Steve

I know it's confusing and a lot of it is just now being answered via some great research being done at Sydney uni where they are identifying a gene which caused deafness and much of it relates to whether a gen is dominant or recessive etc.For a very long time the problems were only identified as the impact of the white spotting gene - its relative new research which is able to explain it better and much of it appears to be how the genes combine and modify singly and with each other. Its not the same thing with the breeds you have mentioned but it is sort of a similar thing in say dalmatians , cattle dogs etc. Part of the pain is in the fact that unless you know what the parents genes are so some breedings will happen and cause white puppies because the breeder may have thought they were not using a flashy but rather a plain dog. I would personally consider any that had white in their mask as flashy even if they had little or no white anywhere else but not all would agree with me. the fact is you can usually prevent white boxers being bred and so breeders should take that into account but as I said its only part of it all and only an educated experienced breeder can determine what is best for their goals. Simply saying well if you dont have to breed them - dont - its more complicated than that.

Sometimes I would like to say something or ask the forum users a question that I dont want the person Im talking about to see - like when we were doing Erny's quilt I would have much preferred it to be a surprise or if we have a collection needed for someone in trouble etc - might ask Troy if he could open up a forum and not let that one person see it and never know it exIsts when they land here.

reason will prevail (dont no if i spelt that right) Can this forum please be allowed to drop off the first page. It has outworn its usefulness. So why would you want to decide what others on the forum should talk about ? If its lost its usefulness for you simply don't come in here .it looks to me that it should go on longer because much of the stuff thats been posted here is crap and has people thinking that someone who doesn't breed them or show them is the expert.

[Gremlins

There seems to a lot of misinformation in this thread much of it bought by people who dont breed them and an inability to understand that boxers really are quite unique in the whole white gene issue and you cant compare them to other breeds. The fact is most boxers have some form of the white spotting gene- this is the white you see only in some areas such as the toes ,chest , tail and belly but in boxers there are two genes in the game - the white spotting gene and the extreme white. So because of the modifying effect of how these genes are affected you can have a genetically flashy boxer that is modified to only have a small amount of white markings and may look almost identical to a genetically plain boxer - one which doesn't have the extreme white gene. There is a lot more to breeding dogs than only considering one gene or two genes and ignore the other 100,000 or so makes little sense and a breeder may choose one dog over another for a hundred different reasons.It wasnt so hard a few years back because there was a reasonable sized gene pool to choose from but due to the number who have walked away from breeding, limited register etc the choices breeders have now are way smaller than they should be. What is the greater sin, breeding a white boxer or two or breeding dogs destined to have heart issues or cancer,HD or unable to breathe or live past 5 years of age? Nothing is ever simple and only a breeder who is working with the dogs can know the potential consequences of each mating. Sure some will mate dogs based on little else but how the dog looks but experienced educated breeders will have info they bring to the table in their choices which only they know and in the big scheme of things whether a percentage of their pups are born white may be a better option for the breed and the dogs they allow to go into pet homes. As long as a breeder is educated on the possibilities both good and bad and they can articulate why they go one way or another there are way too many variables for someone standing on the outside to make judgement and determine what they should or should not do. People who show or breed boxers and other breeds that have the white spotting gene use the terminology chrome to describe the amount of flashiness and have done so for as long as I can remember.

If I were judging it and Im not Id be looking for a council that's policing their off leash laws,running education things, giving people a shot at taking their dogs home at least once before they impound them ,providing off leash parks, allowing areas to dine with dogs etc. id be looking for those which are pro active rather than re active etc. You already know they are restricted some via state laws etc but many of their policies and how they manage them is able to be compared and rewarded.

I cant post it but it was because of the work they did with Wodonga Dog Rescue people.Helping them to get more dogs out to be rehomed etc. Gary Oliver won an award for his work as a Ranger and lots of people from his area including the people he works with had really positive stuff to say about him and how hard he works to get dogs back with their owners etc Rachel also won an award in part due to her work as a council ranger. If its a Ranger that's going out on their own to do the extra bits they should be nominated for service but if its a council policy thing and not just a ranger going it alone it should be the local council category.

Well done. Well if the list of nominees isn't long first time round maybe the next years list will be. The whole idea is to let others who would be inthe same category see who is nominatd who wins and what types of things people see as positive in the hope more and more do positive things rather than do nothing or things which impact negatively. Its our experience if you reward them for the small positive stuff they start to look for more and better things on their own and others take notice of what gets the good reports.

