Henrietta

Well, she does seem to like the gundogs, but she is open to others. I was a little unsure about the ideal exercise requirements of some vs the exercise she is willing to commit to - she is pretty honest about what she can and can't provide so that is good. I will certainly pass on this info to her. Monah - sounds like the Springer may be too much...

Hi Darlingdog, thank you. How much is a good amount of exercise for a Pointer? EFS

A friend of mind is currently throwing around ideas for breeds for a future dog. Here are her particulars: Low predisposition to aggression, people oriented and affectionate. Exercise - app. 1 hour daily, on and offlead, plus some training. She is not sure if she would become involved in dog sports, but she would do some basic obedience training. Coat - shedding isn't a big deal, the dog will be inside/outside. Probably a easier to groom coat is ideal, nothing too intensive but is open to flexibility on this one. Longevity - a breed that is relatively healthy (will be researching this further in detail once some breeds are definitely short-listed) and is typically long-lived. Open to getting a second dog sometime down the track. She has taken a fancy to English Springer Spaniels and Labradors, but I am thinking grooming is probably a bit much with the former? And exercise requirements? I am thinking they hit the spot for people dogs. But I have no idea about health. She is open to flexibility regarding size, but no giants and no tiny. I guess there is a lot in between. Thanks ETA thanks!

I get that some people wouldn't care, but if you want to educate someone why on earth would you get them on the wrong side initially? A bit of tact goes a long way, that's all I'm saying. I think noting that you don't find a particular breed or cross as aesthetically pleasing or not your cup of tea is a bit different from saying to a complete stranger that their mutt is ugly. Edited for punctuation

I don't think you can educate anyone by calling their dogs 'ugly cross mutts'. I think you start making a rod for your own back when you refer to someone else's dog (which in all probability, they love) as ugly. I am all for education but I don't think the 'if people want to be educated they will be' argument really cuts it. It's the way the information is presented that counts as well.

Get well soon, Yogi. Take care of yourself, Robbi.

Beautiful photos! I really love the expression of poodles. And Sandra, your PWD is a very handsome girl.

Thank you LizT and Steve. I remember Burke's Backyard and the roadtest segment, but I was a child at the time and the jump from this to seemingly opposing purebreds seemed quite sudden to me. I knew I had missed something.

Sorry to bump up this old thread, but can someone explain to me (with a PM if they would like) the history behind why DB supports the DD's and puppy farms and why he spends so much time opposing the purebreed dog world? TIA.

Isn't that interesting about the removal of the spleen leading to a greatly increased risk of infection from capnocytophaga - the bacteria that is found naturally in dog and cat mouths? They don't mention if the first woman didn't have a spleen though.

I agree the dog shouldn't be pts, although I would've thought it an unlikely outcome. But, despite of the fact that the parent's may or may not have been involved in drugs (they haven't been found guilty yet), the child should still have been safe from getting bitten, police dog or not. A review of how they handled the situation is warrented. Given a child was present, maybe they did need to have someone watching the door? I don't pretend to understand exactly how things work, but I believe this incident should be used to prevent this happening in the future.

I remember as a kid I was running with our dog and being a kid, I manage to fall over her, grazing my knee. She licked it better and we kept on playing. It's not something I would encourage now, but I don't find the thought of it that disgusting.

Wow. I did enjoy it. I love how the pair of them are just so happy to be doing what they are doing.

I'm glad your dog wasn't blamed for that. Not your fault at all, entirely the fault of the other owners, but as a dog lover you'd still feel stink about it! I've had offleash dogs rush my onleash dogs before, it's a scary feeling since it's hard to manage that situation. It is stories like these that need to be drummed into owners' heads. The ones that let their small dogs rush/attack other dogs. (Coming from someone with a small, aggressive dog). The dogs pay the ultimate price. How terrifying for you Malsrock, not your fault at all! Elfin, the whole situation just sucks.

I'm glad your dog wasn't blamed for that. Not your fault at all, entirely the fault of the other owners, but as a dog lover you'd still feel stink about it! I've had offleash dogs rush my onleash dogs before, it's a scary feeling since it's hard to manage that situation. It is stories like these that need to be drummed into owners' heads. The ones that let their small dogs rush/attack other dogs. (Coming from someone with a small, aggressive dog). The dogs pay the ultimate price. How terrifying for you Malsrock, not your fault at all! Elfin, the whole situation just sucks.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...=179286&hl= I think this may be the one...

