espinay2

But that is the issue - in order to address the subject with any clarity (rather than pure kneejerk emotion) you need to define it. Saying something should be banned without defining what it is you are banning doesnt really get anyone anywhere IMO.

A Murray River Retriever is similar to a Curly Coated Retriever....but different ;) : http://www.mrccr.org/

Where do you draw the line? For example livestock guardians which are designed to protect flocks from predators.

Agree - University Students. Missing their own pets at home but not in a position to have one themselves at that point in their life.

What is her diet? It is common to see white crumbly poo with a diet high in raw meaty bones.

Chows are lovely I am glad you enjoyed it. I used to groom 4 chows regularly (a couple of different clients). Lovely dogs. Friendly but standoffish. I always felt like I should bow to them to show proper respect .

In addition to the effect of hormones is that in a lot of cases the desexing is being performed at a time when growth is slowing and requirements to support that growth are less. If owners are not adjusting intake, the extra calories can lead to extra padding. That it happens around the time the dog is desexed can therefore be also partly 'coincidence' to some extent as owners see desexing as the milestone rather than the growth stage the dog is at.

Remember that a complete ban on exporting live animals would include a very large racehorse industry that relies very heavily on horses being shipped backwards and forwards.

Two things to consider - the direction the sun is travelling and the view of the door to the room etc from the crate.

No luck for me either :-( Sorry to hear we wont be able to schedule puppy play dates SSM :-( Good luck to everyone else.

He he he. Glad you enjoyed it DA ;). It really is a classic. I do remember reading a follow up years ago. Will have to look and see if I can find it. Gus Pong BTW was a New Guinea Singing Dog. And from all reports, quite the character!! Edited to add this link is a better one with more info on the story : http://www.jerrypournelle.com/reports/jerryp/dogsinelk.html And here is Gus Pong : http://www.angelfire.com/sd/guspong/

One thing I have always wanted to add to my dog yards is a big concrete pipe covered with a dirt/grass 'hill' so they have something to climb over and sit on top of and something to go through and lie in. The pipe would be lovely and cool in summer.

A high place is always fun

Forget the pit and try a pile ;)

Grace's litter sister Skippy and a another close sibling Vianne guard free range chickens in Victoria :-)

Bugger, I just wrote a response and lost the lot It will be interesting to see if she grows to full size eventually. There is a form of proprtionate dwarfism (pituitary dwarfism), found mainly in the GSD. Interesting note is that Dwarfism in Pyrs is thought to have arisen in the breed as a mutation in dogs in the US around the late 1960's. Of the LGD breeds the two have many similarities but also some distinct differences. Apprearance-wise as you say Pyrs tend to be larger. While lupomolossoid in type some also tend to be more mastiff-like (though this end of the spectrum is not really correct for the breed). Double dewclaws on the hind legs are a hallmark of the breed. They can have markings on the head and body as well as being all white. they have a lower earset and eyes tend to be a little more almond shape. They tend to have more 'fill' under the eyes and a 'good head' on a Pyr will be a lot 'smoother' (photo example attached). From my experience Maremma tend to be a bit 'sharper' in personality though this can be a result of particular lines in Pyrs. Some european lines do tend to be more 'primitive' in this respect. Pyreneans tend to work well in situations where there are a lot of people coming and going as they tend to be very discriminating about what is a threat and what is not. See for example the walkers approaching the flock in this French video: If there is a threat though they will certainly react! (I have been protected very well from an agressive intruder in the past). They also tend to distriminate between 'on territory' and off. A dog seen out and about away from its working situation can come across as a very different dog to that seen at home working. I always recommend that people dont make their decisions on the breed based on dogs they only see away from their home environment. Pyrs can and often do go from working with a flock one day to socialising at a show or other event the next.

Do you have dwarfism in Maremma? We do in Pyreneans: http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/dwarfs/index.html Some pictures of what they can look like compared to normal siblings: http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/dwarfs/dwarfpups.html

It certainly comes across as a personal attack. My decisions have been based on reasearch, including research of the practice in MY BREED. I am happy that what I am advising potential puppy buyers when they contact me is working for me. You are welcome to your own opinions, based on your own research and experience with your own breed. Not everyone is going to agree. I provided a comment on this thread as SSM asked for people to give some ideas of what they do/their opinion. I certainly didnt expect the attack I got from sharing. I am usually pretty resilient and up for a discussion, but this wasn't a discussion....

