RuralPug

I don't see any problems with that scenario, provided that pup goes back to breeder or to dog savvy minders for the times away.

It is always disheartening to see loose dogs. You can only hope that the kelpie was a once-off escapee and is now firmly yarded again. Although too many people don't bother to contain their dogs in rurual areas...

Thanks everyone! Might give that a shot lab tested at least it won't have a crinkly noise. I have one here so might try it under my own bottom sheet to see if it works first. Pers I was using a wheat bag under one one of the cat beds (until I set fire to it - don't ask ok?) but am really needing something to warm the bigger dogs' beds (wheat bags and commercial microwaveable heat bags are chew toys to them sigh). Tassie that is fantastic news I'm so glad your senior girl is enjoying her snugglesafe! 0

A greyhound is not a dog? O.o Dont panic Hazy LOL I think what Scoot meant to say is that with that list and those priorities, then greyhound or maybe whippet are the next best thing to no dog at all. Love your reaction though!

And the latest is the RSPCA NSW have completed their investigation, finding "no significant faults" and the dogs were appropriately housed. The final paragraph of the newspaper article reads: Council declined to answer questions on who was looking after the pound in Mr Ryan's absence, how often the area was cleaned, why cans of food were in the cages and how the dog got out. Full article (Cowra Guardian) here. ETA link.

They are a training tool that helps a lot, but not everyone likes them. You can google if you like, to see what they do.

It is my understanding that Cowra locals claim that dogs held in this pound are often left unattended for two to three days at a time. No bedding is provided summer or winter. Feeding consists of tossing opened cans of CHUM into each pen. All volunteer offers have been knocked back by council. I have seen the original facebook post and pictures. They show a dead kelpie (black and tan) with what appear to be deep facial cuts lying in a pool of blood in the concrete accessway to the pens. Also in the access way is an opened can (appearing empty) of Chum with jagged lid still semi-attached. There are several noticeable smears of blood on the concrete adjacent to the can. Also in the access way is the accused mixed breed dog resting on the concrete. There is no sign of blood on his muzzle or anywhere else. There is no sign that he had been recently wet. He is shown going the fence to be petted. (It does not say much for the ranger's dog handling skills that this apparently people friendly dog had to be catch poled in and out of the pens.) There is no hint in the series of pictures of an opened pen gate or empty pen. Impounded dogs are a rather sorry looking lot. Within a few hours of the facebook post showing the pictures, council released a statement saying that the kelpie had been fatally savaged by the accused dog, which had escaped from its pen into the accessway. No reason for the ranger's dog being left in the access way was given. Council stated that RSPCA was investigating. An alternative theory has been proposed (not by council LOL) that the kelpie had cut himself badly by thrusting his muzzle into the opened can and bled to death. I'm not sure that the exact truth can ever be known, but I am glad that this tragedy has brought substandard pound practices into the spotlight and I sincerely hope that the investigation leads to improved practices and possibly, more accountability for council pounds.

LOL Willowlane don't panic. You and she are both learners and will be forgiven some wiggles. See if her breeder thinks that using show stackers to establish balance and make it sooooo easy to reward the dog for standing still will make a difference. If the answer is yes, ask to borrow some of the right size.

The cats LOVE the bed you sent Valblitz, thanks so very much!! Here are the boys enjoying it - sorry about the demon eyes LOL. Essam the sealpoint and Chai the lilac point both have blue eyes, not that you'd ever know it from my photography!

You have already had some very good suggestions. The need for a dog tall enough to make heelwork easy without getting a crick in your neck, plus the low weight range, plus the trainability requirement lead me to suggest a Whippet. These little dogs do quite well in sports and performance. The standard calls for an average height of 18 inches (then add neck and head LOL for heeling) and a weight range from about 7kg through to 13 or 14kg. Obviously you wouldn't want want one from the hiigher end of the weight range - the females tend to be smaller on average.

People have different definitions of "stubborn". Dogs wih lack of motivation, slowness of response, lack of comprehension of command, difficulty in refocusing etc.etc. have all been labelled "stubborn". Any breed that doesn't respond with the desperate eagerness to please of a Border Collie can be called "stubborn" by some, sadly. LG's example is more what I would call stubborn, a forceful determined repeating of the same behavior against all odds - that is stubborn. My younger Siamese cat climbing onto my shoulder while I'm typing and continually climbing back again after I've picked him off and deposited him on the floor two dozen times is stubborn. Breeds that tend to need firm handling I don't call stubborn, headstrong is a word that I do like, or the phrase "wrongfully focused" to describe a coursing breed not responding to a recall or a scenting breed wandering off after an intriguing odour during a heeling exercise. But I've heard a lot of owners and trainers call these dogs "stubborn". Dogs that choose whether or not to respond to a command I don't consider stubborn, just indifferently motivated so that they need to see if motivation outweighs other self-interest - every single time! Maybe it's just semantics. Maybe it's just me.