And if the board says yes, then perhaps emailing something to all the Councils alerting them to the MDBA Choice Award category would be helpful ?? Maybe something for publication on their own individual websites? Wonder if that goes outside their policies?? O.K. Its in Most Dog Friendly Local Council - nominations open soon. Fantastic, Steve (and other MDBA board). Is there/will there be a 'standard' explanation/informative flier (or similar) that you will have that we can send to the Councils? Maybe to give a check list of the sorts of things that might or can be identified as helpful? Or perhaps use a copy of a nomination given on behalf of a Council (removing Council name) that could give them some idea of what it would be about? Along with the suggestion that they put it up on their website so the people within (and without) their district can know about it and put their nominations in? As always there will be a flyer which will be available to download from the website which can be placed on notice boards or distributed etc. Also they can lodge nominations via forms they can print out or via the website - As we move through the year we will target each category to let those who may be more interested to hear about it but a lot depends on whether we get a sponsor for that category too. In the main we rely firstly on people like you sharing it around.

there isnt any formal criteria for the dog and cat food .I figure if people tell me they need help they need help - I expect that even if they havent been wiped out being isolated for a days impacts on you being able to get to work etc and its all added stress.Even if they arent desperate - it helps. Different at other times in other places but after a bushfire or flood Eukanuba you cant get bent out of shape over the minor stuff. We screen those who ask for horse feed chicken feed etc more because we have to buy that and ordinarily the animals we help to feed we try to keep it to a max 12 week period and help them to be sure they are able to carry on without help so its not just a bandaid.

It will depend on how long before she can get out of the refuge into accommodation - Id like to say only a couple of weeks but it may be longer . It may also come to us helping her to come to a decision that at least two will need to be re homed as in Victoria finding pet friendly accommodation is hard enough but most council areas have a 2 dog thingy - but for now we need to get them to a safe place as a priority.

My best friend in the whole world is a doler. I couldn't have got through this past year without them. Cody who needed heaps of help and wouldn't accept it - you're pretty special too.

Sounds like a nomination to me. Thank you Sarasmum for taking time out for woofnhoof.

You should take a bow too Kirislin - you have been there for Julie and I know how much she appreciates you. Me too.

Pacers wouldn't be what it is either without the help of this forum.

And another one this one http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/235804-what-a-beautiful-surprise-gift-from-a-mystery-doler/ which Cazzie did - the proceeds went to rescue even though Cazzie has been through a rough spot herself!

Even better - Cazzie donated the proceeds from this to rescue - You're beautiful Cazzie and I hope you have next March in your diary because Id really love to tell you that in person in Canberra. Julie

Couple of years ago I had a drama in my life and until then I was pretty confident that my dogs would be O.K. as Ive got 8 kids - wrong. During this rough spot they decided they would "help" me and felt living where I di that I should sell up and move closer to them. So I said but what of my dogs? I couldnt take working Maremma into a town situation and my beagles would hate small spaces etc. "well come on Mum - seriously you simply either have to bump them off or find new homes for them" This absolutely blew me out - these brats have grown up with me and if anyone in the world should know what these animals mean to me and how much they are a part of my life they should. So as Im such a nice lady and wonderful Mum I nicely explained that the majority of my life to now has been about making my environment perfect for dogs and people to live in harmony and not having these animals in my life was not something Im interested in contemplating. "Well clearly Mum you are not thinking straight - you would be better off in town. I told them what I thought of that idea but it sure did made me start to think about planning for if ever I was flattened and couldnt yell about what others felt was "good" for me We then had Bridgett who had a heart attack and while she was flat out and almost dead her "friends" decided it was best for her if they got rid of her dogs for her before she came home as she would be too ill to look after her two GSD .I went in with boots on and said no way - even the church was pushing like mad for this to happen and the poor local priest was seen to quickly cross the street when he saw me coming .I won but only because I was in her will and had living power of attorney - I actually had guardianship and custody of her grandchildren who she lives with while she was i hospital - so her two dogs were there waiting for her when she got home but I had to fight to get them to back off. Bugger me she had a second episode and they moved in again so I had to really fight to get them to back off. Then an elderly lady who was in hospital with a broken leg - we got a call from her neighbour wanting us to simply pick the dog up and take it to the pound! they were convinced she could look after it with a broken leg. Her son came home for the first time in 3 years and also wanted the dog to go .When we spoke with the lady she went nuts about them wanting to get rid of her dog - it had been her only constant companion for 2 and half years. So we had to work and negotiate with her son to get him to give in and not dump the dog before his Mum came home from hospital. We paid for boarding and training and had someone in walking the dog daily while Mum was healing. then of course Gary who was run over and his friends wanted the dog sent to the pound because they believed he would never be well enough to look after the dog. that dog was fostered and went to visit him in hospital and after 10 months after sleep overs etc the dog went back home with him. the moral to my stories is don't assume anything people who love you and who don't necessarily understand your bond with your dogs are capable of making decisions which are not real bright under the heading of what is best for you. Ive put things in place with Pacers to supervise and make sure it happens if I drop dead or become ill etc because I don't trust anyone to do what I want when Im not around to yell at them .Experience tells me people can promise to do something in good faith today but if their lives change my dogs wont be their priority.

And if the board says yes, then perhaps emailing something to all the Councils alerting them to the MDBA Choice Award category would be helpful ?? Maybe something for publication on their own individual websites? Wonder if that goes outside their policies?? O.K. Its in Most Dog Friendly Local Council - nominations open soon.

