tdierikx

OMG - Copper and Topaz are adorable!! They are all looking great... awesome job everyone! T.

There is also the fact that purebreed lines are easy to check back on to see what may be present or lacking... thanks to all the dedicated breeders out there who try to produce the best next generation that they can. As for crossbreeds, there is very little data about the genetic background of any individual "line", and thusly the argument that they are generally healthier, or more prone to disorders, is pure anecdote. I think also that more of the general public are more likely to take their purebreed dogs to the vet for any perceived ailment than those who own the generic crossbreed - so the theory is that those crossbreeds not seeing the vet with any regularity are "healthier"... which may not really be the case... or it may be... how can we extrapolate true data if the target group is under represented? The sheer variety that crossbreeds come in is staggering - pick any two breeds and someone has possibly tried (or succeeded) crossing it - with extremely varied results - even in the same litter. My personal take on it is that if a prospective puppy owner looks for a breeder (of any pure or crossbreed) does a bit of homework into the genetic testing of their breeding animals, and breeds to enhance the possible long term health of the offspring, then they are more likely to take in a pup that will have the best chance of being healthy for longer than a pup whose breeder just threw 2 random dogs together to make pups for sale. The other fact - that environment can play a huge part in the development of any dog - seems to be missed when the extremists (from both sides of the argument) put forward their hypotheses... it's not ALL about genetics... genetics is really only the starting point... T.

The 3 BT pups are tiny! And deadly cute to boot! Safely ensconced in my lounge room now... *grin* T.

Run free with the angels Jet... good boy! T.

WOW!!! totally awesome work there! T.

I have 2 foster failures - my smallest permanent dog (my first foster failure) is 14kgs - the latest failure turned out to be a Dane cross! That makes 4 large dogs permanently living here... but I still take on foster pups... *grin* Call me crazy... I'll take it as a compliment... lol! T.

My brother has a self trained assistance dog. They have a completely symbiotic relationship. If anything were to happen to my brother, it would probably be extremely damaging for his dog... and it may just be that he would need to go with my brother... T.

You mean these two? Bonnie Clyde *grin* At least they will be rehomed separately... lol! T.

What an awesome tribute to a wonderful and faithful girl... Run free Missy, you will be missed My heart goes out to you Lhok... T.

I usually start with what the guide says, then make the changes that each individual dog needs to be of a healthy weight, etc... For example, my extremely busy 14kg dog actually eats as much as my 28kg less active dog - and both of them are nicely weighted and proportioned. T.

I'm a crazy dog lady and very proud of the fact. My friends understand that, to me, my dogs are my family - and that it hurts really bad when they go to the Bridge. People who don't understand are simply missing out on exactly how wonderful dogs are... and we should feel pity for them. That is a beautiful poem... thank you so much for sharing it. T.

Anyone seen the movie "Child's Play"? Those dolls remind me of Chucky... creepy! My dogs would probably want to play with the bloody thing like any other toy... if it doesn't smell human, then what are they really to make of it? T.

I'm more of the opinion that each rehoming needs to be looked at on an individual basis - how the actual rescue dog will fit with the prospective owner, their other dogs, other pets, or children, if any, and the lifestyle led by the prospective adopter - using blanket "bans" on any one of those things seems to me that we may be cutting off our noses to spite our faces, and the dog may be missing out on a very good home indeed. Personally, I work fulltime and have 4 permanent dogs of my own (all bitches) - some rescues would deny me adopting from them due to the fact that they may think I'm not up for the time and energy required to give "their" dog the love and attention it needs... yet the rescue I'm with happily allows me to foster groups of pups, and I don't seem to have any issues giving both them AND my own dogs exactly what they need... go figure? T.

Run free and halthy at the Bridge sweet little man... your mummy loves you forever... Hugs for you Anne... T.

I have 2 external hard drives... and from the old days, I have a couple of proper internal hard drives that I can put into a caddy and access via usb. T.

Sounds promising... tantrum rather than panic... baby steps Roo - well done! T.

Bonnie and Clyde are naughty puppies this evening... Harper was trying to tell Clyde not to be a turd, and he told her off! All the way down the hallway! And Bonnie was backing him up! Poor Harper - 30kgs of Horse Dog being trashed by two 5kg naughty puppies. I had to save her and put Bonnie and Clyde in a timeout in their night crate... *sigh* Oh - and they think Trouble must be their mum... they keep looking for her boobies! They only do it to Trouble... weird... maybe she's a similar size and shape to their mum? ... and we still have solid poops even though I didn't give them Scourban this morning... yay! T.

Tell your OH that Rotties and GSDs shed lots... and he will be in charge of the vacuum if he wants one... T.

Be good Roo!! We are all Roo-ting for you girl! T.

Or it's just bombproof... remember that one from a couple of years back we thought was deaf, but he was just not as reactive to strange noises as the rest of the litter - he could hear his name or the food bin opening just fine... *grin* T.

There are good and bad dog owners on both sides of this debate, but I really don't think either side has any particular monopoly of either the "good" or the "bad". To make any blanket statement about either group's "failings" is a bit presumptuous... I don't see why a showie with an intact dog is a less desirable home than anyone else - and in most cases, that would be an ideal home for any dog IMHO. T.

I had a neighbour's cat never leave my yard once... not pretty... T.

How did they pronounce it? They tended to ask for "the poodle pup with the funny name - how do you say that?" T.

Well... I'm refering to my place as the poopie factory at the moment... *grin* But seriously... all that puppy breath and cuddles more than makes up for the amount of poo they can create on a daily basis... The 2 ACD pups I have inside have had the squirts since we wormed them on Saturday - a reaction to the worming pills - and today they have presented me with solid ones... much excitement here over that! Thank you Scourban! Honestly, when you foster pups, you become a connoisseur of all the things that can come out of them... scary but true! I can go to the local vet sans dogs and tell them what treatment/drugs I need and they don't question me before handing over the stuff... and sometimes I've had the vets ring me to ask advice on cases they have. Now THAT is truly scary! I currently have Harper being attacked on 2 fronts behind me - pups really don't care about the size of their playmates... lol! Pickles and Zed are hiding from the puppy madness... T.

Sometimes my Trouble gets called Chubbalubbdubbatrubbabubba... and she loves it! One time at a large and popular dog park Trouble had decided to wander off to play where I couldn't see her... so I'm walking up to people saying "I'm looking for Trouble..." - good thing most of the regulars knew what I was refering to... lol! T.