MalteseLuna

That comment also left a sour taste in my mouth. Obviously she is overjoyed the child is back however it's fairly callous to say the dogs could go to the pound for all she cares... especially if they helped keep the child safe... perhaps it was taken out of context.

Personally I wouldn't recommend a Maltese as a breed suitable for a very active lifestyle (i.e. jogging, hiking). Just a note they aren't terriers :) They are a very small breed i.e. mine is 2.5 kg. That said they are quite willing to go for daily walks and possibly light jogging (when older). They have lovely temperaments but aren't as high energy as many of the other breeds you mention. A Mini poodle on the other hand would likely fit in very well with an active lifestyle, they are very intelligent and trainable (Mini's do very will in agility dog sports). The best way to select a breed is to meet individuals of that breed - at shows, breeders, parks etc. Get to know the personality and traits of each breed your interested in. Terriers have a distinct personality compared to the other dogs you've mentioned. I wouldn't get a pair, not as puppies. It sounds good in principle but it will make training harder (particularly for a first time dog owner). If you get two puppies they will likely bond very closely to each other, making it difficult to separate them and can make bonding with the humans harder. I would get a puppy now and then get a second dog a few years down the track. When I got my dog she was alone for most of the day as I was at work, but she had toys and slept most of the day. Boredom isn't as much of an issue if your stimulating their mind whilst your home (or giving them interactive toys when your away). Really when nobody is home the dog will likely sleep (that's what mine does :p) and if your walking them, spending time with them and playing with them when your home there shouldn't be an issue with anxiety/loneliness/boredom. Alot of the breeds you mention have high grooming requirements, are you willing to get the dog groomed every 6-8 weeks (in the case of the poodle/Maltese etc) or learn yourself? Often daily brushing is also required. At $60-80 each groom this is an additional expense that should be noted.

I got a really good response from all the real estate agents we talked to about renting with my dog once I gave them a "pet CV" which was basically a biography about the dog/dogs and what I do to keep them responsibly. For example I said that Luna is a small dog with a calm quiet nature. Stated that she is desexed. I explained the level of training i.e. puppy school, obedience, showing etc. I told the agent about all the parasite eradication techniques we used. I gave a reference from my vet and previous landlord (or anyone I could think of that could comment that the dog didn't make a nuseience of itself, was in good health with no parasites and had good temperament). I also included pictures. Anything to basically show that your a responsible committed dog owner who isn't (hopefully) going to allow their pets to damage the property. I did offer to pay an additional "pet" bond to cover cost of pest treatment or carpet cleaning, but in the end wasn't asked to. We did have trouble however finding a place willing to allow more than one pet, and I had the bonus of having a very small dog (which makes it seem like she could do less damage). Most important is to just be upfront with the estate agent, it's a waste of both of your times if the property isn't pet friendly and never will be. I asked all agents upfront (before viewing) if the owners would consider tenants with a dog (or in your case two), I made sure to make comments about how well behaved dog my dog was as well.

I can't help with tips on how to stop it - besides using a toy to distract her or something. Your sisters comment made me laugh - no I don't think it's a purebred thing but rather a puppy thing... Nor are purebreds mentally unstable :p Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

My brother in law has a staffy cross which went suddenly blind at age 4/5, she has SARDS (i think). It took a few months for her to adjust, house was completely safe proofed and nothing is ever moved. She has now learnt the layout of the house and where things are. She navigates well and is even playing "fetch" again (sort of). Was the dog born blind or developed blindness?

I'm not saying don't do it - just make sure that you've researched what your adding and that it's not putting the nutrient levels out of proportion. You could always ask some of the raw feeders (I think there is a thread) about it i.e. how much and what :)

Hi Michael, Few comments: I'm not sure I would restrict water for a puppy, you don't want the puppy getting dehydrated which could happen quickly if it has no access for many hours (2-3 hrs before bed and then 6-8 hrs whilst sleeping). There are other types of chew toys rather than kongs and a kong may not be great during teething. I generally praise during the toileting rather than after it's completed, this helps connect the praise with the behaviour (peeing in the right place). Most pups may also need to toilet after naps/sleeping and play sessions. Watch for the signs i.e. sniffing ground and circling. They can be very very quick. Don't punish a puppy for toileting in the wrong place. Particularly after the fact. Good luck - sounds like your very prepared and have been doing lots of research!!

