poodlefan

No, I don't think bonding happens at the breeders. It take some time to form a bond. It also takes time away from litter mates and in your home to develop. I think breeders will generally do a far better job of selecting a pup than buyers. They've had weeks to observe the litter. Buyers only get snapshots. I think temperament is partially inherited and partially shaped by training and environment. Breed DEFINITELY plays a part (after all temperament is one of the things selectively bred for) and that's the reason why people need to have an understanding of typical breed temperament when selecting their breed of choice. Incompatibility is a real possibility and contributes IMO to unwanted dogs. Ummm...confused.....that quote isn't mine???? Sorry Ellz.. brain in neutral. I'll fix it.

Mix it up. Make it more like a game of chase with the reward coming for obtaining or holding the right position. Do lots of fast pace too. It shouldnt' be like a funeral procession. Short sessions with lots of changes of pace and direction and releases for a tug or ball chase (if that is your dog's thing) may help. Verbal encouragement also has its uses for establishing focus on you. You don't heel for all that long in the trialling ring at the lower levels. Keep it short and mix it up with other exercises.

Perhaps for some pups, but by no means for all. None of my pups has ever done this. It could have a range of causes including frustration, excitement etc. I would raise it with your trainer.

Bub: No, I don't think bonding happens at the breeders. It take some time to form a bond. It also takes time away from litter mates and in your home to develop. I think breeders will generally do a far better job of selecting a pup than buyers. They've had weeks to observe the litter. Buyers only get snapshots. I think temperament is partially inherited and partially shaped by training and environment. Breed DEFINITELY plays a part (after all temperament is one of the things selectively bred for) and that's the reason why people need to have an understanding of typical breed temperament when selecting their breed of choice. Incompatibility is a real possibility and contributes IMO to unwanted dogs.

Frankly, it would probably be cheaper and safer to kennel them.

dobesrock: I'd rather that there be none at all. Fortunately, I think that's an increasingly common point of view and one that may see an end to the practice of pups for sale in petshop windows.

PD: I wouldn't use a long line in an offleash area with a lot of other users. A leash only area would be the place to start. Or a dog training club - ever thought of joining one?

Goofy: Interesting sign off from someone who prides themselves on arguing "logically" and not emotively. No one else had to resort to cheap shots to make their point. Why don't you tell us how the welfare of pups is assisted by being kept and sold through pet stores. At no stage in any of your arguments for the practice have you addressed the issue from the perspective of the DOGS. We've heard about how convenient it is for breeders, how responsible most buyers are (with no factual support) but at no stage have you provided information on how the welfare of pups is affected by being confined in a small space, handled by anyone who wants to etc, all during a critical socialisation period and with incomplete immunity. If you want to argue logic then you'd better start supporting those arguments with something other than how different your petshop was to most of the ones trading now. By the way,how much unfiltered sunlight do you think pet shop pups get during their weeks in a store. You do know the link between Vitamin D deficiences and calcium malabsorbtion don't you? For every happy story you can tell, most of us can tell more of impulse buys, misinformation fed to buyers, misidentified breeds in pups, poorly bred dogs, toilet training difficulties, behavioural issues etc. Few pet shop owners get to see what happens after all those pups go home. As many stories here can attest, even fewer would appear to give a damn. Maybe you were different. But there are no pet shops like that in this city. When parvo is at its peak, the petshops here lose a litter a week that way.. of course they split the litters across several stores compounding the problem. That's not emotion talking there Goofy, that's the hard cold fact of how they do business here.

Buy the breed you want to live with. They're trialling dogs for only a very small part of their lives. If you want an obedience dog, look for a breeder who puts obedience titles on their breeding dogs. Not only is there demonstrated potential for dog sports but the breeder will probably be more knowledgeable about helping you select a suitable prospect.

PD: Until the day she sees a dog, a cat or something else on the other side of the road or gets rushed or attached by another dog and then there might be tragedy. I can't recommend too highly that you don't let her offlead out the front of your house. All it takes is seconds and she'll be gone forever. If you want to practice your recall with a higher level of distraction, you'll need to take her out on a long line and practice. The long line will keep her safe and allow you to reel her in if she doesn't come.

Goofy: I'm sure those who work in DOCS organisations Australia wide would tell you another story. And the 10's of thousands of pets dumped in pounds ever year are further proof that many people aren't that capable. Why would a caring breeder take any chance with a pup? Most petshops do very little to vet the homes they sell to other than checking credit card ratings. Get real. What you did in your pet shop and what happens in the majority of pet shops Australia wide are clearly different. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of pups in pet stores are sourced from commercial scale breeders. Pets Paradise is a case in point. How do I know? Because I asked.

I do it for the titles, to have a goal to focus training on, to have a purpose for all the effort I put into my dogs husbandry and to enjoy the company of fellow dog tragics at events. I enjoy watching others compete, love a good run no matter whose dog does it and in the case of dog shows love meeting and learning about new breeds. My dogs seem to enjoy their days out and it sure beats leaving them in the backyard from their perspective.

I am having them mummified to lie with me in my sarcophagus. No, my friends will sort that out. My parents know that.

harnessing her to the portaloo such as you would to a sled might tire her out a bit and you could give her some exercise and you not have to leave the loo all at the same time forget you having to push with your legs - she can do that might need some antibiotics or soemthing if the gastro doesn't get better if the bug has really taken hold. Hope you feel better soon, it's not fun ;) Here ya go: You could some Scourban :D or a cork.

I thought you were in Wagga

I think its a bit like barking, fence jumping etc. It's self rewarding behaviour. If its getting to the point of obsession, maybe a thyroid panel is in order?? Golden Retrievers can have these issues.

Nope but I hope she doesn't. Me too bloody cow of a dog lol ooh check my edit to the previous post. I found one sort of grass pavers. Here's another. I think concrete would be better though. Apparently they are called permeable pavers.

I treated mine with cheese when I trained them to the whistle. You have to find something the dog really loves and every time you blow that whistle, she gets a yummy, every single time. I now have to avoid sports days though because every time the umpire blows the whistle my dogs expect a treat, and I have to give it to them or they'll start to ignore my whistle. Yep. No matter who I'm calling with the whistle, every dog is treated when it is blown. Every time.

Nope but I hope she doesn't. Here's !! one kind. They cost about $30 a square metre.

Getting the whistle is the easy part.. training and reinforcing the recall takes work.

SSM: Or in my case, like a crime scene. There are plush toy animals strewn from one end to the other.

I can't disagree with that.

she has done two poos today and is much better, thank you for your concern, she had a few biscuits with her rice/chicken with lunch. will give her a few more biscuits tonite and gradually increase the biscuits and decrease the rice/chicken over the next few days as i don't just want to stop one to start the other thank again Glad to hear it.

Not every breed out there is registered. Emerging breeds or types are the same. Breeds like the Tenterfield Terrier were bred for generations without breed recognition. Ditto for the Murray River Curly, the Bull Arab etc. A breeder prefix is no guarantee of ethics either, sadly.

I agree. Provided you fully attend to the welfare of your dogs, health test breeding animals, whelp and raise litters properly and vet puppy homes carefully, then even a crossbreed breeder could be "ethical". However the theory and the reality of BYBers seem to vary greatly. I've heard of a handful of poodle x breeders who might make the grade and the odd one or two others but that's it.