aquaticmalamute

I know, I actually have a flickr account, yet don't use it as often as I should I find Photobucket so quick and easy with uploading and posting images to the forum that I don't really bother with flickr (I guess it comes down to pure lazyness lol). Usually photobucket quality isn't too bad, but that image came out just aweful!

I took this on Saturday, on the way to the dog show. I grew up here and spent many years exploring the area on horseback. Unfortunately Photobucket butchered the image quality

I shoot alot of watersports (jet skiing mainly), horse sports (rodeo/showjumping/showing), dog showing/sledding/sports and the like, Macro, and love to dabble in pet and wildlife (birds and deer) a fair bit too. Unfortunately I didn't have an SLR on my last trips to the USA/Canada/Mexico, but with those destinations being frequently visited i'll certainly want to shoot landscape and need something for the zoos/wildlife. I think i'd get alot more use out of a zoom lens, rather than a prime. I bought my 70-200mm f/4 for the sole reason that it was light (as opposed to the 2.8 verson) for traveling, it was quality and that it was within my price range. I now feel that I need something 'bigger and better' though I do have the funds available for the 100-400mm, but then there is always the temptation to spend that on a body upgrade instead (I only have a 20D). Not to mention that the OH is strongly opposed to my need to spend money on camera gear (apparently all lenses do the same thing ), and the fact that we have just bought another house and are in massive debt, I really shouldn't spend my savings (thus my temptation to buy an extender rather than fork out for a new lens)

Sorry for taking so long to reply, been away showing... Thankyou everyone for your insightful advice I've been thinking about it, and I really would like to save my dosh for the 100-400mm L, so might go down the route of lens hire. I found a place that I can hire the 100-400mm L IS for $129 a week, or $151 with insurance, which is by far the best I have found!

I'm tossing up whether I should buy an extender or not, if so which one? I'm going to Melbourne for the cup in November and will be going to the Zoo while i'm down there. I have my kit lens's and my 70-200 f/4 which I will be taking with me. Will my 70-200mm do the job at the Zoo? I can always use my kit 75-300mm but the quality is quite dismal.... I hear the 1.4x II is the better of the two, which would give me a max of 280mm with average (but still quite good) image quality. But my kit lens will reach that focal length anway. This option I feel that I won't be getting a whole lot of extra bang for my buck..... OR I can go for the 2x II which will give me a max of 400mm (which I find quite attractive) at f/8 (not so attractive) coupled with bad IQ reviews for this extender leaves me feeling like I should save the $500 and put it toward a longer lens, which I certainly won't have before the cup weekend anyway! Has anyone used this extender and is it really as bad as everyone makes it out to be? Usually the f/8 wouldn't bother me either, but after visiting zoos here and overseas I have found them to be quite dark/shadowy places, where the lower f-stop, the better. I'm also going out to a friends property in a few weeks to shoot a couple of Wedge Tailed Eagles that have nested up on the mountain side. I can get level, and within 50-80m of the nest and wonder if my 70-200mm is long enough to reach without the need for an extender? Again, I have the option of using my kit lens but will lose my image quality. It would be wonderful to use the 2x II extender in this case, as I will be shooting in the morning/middle of the day, but then again I question the image quality when using the extender.... Bah! If only my funds would streach to a 100-400mm

TN - I noticed in the last picture that Soaks seems to be much leggier than AR and Magnus. Is that because of her lines? or is it more to do with her lack of coat not masking the leg length? I am just curious as I have noticed in other breeds (such as BMD's and St Bernards) that certain kennels are producing a taller/leggier type rather than the shorter/stockier type that I am used to seeing. Also a question on coat. How long does it take for a Lappie to grow a full adult coat like Magnus's?

Like everyone else, I don't have any pics of myself with the dogs as i'm always the one taking the photos. I have one though........

