trifecta

I am so sorry to read your sad news, MW. Tess had a wonderful life with you, & after the tears I know you will smile at the wonderful memories! Hugs to you &, of course, dear Fleming

You gotta be joking :laugh: For the last 30 years the halter Arabian horse has got further & further away from the performance Arabian..... & now with more interest in the desert racing Arabian, the Arabian breed is changing again, a lot of breeders have turned away from the compact Crabbet type to breed a stretchy, taller type, more suitable for the racetrack & in particular the lucrative 40km desert races of the UAE. Are people saying that there is only one correct type and the others shouldn't exist? Yes the racing type is much taller, many individuals now are measured at 15.3hh & even 16 hands. While there is no standard height, commonly the Arabian horse stood between 14.1 - 15.1hh. The incidence of taller individuals is much higher these days. The French horses in particular look like Anglos (Thoroughbred x Arabian). Sorry, I didn't really address your question, but yes there is heated debate. :)

You gotta be joking :laugh: For the last 30 years the halter Arabian horse has got further & further away from the performance Arabian..... & now with more interest in the desert racing Arabian, the Arabian breed is changing again, a lot of breeders have turned away from the compact Crabbet type to breed a stretchy, taller type, more suitable for the racetrack & in particular the lucrative 40km desert races of the UAE.

HW, don't get me started on this, I have never owned a gundog, always working breeds for me, but I yearn for the days when dogs actually heeled in parallel with their handlers :laugh: IME gundogs are still quite popular in obedience, but you definitely see a lot of herding breeds competing and winning now. I am sure 'back in the day' you wouldn't see many of the breeds we see competing now! ETA: I have seen some Goldens with beautiful stylised heel work in obed, Bridget Carlsen from the US springs to mind. I wasn't talking about the breeds, huski, I am talking about the style.... it's also not that long ago either, the trend for wrap style heeling has definitely increased within the last 5 years or so. I do not like a dog that wraps around my leg, but prefer one that keeps one ear & one eye on me but basically looks forward..... & for what it's worth, if you compete with a Belgian Shepherd it will know what you are thinking before you even start the action so why does it have to be wrapped around your leg? :laugh:

Please provide us with updates, sas, I am very interested!

I think the equine version contains molasses to make it more palatable to horses.

I like this post! Photos can be deceiving and I wouldn't be commenting on a dog's weight unless I could put my hands on them and tell for myself. I have a beautiful young bitch at home who when in full coat looks overweight. She is kept hard and lean yet I've had people ask me if she is fat when they've seen a photo of her. Agree strongly with this! HW, don't get me started on this, I have never owned a gundog, always working breeds for me, but I yearn for the days when dogs actually heeled in parallel with their handlers :laugh:

23/52 (actually looks better on black background but don't know how to do that here) Slim by Groenendevil on Flickr

Just wondering what people used 50 years ago & more - were there drugs readily available or did they rely on herbal concoctions such as worm wood & cloves I remember worming the horses as a kid growing up, but can only remember 40 odd years or so back as far as the cats & dogs being given tablets for intestinal worms.

My doG dotdashdot, you are a veritable time machine, up to the 2nd week of July already :laugh: I will have to cheat too, worked til 2.30 this morning & no motivation for photography today - shouldn't have left it until the last minute for this week's shot.

You really need to consult a vet about this problem, urinary incontinence can be secondary to other disorders, eg diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, Cushings. If they have been ruled out, then treatment for elderly dog incontinence is relatively cheap. If the dog is laying on wet bedding or is continually wet between his legs the urine will scald, his depression may also be due to the loss of dignity being incontinent.

Thanks for the update, Erny, it's wonderful to hear that Mandela is still on the improve. It's good to read about other people's experiences, we still have so much to learn about dogs!

:laugh: Very clever, gapvic, though I am battling the little bastards at the moment

No thyroid problems in this house, I have had experience with hypothyroidism with a previous dog :) only occurs in winter when the floor is cold.

Would concur with condensation, when I pick the dog beds up off our slate floors they are damp underneath.

Congratulations Clay

Yes, he has those bedroom eyes! :laugh:

The often overlooked Collie Smooth would suit your lifestyle perfectly, also a Belgian Shepherd if you work with a good breeder or rescue to source the type of temperament you are looking for. Also have to agree with the posters who suggested Rottie & Australian Cattle Dog. Yes, as dancinbcs said, there are many breeds which would suit, so in your case it may come down to finding the right individual rather than being set on breed. :)

Far too long for me to copy here, but worth reading to the end http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/war-dogs/paterniti-text

Lloyd, I advise you to read this topic here: Border Collie 101 & then ask questions in this sub forum here: Border Collie Sub Forum :)

22/52 New Hedge -3124 by Groenendevil on Flickr "I warned you about putting your hand in there!" :laugh:

No! With experience (& I am certainly not there yet ) you can tell the camera what you want, so that when the RAW file is processed you may not need to do any tweaking at all. This was the most interesting thing I learned from the Peter Coulson workshop, & shooting in monochrome (the raw files are still colour) you can see instantly which bits have blown out. I have only just started shooting in manual, & confess I fall back on aperture priority or shutter priority if I don't have the time to compose the shot. However, on occasions I have surprised myself :laugh: my manual shots have needed little or no post production & look better than a back up shot I may have taken in P mode!

The Belgian Shepherd (of any variety) is a people dog. They need their people & need to be interacting with you, even if you are only sitting at the computer. This breed will not thrive if left for long hours in the backyard, & do not make good kennel dogs for the same reason. The Belgian is extraordinarily intuitive, knows when you are happy or sad, & unfortunately knows when you are nervous or not in control. Highly intelligent - they will keep you on your toes & you need to have a good sense of humour! This is where you come in - it's called training!

I love this! Shame the duckies weren't just a little bit closer.... but then you may have ended up in with them teekay, your portrait is gorgeous, & huga, week 20 is my favourite of your recent shots

I leave the silk & the water in the cup all day, & throw it out after the evening dose.