Joel

Oh, I forgot to add, I really like whippets, but I prefer dogs that are a little... meatier Actually, I like dogs to be really muscly and heavy (a breed that comes into mind is the American Bulldog *drool*) but I don't think they would really suit our situation with honey at the moment. She plays with my aunts Rotties, and they just can't handle it, poor things. They try, but she just runs rings around them. Before we got Honey I was looking into American Bulldogs, but I didn't know how to find a reputable breeder then (and they weren't very common at all), and now theres no point Oh well, next time maybe. For now, the race continues. P.S. I wonder whether if I had never mentioned Pointers or GSPs whether people would have recommended them. I assume so, but would it have been as many I wonder?? *ponders*

hehehe, thanks guys for all the suggestions umm, I don't mind brushing my dogs, but i dont want to be in a situation where if I dont do it for a fornight they look like a hobo. I dont quite know what blowing a coat means (I thought it meant most of the undercoat coming out in one go (in a week or so)). If that was the case and after that there was hardly anything, that would be fine. If on the other hand there was that, AND more, then its a bit too much of a pain for me. The main reason that I consider the need to not need too much grooming is because I plan on moving back to melbourne eventually, which will mean that they will spend a lot of time in a muddy old dam. Having a big white fluffy dog thats covered in muddy water every week is not a real good combo (especially since I've read that dogs shouldn't be washed that often and can develop skin issues(?)). As far as a smooth collie goes, im not real big on how they look (sorry all the collie owners!) I'll look into the Finnish Lapphund, but they LOOK like a high maintenance breed. That said, I know nothing about them, so I'll do some reading I also looked into a Blue Merle Border Collie as an option (far out do they look nice), but I think that they just might not be chilled out enough when they're not doing something <--- Can anyone who's got one confirm or deny? THE HUNT CONTINUES!!! *Puts on racing commentator voice* THEY"RE OUT OF THE BOX, its the English Pointer and its cousin the German Shorthaired neck and neck! They come into the corner with the Pointer on the inside, a nose in front, the Finnish Lapphund and the little Whippet closing in on the GSP. Don't rule out number 3 yet folks, the fabulous Blue Merle Border Collie is not letting them out of their sights and, as we've seen before, can have plenty of run in the last legs of the race. HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS FOLKS, THE ATMOSPHERE HERE IS ELECTRIC. Stay tuned.

Thanks for the suggestion - Ive edited the topic title and put another bit in my first post

I tend to disagree. A lot of people on here have said that you shouldn't let your dog play with the staffy again, but I think that this will only hurt your dog further. If Sid doesn't have a chance to get over it (which dogs are really good at), then of course you're going to end up with behavioral problems. Its the same for people who get attacked by dogs. When do you ever hear of someone giving advice to someone whos been bitten by a dog, saying "you should never be around them again"? Having said that, I wouldn't do it at a dog park and I would be supervising the whole thing. From the sounds of it, the Sid and the Staffy got on well before the incident - theres no reason why they can't still. I know that my Dachshund used to fight with my Grandma's Fox Terrier (we lived at her house) occasionally (they couldn't figure out between them where their place was in the pack -_-) and sometimes it would be brutal, but afterwards, they were better friends than ever - very sorry indeed. Personally, I would be reporting it (which you have ) just so theres a record of it (in case it happens again (or on a number of occasions)). At the end of the day, it's hard for anyone here to really say whos fault it was - we weren't there. For all we know, it was Sid's (im not saying that it was, im just illustrating our inability to judge whether any of the dogs involved are 'vicious' because none of us (including you) were there). That said, I wouldn't be going back to the dog park. I personally feel that they are an environment fraught with danger. There are just too many people who take their dogs there who haven't had the slightest bit of training and so many who have just had their dogs inside (or stuck outside) for weeks, not seeing anybody, only to be released into a zoo of hyperactive, dominant, anxious dogs. And people wonder why theres problems It's a shame, because unless you own a huge backyard or a farm, then dog parks are generally the only places you're allowed to have your dog off lead. That means if you live in a little flat, then either you brave the dog park, go in the middle of the night when nobody's there, or your dog has to be stuck on the end of a lead for its whole life outside. What I suggest is to get your trainer to give you a hand re-socializing Sid again. Maybe invite the Staffy owner (along with the Staffy obviously) to a training session where they can be around other well balanced dogs and be supervised and see how that goes. If they dont want to come, then so be it. Anyway, it's good to hear that Sid is ok and getting better. I hope he's back in action soon I hate seeing (or hearing about) dogs being hurt Make sure to post a pic when he's all better and running around playing like a puppy should P.S. Wouldn't it be great if people had to pass a test with their dogs to be allowed to go to dog parks? I think it would solve most of the problems regarding unsocial behavior.

AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA Gotta love it.

Don't be afraid to make a correction on someone elses dog if they charge you or your dog. Most people dont appreciate others touching their dogs (I dont mean to hit or anything like that, but touch, sure) and will probably say something, at which point you can tell them that if they had control of their dog in the first place, you wouldn't have to intervene. The problem is, (as an example) if you had a breed like a Rottweiler, Pit Bull, German Shepherd, Staffy or Greyhound even and got charged by a cute little white fluff ball and they fight, what breed do you think is going to be in the paper with the label of trouble maker? It'll be the large breed for sure. I see this problem almost every day (I live across the road from a dog park). Our next door neighbour for example has a Chihuahua that he has on lead till he gets to the end of his driveway... at which point he takes it off and lets the little thing go wherever it wants. Another example that I see very often is people who drive to the park and let there EXTREMELY excited dogs out of the car without a lead and without calming them down first. And what do they do? As soon as they see another dog, then charge on over. Now, Honey is dog aggressive while shes on the lead. If another dog ever charged us, I would have to physically stop them from coming too close. If i didn't, she would probably tear them apart (unless they were a large breed of course, and then thered just be a horrible fight and i'd probably end up getting bitten while breaking it up). People dont understand that this is a problem (charging). They think its cute to see their little fluff ball run up and be excited to see another dog. What they dont realise is that if their dog comes up against another that really doesn't appreciate it, theres a chance that their little bundle of fluffy love is going to end up in hospital or in the ground. There should be harsher penalties for people who dont control their dogs while off the leash. That said, I like the idea of being able to have a dog off the leash. HOWEVER, I think that to have the privilege of having your dog off leash you and your dog should have to pass a test. It could incorporate things like walking distance from you, recall, stay with time, distance and distraction, and ability to play with other dogs. Owners should also have to pass a test on dog park etiquette. The overall problem with people and their dogs is ignorance. They just dont know. How often do you see someone walk their dog past a gate with another dog behind it, and when that dog starts going off, they STOP WALKING and let their dog bark on the other side of the gate?! I mean, come on. * I think people should have to pass a test to have pets in the first place. If they did, all those who weren't prepared for their animals probably wouldn't have got them in the first place.

lol about the remote controls. I am becoming more and more confident that I would be able to handle the energy of most, if not all breeds (yesterday I found an oval which I will be able to have my dog(s) off leash and will not be bothered by other peoples poorly trained dogs, so I can let mine run like madmen and play frisbee to their hearts content. We took Honey there yesterday and she was WOOOOOORN OUT by the end of it. As soon as she got back in the car, bang on her side lying down, wrecked. Hehehe, it was great to see. She really loves it. Up until now it was a case of how I would exercise them in this backyard without pulling out the sheds (which I'm still considering, but have to run it by the owner first (my partner and I live in a small cottage type thing in the back), but now, we have a place to go and completely tire the dog(s) out! :D:D:D I couldn't be more excited ;) Even after spending some time with fiveplusone's GSP, Hugo (who is amazing by the way - really sweet and one of the most interesting looking GSPs I have seen (and boy have I looked at a lot of pictures) and thank you again for letting us come and spend some time with you and your family ) I am leaning away from GSPs as a breed for me at this point in time. Even though they are not ALL like energizer bunnies, I think generally speaking they are and I don't think I would feel right keeping them confined to a small space, no matter how often I took them to the park (I mean, honestly, most people (including me) would limit it to once a day as thats what their schedule allows (maybe twice on occasion) and I just dont want to risk that not being enough. Hmm...

