Zug Zug

German Shepherd

Thanks. I will try them.

Does anyone here have experience bringing dogs in from NZ? We just had a quote from Jetpets and it just about bowled us over. I had expected it to be between 500 and 1000, but it was much, much higher than that. Wonder if there are companies out there offering more reasonable prices? Or perhaps this is just the going rate.

First real trial today. Heeling wasn't bad, missed a signal but overall pretty good. Then she totally refused the stays - ran out of the ring straight after me. I will keep trying, but am starting to think about getting some professional help. Anyone know a good trainer in Adelaide who could give us some assistance one on one???

I agree you should give it a chance to work. These two dogs may be good for each other. Yes you should also talk through some basic rules, and I think it is also good to have a back-up plan of a kennel if the need arises. But I think Poodlefan raises a really important issue. As hard as it is, your OH has invited them down, with their dog. They are just doing as they have agreed with him/her. So it is important that you both now make them feel welcome when they arrive. Being too stressed about the dog could certainly tarnish that, and I think you might regret that down the track. There is no worse feeling than that of feeling like an unwelcome guest. I also agree with the idea of getting a crate for your dog if you don't already have one. That will help give you all some time out from the puppy games, and also give the dogs some time out from the kids and each other. I would even think about 2 crates, unless they're bringing one with them. You could pitch it as 'look we've even set up a special little bed for your dog to rest and be comfortable, right next to our dog's bed', and I think that would go over fine. Obviously both dogs would only go in the crates for a short time unless they are already crate trained and used to it.

I hope it was clear from my earlier post that I was not questioning whether it was an attack. I was, however, saying that on it's own, and given the relatively minor consequences, it probably would not have been newsworthy if it were not for the previous incident. I was attacked by a dog once. It was a serious attack and had some real consequences for me, both in terms of stitches and trauma. But it would never have been considered newsworthy. I hope this woman has not been too badly hurt and shaken up. She no doubt felt very vulnerable. Thank goodness she was able to retreat into the house

To be honest I suspect the lower media coverage is because she was bitten on the ankle and had some 'scratches' - she wasn't killed like the story last week so it is (quite legitimately) a smaller story. I suspect if it were not for last week's fatality, this attack wouldn't have made the news at all. After last week, any dog attack will be news for a while because readers are sensitive about the issue.

Totally agree - your kids and their safety are paramount. It sounds very worrying to me. It is critical you keep the dog and your children entirely away from one another. A snap or bite with kids of that age is generally to the face and can leave awful scars. Good luck - and be strong. Sounds like it may not be easy.

Oops I just read that list in an earlier post. Yes our class 1 dogs would be ready in most cases (dog to dog issue more difficult for some). They come out of class 3 with a higher level of competence than that. Hmm makes me wonder about how much variation there is between clubs...

At least it gets people into training though. I see a lot of people in our club who stay for their certificate, then go. I figure we have them for a short time and the more we can teach them in that time the better. Our class 1 dogs wouldn't be ready. They can sit, stay etc for short periods, but certainly are not reliable yet in most cases. And the loose lead is usually a work in progress. But yes I agree if you walk in with an OC there should be an easy reference to show them what that actually means, so there is no need to argue the point!

Hounds in general can have recall issues and also can take an unhealthy interest in smaller pets. But I would not have thought this was out of reach for a first timer to manage...? A friend of mine has just got one as her first dog and they are a perfect match. But if they want a dog that is easy to train and will sit, stay, rollover etc then I agree and think a gundog or similar may be a better option. It really does depend so much on what they like in a dog. Just my thoughts anyway.

Also Hungarian Viszla. Quite low shedding, very people oriented and loving. More sporty so need more exercise etc but pretty cooperative so should be ok for sensible first timers I think.

If they like hounds they will be spoilt for choice. Greyhound, deerhound (my favourite), saluki for a really soft dog, also whippet, Ibizan, the list goes on if they like gundogs, golden retriever, flat coated retriever. They do shed a bit more though. Main difference being the gundogs would be a bit more needy in terms of exercise and training, but are also a bit more biddable etc so it depends what they like in a dog. I am assuming they don't need a totally non shedding breed (ie they don't suffer badly from allergies but are more preferring not to be inundated by dog hair inside the house)

Yep the discount in SA for adults is level 3 (I don't know about pups - the laws didn't exist when I last had a pup). There are a few great clubs around in Adelaide to get you there. Where do you live? BTW I think this is a great law. Gets a lot of people to obedience classes and they at least learn the basics of training and handling their dog which I think is a really good thing.

Zamba would like to remind us all that she is descended from a proud line of hunting poodles, and that there is no place in the life of a hunting dog for the use of either a hair dryer, or nail clippers.

I have to say I also find this perplexing. After a fatal attack and also a serious attack of several other people. I would have though euthanasing the dog would be automatic.

I was in the UK last year and there were some really nice English Springers around. Not too much coat. Probably about the same as most Brittanys that I have seen. Quite different in appearance to the English Springers I've seen here in the show ring. Perhaps from working lines? But definitely not bonkers working dogs - the ones I met were quite calm and laid back. They would not need a lot of grooming I don't think. And wouldn't be hard to find once they get there. Nice, sensible, biddable dogs of medium size. I reckon they may be very close to what your parents are seeking.

Not sure about activity levels of the Maltese - but barking can be an issue so if they're going down that road then be careful in your search and look for balanced, sensible parents. They are a little dog but can be very loud!

