tdierikx

If we are going to correct spelling... I do believe that the correct spelling is "Alsatian"... *grin* Seriously though - just as all rescue doesn't tar all breeders with the same brush - it is a bit silly implying that all rescues are like the fanatics, isn't it? T.

Have you found walking her on the harness easier than with the collar Rach? She was so good for me on the harness... T.

I suppose the breed/mixes commonly found in pounds would depend on the council areas the pound services... some will have a higher SBT/mix intake, and some may have a higher swf intake rate, some may have a higher percentage of older dogs, and others may have a larger number of younger dogs. Then we need to look into the percentage of strays vs surrenders... the entire picture may never truly be known though, because I don't think statistics like that are kept or tracked by anyone at this point. As for purebred dogs - identifying those is usually via the microchip details that have the full prefix and name of the dog listed - and it is more common than most breeders might like to admit that pure dogs may end up in rescue. Of the pounds I've visited regularly over the past few years, they seem to have an even number of bull breed mixes AND swf types... but have also seen a fair smattering of "pure" types like Labradors, GSDs, Rotties, arctic breeds - usually younger adults in the larger breeds who may have become a little more to handle than was envisioned when bought as a puppy. I haven't seen or met a large number of pound dogs who were "broken" in any way, except needing exercise regularly, a bit of obedience training, or needed regular grooming. T.

Awww... Kyoto sounds like she's a bit of a handful... lol! T.

I'm still learning their personalities, but here's what I have so far... Rory - most laid back and calm pup James - likes to climb on top of things - then go to sleep Dexter - most likely to snuggle with humans and rumble with littermates - he's one of the smallest and doesn't appreciate being trampled when they all see a person coming for a cuddle Caleb - loves grabbing pants legs and playing tug Ellie - cheekiest by far - and has that cute flyaway ear that makes her look cherubic when she looks at you after doing something naughty as if to say "What?" Maddie - perfectly happy to rumble with her bigger siblings or get snuggles from anyone wanting a cuddle Jasper - the biggest, but is a bit of an enigma - loves being carried around like Lord Muck They are definitely all different, but they all totally love people, and aren't afraid of much. T.

Our rescue regularly advises people to get a pup from registered (and ethical) breeders - the numbers of people applying for any dog we have that even looks "pure" is incredible... We had a pretty large response for a Poodle pup we had recently, and so many people wanted guarantees about future (possible) health issues, that we advised them to contact DogsNSW to find a reputable poodle breeder who could advise/guarantee same - unfortunately most people said that a registered purebred Poodle "costs too much"... grrr! Funnily enough, those people didn't even get an appointment to meet our pup either... *grin* Don't be put off by the lunatic fringe in rescue... we aren't all like that... honest! We hate the Facebook armchair rescue warriors almost as much as you do - believe me! T.

OK - crappy photos due to low light, but here are individual shots of our 7... with names! Jasper - largest boy - wearing light blue collar with pink motif Ellie - cheekiest girl - wearing pink collar with reflective stripes Maddie - smallest girl - wearing light pink collar with motif James - most Labbie looking pup - wearing red collar with reflective stripes Caleb - pants leg tugger - wearing blue collar with reflective stripes Dexter - Mr Snugglebum with people, Mr Bruiser with his littermates - wearing orange collar with reflective stripes Rory - most mellow and snuggly pup of the lot - wearing black collar with motif I'm slowly sorting out their temperaments, likes, and dislikes, etc... basically right now, they like food and playing... lol! T.

Beautiful! Maremmas are incredible looking dogs, aren't they? T.

Sounds great Darren... ours will be ready to go in a couple of weeks - only had their shots on Sunday... and we wormed them today - no worms... yay! I finally (sorta) mowed my yard this afternoon - had to use the mulching block instead of the catcher 'cos the grass was so long... errr! Still need to do the edges, but the pups don't seem to mind - they like playing with the long bits there... They really like climbing on overturned clam shells, so I've set up 2 of them out there for them to play "king of the castle" on... lol! That's when they stop chewing on each other, that is... *sigh* Now the grass is shorter, they are venturing further out and about in the yard too... maybe they will poop somewhere other than right near the back steps now... T.

Every now and then some people can reaffirm our faith in our fellow man... this is definitely one of those moments. T.

Awww... ain't he handsome? T.

Awesome news! You are doing so well, and the dogs seem to be coping just fine... just don't become complacent when they have been acting fine for a while - the fights could happen at the drop of a hat still, OK? It sounds like they are responding perfectly to an established routine... keep up the great work... T.

Hahaha! I can wander over with a couple of really cute black boy puppies if you want... T.

That's little Rory... he's the quietest of the lot. T.

They are even better looking in the flesh PS... and lots of scrummy puppy breath! T.

Awww... look at the waggy tails! They both look very handsome in their outfits... T.

When I traveled 10 hours to my mum's with my 6 month old Rotti girl, she was more likely to hang close to me in the "strange" places we stopped for potty breaks than to run off... but then she was my heart dog and soul mate, so she wasn't inclined to go far away from me (or me her) anyways... T.

I live in Sydney - my whole block is 490sm - but my house is tiny, so the yard is a decent size. Most people comment on how big my yard is... *grin* I have 3 of my own dogs, and foster puppies - currently have 7 of the little poo machines cavorting in the yard... *grin* T.

I've only had a few litters over the years, but whenever anyone came to see our pups, mum dog was the most demanding of attention - like "forget them - play with me"... and our pups were very used to being handled by "strangers", as all of my friends would come and play with them... I'd be walking away from this particular litter (and breeder)... and walking fast... T.

I'd decline taking official photos under those circumstances personally... T.

Lou is one of the most stunning 19 year old horses I've ever seen... WOW!! B is shaping up to be just as nice too - but I think I'm in love with Lou... *sigh*... stunning! T.

Still no poo players here - even though they did a bit of it overnight... *grin* I swear I did not choose which pups you got Darren - we had instructions for a smooth boy, a smooth girl, and a coated girl for you - D selected your pups... besides, they were all dopey and snoozy after a play session when I got there, so we had no idea that some of them had no fear of their own ewwies... lol! I've found that more girl pups will happily play in their own mess than boy pups - but they toilet train faster... go figure? Have you sent D and M any of your photos yet? Totally cute couch pics I reckon... My babies are all happily playing in the wet grass in the yard - totally unfazed by getting sopping wet. I had a clam shell pool resting against the fence and Dexter managed to trap himself under it - too funny watching the clam shell moving across the back yard by itself for a few seconds before I rescued him... lol! It's now flat on the grass for them to climb all over instead... T.

Group shots... Aren't they just some of the most stunning pups ever?? T.

OK - here are some of the photos taken of our 7 romping at the rescue property yesterday afternoon... WARNING: Some of these photos may cause cuteness overload! Group shots to come...

My preference is Canon - any model with a 3 digit number or less. The 550D or 600D would be a great start... and get at least the twin lens kit with it. Oh - and decent capacity memory cards! My friend has an older Nikon that takes brilliant shots too - I'd consider Nikon maybe if I couldn't have a Canon. I am not a professional photographer, and I'm no expert with all the funky settings of any camera, but I do take a hell of a lot of photos... *grin* T.