Sometimes things happen here which get people mad, upset ,feeling bullied or not listened to etc but the positive things that happen here are pretty bloody awesome too. It truly is a "family" a community where some people have support and a feeling of belonging which they dont necessarily get in their daily lives. There are the obvious things like support for someone's home businesses and being able to meet up off line for coffee and dog outings etc. the awards help me to see more with people like Alix who did something she felt was insignificant and sent someone some herbs to help with healing their dog. that person shared that info and that one small gift impacted many dogs and increased their quality of life. People like Adrianna who answered a call when Kim was run over and broke her legs and needed someone to walk her dogs .they had never met before and every day she arrived at kim's house and inconvenience to herself - walked Kim's dogs and stayed around for a chat which many days was the only human contact Kim had as she was house bound. Julie's dogz friends who alerted us to her being so very ill and needing a hand to look after her cats and who were there to support her through a most scary and horrible illness. I had an email form Julie yesterday and she is now much better and her stress level is much better. The help people on this forum rallied around for someone they knew only from this forum when her house burnt down - which enabled her to be able to claim her insurance, have her animals looked after for almost a year and have cash to help her out while she recovered. the beautiful community quilt which people on this forum donated squares to so that she knows for the rest of her life that throughout the time she was suffering that people here cared about her - without this forum none of that would have happened. Those who alerted us to Vicstar's plight after her Mum died and donated money to enable us to get her dogs to safety, a forum member who is still stuck with a pain in the neck after coming to the rescue and those who helped move dogs and rehome them were awesome. Without this forum those dozen dogs would not have had such a happy outcome. Heather, Tammy, Donna all forum members - awesome. More recently there was Erny where forum members went out of their way to let her know what they thought of her and sent her gifts and well wishes, prayers and donated for her dogz community quilt which she can look at for the rest of her life knowing we cared while she was so scared and facing brain surgery to remove tumours. Now this one http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/235804-what-a-beautiful-surprise-gift-from-a-mystery-doler/ I know some days we see the negative but today its good to acknowledge the positive about this community we have built and feel good about the great things the people here do to help each other and be there for each other when its needed. There are hundreds more stories like this and none of it possible with out Troy and the people who come together here. Thank you.

What a truly beautiful gesture for someone to do for you! Cazzie as always I love your work - its beautiful . Now you get to look at that for the rest of your life knowing that dogz is a pretty good place and that someone cared enough to let you know you are held in high regard. Who ever did this - take a bow!

Pacers have got more cat and dog food going out early next week - so if anyone knows anyone in the Wagga- Naranderra - Griffith Albury area who still need a hand Im happy to drop some off along the way - meet half way etc just give me a ring and Ill organise a drop off time .Perrin and Radar do you need any ? 0269276707 Also we are a bit desperate for some donations to cover some hay for some horses and I will be doing some raffles and fundraising to try to cover the delivery expenses and more hay and chook feed and a bit of fencing /penning to hold until the insurance companies get their act together beginning this week . We would appreciate the support. and we have had some great prizes donated. It appears centrelink have decided to exclude some small towns from being able to get the payment for flood victims even though there are some residents which have lost the lot as not enough people were affected in those areas and the insurance companies are mongrels - either wont cover the stock feed or making people wait indefinitely. Some people had no insurance and while human welfare services give them a bit of a hand they don't help them with their animals - which they need help with or they cant keep them. So if anyone needs a hand Im on the move again next week or if you can get to me I can hand some over to you. If you're coming near my place though wear aerogard the mozzies are ruthless.

We have had $75 donated to cover some hay- thank you but no one as yet has put their hand up for some short term foster care for the dogs. Pacers www.mdbapacers.org.au have got more cat and dog food going out early next week - so if anyone knows anyone in the Wagga- Naranderra - Griffith - Albury area who still need a hand Im happy to drop some off along the way - meet half way etc just give me a ring and Ill organise a drop off time. 0269276707 Also we are still a bit desperate for some donations to cover some hay for some horses and I will be doing some raffles and fundraising to try to cover the delivery expenses and more hay and chook feed and a bit of fencing /penning to hold until the insurance companies get their act together beginning this week . We would appreciate the support. and we have had some great prizes donated. It appears centrelink have decided to exclude some small towns from being able to get the payment for flood victims even though there are some residents which have lost the lot as not enough people were affected in those areas and the insurance companies are mongrels - either wont cover the stock feed and or fencing or making people wait indefinitely. Some people had no insurance and while human welfare services give them a bit of a hand they don't help them with their animals - which they need help with or they cant keep them. Without at least some temporary fencing where the fences have simply disappeared or fallen over its very stressful for them and the animals to keep them in one place. So if anyone needs a hand Im on the move again next week or if you can get to me I can hand some over to you. If you're coming near my place though wear aerogard the mozzies are ruthless.

Well better tell him to start planning any wedding anniversary do's for next year around Canberra - It was a good night and we missed them.

I don't know how she is living with it and not blubbering.I still have a bit of a sook when I think of it now and then.