yep, thats one of the reasons why I'm here ;) I would never get a dog without first doing the research. I have a MASSIVE issue with people that get pets without first understanding what they're signing up for. That is the reason I posted on here asking about the differences between the two. I know that I personally have trouble with super hyperactive dogs, which I heard GSPs are (which is fine, and I know that each individual dog is different, but generally speaking) and that doesn't necesarilly suit my current situation. My dream is to one day own a farm, with more land than I know what to do with and not worry that my animals aren't going to have enough room. THEN, I can get a hyper dog and be confident that I can exercise them enough for their level of energy. (At the moment I have a decent sized backyard where I'm staying, but theres sheds and stuff in the way, so theres no long "run"). I am lucky that Honey (who is a working breed) has a relatively low energy level for her breed(s) (dont get me wrong, when we play and exercise her, she goes flat out, and can go flat out for a long time, but she is just as happy being a lazy bum ). What my situation calls for at the moment is a dog that can both keep up with her as far as energy stores go, but one that can also be comfortable relaxing and chilling out while they're not playing. It just so happens that I like the look of both English & German Shorthaired Pointers, and like their ability to do fieldwork (not that its really that important to me, I just find the idea somewhat romantic, lol). If anyone has some other breed suggestions, I'm definitely open to them, I was just drawn to both types of Pointers from videos that I've watched of them. I also really like the look of Blue Merle Border Collies, but I think that they'll have more energy than I can handle at the moment and need more grooming than I'm prepared for. When we first started considering getting another dog (which was almost a year ago, so I've been looking in to it for a long time, just getting more serious about it now), I was looking in to getting a Samoyed as I heard their temperaments are almost the perfect example of what a dogs temperament should be. On the other hand, the grooming that they require is more than what we're prepared to do (especially considering at the time when we were in Melbourne, we would go to my aunts house AT LEAST once a week and all the dogs would swim in the muddy dam). I also think that a Samoyed would struggle with heat (even though I was told that they handle it fine). I was also considering a German Shepherd as they're known to be extremely intelligent, reasonably energetic, don't require a huge amount of grooming and have a pretty good temperament, but I don't like the idea that people are always automatically on the back foot when they look at a German Shepherd because theres so much publicity out there saying that they're dangerous (even though I know its not the case - my family has owned GSs before). I also dont like how they have been bred to stand with their hind legs stretched so far back - it makes them look awkward and unnatural (I know that they aren't all like this, but again, generally speaking). I've also looked at Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Labs, Dachshunds (my family has owned a lot of these over the years - we just love them, but Honey plays too rough to have one of these and it wouldnt be able to keep up with her), American Bulldogs and Huskies. At the end of it all, we've come down to GS and English Pointers. They seem to tick most, if not all of the boxes that I'm looking at the next member of our family ticking: High level of energy with the ability to be calm and chilled out, low maintenance in regards to grooming, level temperament, intelligent, friendly, love attention, and all in all a nice looking dog. Like I said, if anyone has any other suggestions though, I'm certainly open to them

aussiedog make really great stuff, but $20+ for a disk is probably a little more than I wanted to spend (I'm looking at getting between 3-5). In comparison, the Jawz disks are $17 and are competition quality, just stronger. Thanks for linking me to the aussiedog website though - I found some other stuff that I like too

Hey all, I've got a kelpie mix that im looking at getting in to playing with disks more regularly and as a bit more of a serious thing (not competition or anything, just for fun). I've got a foam type frisbee at the moment, but its pretty poor as far as they go. I was just wondering what people think are some good disks which both fly well and stand up to being bitten 50 times a day? So far I've been looking at the Fastback frisbees and the Hyperflite Jawz disks and have been come to the realization that this is not going to be cheap, lol. Any suggestions?

