Salukifan

Lets hope the weather forecast improves and the adorable play session isn't mud wrestling.

I'd probably give it 6 weeks until passing judgment but if, within that time, there's a clear change in condition for the worse, I'd ditch it. Coat would be what I'd watch most closely.

Oh, forgot Beagles. Great kids dogs. :)

Finding the time to put into the early months to ensure I get the adult dog I want to live with.

Going at this from a "desirable traits" rather than a "which breed" first I'd be looking for: * A steady, non-reactive temperament and a dog that is not going to climb the walls if it misses a walk on the odd day (that's the reality of family life) * An easy care coat (one less thing to do) * A dog big enough to cope with kids without fear reactions but not so big that it cannot sandwich into the car with the kids (that's giant breeds out). * A non-protective temperament so that it won't want to "defend" its kids from visitors if games get rough. * Either a very high bite threshold or very high bite inhibition. * A low incidence of expensive health problems. * One that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to buy. Add total supervision (a MUST for children under 6), appropriate training and socialisation and these are the breeds I'd recommend a family consider: LARGE - Pointers, Labrador Retrievers MEDIUM - SBTs (avoid the blues to lower the probability of allergy issues), Whippets SMALL - none until the kids are older. If the dog will not be inside, don't get one. You're asking for total over excitement every time the kids step into the back yard. If you were prepared for a hairy giant, a Newfoundland!

The food finally arrived. It has been scientifically tested on the tribe with the following results: * The honorary Labrador scoffed it but it did take him longer to eat than his usual kibble. That's a plus. * Mr Fuss Britches also ate it happily (but it must pass the three day test with him yet) * The crumblies ate their test pieces happily (including the 17 year old senior poodle) but its too high in protein for them to eat regularly It smells nice. Only "down" side is that crumbs get everywhere but the crumbly dogs vacuumed those up. Real test now is to see if MFB keeps eating it and how it affects their condition overall.

How does he/she feel about playing with Whippets? Dodger loves babies! I'll be there on Sunday.

I look at some of my early posts on this forum and cringe.

Had a great time at the GSD National in Canberra last month :) I was there too! I got to meet Dawn Fraser ????

Then I would politely suggest that you need to see more. Caning GSDs is a popular pursuit (as evidenced by Pedigree Dogs Exposed) and I for one have engaged in it in the past when I knew far less and shot my mouth off far more. The dog you like has won BIS at shows in your area - go and see him and the other top GSDs for yourself. With dog related opinions, as with many things, the more you know, the less you are inclined to be a mouth piece for a popular sentiment and the more likely you are to see the facets of a particular issue. I doubt you attend that many GSD specialty shows MUP or that you know many top GSD breeders. Those are issues that you should redress before pronouncing judgement on issues. Otherwise, you end up where you are now - defending an opinion with very little knowledge and leaving the kitchen to escape the heat. As do many of us from time to time.

From a purely cynical perspective, I think what will save the ANKC recognised breeds is the popularity of one of them. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is an extremely popular pet (ANKC registered and otherwise). Any move to target the SBT, as Australia's most popular bull breed will affect not just serious breed fanciers but Jo and Joanne Average and their family. ABPTs got targetted because of bad media coverage (mostly US based), whipped up hysteria, poor defence tactics (IMO) and public apathy. The SBT would see a lot of dog owners affected. Its a vote loser. Do the math - its what any politician would do.

If you have to train a dog to retrieve to hand by force fetching, then surely how fit the dog is for its original purpose also must be questioned? It seems some ARE questioning it. This article makes interesting reading. Seems that the Americans are having to compensate for the manner in which they have modified the Labrador for field trialling whereas the British still rely on selective breeding. I find the idea of hard mouthed dogs in this breed of far more concern than excess body weight.

You gotta be joking :laugh: For the last 30 years the halter Arabian horse has got further & further away from the performance Arabian..... & now with more interest in the desert racing Arabian, the Arabian breed is changing again, a lot of breeders have turned away from the compact Crabbet type to breed a stretchy, taller type, more suitable for the racetrack & in particular the lucrative 40km desert races of the UAE. Are people saying that there is only one correct type and the others shouldn't exist?

Nah, go brindle. At least that does occur in the breed.

Be sure to drop by the Whippet stand too. Personally though I do think you should look at Pointers.

Savic make those.

I personally prefer WL GSDs, but I agree HW, the dogs you posted are quite moderate compared to some. I particularly like the first one. And THAT is what is winning in the show ring now. I accept that people love to cane the GSD (Pedigree Dogs Exposed anyone?) but it does pay to actually look at what is winning in the show ring and consider that before sharing that dogma around. It might pay those currently caning the Labrador to look at the top dogs here on DOL too. They are heavier than I like personally but they are not obese.

I thought the pics I posted were of quite moderate dogs and that is what is winning now. I've been in the same ring as Hero and believe me he has no trouble moving.. quite the contrary.

Neatly avoiding answering my question about what was "wrong" with the dogs I posted.

The rather obvious answer is because different fanciers of the breed want different things from their dogs. In a dog with the numbers the GSD has, there is room for a few type variations. Temperament is one rather obvious difference between show and working lines and I'm sure those who fancy the working line dogs would be the first to agree that the WL dogs are not suitable for everyone. Can anyone tell me a good reason why there can only be one intepretation of type within a breed? Gawd, even in Whippets we have variations on type. No one seems to have hissy fits with halter and running Quarter horses, with halter and endurance Arabs and with the various types of Welsh Mountain ponies. What's the big deal?

This is the current DOL pointscore winner in GSDs and the rising star. What is it about their back legs that you consider detrimental to them?

There are "working dogs" in all Groups but Toys and (arguably) Non Sporting. Hounds are the oldest "working dogs" of all and I'd argue, probably the least divergent of the breeds between "bench" and "working" although there is some. Terriers, LGDs, herding breeds predate gundogs. They were bred to "work" though. Gundogs and your modern "protection" breeds are probably the youngest of breeds in terms of history. This is where many of the greatest differences appear to be IMO.

Thank you Jed. That was taken last May after Dodger won his class at the Whippet National. To say I was happy in that pic is an understatement. :) I will probably be wearing some sort of show suit on Saturday for those who wonder what the hell we wear those coloured suits for. :D

As the activities a breed undertakes evolve, so too does the ideal dog to undertake them. The breeds bred to do a job had a standard written to reflect that job, not do agility or obedience. And the type of dog that undertakes these activities is changing too. Once upon a time, the gundog reined supreme in the obedience ring. The sport was developed, after all, as a basic test of the obedience of a gundog. They were taught to heel on the left for a reason. Now the sport has evolved beyond them. Do we change the breed to suit the sport? A lighter, more lithe dog would certainly be able to do wrap style heeling better. And, as Espinay points out, gundog trials are not what a Labrador was bred to do. So they've shaped the dog to fit the sport and what wins. So now we judge what is "correct" by what wins dog sports events? None of this excuses overweight dogs in the show ring. But be careful that what you put forward as the breed ideal does actually fit the breed standard as the dog was developed to be. Case in point - the Iditerod. They had to stop people crossbreeding sledding breeds with greyhounds because the event became all about speed. Traditional working sled dogs didn't have a hope of winning it. But which dog would you expect to survive sledding for a living in all weather?

Why? What part of "I think some dogs in the show ring are too fat" surprised you?