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Pjrt

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Everything posted by Pjrt

  1. I confess sometimes I wish moosmums posts were in plainer language, but I absolutely love them, because they usually force me to think, hard. I don't confess to completely understand, but what I take from it is. The environment is everything apart from the self. If the self can't, won't, don't, refuse to adapt to the changing environment outside of themselves, then the environment will force it's hand. History tells us plain and clear what happens to those who don't adapt to their environment. The self cannot expect the environment to adapt to it ......the self must adapt to the environment. Whether that means I put more clothes on so I am comfortable sitting in my cold lounge room, or pedigree dog breeders adapting to changing purpose and expectations.
  2. Except breeders have been well trained to keep their campfires low and stay off the track - say too much get too obvious about who you are and what you do and you are likely to be wallopped. Those who have more than one or two dogs who have a genuine interest in seeing it stay as it is are the least likely to make waves and shout about it . We are divided -where are the dog related groups who have stood up for the greyhound people where are the dog related groups who join with us to fight crap legislation - where are we if they need us. How many dog related people and groups are going to go in and shout and donate money to help the people who compete in lure work? They are in the same place as they were when the docking ban was being fought or the BSL fight or so many other issues. The "dog world" is so fragmented and wrapped up in individual opinions that they will never support each other and soon it will be too late. Yep. Another yes from me
  3. /End thread haha Ok, so stop rewarding breeding for exaggeration. It's obviously rewarded somehow for breeders to move in that direction. Scootaloo that is exactly the sort of response that leaves Jo public to disregard registered breeders. I'm not here with any particular agenda. I just want to promote deep and thoughtful discussion of pros and cons. I'm not going to dismiss what other people are saying. I may even learn things. If pedigree breeders know the problems they need to be seen to be working towards rectifying them. Not bitching backstabbing and poking fun at people with other ideas
  4. if you think working breeders are interested in being flexible about producing dogs that work, think again. If you think all dog breeds are "extreme" again, think again. There is a word in many breed standards that people need to find. It is "moderate". Ok so there's a start. Moderate. Help breeders to see it, understand it, grasp it, appreciate it, breed for it, and even allow them to win ribbons for it. By that I mean expect judges to award it rather than the other end of the lead or the current rampant rend of excess in whatever breed
  5. Yes there are non show breeders breeding within those standards, but by not being interested in showing their dogs, it allows flexibility to breed, for example, less extreme animals, or better working animals or even better companion animals etc. These breeders of perfectly good and sound animals of certain breed are excluded from the conformation ring and frowned on. That is a problem.
  6. I just find the rigidity of the breeding to a written standard somewhat detrimental to dogs generally Colour is one area that interests me. Why exclude good examples of a breed based on colour or mismarks alone. Yes I realise some colours can be detrimental to health, even fatal, but things like parti colour Poodle, bigger white chest patches/blazes, Beiwer Yorkers etc etc ..i think some colours are permitted in breeding in some breeds but frowned on or disallowed in the conformation ring? What is so wrong with a part poodle or a lab with a full white chest blaze etc What average pet buyer values seems very removed from what the rigidity of many breed standards values. I realise mismarks and things like incorrect ear set are the pups sold to the pet buyers, but why exclude them from breeding? Oh, that's right, they're not to standard. The more I talk to myself the more I see it is the rigidity of the written standard that holds show breeders back from change, or enables them to refuse change.? I think of sheep farmers breeding sheep dogs. To them it matters little whether it looks like a kelpie or a border collie or a coolie. If it works sheep it looks like a sheep dog. They take types that work well for purpose and blend them to excel. You have farmers out their selling puppies from Sally for $50000 and their pedigree reads out of Sally from Chip, grand dam Prissy, out Flossy, grand sire Spud out of Daisy etc When pressed a farmer might describe Sally as a Kelpie and show breeders will be rolling their eyes. While at home many of the show bred Kelpies with perfect ears and not a dot of white to be seen more likely than not will run away from the sheep. So I ask myself, what exactly is a Kelpie? I guess it depends who you ask? A loose example and not meaning to pick on any particular breed. It just highlights to me the rigidity of the conformation arena and why it isn't great for dogs generally.
