mita

Good advice. Even tho' numbers of people do own short-nosed dogs in tropical conditions....the owners have to be that bit more mindful. So I'd say work thro' your non-short-nosed preferences.

Good on you! My own vet is well aware of the over-vaccinating of dogs. But, for lots of people, it comes down to what boarding kennels will accept. And most in my area seem to be sticking to insistence on annual. So you're a breath of fresh air. Trouble is.....if an enlightened kennel like yours is booked out, in some circumstance, a dog owner is then faced with finding another which accepts the 3 yr sign-off.

When it comes to companion animals I find it easy to have a position re PETA. They're off on a completely different direction to any of the rigorous research about dogs as companions.....& their breeding, raising & management. I have far less knowledge about animals used for various human consumptions. So I'd have an open mind on some of their campaigns.

You're so right, asal. Beggars belief, when they already had the experience of getting the best of dogs from a good breeder....you! I wouldn't blame you for pointing out loud & clear how your niece brought this problem on herself. Poor little mite of a 'designed' crossbreed, born out of profit & no knowledge, is the innocent victim. I just got a new adult dog, from a good registered breeder who loves and socialises her dogs as pets. With all the benefits. Predictability....the little dog is true to the best of her breed's characteristics, piles of support from the breeder on everything from diet to grooming to health maintenance, loads of information about her ancestors (Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, UK champions in her bloodline). Best of all, because she's been so much loved & treated as family already.....she slipped fantastically into her new home. Couldn't agree more with you.....why, why would anyone go anywhere else than to the good registered breeders who do it right by the dog & by the breed??? I had to insist to this breeder that she take payment for this lovely, lovely dog she raised.

I loved that bit, how he was learning some carpentry skills in your absence. I think it's a good idea to get dogs used to spending time without you, right from the time they're young. It helps if you have good neighbours, like we do. We look after each others dogs, if someone's going to be away for a whole day or overnight. The dogs have got very used to this. When the folk next door are off to the airport, they just pop Lily the tib over the fence & she knows what to do. She runs up our back steps & gives a 'Yip!' thro' the grille door. She's here right now because her 'mum' was called away to NSW due to a family illness & her 'dad' had to go to work. Stretched out sleeping!

You've highlighted the heart of the matter.

That's funny! Perhaps we could leave the temp testing of rescues to them! Di I saw a similar thing with Angel, our tiny tibbie, who was a small dog tester for the GAP program. We'd always get to the test place before the grey to be tested. Angel would see the grey coming towards her & be as happy and confident about meeting a new 'friend'. She was right, they were fantastic dogs. Proving right the good racing owners who'd picked the GAP option for them. But one day, with one grey, Angel's body language was different.....her usually upcurled tail went down & she was a bit more tibbie-still than usual. But the testing went OK. Then I learned that this grey had not come via the usual GAP route from racing people who'd picked a best option. But had come to the new owners from the RSPCA shelter. And these owners needed to have her tested in line with new laws about pet greyhounds. The little dog had picked up some subtle difference. It'd be interesting to know if experienced foster-carers see their own dogs picking up subtle differences in the rescue dogs they take in.

Groupfive, everything....& I mean everything....that your wrote about your Fellow, right from the beginning, was word for word what happened for the tibbie boy, Brockie, next door. Right down to it coming out of the blue. So I was very anxious for your boy & didn't know what to write so I wouldn't rob you of any hope. The night Brock's owners had to make the decision was in the same circumstances as yours.....& your description of Fellow would fit Brock. It was heartbreaking, but Brockie so much needed peace & rest in the face of this awful disease that kept pushing him backwards. So, tho' it broke your heart, too.....you gave Fellow the same peace & rest. Please accept my deepest sympathy.....& our neighbours asked me to tell you how much they understand because they walked every step of the same way.

Apart from my tibbies being ultr-tribal with other tibbies, the other dogs they accept depend on behaviour (or some kind of body language), not on breed. They avoid twittery, hyper dogs (& that's nearly all dogs to a buddhist self-possessed tibbie! ) But the dogs they do select out as APPROVED are those who've got a sense of calm & confidence about them. Like, at a Dogs Day Out, they'll ignore most dogs, but give the paws up to a magnificent Rottie with a magnificent temperament. And I agreed with them! Or a lovely greyhound adopted via the GAP program. When the racing greyhound at the back had 11 puppies, the tibbies ignored 10 of them....but treated a fawn girl as one of their own. And she was different.....very self-possessed & confident for her age. The greyhound vet later picked her out as the best in his opinion. The owner told him that the tibbies next door had beaten him to it!