I'm inclined to not get a rescue this time - every dog I've ever had has been a rescue, including Honey (who already has some behavioral problems (afterall, she had a pretty horrible life before we got her (ill put her history at the bottom of this post). I'd like to start fresh this time and would like to experience the joy of a puppy for a change (I've been around puppies before (my family has gotten rottie puppies)). On another note, I think we will end up getting a male. We haven't decided 100% yet, but I would just like to limit the POSSIBILITY of fighting as much as I can. We'll see though. Also, how do you train your dogs recall? I mean, getting a dog to come when its called is one thing - getting it to come when theres something REALLY interesting in the other direction, is another. HONEY's BACKGROUND: Honey was rescued when my mum and aunt took a trip to QLD to get some information for our family tree and found her next door to where they were staying. She was put in a backyard separate from the house, full of prickles and only being fed banana skins... occasionally. When we got her, she looked terrible. I mean, you could tell that she was the sweetest thing, but the way that she had been treated made her look absolutely horrible. She was all skin and bones, had cuts all over her and was too scared to move. So my mum and aunt stormed over, knocked on their door and said they were going to take both dogs (there was a maltese mix too although it was in better condition, it just hadn't been groomed and had prickles in its face). The owners refused to give over the maltese, but said they didn't care about the other one and they could take it if they wanted. So, back to Melbourne they came. Honey was spayed, and then stayed at my aunts for a while (she has two rotties as well and a huge property). After a while we were offered the opportunity to take her and took it. Training her as been an uphill battle. She'd never been on a lead, never been on a walk, never been inside the house, never socialized apart from the little maltese mix, didn't know how to act around people, nothing. She was scared of absolutely everything (she's still scared of strange noises). She was so scared in the beginning that she didn't want to come out from her crate. Now she's prettty good. She still has some problems. but she is one of the sweetest dogs ive ever been around. All she wants to do is play and snuggle. I think she would chew her own foot off before she hurt anyone. She's got the sweetest eyes and face - i don't know how anyone could treat her (or any animal for that matter) the way she was treated. We love her ;)

Going to a show would be great (I've been to some shows before), but I would like to not have to wait too long before we get the next member of our family (the reason being is that at the moment I am not working, so I am able to dedicate all my time to Honey and the new puppy. If I wait for too long, I will be unable to be in the same position. I know that plenty of people have puppies while they are working, but I prefer to be around them all the time (for a while at least)). Surely a dogs recall is dependent on training? I would have thought that distance would not really be an issue, so long as they can hear you (and a whistle will fix that problem). Even though I would really like to get the new dog (whichever breed it may be) into field training, I think it will be more likely that I will train them both in agility. I just don't know how I would incorporate Honey in to field work, and it's not fair to leave her out, and I don't think I'll have the time (but probably more so, the drive) to have them both do separate things.

AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. This made me laugh a lot when I saw it. "What drool??" <--- ROFLMAO. Thank you everyone for being so helpful, especially inviting us to come and see your dogs! Does the Pointer being more of an "undiscovered" breed make it harder to get a well bred dog? Also, what are everyones opinions on sex... (ie, Honey is female, and we have heard that two females together don't get along as well (more of the time) than a male and a female). Both would be spayed/neutered (Honey already is), and I personally have no real preference. Well, thats not entirely true. I tend to lean more towards females for some reason, but I would much prefer get a male than have an increased chance of my dogs fighting. What do you think?

Hehehe, looking at Honey, i would say that not every 'working dog' is born to work either, lol. (as i wrote that, she gave out the biggest sigh ive heard, changed position and went back to sleep). Its good to hear about the agility - I think its something that Honey would be great at too (actually, we've had a number of people ask us why we haven't trained her to do agility yet). Wow Carey, she is beautiful. I laughed a little when I saw the second picture - thats one of Honey's favorite positions to fall asleep in! I dont understand how they find it comfortable, lol.