I had to go out to the family farm and meet the farrier, knowing how my farrier is terrible at being on time I decided to take the camera and have a go at this months challenge while I waited I must say i'm happier with my silhouette image than my backlit image, even though the background isn't as light as it should be. Both photos taken at about 2pm. Shaani as a Silhouette And Drue backlit

Coats: There are 4 main types of coat type, all varying in length and texture. All are undesireable except of course the standard coat. Coats in the Malamute are a dominant hereditary defect, with dogs being 'Clear', 'Carriers' and 'Affected'. It is noted that in certain lines carriers can be spotted by their longer than standard furnishing on the legs, neck, topline and tail - this however does not ring true for all lines. A DNA test has now been developed for testing for longcoats. Standard : The standard coat has a coarse and relatively short guard coat, and a thick wooly undercoat. The undercoat should be thick enough to hold the guard hairs out from the body, and the guard hairs short and coarse enough to stand off the body - Guard hairs do not 'fall' on the dog and should stand away from the body. Although this is not the best 'stacked' picture of my dog, it shows his correct coat. I feel this dog is good enough to represent the 'ideal standard coat' as he was recently awarded 'Best Coat in Show' at the NSW Alaskan Malamute Specialty this year. Note how you cannot actually see the guard hairs laying down, but they stand off his body. The guard hairs are longer along his topline, underbelly and rear legs, with his bodycoat being short, coarse and dense. The feet are very clean cut with no long featherings to attract snow balls and ice. Longcoat: The longcoat is defined by the long coarse guard hairs and long thick undercoat. The guard hairs can be as long as 9 inches in length with a slightly longer than standard undercoat. Furnishings around the legs, tail, shoulders and topline are longer than the rest of the body coat. Note the long feathering on legs (and feet) which that standards do not have. On the trail these easily collect snowballs and debris which hinder the working team greatly. Softcoat: Softcoats are very similar to the longcoat, however the only difference is the guard hair texture is very soft and silky, unlike the coarse texture of the longcoat. Wooly: Woolies are a different kettle of fish. They have very little guard hair and massive ammounts of long soft undercoat. These dogs mat very easily and are incredibly hard to keep ontop of grooming-wise. They also have a hard time regulating body temperature and have little insulation that dogs with guard hairs do. I unfortunately do not have a personal picture of one, but will hunt around for a link

Long coats are undesireable due to the problem they presesnt when working in the arctic. The Standard coat is designed to repel moisture and the course guard hairs prevent snow from compacting on the body - A standard coated dog can easily shake snow off whilst on the move. The Long Coated dog has long soft guard hairs which attract a build up of ice and snow, these dogs are unable to shake loose the snow/ice which eventually turn into icicles in the coat. The dogs try to rid themselves of the ice by chewing at the ice and in turn making it worse (saliva freezes in the coat), eventually these dogs resort to ripping out the coat to get rid of the ice. They eventually die in the harsh arctic conditions due to inadequit insulation, being weighted down and not being as useful or survial equipped as their short coated packmates. In todays society long coated dogs that do pop up in litters are petted out, unless it shows to be a superior example of the breed (Conformation-wise) it may be used in a beeding programme if bred to a non carrier.