The whole thing was amazing, but I was mesmerized by the grin on the Goldie... from start to finish.

My girl has not got the personality that I would've chosen myself. She is smart as a tack, driven and a tad bossy if you allow it and has been a right handful at times for my level of experience. Couple that with a large streak of independence and her aggression issues (not towards me btw) and you have a dog that I wasn't prepared for or expecting. Unfortunately that is what can happen when you get a dog from a BYB, and do not have a good breeder or rescue organisation to help you with your choice. Having said that, I adore this dog. She can be marshmallowly sweet at times, she rewards me for my hard work and she is a delight to train when I finally get things right!! She is great fun to be around, she plays hard and then spends a lot of time curled up on the couch with me or lounging around. Not the easiest first dog ever, but I very well could have done a lot worse and she has taught me a lot. She will influence my future decisions in dog ownership (breed, breeder, training, personality etc) for many, many years to come. Edit - To add something

I am not an expert, I have only met a few. I've met some that are confident and outgoing and some that are more timid. I was researching TTs when we got our puppy and I didn't read anything about them being timid, so it may just be a fluke that I've met some shy ones Thank you. :D I got the same impression from the research I have done.

Oooh, I forgot about TTs, great little dogs The only thing I'd be careful of (although this is the same with all breeds really) is to make sure you get a confident puppy for dog sports, as I have met some very shy TTs. Forgive me for the hijack, but TTs are a breed that I am interested in for my next dog (along with some other smaller breeds such as the mini poodle, sheltie, pap, CKCS). Are they really known for this? Whatever breed I decide, I want an outgoing dog. Was interested in knowing your experiences. Is it just a matter of finding the right lines? This is what I have discovered with the little research I have done into the Sheltie.

I love other people's puppies and looking at photos of puppies... but it's not going to translate to actually getting a puppy. Certainly not right now and not in a while!

Yes, Crate Games is designed for the above, it was actually why I first bought it. But it is also about motivation and self control. I found it helped build up my working relationship with Abby and it helped me overcome my tendency to be really dull sometimes. This is from the perspective of a very inexperienced and occasionally self-conscious trainer, btw. It is hard to explain when I haven't actually watched it in a while. But the bits we did adopt, I still do to today. If I remember correctly, some of the more advanced exercises are more for agility applications ie. building drive to/over an obstacle. It really does build reliability in the crate, too. Let me know if you'd like to borrow my copy. I have found it, but I'm still working on finding those damn notes, lol.

Another here, who has only done parts. My girl was not crate trained as a pup, but I used crate games to introduce it to her and it worked really well. We do the collar game - driving in and out and I also always have her reorientating to me on exit (I believe this was a Control Unleashed exercise, but it may have also been in Crate Games - my memory is pretty vague). We still play, but no, we haven't done the whole lot. *Digs around overloaded bookshelf to find her crate games dvd* Edit - Am I the only one that has to watch a training DVD multiple times to get a general understanding and also take notes? I'm sure I have notes about Crate Games somewhere around...

Well, I just heard him on his radio show give an RSPCA representative (Steve, sorry I didn't get his full name) a complete dressing down. He was saying that the RSPSA had lost it's way. Essentially, why were they picking on puppy farmers and why do they support the pedigree dog world? I will try and find a transcript of the full conversation.

No, size is no excuse for behaviour. I own a small aggressive dog myself and I try my best to not put her in situations for her to react and certainly never offlead in a public place. And never where she can get into another dog's personal space (on or off lead). If we were walking down the street (onlead) and I made a handler error and she reacted I would be very apologetic. This hasn't happened in a while because we are both getting better. But I certainly don't stand there and do nothing or laugh and make jokes. I am at a loss though, as to why people think this is appropriate. Even if they were completely selfish individuals that don't give a stuff about anyone else's dogs... can they not see that they are in fact putting their own dogs in danger? I guess they are either ignorant and uneducated or they are downright irresponsible.