Lilli, frankly I don't know why I am being hauled over the coals because what I ask of potential puppy buyers is different from what you do. I have chosen a policy of advising potential owners that pets bound for overseas will be desexed based on my own risk/benefit assessment (which covers a lot more detail and breed background than I will go into here) and am happy with that policy. I have more breed enquiries for dogs than I can potentially fill in the near future and can pick and choose who I want. I have good people waiting for both pet and show/breeding dogs both here and overseas. Some first time owners and some more experienced. I offer what I offer (no this is not implying my terms are set in stone - I DISCUSS things with potential owners) and if someone decides that that is not what they want (whether it is in relation to our discussion on desexing or something else) they can go elsewhere. Just like I have a choice of who I potentially sell to, they have a choice of who they buy from. End of story. Because based on my own risk/benefit analysis (which includes a range of considerations including knowledge of around 20 years of history on early desexing in my breed by breeders overseas) I am happy that this is at this point in time the best descision for me to make for my puppies. Naturally YMMV - doesn't make my decision wrong. All I was saying is that desexing is only one consideration. Potential owners need to weigh up for themselves the 'whole package' and compare what different breeders may be offering. If they are happier with what another breeder can offer overall I have no problem with them sourcing a dog elsewhere. They have that choice. No I am not saying that at all. Over the last 20 years or so we have seen some 'shonky buyers' (a small breed community talks). The desexing provision has tended to head them off at the pass and I like that because I would rather spend time dealing with other things. All overseas pet homes are definitely not shonky and yes there are those that will and do import desexed pups. It is always lovely to see awesome Pyrs bred anywhere. And if people are interested in becoming seriously involved in the breed I am more than happy to help them out. This however does not change my personal policy on desexing pets.

A tip when cutting mats. Never cut downwards towards the skin or across. Too many times you can accidentally cut the skin. I have seen plenty of dogs end up requiring stitches this way. Instead put one blade of your scissor through the mat close to the skin and cut UPWARDS away from the skin and through the mat. Do this in several spots in the mat to divide it up into smaller mats/dreadlocks then spray with your grooming spray and use a metal comb to gently comb out the mats. Most of the hair should comb out reasonably easily once the mat has been cut. If not, put a few more cuts through it. To prevent, along with regular grooming, you can dust a little cornflour or baby powder through the area so the hair is not so 'soft'. As suggested, shaving the area on a pet dog can work too, but if you let it grow out, be sure to comb regularly! the growing hair will tangle fairly easily and you will be back to square one. I find that ear tangles tend to be worse before and around the first coat change so this is a time to be particularly vigilant.

A lot of my pet inquiries are from Hawaii (easier to get a dog from Aust that mainland US due to thair quarantine requirements). The desexing is just one issue and we talk a lot about other things as well (yes I am in the process of considering vasectomy etc as an alternative as I am personally not fully comfortable with early desexing - though lots of Pyr breeders do and have done the procedure routinely in the US for around 20 years or so). As the pup can't be shipped until around 11 weeks (ANKC rule) I offer a LOT in that period including individual socialisation and early training and preparing the dog for its journey and life with its new family. Given that the 8 to 12 week period is a crucial one in this respect that is a LOT of work for a breeder to take on and one I wouldnt take on lightly. Frankly, if the potential owners dont like the package being offered and the early desexing is the reason why, I am happy for them to go elsewhere. And if the enquiries are shonky they will go elsewhere anyway as a result. I do know a breeder who quite a number of years ago now was scammed and the (main register) pup ended up in a Singapore petshop despite thinking she was placing it in a good home. Was only through a strange set of circumstances that she ever found out. I took that situation on board as a lesson. As for sending a dog to breed overseas. I already have those homes lined up and waiting for a suitable prospect. A different kettle of fish so to speak ;) .

