Dewclaws

I agree . There is definitely some homes out there that unfortunately unsuitable for ANY dogs, or even the majority of pets . A greyhound loves company , loves to be around there humans . I think people interpret the term 'couch potato ' a bit literally .

Thanks everyone for the replies . I hate cancer so much . Currently losing my Dad to it and we lost my husbands brother to brain cancer a few years ago . So I guess any mention of it brings my anxiety out . I do agree it's so unpredictable ..... Dogs have such short fleeting lives that you really want them to be with you as long as possible . The family and I have fallen hopelessly in love with our new family member . I guess all we can do now is love, cherish him. Look after him well and simply hope for the best .

Hi everyone . I currently have a 11 week old lab puppy . Out of curiosity I have been looking in detail through his pedigree . It's lovely to see photos on breeders websites of these gorgeous purebred dogs , especially what they have achieved in both the ring and retrieving competitions and it gives me a idea on what my little lad will end up being like . There is one thing that is slightly concerning me . There is one sire that Is very prominent in his pedigree , it's his grand sire on his dams side and also a great grand sire on his dam sire . Plus a great grand sire and great great grand sire on his sire side . All up he is mentioned about 4 times in his pedigree . Reading up on this sire he achieved great things . Actually won sire of the year . If my lab grew up to be like him I would be very happy . Sadly though he died very recently of cancer at the age of 9 . Now I know many people would consider 9 a good innings for a large breed . But I do sort of expect a lab to live to the minimum of say 12 . I consider age 9 a premature death . So considering this dog is so prominent both sides in my pups pedigree I am a bit afraid . I know enough about genetics to know cancer can be genetic and even if it's recessive being on both sides of his pedigree has me worried . Any breeders out there would this concern you?

It might not be as bad as you think . On some of those 'shaming' dog videos on you tube some of the dogs look absolutely terrified and miserable ( some of the reasons I don't like them ) but I very much doubt those dogs were getting a belting after the camera stopped recording . Years ago we had a kelpie x who so sensitive you only needed to rise your voice slightly and the dog was rolling on her belly pissing herself in fright . We got her at 8 weeks with no history of abuse . I know if my dogs get in trouble now ( getting in to the rubbish when we are out in a past time they enjoy ) we know something is up because they both hiding under the bed , this is before we even enter the kitchen . I certainly don't hit or belt my dogs ! Dogs do know pretty quickly when they have done something against their owners wishes and don't like the feeling of it . Abuse doesn't necessarily need to be part of

Thanks everyone for the replies . Definitely sounds like a gorgeous breed . In away their personalities seem very similar to cairn terriers , probably why I am attracted to them . I haven't lived without a cairn terrier for over 20 years , so when it comes to the crunch and my two current rascals leave me I will probably start pining for another but keeshonds definitely will be up there as a consideration .

Hi everyone . I have been reading about this breed in the Internet and the more I read the more I like . I have always been attracted to spitz breeds but the hard headed sometimes dominate nature has put me of .Yet what I have been reading indicates that they tend to be a bit more biddable and easier to train than other spitz . I also like their smaller size . I have a young family and what I have read is they make good family dogs . Currently I have two cairn terriers and a lab puppy . My two cairns are seniors and I wouldn't be getting another dog until they leave us for the rainbow bridge ( hopefully not for another good while ) but I love planning canine members of the family well ahead ( the lab puppy was 5 years in the planning ) so currently looking about at different options . After 20 years of owning terriers I feel a bit 'terriered out ' at the moment ( recall? What recall !) and loving the easy going happy to please nature of my new lab puppy , yet I don't think I want two big dogs , so not another lab . Any other breed ideas is also welcome .

