Zug Zug

Yes - and almost too many to count! I am allergic to normal fur. So my list goes like this: Standard Poodle another mini poodle another bichon (RIP Mozart) Lagotto Tibetan Terrier if I could have any breed (ie ignore my allergies) it would also include: Aussie Shepherd Hungarian Viszla Greater Munsterlander Irish Red and White Setter Welsh Springer Kelpie Whippet (I grew up with a Whippet cross and she was just the perfect dog!) bearded collie rough collie and the list goes on (and on and on)

I am also interested to know if the smell indicates a need to squeeze... Not my favourite job

Mesh is a great idea! A determined Whippet can leap tall buildings... If in doubt, go higher (not lower)

Delighted to hear that the breeding community in Australia is taking this issue seriously. Cavs are a really lovely breed, and they give their owners so much pleasure. They are very well suited to so many modern households, and will only become more popular over time if their health issues can be managed effectively. This is the kind of illness that could make many potential owners think twice. It would be a shame to see the breed decline.

Joined for training advice. Stayed for the entertainment value!

There was never any question that I would consider approaching them for puppies. I am obviously reading more into it than a simple case of poorly designed website. I hope it is as innocent as others have suggested. Given they are promoting their pups for breeding purposes, I have my doubts. But I do hope you are right and I am wrong.

They didn't use the word 'stock'. They used the word 'prouducts'.

For poodle grooming, you can't go past the Shirlee Kalstone book called 'Poodle clipping and grooming'. So if you do end up heading in that direction one day, that book is a must. But it only covers poodles, so is probably not what you are after right now.

So so so sorry to hear this news. It is different when a young healthy dog dies. It is not just the loss, it's the shock and the anger and feeling it's just not right and not fair. My deepest sympathies to you for the sudden loss of Brock. I hope the check of you garden provides you with some answers this morning. It does sound like snail bait. Thinking of you this morning.

Oops sorry had a computer glitch there... I was going to say - 13 years later he was a wonderful dog who lived a wonderful life. But that pet shop treated him like a mere product, and here is someone on DOL doing the same thing. If they are genuine, why aren't they picky about who gets to breed from their puppies? Breeding is a responsibility. Not a nice puppy extra. End of rant. Sorry. But it did upset me.

I am not looking for things to be offended by. I just object to pups of this breed being offered so easily to others fo breeding purposes. Or any breed for that matter. Fair point about the word 'products'. It could be a template (still offputting IMO but perhaps it is just a website problem), but in combination with the clear offer of pups for breeding purposes...? It screamed backyard breeding to me. Makes me angry. My dog that died recently came from a pet shop and was very very sick when I got him. The pet shop would not even contribute a cent to his vet bills. I spent way more than his purchase price at the vet keeping him alive. They did say I could bring him back to the shop and they would give me my money back. Said they'd keep him out the back and if he survived, they would sell him. He would certainly have died if I had done that. To them, he really was just a product. He was sick and therefore faulty, so I had a right to a refund of money. I was disgusted! 13

OK, without telling you the breed exactly, many of you may recall that I lost my lovely 13 year old boy a few weeks back. In a fit of nostalgia, I looked at mature dogs of his breed for sale on the Dogzonline website (just looking - as you do). Followed the link from one of the ads. They have a 'products' link on their website. Under 'products' they list 'breeding quality pups' that are sold to you with full registration. Grrrrrrrrrr

I am a strong believer in crates. Zamba is under the desk sitting in her crate right now (with the door open - she loves it). All the advantages others have mentioned - and also it gives us somewhere safe to put her when people come over with their young kids, or when we have a BBQ or party at our place. No risk of her getting into the wrong food, jumping on someone's kids, or getting let out of the yard by someone who was on their way in/out. I swear by them. And the dogs love them so long as you don't push it too hard too early.

So sorry to hear of your loss. Hang in there.

I agree - lots of treats as rewards for every time she chooses to engage with you (but no pressure at this point - she needs to make that choice). Make sure you are the source of all things yummy and awesome. When she has more confidence, you can move on to other games and encourage her to be more playful. But for now, no pressure, ignore her most of the time, but reward her with yummy treats each and every time she chooses to engage with you. Also (if she's a bit on the nervous side) I would be making a mental note to start loads of socialisation in the next few weeks. She will need to meet lots of nice people of different shapes and sizes and they all need to give her lots of treats as well (but only if she is calm and looking at them happily and politely). The training begins! This is the fun stuff - and what having a puppy is all about.

