raineth

Cleo is lovely! I just love those b&t kelpies :)

Is there a Cavalier Rescue group? That would be a good option (if there is one!) Honestly rehoming him could be the best thing she ever does for him sadly.

I think some kennels are really good; and in that case it would all be well. I guess as a breeder I would be interested in the kennel they were going to use. If the puppy is socialised to it; I think it might be o.k. I guess as well you wouldn't want to choose a breed, or a pup, that is more prone to separation anxiety, or any of the other forms of anxiety. A confident and more independent-minded pup would do better. This is one reason why it would be important for the breeder to know.

are you talking about the type in which the dog wears a collar and gets a warning and then a zap if he goes past the boundary? Or are you referring to an actual electric fence? we just yesterday installed a Ping fence along one boundary because the dog next door is always growling at our dogs and our female dog sometimes can't resist having a go back at her *groan*. the section is about 18 metres that we fenced off. It cost us over $300 to do so and took my poor hubby four hours (with the right tools) to install! Although partly that's because we had to install it over concrete. So fencing off a really big area might be very pricey! I do know that you have to use a set-up that is specifically designed for dogs (not livestock). I bought the kit off these guys: http://www.sureguard.com.au/dog_electric_fence.html and they were very promt with shipping etc.

That's awful! I can't stand that sort of mob mentality either I'll take your word for it, there's no way I want to check it out myself. But at the same time it makes me think that the people doing this are a crazy minority in rescue, rather than the majority. I personally don't think anyone should be treated like that even if they've bought from a petshop or byb. for myself personally, I honestly don't know if I have the confidence to ever get a pedigree puppy again. My one and only pedigree dog suffered from a whole host of problems, temperamental and healthwise, and died at a very young age even though I spent a lot of time selecting a respected breeder. It was so traumatising that I just don't know if I can do it again. I'm not saying that's rational, it is definitely an emotional response but I can't really help it. I have had really good experiences with my rescue dogs and so I think I'll stick with that :)

I dunno, maybe I don't move in the right circles but I've never heard anyone from rescue talk about people who own purebreds as snobs I am happy with the decisions I've made about the dogs I've chosen to own. If other people aren't then that's their problem :)

oh that's such awesome news Horts! He is such a beautiful boy and looks so at home already and his name is fabulous! Did you change it or was it his original name?

thanks for all the info in this thread. I downloaded the update yesterday afternoon and then snapped a couple of quick shots to try. It was quite fun :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/59546067@N05/7206253828/

He has a lovely expressive face :) you should tell us some more about the breed :)

I just loved watching that! It was beautifully filmed too. You put up great vids Blackdogs Isn't it weird that they thought little dogs wouldn't be able to make the distance of the million paws walk Most dogs unless they have a medical condition, can out perform us humans. Although I guess maybe a breed like a pekingese might struggle.

same as Wuffles, I use a "bribe" - the dog being left at home doesn't miss out, they get a deer ear or something similar. However I think Flemo may need something a bit different. I would do something similar. I would try to find the threshold at which he is o.k. and work from there. So maybe you could put him outside, and bring Tessa inside. Wait for 10 seconds (while he is being quiet) and then let him in. Just slowly, slowly increase it. You can also give him a treat which may distract him enough to not panic straight away, and then you can let him in after a few seconds. With the idea being that you want him to learn a pattern, and understand that it's o.k. and nothing to worry about. The pattern being, I go outside, get a treat, wait and get let back in. I agree with wuffles, that it will be a lot easier if he can't actually see what's going on.

oops I missed this when I replied before. I'm not at all superstitious. But out dog Digby was treated so badly by his first owners and his life with us is pretty good (even if I do say so myself) so I can't think that it had any negative consequences for him! He is also the most gorgeous dog that would make any owner proud. So nothing bad for us either :)

Don't forget that its only a name to us humans. To a dog it's just a signal to gain their attention :) Think of all the ways we use to gain a dog's attention and they respond to all of them. So they have little trouble with the change. We changed our dog's name from Diesel to Digby. Diesel just didn't suit him at all! If I were you I'd just choose my favourite name rather than narrowing your options by trying to choose a similar sounding name :) congrats on the new addition by the way

wow that is really wonderful! Very inspirational to see rescue dogs going on to do such amazing things

yeah I think something like a Rott or an Akita could be really good :) Also it doesn't mean you'll never get a Tibetan Mastiff, it just means that you'll have more knowledge and experience when you own one one day :)

yes I go walking with either of my two at night and definitely feel entirely comfortable doing that :) I'm not at all an expert on Tibetan's but I thought they were a very serious guardian breed. Don't underestimate what it's going to be like going from a biddable dog like a Goldie to some of these breeds, especially the guardian breeds :) We had our first Dane after a very biddable stumpy-tail cattle dog and it was a whole different ball game! :) If you are on an acreage there are a couple of things to think about. Firstly the fences are usually farm height fences; so you have to make sure you get a dog that doesn't want to escape and that you have somewhere to put it where it can't escape (when you go out). Also you need to make sure that people have access to your front door without being accosted by the dog. Definitely something to think about with any of the guardian breeds. Have you considered a Bernese as Alkhe said? ETA: here is an informative thread on the Tibetan Mastiff :) http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/232910-tibetan-mastiff/page__p__5688616__hl__%2Btibetan+%2Bmastiff__fromsearch__1#entry5688616

as the owner of two giants, most of the time people are intimidated just because of there size. I find it a bit annoying at times actually. I would say out of the three you chose the Leo would be the best bet, in terms of its temperament traits. But I think they are all fairly drooly. The least drooly of the giants would be an Irish wolfhound and Deerhound I think.

isn't the whole point of having breeds because they have different traits? That's why it's important to choose the right breed, a breed that is compatible with someone's personality and lifestyle. Personally I don't believe in "there are no bad dogs, just bad owners". There are dogs out there with very poor temperaments that their owners have not been the cause of.

:laugh: @ Sheridan. Gosh they are adorable! Possum you should put some pics up of your Scotty! :)

The other thing to remember is that 100% supervision is very difficult. When our kids were in the babies/toddler/preschool age group our dog was an outside dog because that was the only way we could do 100% supervision. And depending on what we were doing outside, sometimes the dog was put in a separate area if we couldn't be watching and supervising the whole time. But it is very difficult and even the most careful owner/parent can be caught out.

I can imagine I'd be a dreadful malinois owner :laugh: I am most suited to dogs who need low to medium stimulation (that is mental and physical) rather than high stimulation. And I don't like barking. So I am very drawn to most of the giant breeds as most of them are fairly lazy and quiet. I don't have any problem with stubborness (or what is considered stubborness really). I love dogs like GSPs and Vizslas, but they are waayyy too cracker for me! So all the very energetic, need a job, and prone to be noisy breeds are not for me. I would be very good with sighthounds if I posessed a suitable place for them to run (which sadly I don't )

awww he is just lovely! I bet you fell inlove with that happy smiling facve of his

I was wondering about the "whole lot of terrier" think too :) I noted that they used to be nick-named 'the dour Scott'!

thanks so much for the replies everyone Its really great to hear from others about all the scotties out there and what they are like :) we are kind of considering owning one, one day. But I have to find out a lot more before they really go on the list :) seems as though they are just going through a bit of a lull in their popularity then, as happens with different breeds sometimes. I hope to meet another one day!

Scottish terriers are one of those iconic breeds that everyone knows. But I've only ever seen one in real life. I didn't even see any at the local dog show. There are only 25 breeders listed on DOL. So I was just wondering why there are so few? Are they just not popular at the moment? Or are their temperament's a bit difficult to manage or something? I think they are just so incredibly cute <3