s been suggested feed quality can affect sex; studies of native animals has shown a definite increase in males born in a good season. I had a litter of ten bitch pups born from a bitch who was mated to a dog up north where both were being fed Enduro(which rates 3/10!). The bitch joined via TCI in SA had been on  Eukanuba, so I was pretty hopeful for some bitches from Viv and she didn’t disappoint, having nine pups and six girls! There are a few fawns which is a pity but on the cards when breeding from a dilute colour. Gibson was red/tan but his g’sire Wilson had a blue/tan brother who was almost hairless, the reason I’m being careful about breeding Gibson too close. Only one reason why you should research pedigrees when breeding.

I don’t plan on changing my all raw feeding regime but it’s good that better kibbles are being made these days, including Blackhawk and Dogpro in NSW. Australian Pet Food Reviews is a great resource to check them all, just Google…. you’ll be surprised. I did a quick run down in my  May blog.

I had an interesting chat with Mary Faulkner in Tassie who has a daughter of Karmala Lefty and Karmala Dash, Claywolf Abbi. She sent me some vids of her being assessed for arena trialing by Bernard McGlashan which I put together.

Sharon and Selwyn Brown came up for a funeral and it was great to catch up. They returned Bubble and Bevvy who Selwyn had been training/working for me and Selwyn was kind enough to give Kweni and Windy a run. Two very different pups, both very good in different ways. Here’s Windy having her first look. Kweni wasn’t as calm. As we continue to be super fussy about the bitches we run on, Windy will be the only one staying out of the three. 

Talking to Sharon and Selwyn about these four ‘pups,’ we agreed on the importance of breeding traits that make life easier for buyers; of course of less importance when just breeding an occasional litter for your own use(or is it?!) Not everyone has time to train pups intensively or attend some of the huge number of “training clinics” available (not all are suitable for this type of worker anyway). And not many enjoy training pups like Selwyn! A pup that has a nice friendly nature and naturally wants to hold stock together is a far more attractive proposition than a hyper keen one that needs persuasion to stop breaking up the mob.  A strong work ethic is also a big plus, it enables the pup to persevere when young despite being  yelled at and given conflicting orders. This can also cause frustration, of course when the pup is reluctant to come off stock, but once taught the two magic words, Stop and Come the rest is a breeze.

Min has been down at Mole River and young Rose(5) is keen to get her working. The two have become inseparable! No doubt fired up by Frank claiming Jack as “his dog”!

R n Min  <click for vid.