We currently have a 10 week old Labrador pup . I am a bit of a hard arse lol For the first night our benson acted like yours , couldn't leave the room without whining and howling .so I slept in the lounge room with him . We brought him home in the late afternoon so I knew he was scared and missing his mum so he was given some cuddles and reassurance . Second night I knew it was time to cut the apron strings . We don't crate train . I have never crate trained my dogs . Our space for benson is the laundry with a doggy door out to a puppy or proof yard . That night he howled and carried on for hours but I did not go to him .vwas definitely not fun but I knew going would only reward the howling . He settled eventually . Third night, same story . I do give him some treats to find within his bed but then leave him . Still carry on but defiantly shorter . Next night, same thing ect ect . Next Tuesday it will be three weeks since we have him and he now gladly goes to bed in his laundry . He is so very intelligent and you can tell he wants to be told what to do and loves the routine of it. Puppies need tough love and stiff boundaries . They are nothing like human babies . Human babies thrive on smothering of love and attention . Puppies find this confusing and anxiety inducing because they feel there is something wrong and something to be scared about . It's reinforcing negative emotions instead of soothing them . Confidence is what they need . Actually in away it is like an older child . If a toddler falls over and slightly grazes a knee a parent rushing over and smothering with kisses and concern can lead to to them bawling . Yet a similar incidence were the parent makes light if it and distracts them to another activity quickly has the child avoiding tears . A puppy crying in the night is Not much different .

Labrador, named in England after the sea the original dogs worked and swam in , replaced the name little Newfoundland . Cairn terriers , named after 'cairns' groups of rocks the dogs would flush and dig out vermin from , replaced the name short haired sky terrier ,

I was watching a clicker training video that had a portugese water dog puppy . It looked very 'oodle' like .incredibly clever as well ! But when it comes to oodles most of the features people desire actually are already there in a beautifully bred poodle . So I never understood the oodle craze anyway !

Oh that makes more sense . The only co ownership I heard about us pups being sold on breeding terms .

Out of interest what would the original breeder get out of this arrangement ? From my knowledge of co ownership it's more about breeding . But surely it would be cheaper for the breeder to buy back semen or get a good puppy that she buys back from the bitch then putting up export fees and vet bills? Unless she wants the bitch back permanently at one stage then what are you long term getting out of it? Just would seem better for you to buy pup outright but remain in good terms with original breeder in that the breeder gets first dibs on anything the bitch produces that she want to import back?

By presence I mean they don't have community forums . There is 3.4 million dogs in australia. If 2-4 percent of that number is getting put to sleep in pounds each year that's still hell of a big problem . Many thousands of dogs . And that after time and effort are spent rehoming and rescuing dogs .

The op started this thread on a forum and site directed at promoting and highlighting registered pure bred breeders . Backyard breeders and irresponsible breeders dont have a presence on the Internet . The problem is that not many people who directly or indirectly are responsible for dogs on death row will admit to it being because of them .They are in denial , don't give a shit or think once they sold their mix breed pup it no longer becomes their problem . And the irresponsibly owners who dump their dog there think it was a 'rogue dog ' that couldint be trained or that it will happily be 'adopted ' by someone else . So also wiping responsibility of it from there hands . So op comes on to this site because she thinks 'breeders' on here (because it's the only breeders she can anonymously can ask on the Internet ) will be able to answer the 'problem ' highlighted by the rspca . The real people she really should be asking can not be directly asked because it's a collective group of irresponsible , often greedy , massive mix of people who are responsible for dogs in pounds that don't have a forum or 'community ' So 'the 'good guys ' who unfortunately have to share the description of breeder with these people cop the criticism . So it's hardly surprising they get grouchy about it .

Thanks Casima luckily its the school holidays so I will make a a point of taking pup out aND about each day . Was bunnings OK with pup in trolley ?. Do you think puppy play school is OK from 8 wks ? If all the pups have been vaccinated ?

Riverstar aura . My other breed I love is cairn terriers . If I was to get a pup I would undoubtly need to be on a waiting list . Most pups born are quickly placed . Just because some breeds are not popular doesn't mean those being bred are not snapped up quickly . My sister is a registered breeder of a rarer breed less than 30 breeders in australia . She gets puppy enquires at least a couple of timess a week and once she announces a litter normally her waiting list is full before the litter is born . That's what I mean they are in high demand , in that there is always a core group of enthusiasts of most breeds looking for a quality pup .

I follow Dr Katrina on Facebook and she is always showing different things the wonderdogs are up to . I think Flynn sort of replaces her own beloved Toby , even though she doesn't own him . The antics of Riley her golden retriever and her main coon cat are also great .

