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sandgrubber

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Everything posted by sandgrubber

  1. On the subject of letting the dog go.... Years back I was walking my Labs on lead and a neighbour's Shitzu X jumped the fence and attacked. I let go so as to avoid getting tangled in leashes. The bloody neighbour called Animal Control ON ME!!!! Others backed me up and I didn't get fined. But Animal Control did say it's illegal to let go, EVEN if attacked. How's that for ridiculous.
  2. APBT is a small subset of pit bull, defined by pedigree. It's confusing. Definitions of pit bull vary depending on where and who you are. If I remember correctly, staffies and many cross breeds are legally considered pit bulls in parts of California. Wisdom Panel claims they can now identify APBTs from DNA. Presumably that means dogs descended from pedigree APBT lineages.
  3. Like others, I've had much dog exposure with few injuries. I got bitten in the face twice: first by an Irish setter when I was 4 and inadequately supervised (probably pulling all that pretty hair), and 60-some years later in kennels by a grumpy old fellow who REALLY didn't want a bath. Neither needed much treatment other than minor bandaging and antibiotics. Not sure the antibiotics were needed. Of course, puppies have pierced my skin more times than I can count, but that's what puppies do.
  4. It depends. I live small town, rural. We have a few off lead walkers, mostly oldies, occasionally puppies. They're not a problem. But it's so uncrowded here that encounters between dog walkers almost never happen, and so small town that problem behaviour would get called out in a hurry. p.s. I don't walk mine off lead in town. We go to the unmanaged local river where off lead is allowed. They chase cats, hedgehogs and possums, which is applauded in the bush (NZ), but not good in town.
  5. Aren't AmStaffs just rebranded pit bulls? As I understand Oz laws, legally speaking, an AmStaff without a pedigree is a pit bull in most states.
  6. Has this dead horse been flogged enough? I'm pretty sure the OP is long gone.
  7. Here is a more trustworthy study https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10341-6#Fig2 Jack Russell Terrier had the greatest life expectancy at age 0 at 12.72 (95% CI: 12.53–12.90) years, followed by Yorkshire Terrier (12.54 years; 95% CI: 12.30–12.77), Border Collie (12.10 years; 95% CI: 11.85–12.33) and Springer Spaniel (11.92 years; 95% CI: 11.69–12.13). Compared to other breeds, many brachycephalic breeds (i.e., breeds of dogs with a short, flat face) had a relatively short life expectancy at age 0, with French Bulldog having the shortest at 4.53 (95% CI: 4.14–5.01) years, 2.86 years less than the value for English Bulldog (7.39 years; 95% CI: 7.08–7.69).
  8. Chicken frames are good, too, and usually cheaper. A meat clever helps if they're too big.
  9. This weird ad appeared when playing games on my phone. I've never heard of a steam brush and have doubts. Just wondering if anyone has had experience. https://lifelivingors.store/products/steam-pet-brush?ttclid=E.C.P.CsIB9O5mxMDnysGBHiKemFzSLk3MIE0yJI42uCPWh0X1V1vsAWNAEusg5yBf1TifeNFCg-ROrV67QkmI_OjX1Wv-W0s1f1XZ1PxlmSBYUhiS8_qvbGwh9lgScq0nzp9LjWgELEcxox1zNO2DU5uVTJK2o3fHL12_DNsRAr56M_MQ5HD3xed_QM0Dd4wkP8flpjDwzaaj0U42PwWcPwIfEA4LJR16DOOcZy2vdbuejS4yyowBDewRdNuWQQplVU0YPDbgYGYSBHYyLjAaIONTAAozeXYXR7sQr8DB56rTfsU6V_2qeugnzCtN6Olt
  10. [Science, Quickly] The Surprising Health Benefits of Dog Ownership #scienceQuickly https://podcastaddict.com/science-quickly/episode/169240313 via @PodcastAddict Better than most of its type, I think
  11. Better than "multiple animals killed because driver did not take required sleep breaks"... or multiple fatalities in animal transport van crash. Too many locks and new problems arise. Glad the pup was recovered.
