SpikesPuppy

Woo hoo! Glad they are picking up

From what I can remember the Expo has never really had big numbers. Many won't go as the don't like the venue as it's small and full of public people wandering around. I love it and was dissapointed when the stopped it! The shopping was always amazing, I always went home broke!! :D Ditto!!! The Pet Expo 2005 was my 2nd ever show LOL (and my first champ show ;) ), and have been ever year since barring last year when it was not on. Would have entered this year if it weren't for pups. However hoping to come down for a wander (and to empty my bank account :D ). I always had a great time and picked up heaps of bargains!!

I'll have one of these to go thank you :D

Although there are always going to be rude people in the world and you have to learn to deal with them- a well-mannered child selling raffle tickets to FUNDRAISE FOR THE CLUB THAT IS HOSTING YOUR GODDAM SHOW does not deserve that kind of abuse- nor does an adult for that matter. Disgusting behaviour. It takes 2 seconds to say "No thanks". We often have the CFA selling tickets at our shows, not being dog people they sometimes approach at an inappropriate time but I always simle and say "no, thanks" or "Come back after I've been in the ring and I'll grab some" ALWAYS with a smile no matter what's going on. I cannot accept rude behaviour when it's totally unwarranted.

*sigh* one day I will have my white Standard :D And yes, it has to be white so I can have even more fun with it's hair If I didn't want to show I'd have one already but no way am I doing that much grooming before a show!! Perfectly happy to clip & scissor but not with that level of dedication LOL. the pink dog!!

My Border terriers love GSDs Caber especially (Ziva is friendly but a bit more stand-offish when on leash, wheras Caber just wants to play play play!). Actually, Poor Caber, as he loves fluffy dogs- he is fascinated by Shelties but most Shelties don't appreciate his forward nature, and many growl or bark at him... which only serves to get him MORE excited He doesn't like dogs that snuffle, either such as Pugs and bulldogs. He is also untrustworthy with Staffords and AmStaffs, with the latter being next to us in group specials, I used to worry but fortunately he's now trained enough to just ignore them and focus on me instead One thing I never understood though, was Caber hates black Newfoundlands- however he grew up with a black Newf who he got along with perfectly. He doesn't mind other coloured Newfs or other large black fluffies?? Weird but that's Caber for you... nutso.

How are your fingers? Honestly, I don't know about Cairns but you can't ruin the look of a Border through stripping it'll grow back if you pull any undercoat out accidentally, and it's the same length all over so Good on you for learning how to do it

Not really been converted but I have learnt so much One of our dogs is from a fellow DOLer and we have met many other wonderful people at shows. In fact, although showing has been a lifelong dream of mine, I don't know if I would ever have actually done it without DOL. Likewise, I don't know if I would ever have been able to/gotten around to breeding my first litter. Like others, I love having this place and it's people in RL to talk about the dogs with and know that they are actually interested and I love hearing about other's experiences etc.

IMO a well-bred Newf with firm, but fair training (and like I said, understanding of the breed- ignore any trainer who tells you they are stupid or require harsh treatment because they are so big etc.), will not give you any trouble. Just don't expect a perfectly obedient dog all the time. They have a brain and they USE it. They particularly enjoy embarrassing their humans They also don't agree with pointless tricks or repetitive motions (my boy, Spike, knew heaps of tricks but he would only do them when he wanted to). Some will argue that he wasn't well enough trained, but I disagree as he never did anything silly or dangerous, he always obeyed when it counted (ie: on walks or at the park). A Newf may not be the right dog for you- or it may not be the right dog for you *now* but if you really like them, I would suggest heading down to one of the Newf club family days

What a bullshit generalisation Not every young adult or even teenager feels 'tied down' by the dog they love and have waited years for. I have had dogs of my own (either gifts or purchased myself) consistently since I was 11 & I'm now 25 and have not once felt burdoned or tied down by them. I know I am not alone in this.

