mita

I couldn't put it better than Persephone did. A lot depends on the answers to the questions...but I'd add general health, too. Some of the smaller breeds, with time being easier on them, can often be rehomed late in life. Like an 11 yr old tibbie girl was recently rehomed after spending her whole life being the beloved companion of an elderly lady. However, she was in superb health, looked half her age (typical of p/b tibbies), had great socialisation with other people from being doted on by a whole retirement village, was adopted into a home with 2 tibbie 'brothers' of her same age, who were thrilled to get a cute, blonde 'sister'. She took to her new home in a flash. BUT change a few of the factors in that list, & it may not have been such a happy/easy experience. Or even possible. Even tho' I've mentioned smaller breeds, the same general point would apply to all breeds & sizes. Best wishes with your decision-making. I can understand how hard it would be.

Well said, Kirty. Like Jimmay has said, even if you go for a particular breed, there's variability in temperament & how the dogs were socialised, within the breed. My breed of choice is p/b tibetan spaniel (bit of a pug wearing fancy clothes!). But each one's had some behaviour differences because of traits in their particular bloodline plus how they were socialised. So we've had a tib who adored babies & children (raised with them) & one who ignored children to go to adults (not raised with kids.) But never one that'd bite a child. I've only ever heard good things of SADS. So best wishes to the OP looking there for a suitable puppy. Purebred or mixed breed. Only thing I'd add, is to also look on PetRescue for any rescue puppies that are being fostered in a home with children....& loving it. I hope the OP is not put off keeping us up-to-date on how her search is going. It's how we learn on DOL.....from each others experiences & knowledge.

This smart tibbie is saying, 'If you GIVE me something, I won't have to STEAL.'

I agree. We always call this the Last Toot Trip.....& often meet our neighbours out there taking their dogs for the LTT, too. Around 10.30, the 2 tib girls would be sound asleep. I'd just have to say, 'Last Toot Trip, ladies!' And they'd leap up, stagger out, go to the toot...& rush back in to their comfy beds. Sound asleep again. Maybe it's a buddhist thing.

Tell her about research in Denmark that looked at purebreds & mixed breeds and their health re length of life. Poodles were among a bunch of purebreds which, on the average, came out way ahead re good health leading to a long life. Also tell her that it's a particular haircut which results in a poodle looking 'foofy' or not. I don't like those 'foofy' cuts either.....but I've met poodles with the sporting cut PF's described... & they were mighty handsome looking, as well as lovely natured dogs. A poodle-cocker mix can turn out looking like anything....but it will always needs a haircut, too. With the DD, she's signing herself up to the unknown. With the poodle (with a sporting cut) she's signing herself up to one of the most proven of dogs. And this opinion is coming from a tibbie lover (tibbie not suitable, by the way, in this case). In fact, the only other small breed my tibbie ever palled up with (she preferred other tibs & big dogs).....was a poodle in the next cage at the vet's. And she was right. A darned nice dog.

Funny you should mention the qualities of the horses, bred for centuries. Experienced Qld rescue person got her first p/b tibetan spaniel in. Knew nothing about the breed. But she & OH were taken with how 'different' he was from the usual dogs. After a couple of weeks she emailed me & said, 'He's more like our Andalusian horses! He's got the same attitude & nature.' The little bloke didn't go far. Rescue person & OH adopted him. What I appreciate is the effort put in by so many people, over time, to keep up the unique qualities of the purebred. I notice it, because there's such a strong international flavour with the tibbies. Due to a sadness in the background, I've been offered a p/b tibbie girl who originally came to Australia from Sweden, where her dad got his championships in Sweden, Norway & Finland....& her other rellies came from the famous Amcross kennels in the UK. She's even got an Australian dog, back in her line. I don't think that appreciating the qualities of the purebreds demolishes the special appeal of the good old genuine mixed-breed dogs, with their quirky looks & character. In fact, numbers of people own both. It's just two different things to appreciate. We equally loved our little mixed-breed dog, Gran, who made history (in her own way!) by becoming the oldest dog patient at the U of Q vet clinic. And got a write-up in the university newspaper when she died. All the more reason, why the qualities in the purebreeds need to be preserved (cherished!) & given the appropriate PR....and 'marketing'.

