Saffioraire

Does anyone know who the photographer was? I really want to get some nice ringside photos but can never find who the photographers were, is it ever listed somewhere and I am just missing it??

Excerpts from the breed standards: GERMAN: "The German Shepherd Dog must be of well balanced temperament, steady of nerves, self assured, absolutely `at ease (except when provoked) and good natured as well as attentive and easy to train. He must possess instinctive drive, resilience and self confidence in order to be suitable as a companion, watch dog, protection, service and herding dog." WHITE SWISS: "Lively, without nervousness, attentive and watchful; towards strangers slightly aloof but never apprehensive or aggressive." The German Standard is a bit more descriptive but you get the general idea.

My apologies for misunderstanding. I can only answer that personally but my answer is a resounding yes. While it is difficult and expensive having a rare breed with the limitations we have, I think the unique qualities of the White Swiss Shepherd Dog make them worth every bit. I can honestly say that regardless of what happens in the future my home will never be without one of these dogs. Ironically enough I had chosen to import a WSSD while still involved with my German Shepherds. I am not interested in owning another German Shepherd of any colour - while I admire them around the ring, the joy I get from owning a WSSD surpasses the joy I got from owning a GSD. But again that is me, and other households and breeders are different. Not sure where in QLD you are but we will be at the EKKA this year if you want to come and say hi and meet the dogs hopefully there will be a few there! The WSSD's are on the Wednesday 15th August.

So essentially what you are saying is that because they both have a similar coat colour, and probably descended from the same breed (which even then is compromised as the WSSD came about at a time that there was an extended importing ban on GSD's) that we should chuck 'em all in together to save confusion for those not in the breed?! Don't forget that every dog breed has been imported into Australia at some point. So do you say to the Parson Russel people, why bother?! I mean we already had Fox Terriers. Do we really need Cardigan and Pembroke Corgi's? Or 3 different types of Belgians? Or American and 'Regular' Cocker Spaniels? Etc etc. Hence why we also have registries, because what would happen if people were left to be a law unto their own? We end up with a billion different type of Oodles! The subtle differences you see without studying the Standard and meeting the dogs, are actually translated into rather more significant differences when you do.

Will try to make it as simple as possible. All White Swiss Shepherd Dogs in Australia are eligible to be shown. A White Swiss Shepherd Dog is a dog who has been imported from Europe or South Africa with an FCI White Swiss Shepherd Dog Pedigree. The only time this is not true is where an imported WSSD is not registered with the ANKC. Then it just becomes a matter like every other breed, so long as it has been registered on the main register it can be shown. Where the confusion lies is with incorrect branding. All White Shepherd Dogs bred from Australian bloodlines in Australia are not White Swiss Shepherd Dogs, they are White German Shepherd Dogs. A German Shepherd and a Swiss Shepherd are two different and distinctive breeds. YES the White Swiss Shepherd Dog is supposed to have descended entirely from the German Shepherd breed HOWEVER over many decades they have been selected for different criteria (no, not just colour) and hence this has created a different dog. If you read the two breed standards this will become apparent, especially in regards to temperament. The White Shepherd Dogs bred in Australia from Australian bloodlines have NOT been selected for the same criteria over time, and hence have not evolved into the new breed of White Swiss Shepherd Dog, but have remained true to the original breed of the German Shepherd Dog. At some point in time someone in Australia with White German Shepherds has decided to start calling their dogs White Swiss Shepherds - this does not automatically make them a White Swiss Shepherd Dog! Call an Am Staff a Pit Bull at a show and see whats it's owner says! Likewise you can call a Poodle x Labradore a Labradoodle but this does not automatically make them an instant new breed of dog - at the end of the day they are still a cross bred dog. The only difference here is that an Australian White German Shepherd still breeds true - only they breed true to the German Shepherd Dog not the White Swiss Shepherd Dog. The only way Australian breeders have been able to get their dogs to start moving towards the European White Swiss Shepherd Dog is to introduce imported bloodlines, but essentially these have just become cross bred dogs as they do not necessarily breed true to either breed. I am sure I will have my head bitten off for my comments, but this is the long and the short of it. Perhaps if the Australian White Shepherd Dog breeders were to propose some sort of integration register it may be considerable, but even then the mixing of these lines into existing lines do not necessarily produce litters of dogs who breed true to the parent breed, and now the FCI have accepted the White Swiss Shepherd Dog as a fully recognised breed (no longer on the probationary register) which essentially means all stud books are closing and the possibility for integration of new blood is growing slimmer by the day. Does that help?

I think that is the most sensible option - get a White Swiss! Although that I agree you are more likely to benefit from learning written Finnish than spoken, especially if you are wanting to read information about the breed and communicate with those in the COO via internet. The 'lay man's' dialect that all spoken language is subject to doesn't really affect the written language as severely or suddenly. You can write "Hind Quarter" and no one looks at you stupidly and then says "..oohhhhh Booty?!' HAHA!