  7. Further to my post above. It seems to me that people who actually NEED dogs fit for purpose like security and herding and even those in hunting sports etc, don't generally source their dogs from the pedigree show breeders but rather look to people who have 'working lines'. Why is that I wonder. Is it because working line breeders have flexibility to breed dogs fit for purpose.
  8. Dog showing in the conformation ring is a very new concept in the big picture of the history of domestic dogs. Personally I think it is where it all started to go to poo. Before the system came to be dogs were being developed by blending types based on fitness for purpose. The vast majority of dogs had jobs and were actively employed at theses jobs. The people breeding these dogs weren't afraid to try adding and subtracting types from the mix. They weren't afraid of natural selection and judicious culling. Then types became fixed and turned into breeds and standards written up. All this happened about when the breeds were no longer needed for their purpose. The beginning of the end. People that bang on about how horrid the trend of oodles and other designer mutts is make me laugh. We are a generation witnessing a massive swing away from dogs being bred for purposes that for the most part no longer exist, to dogs being bred for contemporary purposes who's breeders have flexibility to move with trends. The sad news for purebred pedigree dogs in the modern day is that few breeds are truly suitable for your average Jo and more suited to true enthusiasts. The ANKC type system leaves virtually no room for 'improvement' in this area. Sit back and lament while a new era of domestic dogs takes shape. Anyone breeding dogs who has the ability to blend types for purpose will rise while those stuck in an atiquated system of 'breed improvement' will fall. Hold on to your belief in the pedigree world of pure breed dogs and conformation dog showing by all means but be prepared to become ever increasingly meaningless to the vast majority of the population. And no I am not a dog hater. The complete opposite. I love dogs, full stop. But it's not about just me. The population wants dogs fit for purpose and they are stampeding away from pedigree dogs and ANKC registered breeders with cash in hand to oodle world . Until pedigree breeders work out how they can change to bring the masses back to appreciate what they have to offer, the stampede will continue. Dare I say getting in bed with the enemy.
  9. Can I throw a different breed in to the ring. A large dog very capable of protection, quite agile for its size, and a nanny to the kids, and a beautiful dog to live with that knows how to switch from task to task. A breed I'm quite familiar with to recommend. Bouvier des Flandres
  10. Like jules said you're fighting nature to expect a shepherd x mal not to whine and whinge! And it sounds like you have some control with sitting and waiting etx. As far as the vocals go I'd lean towards working with it rather than against it and teach the dog to 'ask' for its dinner. So it learns when it can speak, on command, rather than expecting silence!
  11. Thousands of dogs will die as a result of this ban. Many tens of thousands of dogs would die if not for this ban. Neither option is easy but the choice is clear for me.
  12. Thousands upon thousands of defunct race bred greyhounds are being disposed of annually as it stands. It is heart wrenching to think that those among the current generation not suitable for pet homes will also be disposed of on mass. But for me that is the lesser evil of a difficult situation. It will surely save many many thousands that would have followed in many future generations. Of course I hope as many as possible make it in to suitable homes. Those that don't most likely would have been 'wastage' anyway. Some dogs will die as a result of this decision. Many thousands more would have if not for this decision
  13. Even if the industry was squeaky clean and perfect, at the end of the day it is still engaging animals with no choice in an activity purely for the monetary gain and entertainment of humans, and for me personally, it doesn't matter how well packaged that is, its fundamentally wrong in this day and age FULL STOP. I hope it is the start of a domino effect to see this industry halted. Yes people will be upset, lose money, lose a lot of other stuff but the sun will still rise and set on a world without exploiting animals for greed and entertainment and that makes me happy.
  14. Absolutely no need to Desex him if you are happy to manage an entire dog. From a personal perspective having been a groomer for over 30 yrs.........I wish more spaniel owners were made aware of how the coat changes once desexed. The vast majority of spaniels end up like woolly bears full of junk speyneuter coat that makes grooming more difficult and in my personal opinion, ruins the look of the entire (as opposed to desexed) coat.