I understand what you're saying....even tho' people might jump to the conclusion it's elitism. No, you're being practical. Many of the pure breeds have distinct behavioral traits....as well as conformation...that make a breed unique. All of which should be preserved. And only owners up-to-speed with what they are....& who are prepared to work along with them....should own that breed. This is pointed out re tibetan spaniels on the international Tibbies Net site, where the best of the international breeders gather. Here's the page where they ask people to consider, this may not be the breed for them: http://www.tibbies.net/right_breed.html So long as there's depth of understanding re what's involved with a specific pure breed, then fine. But problems come when 'status symbol' means something shallow. For example, a US breeders said, she heard a chilling remark from a couple of New York socialites who were watching the Westminster Dog Show. As the tibetan spaniels came into the ring, one woman remarked to the other, 'Here's the Tibetan Spaniels. Now take special notice of them. They're very 'in'. Because anything to do with Buddhism is very 'in' at the moment.'

My tibbie girl has a tendency to chronic yeast infections in her ears. The vet prescribes Dermotic drops for them. Only this morning, the vet changed that to Epi-Otic. I also owned this girl's grandmother & she was prone to skin allergies like your little one. And the flaps of her ears would get quite red. The vet used to tell me to gently rub some Epi-Otic over them as well as applying the drops into the ear. Do you give your girl antihistamines? The vet used to tell us to give her Polaramine (from the chemist) when her allergies flared up. Tho' I've heard that there are now 2nd generation antihistamines. By the way, as well as the ears, double-check your girl's anal glands. The vet told us that anal gland reactions can be linked with allergies, too. Our present vet believes diet can help. And it certainly did with our tibs. No beef products....& keep away from food containing cereals. Definitely no preservatives & artificial colours.

I think the advice given by some people in the thread....to contact the Centre Management....holds very true. They don't want adverse publicity re any store in their complex, especially an issue about dear, tiny, helpless puppies. So it's also the Centre Management who need to be advised there's a Code of Practice for pet stores in Qld... which, for example, gives the minimum age for puppies as 8 weeks. And they need to know that consumers & pet fanciers will notice & speak out publicly about any breaches of that code.

Your GSD's polaramine regime sounds very much like that for our small dog. And our vet said the same, when I raised eyebrows at the amount & frequency....dogs handle it better than humans. Thanks for reproducing that great 'itchy' info sheet. I'm saving it.

An interesting transition to 'show dogs' was in the working collies of Scotland & over the border into England. In later years, Queen Victoria was sometimes given the blame because she took in working collies as her beloved pets....& even showed some of them. There's great pics on this site of the working collies turned pets & sometimes showdogs by Queen Victoria. It's interesting what they looked like, compared with the border & rough collies of today. http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/BC_Museum/Perm...enVictoria.html

There was a thread on DOL where people talked about what anti-histamines worked for their dogs. Someone mentioned that there were now 2nd generation anti-histamines, like Zyrtec, as well as the old faithful, Polaramine. Iramine & Claratyne also referred to. http://www.dolforums.com.au/lofiversion/in...hp/t125139.html

That'll teach me to read, Mutta. I jumped in too fast because I remember how an anti-histamine saved our dog's sanity (& ours). You're right. It would be significant if Polaramine didn't work. Maybe the vet will take a skin sample for mites....& perhaps cortisone injections given to give some relief while a cause is investigated. I'd only wonder about the Polaramine dosage, tho'. I'm racking my memory to remember what it finally was for our little dog. I know it took some fiddling to get it right. It finished up being administered 4 times a day, when the itch was at the worst. And the vet assured me that dogs could tolerate Polaramine very well.

My vet advised me to get the anti-histamine tablet, Polaramine, from the chemist, for our little dog who had skin allergy (I think it was 1/2 tablet). But your own vet would have to advise, especially about dosage. I understand what it's like to watch a dog itch so desperately....& the urge to say 'Stop!'. But, it's so hard for them with that awful itch all over. Which is why an anti-histamine can help enormously.

No shooting from me. I've seen 2 chihuahuas that looked exactly as if someone had shrunk a kelpie in colouring & marking. First one, was with visitors next door here in Brisbane. It was a purebred chihuahua. The 2nd one was was some time back in the Rescue Forum... a rescuer posted a pic (my guess what that it was a full chihuahua, too, it was so like the first.)

That's a great idea. And make sure the section along the ground is well pinned down, so it also prevents digging close to the fenceline. Dogs can be like Houdini. My little tibbie was getting out from front yard, despite 6 ft high fences & gates.....no holes under either, only cement. I went out on the footpath with a smacko & called her. Lo & behold, she flattened herself, the way a cat goes boneless & wriggled under the tiny space between the bottom of the gate & the cement driveway. No way, you'd ever think, looking at this tiny gap, that a fat little tibbie could get under it. From then on, she was kept firmly in the backyard behind the sturdy side fences.