I lost a dog recently. He was 13, and very much loved. I don't think I could give his name to another dog. But if I did, it wouldn't be out of disrespect. It would be an incredible honour for a new pup to carry his name (in my eyes anyway). So I think it can mean different things depending on the context.

Bump - only a few weeks away

Poor Fern. She does look a bit sore doesn't she? But wow she has made some very pretty puppies. Gorgeous colours and markings.

I have signed up. Hoping to learn something, but also looking forward to a year of inspiration and some laughs.

One week on and just letting you all know she seems ok. A bit clingy, but she seems happy and is back into her sleep routine in her newly-warmed crate (which we have ended up leaving right where it always was). I am enormously relieved. She seems quite relaxed and happy. Just slightly more sucky than usual. I am giving her a bit more attention. I agree with an earlier post - it's hard not to when you are used to 2 dogs and suddenly there is just the one. But I'm not spoiling her. We still have our rules.

Bump - not because I am wanting more replies I was just trying to find and copy this link so I don't lose it (now done)

All signed up for the 8:30 one. Taking an hour off work to come home and take notes!!!

Based on your description, a Cocker Spaniel could be a pretty good option. An English Springer Spaniel may also be a good option. Both of these are energetic dogs - the English Springer more so than the Cocker. But both really good family dogs and if you like the look of these breeds I think they're potentially a great option. You'd need to be willing to walk them, but it sounds like that is already part of your plan. And yes good fences essential. This also sounds like you have it under control. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is smaller and quieter, and may be a better choice depending on how much exercise you can offer. But would need to be supervised and protected from your kids (but then all dogs need supervision don't they?). Field Spaniels are also lovely and pretty placid compared with an English Springer as I understand it. So if you want a slightly easier life, and love that spaniel look, then check them out as well.

I don't think you've given us enough information to make a good recommendation for you. Why were your previous Rottweiler and silky good? Would you like something similar now? How much exercise are you willing to give? What breeds do you like the look of? Do you lean more towards the Rottweiler from your past, or the silky? Given you've said you'd like a small dog again - is a silky too small? If so, perhaps a Tibetan Terrier might be a nice step up in size, without getting too big...? And yes I agree with whoever asked what happened with the Lab. Getting an idea of what went wrong there might give us a better clue what kind of dog you really need.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I have been thinking a lot about this overnight and this morning. My current thinking is that I really want a Standard Poodle. I don't think I realised how much I really wanted one until I started thinking about not getting one. I know this is an emotional thing, but I am really attached to this idea. I won't make a decision yet (a bit soon for me) but in terms of possibly going that way I have been thinking along the following lines ... - I know an SA breeder who breeds slightly smaller standards from Swedish lines etc. They are wonderful dogs and fairly lightly built. But I have been thinking about a male (mainly because I think Zamba might not appreciate another female). Given a male is likely to be larger in size, I am now wondering if a smaller female pup may be something to discuss further with this breeder. Not sure - will ponder that some more... - I will definitely take up the suggestion of requesting a medium to lower drive dog or bitch that will not be too overwhelming for Zamba. Probably medium. She is very high drive (she used to be utterly bonkers - now well trained but still high energy), so a low drive puppy could actually suffer for the opposite reason. (Mozart was low drive - she really did torment him at times. Zamba can be bossy.) - I don't mind barking during play. Zamba does that now. I mind persistent barking, mainly because of the stress this could cause our neighbours. - Zamba's safety and sanity is really important to me. I will give some serious thought to how I could keep them physically separated while I'm at work if and when that proves necessary. She does love her crate and would be ok to sleep the day in there from time to time for respite. If it was every day, that would become a bit harder and we might need to build something more substantial in that case. I will give this some serious thought and make sure I have a back-up plan ready. - Definitely separate crates to sleep in! Not something that I'd been thinking about but this will be a more considerate approach I think. Zamba and Mozart always shared their crate, but they were joined at the hip, so it's different. - I am certainly happy to make some daily adjustments to help a pup (of whatever breed or size) be active and happy. Morning and evening training will be a given - I want to compete with this dog and I love training so that would be a joy for me. Fetch is also a definitely possibility on a more regular basis and we have a nice long backyard with plenty of space for that, so that is also a great suggestion. If I need to go for more frequent walks, then fine I'll do that too. The hardest bit is getting out the door. I enjoy the actual walking bit. Yes I am a trainer - so yes I have a reasonable level of knowledge about dogs and training issues. I am also someone who likes to plan ahead, and I consider this to be a big decision and I will keep thinking about it for a few months yet. I really appreciate your feedback - I've never had a Standard or a Lagotto before and you've made me aware of some issues I hadn't considered previously. Thank you all very much!