WoofnHoof

Where are all these laid back labs? All the ones I know (bar one guide dog, that is) are pretty full on. I know a few laid back ones and a few full on ones, either way they are one of the most popular breeds so they must be pretty suitable for the vast majority of homes. Maybe the reason the poodle isn't as popular is more about perception than anything else but that is a challenge for poodle breeders and clubs to change if they so desire.

I know what you are saying and to a certain extent I agree with you that people should be aware that some combinations may not be perfect or even possible but if the combination of the wooly coat and lab temp is achievable I see no real difference between the development of this breed and the development of many other breeds. It's very easy to say choose another breed but how many non shedding breeds have the laid back temp of the lab? The ones I've seen suggested in threads are often very high drive breeds which may not necessarily suit the average owner. The ones that would should be promoted as such if they fit the criteria for the average owner. I agree that the facts about the coat do need to be more widely publicised, in the end it should come down to which coat type is more suitable for an owner not which one is easiest but coat type is often going to be a factor in the decision and obviously it's becoming more of a factor than it has in the past. Breeds exist for human convenience for good or for ill and since more owners are making coat type a big part of their buying decision it's inevitable that breeds will be developed to suit this niche whether we like it or not. The public does need to be aware that they cannot 'order' the perfect dog to their specifications but if we denigrate them for wanting a certain type of dog and say if they can't meet our high standards of ownership dont own a dog what will be the ultimate result? Either they will listen and only a small segment of dog enthusiasts will own dogs, or they will do what they want anyway but if we hinder the development of a breed which may be suitable then people will continue to buy dogs which are unsuitable and in the end the dogs suffer. I don't know whether the development of a labradoodle is a good or a bad thing for dogs and dog ownership or whether it is just pandering to a public that is less tolerant of the normal aspects of dog ownership but I do think it's inevitable that it will be recognized in the end so there is no point trying to convince the public that they are terrible for wanting one or convincing them that all DD breeders are the spawn of Satan who care nothing for their dogs.

A shedding coat is a big inconvenience for a lot of people, believe me having a husky some people actually notice dog hair, obviously I don't until it's pointed out that I have hair all over my back from sitting in the same chair as the dog Still, whether I agree with it or not the fact is that some people can't cope with a lot of shed hair and it doesn't mean that they wont love their dog just because they don't want to develop an intense relationship with their vacuum cleaner That's the point of selective breeding, to create a breed which suits a purpose both in temperament and coat type. The fact that there are mavericks and that the serious ones aren't able to produce consistent results at the moment does not mean they never will. A breed with this kind of mix is going to take a hell of a long time to achieve stability if it's at all possible, it may not be possible and it may not even be ethical in this day and age to produce so many duds in the pursuit of the goal, my point is that ultimately those people passionate about developing the breed and creating a dog that breeds true are no different to the people who developed breeds 100s of years ago. Poodlemum the point is not that there is anything wrong with the temperament of poodles, but the lab is known and well regarded for it's temperament it's an extremely popular breed, and it seems that it's prevalence as a service dog suggests that it is a breed that can adapt to many different environments which would have contributed to it's popularity. Whether it's perception or reality that is their status within the general community.

I've seen it mentioned a few times that the labradoodle is only being bred for looks (ie as opposed to the more 'legitimate' purpose working ability) however it's important to remember that the lab is one of the most popular and well known breeds so if people want a lab temperament but not the lab coat what do they do? People always suggest other breeds with non shedding coats but to my understanding most if not all of those breeds do not share the temperament of the labrador. Just a thought that temperament and coat suitability for a pet might be just as legitimate a purpose as working ability given that a lot of the 'work' of most dogs these days involves being a pet.

I've always called the spinning things whirlybirds but there are heaps of names for them. They are good if the car is moving and if the air being brought in is cool enough but IMO you need more. When I had a canopy it had windows and steel mesh had been screwed onto the inside so you could open the window right up and let air in but the dogs couldn't jump out. That combined wIth the whirlybirds would be your best bet.

I initially thought the name was a barrier and that it should be changed but in reality the name is only an issue for dog purists. In the general public branding is very important and if you try to introduce a new name (ie brand) you have to work very hard to get tat brand or name recognized. The general public already has the 'conept' of the labradoodle in their minds as a non shedding dog with a lab temperament, the trouble has been producing the dog that fits the criteria and breeds true but this could also be in part due to the fact that selective breeding in the modern interpretation is far less severe than in the past. When new breeds were developed in the past any pups that couldn't do the job were culled, these days dogs that don t fit the standard can still be sold as pets and so you have more of the dogs carrying the name but not conforming to the standard than you would in a breed that was 'working' in a different capacity. Ultimately the main difference I see is that we are living in a different world and different culture than we were when many of our other breeds were being developed.

My current dogs are both pet shop pups, my chi was diagnosed with a heart murmur last year age 6, my sibe had a liver shunt which required very expensive corrective surgery so I'm not rushing to the pet shop for my next purchase, having said that the chi has been relatively healthy aside from the heart murmur and the liver shunt is quite rare in sibe and neither condition is routinely tested in these breeds as far as I know. I'm hoping to get a white gsd in the distant future and if a rescue doesn't call to me it will be a pup from hip and elbow scored parents.

