Staffyluv

I think they should apologise for such an error. I was shocked that the price as well. I guess we had such great service and support from there, so I recommend them all the time - maybe you could find one closer to you for supplements for him and to monitor him as well. That is good news about the chemo. Chemo isn't a cure but it can extend life and will shrink the tumours.. It is also a very intensive treatment and if they think that Boof will be fine without it that is great news.

Oh Anne, I am so sorry to hear that. I had the utmost faith in Barbara (Fougere) when she was dealing with Ollie and helping us. I would be bitterly disappointed with that outcome. To get yours and Boof's name wrong and then to charge that much (it sure has gone up since we used them). Perhaps respond to the email stating the inconsistencies and asking if it is possible to have a consult with Barbara (I don't know Dr Goldrick) as you don't feel comfortable with someone who makes errors like that.

No where in my reply did I suggest YOU have no idea about dogs. I did say, that bull breed type dogs are not for everyone (that is very applicable to the topic of your customer having a big bull breed type dog and not being able to control it - also your questions in this and other threads relating to you not knowing much about Amstaff and SBT and thinking about getting one).. I also DID NOT say this breed isn't for YOU.. I said it isn't for everyone. Your customer is a good example of this (still on topic). I also never said the breed was dangerous - did you even read my reply?? Effectively what I did say was that the breeds are not for novice owners and I stand by that comment. They don't need behavioural lessons - they need a confident owner who will train and socialise them. For the record, socialising is NOT going to an off leash park and letting a dog run riot amongst it all. There really is no reason to be rude - I was just offering my opinion and some advice with regard to your posts and questions. This is a public forum that you have posted on and you will get many different views and opinions - what you take from that is entirely up to you.

I dont think it's strange, you can find out alot about a person if you talk to them and listen to what they have to say. It's not now M United explained that his customer has no other friends and spends 2 hours a day at their shop.. Honestly, if I spent 2 hours a day with someone - I would consider them a friend (not a customer).. I guess it is all in the wording :)

Bull breed types of dogs are not for everyone. I know they look amazing (not everyone will agree with me here) but there is so much more to them than the way they look. I know a lot won't agree with me however in my opinion, they are not a breed for a novice owner (someone who has not had experience with dogs). Seeing dogs playing and taking one for a walk is not considered experience to me. I love them so much I used to recommend them to everyone - I don't anymore because there are just so many now that end up with owners who really have no idea how to deal with them - then they end up in the pound because they have become destructive in the backyard/house or worse. I have had a few Staffordshire Bull Terriers over the years and I currently have a staffy cross boy. I thought I had a reasonable handle on novice dog training and my previous dogs never had any real issues. My current boy has been a total challenge from day one. He was shy and quiet when we first picked him up but turns out he is far from shy. He is not aggressive but his full on behaviour and play style could very easily make other dogs unhappy and tense. This could result in an altercation in a leash free park environment. Their play style is not for everyone. They can be easy and/or stubborn and they are very strong dog. I think it is great that you are trying to help your customer. To me it looks like you have done all you can - it is really up to him as it would seem that he has all the information he needs to get help.

I can't really say I would never leave my lad tied up unattended because I have done it at the dog park when I was helping a person get her humongous dog in the car (he didn't want to leave and she was trying to lift him in).. So I tied Zig to the post (as I already had him out of the car and walked to the gate of the park).. It only took a minute and I could see him the whole time. The thought of someone stealing him is to great for me to leave him anywhere unattended (I was the same with Ollie dog)..

I have just a quick read and I can't believe how involved and how much you know about someone who is just a customer (and has only been for about 8 months. I have had clients for years and don't know this much about them.. It all sounds a bit out there to me.

Sorry Bruno isn't feeling well.. Some of us just end up with problem dogs one way or another. Ollie (Purebred SBT) had skin allergies but we worked out it was a grass thing and it got worse if he attended the local park in spring and summer (we still used to go but washed him off when we got home). When he was 2 he cracked the really big back molar eating a big bone - this was extracted when he was 4 (there was no need to do it before that). When he was 6 he was diagnosed with kidney and bladder stones - an expensive ultrasound and operation, change of diet fixed that. When he was 8 he was diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumours grade 2 with no clear margins and given 12-18 months to live. With chemo and holistic treatment - another change of diet and lots of love, he lived another 6 years before asking for his wings on October 25th 2011.. We paid $150 for him from a 'breeder' that only had a couple of pups left and just wanted them gone.. I now have Ziggy and he is a bit sensitive to lots of fat in his diet and did get a bit itchy for a bit but it all seems to have worked out - hopefully my little pound mutt (amstaff cross) will stay as healthy as he looks. I hope you can work it out with Bruno and get him well. I found the holistic vet gave great advice for diet and supplements over the years. They may not cure the dog but they certainly do help them stay well. Good luck.