My breed may be small in numbers here in Australia, but it is static and has been for over 50 years. Internationally it is a different question. I look internationally and I work internationally when it comes to my breed - I wont limit myself by only looking at Australia. If a pup is going to sold entire on the main register here will I want to see my work used productively in a direction I would like to see it go. I work with breeders and people here and overseas in a range of countries with similar goals in this respect. I would prefer to put the welfare of the breed (internationally as well as just in this country) ahead of numbers. Sure, I am happy to help those starting out in the breed just as I was helped. But I will always be selective. JMHO. First they have to ask..... One of the reasons for co-ownership IMO is to help protect new people from 'pressure' from other breeders who try to 'collect lines' through the back door. I have heard of a few pet or new owners who have had quite a bit of pressure put on them in the past. On a co-ownership they can say 'talk to the breeder'. Now if the breeder was approached directly they may say yes (or they may not - depending on the bitch and if the owner is willing to health test etc). But at least they could be asked. You cant say no if you are never asked. But you cant say yes either. If someone wants to use a dog they should NEVER assume the answer is no until they have been told no directly. I do think a lot of people assume they would never be allowed, but never ask to find out for a fact.

You have sold desexed puppies overseas? Nope. Not at this point. Quite a few enquiries though!

SSM I have may particular philosophy and to a certain extent it may be a breed specific one. As a general rule I do a lot of talking to prospective owners. I advise them when they enquire initially that pets are sold on the limited register, what that means and that they must be desexed (depending on the email enquiry I may also say that the dog may be desexed before going to its new home). In my questionnarie that prospective owners fill out it discusses desexing and asks the question if they will desex and if not, why not. If they have a good reason why not, we can discuss it further. I do have those that say they want a pet dog or 'dog for the farm' but do not want to desex - generally my experience is these have come across in other areas as not being good candidates anyway (often they tend to be those that want a dog to breed with a dog of another breed or an unregistered dog of the same breed) I have those that say they are willing to desex but want to wait until the dog is 12 months old and more mature so as not to inhibit growth etc. I am more than happy with this approach and happy to discuss this with them as personally would prefer the dog to mature a bit before desexing. In my experience these ones actually generally come across as good candidates in other areas as well. They seem to be the ones who have done their homework etc and/or are experienced pet owners with a good pet owning history. I wont sell a pet dog overseas without it being desexed before it goes. This tends to blow away most of those enquiries when I mention those terms. Dogs on main register I will only place on co-ownership if I have a suitable pup and only with those I have developed a good relationship with. The terms vary but are more so I can still be involved with the dog and provide input and encouragement. I am happy to discuss dogs on main register with those interested in showing etc but they have to be prepared to have me for a friend and be subject to some serious vetting! Sometimes depending on the person it may potentially end up being a more 'silent partner' relationship though - I have a similar relationship going the other way with another breeder and am happy with the arrangement.

For two days it is VERY easy to stick to a normal fresh food diet. I have done it plenty of times for both one dog and for multiple dogs for a lot longer than 2 days too. As suggested, just freeze in meal size portions. But looking at your diet: Salmon: in a can so easy to transport (dont forget the can opener) Veggies: either prepare and freeze or look for the organic baby food sachets (the ones with the screw tops) in the supermarket - the ones that are pureed veggies and nothing else. Chicken can be frozen as can pasta (though you can cook pasta on the go if you have access to a microwave or a burner and pot - the little portable stoves are great for doing everything from boiling water to preparing a three course meal as many a dog show junky will tell you ;) ). For the first day though you really only need to keep it cold as frozen may not even thaw in time. Use the second days frozen portion to keep the first days meal cold. though depending on the weather an ice brick can help. Just put it in a cool bag or esky. Wrap portions in newspaper for extra insulation if required. If you are staying in a cabin, caravan or motel for the night you will have a fridge. An easy way to do it would perhaps be to feed chicken the first night and maybe the second then have salmon for the third and maybe fourth until you can arrange more fresh supplies. Veggies and pasta will last a couple of days unfrozen if kept cool and you can take the uncooked pasta and veggie sachets as well depending on your facilities.