Salukifan

Not every horse runs. I had a mare that would go any dog within range. And I know of horses that have killed dogs.

They also make a fair bit of noise doing it. This tells folk that there's trouble in the paddock. Donkeys have been used as livestock guardians for quite some time.

No need to read on after that really. The studies are done but the lesson just doesn't seem to resonate with people. The key issue that sees kids in hospital with dog bites is failure to supervise the child with the dog. Of course, that shifts the responsiiblity for prevention onto adults, rather than blaming dogs.

But buying ANY breed simply on the basis of its apparent lack of health issues is no guarantee of a good "fit" for dog and owner. I can't imagine too many pug owners finding the switch to a working breed an easy one. I think a few of the working breeds have issues that any potential buyer needs to think about and to be quite frank some temperament issues are emerging in the most popular working dogs. Many of my agility friends have working breeds and I would not consider them as being less prone to health issues than most dogs I know. There have been joint issues (HD, OCD) and IMHA within the dogs owned by my immediate circle of friends and these dogs obtained from sound lines and that have the best husbandry. I can understand trying to avoid a breed with severe heath issues but "healthy" breeds still have to have other characteristics that make them a good match for you. Oh, with Whippets its hearts. Few Whippets die young but their hearts often go in the end - strokes etc. Mind you, most vets will tell you they will see a Whippet for a few stitches here and there due to skin tears but that's about it.

I'm still coming to grips with some advice given by a Bloodhound person... don't get one unless you can cope wth drool on every surface of the house including the ceiling I couldn't own a breed that didn't make double digits - that's one area of some breeds I'd like to see "edited".

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Nearly as perfect as Whippets. I'll take the good with the bad with my breeds. When you start editing, it can take you in directions you really don't want to go.

And the elephant in the room? What health testing had been done on the parents of this poor dog? THAT is the question that needs answering IMO.

Like this? This is a gundog though, not a hound.

It is extremely difficult for an instructor in a group obedience class to focus on one dog with a challenging behaviour at the expense of all the other participants. You've got a vocal breed that can be challenging to get to focus. Have a think about what your dog was bred to do and how it was bred to work and you'll start to get an inkling of why. Your pup has had minimal socialisation and was very excited. You need to work on making being in such situations old hat. If you want more help, ask if you can speak to the instructor on the completion of class. But the key to this issue will be your ability to gain and hold your dog's focus. As for embarassment. I know you probably feel that everyone was looking at you but in the scheme of things a barking pup isn't that bad. You just have to grit your teeth and persevere. Not attending won't help at all.

Do your homework on the skin issues that plague blue Staffords and my guess is your heart rate may go even higher. The colour is undesirable for more than cosmetic reasons. Dilute to dilute matings can throw up quite a few skin issues. Have a good look at feet and pasterns. A dog that has east west feet, loose feet or is badly down is pastern is a recipe for unsoundness - no more desirable in a pet than in a show dog. You'd be crazy not to take out pet insurance on one as a pup.

Does he have an overshot jaw? Dogs with bite issues are pretty much always going to have tartar build up because their teeth don't work as efficiently on bones as dogs with normal bites. You are better off having the dog's teeth cleaned regularly by the vet than to see him lose them to gum disease. The only other option would be to try brushing them.

Google is your friend

I hear you. There's no way I'd tell a stranger their dog was overweight. Or nag someone about it.

I consider obesity to be an animal welfare issue. If you can help people to get their dogs in better shape, the dog will live longer with better quality of life. I have never heard a person who's successfully slimmed down a pet wish it fat again. It's like they get a new dog.

"Probably carrying a bit too much condition" is a nice way of saying "fat". :) You can tell someone their dog could afford to lose some condition without offending them too greatly.. some may agree. Folk don't always have a strategy for trimming their dogs down either. Exercise isn't the answer for super "conditioned" canines - halving the food and making up the other half with cooked pumpkin works One sports vet I know said fattening a dog up is an easy way of managing them. Fat dogs require a lot less exercise.

