mita

I agree. Me, too. The high-lighted bit reminded me of Tibbies .... 'What's the point of this?' and 'What's in it for me?' If Tibbies figure an answer for both.... they're the most cooperative dogs. If they figure 'None' and 'Nothing', you have Buckley's chance. But I like this trait because they have a mind of their own... and they don't give it away lightly. I've learned to trust our Tibs' point of view. I read that breeds from Tibet have this trait.... even the horses. In a harsh, dangerous land, survival depends on making your own fast decisions, whether you're a human, dog or horse. Like, the horses invariably 'feel' rock slides etc before their rider, so the humans trust their responses. I don't know how true it is ... but I was told that this independence of mind is also found in other eastern breeds.

I wondered this too. I had a few people tell me they didn't think it was a good idea to get my Anatolian x and he's perfect for us. Me, too. Could you spell out your actual observations to describe why you gave that conclusion in the 'few moments'? And how you found out the people's 'circumstances'? Your OP gave a conclusion but no evidence. Don't mean this rudely, just interested.

interesting point, DC. Would that also cover 'fashions' or 'trends' that are favoured ... but nothing to do with the standard? Even in my breed of interest where all colours & mixes are accepted in the standard, I was once told that 'chocolate' colour fell out of being 'favoured'. I'm no expert so don't know the detail (nor if it's in the past). But the remark made me wonder about the issue generally.

Thanks for the link about training. Interesting they select them when puppies ... & even at that early stage they can see if the pup has the traits they can develop into the search & rescue skills. Good read!

Amazing dog, Lucas! I only found out that Mals could be black when there was another story about a police dog. Thanks for that link about colour.

I can understand that many people want to start with a pup.... & then form it, thro' training & experience, to their circumstances. But, even then, by the time they get the pup, a great deal of the foundation has been laid for future behaviour. Evidence is that how the parent dog is socialized by a breeder flows on to early pup development....& later behaviours. Same with the very early socialization with people & environment. So exactly the same breeder management strategies go into sound development ... of both their pups & their adult dogs. Which means adopting an adult dog from such a breeder is likely to turn up a socially well-developed dog. That certainly has been our experience & why the adopted adult dogs pretty seamlessly slotted into our lifestyle. When people praised them for their sociability & confidence, I'd have to say...'They came that way!' It's a matter of weighing up options & circumstances... puppy or adult dog & from whom. Mum to Emma, I agree about visiting shows, for starters, & talking with breeders. And then maybe following up with later enquiries.

Yes, after the first 'introduce myself' email, the breeders mostly opt for phone calls because they've then got a handle on who they'll be talking with. Again emphasizing word of mouth. Right now I'm putting together info on my breed of interest, for a doctor couple in the extended family who'll be looking for a pet dog to grow up with their baby daughter. If they want to go ahead, I'll give them contacts to good breeders we've dealt with .... with a note from us. Again, so the breeders will have some idea about the people they'll be dealing with.

We've nearly always adopted an adult p/b dog that a breeder wants to place in a good pet home. My first approach has been to send a summary of who we are & a brief history of owing pets and what kind of life awaits a new pet. Also I've referred to any information that the breeder's already given in an ad or website, pointing out my agreement with it & why I'm interested in the breed. I've thought the breeder needs to know who's asking the questions ... & can then nominate how they'd like further specific enquiries to be done. Phone at a convenient time? More detailed follow-up email? Or both? I've always had positive experiences with the breeders & it's led to owning wonderful dogs. Word of mouth counts, too. I've passed on such breeders' contacts to thoroughly decent pet owners I know .... & provided a reference for why I'm doing that. So friends have gone on to get adult dogs from the same sources

What interest me about these native dog breeds, is how embedded they are with the history in the UK, & regional parts of the UK. Like they have heritage value as well! I love reading history, especially the social history, & it's amazing how often dogs turn up in accounts & documents of past times. Dogs' lives are so intertwined with people's ... & it's always been so. Learning about the dogs in history is a way of learning more about the people of that time. Here was one attempt at Crufts to match dog handlers in costumes, with native breeds associated with that figure in British literature or history: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/canine-crusaders-meet-the-doghandlers-dedicated-to-saving-the-best-of-british-breeds-792438.html There's a Skye Terrier with his handler dressed as the PC whose grave the famous Greyfriars Bobby guarded for 14 years. Handler said the breed is amazingly loyal. Like the one that, centuries before, sneaked in with his Mary Queen of Scots at her execution.

