espinay2

Yes, having a season or two can help in some cases and if you feel you can keep her safe (even if you board her - can her breeder take her for a couple of weeks perhaps?) then it may lessen the need for surgery. I have seen inverted vulvas change quite a bit after a couple of seasons to the point where surgery was not necessary. Of course every case is different though.

With the added criteria, probably not a Cane Corso or Rottie . I would narrow it down based on the above to Dobe, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Great Dane. Depends how much you want to do sports like Agility with the Dane. They are very capable dogs though and some lines seem to be less 'awkward' (Don't know if this holds true or not but it seems some of the fawns can be lighter and more agile? Perhaps a Dane person can comment as this is only based on those I have seen/met in the past)

Don't know an Anatolian would suit the criteria. LGD's can be quite independent and their drive isn't the 'prey drive' that most look for in a dog to work with people. Prey drive is actually low in LGD, but the drive to protect their flock is high. It is a different type of work ethic. They are more likely to give the finger to any commands you give them and work from their own agenda

Pockets: Hollava or Holliva (I like this. Brings to mind names like Hollava Good Thing, Hollava Ride, Hollava Trip ) or Avalli or Olliva

I have had two three syllable name dogs. 'Zeberdee' (who was generally always called Zebby or Zeb) and 'Liza Jane' (a rescue that came to me with the name 'Liza' but was just too blonde for such a strong name ). She did get 'Lizey' white a bit, but we did use her full name without issue quite frequently. Generally two syllable names work best and people will naturally extend one syllable names to two and shorten three to two in everyday 'pet names' (mostly ending with a 'y' 'ie' or 'ee'). One of my dogs who has a one syllable name ('Grace') does have a three syllable pet name ('Gracie Mae') though. So the rules are there to be broken! ;)

Based on what you have said, the only ones I can really think of that come close to your criteria may be: Great Dane Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottie Dobe Boxer Cane Corso perhaps That may now be a good selection to go investigate further though? Go have a look at the breeds listed on DOL. That is pretty much it for registered breeds available in Australia.

How about using a grooming arm? May need to put a bracket on the outside of the whelping box to clamp it to though.

It can help to look for a private rental rather than through an agency if you can. They are often more open to allowing dogs. Also get references from your previous rental and neighbours if you can and build a 'resume' for your your dog (including vaccination and obedience certificates etc) . Make sure you cast your net wide and don't limit yourself to one area. Unfortunately you may also need to look higher and/or lower in the rental market than you would normally.

If you like brighly coloured collars and want a martingale style collar then the Lupine Combo Collars are great. They are strong too. Not as wide as a sightound collar though.

'Markland' - what the first settlers to the Labrador/Newfoundland area called it. Hitide Tidepoint Seasprite Waterbaby Hiwater Adorabear Waterlily Rosebay Rosewater Waterboy Waterbuoy Dockdiver I haven't checked to see if any of the above have been used. Some might have been.

Rhodesian Ridgeback immediately sprang to mind for me too. It does seem to tick all your boxes. I wouldn't discount it out of hand just yet. Definintely contact Helen to talk about them. She will tell you straight if they are really not what you are after, though I think you will find they may be.

There legislation is there, so if this is a real issue why is council not enforcing it?

If anyone wants a good quality stethoscope (that just happens to look funky), check these out. I love them : http://ultrascopes.com/

I know her but only have work contact details. I think some things have been sorted for her but will get in touch with her Monday just to be sure and let her know to call you again if need be. PM me Steve and I can give you a basic run down of the situation if you like.

Not in Australia but check out www.dogwise.com I have often found it cheaper to buy from them (or Amazon) than to buy here. That includes postage. Books from Australian stores tend to be dearer as you are paying for their import costs and postage as well as the book plus your postage to get it to you.

I disagree with my friends often . I would hate to meet someone who agreed with me 100% - THAT would make me more worried ;) It is not about disagreement though IMO, but the ability to get along. If there was someone who looked like they could be good puppy buyer but I just didn't feel I could work comfortably with them in partnership for some reason then I may think twice. Sometimes it may come down to fundamental philosophies about different things (even on raising the pup - some things may not make them 'bad' dog owners but it may not be the way I want one of my dogs raised) and sometimes it may just be a personality thing. If I don't feel 'comfortable' then I would have to take that into consideration given I would want to stay in touch with the person and play a role in the puppy's life. If the relationship was not comfortable then that could compromise things in relation to the pup. No good if the owner doesn't feel comfortable coming to you for advice or help or if you hesitate to contact them about something to do with the pup for some reason. Sure you could say 'get over it', but that is not how human nature works. Better to recognise it up front and admit you dont think you could get on with someone rather than create possible problems. You are not doing the dog any favours that way. JMHO

Personally I couldn't get past the kelpie surfing fiasco . From there it was all downhill.

