Randi Potos

Hello, I am in search of a male Eclectus in Florida. I've searched around a bit on different sites and for different breeders but can't seem to find any available. South Florida would be preferred (I'm in the keys) but I am willing to travel a few hours for the right bird. If anyone knows of any breeders in the area or any Eclectus for sale I would love to hear about it! Thanks in advance.

I am considering moving and curious about how much hay and grain cost in certain areas of the US. The places I am considering moving to are Southern California, Northern Virginia and Maryland. If anyone can give me some average prices for hay and grain (and also boarding if available) that would be great. I do realize prices vary greatly from town to town but this is just for me to get a general idea. Thanks in advance.

My boyfriend has a year old Aussie doodle (Australian Shepherd Poodle mix) who has, as of late, become increasingly aggressive with strangers. I've only known the dog for about 4 months. I know that he did not have the proper obedience and socialization done when he was a puppy. He lived with my boyfriends parents until he was about 6 months and they did not do much with him. Neither did my boyfriend after he took him home, until I started to work with him a few months ago. I noticed his aggression right off the bat, but it was more of a fear response then outward aggression at first. He would bark loudly warning strangers then run away or hide behind me or my boyfriend. It seems like the 'fear' is dissipating and he is going up to people now and barking and growling. I know that dogs start to build their real self confidence between their 1st and 3rd year and with his herding and guarding instincts due to his breed I am afraid he is getting too self confident lately.

We had an incident at the dog park the other day. He plays great with other dogs and is not aggressive there, maybe just a bit intense with the chasing if the other dogs are running but that is in his nature. There was an older gentleman walking around who Dexter (the dog) started to bark at. It was that 'warning' type bark and he went right up to the guy and barked at him. He also barked like this at a few others, but after a few good barks walked away from them. It seemed like he had targeted this guy as a threat. The man stared him down and kept walking towards our dog (which I thought was idiotic) and when the man walked away Dexter ran up to him and nipped at his hand. He did not bite him, but very well could have.

I have experience with working with dogs but it is limited and I don't have the knowledge to handle an aggressive dog. We have contacted a trainer that lives in our area who says he will evaluate Dexter and give us his opinion and try to help. He won't be able to come out for a few days though. I guess my question here is, from those of you that have experience with such a thing, how have you handled it and was it successful?

Neither my boyfriend or I want to go to the extreme of putting our dog down, but if he were to be aggressive with a child or even bite an adult I don't know how I could live with myself. He is an extremely intelligent dog and with his family is a love bug. But with anyone else I cannot trust him at this point.

I've been researching some brands of dog food because I'm interested in switching my dog to something different. He is currently being fed Trilogy (Life's Abundance) dry formula. It is not a terrible food, but he's not crazy about the taste of it and I'd like something that contains less meat by products and more real meat.

After searching a few brands I'm down to 4 I'm considering, but would like outsider opinions from people who may have more experience or knowledge about dog nutrition. My first choice is Fromm. Ive also looked at and like Canidae, Wellness and Solid Gold. If anyone has any opinions or facts concerning these foods I'd appreciate it!

My fiance and I are looking into getting a puppy come the new year. I have always loved Bernese Mountain Dogs as well as Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. Since Berners are so prone to cancer and short lifespans sometimes of only 6-7 years, we are leaning more towards bringing home a Swissy. I have some experience with the breed from my previous Kennel job but it is limited. I'm just looking for opinions on them from those that might have more experience with the breed.

I just found a lizard I've never seen before and am wondering what kind it might be. It was small (looked like a baby) about the size of the tip of my index finger in length. It had a greyish body with black stripes and a red tail, legs and head. I live in South Florida. Thanks if anyone can help. Sorry I don't have a photo to show.