Golden Ark Rescue has a brilliant record in Qld. Still based in Qld, they call themselves Golden Ark Rescue Australia these days. Maybe they'd have contacts in Townsville. http://gara.com.au/adopt-a-golden/interstate-adoption/ The Rottie breed club used to have something .... shall go look.

By coincidence, I was just reading the history of Mary Queen of Scots. She was imprisoned & then beheaded by Queen Elizabeth 1, in 1587. As the executioner held up her severed head, all witnesses were silent. Then 'one of Mary's favourite pets, a Skye Terrier, emerged from under her skirts where he'd ]been hiding 'and howled piteously, and would not leave the body of his mistress', Her ladies gathered him up & rushed him away to wash the blood off. He fretted so much he wouldn't eat & died soon after. The little Skye Terrier was the only voice raised in great sorrow at the execution of the Queen of Scots. He made his breed part of history.

Thanks for your very informative post. We've had 2 dogs who showed separation anxiety. In one case (a sheltie) , the behaviorist vet, gave behaviour modification strategies only. To my surprise, she showed marked improvement within a couple of weeks. The frank behavioral issues (like ripping soft furnishings to pieces when left home alone) stopped. In the second (a tibbie), low dose valium was prescribed along with behavioral strategies which followed the same principle. The vet said that short-term use of valium ( a muscle relaxant, rather than a sedative) would hose down some of her anxiety but leave her wits available for new learning. Within a few weeks she, too, responded well. And the frank behavioral issues also disappeared. In both cases, we just had to continue keeping some simple manageable strategies in place. The separation anxiety never returned. Bears out what you've said. Treatment/management is based on expert assessment of individual dog.

Not suggesting anything, but just for interest. One of my favourite videos. Little tibetan spaniel joining his 3 then 4 big tibetan mastiff 'siblings' in a play rumble. The little one is an enthusiastic chaser & his biggest dangers are getting sat on (the mastiff looks as if to say 'sorry'), running full pelt into another and falling over: :) Good advice in the posts above.

Not double standards at all. Yours is a summary of an intelligence response ... where it can be necessary to keep two ideas in your head at the same time so adjustment can be made for assessment of risk & benefits in different settings. In fact, a lot of human medical treatments follow the same principle. There was a UQ research review paper re desexing dogs which boiled down to basically what you've said ... & what Powerlegs has said, too. As both a breeder & rescuer within your breed, you assess & respond to each situation. Powerlegs, as a rescuer, responds to one situation & has no need to inform about another set of risks.

You deserve every compliment. Your work is stunning, glorious, heart-stopping! It's not just technically brilliant but real love of dogs shines thro', too.

Found an example of the Pet Passport system which I'm guessing Johnny's lady, Amber Heard (doggies owner) is used to. Shows another female actor arriving from UK at LA International Airport in the US with her small dog. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2895559/Rooney-Mara-holds-tightly-adorable-dog-Oskar-jets-LAX.html

I looked up what applies to pets coming in by private jet in the UK. Maybe Johnny Depp is more used to that system. UK has a Pet Passport system that makes it easier to be processed thro'... so long I guess as the requirements on it are kept up to date. Wonder if his dogs had them ... even tho' they don't count coming into Australia? Found a site showing how a dog comes into the UK by private jet under this system. http://www.privatefly.com.au/private-flights/flying-with-pets.html One of the US tibbie people travels often to London with his tib, Jackson, on a commercial airline which allows Jackson to be in the cabin. He's got a UK-approved Pet Passport. The owner says that Jackson routinely gets thro' customs much faster than him.... & the officers coo over Jackson.

