Little Gifts

They are gorgeous!!!

He looks very focused on you/food in those last photos. He looks ready and willing to be trained to be a great forever dog!

When my boss goes to China on a buying trip he shops in a district where buildings are literally whole neighbourhoods in size. You can walk for literally kilometres inside one building. One day he reckons he walked 17 kilometres inside one building with no backtracking.

Amazing what time and space can do for scared dogs. You are doing a great job PM!

Big hugs to you both. Enjoy each other's company. XXX

Oh I didn't realise it was a CM thing! I'm surprised he hasn't been eaten in his sleep already! And yes I get it now. I wasn't reading fanatic into it but rather an ok premise not worded that well because I do worry about so many dogs being labelled as anxious when often it just an anxious response to certain triggers. Some can be worked through and others maybe not (if the owner sees fit to assess for that). I see no reason to force any animal into a full on confrontation with their darkest fears or even to be forced to deal with what we might see as their weaknesses. If they need to be desensitised to them for their own safety and sanity there are ways to attempt that without causing lasting, further harm like you have said Maddy. Otherwise minimisation, distraction and giving comfort are other options until the fear passes (the dentist tried all 3 techniques on me recently and I still bit his thumb). And lets be real - there is a lot of instinctual behaviour in canines but unless there is an apocalypse, few of our furry companions will ever be leaving our houses, returning to live in packs in the wild, depending on each other for survival.

No, I can appreciate this rationale to a degree. Our pei has 'quirks', loads of quirks! And strangely her quirks and fears have changed over the years (at 6 she recently became shaking in a ball fearful of storms and now barks and whines whenever it even rains). She's also very vocal so if something is upsetting her you will know about it! But she also has definite fears so I would say certain things make her anxious while other things make her prone to be anxious. I try to minimise what truly makes her anxious and I try to help her through the other stuff because I don't want to add to her list of crazy by reinforcing anything (like we treat rain differently to an actual storm as I see them as being two different scenarios with two different behaviours). So she hears a strange noise and starts her crying and ears pivoting and looking around for help. I might ask her what is it and take her to investigate. I tell her what it is and say it is ok or if it is something I want her to alert me to I will thank her for letting me know. Then we all go back to what we were doing or we do something else distracting. I suspect in nature that is what a pack might do - one dog might alert the pack leader to potential danger and the pack leader determines what response the pack should have. But if a dog was always finding danger where there was none I suspect the pack leader would not be shy in chastising them and pulling them back in line. And of course my pei's behaviours when she is truly in fear are different so I think I can tell how to respond to which. But I wonder if some people dump all fears in one basket and use the same cotton wool approach rather than treating the serious ones differently? And they label their dog as anxious when they are only anxious under certain criteria? That's how I read this anyway, that some discomfort is good for a dog. They are smart problem solvers. It's up to us to determine what is a true fear they need protection from and what is just a learning experience that might take them out of their comfort zone for a time. I don't really see the whole chaos thing but I guess many of us have experienced the fears of owners impacting on the social growth of their dogs (little dogs not being able to play with bigger dogs because the owner fears they will be hurt immediately comes to mind) and trying to share an off leash public area with said dog and owner!

I think you should meet them and the puppy and see what your gut says about them then. The fact they are letting you meet the puppy in advance is a plus and given the breed there could be a very legitimate concern about theft. Juice is also correct - few breeders own both mum and dad and in some cases they may not even own mum (she could be on loan). Ask them simple questions like do they have mum and dad, how many litters do they have at the moment, how many do they have coming, how do they keep them all separated, how do they keep up with all the work, do they have a good vet, like you are just interested in their successes and in being a responsible future pet owner. Pay attention to the questions they ask you too about your ability to care for their pet for the next 10 plus years. If their first questions to you are about money that would be a red flag for me. All this interaction might give you an idea if they are a back yard breeder pumping out puppies to make money. If they know nothing about the puppies and have just been sent with it to meet you then that could mean puppy farm. No breeder would miss an opportunity to meet a potential new owner. My only other advice is to not fall for the trap that if these people are dodgy you need to buy the puppy to save it from them. That fixes nothing for all the puppies and breeding animals in their care now, or in the future. Money is what drives them. Also have you looked here on DOL at what stafford pups are going for so you can consider that against what this breeder is asking? And you do know that a 'rare blue staffy' is shite don't you?

This is Tempeh! It's the weirdest thing! None of our other dogs (even fosters) have ever done it but she takes her job very seriously. How do they come up with these strange habits?

My pei will stare me dead in the face and hold my stare while my stafford hates to look directly at me - she finds it uncomfortable and confrontational to make eye contact with humans or other dogs. Both dogs have always been like that. I don't force or try to change either behaviour because nothing will be achieved by that for the dog.

I am sad that the general public thinks quality purebred dogs are a rip off so don't even look and even worse, if they do they aren't prepared to wait for the right match. Given dogs can live for over 10 years surely you want to make a good 'investment' on a healthy, social and behaviourally sound addition to your family and household? Seems that would be a no. They are happy to spend thousands on an inappropriate, poorly bred puppy that they've just seen in a shop window and deal with the fallout later. It's always the animal that suffers the poor decision making.