I got a Newfoundland for Christmas shortly after I turned 15 and he was the most amazing, beautiful, perfect dog I ahve ever known and ever will know. Sadly he passed away 2 years ago this May at only 8 and a half years of age due to problems with his hindquarters (however his breeding was questionable to say the least ). He will forever be my 'Heart Dog'. I found him to be stubborn and cheeky but without a mean bone in his body. You have to learn to speak Newf and not require them to do anything that might be seen as detrimental to their nobility because, at 55-75kg if they don't wanna do something, they wont He was so intelligent and seemed to understand whole sentences. But the breed is not for everyone, the drool & coat care are too much for some people, but the personality and general temperament is what sets them apart from all other dogs. They are incredibly special & need to be part of your family and they need respect because if they don't get it- they will sulk and can become destructive, noisy and depressed. Not a pretty sight. However if you are willing to set boundaries and learn to communicate with a Newfoundland (note that I did not say dog), you will have a loving, fiercely loyal, intelligent, charming, hilarious companion for life. My first very own dog was a Dobermann X from the pound, who I got at 14 weeks old (had been there since 3 weeks), and she was a joint birthday/Christmas present. I was 11. Not the best choice as she had many temperament issues including dog aggression and she was extremely fearful of strangers as well as loud noises etc. Plus she was incredibly strong. So yeah, not the ideal dog for an 11 year old girl but it worked out well and she taught me SO MUCH about dog behaviour and dogs in general.

Kinda glad mum didn't enter now!

What kind of dog do you like?? Fluffy, cute, face-only-a-mother-could-love, common or rare etc? Do you want a dog that is going to keep you on it's toes with a huge personality or do you want something that's happier just to go with the flow of life?

1. I get short term insurance for puppy buyers that gives them a $100 deductible. I try not to sell to people who are cash-strapped and who are likely to end out in such a situation. Having said that: If the required surgery had something to do with the way I bred the dog, I'd refund the purchase price and not blacklist. I would probably opt for the green needle myself if a pup required expensive surgery to get out of the starting gate, even if I had cash on hand. For all I know, the pups we (most breeders) PTS for cleft palate could be saved if we were willing to put $3k into fixing the problem. I would prefer it if the puppy buyer call me to let me know what is happening before making a decision . . . sometimes vets prescribe expensive surgery that is entirely unnecessary. 2. Variations in vet fees/up front payment. BFD. I can buy carrots in a 20 kg bag from the corner gas station (horse carrots, but just fine for eating, also grrreat munchies for Labradors) at $0.35/kg . . . or I can buy slightly more perfect carrots from Wollies at (on special) $1.29/kg. That's life. You shop around. You figure out what you want to pay for and you look for the best vet you can find for what you want. You either keep cash reserves or get some form of insurance. I entirely respect vets requiring up-front payment. Breeders should avoid selling to people who are so cash strapped that they can't pay vet bills . . . or get insurance. Sorry, I should have clarified- during the dog's lifetime, not just when it was a puppy Thanks for replying ;) :D

As far as I know, for the Border terrier yes- as well as fashion (Thank you, Americans!!!). However it's only been in the past 15 or so years that Borders have been *so* stripped out for the ring. But also note that a Border Terrier is NOT shaped or clipped like most other wire coated terriers.. I clip my dog's genital areas for hygiene purposes but that's it. I also use no product on my dogs except chalk if they need it to spruce them up (they aren't traditionally bathed before a show). Borders are considered a 'natural' terrier in the ring. I can't speak for other breeds though which take ALOT more time & effort (my guys vary from 15 minutes to and hour or two the night before a show depending on what stage of growth their coat is in and how fussy I'm being ;) ).

