~Anne~

Thanks. That sounds like it could be it. The ones I’ve seen can barely walk, let alone make their way to the feed bowl to try and eat. It seems it’s encouraged to film them trying to do these basic things. I don’t get it. And some families seem of have multiple like this.

Yes, I like the name cruelty porn. It is! The cats don’t appear to have hydrocephalus. It’s looks like a form of spasticity in animals.

No, they weren’t called retro pugs and it wasn’t a marketing gimic. The name was German and it was a genuine attempt to alleviate the negative physical attributes of the breed while maintaining low prey drive and the affable temperament.

Breeders breed specifically for deep folds on the face. It stands to reason this may show all over the body. It shows easily on the face because of the flattened features.

It could be a variation, or there could be something else in there. I’ve seen a lot of pugs over the years with excess skin folds on their face and down the neck and top of shoulders. Hair and skin folds often coincide too. One of my pugs had a huge mane, like a lion, around his neck.

Each to their own but glorifying deformities is problematic. On TikTok I keep seeing videos of cats with some kind of neurological disorder which prevents them from walking in a straight line. I’m not sure what it is and I’ve never investigated. I just feel the cat would be better of euthanised. There seems to be a lot of them and maybe it doesn’t show until later in life and that’s why they’re kept?? I also see a lot of videos of kittens and puppies which have major irreversible deformities but the ‘rescuer’ is looked at as a god because they’ve kept it alive in order to find some other equally stupid person to care for it for life. Then we have our purposely bred deformed breeds including the Basset, Bulldog, Daschund and others. Yes, the Pug too. Back in the day, when this forum was in its heyday, I was in a long term battle with many members on the issues in the pug. I recall once putting up a link of a German breeder with an established program of many generations of a longer nosed, slightly taller dog and I was crucified and put into the same category as dog abusers and profit focussed bybs. ALL Pugs, regardless of how ‘well’ bred, have respiratory deformities and issues just by the very nature of the brachycephalic features. No one can argue that - but they did and they still do.

That’s a hard one. There are so many variables. How is your cat with dogs, normally? If her instinct is to run, that will make it harder, and most cats will run. The dogs prey drive is also a consideration and being a pup, that will be harder to determine. Are the parents of the pup cat/dog chasers? Their temperament will largely predict the pup’s. Is your cat an inside only cat? Will the dog be inside too? If you choose to get the dog, you need to ensure the cat has a safety zone in the house. Somewhere the dog is not allowed to go. A place where your cat, who has reigned over her castle by herself for 6 years, can feel safe and relaxed in and not worried about the dog in anyway. You should also place serious consideration into what you will do if it doesn’t work out? Will the people you’re getting the puppy from take it back? Will someone else be able to take the dog? Ultimately the introduction between the two will be vital. I’d try to speak to an expert on it, if you can, to ensure you manage the first few months the way you will need to, to ensure success.

I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with a post so much as this one! The overzealous raw feeders and the tales told about canine diets over the years has done my head in. Dogs are basically scavengers. They’re not strict carnivores either. Their digestive systems have evolved. Sure, hundreds and hundreds of years ago their diet was different, but ours was too! Ensure you feed quality food (commercial or whatever), give them something regularly for their teeth (large bones they can gnaw on or a substitute), ensure they have plenty of fresh water and don’t over feed them. Dogs don’t need snacks.

Appalling. Education should be free or as low cost as possible, regardless of the degree being studied.

It begs the question why this person had so many puppies, of different breeds, in a playpen. Sounds like a mill or pet shop shipment.

So much sense in one post!

I hope you can get it sorted out. As I said, it’s likely to cost them a heap to take it through the courts so they may only be bluffing.

What a crappy situation. Can you clarify what you mean by registry? Either way, if you have evidence they instigated the return of the dog, it’s your dog so ownership can’t be disputed. If you’re talking about a microchip registry, and you have evidence they have given back the dog, take the evidence to the registry to have the chip transferred back to you. If you’re referring to a purebred registry, I would think they could also transfer back with evidence, and if they don’t, it doesn’t matter unless the dog is to be bred from or shown. As for the refund, I’m in two minds. If the money was returned, the situation is diffused and you can close it off and chalk it up to experience. But then, if you don’t normally offer refunds and unless it’s a substantial amount of money, they’re likely to pay more out in fees fighting for you to give their money back than what they think they’re due anyway.

I agree with this. The driver has changed and so has the vehicle. The culture, purpose and art of the pedigree dog world is now very much in the background and in slow demise. Even though it was always considered a 'hobby' it was the epicentre of the canine world. It was the superpower. Unfortunately (in my perosnal view) through a lack of forward thinking and acceptance of a mature and modern changing market, its being left behind to curl up in a corner and wither away. More's the shame.

$3k to train a dog?! People are so gullible. It seems they were found 2 minutes away and they been returned. Someone had tried to extort money for them. Interestingly, the article states ‘the dogs were microchipped before being returned to their owners’ but given it’s one of the idiot news feeds that are rarely accurate, this statement could mean anything.

The council employee was wrong obviously. I’m sorry you were put through the wringer because of someone who did not understand the companion animals act, or the law.

As per both the above responses. It is a widely held incorrect belief that microchip details or pedigree papers show legal ownership. The golden rule of possession being 9/10ths of the law is true with animals. Animals are goods and chattel. Proving evidence of ownership such as veterinary and purchase receipts is enough to show ownership. Get the dog scanned for a chip and determine if it actually has one, and what details have been entered on the register. Then with chip details in hand, if it’s chipped, head down to the council with your receipts. Fill out the chip form, and that’s it. If it’s not chipped already, have you your vet chip it and compete the details with your name etc for the register.

Omg, crazy little thing! What a relief for the owners to find him!

Yep, what @grumpettesaid.

So many beautiful breeds.

@batgirlbcYour comments were asking ‘how’ the photos would be used by scammers. You weren’t stating there were too many out there already to make much difference. My response gave you an explanation and I expressed surprise that you seemed unaware of a common scam on the net. Although I agree in part with the number of images observation I’d also add there are also billions of bank accounts out there but I wouldn’t make it easy for people to access mine, just the same!

Really? Your comment surprises me although I know I shouldn’t be. I would have thought that puppy scams, which hit the media regularly and have for many years, were well known by the greater majority of people. They steal the photo and repurpose it for their scam. For sale: 1 cute little pug puppy for only $1500 - but it’s not their pug puppy nor their photo.

Great news for Warrior! Here’s hoping the drug is undergoing trials so it can be made available to others.

What a worry for you. I’m sorry that it’s come back already.

Ditto as above. It cuts me to the core watching any of the footage. It’s unimaginable horror for everyone involved. Those poor communities.