sandgrubber

Color is determined by a few genes and there's no reason to think the color genes are cross linked to temperament. However human factors do influence color choice and may affect temperament via breeders decisions. A century ago, yellows were (according to my mother, b. 1923, USA) less common and considered ladies dogs. Guide dogs likes yellows because they are more visible. Chocolate, were extremely rare a century back. Two decades ago they became trendy and pricey, so no doubt there was some less good breeding going on, though there were also some lovely choco studs and frozen semen imported to Oz, and some breeding for chocolates was done quite well.

Black. It's the original. Plus I live in NZ and Kiwis have a thing about black.

https://fox4kc.com/news/missouri-spelunkers-find-missing-dog-in-cave/ old dog, missing for 2 months, found miles deep in a cave

Need more information. Ask for four numbers, eg hips 3/4 elbows 1/1. 3 is terrible for a single elbow and very good for a hip. Is this for a pet?

Puppy prices are dropping as well (in NZ anyway).

All sorts of stuff. I've read toxicology studies (herbicides, pesticides) where they were used. Beagles are standard as animal models. Low maintenance, easy to keep a pack of them. They'll eat anything. Laboratory strains have been developed.

Follow up Rescue groups begin work to rehome 4,000 beagles bred for research https://www.npr.org/2022/07/24/1112756300/envigo-beagles-research-rescue-groups-rehoming?sc=18&f=1001

https://www.humanesociety.org/4000beagles#partners looks like they are trying to farm them out to other rescues....and asking for support HSUS isn't as bad as PITA.

A little quick on the draw there, mate. 1. I can think of some bench lines that weren't bred for much other than looks, and the result is not great when it comes to health. 2. What's a breeder who doesn't breed dogs in the back yard? A kennel breeder? Some of them are pretty big on for profit, particularly in trendy breeds like Frenchies. (Not to say there aren't good Frenchie breeders. Just that very high prices attract people out for $$). And some cross breeders really are aiming for something.

also to rebuff the argument that dingoes are just wild dogs so there's no point to preserving them. Genetic research isn't that expensive these days and can have side benefits, for example by building up the knowledge base for understanding hereditary conditions/diseases.

I suspect the trend toward franchised practices, and the pressure of having a practice manager, contributes to the stress.

In all my years with dogs, I've never before had a neutered boy and an entire bitch. When a bitch came on season I've usually kept careful watch for a month. Yoli (entire) and Goofy (her son, desexed) started doing hanky panky at about day 7 and have stopped at day 17-18. She now tells him off if he looks at her the wrong way. Question: Is that an indication that she now safe to walk off lead?

If Guinness has it right

https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/2019/10/15/tattoo-study/ maybe it's not as widespread as I thought Yes, it's done on male cats as well ...see photos

I have flop eared breeds so this isn't a problem. But I don't get the point of ear tattoos. In the US, vets routinely put a streak of green dye into the incision wound. It works like a tat,lasts forever, and never seems to cause problems.

How tragic...and infuriating. I thought VIC had pretty harsh laws about "restricted breeds". Why weren't the police called in immediately?

https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-022-00120-x#ref-CR1 Attempt to get evidence based understanding on the rise of designer breeds. Good lit review on the issue of 'hybrid vigor'.

BBC News - Pampered pooches ride Japan's Shinkansen in style https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-61543052 special coach for owners with pets on bullet train. Cute pictures.

Worth noting that this was from a vet practice in Arizona. Perhaps a region where big mean dogs are seen as weapons

No question, undisciplined biters are a menace. But it's not spare the rod and spoil the dog. Well behaved, lovable dogs are often taught in ways that are so soft you'd hardly call them discipline, and are treated almost as children. I doubt there's big overlap between vet-biters and dogs whose owners call them 'furbaby' and allow them on the bed and sofa. Formal training often isn't required to get a dog to be well mannered and reasonably polite. Just consistent gentle encouragement/discouragement by the owner. Often not much more than tone of voice and an occasional push or pull. Body language, tone of voice, treats for good behaviour, and patience cause puppies take awhile to catch on to some things.

https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/lab/corl/canine-genetic-testing/?fbclid=IwAR2kSkhycxEcTEAT6XSlGMMzd-bwHmDpIU3aA8wHTWacul8j-_exZLzknRI University of Wisconsin is announcing agenetic test predictive of cruciate ligament rupture in Labradors. It's the first test I've heard of for a polygenetic condition. No idea how good it is. In their dataset they found 62% heritability of CL rupture. If so, the test could be very useful.

Sounds like your pup gets jollies from ripping and teating. If so, mere chewing probably won't satisfy. Problems from cardboard are rare...I've never heard of one. So let him have cardboard. Sticks with bark aren't bad if large enough that he can't get them stuck, although they are harder to clean up after. In my experience, the more dangerous stuff is filling from stuffies, corn cobs, and things that splinter.

And don't forget the people who die trying to rescue a pet from flood, fire or other disaster. Many people have very deep emotional bonds to their pet. The many jokes about loving the pet more than the partner aren't entirely jokes. It's a feature of our time.

The concept of doghood has also changed. Beating a dog isn't acceptable to most. There are behaviorists and it is generally accepted that dogs have emotions (which are probably different from human emotions). Few dogs in rich countries have the opportunity to wander, choose mates, or form packs. More dogs are child surrogates. More are professionally groomed. I don't go out for the more elaborate dog spoiling practices, foods, toys, etc because I live a low maintenance lifestyle and prefer low maintenance dogs. lt all seems like fuss and bother to me. But if someone wants to call their cherished pet a furbaby and pay $25/kilo for dogfood, far be it for me to judge, so long as they arent cruel and don't starve it or feed it into obesity.