Might be helpful to a small dog rescue getting in a teeny with problems. Powerlegs can proabably point you in the right direction if you message her.

NILIF and TOT (links to both of those in DOL). Please stress to her that every adult in the family needs to be on the same page with him and be really consistent with what they want from him and how to get there. They also need to work out what it is about the daughter's behaviour or movement type or whatever that is stressing him. Maybe she is hugging him too much or too hard??? Approaching him when he is busy with a toy or chew? They need to be training the kids at the same time to give the dog space - e.g. if the dog is on his own mat./bed he is to be left in peace. That way he will learn that if he gets uncomfortable for any reason that he can go to his bed instead of growling or whatever. Anxiety issues at 8 months are not necessarily related to a horrible past, it might just a fear stage he is going through, in either case NILIF, TOT, consistency and common sense should get them through it. A very common mistake is to assume that any issues the dog has are due to a fraught past, and an even worse mistake is to let a pup or adolescent get away with poor behaviour because it is assumed that there is a lind of canine PTSD happening. Most young dogs are more resilient than people expect. Try to get them to take him out and about a bit, even if it is just in the car at first, until he is comfortable with new sights and sounds.

I wonder if the original point of this discussion has been lost in the side tracking?? To me, the original question was something like "these particular colours are forbidden in the showring because they are excluded from the standard. Why have colours been excluded from the standard when colour doesn't affect function." I think that has been answered from a historical point of view, plus plenty of comments have been made re cases where colour DOES affect health and/or other aspects of original function. Nevertheless, it has also been pointed out that there IS already the ability to submit reasons towards changing or adapting standards, or temporarily permitted judicious cross-breedingfor good reasons, within the existing rules. It is hard work to be able to justify a change to a standard, but it can be done and has been done. The discussion at the moment seems to be along the lines of "standards are useless, they don't produce the dog I like" vs "standards were developed so that a breed could be identified as a distinct breed and not just a vague sort-of". Today, in our world, standards are mainly the province of show breeders and exhibitors. I do agree that many may have been interpreted to the point of ridiculousness in some cases, but there is sometimes a swing back again if you look at breed pictures over the years. I can't quite understand why the people who are so vocal against standards even care. If you want a dog that will perform the task that you want but does not meet the standard, go ahead and breed that type and stick to performance venues rather than confirmation ones. No great drama. It happens all the time and large numbers of performance dogs are not pedigreed at all. But some people seem to want to make changes to their breed without going to the effort of convincing the breed clubs (and through them the kennel clubs) that the standard should be changed. HW said "call me lazy" because she prefers to stick to the standard. I think it is the other way round. The standards are there, describing the breed to a T. The challenge is to produce a dog that meets the standard and still does all of the things that you think the breed should be able to do. These people pointing at examples of breeds that can't do what they are bred for are excluding those who score highly both in the confirmation ring AND in performance trials that measure abilty in herding, hunting, coursing etc.etc. It is NOT lazy people that have bred those dogs, it is people who have risen to the challenge. Some breed "working" lines and ignore confirmation standards. Fine. Others breed "show" lines and never make any attempt to measure their ability. That's fine too. But the really passionate breed people that I truly admire are those who strive to breed dogs that can do their job and still meet the standard. I guess I'm saying I think that people should work within the rules. If you don't like the rules, either find another game or convince everyone else playing to change to your rules. And if you try to convince them by bluster and bullying my bet is that you'll be kicked off the ground.

This is quite a challenge! The so-called low shedding woolly breeds all have high maintenance coats, and you've said that is not for you. You are going to need a small breed with that fencing, most of the mediums can get over it. The temperament and activity level you want point to most of the small spaniels but none of those come in smooth coat and most tend to be Velcro dogs (need companionship all the time). All of the other smooth coated toys, small terriers and small non-sporting are either Velcro dogs or need a fair amount of exercise and/or stimulation. Some of the smaller hounds might work. Beagles won't work with your fencing, but a well socialised smooth coated dacshund might suit (although they do tend to be a tad demanding of your time and very loudly, too.) If you don't mind a big dog with short legs (which I guess makes it medium LOL) then possibly the Basset Hound may suit you. They are quite laid back at home. Or the few that I have met are, at least. Nothing laid back about them when they are out in a paddock sniffing rabbit trails though! You haven't said how much the dog will be left alone, and whether it will be indoors or outdoors, so I have assumed mostly outdoors and alone outside during business hours. Or wait - I've just thought of the ultimate low maintenance breed, totally unspooked by others dogs, cats - anything! This one! Sorry, I don't mean to be facetious I'm just frustrated that my brain is not working for you.