hehehe yeah, im getting the feeling that it was probably the wrong way to say it I read it from the GSP 101 thread though (but I think that it ties in with anxiety, which (in my opinion) arises from poor leadership, training and socialization). I would like to train whichever my partner and I choose to get to do field work (not because I'm a hunter, but I compare it to huskies with sledding - it gives them an activity that they're naturally good at and enjoy doing and is fun for everyone). I don't know how exactly I'd go about it, but I would like to incorporate Honey into it as well (not really fair if I leave her sitting on the sidelines). I think she has a terrible sense of smell though :\ (I play a search game with her where she has to find her toy that ive hidden (and it stinks, so she should be able to smell it a mile away) and unless she sees it, she never finds it. Shes had her head resting on it before and didn't realise until she pulled back and saw it). Maybe get the GSP/Pointer to find what they're looking for (ie, a bird) and then get Honey to retrieve it (although I wont be shooting anything, but I can throw a toy bird for her or something).

hehehe cool sammy, they sound wonderful! yeah i'd like to meet some (part of wanting some breeder recommendations is so I can meet up with them and hopefully check out their dogs and be around them for a while). The being able to settle down easilly is a really important thing in this house as Honey, when she is outside is super energetic (and never without a tennis ball in her mouth waiting for me to throw it for her) but SUPER relaxed inside. At the moment she is lying half on her bed, half off, asleep (and dreaming) in front of the heater. Heres a pic of her

Some breeder recommendations from one of your trainers would be great! I have heard that both are lovely breeds (which is what drew me to them in the first place). I think reserved was the wrong word to use. I mean more... cautious of strange things. Bah, i don't know the right word for it. It'll come to me eventually (probably when I'm in bed trying to go to sleep).

EDIT: ------------------------------------- Ok, so far I'm leaning towards a Pointer (English), but I would like to ask if anyone has any other suggestions on breeds. Originally this post only concerned GS and English Pointers, but with the suggestion from Snowysal to change the topic title to change the direction of the thread to include suggestions of other breeds, I've decided to do so. SO, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears P.S. The type of dog I'm after needs to meet these characteristics: > Be able to keep up with Honey (Kelpie/Red Heeler/Unknown mix (theres a pic of her further down if you want to see)) > Needs to be able to be calm inside (even though Honey is as quick and energetic as any dog ive seen while shes playing outside, once shes inside its like shes eaten the biggest meal of her life and just wants to lie down) > Needs to be social with people and other dogs > Can't be too high maintenance in regards to grooming (that said, Honey never stops shedding - i sweep the floor almost every day and come up with a handful of fur. i dont know how she produces so much hair!). Thats all I can think of at the moment, lol. So, FIRE AWAY ORIGINAL POST: ------------------------------------- My partner and I are looking into getting some company for our Red Heeler/Kelpie mix Honey so she's not alone while we're at work (and because we just love to have dogs around - they seem to make everything a little more enjoyable). So far we've been looking at getting a GSP, have spoken briefly with a breeder and have been doing some reading. We need an active dog to keep up with Honey (she's only 2) so the GSP fits the bill well. On the other hand, I've also read that GSPs can be a little reserved with other dogs and people (when we visit my family (who all have dogs) its not uncommon for there to be 6 or more dogs at someones house at one time AND i live across the road from a dog park), which may be a problem. Which brings me to my question... Which, the German Shorthaired or English Pointer has a better temperament? Obviously a lot of this has to do with the environment that a dog lives and was brought up in, but generally speaking. Also, are there any other benefits of one over the other? Is one of them more energetic than the other (obviously we want something that can keep up with Honey's working dog energy, but dont want a dog thats going to be bouncing off the walls at night)? More willing to chill out inside on the couch (not that I let dogs on the couch, but figuratively speaking)? Better around other dogs? Health issues? Lol, theres a lot of questions there. Any insight would be really great! Oh, I might as well ask while I'm at it... does anyone have any recommendations for breeders (of both breeds)? We live in Adelaide, but my family is in Melbourne, so I dont mind traveling there (to be honest, I'd probably travel most places in the country for the right dog).