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) I am an owner of 9 years, showing for 3 years and a breeder in training. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? The Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest breeds of dogs, and one of only a few that are most closely related to the wolf. They evolved from dogs brought over with man into the Americas by crossing the Berring Straits over 4,000 years ago. Alaskan Malamutes developed in Morton Sound, Alaska, by the native "Mahlemut" inuits. Alaskan Malamutes were used to haul heavy sledges across the ice fields, transport supplies and hunt Seal. They had to strictly apply to the rule of "survival of the fittest" as there was no place in the harsh arctic for a pet/non-worker. Thus a very pack orientated, stubborn and strong willed dog with a gentle disposition towards humans was developed. During the greater part of the Malamutes evolvement they remained native to Alaska, often reported and sighted by explorers as being a superior work dogs capable of enormous amounts of work with a very tractable temperament. However during the Gold Rush the breed was highly sought after (and consiquently nearly lost) and often crossed with smaller breeds to make a faster sled dog, they were also crossed with bigger breeds such as Saint Bernards to produce a better weightpuller and fighting dog. The breed was discovered by Eva and Milton Seeley, who were the main people pushing for breed recognition - their first Malamute came as a wedding gift. They developed a line of Malamute known as the "Kotzebue" which were used in the Byrd Antarctic expeditions, this line of dog was mostly lost when the dogs were let loose or 'disposed of' by detonation on the Antarctic ice floes. Two other stains of Malamute were developed, the M'Loot (By Paul Voelker) and the Hinman-Irwin strain, which were used in conjunction with the Kotzebue strain to develop the dogs we see today. However both the pure M'Loot and Kotzebue strains have now dissapated and the dogs we have are a mixture of all three strains. In 1935 the breed gained AKC recognition. 3. How common is it in Australia? The breed is fairly popular in Australia, but is often confused with the smaller and sleeker Siberian Husky. Despite common misconception the Malamute does well in our climate, as their coat insulates against the heat as well as the cold. 4. What is the average lifespan? A Malamute should live between 10 and 14 years of age. The 'Old Australian' lines tend to be fairly healthy and long lived, with many of the dogs reaching 15 years. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Alaskan Malamutes are very headstrong and stubborn - give them an inch and they will take a mile. They do not do anything unless there is something in it for them, they think long and hard about why a command should be obeyed and are typically very independant. Much of this has to do with their evolvement in the arctic when they had to think for themselves to survive. The personality of the average Malamute is very aloof and goofy. Not a one man dog and not interested in saying hello to every second person they meet, but when you worm your way into their heart they will do anything to make you laugh and goof up to get out of trouble. True clowns of the dog world! 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? At least an hour daily, the more the better. These dogs were bred to travel many miles a day and get bored (and destructive) if they can not use their mind in a constructive way. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? If the first time dog owner has done their research and are prepared to deal with a dominant headstong breed then yes, on the rare occasion they can be a good first time breed. Generally though, the breed is not reccomended for people with no dog experience. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? If provided with adequet exercise and activites to occupy the mind then they can live happily on their own. However it is advisable that the dog is included in activites when you are home - they are a very pack oriented breed and do get lonely, which can result in escape efforts and hours of woeful howling. 9. How much grooming is required? With the Standard coat Malamutes a quick brush once a week will be plently, however when shedding it is advised that you bush daily to remove the undercoat. Long coated Malamutes (which is undesireable in the breed) need daily brushing of about 15-20 minutes to prevent matts and knots. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? Young dogs are not reccomended for the elderly or young children, unless strictly supervised. They can pick up on a weakness and will quite happily push their weight around. That said, mature dogs can live very happily and are quite gentle with the frail and young. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? Yes. Malamutes suffer from Hip and Elbow Displaysia (hips are tested more commonly than elbows), eyes should also be checked for Hemeralopia (day blindness), Chondrodysplasia (Dwarfism) and Thyroid abnormalities. Other common problems in the breed (not usually/can't be tested for when breeding) include Coat Funk (where the guard hairs go brittle and fall out, leaving the dog with just it's undercoat for protection), Cancer and Entropian. Being a Natural Breed breeding dogs should concieve and whelp naturally with very little interferance by humans.

Are Sibes prone to PRA and is it a standard test for breeders?

I have been a bit slack with taking photos for the last few months, thus my lack of participation in the challenges. But I do believe that I may get back onto the swing for this month :D Anyhoo, I went out to take photos of my friends horse yesterday and I do believe that I have some frozen motion ones to share!

