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Bandit is lovely!! Stunning colouring! But umm, she doesnt look "little" Do you know what she is crossed with?

What if he decided not to bother bailing them out? I can't take them. I'd feel horrible. I understand how you feel, you are a very sweet and kind person. :p Buuuttt.... it would make him take notice if you took them to the pound every time. If he keeps letting it happen then one day you wont be around and they will get hit by a car or something else could happen. Its a tough call, but it sounds like he is taking the piss atm.

Aint that the truth!! There is quite a bit of slobber on my pants too! But I would have it any other way. Clyde- that is exactly what I think too! Our life has completely turned around, its lovely.

So thats what bokeh is!!! I am such a numskull about photography! Thanks everyone, Honey is truly truly lovely, its so nice to see these photos show that!

The lovely Ruthless came over to visit this weekend and took some beautiful beautiful photos of our new Goldie, Honey. They are too gorgeous not to share- so here they are. Click here to see it large! Thank you and take a bow Ruth, you are so incredibly clever!!!

Hi, me again! I have another couple of questions. Its been mentioned that training an Elkie is tricky. I'd like to know how tricky. Could a merely competent person train them? Are they food driven? Is it possible to train a good recall in them?

I agree with this. My last dog (staffyx) was a big chewer as a pup, we spent about 6 months battling it in the above ways. By the time she was one we could let her have free run of the house (when we were home- never trusted her when we werent!) and she would lie down amongst the kids Barbies without so much as a lick! In the rare event she did pick something up all we'd have to say was- NO and she would drop it. Actually we taught her that she had to drop anything in her mouth if asked- even her toys and bones. I highly recommend doing that. Putting things away became such a habit we still keep all our shoes in a basket on top of a stool even though we dont need to. Digging though? Even with the poo we had no luck- she was a born gardener.

They can be hard to get with only a few breeders about. On averages an elkhound is around $900. (That's what the majority of the breeders I have spoken to will sell a puppy for) Thanks for answering all the questions! I need have to have a good think about Elkies!!! Gorgeous, affectionate, good guard dog, loyal kid pal. What else could I want?!

They are sounding better and better. Are they hard to get? Are they expensive? (getting to the nitty gritty here )

If you do get an elky we could have an elky meet since you are in Sydney too!!! Dont tempt me! I am being such a fickle tart in my breed choosing! I especially like the fact that they have less fur than most spitz breeds (who I am a sucker for ). My main concern is that everyone keeps emphasising the huge amount of exercise they need. My last dog was a high energy crossbreed who, when she was a pup, I needed to walk a minimum of an hour a day. She could go for a 40 min run with my OH, crash for about half an hour and want to go again! ;) We had to limit how often she did that because she just got fitter! Is that the kind of energy level you guys are talking about? Or is it worse? Also what are they like with kids? Are they affectionate? Very dominant? (oh oh, here I go again... )

Oooh, Elkie1- can I have one of your Elkies? I am supposed to have narrowed down my breed choice butI have to admit I love the look of Elkies.

We have a HamiltonStovare and we used to have a Kelpie cross. When we lived in Sydney, we used to rescue Elkounds and Elkhound crosses. We never had a problem with any of the dogs getting on. They play with the Hamilton and would play and sometimes ignore the others. We also have a cat and we have never had a problem with them and the cat either. When they are pups, they try to play with the cat but normally they just ignore him. Sigh... Just another breed to add to my wish list... Who would they not be suited to?

What are they like with other dogs? Are they gregarious or do they have a tendency to ignore them?

You're right I'd LOVE a big scruffer! Oh well, the more the merrier! Honestly if I could get OH to move house I'd have several BIG dogs. The bigger the dog, the bigger the cuddles.

Starting this thread maybe wasnt the smartest idea- now I have all these big dogs I could add to my wish list !!! Have tried to be oh so sensible! Oh well, one at a time, maybe the following dog can be a big one... There is a Dogue down the road...

I love that so many people have lived with their dogs in small spaces! I feel much better about it now! Thanks!

Personally, I would LOVE a big backyard but it aint gonna happen anytime soon so we will have to just make do. My last dog was hyper and when she was a pup I would spend a minimum of an hour exercising her everyday, sometimes 2 hours, plus she jogged with my OH a few times a week. So I know keeping any kind of dog is possible in my yard, just a matter of how much work is needed to keep certain breeds happy. Its quite amazing how uninformed some people are about those requirements too- I was told by a colleague once that it was cruel to keep any kind of dog in the city. What a silly thing to say.

Wow- thats impressive!!

I agree about space in the house being an issue- I would LOVE a Bernese mountain dog but we dont need a flat mate!!

I have a tiny yard, and in my search for a dog I have kept this in mind, thinking that certain breeds would not be happy in such a small space. Along the way I have heard people say that its cruel to keep large dogs or working breeds in apartments and then on the flip side I'm given examples of such dogs living in apartments! Personally I feel that with the right amount of stimulation/exercise a large dog would be fine in a small space but I would probably wouldnt attempt a working dog. This isn't a what breed for me topic- having had a recent conversation with a breeder about this I am just interested to hear what others think and what their experiences are.

Kelpie-i, this post resonates enormously with me and my experiences. ;) Overall, this thread is extremely interesting and informative!

Hmm, you may have started something- I actually like Teddy!

"Whats dignity mum?" :D Dont worry- I cant see OH agreeing to a name like that- he would kill me if he had to call out "here Fluffy..." in public. When it happens I'm sure we can come up with something that will maintain everyone's dignity and keep the kids happy! All else fails- the dog already has a name - right?

Oh dear I know!! :D I am having a hell of a time explaining exactly why I dont think Fluffy is a good name!

Well my daughters and I got to meet Kivi (oh and Erik, Corvus and her OH ) on the weekend, and he is beautiful!! Certainly has helped us to make the decision to get a Lappie! Thanks again Corvus! My eldest daughter has had a history of being nervous around dogs, which is why we have been considering a lappie, well Kivi was the perfect antidote! He sat so beautifully calm for her to pat and when we said goodbye he let both the girls hug him . All the way home they were telling me how much they loved him!! That in itself was enough to make my OH declare the decision made! That and the pic I took on my phone. Whoot!! Problem is if they get one (which I am working on!) they want to call it Fluffy !! I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. :D