June, 2026

The rain came a bit too late but it’s nice to see some green again before the frosts burn it off. Quite good falls and will kick on the early sown crops that were feeling the dry. Just before the rain my neighbours prepared the onion beds for their pickling onions, sold under the well known Three Rows brand. Each bed is sown with three rows of three…update later! They always remind me of Kitkat bars.

The Karrawarra Cash x Karmala Karma litter had just been born when I was doing my last update.Just look at them now! A lovely litter of very confident, happy little chappies…only three girls out of the nine. 

karma’s 3 girls  <Click for video. 

Gossip has her very last litter too, born on May 31 to young Holdem. Five bitch pups and three boys…lovely. She’s been a great bitch, a good reliable worker and mum; she’ll be retired from the stud after rearing this litter. 

With the changes in circumstances of Em and Derek I’ve moved on a few bitches, sadly. McKenzie has gone down to Katelynn Clark’s Lyrah Park Kelpie Stud at Gerang Gerung in Victoria, serendipitously arriving just in time to be mated! We still have her litter sister MinaWylie.

Sass and EmmaMcKeon/Eminem have headed off north to Topaz with Bruce Logan for some serious stock work, they’ll love it. I hope to get some updates from him, Em is just a young bitch and should only improve.

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I had a call the other night from Matt Tosh out near St George to tell me Eventine Caro was going great guns. She was an unusual pup, very switched on and wanting your whole attention 100% of the time. I had a lot of dogs just arrived from Mt Larcom and she wasn’t getting a fair go; Matt didn’t have a going dog and was in a bit of trouble trying to look after stock on two places. Well, despite her being too young for the responsibility of it all, she went moving cattle the following day and did nothing wrong. She’s now getting sheep out of scrub, tackling bulls, driving and balancing, staying with the bike when not needed and hasn’t even killed a chook. I’m so pleased she’s worked out so well for him and is being appreciated.

The two Spud x Sass pups that went to Sharon and Selwyn Brown are going really well under Selwyn’s expert hand. I wish he was a bit closer and could start a couple for me…after Riana Bevy escaping today, finding the sheep and looking absolutely brilliant on them, I think I might be taking her down to Inverell! She’s so keen and looks so stylish, but needs the right person to handle her. If there hadn’t been an awful gale blowing I’d have had no hope of catching her, but when she has the sheep under control she claps and holds, so I snuck up behind her! Pics below.

These are the Brown pair, Gus and Molly.(top)Video on my Facebook page. 

This is the girl I kept, Bubble.

I was reluctant to sell Jacqui(Black Jack x Jakeeva Sage/Tilly) but had an offer quite near Toowoomba and will be able to keep track of her. Tasso sent this film of her first look at sheep. He’s happy after a disappointing late starter and a bit of bad luck..

Jacqui’s brother Highjack is with Carmen Letton and she sends me some really good photos of him. Here with old Eventine Ralph and again being spoiled by Tim.     

The first of the Ned x Speedy litter went off with Bob and Lucy Strong last weekend. I never cease being amazed at their adaptability and temperament. So many new things at once but not a worry.

Bowie’s an unusual red/black colour like Driftwood Boondi. 

His siblings are proving athletic with two of them escaping from most of my yards

I’ve had a small helper this week, I’m surprised at how competent a four year old can be!

No frosts yet, enjoying the sunsets but not the freezing gales blowing up from the snowfields!

FLEAS

Afoxolaner  (in***** NEXGARD****)kills fleas by attacking their central nervous system through a “systemic” process, meaning it works from the inside out.   

1. Ingestion & Absorption: Your dog eats the chewable tablet, and the afoxolaner is rapidly absorbed into their bloodstream.
2. Parasite Feeding: When a flea bites your dog and takes a blood meal, it ingests the afoxolaner.
3. Nervous System Attack: The drug binds to specific receptors (GABA and glutamate-gated chloride channels) in the flea’s nerve cells. It blocks the normal flow of chloride ions, which are essential for keeping nerves calm.
4. Hyperexcitation & Death: This blockade causes the flea’s nervous system to become “stuck” in an “on” position. This leads to hyperexcitation—uncontrolled activity and paralysis—which eventually kills the flea.

