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Everything posted by SkySoaringMagpie
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Rare Or Disqualifed Colours In Breeds.
SkySoaringMagpie replied to poodlefan's topic in General Dog Discussion
LOL, I had heard that story but wasn't game to repeat it in case the Collie people came after me..... ;) -
How Do You Choose A Good Breeder?
SkySoaringMagpie replied to Steve's topic in General Dog Discussion
But you're speaking from a position of considerable knowledge so the answers would tell you a lot. A puppy buyer who does not have your background, or indeed, the background of an average DOLer might find these answers which I have completely made up quite credible: 'How did you become educated and stay up to date on issues relating to the science and issues relating to dog breeding in general and things which specifically affect your breed?" I've been in the breed for 40 years and am a member of the breed club which has an active health program. I am also an active member of DogsNSW. X and Y is a problem in our breed but I have eliminated it from my program. Many people wouldn't ask "and what is your involvement in the health program, have your dogs been tested through that program, I note that there is no test for Disease ABC how do you address that" etc etc. "How did you choose which dogs to breed?" What were the biggest challenges for you in producing this litter?" Both dogs are healthy with great temperaments. One is a therapy dog and the other a BIS winner. I didn't face any significant challenges, I am very experienced. If the breeder did start talking about bringing in X dog to fix pigment or preserve X type the newbie would probably start to glaze over unless they were a real dog geek, in which case they'd already have kicked tyres all over town. "How do you assess whether what you have done has been successful?" If the dogs are happy and healthy and well loved. Of course, I have also bred X champions and Gr Ch Kafoops has won 3 Royal BIS more than any other breeder of this breed. Plenty of people who would stomp over the still twitching bodies of their competitors and double up on known health problems in an effort to snag a BIS will say to puppy buyers that a happy home for their healthy puppies is priority number one, when it just isn't. The newbie has no way of knowing that. -
How Do You Choose A Good Breeder?
SkySoaringMagpie replied to Steve's topic in General Dog Discussion
I'm afraid I agree with this. The answers only sort it out if you are an informed listener - to peer standard sometimes. I think the puppy buyer really wants to know if they are getting a healthy, well tempered dog and what kind of relationship they'll have with the breeder post-purchase. Some buyers don't want any relationship, some do. Assuming the person wants a healthy, well tempered dog with their preferred post purchase support I'd advise a new person to do the following, but it is perhaps not the kind of thing you would put in a public advice: Join the Australian (and even International) breed discussion lists and FB groups and watch quietly for a while without posting. In my breed, the past 6 months of discussion on the main breed list has been a real window into the values and personalities of many of the breeders, both good, bad & indifferent. Talk to companion and non-breeder dog sports people with the breed who are happy with their dogs and ask if they'd recommend the breeder of their dogs - in person, not in a lazy email. Few people will put into writing what they know for fear of being sued, and not everyone is impartial, but in person at the least you might get good steer about what to ask a breeder you are considering. How "nice" someone is is not a good guide, some of the worst can be very charming before the sale. How much they care about what you will do with their dog is a better guide. People happy to take the money and run without checking that you know all the breed's challenging points, and have the fences/personality/whatever for their breed are more risky IMO. It's hard but most people make an expensive bad purchase at some point in their lives. Like my last washing machine. It's just more emotionally fraught when it is a companion. OH and I were lucky, not smart, in the initial stages of our pure-bred dog purchasing. Edit: Except on that last point, thinking about it we both went with personal recommendations through friends - the initial contact was a companion owner. I was also lucky enough at work to sit near a retired breeder of my breed who gave advice. We didn't pick names off a list. -
Cheeky bugger, you don't need either! Sway, let us know when the bills for exotic carribbean holidays start rolling in!
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Will put that on my list! The Hortaya Borzaya are also pretty cool.
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Question On Proxy Voting
SkySoaringMagpie replied to WreckitWhippet's topic in General Dog Discussion
Edit, motion defeated according to OzShow -
First thing I thought too actually. A single hotline is a great idea providing they have the services to back it up. And yes, RSPCA complaints are being used more and more in rescue/show politics which does nothing for the RSPCA or for our credibility as a pure breed dog fraternity. Not sure how they get around that tho' - the 000 services have also had a shocking time with fake calls. Maybe they have some strategies that can be applied.
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Comon Things People Dont Realise About Your Breed
SkySoaringMagpie replied to MonElite's topic in General Dog Discussion
Salukis: No my dog is not starving. Have you ever seen a fat long distance runner? PS - Love the CC trouser suit, very cute! -
Rare Or Disqualifed Colours In Breeds.
SkySoaringMagpie replied to poodlefan's topic in General Dog Discussion
Sorry, I meant that in a lighthearted way having seen some high dudgeon on international breed lists. Didn't mean your post at all. I guess people get offended because if your X looks like a Y, there's an implication it isn't a good example of breed type. No you can't show the smooth Afghan. I don't think you can show the Azawakh in Oz yet either tho' people are working on it because there is one in Victoria. -
Rare Or Disqualifed Colours In Breeds.
SkySoaringMagpie replied to poodlefan's topic in General Dog Discussion
Azawakh I think the Afghan has a bigger head. 4 pix of the related breeds below - standing up so you can see the difference better. I haven't included stuff like Caravan Hounds or Greyhounds. All I can say is that if you're not sure, ask. Nothing offends some of our overseas friends like calling a smooth saluki an azawakh, or whatever Smooth Afghan: Smooth Saluki: Azawakh Sloughi -
I am anti early (or any really) spay neuter but if I had poodles, I too would consider doing what Christina is doing. Poodles are one of the most abused and sought after dogs when it comes to farming oodles and there are dealers and puppy farmers out there who are very good at impersonating the perfect home. Minis and Toys are also not large breed dogs. Sometimes the choice you have is the least worst of the available options. Poodle breeders are in a particularly difficult situation.