I agree. Really sticks out in tibbies. I had an adult tibbie flown up from Canberra yesterday. When she came out of the dog transport van, she was trembling with stress. Kept doing it all the way up the driveway. Then she spotted Lily the tib next door & instantly the trembling stopped....her tail wagged & ears pricked up. Then she spotted the other tib, NZ, & the tail wagged faster. She was then totally happy, went around to each person & made friends. Never a sign of stress since. It's as if she's figured out she's with her 'tribe'.

That's fantastic. You've inspired me to get moving. I'm just about to contact the lady who runs the Therapy Dogs group for Dogs Victoria. She was briefly interviewed on ABC Radio National this morning. And was she briiliant, saying all the things that should be getting to the public about purebred dogs. Knocked the socks off the interviewer by telling how there are Rotties.....& a huge Mastiff named Clinton....in their team which goes to hospitals & nursing homes. Her explanation about how these purebred dogs from good stock are then socialised with great care to be the best of companion pets....was great. So she'll be getting feedback of the highest praise from me. http://www.vca.org.au/Content.asp?ID=180

Same for the little dog next door. Except he made it to 9 days. Warmest thoughts coming your way. I hope you get lots of support & good info.

When someone says 'Get a life', a fair answer is 'Go tell a corpse'. The way he's mismanaging his dog, he may not have to go far to find one soon.

Don't be hard on yourself. I think you did the right thing in calling out for help. Once your doggie was up, up & away, it's likely he'd take a stranger's interest in him as a great social conquest. And be happy to be caught. So glad it worked out for your both. And good on the person who helped you. I know exactly what you mean about feeling distressed to even think about something happening to your dog. When I have a nightmare, it's not about monsters or anything....it's always about one of our dogs being lost & I can't find it.

What Ams & Miranda said.

A good point! Tibetan Spaniels would fit into that category....still unusual here in Australia. So still largely in the hands of registered breeders who do their stuff well. OK, I'm biased.....but it's also my experience....purebred tibbies from those good breeders are wonderfully easy to own. In the right home. With fantastic support from the breeders & other tibbie owners, right up to an international level. Where they have an international registry over-seeing any possible genetic problems. I've also noticed any purereds who turn up in rescue have a human story behind them. A pox on the houses of any BYBers, puppy farmers or cross-breeders for profit....who 'discover' these lovely dogs. And introduce conditions where their dogs are more likely to be dumped.

Pele's truly multi-cultural. I thought he must have been named after the Brazilian football player, too!!

Yes, mine will be that they support the setting up of a task force which will re-look at their recommendations (& those of other stakeholders), but within an end-point context. What do we want in & for companion and working dogs....& how does both science & lived experience tell us how to get there. From decisions about breeding onwards. It'd be good to see the task force put under the jurisdiction of some federal body. With all members having equal membership.

I get what you're saying. I'd like a task-force set up with the aim of problem-solving, not to present or fight over any existing ideology. One of the ways of solving a problem, is to start at the end you want & work backwards. And the end point of dog ownership, both from the animal & human perspective, is not mentioned in that paper. So the starting point should be what place dogs have alongside humans, as close companions & as workers. And what science now tells us about that relationship....& what goes into preparing dogs to best live that life and for humans to enable it. And then look at what current laws & codes of ethics support that happening. But also consider those that presently work against it. And then consider where any new ones would help. Oddly enough, given that the evidence is so strong that companion dogs contribute hugely to individual & community health & well-being, I'd have the National Health & Medical Council on that task-force, as well as the Australian Veterinary Association. And a number of others, of course (like ANKC, association of dog behaviorists etc).

NicGSDlover, re the point of your original post, if you want to query the use of the heading 'Purebred' on Barney, email the rescue. I did that in the case of a little dog.

Quite a few of the tibbie owners give their dogs a Tibetan name...Tashi, Tenzing etc. Or sometimes they'll alter the spelling of an English name so it looks Tibetan. Like 'Doli' for 'Dolly'. I have a new adult tibbie girl coming next week. She was born in Sweden (the Tibetan Spaniel is popular in Scandanavian countries). Her 'Swedish' call name is 'Annie'. Which suits a pert little blonde Swede. But I'm adding 'Matilda' in honour of her dual doggie-citizenship. So she'll be 'Annie Matilda'.

I agree. And showing, in relation to a standard, requires it be within reasonably narrow boundaries. But that doesn't seem sorted yet with the 'labradoodle'.

Any time, KK, I'll be here to ID & get another packet of tim tams. Damn it.....just saw the 'virtual' bit. I reckon your description about the silky-soft to touch coat & the 'spaniel' impression cracked the case.

Found this: Dutch Stabyhoun also known as Friesian Pointer. Has a bit of a 'big spaniel' look. I don't know what colours it comes in.

A tibbie on steroids? Seriously, tho', I also wondered if it were one of the Belgian Shepherds, but you're right about that distinctive soft silky straight coat being different. Interesting if you could catch up with the dog-walker again....& take a pic and write down the details.