Fluralaner (commonly used in ****BRAVECTO****) is an isoxazoline insecticide that kills fleas and ticks by inhibiting their nervous system, causing paralysis and death. It acts systemically, absorbed into the pet’s bloodstream or skin tissues, where it is consumed by parasites during feeding, providing protection for up to 12 weeks. 

Key Aspects of How Fluralaner Works: 

• Action Mechanism: It acts as a potent inhibitor of ligand-gated chloride channels, specifically targeting gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-gated and glutamate-gated channels in the nervous system of parasites.
• Selectivity: The compound is highly selective for insect and arthropod neurons, causing overstimulation in their nerve cells while having minimal impact on mammalian nerve function.
• Systemic Action: Once administered (oral or topical), fluralaner circulates through the bloodstream or accumulates in the skin’s interstitial fluids. Fleas and ticks ingest the compound when they take a blood meal.
• Long-Lasting Protection: Its pharmacokinetic properties allow it to have a long elimination half-life, meaning it remains active in the body for up to 12 weeks (84 days) after a single dose.
• Rapid Kill Rate: Fluralaner starts killing fleas within 2 hours of ingestion, and kills 100% of fleas on a dog within 12 hours. It also kills ticks

• Common Adulticides (Adult Flea Killers) 

These chemicals focus on the central nervous system of adult fleas: 

• Selamectin (e.g., Revolution): Binds to glutamate-gated chloride channels in the flea’s nerve cells. It keeps these channels open, causing a continuous flow of chloride ions that results in permanent electrical “lockup,” leading to flaccid paralysis and death.
• Fipronil (e.g., Frontline): Blocks GABA-gated chloride channels. GABA normally inhibits nerve signals; by blocking it, fipronil causes the flea’s nervous system to go into overdrive (hyperexcitation), leading to convulsions and death.
• Imidacloprid (e.g., Advantage): Mimics nicotine by binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This causes continuous stimulation of the flea’s nerves, resulting in paralysis and death, often within minutes of contact.
• Spinosad (e.g., Comfortis): Overstimulates the nervous system by activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and affecting GABA receptors. It is known for its rapid “speed of kill,” often reaching 100% efficacy within 24 hours.
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Insect Growth Regulators (Lifecycle Disruptors) 

These do not kill adult fleas but prevent the next generation from developing. 

S-Methoprene and Pyriproxyfen: These act as juvenile hormone mimics. They trick flea eggs and larvae into “thinking” they aren’t ready to mature, preventing them from ever reaching the adult biting stage.

I’VE HAD 2  LITTERS FROM BITCHES TREATED DURING PREGNANCY WITH FRONTLINE PLUS. IN BOTH LITTERS ALL DOG PUPS DIED WITHIN AN HOUR OF BIRTH AND A BITCH SURVIVED. About 10 years in between and I’d forgotten.I reported the first case to the manufacturer.

• Lufenuron: A chitin synthesis inhibitor. It prevents fleas from forming their hard outer shell (exoskeleton), which means flea eggs cannot hatch and larvae cannot develop
• THIS IS THE ONLY REALLY SAFE FLEA TREATMENT,  ALL OTHERS ATTACK THE NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE FLEA AND SOME DOGS ARE ALSO AFFECTED.
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Comparison Table: Common Ingredients 

1. Safety by Age Range 

The youngest puppies have limited chemical options because their systems are still developing. 

• Newborn to 4 Weeks: No chemicals are recommended. Safety relies on physical removal using a flea comb and warm baths. Treating the mother with a puppy-safe product like Advantage is often used to create a “protective bubble” for the litter.
• 4 to 6 Weeks: Capstar (Nitenpyram) is often safe from 4 weeks of age and 1kg in weight for immediate “knockdown” of live fleas, but it only lasts 24 hours.
• 6 Weeks+: Selamectin (e.g., Revolution Pink) is specifically formulated and tested safe for puppies from 6 weeks of age.
• 8 Weeks+: Most major chewables like NexGard Spectra, Simparica Trio, and Bravecto

 Recommended Puppy Products