Maddie

Best to get stuff from the vets (or the same product you can buy at the vets from elsewhere).  Something like a scalibor collar might be okay for you (if you prefer a collar that does it all) - kills ticks, fleas and sandflies too.

We had a similar "event" and the pompiers were equally marvellous - down to washing the kitchen floor.  No request or mention of any certificate, not even from the insurers. 

AFIDEL = Association pour la Formation et l'Information sur le Developpement Local The other place is GRETA - sort of adult education I think http://www.education.gouv.fr/fp/greta.htm

As an owner of an entire female dog (this forum software does not let you say b*t*h for some odd reason) and also living in France I can sympathise to some extent and have exactly the same problem.  The simple answer (and you may not like this) is to NEVER let your dog out of your sight.  Keep her on the lead at all times when she's outside even in the garden, take a big stick with you if you go out, or a water pistol.  It's not impossible to take her out for a walk but keep her on the lead at all times, preferably take her somewhere where there are no other dogs (and go in the car to avoid leaving a scent trail).  The "morning after" shot is available but is not without its own problems.  If you can't handle it when she's in season (and I don't mean that disrespectfully - I know it can be a MASSIVE nightmare sometimes) then get her spayed after she's had her season.   In the long run it's be better for her and for your nerves too.

We live about 45 minutes to an hour from several ski resorts.  The advantages of that far outweigh the inconvenience of a bit of extra driving time.  When there's great snow on the pistes there's rarely snow chez nous which means lower heating bills!  When you start getting a bit of altitude the weather can change dramatically.  I read this recently: http://money.independent.co.uk/property/homes/article339214.ece

The fact that you have a pink certificate should be sufficient.  With the first vaccination for rabies the vet issues a blue certificate.  Therafter, providing the booster is given before the certificate expires you get a pink certificate.  Fortunately, all mine are also recorded on their carte de sante and on their pet passports.  Poor vet has a mountain of paperwork to do when we have to go for boosters!

In reality very few owners use their dogs registered name.  All my travel documents are in thier "pet" name only. We never use their full names at all. 

[quote user="PossumGirl"]For example, I know a lot of people consider the topical flea/tick products "poison" and say they are dangerous.  But, for those of us in areas with tick/mosquito borne illnesses, I think the risk of THOSE is higher than the risk of treatment. PG [/quote] If they had ever had a pet suffer from one of those tick bourne diseases, like I have, then they would think differently.  It's not nice and very serious indeed.  Having said that, there is a vaccine, not 100% effective, and no-one I know has their dogs vaccinated!

I take lessons twice weekly through my local AFIDEL.  It costs €70 per month for two 3 hour sessions.  There are a mixture of nationalities and even some native French speakers who ar referred to improve their written skills.  There are others who have had referrals from APNE and they get it free but I think this is no longer available in my area.  It is great fun.  The mixture of nationalities means wee are pretty much forced to speak French to each other. 

[quote user="Christine Animal"]Doesn't the Kennel Club do this then in England?  [/quote] No. Most reputable breeders will have an affix for dogs they breed themselves or will add the same name as a suffix if they have a dog bought in from another kennel.  This is then possibly followed by an name which may follow a theme or start will a particlar letter maybe incorporating names of earlier generations of their own lines but there is no particilar convention.  eg Cambremer Tom Sawyer and Cambremer Tom Cobbley of Charway are both sons, from the same litter of sire Charway Uncle Tom!  My dog is KC registered but does not come from a registered breeder so her sibblings were given any old names!

It's pretty unlikely that your dog actually has primary epilepsy as it usually occurs in younger dogs.  Late onset fitting like this is more likely to be a side effect/symptom of some other  disease.  Has your vet run any tests/scans?  I had a dog who had similar symptoms but her first fit was a status (sp) - one where the fitting continues without stopping or is a series of fits ocurring very closely together.  She had to be sedated in order to stop the fits but they were very sucessfully controlled from then on by phenobarbitone.  The medication is widely used, inexpensive and if used under close veterinary supervision, highly effective.  Personally, I would rather have the fits under control by medication than risk my dog injuring himself fitting (brain damage, organ damage etc).  I'm sure you have found lots of useful information on the net but here's one I found http://www.canineepilepsy.co.uk/default.htm and http://www.homevet.com/petcare/epilepsy.html#types .  If your vet has not done any tests do try to encourage him to do so.  Sadly, my Sophie's fits were a side effect of a brain tumour so she had to be PTS a year, almost to the day, after her first fit.  Good luck.

Try looking for adverts in your local freebie paper or maybe ask at your Mairie or neighbours.  The price varies enormously across regions.  Where I am in 31 it's between €48 and €50 per stere (cu metre) for metre length, dry, split oak.