Do you have children at home or visiting regularly (i.e. once a week or more often?) if so, what age groups? Do you have infirm or elderly persons at home or visiting regularly? What do you want re trainability? Do you want an eager to please type (easy to train) or are you fine with the stubborn type? Do you need a breed that can entertain itself or are you happy with the velcro type that needs to be with people or other dogs all the time? If the dog is goinmg to be spending more than ywo hours a day alone on average, I can't recommend any of the velcro breeds. Describe your yard space and fencing so we know whether or not we can recommend breeds that can leap low fences etc. I warn in advance that I'm going to ignore the no major health risks thing because I assume that once some breeds have been recommended you will research any known health issues and then go and find an ethical breeder who is testing for those or importing stock that is free of those conditions.

Actually they are in the category of very smart dogs that can outsmart a trainer if the trainer isn't firm and consistent but give fantastic results with the right training! Read the Dalmation 101 thread for information aimed at potential owners.

Oh if it was only that easy we would just be able to pluck a breed off the shelf and mate them and make or remake the required breed. Not to mention that many of the breeds originally used to produce the now vulnerable breeds are themselves now extinct. Great post!

Sounds like you want a smooth coated breed, rather than a short coated breed. For example, the boxer is smooth coated, the labrador is short coated. Please consider the Dalmation which perfectly fts all of your requirements, especially the half marathon running once mature. Like the Boxer, Dallies tend to be very boisterous until they are about 2 years old, so can knock over littlies until mature but are still great for primary school age kids especially. Quite a few of the gundogs that might suit include the already mentioned Vizla, German Shorthaird Pointer and possiibly Weinmaraner and Pointer. Good on you for doing research - it might be best to decide on a few breeds and then let availability and finding a responsible breeder near you narrow the final choice.

I have only one suggestion. Before you buy, make sure that your arm fits the table!

LOL! I've actually seen this recently, same text but featuring another breed altogether! Too cute!

With small breeds (and not for long trips) I will sometimes clip the seatbelt around a sturdy small wire crate in the front passenger seat, especially if I am on my own and need to keep an eye on the dog (or cat) - for example if racing to emergency vet. The crate will protect them from the airbag. I wouldn't use a dog car seat in the front passenger seat though! Edited to add a pic but I can't find it sorry Found it!!

A breeder I know absolutely swears by the fake grass, doesn't bother with soil under it, she uses an old plastic tray from a large wire crate (or you can buy replacement trays quite readily) and has three bits of grass to fit it. One in the tray, one drying after the daily hosing off and a spare in case the weather doesn't let the dripping one dry properly! She trains all her puppies on these as well.

These days with availablity of reprodution services frozen semen is an excellent tool for the breeder - but collection and freezing of semen must be done in advance BEFORE the dog dies or becomes too elderly. So if your wonder sire that you had your heart set on dies of a freak accident, that won't be an option unless the stud owner has already gone to the expense. However, unless the gene pool is your chosen breed is really tiny, you probably wouldn't collect a stud for future generations unless he had pretty much already proved his worth as a sire of excellent stock ovefr at least a couple of generations. Obviously, if he died really young of health issue, you wouldn't want to pass those on... Fifty years ago, if breeders lusted after some trait that was perhaps being lost in their line, and they knew that Champion Prepotent GeneBoy quite often produced that trait in his offspring, it would be laborious line breeding of his grandchildren/great grandchildren etc to try and regain that trait and hope the genetic dice would come up within a few generations. Now, if the old boy had been collected and their are straws available, there is an excellent chance of doing it in one generation! Progress!!! (In real life, you are almost never looking ever for a single trait but are weighing many traits when you decide on a stud to complement your bitch. You are always trying to improve each generation, but there are times when an outstanding dog of the past can still contribute to improvements!)

If you want to wait until she is fully grown before she is desexed, then you will have to plan for probably two seasons, depending on the breed. A tubal ligation will prevent preganancy but will not prevent seasons - so you will still need to protect againt visiting males and her escaping (driven by hormones) to look for males. I have known people who send their entire bitches to kennels for a few weeks when they are in season, (if the kennel has facilities - some don't have separate season or quarantine areas and it can drive the other inmates nuts!) you would have to choose a very hygenic kennel, bitches on heat are susceptible to picking up nasty bugs, not all boarding kennels would be suitable at all. If she is going to be left at home without human supervision during the day, then you absolutely MUST have really secure and safe quarters for her. With 4ft fences you are quite likely going to have suitors leaping into your yard sniffing where she has peed and howling for her. Either indoors in a bathroom or laundry (rooms which usually have only small windows) or in a concrete-floored, roofed dog run with fencing too small for a penis to penetrate (bitches can and will back up to normal chain link fencing to allow penetration). Friends of my family with a working breed female made a temporary secure run out of their carport (which had a colorbond fence on one side which they had increased to 8ft with lattice and the house and garage on two other sides) by hiring 6ft high fence panels (the sort that you see around building sites) and putting two rows of them to close off the carport. It did mean that for three weeks every six months they couldn't park out of the weather LOL but it kept her very secure! There are progesterone injections that you can use to delay a season if it comes at a really bad time and you can't protect your girl, but these should only ever be used quite sparingly as the side effects can sometimes be nasty. Talk with your vet well in advance if you are thinking of using these.