My bichon frise died recently at the age of 13 and all I can say is they're a magic breed and I highly recommend them. He was a fantastic dog - they are famous for having wonderful temperaments in many (though of course not all) cases. He certainly did - utterly bombproof and always happy and so easy to live with. The points made earlier about picking up prickles etc. are of course true. You are also right - the coat can be kept short to dramatically reduce this problem. When kept short they are very low maintenance but of course a bichon will need to be clipped regularly or they will soon have a long coat. If you keep them in a longer coat they will pick up every bit of dirt and every prickle in their path. So you need to be vigilant if taking a coated bichon bush-walking to ensure you remove all prickles and especially grass seeds when you're done. This would be the same for any non-shedding breed. In terms of some of the comparisons you have asked about: - a poodle is higher energy and more bouncy (generally) than a bichon, but also a happy breed (I've had mini poodles as well and I love them but noticeably more active so it depends what you want). Same issue with coat length and prickles etc. so again it's your choice and you can keep them short if you prefer - Papillon - another great breed and also very smart (like a tiny sheepdog really) - yes they do shed some hair but they're fairly small so not loads and loads of hair. They need grooming and again you'll need to keep an eye on prickles in the longer coat. I can't imagine clipping a Papillon into a short coat - possible but just seems wrong but others may disagree - mini schnauzers - also great dogs. Perhaps a smidge more feisty than a poodle, and certainly more than most bichons, but not extreme at all and great dogs. Smart, easy to train. Can be kept pretty short. Love the beard! - Shih Tzus are quite different from a bichon in the temperament stakes. Bichons are typically a love sponge and quite sweet and playful (some can be shy). Shih Tzus (as I understand it) can be a bit more on the feisty side. But perhaps someone with more knowledge of Shih Tzus can confirm this? I've never owned one myself. Etiquette at shows is just go along and enjoy watching all the beautiful dogs. Remember everyone loves their breed the best so they can sometimes be a bit one-eyed about it and some people don't want to talk in detail about their breed's disadvantages (all breeds have them). And remember if someone is showing a coated breed they're pretty busy grooming until their dog has been in the ring. So stand back and admire until after they've been through, but if you want a more detailed conversation you'll find them in a more relaxed frame of mind after their time in the ring, so be sympathetic to that and give them space earlier in the day if they look like they are busy.

Sympathies twodoggies. It's not easy supervising young children and young dogs together. It sounds like you will be doing a combination of separating them and supervising them. I would certainly suggest you separate them at all times while there is food around. If you don't have a crate for your dogs, I would strongly suggest you look into getting one. The great thing about crates is it keeps the dogs and the kids safe at the same time. I have had smallish dogs too and they sometimes feel stressed when young children are around. Not the kids' fault - but kids are not great readers of canine body language and they often treat dogs as if they are toys. Giving a dog somewhere safe to go while the kids are around will probably be welcomed by the dogs (of course you'll need to do some crate training to get them used to it, but it won't take long). Also that means you can be sure where everyone is, and that everyone is safe. If need be, you can put a lock on the crate to prevent kids from breaking in to play with the dogs. This has been a god-send with my dogs. They loved it. When we have BBQs they absolutely needed it. I love my friends' kids but kids and small dogs aren't always a great combination. So we crated the dogs while the food was out, and then towards the mid to late afternoon I would bring the dogs out for some very closely supervised interaction. Saved my bichon from no end of stress. Just something worth considering. But I also agree that a dog that snaps at a kid could easily get into that habit so apart from shielding the dog from that kind of stress you also need to get very good at 'reading the signs' and a behaviourist can be a critical part of that process. It can be amazing what you don't see until someone else points it out!

It's been such a long time since I've posted here, but we have some progress as of today so we're back! Had Zamba entered in a Mock Trial today, and have optimistically entered her in a bunch of trials between now and the end of the year. It's our first time back trying her stays in a trial situation for a very long time (see my previous posts for the whole awful saga). Anyway, her ring work was pretty awful today but we can fix that and I'm not worried about that. But she STAYED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :thumbsup: Both the sit stay and drop stay, the whole time, out of sight, and she didn't look upset at all. In fact she looked very comfortable even though she had dogs breaking either side of her both times. She didn't miss a beat. Don't you just love it when the sun shines and your dog enjoys staying?? I couldn't be happier.

Oops I meant less yappy! Not less happy.

Some bichons, but not all. My bichon Mozart was pretty relaxed about the various comings and goings. I know that some bichons are less flexible though. He did live to be with me - I always had that lively 'welcome home' dance from him. A great breed and less happy than many of the lapdogs.

I would suggest a bichon may be ideal (if they like white) or a Havanese (if they prefer other colours) both gorgeous lapdogs, lovely gentle playful dogs. Tibetan Terriers also sound great but I haven't spent time with them so I am just going on what others have said there. A critical thing would be grooming requirements. If they aren't keen on the regular grooming then forget the bichons and I think the CKCS would be a lower grooming option (not zero grooming though)

Good on you for treating your bichon x like the real dog he is! So many people (possibly including your friend) teach them like toys. They are certainly smart enough to take advantage of that! (my old bichon was with me for 13 years - I really love this breed) my only suggestion is to pick a few very specific issues to work on at a time. Trying to fix too many things at once can leave you feeling unsuccessful. But have a list of say maybe 3 things on the fridge you are working on, and cross each one off as your dog gets the hang of it (and add something in it's place). Eventually you end up with a long list of achievements, which will give you motivation to keep going. Start with 2 simple ones and one that drives you crazy. For example: - sits for 30 seconds - waits quietly in crate for 5 mins (when no visitors are around) - sits for 10 seconds (when visitor in room but isn't making eye contact) So each one is quite specific and achievable. Once you've ticked each one off, you very very gradually increase the level of difficulty, making sure your dog is experiencing loads of success along the way and is amply rewarded for all his good efforts. Have fun!