Hi all . I will ask my breeder this when I pick pup up on a couple of weeks but I was curiose to get varied opinions, i was wondering if dogs should be kept home until 12 weeks when immunization schedule is finished ? The thing is I still have my other two dogs who need daily walks, wouldn't they possibly bring back nasties on paws Ect? Also wouldn't our own shoes also potentially carry disease ? Is there certain places that need to avoided such as parks? I normally walk my own dogs around the neighborhood. It's been nearly 10 years since I had my last pup so I am a bit rusty with the current way things are done . Also how about puppy preschool m should that wait until 12 weeks . Our local one accepts pups from 8 wks . When is the best time ? Cheers .

The way I see it . The demand for well bred pure bred dogs is very high for the majority of breeds . There is 400+ labrador breeders on dogzonline . The vast vast majority ethical breeders. Even so all the pups in my litter were sold before they were born ! Unfortunately the demand for the young lab x staffy in the pound is not high . Which is an absolute tragedy. That's not the sort of dog I want to live with for the next 10 + years though . Sure they might make a good pet for someone, but not my family . The people who irresponsibly put that dog in the pound in the first place are to blame . Backyard breedears or morons who can not control there dogs fertility . So i don't really think it's a registered breeders responsibly to consider the overall dog population, just their own breeds population and how many good responsible homes out there who are keen to take in one of their pups . I have owned mix breeds and pure breeds over my life . So far I have had a better experience with the pure breds. They have been more healthier and more stable temprement wise . And I want to support breeders producing these wonderful animals .

Haredown whippet supposedly many years ago cairn terriers were originally going to be called short haired sky terriers but the sky terrier enthusiasts were outraged! Thus they got their name cairn terriers . So breed politics have been around a long time !! Lol. Ultimately I do think the lavrador breed will develop differently . From what I can see most a australian field labrador breeders get stock from the USA so Australia's development is closely linked to the USA development , I am sure it will all work out . But even this thread has shown emotions get high . It would be interesting to know how both 'sides' feel .

Surely they would just be called american labradors ? Just like American cocker spaniels or American staffordshire terrier Ect ? Or American field labrador? It's seems the two names English versus American gets used all the time anyway .

Here is an American /field lab breeder talking about them and how inbreeding has effected them . https://rosewoodretrievers.wordpress.com/articles/american-labradors-vs-english-labradors/ Even so he wants AKC to differentiate them as different breeds .

But show labradors wouldn't be using field labs anyway ? I was reading a breeders of field labs Web site and he was saying currently 'american/field labs cu have more health issues due to intense selective breeding in the last couple of decades , . So who knows? Large genetic pools are only good if heaps of out breeding is happening .

Very interesting Casima. Do you think breeds of dogs that still traditionally 'work ' is going to always have much bigger variation in the type of dogs bred ? Do you then think show dogs are more a perfect example of their conformation than necessarily the best of their breed in these breeds? like German Shepherd, border collies , kelpies and labradors ? Do you think then the original purpose of 'show rings ' are then defunct ? I know these are controversial issues with in the dog world. I have been on some labrador forums and overall there seems to be much more hostility toward 'show type labradors than field type. General feeling they are are overweight lard arses that is losing its athletic origins . I don't know, I love the nice chunky labs .

Yes cairn and Westies originally separated in colour but they are significantly more differences now . A small hard coated terrier living in the Highlands of Scotland have been there for many hundreds of years . I remember reading that when the white swiss shepherd tried to get recognition it was a massive struggle with a lot of resistance from different quarters . It's strange it's so much more un accepting and controversial these says to develop a new breed .

Looking at the Belgian shepherd dog in dogz online breed index seems to be 4 sub types . The Scottish, Westie and cairn all had a commen ancestor . Why is the idea of a 'sub' labrador type so strange ? in the last 150 years so many many breeds were developed , most a sub breed from another breed or breeds . There seems to be so much drama and offense now when the idea of a new breed is mentioned ? I don't understand why . The idea that labradors would develop in to a different direction seems very natural for me .