Bjelkier

What about an older Havanese? DOL has a few listed at the moment looking for new homes.

LG - that behaviour is very similar to what I see in my Samoyeds. Sure they love everyone they meet but only a very small number of people can get real work out of them. As my partner is always saying 'they love me but they're your dogs' and it's true, if I say jump the sammys are already in the air before they ask what I want. If he says it they look at him with the typical 'why?' expression.

I think it's more about how you train them and the working relationship you have with your dog. I trust my Samoyeds to do what I ask 99% of the time, in fact they're more willing to work for me than my Lab or Havanese are, however they aren't for everyone and I think their intelligence is seen as stubbornness much of the time. Other spitz breeds and hounds are very similar, to smart for their own good :laugh:

I have four Samoyeds, a Labrador and a Havanese. The only time I keep them apart is when I go out, otherwise they all run together. Dresden, the Havanese, is amazingly savvy with the big dogs and the big dogs are very gentle of him. He's our second youngest dog. He and my 14 month old Sammy are best friends.

I had one woman want to come around and work in my kennel for the day. I told her I dont have a kennel but if she wants to do my house work that's about as close as she will get to working for me. She did come and meet the dogs and brought her own children, a friend and their children as well without telling me. I wasnt pleased.

I will only add please do not use a furminator on a spitz coat. It destroys the top coat. Your best tool for grooming a spitz breed is a good quality comb, slicker and pin brush

My Havanese pees on the fur on his belly and after a week he starts to stink, we always know when he's hit his bath day. The Samoyeds however, never smell.

Can't say my dogs have ever reacyed differently to someone being drunk. However if someone had acted strange like that peraon did, they would have backed away quickly.

Sometimes the breeds are benched around the back, away from the public, it's got nothing to do with people not wanting to interact with the public, although at 3.30 in the afternoon on Samoyed day my dogs were asleep in their trolleys and there was no way I was getting them out to be patted by people when they were that tired and I don't really care if the public was disappointed, my dogs comfort and welfare come first. You need to understand that it's an extremely long day for us and the dogs. People wanting to pat the dogs or talk to us starts at 8am and we're there until 5 in the afternoon. I leave my house at 3am and all day it's talking to the public about the breed (and finding it damn hard to hear anything it's so noisy), grooming (usually multiple dogs), toileting the dogs and making sure they're cool and comfortable (it gets extremely hot in there some days), maybe getting something for ourselves to eat (although I always seem to miss eating the days I'm there) and actually exhibiting our dogs (which takes a long time at the royal). I don't get home until 10pm at night. The royal is exhausting!! Sure one person wants to pat the dog and yes being told no is disappointing....what about the other hundreds of people who also just want to pat the dog as well that day? Where do we draw the line and say no, sorry, enough is enough, let the dogs rest? I've said this before and I'll most likely say it a thousand times more. If you want to see the dogs, be there when they're being shown, if you want to have a good chat to a breeder, go to one of the breed specialities that are being held around Sydney during that time. Please understand that the Royal is extremely hard on us and our dogs and that they need rest and down time as much as any one else.

Not always. I never bred my GSD with the most horrible hips but she titled in obedience, agility and did an ET. And agility was back in the days of very high jumps and two clear rounds to qualify. Muscle support helped her greatly. Only xrayed her when she was 6, lived to 11. I know a dog (won't mention breed but it's known for HD) who is an amazing mover, very agile, never been lame a day in it's life and this dog has one of the worst scores I've ever seen in the breed. And yet there are dogs with perfect scores that can't move to save themselves, always pulling up lame etc. Good movement doesn't always mean good hips.

This is true of me as well recently. Being so tired having a litter of 7 on the ground I misquoted the sires hip scores (he's not my dog) and made them higher than they truly are. Just ask to see the official paperwork. And as another poster said. Don't get bogged down in numbers. HD is a difficult one to deal with as there are so many factors that have to be taken into consideration. I've known a number of breeders who have used very low scored dogs, only to get high scored puppies.

I wear gumboots (nice ones that look more like actual boots) jeans and a waterproof Royal Canin jacket I practically live in during winter for shows, it stays up really well. The samoyeds don't wear anything, they get too hot.

No, I didn't need to see it again. I was told it was in perfect condition however.

EDT.

Wolf is one tough dog! When my vet called and told me what he found I think I almost deafened the poor man, neither of us could believe the time frame. He'd had no signs of a problem in all that time and after my first Sammy I've had more than my fair share of problems with blockages. He's a bit of a medical mystery :laugh:

Sorry for the late update. After more tests we found that Wolf had a partial obstruction that was extremely difficult to see and with his symptoms, or lack there off, we were all very confused. Turns out it was a silicone cupcake pan. He and his sister had eaten a batch of muffins I had cooling on the stove over a year ago, silicone pans and all and I made them vomit them back up straight away and thought we had them all, turns out we didn't. Over a year later we see the return of the pink cupcake pan and it's none the worse for wear, can't say the same for poor Wolf. Thankfully he is tough and all internal organs are pink and healthy (amazing after the time period) and he is now on the road to recovery and eating like a horse. :D

Our Pointer, Apollo, was a food demon. I've only had one though so ours could have been the exception to the rule.

I leave them on my Samoyed puppies, in fact most breeders I know these days don't touch them.

Perhaps head on to a show and check a few breeds out, talk to some breeders and see what takes your fancy.

I have a Havanese and a Labrador (and 5 Samoyeds) and my Hav is fine with all of them, he plays chase, bitey face and everything. Havanese are tough little buggers :laugh: If you want one I'd say go for it.

As an exhibitor the royal is pretty frikkig intense. We do chat to the public pretty much constantly but it's so loud and busy that any real conversation can be difficult. I don't know that I would recommend it as the show to really get to know a breeder personally. I can only speak for myself and those I know but we're either flat out grooming, making sure the dogs are cool and comfortable or fielding a myriad of questions (whuch are the same all day long) and getting the dogs to pose for photos. I barely have time for lunch and I never remember anyone I speak to on the day. Certainly go along, watch the dogs, get business cards but if you really want to start building a relationship with a breeder I'd be more inclined to find out if they will be attending one of the specalties held around the same time and chat to them there. Others may well be different but this is how it is for me. The royal is brilliant so I hope you have a great time.

That's what I've always heard them referred to as. I assume you're talking about the Sydney Royal?

My old Lab still enjoys his walks, in fact he bounces around like a puppy (he regrets it later though) when we first go. Can't say anyone has ever said anything about him but he tends to get ignored especially when the Samoyeds or Havanese (he's in full coat) are with us. I don't take it as an insult or get upset about it, Labs are common, Samoyeds and Havanese aren't. I do love seeing the veterans sweepies at shows though. They're so sweet getting out there again and showing their hearts out. It's gorgeous.

At present our vet is leaning towards Addison's Disease. So Wolf has had yet another blood test today and hopefully we will have some answers tomorrow.

Nope not bitten by anything (he's with me constantly and has beem checked from head to toe) and an obstruction has been 100% ruled out.