The snippet I heard mentioned 50 hours, not 50 days (comes of being deaf in one ear :) ). I found a fuller reference (Woman's Day). And it repeated what Barnaby Joyce said after his rude 'bugger off' comment: Mr Joyce continued: “Now Mr Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we're going to have to euthanise them. He's now got about 50 hours left to remove the dogs. He can put them on the same charter jet he flew out on and fly back out of our nation.” According to Australia’s strict biosecurity laws, dogs are required to spend at least 10 days in quarantine before gaining access into the country, however Pistol and Boo avoided this process and Australian authorities are not impressed. The standard practice for failure to declare pets is that they will be seized and either deported or euthanized. Protective mum Amber Heard is reportedly current in negotiations with the Department of Agriculture to save the lives of the adorable pups. Seems a fair outcome is maybe being negotiated.

Thanks for that. Now I'll only have to ask about fifty times to keep remembering. But no trouble remembering how gorgeous & full of personality he is. :)

I heard a snippet on the ABC which said if the dogs could be flown out again within 50 days, it'd be fine. But 50 days since when? And what conditions need to apply during those up-to 50 days? Look forward to hearing further if this 'snippet' has credibility.

Well said (as you usually do). You've explained with far more knowledge & experience why I couldn't automatically extend the 'all colours & mixes' standard for tibbies to all other breeds.

oh, Bliss! wall to wall Tibbies. Imagine that in a garden party. soz, I likes to drool Accepting all colours & mixtures sure hasn't led to any weakening of other conformation features in tibbies. But, again, it's a feature that's always been so. I can't comment on what might happen if the colour standards already set out were relaxed in other relevant breeds. The variety is delightful & when someone says they've just got a tibbie ... there's no guessing about colour until you see it. Also throws up some interesting 'looks'. Lily (an Aus Ch) next door matches our torti-tabby cat perfectly in colours, like they were painted by the same artist. No wonder we tibbie fanciers drool a lot. :)

Perhaps if they can't take someone questioning their motives they are too fragile to be doing rescue anyway which is my point that some shouldn't be doing rescue. I was referring to research that looked at the high rate of stress-related conditions occurring in shelter work with homeless animals. And I specifically referred to people 'across the normal range of persons'. Those who do not already have underlying pathological conditions. I pointed out, within the group I identified, it can be plain human to go at the knees from the stresses peculiar to the line of work. I pointed out that exactly the same thing occurs in helping professions dealing with vulnerable humans. I was associated with clinical training of post-graduate professionals ... all of whom had already been well screened for their new role. But, in Orientation Programs, we had to strongly point out that they'd needed to adopt strategies to prevent Compassion Fatigue or Burnout. Which is precisely what mel's excellent program is setting out to do. First point is that it's important to accept it can happen across the normal range ... so there'd be no shame or guilt in putting up a hand & asking for help or respite. Means of doing that should be built into the work role, anyway. I commend mel for putting on a workshop. Only problem I can see is that, sometimes, people who need such education most, might not necessarily be those who'll sign up, when it's in a voluntary capacity. Which may be another way of saying what you said.

Agree ... a great partnership. That breeder is pure gold & it's people like her who bring outstanding professionalism to what is a hobby of love. Development of the breeds is safe in their hands.

In Tibetan Spaniels all colours and mixture of colours are permissible. I guess that's how the breed developed with no particular colours selected because of any specific function. Has the effect of making each tibbie somewhat unique in colour presentation. BTW I'm not arguing the same ought apply to all other breeds ... which have different histories & functions. A line-up pictured on the TSAV calendar gives some idea of colour variety (click enlarge):