SkySoaringMagpie

gremlins...

He's easy to listen to, I went to the last ones in Australia, partly because it was theoretically his last tour. Like Dame Nellie Melba and Cold Chisel tho', here he is again :laugh: He has his critics but I really like the guy because he's pragmatic and accessible and the majority of what he suggests is good sense. I would go and see him at least once if you have an enthusiasm for dog training or you plan to breed - I think some of the most valuable stuff he contributes is around raising dogs correctly so he's a prevention rather than cure guy as far as I can see. Probably not someone to go to if you want susan garrett style precision to improve your scores in formal obedience or agility tho'.

There isn't a single answer. If you want one of my breed you don't have to wait long before a suitable litter comes up. Used to be that you'd be looking at 6 months to a year, now there's usually something around at any given moment. So in our particular "market" they are readily available but not oversupplied. In other breed "markets" they are undersupplied or oversupplied. I'm not suggesting that we breed less in markets that are about right or under supplied, and there are niches within particular breed markets too - but you have to create the demand in a way that is sync'd up with the supply. Hence my example about Afghans. There isn't a demand for them, and I can see why. I can see some small opportunities to improve the numbers among people who enjoy and can resource high intensity hobbies (and some savvy breeders are doing this) but that isn't most people.

Agree with this, just a couple of additional comments. Some breeds do have a hell of a time finding suitable homes, such that it is preventing really good breeders breeding again because we now don't tolerate that other option that I better not bring into this thread. Afghans are one example. Unfortunately iffy breeders don't have so many compunctions. The thing is, there are worse things for a hard to train heavily coated dog or cross of that dog than a humane death. My views on that subject don't arise from a history of Afghan breeding (I don't have one) but from working in sighthound rescue. So "filling the pet market" doesn't apply to all of us anyway. Some breeds are a worse idea in the hands of the clueless and careless than others - tho' no dog should have to put up with that kind of life. The only other observation I'd make tho' is that it's is usually the problems that are visible. So the 5 people who still have their dog sitting at home with them on the couch while they watch TV after going for a nice long on lead walk aren't visible, the one person who makes a complete mess of it and then dumps the dog onto rescue because their husband got the shits with it and they got bored with it, they are visible. Both on this board and out in rescue land. I think one risk is that we see so many idiots, we think the world is made up of idiots. I'm still hopeful that it isn't tho' I concede it's the triumph of hope over experience.

Cascade Raspberry has the right concentration - or did last time I purchased it. It's usually displayed with the "grown up" cordials not the Cottees stuff. I've kept a bottle of it on hand ever since reading about the Charles Sturt studies and break it out when we have iffy tummy issues.

So should we chuck working titles? Nope. As long as people don't really think that they mean the dogs can work for a living. I think there's nothing better than watching a dog do what it was bred to do, even if its a stylized version of it. Just checking. I get a bit irritated by the "X sanctioned activity proves nothing" discussions. They don't show the full picture in the way that a 17th century crofter or 15th century bedu's dog might, but if it is the best we can do it still shows a lot. I know that if I have a choice between picking from a show only kennel and a show plus working titles kennel to choose a dog, I will go for the latter every time.

So should we chuck working titles?

Provide some stats that suggest careless breeding (like.. 30% of show greyhounds carrying the gene for neuropathy- not being alive after 12 months definitely impacts on function) and then perhaps you'd have a valid argument. If being willing/able to chase well is not the breed's function, then I'm afraid I'm a little confused about what they're intended for. A dog needs to have drive, they need to have the ability to see that drive through. They are a hunting dog- see it, chase it, grab it. The vast majority of (racing bred) greyhounds I've dealt with have had sufficient drive and ability to do what they were intended for. Those that don't are not bred from. To be blunt here, this argument makes me distrustful of people who breed for show. If they are unwilling to admit (when it is painfully obvious) that they need to go back several steps to address some major issues, then they are either unable to look objectively at their breed (in which case, they shouldn't be breeding) or they are knowingly ignoring the issues (in which case, they shouldn't be breeding). The greyhound people are addressing your specific remarks about show greyhounds. As you know, people don't keep detailed health stats on dogs that are PTS because they don't work out for the track. However, anyone with some involvement with rescue greys has seen bad mouths, bad skin, eye disease, etc. All three of those issues are issues for OFC or hunting.

I can't provide advice about GSDs, but the questions I would ask first is "why do I want to breed and what do I think I can contribute to the breed?" Once you know the answers to those questions, you have a set of criteria you can use to judge your dogs and decide whether to rule them in or out of a breeding program. For example, my primary goal, above all other goals, is to aim to breed a litter where (barring accident) the dogs are all alive at 14 y/o. This goal requires different selection methods to someone who primarily wants to breed for the Arab hunting market, or for regular BIS wins, or for pure preservation etc. It's not that those goals are separate in an either/or way - I'd like to breed a BIS winner who harks back to the greats of the breed for example too. But you're constantly prioritising and knowing where you want to go helps you prioritise.