She does indeed have a white tipped tail. I was supposed to type it in when I wrote about her tail but accidently skipped it, lol! Wow that sounds both amazing and bizarre! I haven't noticed her do anything resembling that yet (but that said she's not living with me yet and I haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with her yet as shes still at my aunts). HOPEFULLY, ill be going over there tonight and I'll try and take some more (better) photos ;)

Thanks everyone for your support and advice. I'm not too worried about her breed personally, but I just wanted to make sure that if worst came to worst then I wasn't going to end up putting us in a situation where she could be taken away from us because I didn't do my homework. DMA, Alice looks beautiful! I'll try and get some better photos of Jess soon. Those were taken the day she was de-sexed, so she was feeling quite sorry for herself (and they were taken late at night with bad lighting). Ill see what I can do. They definately dont do her justice. Im aware that her attitude may change once shes a little more 'settled in'. I'm pretty confident that we will be able to keep her under control if it turns out she becomes a handful. Members of my family have looked after previously abused animals before and those have been some of the best companions we've had. I'm sure I'll get plenty of help with her if we need it (which I'm sure we will in one form or another (whether it be professional or not)). Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone, you've all been really helpful

I just posted it here because my original concern was if she was indeed part dingo whether there was anything that I would legally have to consider. I thought it might just get lost in the crowd in the general section.

I wouldn't describe it as skulking... i don't know how to describe it. I don't mean when shes just walking next to me - even when shes playing. It may just be that shes timid. I think we will end up taking her. Even though my aunt is not the type of person to let her go to just any 'good home' - it has to be an outstanding home (and she'd check), but I love Jess' personality and I think (with help of course) that I could give her a great life. She's great with other dogs (so far). Like I said, shes staying at my aunts with her two rotties and my mum brings her greyhound over and they all do really well together. She seemed way too interested in my aunts parrot (can't blame her - it was walking around on the floor), but we'll work on that. Shes not affraid to assert herself either (not aggressively, but the rotties are huge and she doesn't let them push her around too much (much like the greyhound, which is the boss of the bunch)). So far she's seemed ok with the cat (although that said, the cat is the boss of everyone, especially the rotties lol). The good thing is shes only young. The vet said shes about a year old. So plenty of time to train and socialise. I'm glad I posted this topic, it's made me a lot more comfortable with the idea. I just hope other people are as good about her when I walk her through town or something, lol! Danke everyone

I think the thing that makes me think she has dingo in her is her general appearance, but notably the bushy tail and the way she slinks around everywhere. The way she walks and runs is very... i dont know a word to describe it... sneaky... or elusive. She was microchipped at the same time as she was de-sexed. I don’t know under what breed. I think there were a few D-words dropped while she was at the vet, which made us even more convinced. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to get into a situation where someone could report us and then have the authorities try and take her away (im about as likely to give up a dog that i take in to my family as i am to give up one of my legs, so that could cause some problems). Thanks for all your help so far

Thought I'd pop my posting cherry with a question that I have regarding a dog that my partner & I are considering taking on.... First of all... My mum and my aunt were in QLD visiting some family and saw this dog (shes named Jess) next door. She was being abused and starved. So, over they went with their crazy faces on saying that they would take her. They flew back with Jess who was (obviously) quite frightened and distressed. Considering the circumstances though, she was very good. Now, my aunt already has two ENORMOUS Rottweilers (and I mean HUGE - they look like bears) and my mum has her own dog (greyhound). Neither of them is able to adopt her due to their own circumstances. At the moment she's staying with my aunt. She's just been de-sexed, wormed, vaccinated etc. On to the main point... We don't exactly know what breed she is. The previous owner said she was a red heeler - kelpie cross, but i don’t think so. I think she’s definitely got some red heeler in her (she has (although faint) red & white heeler socks). I think she’s mostly dingo. There’s a lot of negativity surrounding Dingos, but she’s one of the sweetest dog I've ever seen, and there were a number of people at the vet (staff) that wanted to take her home (and offered). I don't have an issue whatever breed she is, but is there any special considerations that need to be made if she is indeed at least part dingo? Are there things we won’t be able to do with her or places we won’t be able to go? Any help/advice would be great! - Joel P.S. We currently live in Vic, but will most likely be moving to SA early next year.