I agree. Like most things, it's not the message that's the problem it's the delivery and if you want to make sure the message is received in the spirit in which it's intended, it has to be delivered properly. During agility class, people are often told to get some weight off their dogs and in that situation, I don't think I've ever seen anyone be offended. Wait till you see someone fail intake because their dog is too fat - I've certainly seen it. Standard response "my vet's never said anything". Vets rarely, if ever do

Dog trainers often ending doing a lot more with people and their dogs than simply teaching obedience - not all dog knowledge involves that. I think a lot of pet folk don't genuinely realise their beloved dogs ARE overweight. Many dogs are obese and people think any sign of ribs = skinny. They also fail to consider the toll that weight is taking on their dogs - cruciate ligament rupture is far more prevalent in fat dogs. So I'd come at it subtlely, from the perspective of husbandry and also for those dog owners who aspire to dog sports - to assist them to prepare. "Crikey your dog is fat" will not win friends. SHOW people how to assess their dog's weight and SHOW them what a fit dog looks like - that's giving them skills they can take or leave.

It often happens that someone new to the forums who hasn't read the forum rules refers to their dog by its made up cross breed name, I'd be pretty confident in saying that it is always mentioned that "xxx" isn't a breed and that on DOL the dog should be referred to as requested in the forum rules ('xxx' X "xxx'). You may not have seen it but it certainly does cause a reaction! Minimax was just pointing out to you that it is in fact a breach of forum rules. Thank you SG for putting it so nicely. I've seen many postings with all kinds of names (cavoodles etc), to this point no one has been pulled up for it. Nevertheless seeing as you have taken the trouble to be polite, I'll no longer make up names, having only done it once as a joke. I wasn't objecting to what Minimax was telling me, only her manner of doing it. Interpersonal skills are important wherever you are. Any sentence that starts with "I think you'll find" is going to get someone's back up. Thanks for clueing me in without being confrontational. : ) From the forum rules: No need to feel singled out - believe me when I say that people have been picked up for this many many times. To the OP - your friend needs to do some research of her own. There are plenty of differences in temperament, grooming and exercise/stimultion needs between the varying breeds of smaller, long coated breeds. It's not a one size will fit all situation. If health testing is a key concern, your friend will need to confine her enquiries to responsible, registered breeders.

Glad you had a great time! Easter is a great time to see Sighthounds from all over Australia. They come for the Royal and for the specialties. :)

Big, powerful hounds too. You don't realise how big they are if you've mostly only seen pics of them with hunters on horseback!

Just on the news now: DAS has issued a Dangerous Dog declaration.

Standard rate of judging is about 40 dogs an hour. You have 59 dogs before the first Borzoi so you'd expect to see them in around 1130. However factoring in potential absentees etc, I'd say 1100 would be a pretty safe time to get there. i think there's about 230 dogs in so that's nearly six hours of judging not including lunch. If you ask for directions to where the Show Secretary is, you may be able to buy a catalogue - makes watching the dogs better IMO as you'll know who is who.

Oh forgot one more thing: Take money! The dog show vans (if in attendance) often have great stuff to buy :)

If you take children (quite a few folk do) keep them close and don't let them pat dogs without asking the handler first. Don't walk into or through people's gazebos (dogs are usually up the back) without asking first. You will NEVER go wrong telling someone their dog is beautiful. :) Its a great entry at the Hound Club of NSW show - enjoy! This is the breed entry breakdown AFGHAN HOUND 24 BASENJI 15 BASSET FAUVE DE BRETAGNE 1 BASSET HOUND 4 BEAGLE 14 BLOODHOUND 1 BORZOI 7 DACHSHUND (LONG HAIRED) 3 DACHSHUND (MINI LONG HAIRED) 13 DACHSHUND (SMOOTH HAIRED) 6 DACHSHUND (MINI SMOOTH HAIRED) 19 DACHSHUND (WIRE HAIRED) 2 DACHSHUND (MINI WIRE HAIRED) 5 DEERHOUND 2 FINNISH SPITZ 1 FOXHOUND 4 GREYHOUND 4 HARRIER 1 IRISH WOLFHOUND 11 PETIT BASSET GRIFFON VENDEEN 5 PORTUGUESE PODENGO (SMALL) 1 RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK 36 SALUKI 8 WHIPPET 36