Agree with Alyosha except I think she meant subjective not objective. Plus using greyhounds as an example of modern breeding that is not in trouble is wishful thinking at best. I'm speaking here not of show greyhounds but of the allegedly functional track greyhounds - some are bred well, many are bred just for speed and speed alone is not necessarily functional. I agree that we need to hold our own to account where things have gone too far. In most of the groups there is a breed that needs to get its shit together. The fact that there are 30 other breeds in the group that are fine is usually overlooked tho'.

Just want to thank CPR for steering a breed specific rescue our way in the last couple of months too. As a result of CPR contacting me we identified the breeders who have in turn found a great forever home for a 10 year old Afghan girl. So thank you Maree!

Inside isn't always done well either. There is a dual cab ute that I occasionally run into on our road, the owner sticks the kelpie in the back cab on the tip run. All good you think until you see that she winds the windows right down, and the dog dashes madly from one window to the next, hanging most of the front of its body out the window each time. I have actually pulled over to avoid travelling behind it before, because I hate wondering whether it's going to be the next turn where the flipping thing just comes right out of the window. Anyway, good on the OP for asking. Most people around here, even the "tuff" guys, use cages. Usually covered with hessian or shadecloth.

OK, so breed and group clubs can have flawed people in them? So what? What endeavour in life doesn't? Plenty of the people whinging from the sidelines about how the clubs aren't totally perfect are also flawed. The difference is only that some people get over it and get on with it - and others don't. I agree with HW, so far I've not seen enormous privilege come my way from being a secretary for two dog clubs. I have seen whinging, hassle and a ton of hard work. I do it because I think I'm making a contribution. And, bearing in mind I am not a toy person and know bugger all about toy politics, sometimes clubs fold because the alternative is worse. I would rather see a club fold out of a lack of suitable, honest volunteers than see yet another "shell" club that is just about setting up appointments for their mates.

When the home cooked liver cake is just a little bit too dry.

There are people in all walks of dog/animal world that have the potential to bother us including the "leaders". The best you can do is keep your own house in order, step up productively where you think you can make a difference, and save your energy where you can't. I also consider carefully what boundaries I should put around any situation. We will never stop all the idiots and help all the dogs - it's just not possible, progress is a slow business. I am not afraid to say "unacceptable" to someone considered senior to me, if I've given it due consideration. But there really has to be some context where saying that is both safe for me and my dogs, and likely to be productive. There are also ways to say "not good enough" that are not snotty or uncaring or judgemental. Likewise, if you're looking for something to be mad at because of unresolved personal issues, you can always find grist for the mill in dog world. I see it a bit with rescue and rants here on DOL, rushing to judge before understanding the situation properly just because the person needs to vent. Often becomes a bit embarrassing once all the facts are laid out. Perhaps there are better ways of dealing with those feelings.

http://www.akcchf.org/news-events/multimedia/podcasts/immune-mediated-hemolytic.html

They are all wormed for intestinal worms on the the change of seasons or if I spot something iffy. LIke the others, I live somewhere cold and vets advice is that heartworm preventive isn't necessary.

Water bowls now sorted and pee free. There is a fair bit of pee under the water bowl tho'...

Before I left for work I separated them into different runs. When I got home tonight the desexed one's bowl was pristine, the other one's bowl was yellow again. I have left the "yellow" bowl there and hung one of these bowls up high, hopefully out of pissing range: I was using one of these, but there was pee all up the sides as well as in it. I'm hoping the one above will mean he pees just under it.

Thanks, tried that with a hanging bucket and they can pee up to their head height. Will try hanging it higher.

We have two small terrier fosters at the moment. They are peeing in their water bowl. When I went out this morning the water was yellow. This is new one to me, my dogs have never done this. One is desexed, the other not (yet). Will need to sort this before they go to new homes, any ideas? TIA.

My uncle, who is in his mid 60's, rang me this evening because his vet had told him that he was feeding too many bones to his cattle dog X and should switch to Royal Canin. Royal Canin being what they sell in the waiting room. Now, I feed Royal Canin but as a supplement to a mixed diet that works for us - the mix is greyhound biscuits, RMB, and RC kibble. I suggested that if what he is doing is working, it's fine, and to beware of advice from people who have something to sell.

Grand Manor Motor Inn in Queanbeyan is probably the best, but also probably all booked out by now. I would ring the office and ask their advice about places to stay in Canberra when showing, I think the cabins that stopped taking dogs after some stupid exhibitors mucked it up for everyone may have now had a change of heart. There is no dog park in Murrumabateman but if your dogs have good recall, there is a very large recreation area opposte the motel.

SSM, there was an interesting paper on this. The authors conducted extensive interviews with people relinquishing their pets to an animal shelter. Your experience (my bold) is similar to what they found - however, it turns out there had been extensive procrastination (at least months) prior to suddenly wanting to be rid of the animal straight away. It was a difficult paper to read without some level of subjectivity (and fist shaking!) but it was a very interesting insight. In particular, the way people only "heard" what they wanted to hear from the shelter staff - even with serious issues such as aggression (and biting the owner!) they convinced themselves that the shelter would find a home for the dog. That's really interesting TSD, is the paper publicly available? Would love to see a copy.

I suspect the reason many people don't go back to the breeder is because that often means an uncomfortable conversation where the breeder may offer suggestions about adjustments they can make to keep the dog. In my experience once someone has decided they want to be rid of the dog they want to do it as expeditiously as possible.