  12. No rust in first month. I've used nylon martingales for years. Never had one get caught.
  13. My Springers swim a lot. I don't like wet collars, and metal seems to be a little easier on their coats. Very pleased with this metal martingale, purchased on Ali Express for around $10.
  14. Tests are available for heterozygosity, Ie, the genetic consequences of inbreeding, and for preserving heterozygosity when planning a mating. Has any club ever recommend these?
  15. This is a Pedigree dog group, and not friendly to cross breeding. I doubt you will find anything but anecdote evidence to your question (anywhere), and reality is likely to be all over the map. For example, puggles (pug x beagle) may less brachy and less unhealthy than pugs, while attempts to breed out cancer proneness may not be successful. Seems likely that breeding giant breeds to smaller breeds will eliminate some of the structural and other problems common to the giants. Second generation crosses will be more variable than first generation. Careful crossing over many generations, as in the creation of the Cobber dog from selection among labradoodles, will probably have better results than indiscriminate crossing to meet market demand.
  16. It's a question of, say, 95% protection or 99% protection. Actual figures can't be given, the experiments would be horrific, and it varies between breeds. Parvo is such an awful disease, I'd go for the 3rd jab.
  17. I think you and I are saying similar things. One problem is the definition of Environment. Surely there are multiple environments. Retrieving shot waterfowl, being a family companion, detecting drugs, and assisting the blind, autistic and PTSD and are all environments for Labradors. It makes sense for breeders to develop different types better suited to different environments, as does happen with Labradors... but it's under a loose, unofficial system, not the kennel clubs. Unfortunately, few breeds have the numbers or the apparent flexibility to adapt to diverse environments that have favoured the Labrador. A population of many tens of millions worldwide can support a lot of variation.
  18. The more I look at it, the more I question even Standards, much less type. Yes, breeds should have certain characteristics, and it's good to be able to predict what you're getting when you acquire a dog. Yes, pedigree could be important for improving both health and temperament / working ability. But I feel something like nostalgia for the late 19th and early 20th century when it was considered laudable to work toward a better adapted gun dog by crossing Springers, St John's Dogs, setters and pointers. Or the equivalent in other Groups. I wish the pedigree world would focus on adaptation to present realities and demands, and less to somewhat revised scripts about what was wanted from a dog in my great grandparents days and before, as decided by a committee of aristocrats or wanna be aristocrats.
  19. If catastrophe only happens to one dog in several, and you save the equivalent of insurance cost for each dog, it will, on average more than cover extreme situations. I've owned 20+ dogs (I used to breed Labbies). I've never had insurance, but have never had a vet bill over $2000. There have been two who got cancer and could have gotten very expensive. But if a dog requires chemo or heroic measures to prolong life and a painful existence for a few months, I will opt for the green dream.
  20. Don't they do DNA testing for dogs? That would settle it.
  21. Brachy-ness isn't the only worry. Pugs, bulldogs and Frenchies are near the top of the OFA list for bad hips, elbows and patellas. Not to mention brain and spinal problems for cavvies, Apple headed chihuahuas etc. Yes, the squashed face is 'cute', but... It's good to see a KC beginning to take measures to reduce the negative effects of breeding for extremes. In the future it would be better to see a whole dog approach.
  22. And they likely show a favourable bias, as indiscriminate breeders tend to skip testing.
  23. If you look at OFA statistics, 70% of bulldogs have abnormal hips (only 0.4% excellent). They also have awful scores for elbows and patellas.
  24. Biologically possible, but institutionally, not so much. For example, in years past I bred Labradors. The breed's popularity is unquestionable. It's also clear that many people who love Lab temperament would prefer a smaller dog with less shedding. Breeding in this direction would be easy, and would probably also yield dogs better suited to hot climates. BUT you'd be excommunicated for announcing the intention of doing so.
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