Yup. If you look online you can find a lot of helpful resources for self teaching language, plus YouTube helped me as well. Also not sure what computer you have but the translator on my Apple helped a lot. The lady I bought my last dog from had quite poor English to begin with, so I had no choice other than to learn written German!

For a WSS??! Damn that'd be impressive. Oh that puppy is soooooo cute! 700g is so little If I see something truly embarrassing I will let you know! If your after something for the car look on page 2 or 3 I had a thread and there was a great idea for a car pack which was fur lined, the seat belt went through the back to secure it. You could then transfer your precious pooch into your designer Gucci bag A' la Paris

For a WSS??! Damn that'd be impressive. A pink aligator back pack for my 38kg White Fluffy?! HAHA! No no, for a small munchkin

There might be something in that for those with young enough coated breeds. My dogs have been forced to stay outside all day on the non-rainy days leading into winter to grow their coats out. It's worked a treat they are huge and fluffy and seem to be pretty warm around the clock now. Meanwhile they were not impressed that they haven't been allowed inside by the heater as they please throughout the day, but now they have coats they don't really want to be!! ETA: During the day. At night they still come inside.

I'm ashamed to say I'll be watching this thread

Royal Chivalry ?

Oh wow - as far as I know that price didn't include storage - but maybe I am wrong. It sounds like you can collect and test for a lot less though. I'd just ring around, there is a pinned forum above with recommended repro Vets so you should find someone good :)

Really? Geez I thought $615 seemed like a good deal Might ring around for a few more quotes now!! Lol

Ok - your in a different state, so this was the costs from one of the repro vets in Vic. $460 - for consult, collection & freezing (or chilling? I'm not quite sure if it would be lesser for different methods) $155 for assessment of semen. Hope this helps.

Male or female? I think the above description + male = Griffon Bruxellois!

For you then Toller Lord knows I've needed several in the last 24 hours! I took him for a once over at the Vet. and he's on pain killers for his worn out paw pads. It is incredible what they can do, I might refer to him as our Turkey x Elephant but he is one very intelligent boy! Thanks again everyone, so nice to have good vibes to help you through a tough time.

Thanks Loraine & CW - I will go investigate! Sway the specific design car travel crates have the belt go through the back, so they don't get 'squashed' at any point - similar to a car seat. I find the seat belt doesn't fit around the hard crate and is more at risk of becoming a danger should there be a serious accident and go flying around the car or out the front windshield. He doesn't need a 'roll cage' just something to stop him from flying around the car in an accident and restrain him in a way that wont break bones or my face! I'm really happy with the link MM posted.

Can you PM me about it?

Thanks so much everyone. He found his own way home and was on our doorstep early this morning. God only knows what possessed him to climb the fence or travel so far but at least he is home safe (and covered in cow manure!). Needless to say he won't be getting left in the backyard when I go out anymore! Thanks again for everything - it helped get through a very long night.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that you are seeking the justification of those likeminded to reinforce your conscience? Could you A) Sleep at night B) Look this breeder in the eye, if you chose to say nothing? Which is more important to you, the above, or your friendship with your FIFO friend? I think regardless of if we would or wouldn't sell to such a home, we all agree that we would like honesty above all. Being deceitful in the purchase of a dog is wrong, as displays a guilty conscience in itself. How would your relationship with the breeder turn out if (s)he found out you knew and said nothing? I would take the course of action that aligns with your own morales, clearly it is affecting you if you have taken the step to look for secondary opinions. Just my thoughts.

Yep Megan thats why I don't like the car restraints for collars. I'm not thrilled with a harness for a similar reason. If (God forbid) we did have an accident, he'd get so flung around with nothing to protect him. THANK YOU MM!!! That's exactly what I am after

So I just bought my first small dog (well thats a lie, my first small dog since adult life) a little Griffon. The big dogs travel in the back, but he cant, and I'm not comfortable with a typical harness or collar style car restraint - particularly while he is still so little. Soooo .... I don't want to get all 'Paris Hilton' on him, but are there any good 'dog bags' that can be used as a car restraint? At the moment he is travelling in a crate which gets buckled in but it is highly inconvenient. I'm hoping for a soft mesh type bag that has a connector for the seat belt etc. The only kind I can find are fashionista handbags a la Paris, or typical soft pack crates but they have no features to double them as a safe car restraint.

I don't think stillborns or pups deceased post birth are required to be listed in any way. There is certainly nothing on the form that makes any inquiry of this possibility. No, I agree. But I had heard of people registering these stillborn pups so they could take dogs who were ineligable for registration and 'slot them in' so as the speak under the name of the dead pup. Mandatory microchipping puts a stop to that problem.

Where did you find the reference? Do you ever think sometimes we are being "had"? Out of interest I called my father who is born in Malta and immigrated with his family as a teenager. He had never heard of them before, he thought I was talking about female dogs! And the Pharaoh Hound he says he has only ever seen in books. Sometimes I do wonder...