You are right. The dog can not be registered with the ANKC as a purebred labrador. It can be desexed and registered on the 'associate' register which allows the dog to compete in performance events, but the dog will not be able to compete in conformation shows or be bred. Ok - so what are the dogs 'lines'? Without a registered pedigree this is completely unknown, can never be guaranteed and can't be verified. And those lines may quite likely be in the genepool anyway through the dogs registered ancestors and better quality registered progeny of those ancestors. Really, the dog is not going to contribute much other than a whole heap of unknowns, and when you consider that the dog is more than likely the product of a dog or dogs which were considered not suitable for breeding for some reason or another, then why would you want to introduce that BACK into the genepool? If 'Joe Bloggs' wants to get involved in showing or breeding, they should use that dog as an opportunity to learn about the breed by desexing it, perhaps competing with it in conformation events, learning as much about the breed as they can from it (including what not to do and what you dont want in the breed) and then look at getting a pup from a registered breeder where they go into the arrangement up front about the fact they are interested in showing and breeding. That way the breeder has the opportunity to mentor them and help them choose a dog (to be registered on the main register with a verifiable pedigree) that will be suitable for that purpose.

What about an Entelbucher Mountain Dog? http://www.entlebucher.co.uk/index.html

Still nothing from ASAP for me. At this point I have written them off as a bad joke. They wont be getting any of my custom again and I frankly couldn't recommend them to anyone based on my experience

Sent swabs last November........still waiting for results Lots of pretty promises and NO action despite me hassling them repreatedly (I get pretty promises and excuses every time). I WONT be using them again.

If he is into the latest technology ask him if he would buy a phone from the two dollar shop or if he would prefer to buy one from someone who will offer the latest model from a trusted manufacturer and provide a warranty if something goes wrong. Tell him he is buying the dog version of a cheap and nasty $10 phone from the reject shop and anyone who knows dogs will think he is a loser ;) If he is into fashion tell him he is buying the dog version BigW jogging shoes as opposed to Nike etc. Anyone who knows dogs will know he shopped 'cheap and nasty'. ;) Tell him if he wants to impress the girls this dog will NOT be the way to do it and if he is after a tough dog to impress the boys ask him exactly who he is trying to impress and to anyone who counts it just points out the large size of his ego and the small size of his brain and self esteem. ;) Tell him that the dog will last a darn sight longer than the phone or the shoes or even his car (and probably quite a few of his friends) so he is stupid if he doesnt put a decent effort into research and choosing a decent 'model'.

Regarding the statement in bold. I have to ask. Are their breeders out there who work for rescues that are using the rescue resources rather than their own to rehome dogs they have bred? I am not talking about just contacts for people who might be looking for homes as these can often be passed freely between breeders and rescues and I would not class a dog as a rescue because the dog was united with a person through a contact list of people looking for dogs (my friends just got a lead for a dog through a rescue but dealt with the owner who was rehoming the dog - while the lead came through rescue the dog is a rehome). I am talking about in general classifying a dog as a rescue and possibly using rescue resources to rehome a dog where they are the breeder of that dog. Depends on the breed, I suppose, and how active they are in rescuing and rehoming their own breed. In my case, the breeders are also the state rescue service for the breed and the dog came back to them via that service and was rehomed to me through that service. They told me she was a rescue dog and told me her story (and there's a lot more to the story than I will ever tell here). In Vic, the Australian Shepherd club form an active network to rescue and rehome dogs that are in pounds (not too many, thank goodness) or have been surrendered by their owners. They are not a formal rescue service, but what they do equates to the same. In a nutshell, if the dogs aren't surrendered and rehomed, they'd be dumped in a pound and/or euthanased. I am not talking about breeders rescuing and rehoming thair own breed, but rather breeders OWN dogs that they have bred and had returned to them for one reason or another. To me while some of the stories may be similar to a rescue, the fact that the breeder has taken responsibility for their own dogs to me implies it is a rehome. Rescue to me is where no one who has a connection to the dog - as an owner or a breeder - has a part in the process because they are either unknown/unidentifiable or because they have abrogated their responsibility. The reason I ask is that the idea that breeders may be using the funds etc of a rescue organisation they are involved with to rehome a dog they have bred and calling it 'rescue' does not sit too well with me. JMHO

will be there on the Sunday.

I disagree............ the reputation of the RSPCA diminished LONG before the live cattle export issue IMO.