You need alot of patience, more than one helper, a couple of hours to waste and many pictures to take But the end result is so worth it

I have a 14 month old dog that I am currently biking. We go 10km every second day which takes about 45 minutes, on every other day he gets walked 8-10km mainly on the beach and occasionally on paved walking tracks. He wants to go further but at the minute we are sticking to 10km due to his age, and any sign of soreness he gets a break and a vist to the chiro. You are probably the best person to judge the distance your dogs can go though, the best bet is to start off at a shorter distance (say 4km) and work your way up to longer rides as their fitness improves

Sounds like he has you well trained! As awful as it is, you have to stick to your guns and ignore his crying. You will notice there is a difference between an "I need to go to the toilet" cry and an "i'm lonely/bored, come back" cry. As long as you know he has toileted and is just whining for attention you must ignore it. Beware though, he will carry on worse than ever during this stage as he tries his darndest to make you visit him, like you have been doing previously when he cries. They are very smart cookies! The best thing to do is every time before you put him in his crate is to tire him out, and I mean use up so much physical and mental energy that he is falling alseep. That is except for toilet breaks during the night, he must learn that night time is quiet time. Take him out to do his buisness, ignore him till he has done his buisness then lots of praise and straight back into the crate and ignore till the next toilet break. Always keep a couple of toys (and rotate them every few days or he will get bored of them) in the crate so that when he wakes up he has something to occupy himself. Also only let him out to play when he is being quiet so that he associates being quiet with being let out of the crate. If he starts crying when he sees you approach, about turn and leave the room, re-enter when he is quiet. He should catch on to the new routine very quickly I feel your pain though. I remember lots of sleepness nights with my guys as they got used to the crate. I'll be going through it all again in 8 weeks time!

My puppies are fed a quality large breed kibble (no supermarket brands) untill the age of 12-18 months, after this age I switch to a complete raw diet. I feed Eukanuba along with a dob of natural yoghurt, fish oil, vit C tablets (which is doubled when teething and if the feet start to turn out or go flat), along with fresh meaty bones such as lamb flaps/necks/tails, chicken frames, duck and of course, fish. Mals do very well on fish and I feed it every second day - usually sardines, salmon or wild caught fish from our fishing trips. I usually just buy the no name cat food tins and feed 1/2 a can to each dog. I don't like to feed kangaroo or beef to Mals as it is too lean for them, some can even have reactions to it as they are not designed to ingest it (remember they mainly ate seal blubber and arctic animals with a high fat content). Which breeder is she from or do you know which kennel bred her parents? Certain lines/kennels breed different sized Mals, 20kg is about average for a 5 month old pup (standard size) though. She should finish growing in height at about 7-9 months then slowly start to fill out till about 4 years (also depending on what lines are behind her)

Welcome to DOL When they are young Mals tend to be fairly quiet, having bursts of energy and then spending alot of time sleeping (or secretly destroying something) When your pup gets to about 6 months old and the need for a 'job to do' sets in is when the problems start - you will need to channel that new-found energy into something constructive otherwise you will find your house slowly being dissassembled It also depends on the dog, mine are complete loonies if not exercised and worked, whereas I know others who are absolute couch potatoes! You will also find that when the dog matures at around 3-4 years that they will settle immensely and 'grow a brain'. The need to get under your bed is a denning instinct - one of mine sleeps under the car, goodness knows how he gets under there! If you don't want your girl resting under your bed forever buy her a crate. I leave mine with the door open and a blanket over the top and this is the favourite resting place for my guys Pop into the Spitz breed thread in the Breed SubForum, we'd love to have you come in for a chat and to show off pics of your mallie

Believe it or not, but most of it belongs to the cat :rolleyes:

Vacuuming is always fun with a Dyson!

I'll be going with 'One Moment' too. Here is my mundane task for the day... Feeding the dogs

Man I have some catching up to do with this challenge A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Alaskan Malamute Drue Eye Quarter Horse

Yep, i'v'e been really slack that i've only just had time to participate in this months challenge! Can't half tell what we did on the weekend :rolleyes: Wipeout Sea Spray Oblivious Launch Backwards Palomino

I thought that was the point of the Challenges? To take themed photos during that month so that we can learn and improve on our work? Using old images would defeat the purpose

Best Friends Vegetable - The beginning of life for my little Capsicum. Music Child Something You Leave Behind Collections - I collect Arabian Show Halters