  15. His ears grow quite a bit of stringy hair on them, they're just nice and smooth after stripping him. The thing I love most about Gruf is that even after 30 yrs working with dogs, I can look at him every day and go, umm, a brown dog. If I had to pick a breed based on his body shape then cattle dog. The coat throws people and assume some sort of terrier, but smooth/short coat crossed with curly coat often produces wire coat so he could just as well be a lab poodle mix or a collie cattle dog mix or what someone I know calls 'six of the best'. A true mutt.
  16. Here you go..I used Gruf for a hand stripping demo yesterday. I love that I can completely transform him with nothing other than my fingers!
  17. Blunt yes, but personally the foster dog would be removed immediately. It's not fair on your personal dogs to endure any stress from transient foster dogs. Re assess whether you are in a position to foster.
  18. Even though you will hear every second person in the street telling you they have a 'maltese' they usually mean a small fluffy mixed breed type of dog. The pure Maltese is very few in numbers in Aust so depending on your timing you may be in for a wait to obtain pure bred pups from a registered breeder. Worth the wait of course but low numbers and small litters may hinder you. If you go to the Dogzonline home page link at the top of this page and then use the drop down box under breeds at the top of the home page you will find one of the most extensive lists of breeders across all breeds. Not every single breeder may be listed here so it would also pay to look at the DogsVic website or give them a call. As well as other state governing bodies like DogsSA. Also try to look out for a breed club. Links and info are usually on those websites. Can some else post links to the dogzonline breeders page etc. I can't do it on this device.
  19. snook might pop in with a pretty fricken awesome update later....... https://www.facebook.com/deedee.dawglet/posts/630072670476340?pnref=story
  20. On a similar thought to a Hotwire......maybe investigate whether an invisible fence could work for you. I believe they are usually laid in the ground and the dog wears a collar that communicates with the fence and warns the dog if it gets too close. If you could run an invisible fence well inside your boundary it might reduce the issue quite a bit. Or remote training collars on your dogs. I think they can emit sound or vibration interrupters as well as shocks if you're leery of that option. Of course you actually have to be there to activate them, unlike the invisible fence which can operate all the time.
  21. I'm sorry you have found yourself in this terrible situation A large powerful dog with weak nerve and an unstable temperament is never something that should mix with children. You must take care of your family first. And also your other dog. Please take into consideration the stress this situation will be causing to your existing dog, and the enormous stress that any sort of 'rehabilitation' will have on this adopted dog. And please consider that rehab will be expensive and stressful on you, your family, your dog, and the adopted dog.....and may not ultimately be successful. It may seem to some as an easy cop out, but I would not hesitate to take the dog off to the vet and free it from it stressful existence. It will be very hard and you may well second guess yourself. But it is infinitely better than to put your child or your other dog, or dog forbid, some unsuspecting member of the public, back together after the dog lashes out in fear. None of this is your fault. The dog has been failed in breeding, rearing, and homing well before you stepped in. But love and money and training simply aren't enough in some situations. You, your family and the dogs do not deserve to live on eggshells and have to implement separation strategies. That is not what pet ownership should ever be about. If you need to for peace of mind, get a professional to assess the dog, but personally I don't think I could ever relax with a dog like this around children, both yours, and others. Best wishes.
  22. *they don't seem to like dry food anymore* *13yrs old*. First thing that comes to mind is time for a thorough dental check. If there are any loose teeth, pockets of infection, rotten teeth, broken teeth, exposed gums, abscess etc....... You try eating crunchy food with a sore mouth or wonky teeth!
  23. A couple of things I think I'd want ......to be able to meet the dog in the home of a foster carer and talk directly with the foster carer, and be able to take the dog for a walk or a meet at a park with the foster carer. ....... Maybe look at much younger dog ..,,,...see if you can find a dog with a well documented history over a dog with no known history ........once you are fairly sure a dog is a good match maybe ask if you can have an independent assessment by a professional behavioural trainer
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