arctic.crocodile

Thank you for this. Just had my cat pts a couple of weeks ago. Needed this this morning.

Thought the OP might like the Bassett Hound bookmark from here. The bookmarks are much more spectacular in person as they are 3D holograms that really do give the illusion of depth.

http://www.artgame.com/store/category/20/pet-shop

Clandestine?

Love the name Sir Percival for a Cavalier King Charles

Fluffy for a Neapolitan Mastiff and

Sasquatch for a Pyrenean Mountain Dog

Is it a dog? Or a kangaroo???

I'm a cat lover first.. dog lover second I tend to only like certain breeds of dogs but I love all cats Mine is 15 this year & has been such a good companion He's more dog like than cat Sadly he's on his last legs though, I will so miss him when he passes

+1

ETA Thumbs up to the first part

to the last part

I'm a fan of the breed too. Met one at a show here just this year. Lovely little dog.

Bike on Freeze for a Bichon Frise

I've been bitten twice, both times by mutts who were unattended roaming the neighbourhood, I did nothing to provoke either dog, just walked past them.

My experience with GSDs as a child was entirely positive as my neighbour had security GSDs who were always lovely with us kids. I always remember one of them 'Thunder' jumping up to greet me, easily placing his front paws on my shoulders, I thought he was great!

So, no breed I'm really wary of as, obviously, I've meet many more mutts than purebred dogs and only had the two incidents, all the rest were lovely.

The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit.

So true!

Or they could go to Booko.com.au, which lists every place you can buy the book, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive in price

This

Prospective Breed: Chow Chow

Colour Preference: Blue

However, temperament first! Especially in a breed with a not so great reputation.

Dislike the look of brindles in any breed (Just a personal preference)

Quite like the black and white 'cow' colouring in breeds that come in that sort of colour variation e.g. Harlequin Great Danes, Landseer Newfoundlands, etc.

I'm a cat person, and that's all I currently own.

Me too.

Most animals are great! The few exceptions would include ticks (especially paralysis), non-native cockroaches (the native ones that stay in the garden are OK) and maggots (ewww).

Will probably be adding a dog to the purrfamily next year all going well.

Chow Chow!

Best looking dog ever!

And once I started researching there personality I was hooked!

Oh, well... One day...

Agree with the bit about Vegetarianism. Have been a Vegetarian for 17 years and would never dream of forcing my pets to be Vegetarian, especially not cats who are obligate carnivores and (as is my understanding) actually starve to death on a Vegetarian diet. ~Happy to stand corrected if I'm wrong on that one~

Signed. NSW.

ETA Have also put the link on my Facebook page.

OK, I agree with the post that said Beagles as puppies but then they grow up to be scary airport dogs Just kidding, nothing scary about a beagle, which, I believe, is why they're used as airport dogs.

However, no-one has mentioned the most truly cutest puppy ever!!! and what makes them so cute is that they never out grow the cute stage, they're unbelievably cute as adults as well...the Chow Chow!

Not my photo btw, I just happen to think it's a very cute puppy.

Maybe not so motivational but I like it anyway

When my heart cat died I adopted a star (which was to help raise funds for the Mount Stromlo Observatory). Now, I can look up at 'his' star and know he is up there watching out for his big brother who is still down here with us. I guess everyone has there own way of 'dealing' but that helped (and continues to help) me.

'Say not in grief 'he is no more' but live in thankfulness that he was'

Hebrew proverb

Bought this as a gift for someone for Christmas but couldn't resist reading it myself before gift wrapping it. Haven't cried so much in ages! (which BTW isn't a bad thing) it's actually a very heartwarming book - loved it!

I'm sure that's the book I picked up just recently and put straight back down when I came across the phrase, "Never trust a Chow" they're all horrible dogs apparently

OMG! The first picture on the right - at first I thought the pup was a towel!

My cats love a product called 'Fussy Cat' which is basically kangaroo mince.

Thank you for endeavouring to answer all of my questions.

Just another quick one while we're still on grooming.

I was reminded of this one because of a little 'problem' my Ragdoll has. When he poops it sometimes sticks to his butt fur and we have to remove it. We try to avoid the problem by trimming the fur around his butt. Is this a problem in Chow Chows and if it is can the same solution be used?

I have many question about Chows and am hoping someone experienced with the breed can answer them for me. I was flicking through a dog book yesterday only to find a quote from a vet that said, "Never trust a Chow" and two separate vets at the practice I go to have told me, "You don't want a Chow Chow, they're not nice dogs".

However, from what I read about their temperaments they sound like a great dog, aloof, independent, etc.

But I do have a lot of questions -

The grooming looks like it would be a nightmare. How much grooming is required daily?

I read that the coat is insulation against both the heat and the cold and should never be fully clipped as it doesn't grow back well, is this accurate?

Can the tummy be clipped to prevent tangles in this tangle-prone area?

Can they be clipped back to a 'puppy coat' and does this make grooming easier?

I read that they are difficult to train. How much training is required to have a dog that can do the basics reliably?

I do have a colour preference although obviously a sound temperament is far more important than colour especially with a breed that seems to have a bit of a bad reputation. However, I do love the look of the blues, although they do seem to be relatively uncommon in Australia. Would this be accurate?

I also read that dilutes such as blues in other breeds e.g. SBTs can have health issues. Is this the case in Chows?

My vets also inform me that a Chow probably wouldn't get along with my cats. Is this accurate? For me the single most important consideration in any dog is that they get along with my cats - 3 males, 2 'moggies' and a Ragdoll.

Socialisation also seems to very important for Chow so is the '100 people in 100 days' rule a good one to follow for Chows?

I also read they should never be let off leash. We have a 'doggy beach' here where dogs can run around off leash. Is this a bad idea for Chows? Is the beach a bad idea anyway as sand may get in the coat causing hot spots? I read hot spots can be a problem in Chows.

I also read that Chows may not get along with other dogs so what other dog breeds are the most likely to get along with Chows in the same household?

Is it important that the other dog in the household be the opposite sex to the Chow?

I read that a male Chow is more likely to bond to a female human and a female Chow more likely to bond to a male human. Is this accurate?

Also, I am thinking of a Chow for myself sometime in the future and it would be my first dog that I am solely responsible for. In the past we have had two family dogs that I was not the primary carer for, a Labrador X (possibly/probably crossed with a German Shepard) and a million year old Kelpie, who, despite her age was still very active. Both dogs were female but I am thinking of a male Chow.

Is a Chow Chow a suitable dog for a first time owner? I know this one's already been answered. I'm just looking for some reassurance.

That's all the questions I can think of for now. Replies would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.