The tunnel is very civilised.  The only problem that I had was that my free ticket (a business gift to MOH - he's "in the trade") did not include free dog travel so I was directed to another building to pay for two dog tickets at £30 a shot! [:$]

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Beware the costs very easily creep up.  It also depends on construction, shape, whether you DIY etc as has been said already.  We have a virtually maintenance free pool, 10 x 5 with Roman steps, automatic cleaner, floodlights and  and automatic chemical sampling/dosing system, a solar powered AFNOR approved roller security cover, brick built/tiled roof pool house housing filter and chemicals, landscaping and tiled surround, a years chemical supply and pool man who comes to open up in spring and close up for winter.  Over the period from inital digging of the hole to final completion I reckon we have spent fast approaching €40k!  However, it is by far the nicest pool I have seen and my guests love it.  It is worth spending as much as you can sensibly afford (our bank manager paid for most of ours!!)  I don't think it is worth cutting corners when it comes to such an important asset and would advise people to pay a professional to do a really decent job.  I know we haven't regretted it.  (I wince when I see that figure though [:$] )

I LIKE IT! (Sorry for shouting! ) [:$] But it won't let me upload an avatar. [:'(]

I too have found a great vet.  My dogs are not French but they have been tattooed since we've been here so the vet knows we are resident.  He's been super helpful and very tolerant of me as I take my dogs if there is the slightest thing wrong, primarily as one had piroplasmosis and you can never be too careful.  He charges are extremely reasonable too - €35 for annual booster including rabies.  I had to take my lab in several times for gastro problems and at the last time she had an ultrasound, two injections and three lots of oral meds and it only cost €40.    Have you tried clipping the dew claws so they are not so scratchy?  I think removal is a general anaesthetic job but I could be wrong.

It's certainly colder this year than last.  Bbrrrrr

Mine, Haute Garonne (31) is 179 per km2 - I say "Where the hell are they all?"  

Hi Ian (whoopee got ADSL now!!) I don't see why she can't be registered to do agility as LOF using her provisional LOF papers.  As you know, Coco is UK/KC registered but needs to be confirmed to get full LOF papers - but we can still compete as LOF even though, technically, she isn't fully registered  LOF. I just submitted her KC export certificate to the SCC and our licence came back with an LOF number on it.  Did you get any papers from her breeder when you got her?  Not helping you to answer your question really - sorry. Nice to see you are aiming high! LOL!

At the moment? VERY!  I live about one hour from Toulouse (Nr St Gaudens) and am fed up this year with the amount of rain!  It's been pouring (torrential) or cloudy but warmish.  It was suppsed to be a drought year with a heatwave but I'd say last year was a lot drier and hotter with decent weather right into December.  MOH was still swimming in our outdoor, non eahted, hilltop pool in November (and he's a real wuzz so it must have been warm!) On New Years Day he was painting the walls outside in his shorts! There a lots of microclimates so it's very difficlut to compare one area with another.  Also rainfall can be very local - yesterday I was picking fruit in a friends garden less than 3 km away in bright sunshine and when I got home, 10 minutes, later my garden was flooded from torrential rain!

Bought 100s of DVD and CDs over the years (only just noticed their name has changed from play247.com!) delivered both to UK and France.  No problems and if there has been a quick email has sorted it out.  Bought a couple of books recently too.  Would recommend them to anyone.

[quote]In defence of Chez Nous (and, no, I do not work for them!) the smallest ad is still 1/8 page but yes I agree it is expensive. I am interested to hear that they are not good for B&B - is anyone ou...[/quote] In the litereature we had from Chez Nous 1/8 page was not mentioned at all, hence my comment.   We've had a lot of success with them but then we pay for a link to our own website and people who've booked have done so more because of our website and the pictures and information on there than the CN listing.  It may also be because we aren't in the Dordogne where there are millions of lisitings and a lot of competition!  Interestingly, most if not all of our clients said they would not even bother to look at a listing in CN if there was not also a separate web presence with surprised us no end.  We're glad we bit the bullet, struggled like mad and created our own website! LF has been excellent for out of season bookings - we've had bookings from them for February, March, April and September to December.  Far better value for money for an ad in 12 months' editions than anything else we've done!  Plus you can do a couple of changes to your ad through the year (ie we describe our location as Gascony for summer clients but Midi Pyrenees in winter for the potential skiers).  We were amazed and, no, we don't have any connection to them!   We shall be doing the same thing next year.

[quote]Arnold, I have chosen to opt out of Chez Nous and advertiese on a large variety of internet sites instead, some of which are Holiday-rentals.com, FC, holidaylets.nets, Abritel.fr and a couple of othe...[/quote] CN has changed for 2006 - seems to be marginally cheaper but minimum ad size is a 1/4 page rather than 1/8.  That may have an impact on the size/number of properties featured in the 2006 brochure? I've always been able to update my own availability on CN - never had to call them. Out of season we've had lots of success with Living France magazine!

Blooming vets! On a different note you may find it wil be be easier to get her spayed as the French have this "thing" about neutering their male dogs and you will prbably (like we do) gets LOTS of unwanted romeos heading your way!! Have you tried the French Ridgeback breed club to see if there are any owners near your new home?