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Desex her quickly before it gets worse and you may be fine. Desexing does help I spoke to two vets, both very experienced vets and one a behaviourist, and asked them this question when we were having trouble. Both said that in our situation it would not help and may even make matters worse.
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Disagree if you're talking show facilities at KCC and WA Canine. The Vic grounds are more extensive, but the WA facilities are in better condition - at least from what I recall when I was there a couple of years ago. Haven't been to Bulla so can't comment there, maybe they mean Bulla as I understand it has artificial turf rather than concrete?
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Whose Saluki pretty please?
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Whats The Best Way To Stop Snakes
SkySoaringMagpie replied to D4DOGZ's topic in General Dog Discussion
Agree with everything that has been said about prevention except adding cats - apart from anything our dogs would kill free ranging cats on our property anyway. Also, like the use of unwanted dogs as "snake dogs" I think it's clearly not in the best interests of the cats. Only other thing I would add re supervision is pay attention to your local bird life. If you hear them hysterically going off at something, it could well be a snake. The birds are a good early warning signal. -
Victorian Specialities
SkySoaringMagpie replied to SkySoaringMagpie's topic in General Dog Discussion
grumpette love the pictures of the new KCC pool!! -
Where Do You Bath Your Dog?
SkySoaringMagpie replied to lanabanana's topic in General Dog Discussion
In a hydrobath in the barn which is connected to a (second hand) hot water system that is larger than the one in the house. We had a plumber install it with taps inside. Then it's up to the house for a blow dry. As for how often, for shows, after seasons and for the dog who is neutered and not shown, if he starts to smell a bit. The only dog we are bathing once a week for maintenance is the Afghan puppy going through puppy coat change. -
Victorian Specialities
SkySoaringMagpie replied to SkySoaringMagpie's topic in General Dog Discussion
Owners yes, but last time I saw a huge wash out show (at Bermie) the gundogs were having a ball in the wet. Which was nice to see. -
Victorian Specialities
SkySoaringMagpie replied to SkySoaringMagpie's topic in General Dog Discussion
We topped off our day at the Saluki speciality by getting bogged out the back of KCC park. Three cheers for the man with the big truck from the RACV! Anyway, Saluki results: BIS - Ch Elarabie Oasis Jericho RUBIS - Ch Wahdani El Tarifa -
Agree, but in the case Poms is talking about the opportunity to make an immediate response has gone. I can't imagine that going up to someone who (allegedly) has a reputation for making life difficult and saying "I saw you do X to your dog last weekend and it's not on" is likely to get anything but a denial and possibly a threat to sue for slander. And some people will genuinely believe they did nothing wrong, humans have a short memory and their recall of what they did in the ring can be really flaky. As for why no-one said anything - either scared of getting involved in drama or the kind of person happy to wind someone else up by saying "dreadful! terrible!" but who mysteriously fades away once the pot has been stirred and witnesses are needed.
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Victorian Specialities
SkySoaringMagpie replied to SkySoaringMagpie's topic in General Dog Discussion
Hmm, weather looks like it will be interesting. http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weath...tml?autostart=1 -
I think it's important to stop and think about what will help the dog. I don't know about NZ rules and regs but if you're posting about this now my guess is the time to report is long gone, along with the evidence that he did anything wrong. It's easy to be a warrior behind the computer, but if it doesn't help the dog, it doesn't count. Will anyone be a witness for you? If not it's just your word against his. As to fronting him - will that help the dog? My guess is no it won't, it will just create drama. Some people really do have fangs down to their knees and are much better at being A grade a***holes because they have had much more practice at it than you and I. Being strategic about it is more likely to get an outcome. If it were me I might develop an interest in the terrier ring, and start videoing the judging to help me learn more about terriers. If that video just happened to contain some footage that was reportable, then I could put up my $100 or whatever the equivalent is in New Zealand and make a complaint. Or you could upload it to YouTube and invite the breeder of the dog to view it. Up to you, it really depends on what is in the best interests of the dog - the breeder may not be concerned and may view the treatment as you described it as "training".
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For me it is now very important to see how bitches behave with other bitches in a family home before deciding to use them for breeding or taking a puppy bitch to add to our program. It was difficult enough for us who are a bit hardened to all the distressing stuff that can happen with dogs, I have no idea how people who are pretty new to the whole thing cope. My guess is a lot of them don't and either way a dog or more than one dog dies. Like you I don't have a breed where some DA is considered par for the course, so I am especially intolerant of it. It's not that you can't have bitches together, we run two entire Saluki bitches together and apart from some seasonal narkiness they are fine. But to answer the OPs question, once you start having problems with serious fights between bitches you have a BIG program.
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We've experienced it, and the only reason the bitch being attacked isn't dead is because we were around to intervene. I have never seen fighting like it - seen a number of stupid poseur boy fights but bitches where one has decided the other has to die are really sobering.
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Just interested in the comments in Sway's thread about replacing the puppy that died of snake bite but didn't want to hijack her thread. Do you all charge the same rate for a puppy to a proven good home and a unproven home? I'm thinking here specifically of situations where the new puppy would not be replacing a dog that has died from an issue that could be traced back to the breeder. So, situations where there is no moral or legal obligation on the breeder to give a freebie or a discount. If you charge the same no matter what, is it because you can't afford to give a pup or sell a pup at a significant discount, or is it some other reason? Does the amount of money the owner has factor into your thoughts about it? Does the ease with which you can place puppies in your breed factor into your thoughts? Perhaps the answer would be different for a Tenterfield Terrier than for an Afghan Hound, for example. What about homes that reliably put titles on dogs at their own expense? Assuming they are also good homes that is, I know that is not necessarily the case. Any other thoughts?