Diva

poor woman, not safe in her own frontyard.

It happens - I approached two breeders at shows when I was looking for my next dog, I picked my time so they weren't getting ready for the ring, I was very polite - and they were both incredibly rude. I had a friend with me the second time and she was so horrified she told me I should avoid that breed if the breeders were all like that! I didn't, I went interstate instead. I have since beaten both in the ring and smile to myself each time....

Breed that have a tendency to be barkers are usually that way because it was necessary as part of their original function. Gundogs are one of the easiest groups to train, they have been bred to work alongside and under the direction of people. Always have the odd exception of course, but generally very trainable. Seen any guide dogs lately? Depends on how sensible a leader you are Many of the sighthound breeds become extremely bonded to their family. Even the less demonstrative breeds can be highly devoted, just not fawning or needy. It's strangers they can take or leave.

That's for sure. When I first started training, and for some years after, I was told I had to use a check chain. In reality at first it made little difference as the dog I had then didn't need it so I never 'checked' with it, he might as well have been on a flat collar because he never pulled and I never jerked. Later though I had a trainer whose mantra on every turn was 'turn, check, praise' - whether the dog was in good position or not. Worked well for one of my dogs, ruined the performance of the other, and put me off formal obedience for some time. That dog would have done much better trained with an absolute minimum of corrections, but it just wasn't 'done' back then.

They are not encouraged at the clubs I know around here, but I don't think they are banned. I certainly wouldn't kick anyone out of class for using one, but I'd want to be sure they knew how to use it properly and that it was appropriate for the dog they were using it on.

Me too. Neighbours tell me that one of them whinges at the door for a few minutes, then realises I'm really gone and they settle for the day. A far bit of playing together and a lot of sleeping. I do leave food with mine, but they never fight over food. They never fight at all. Most people can't safely do this though. When one was a little puppy she was crated inside, just so there was no excessively rough play, with me coming home every few hours to feed and toilet her. But they outgrow that pretty quickly. On very hot days they are all left inside with the air conditioning programmed to come on in the afternoon. They can be left inside for a full working day with no damage or accidents but I avoid doing it usually.

Wow, I didn't know that. So someone desperate to win a pointscore could enter a lot of their own dogs in a small show, and only turn up with the one they want to win? Explains beautifully something odd I saw happen late last year that had me puzzled.

LOL, don't take it to heart, I love a good diet thread

No offense, but I think the time frames you mention are possibly a reflection of your own length of experience rather than the reality. I haven't had skin problems in my dogs ( touch wood) but I have known of friends' supermarket fed dogs going back over 20 years with skin problems as bad as anything I see today. Nor is raw feeding new. It's just gotten a bit more trendy again after falling out of fashion for a while with the mass promotion of commercial foods. It's been commercialised itself these days too, with the books and websites and ready made raw foods.

Now if only you can channel that talent for good rather than evil....

Very interesting, thanks.

MM what about in that instance? I did think about that little weirdo rule but I have never understood it properly! I'm not MM, but I think that should be 'my dog and me'. You wouldn't say 'the help they have given I', you'd say 'the help they have given me'. Same usage when you add the dog. :p

Aah OK, back when I took more interest in these things I thought I found a clause in WA legislation that prohibited either their import into the state or their use, can't remember which now.

Mine came from the breeder older than eight weeks, but I don't know when she was removed from her dam. She is the only dog I've ever had do it.

Only slightly off topic - but I thought that prong collars were illegal in WA?

One of mine does that too, and gets a glazed look in her eyes while she does. I've always thought it odd but harmless

Maybe not, but there is no other time - the headline message the family is happy to spread of 'don't adopt adult dogs' will last. The real causes won't be examined. I don't blame the family in most dog attack circumstances that get posted on here - a lot of behaviour by dogs that others excuse I find totally unacceptable. But that the family can come out and say what they did after their own actions in this just astounds me really.

I think this is very important. I'm not a 'serious' trainer but I have experienced how much of a difference that kind of certainty makes. Some dogs are not as good at/as willing as others at 'filling in the gaps' and I have no trouble believing that even those driven and bred to work with people (which is not what I have now, LOL) give their all more readily in those circumstances.

Trouble is they had no protection system. Leaving a dog they didn't know alone with 2 very young children and toys, after having revved the dog up by playing? I'm sorry but in any one's world that is pure negligence. They are happy to blame the dog and label it dangerous, and by the extension the people who gave him to them for not warning them it was dangerous. I hope people reading the article have enough sense to see through that and not be blinded by a very reasonable sympathy for the child - which I share. slk I'm sorry about your experience - unforgivable you were lied to.

I try not to be too enthusiastic in case I get too much of a respone - it's more a 'gee thanks that's nice' than an actual reward at my place. With my first pup that did this I was so thrilled to have a sighthound that retrieved I went a bit overboard - ended up her bringing me the yellow pages one day. So I eased back.

Well done!

I've done the same thing in the past on the principle I'd rather have them bring me something than run off with it. The only 'fall out' I've had as adults with my current dogs is that one will bring me her soft toy occassionally to 'look after' and another will bring me one of my walking shoes if she thinks it's time for a walk. These are behaviours I can live with

It's definitely abuse. Green is so not his colour.

OK, I thought you must have reason to think the advice was bad. To me, he looks like what they told you he was. But he could have something else in there.

Is there anything that makes you think he isn't what you were told? He's as likely to be Pug x Maltese as anything else that come to mind from the photos, and both breeds are frequently used in cross breedings. Despite the way we all like to guess, you can't every really tell what is in a cross breed from appearance, they can turn out like either parent, a mix of the two, or something that looks completely different. He looks sweet.