How did he go Anne? Hope all went well and Boof is still bouncing off the walls.

Good post Remarkabull, I don't know anyone that would leave a dog in a car to die - deliberately. It is a horrible accident and the dog died as a result.. There is no way in hell that man put that dog in the car, with a view to leaving it there to die (not deliberate, therefore an accident).. There are so many here prepared to cast the first stone, so to speak - So none of you have ever made a mistake?? Maybe not to the extent of this one but hey, we are all human.. I have loads of empathy for him - he has to live with his actions. It could cost him his job, his reputation in the industry. The dog died but there is nothing to be gained from crucifying the man that made the mistake.. Some of you sound like you would hang him at the first chance.. It is a sad day when people lose the ability to forgive. He was a trained professional in charge of a valuable dog, not Joe Public. Doctors get struck off for malpractice when they screw up, how is this any different? So one terrible mistake in how many years of service? Talk about judge, jury and executioner! So you have never made a mistake, one you can't take back and it has impacted yours or someone else's life? Hope none of those in the lynch mob ever do anything they ever need forgiveness for.. So do you feel the same when a Doctor makes one mistake that takes a life after many years of service? Are you upset that they get struck off & sued for malpractice, or is it only if it's a dog that suffers, then the professional should get a free pass? Where have I said he should get a free pass? Doctors make mistakes and people die as a result every day. Vets make mistakes and animals die every day. Nurses make mistakes and people die every day. There has been a lot of instances where police, paramedics and fire fighters have made mistakes and people have died. People die as a result of war all over the world every day. So all these people should be struck down and never allowed to live in society ever again? Let the punishment fit the crime. You are acting like he massacred a whole village. He made a terrible mistake, he has to live with it for the rest of his life. But to balance the scales of justice somewhat, the man has given many years of dedicated service to an industry that needs dedicated people. You are so righteous, I can only assume you without any guilt in your life.. I would hope that you have not done, nor would ever do anything that required forgiveness or understanding.. I can only imagine what he is going through, only being made more difficult with lynch mob yelling from the mountain top..

Good post Remarkabull, I don't know anyone that would leave a dog in a car to die - deliberately. It is a horrible accident and the dog died as a result.. There is no way in hell that man put that dog in the car, with a view to leaving it there to die (not deliberate, therefore an accident).. There are so many here prepared to cast the first stone, so to speak - So none of you have ever made a mistake?? Maybe not to the extent of this one but hey, we are all human.. I have loads of empathy for him - he has to live with his actions. It could cost him his job, his reputation in the industry. The dog died but there is nothing to be gained from crucifying the man that made the mistake.. Some of you sound like you would hang him at the first chance.. It is a sad day when people lose the ability to forgive. He was a trained professional in charge of a valuable dog, not Joe Public. Doctors get struck off for malpractice when they screw up, how is this any different? So one terrible mistake in how many years of service? Talk about judge, jury and executioner! So you have never made a mistake, one you can't take back and it has impacted yours or someone else's life? Hope none of those in the lynch mob ever do anything they ever need forgiveness for..

Good post Remarkabull, I don't know anyone that would leave a dog in a car to die - deliberately. It is a horrible accident and the dog died as a result.. There is no way in hell that man put that dog in the car, with a view to leaving it there to die (not deliberate, therefore an accident).. There are so many here prepared to cast the first stone, so to speak - So none of you have ever made a mistake?? Maybe not to the extent of this one but hey, we are all human.. I have loads of empathy for him - he has to live with his actions. It could cost him his job, his reputation in the industry. The dog died but there is nothing to be gained from crucifying the man that made the mistake.. Some of you sound like you would hang him at the first chance.. It is a sad day when people lose the ability to forgive.

One of the things I remember being told about the diluted colours (blue, fawn etc) are that there are issues breeding a diluted dog to a diluted bitch - creates problems. Sorry not a genetics person but I did find it interesting - do a bit of research (hopefully one of our wonderful breeders or an experienced DOLer who know about this stuff will see this and give you some links to look at. They are beautiful but in all honesty, my preference would be for conformation, temperament, health and then colour running a distant last on my list of perfect dog.. Edited to add one link on colour dilution alopecia. Link

If you read this whole thread the breeders and longer term owners have indicated what you need to check for and ask about. All I can really offer is to do your homework.. Research, research and then research some more.. Thanks for the reply. As the breeders are far away it is hard to tell through photos. I did read the info on the front page but would love to know if people know top tier breeders which i will then study. But i must of missed some information in this thread i will read all the thread and hopefully some of that information will help me in my quest. I dont rush buy i like learning and getting advice from people with knowledge to eventually make the right choice. After all, this is a friend for life. I think with so many people just breeding to make money (not caring what dog they breed to what bitch and ending up with pups that have health or behavioural issues), it pays to be extra vigilant in searching for a pup - more so with the bigger stronger dogs because you want them to be the best they can be. I don't have any real experience with American Staffords but they are glorious dogs to look at. Go to dog shows in your area and talk to breeders and show people about the breed you are interested in. They usually are the best place to start - you will see dogs from certain lines and you will see a look that appeals to you more than another. Same with temperament - some are more 'game' and some more 'chilled out'. Good luck - they really are a gorgeous breed of dog.