Wow. Can't they be dobbed in for obtaining donations as a charity and distributing them differently to what they have said? A little fine print about what the money is really going to be used for does not absolve them of intended deceit. Plus they said they were going to save money and do all the work themselves in house and in the end they didn't. They contracted out. More deceit. No accountability. Honestly they have to be taken down. They are getting too big and powerful and have lost any ability to self-regulate their behaviours. And the ones who suffer are the animals. No extra resources going into independent rescue groups just means less money to save more animals. Geez, what $50,000 would do for just one rescue group! $1,000 spread amongst 50 groups would even be a windfall for most groups! Buy up some supplies (helps supportive Australian businesses who in turn can afford to help more rescues) and pay off some of that vet bill (allowing the vet to subsidise costs for other animal's care). See how far the positive effects spread and how the end product benefits animals? But selfishly keep that money in house and all it benefits are the staff. No animals were saved in the making of this button.......

I really think some dogs just feel more comfortable in a pack. I had one old girl just fade away in front of me after her son (both through rescue at different times) died. I had a pup come through for emergency care 6 weeks later and it gave her day purpose again (got to keep a pup in line!). We ended up turning into a 4 dog house a few months later and she ruled the lot right for about another 4 years. It has to be right for your household though, not just the pining dog.

So perhaps the OP doesn't like confrontation or wasn't sure how to handle the situation because this is a new experience for them? In their own words the breeder decided to keep the pup and in the breeder world that says to me that the pup shows promise either in the ring or to be bred from in the future. Or perhaps there was the loss of a pup from that litter and someone else had already been waiting in line before the OP so the breeder wanted to honour a commitment to them first. Or perhaps that particular pup is showing signs of not being a good match for the OP at all and it is in the pup's best interests to go with another family. So many things can happen in those first few weeks of raising new life. But the breeder didn't phone the OP and start a discussion either - they text them to say they were changing what the OP believes to be a contractual arrangement so they are left confused and unhappy. If I was in the OPs situation I'd be asking advice too before having further discussion with the breeder. A person to person discussion does need to be had (once you feel informed and ready) and if you end up with a different pup from that litter then open yourself and your home to it. A good breeder is able to match a dog to a home well and that is far more important than looks in the long term. I'm sorry what should be a positive experience has turned sour for you but it isn't all over yet. A wonderful pup could still come your way from this litter.

I have supported several rescue groups over the years and been a foster carer for 2. I have also done numerous home assessments for potential adoptions for interstate groups. I have loads of rescue groups I have liked on Facebook. One day I saw a story about a particular shar pei that touched me. We weren't actively looking for another dog but had space for another and have experience with pei. It was with a group I had not been involved with before so I knew noone connected to them. I followed his progress/recovery. When he became available for adoption I submitted an application. I tried to be honest and provide as much information as I could because I believe they know what is best for the dog in question and can't consider my appropriateness without useful information. The waiting to see if I was shortlisted killed me! We had a meet and greet but there was no connection between us and the dog. I also knew he needed more activity than we could give him. I told the coordinator that straight away. Another family came to see him and he was adopted soon after. From the photos on Facebook I can see he found the right home. So my advice is to be honest and thorough in your application and trust the adoption coordinator knows what the dog needs (which may not be you). Make sure you meet the dog and if you already have pets make sure they all meet too. The cuteness of a dog does not automatically make them a good match for your household. You have needs but so does the dog. Don't pursue any animal based on looks alone - read what they say about it! Listen to what the foster carer says about it! Don't waste everybody's time! Be patient - coordinators have a lot on their plates and will get to you when they can. Oh and not all rescue groups are created equal. Those of us who have been around for a while have all experienced the dodgy side of rescue. Check out their value statements and their history because in effect you are doing business with them and you want it to be reliable and stress free. Also be respectful of the foster carer and their home - they put a lot into caring for some dogs and it can be an emotional experience. They want to see their foster go to a great home as much as anyone but they are invested and how you behave around them and the dog matters.

Love your updates! Gosh Monkey is a happy dawg and I love Willow's spooning pictures! Your work is amazing!!!!

You're doing such a great job PM! It still makes me wonder how much effort to understand her other people have put in.

Yep it worked Bulldog.

Hopefully someone on DOL will be showing and have more info. This is all I could find online. It only says they are in ring 1 between 9 and 5 on that date. https://www.ekka.com.au/animals-and-displays/animal-competitions/dogs/

I have reflector arm bands from Katmandu that I put around the leash. Shine a torch and you can see the dog. I also bought tiny clip on collar lights off Ebay that use watch batteries. You could always attach several to one collar at different points. Not rechargeable of course but the batteries in them seem to last forever and can of course be replaced when they die.

See it just takes time. You have to wonder how many previous owners or carers forced her to do something she was scared of and just reinforced she was right to be so cautious. So pleased for you both!

That is good news PM!

Gosh it has gone fast. I miss hearing about your rescues and your boys. Apart from missing your girl I hope all is going well. XXX

Nothing says 'love' like a rainbow!

Sending love Grumpette. A good dog is hard to let go from your heart. XXX