My Border Terriers are crated separately in the house when home alone, my male is a bit of a yapper but in the house it's muffled to anyone outside (and it's not constant, just when he gets excited I started doing this because I wasn't 100% confident in the fences however we've since moved to a house with a more secure fence/yard but I still prefer to crate them - it makes it almost impossible for them to bother anyone and they just sleep anyway My boy is in a 48 inch crate (LOL) and my bitch a 36 inch.

Used it on my girl and I don't think her whelping could have been easier or smoother! So it definitely didn't cause any problems... Whether it helped or not who knows?

Used it on my girl and I don't think her whelping could have been easier or smoother! So it definitely didn't cause any problems... Whether it helped or not who knows?

I would very much hope that wasn't the case and i highly doubt anyone involved with the ANKC or their state organisations would even consider that. Perhaps selling to someone who posed as an excited and perfect puppy buyer, yes, but to 'offload' to a puppy farmer, when what they are trying to do is improve the breed, to create dogs that looks and act and perform as their specific breed should, it would go against everything they were doing. You could almost suggest that a very very unethical breeder might sell a litter to a pet shop - and i mean almost because it would be very far against what most fee paying, registered breeders believe in... but to offload to a puppy farmer, knowing full well that the dog would then be used for breeding!? Ugh sorry but to suggest that is so frustrating.... It would be SO unfair to "suppose that some breeders would do that." ETA: On topic - a friend told me this was on, but heard more of the vibe of buying from an ethical breeder and meeting the parents of the pups etc? Sadly there ARE registered breeders who a)don't care where there pups end up as long as they get the $$$ in their pocket; OR b)DO sell unregistered litters to petshops/agents; OR c)are nothing more than registered puppy farmers themselves.

I understand what you are saying, in terms of showing dogs, hand stripping is the "natural" way. However the term implies a different thing to the general public. If pet person buys an Airedale terrier it is not going to look even remotely like it's show ring counterparts if left natural (no human intervention) wereas the the short coated breeds do (and even to some extent the feathered/spaniel/spitz breeds do). for example With regard to hand-stripping of terriers (specifically the Border Terrier as it's my breed), they are meant to look fairly natural (although some take it too far IMO), and correctly groomed they look not that different from the BTs of old who worked in the morning then hit the ring in the afternoon- their coats were naturally shortened/stripped by the dog constantly going through brush and wooded areas etc. Because our dogs today don't hunt, we have to help them shed their coat (as per CruisenRoxy's example of the westie coat- if we don't strip the dead hair complications can arise). So in the case of Border Terriers at least, it's a case of comfort & necessity that they are stripped when required and not solely a fashion statement (clipping the dog can lead to irritation such as ingrown hairs and skin complaints, neglecting stripping/combing will result in the dead hair staying on the dog leading to itchiness and discomfort). Borders seem to have a different type of wire coat to others......

OMG they are awesome!!! Do you think you could make mini ones?? I'd love to buy some to go in my puppy packs the ones in the shops are too hard (rope) for babies IMO.

Agree. It's all about the money and not the animals these days

The fenuegreek makes everything smell lovely And Ziva LOVES the taste. CB- hope your girl settles soon

I hang out at local cafes with outdoor tables As well as other high human traffic areas (schools, shopping centres, train station etc). Ziva went for a day trip into the city (as in Melbourne city) via the train, and we hung out at mum's work (uni library LOL). I carried her throughout most of the city though, popping her down for a toilet break every so often. She was only small though.

Do you have any photos of your fox?? One of my favourite animals Crossbred horses seem to have many many benefits over purebreeds for sport & competition (Warmblood mixes, TB/Clydie, Irish Sport Horses etc), and I would actually consider the purpose-bred mixed breed horses as pedigree if they come from registered parents?? After all, a pedigree is just the family tree. And many horse registries take applications based on conformation/type (Waler, Australian Pony studbook, as well as the colour registries and so on). I have had an Aussie Pony type (had a brand but never found out who bred him), Mini Horse (we think... she was a rescue), Thoroughbred & mum currently has what we believe to be a Connemara (sp) cross.