The Spotted Devil

Congratulations

Go Rory!!! And I always love the feral Kirra stories :laugh: Well done Tassie - just fabulous

From ringside: Dally Nationals BIS: Ch Topspott Cherry Brandy (BCC) RUBIS: Ch Ozzispot Xtreme Addiktion JD (DCC)

Thanks Gals :D Amazing work by the DCOV committee for the prizes - there are 6 bags of Advance there, 2 beautiful Dally National gazebo mats from Paws4Effect, 2 coats from Barney coats plus the trophies, rosettes and fringies. Did a demo for the showies today which was a hoot!

Phwoar! Way to go Hudson

Dally National concludes tomorrow - up to Int (I think) today and progeny class.

Mine's arrived Down Under too

Thank you! I love this photo of a very confused Ziggy wondering what the hell just happened And with his loot!

lol - maybe he should come and try retrieving with Em :laugh: Congratulations bedazzledx2 UDX is looking easy now :laugh:

The Dalmatian Club of Victoria are hosting the Dalmatian Nationals this weekend and today it was the performance Dallies who had their turn. Huge thanks to the DCOV committee who did an outstanding job of putting the obedience and agility Dals in the spotlight. Awesome sponsorship, trophies, rosettes, photography and filming. Great to see our interstate friends from SA, ACT and QLD! Obedience - CCD, Novice and Open were all won by Victorians. I was thrilled with Ziggy's first ever Open trial - lots of comments on his heeling in particular but everything was just lovely. It went awry in the dumbbell retrieve over the jump when he turned the 'wrong' way and saw the judges's legs and thought it was me. Perfect delivery and just sat looking confused when 'I' didn't take it from him. He was astonished when I eventually called him to me :laugh: Bless him, he tried SO hard - especially since I crammed his training into 3 weeks after being away for 2 months O/S. Agility/Jumping - the lad was on fire: Masters Agility - 1st place, Q and ADM title Open Agility - 1st place, NQ Masters Jumping - 1st place, Q Open Jumping - 1st place, Q Best in trial - agility Best in trial - jumping Pic to follow later - too busy drinking champagne

I have seen dogs referred to as Canis familiaris in the literature. Maybe it's the behavioural vs zoological literature? Wouldn't surprise me.

Current dogs are thought to have been domesticated about 19,000 years ago (after an earlier failed attempt about 30,000 ya) As a zoologist I consider them the same species, and the taxonomy in most common usage does too We must be reading different literature :laugh: The DNA studies I've read indicate delineation 100,000 years ago but put domestication at 10,000 years. Can you PM me some authors please as I would like to read further. Thanks! Aw man, you mean I can't just talk crap on the internet without sources? Dammit :p :laugh: On my lunchbreak so don't have my referencing skills up to snuff, but - http://news.nationalgeographic.com.au/news/2011/08/110819-dogs-wolves-russia-domestication-animals-science-evolution/ Under the Biological Species Concept dogs and wolves fail at the first hurdle, by gettin' busy and having fertile pups :) Edit - this looks interesting (but inconclusive) too - http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/05/15/1203005109 Not a chance - especially when I'm in the middle of writing my thesis :laugh: The references I have indicate that the dog became genetically different from its immediate ancestor, the wolf 10,000-15,000 years ago and it was the genome of the dog that finally confirmed that wolves (not other canids) were the ancestor. There's no doubt dogs were the first species to be domesticated. Before that it was the "proto-dog" - and there were likely multiple opportunities for domestication from several sub-species of wolves and repeated genetic exchanges with the wolf population. I have also heard recently that the ability to have fertile offspring no longer means that two animals are automatically considered the same species. Domestication involves a reduction of fear (like the fox study - selecting for tameness) but it is much more complicated. Researchers believe there are other behavioural changes with dogs e.g. the attachment process with humans.

Current dogs are thought to have been domesticated about 19,000 years ago (after an earlier failed attempt about 30,000 ya) As a zoologist I consider them the same species, and the taxonomy in most common usage does too We must be reading different literature :laugh: The DNA studies I've read indicate delineation 100,000 years ago but put domestication at 10,000 years. Can you PM me some authors please as I would like to read further. Thanks!

espinay, whilst I would agree that wolves and dogs have a number of similarities they are definitely separate species - since about 100,000 years ago.

Wow. Impressive!

this is something I do struggle with, and I tend to try not to think about it, but it is a source of guilt for me. I've been to slaughter yards and sale yards. I've seen frightened injured animals put up for sale and know where they're headed. Who knows, maybe this thread will be the turning point for me. I saw online yesterday a chook workshop coming up, it covers poultry care and also killing and dressing the fowl for the table. An intensive pig farm visit is a nightmare I will never forget. Thank God they banned sow stalls. As an animal welfare scientist I can tell you it ain't that simple. Not that I like sow stalls personally or caged hens for that matter. And they're not banned everywhere for all of gestation.

Leopuppy????

Well at least our items are keeping each other company :D

Group 7A is specifically for Dalmatians and it says 72 - that is fantastic!! That is awesome See you on the weekend Poor Ziggy is doing an out of sight sit stay for his dinner as I type :laugh:

That's fabulous Tiggy :laugh: I'm quite sure that conversation has been going on in this household recently...

Anyone know how many Dallies are entered? Our National is this weekend (which is usually well attended) so I'm curious to see how many are staying on.

If you want to meet them in person then this weekend is the time to do it - local and interstate breeders. http://www.dalmatian.asn.au/2012/index.html

Where are you located? Dalmatian Nationals are on this week in Melbourne so many breeders will be away.

kima - I'm sitting here typing as my temporary puppy resident HOWLS in his crate - he's just finished his meal and wants to come play NOW! We are all ignoring him and trying not to laugh at his persistence. If the dogs and cats could roll their eyes they would :laugh: It's a painful process but much more effective long term, in my experience.

hankdog - I see what you are saying but I would be hesitant about equating a disorder with a lack of mental/physical stimulation. Put me in a 9-5 office job and I'd probably need drugs too!