My Siberian husky is the most prey driven dog I've ever known, anything that looks or smells like prey and he's totally into it nothing else matters. He was ok with cats as a pup until one darted across in front of him and he went for it and ever since he has to be held back around cats. I'd say it's both sight and smell he is very reactive to sudden movements and he could smell mice in a pile of rugs the other day and was obsessed with trying to find them. Unfortunately the mice are often too quick for him but if they are just a half second too slow he's got em!

I haven't checked in for a while it's great to hear all the animals are doing well, hope you are still healing well too

Sonny has generally been a-ok with other dogs he has met but IMO the communication thing has been an issue living with a chi because my chi simply doesn't get the warnings that the sibe gives out and vice versa the sibe doesn't understand the type of play that my chi enjoys so I watch them very carefully and keep them separated when I'm not there. As others have said the individual personalities do play a part but also the way my dog is at the park is different to the way he is at home when there are more value items laying around.

You think DOL is painful imagine the reception I would get if I went on a horse forum and said that my horse had suffered an injury resulting in lameness earlier in the week and I wanted to take it to a cross country clinic on the weekend! I'm tempted to do that and see if the reaction would be much different, I suspect I would be scorched good and proper

Horses in this country aren't bred for meat, many of the horses that go for meat have been bred to run fast and have lightning quick reflexes, these traits are not consistent with the requirements of untethered group transport and current slaughter practices. While you do get problems with cattle and sheep occasionally they simply aren't bred for those traits and therefore are generally easier to handle in facilities designed for those species. IMO the welfare is compromised in the slaughter situation for these animals as opposed to animals which have been bred for docility. The situation isn't that great for other species either but I think the combination of very high flight responses and facilities which are generally not designed for horses are especially detrimental for these animals.

I just finished having this argument on a horse forum but my view is that horses in Australia aren't bred and raised as meat animals and therefore are less suitable to endure the slaughter process, TBs in particular have extremely high flight responses far higher than any steer or sheep and so stick them all on a truck together and see what happens. I know sheep and cattle suffer welfare issues as well and accidents but I know horses and I don't believe the slaughter process as it currently stands in Australia is condusive to a humane death. The issue with the camel meat in WA was due to contamination from a toxic native plant that the camels were eating up north. The camels were unaffected but the toxin remains in the dog and builds up if they are fed it continuously. You might be interested to know that the chemical residue limits for animal meat are actually lower than they are for human grade because people don't tend to eat the same thing day after day so toxins don't have a chance to buiild up to dangerous levels. I was told this by a residue chemist so I'm pretty sure he knew what he was talking about

I've been there with the horses it's a total PITA when they get an injury right before a major comp or clinic but the long term soundness and welfare is the most important thing so I would take the dog to the vet and go to the clinic sans dog.

I might put my boy on it too, he was in at the vets over the weekend with a pancreatitis attack which they think was due to fatty food because he isn't showing any other heart symptoms (he has a murmur) but he hadn't had anything other than his normal dog food which isn't excessively fatty so I'm not really sure why the vet thinks it would be that

OT but I love the fact that the only dog that is tethered in that pic is called Rascal, nominative determinism at it's finest!

my dog breathes, i breathe therefore i must be my dog Sorry haven't read the thread but that is soooo deep dude

Wow that is scary lucky you had a red sibe with you red sibes are the best you know Good boy to Logan for acting tough too Although I'd still keep him inside just in case they were thinking about nicking him.

I walk my sibe in a harness with a normal lead he used to wriggle out of collars when he was young and I'm just used to the harness now although I can walk him in a flat collar if I don't put the harness on. The chi I usually carry because it's too much of a PITA trying to make sure they don't get tangled up and he is hopeless on a lead at the best of times I will put a collar or harness with a lead on if we go out so I can put him down if I have to though.

What two breeds do you have if you dont mind me asking? I have a chihuahua and a siberian husky they are very different!

I used to leave mine together unsupervised but after a couple of nasty fights they are now seperated when im not around its just not worth the risk to my little dog if they have another 'misunderstanding' when im not there to break it up. My two breeds have very different styles of communication so they can get into trouble very quickly because they misinterpret their signals.

She's looking awesome

Pets as far as I know, I know they said they were on a waiting list for the pup for a long time.

If it helps the two I know look pretty healthy one is only a pup but the other is about 4 now and he's healthy as a horse and no temp issues that I can tell.

That's interesting about the san Diego zoo Ive only read a little on zoo animals but there does seem to be a consensus that san Diego zoo is pretty much the world leader in environmental enrichment. There has been a lot of research into stereotypic behavior in horses and it was found that preventing the behavior actually increased stress levels in the animal so while we already know that stereotypies are a response to stress it is interesting to know that it actively helps the animal to reduce it's own stress levels. My horse is a weaver which mostly manifests in situations he finds stressful.