Not so much a contradiction as a fair comment. I'd agree with you.

I've already whinged about fat in this thread but I don't think it's going to go away unfortunately. I still find it puzzling but it's easier to keep a dog fat than to keep it in hard working condition I suppose. Friends just adopted an 18 mths old black Lab that got 1/2 way thro' the Guiide Dog Training Course, but was too persistently friendly with other dogs. First thing I noticed was how sleek & slim his body lines are, compared with the regular purebred pet labs I know. They have a distinct pudding look....he looks streamlined for action. His new owners were given very strong counselling on continuing with a suitable diet for a Lab. Here he is (left), just days in his new home:

Does anyone know a groomer who does a specially good job at clipping Shih Tzus? Somewhere around the north-western suburbs of Brisbane. I have a good groomer nearby & she's specially good at doing poodles. But I used to have another groomer who was brilliant at doing the oriental breeds, like Shih Tzus. Even tho' tibbies don't have to be clipped, she'd do a brilliant job on our tibs in summer. The clip was similar to that done on Shih Tzus. She moved to another city. So I'm looking for another groomer with her special touch.

Tibetan Spaniels were bred, for centuries, to be inside companion dogs to the monks in the Buddhist monasteries of Tibet....& alert little watchdogs as they sat out on the high ledges. There, called Jemtse Apso ('scissored' dog....i.e small). They still are today... great inside companion dogs & very good alert watchdogs. And applied as Therapy Dogs & Hearing Dogs. You can take the Tibbies out of Tibet... but you can't take the Tibetan Buddhist out of the Tibbie. :D

Good thinking to open the car door for him. He sounds a lovely dog. Here's hoping his owners soon wake from their post-New Year Eve's sleep & answer their phone. Thank goodness he's got an ID tag.

Well, I'm a nut job, too. Our sheltie girl had a 'special' way of coming down the back garden when called. Along the fenceline... & stopping to smell the daisies on the way. After she died, I could swear I saw a flash of sheltie red & white coming down the fenceline. They don't leave us, the bond is too strong.

I'm so sorry for your loss. It's hearbreaking enough to lose your little one, but appalling for that concern and rudeness to come on top of it. I can't speak more highly of the pet cremation service that's looked after our late pets, Pets in Peace. They first looked after Shelley, a 15 yr old sheltie, who was still beautiful with her glorious shades of red & sparkling white. When the lady delivered Shel's ashes, she brought a fan she'd made of Shelley's hair, with every shade represented. And tied with a yellow ribbon. It was a wonderful surprise at a hard time. That was years ago, & I'm looking right now at that same fan of beautiful hair, which I tucked away in Shelley's memory box. Unmistakedly, our girl! They did a similar thing for our 2 tibbies, too. Nothing to do with the cost. Just a lovely thought.

NSW Gov's Pet Shop Code of Conduct says: 0.1.9 All animals sold must be able to independently sustain themselves if suitable food and water are provided at the appropriate times. Theminimum age of animals offered for sale or advertised must be :dogs: 8 weeks• AWL Qld refers to similar. Says it's voluntary, but should be made mandatory by law: QLD Code of Practice for Pet Shops Minimum age for acquisition for sale dogs – 8 weeks

Just for comparison, I looked up the UK's Breeding & Sale of Dogs Act. And it only says, it's against the law to sell unweaned puppies & kittens, so seems to say if they can eat on their own, it's fine. But wouldn't puppies and kittens need an extra couple of weeks to be 'socialised' by their mums????? I wonder if there's any research on that? A quick search (party preps calling!), could only find this on a dachshund site. Doesn't refer to any actual research, tho'. Puppies shouldn't leave Mom until they're at least eight weeks of age, and there are actually some good reasons why veterinarians recommend this. Dogs, just like people, develop social skills as babies. Puppies pick up some critical information during those first two months, from interactions with their littermates and with their mother. They learn appropriate responses and boundaries in play. It makes for easier to train and more socialable dog in most instances. Another reason is the overall health of the dog. At eight weeks of age, our puppies have, through the course of nursing, acquired whats called "maternally derived antibodies". This is a fancy way of saying they've obtained superior immune systems and immune responses to some common infectious diseases through a substance in Mom's milk called colostrum. It's more likely that they'll respond well to vaccinations after they're sent off to their new homes.