Yes too much protein might not be food - there are some grain free foods that are 40% but others that are closer to 25%. For example the Salmon/fish Canidae one is close to 40% protein but I think the lamb one is 25%. So perhaps choose one with about 25% protein rather than the 40% options. Petbarn has Natural Balance (or something like that) which is okay as well as Eaglepack holistic. I just don't particularly like Science Diet, Eukanuba, Royal Canin which all have fairly high amounts of grain fillers (also beet pulp which can cause staining in white dogs...so something I avoid). Sardines and egg sound okay, although personally if I was feeding a puppy I would stick to either raw or kibble as adding extras could put the nutrient levels out of whack. This could be "wrong" thinking though? I wouldn't feed mince, unless its good quality pet mince. Apparently dogs need mince which has a certain level of calcium from bones which normally human grade mince doesn't have and the pet mince sold at supermarkets is often full of rubbish. Again I'm not an expert at raw feeding so am not sure.

Maybe it's not the food but rather the fact that she is a puppy thats the "reason" for her going so often. My dog (adult) goes 2 times a day, once in the morning and once after dinner - generally. I could easily imagine that she might have gone 3 times a day when she was younger... I forget. 2-3 times a day doesn't seem out of the norm to me. How many times a day do you feed her and does she get treats outside of meal times? This could also contribute to 2-3 (or more) stools a day rather than 2. All life stage is fine for puppies - most of the ones I suggested are all life stage foods. Isn't Taste of the Wild made by Eukanuba? or is it made by Ziwipeak? You generally just feed more for a puppy compared to an Adult. I imagined that "alot" was like 3+ times a day.

I would like more dog parks (or parks where dogs are allowed off-leash, could only be during specific times). I would like dog parks to have fenced areas and small dog specific areas (i.e. only small dogs are allowed in a specific fenced area). Also perhaps subsidising or supplying a dog trainer for obedience training in one of the dog parks (weekly events..?). Dog fun days are a good idea :)

I like Eagle pack Holistic, Canidae, Black Hawk Holistic. I don't like Royal Canin as it has lots of fillers (grains) - these aren't very nutritious for dogs and some dogs have issues when eating diets filled with them i.e. my Maltese had horrific tear staining and itchy feet. Try to avoid anything that has Wheat/Corn listed high up on the ingredients list. How much is she pooping and what were you feeding before? Remember to make the transition slow or it may cause an increase in loose stools!

That story is so sad it nearly made me cry - especially the bit about the dog being hurt because nobody "liked" her anymore because she was wearing a a muzzle.

Somebody did something similar at Mildura this morning as well (twice!!!) - a 44 year old woman. Though perhaps not violent she did release dozens of animals according to SMH. Police found her near her car which held 3 dogs.

I have a similar seat and find it great for my Maltese. She used to get very car sick and still is very anxious riding in the car but her car seat makes her the most relaxed. I bought mine from pet edge in the USA :) my parents brought it back for me after I got it shipped to my grandparents in the usa Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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It sounds like he is just pushing to desex at 6 months as that is the age most vets are taught to desex puppies at (and to push owners to desex). If he is a giant breed its best not to de-sex until the pup is older i.e. 12 months. Ask your breeder if possible. The main issue with retained testicles is that because they are kept in a hotter environment (inside the body) they can turn cancerous. But this is unliely in such a young dog/puppy and is more of a middle aged to old aged issue (as I understand it).

This is quite an interesting study about canine skull "diversity" and genes that may have been selected upon to create short nosed breeds. Obviously it's multigene but this is likely one of the genes contributing to canine skull morphology. Schoenebeck JJ, Hutchinson SA, Byers A, Beale HC, Carrington B, et al. (2012) Variation of BMP3 Contributes to Dog Breed Skull Diversity. PLoS Genet 8(8): e1002849. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002849 Schoenebeck JJ, Hutchinson SA, Byers A, Beale HC, Carrington B, et al. (2012) Variation of BMP3 Contributes to Dog Breed Skull Diversity. PLoS Genet 8(8): e1002849. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002849 Abstract Since the beginnings of domestication, the craniofacial architecture of the domestic dog has morphed and radiated to human whims. By beginning to define the genetic underpinnings of breed skull shapes, we can elucidate mechanisms of morphological diversification while presenting a framework for understanding human cephalic disorders. Using intrabreed association mapping with museum specimen measurements, we show that skull shape is regulated by at least five quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Our detailed analysis using whole-genome sequencing uncovers a missense mutation in BMP3. Validation studies in zebrafish show that Bmp3 function in cranial development is ancient. Our study reveals the causal variant for a canine QTL contributing to a major morphologic trait.