If you read this whole thread the breeders and longer term owners have indicated what you need to check for and ask about. All I can really offer is to do your homework.. Research, research and then research some more..

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but i think most decent obedience dog clubs have a showing class, where you learn to show your dog. How to stack them , heel them etc around a ring..

Thanks Snook - it was just such a pleasure to work with him today. I am sure there will still be ups and downs but I know now that he/we can do it. It will take time but today I saw a glimpse of the dog I knew he could be. I mean, I have always seen it - I just saw a lot more of it than I ever expected to at his first class. To be honest, I really expected the distraction to be too much and we would have to leave (but I had to try).. I am so glad I did.

Thanks BC - I am totally amazed. I didn't do obedience classes because so many (including myself) thought that putting him into such a distracting environment would not be the best thing. But honestly, I just got to the point where I thought I had tried just about every type of leash, collar, harness and training that I could think of (including 2 sessions in a behaviourists class). The only thing left was proper obedience classes. In the other class we spent so much time away from the group - but this time we were right there in the middle of it all and he was in his element. I had explained my issues to the instructor before hand and she said lets just see how he goes. I am truly amazed - I am also hoping it isn't a one off and next week is just as good and we can progress each week.

Wow, just WOW!.. Why did I not take him to formal obedience classes before? If today was any indication of what it is going to be like with him, I wish I had done it ages ago. When we arrived there were a few dogs having a bit of play time in a sectioned off area. We went to watch and were invited in and he had about 5 minutes or so of play. Then we were called for our group and off we went to stand in a circle around the instructor. She asked a few questions about each dog and then showed us how and then asked us to walk out dogs at heel around in a circle a few times to get an idea of how each of us are handling our dogs. She suggested that I walk on the outside of the group as Zig and I walk much faster than the littler dogs (there were 3 of us with bigger dogs on the outside). He heeled all the way around after the first lap being a bit iffy because I was trying to walk him slower (she said we will work on getting the bigger dogs to go slower later on). He sat on command, he heeled on command, he dropped on command. He worked wholly for his tennis ball.. I was so impressed by him this morning in a group of 3 bigger dogs and 5 smaller dogs. All dogs are happy and friendly and for once, he wasn't the one pulling to get to all the other dogs. He barked a couple of times while waiting and the instructor said if I wanted to I could do some tricks or commands with him while she was talking instead of just having him sit there - which we did. The second time he barked, I walked him out of the circle and waited a few seconds before coming back and he didn't bark again. I have to say, I am stunned at his reaction today - and I hope that it continues. Mostly, it was a very positive experience. Instead of having him so far out of a group that I couldn't hear what was going on and he was always pulling to get to the other dogs - we were in the middle of the group, he was 1 metre away from a dog each side and yes, he looked at them but he was also focused on me when I asked him to.

We have seen and heard of this happening so many times now.. It is heartbreaking.. I take Zig in the car with me a lot. If I need to pack the car up, he is the last thing to go in the car. He is the first thing out of the car at our destination. Then I unpack the car. I don't take him if I know he won't be able to get out of the car with me. These accidents should not happen. No one should ever be in a position to forget a dog in a car.. As sad as it is that the dog lost its life, one can only assume that someone working with the guide dogs loves animals and would be totally shattered at making such a horrible mistake. I can't imagine having to live with that for the rest of my life. Hopefully more people will learn that if you put your dog in a car, then it should be the first thing you remove when you set where you are going.

I thought as much - I just can't believe how exhausted he seemed to be yesterday after our morning at the park..

Great news about the holistic vet. They are really on the ball with that stuff (well they were when we used them). Good luck for Monday then - I am sure it will be fine..

I would have asked how can they be pure...? and then educate all the people reading but not necessarily posting with polite responses after all the target (well at least mine) is the audience. You only had to see the responses to the ad to know I would have been wasting my energy... If I thought it would have done any good at all, I would have.

If I haven't sent you the price yet and you are interested just send me a PM.. I was thinking either mid March or end of April, early May (Ruth has commitments end of March for about a month). May would be awesome here as all the leaves will have changed colour...

Just wanted to wish Boof good luck for today..