On a breed with a silky straight coat I prefer a pin brush as a slicker will break the hair. My maltese also HATES slicker brushes, the scratchy texture/feeling is unpleasant to her. She doesn't mind a pin brush. A good pin brush shouldn't have balls at the ends of the tips either. I also like metal combs for the ears/tail.

They really aren't the things I could tell you (but not on a public forum) ;) .

Actually couldn't answer the question very well! The main issue is that the patent for PRCD-PRA is I think held only by GTG in Australia (so they can charge what the want). That means also that (I think) other labs aren't supposed to test samples from Australia. Pity that Australia has allowed such laws/patents to be passed allowing companies to own genetic mutations (genes)... otherwise genetic testing could be done cheaper... particularly if there were other competitive labs.

Any vet should be fine - they just need to certify that the sample they took is from the dog your getting certified/tested.

More specifically there are two types of pigment which dogs can have : Phaeomelanin a melanin pigment that causes some shade of red, orange, gold or yellow coloration and Eumelanin a melanin pigment that causes some shade of black or brown coloration. There are a number of genes - ASIP (Agouti/A series), MC1R (E locus), TYRP1 (B locus), CBD103 (K locus) then there are a whole bunch more which cause dilutions, spots etc and some of which have not been identified at the "genetic" level. All these genes act in concert to create the "coat colour" you see in a dog - some modify the colour of the pigment, some mask it and some cause certain patterns. Agouti causes solid tan/red, sable, solid black, black & tan colouration patterns. MC1R causes black pigment masked causing red pigment i.e. places where Eumelanain would be expressed now have Phaeomelanin. This would mean that a black and tan dog (at the Agouti locus) would phenotypically be red and tan. If the dog would otherwise be black and carries the ee genotype the dog would likely be solid white. Tyrp1 causes the eumelanin to be brown where it would "normally" be black. CBD103 causes dominant solid black colouration and brindle colouration. A really fantastic website for more information is - http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/dogcolors.html That website is written/maintained by one of the main scientific researchers who works on coat colour in dogs. The interactions between the genes causes some very complex colour patterns and it can often be hard to "know" which genotype causes the phenotype as many phenotypes look so similar. *hope this is helpful/useful*

I don't think there are any related tests on MHC/DLA genes in dogs, certainly scientists can use them to investigate immune response or gene evolution but I don't think that any scientific literature has shown that a certain MHC/DLA combination compromises immune response nor do I see this information being useful until there is clear evidence that a certain genotype produces a certain response. I've done some reading on the subject as was thinking of using DLA/MHC genes as a population genetics marker in canines. I should imagine there are many issues with the merle gene including breeding an Mm x Mm which would result in 25% MM pups, 50% Mm and 25% mm. Unless it is X linked.... what is the inheritance pattern associated with the merle gene?? Has anyone shown that the M mutation actually causes deafness or blindness or is the mutation just associated with the colour i.e. caused by another mutation nearby or linked to the M mutation?? Are there any MM dogs with no blindness/deafness?

Not a smear campaign, unless you believe that anyone who argues for maintaining diversity is out to smear people who inbreed. A science-oriented blogger with a biology background and a deep commitment to Border Collies. . . .which extends to other herding breeds. He is deeply worried by the popular sire effect. The two collies were not entered, they were invited to enter. Creme de la creme. They aren't blind or deaf, but they were both sired by a dog who is blind and deaf. I don't see how the blog is "science-orientated"... There is no biology background that I can detect. They were invited based on their statistics/leading rank not their colour/breeding etc.

That is soooo cool! I love working in science