~Anne~

I find it really weird that someone would go to the trouble of paying money to desex a dog only to giver her away 3 weeks later because they don't want her.

Hmmmmmmmmm.... How did the dog travel 200kms? If she was desexed only 3 weeks ago, it should be easy to see the pink scar. Have you looked to confirm? If she was desexed 3 weeks ago, he obviously is willing to pay out money for his dog. If she was desexed 3 weeks ago, it could be assumed the leg was also noticed and looked at... although you did say there was a wound...... was the wound fresh? Odd that he says it has 'been like that for a while' if there is a wound because that would make me think a Vet would definitely notice the wound. Sorry, the whole story seems bizarre and doesn't make much sense... and you know what Judge Judy says about things that don't make sense... Am I not reading things properly here or am I missing some vital clue? Maybe I am tired... or suffering from an overdose of chocolate.

I am so sorry. I can't imagine how you must be feeling.

It is almost impossible to say what other breed is in them in my view. If I knew how to email pics from my FB page from my iPhone I would show you a good selection of cross bred Pugs that have been associated with or come through my rescue. I have managed to locate a couple of pics on my pc though. In most cases, it is impossible to figure out what is actually in them apart from Pug although there are a few things that I have found over the years; The tail is an indicator at times. A bushy tail suggests that the other breed might be something like a Cav. A slim tail could be a Beagle. The dogs with Beagle tend to have a broader head too than Cavs and other breeds. Most of them though are really impossible to tell..... although all of the Pug x Maltese that I have seen are usually a bit like an ewok. Pug x Unknown (she was too tall to be Cav but she did have "longish" hair and she had a bushy tail). This is Cookie. Pug x Tibbie. This is Charlie. Pug x Cav. This is Simba. Great pics of Max....once you cross a pug with another breed the first thing ya lose is the noseroll. But this would account for his submissiveness in the other thread....mine would not let 3 big dogs stand over them without a huge arguement. He is lovely and loved by his family. That doesn't really mean anything.....a typical breed temperament is not carried across all dogs of the breed. True. I have had many purebred Pugs, papered, who are submissive. Breed traits may play a part, but so does their personality traits. Some are simply more dominant and 'brave' whilst others are more timid or submissive.

There is a large dog park at Clontarf near here which also has separate areas. Do people actually obey the rules though? All the times I have been, the small dogs have been in the big dog area (which is larger so understandable I guess). I can't really say for sure, but on the times I have ben to the local one, they did. I did take my Pugs into the large dog one once. There were no other dogs in there and it was only for a short while. I would have moved them straight away if need be. The area was huge and my Pugs thought it was fabulous. The small dog one is also large, but only half that of the large dog area.

I wish I could read Chinese.

Hmm, I only looked at the first site... the pic of the dog 'trotters' was a little off. It is a hard concept to grasp if you have grown up in the western world.

I wonder if they've stopping eating the dogs for the welfare of the dogs, or is it really so it doesn't harm tourism ?? Cynical much? Society attitudes change. Animal welfare is becoming an issue the world over. Traditions change, ideas change, standards change.

Can I ask, is Max's reaction to these dogs "normal" or should he be taught to tolerate them? I'm just worried that he is the one with the problem, not them, iykwim. I also suggest dont go to that park anymore....stick to Pugwood. Max is reacting like a typical Pug, and if you put him in that situation too often he could be asking for a fight. You have to remember that Max thinks he is as big as a Rotti and he will stand up for himself if pushed too far by a big dog. Somehow I doubt that. Max tried to remove himself from these dogs. He couldn't. If flight wasn't an option, he didn't have many others.. So now you claim to know more than I do about my breed. Are you serious with that comment. My Pugs certainly don't think they are big Rottweilers and they will not all stand up for themselves if pushed.... and if want to talk experience Shazza...... Obviously the OP knows their own Pug.

Sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh but that sounded cute. Having Pugs, I know what you mean though. For me, it is more shock than fear. I am always dumbfounded when I come across one that shows aggression as it is just not often that you see it. Well, not as often as many other dogs at any rate.

In NSW, at Baulkham Hills, the Council was sensible enough to have two cmpletely separate areas that are nfeced off. One for small dogs and one for large. I have never heard of any other parks like this though.

Here you go, it was due to a rabies outbreak; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...ain-rabies.html http://www.wspa-international.org/latestne...a_dog_cull.aspx

I am not sure it is as massive as we think. It was media pick-up on a story in Northern Chine were they went on a mass killing spree of dogs (both stray and owned) a year or so ago. I think they killed something in excess of 60 odd thousand dogs?? It may have been linked to an impending world wide event being helod there or was it a plaque like rabies or something?? I'll see if I can find the media stories about it.

If graphic images do not distress you, then take a look at this sites; http://www.squidoo.com/dogsinchina The issue also gained the attention of the UK Parliament where a petition was put before Parliament; http://www.edms.org.uk/2006-2007/58.htm While I acknowledge that there maybe a chance that the first article could involve sensationalism, it is without doubt well documented that China does not have a fabulous animal welfare record when ti comes to dogs and cats for the market.

It is pretty well documented that the animals are not kept in pleasant conditions. They are not 'farmed' but rather they are caught on the street and are kept in wire cages, where they can barely move. They have sadistic methods of killing the dogs, with the intention of 'preserving the tenderness or making the meat more tender'. China is not known for gentle treatment of dogs to be slaughtered. This is changing though as I said and animal rights are becoming an issue. Vietnam is another country that has undergone change in this area. Cats are also treated similarly.

Buy butterfly stickers or something bright and pretty and place them on the glass. You can also buy the proper stickers for this purpose... but they're not as pretty. One of my Pugs, Monte, does this on a regular basis but has never broken the glass. I assume he gets a sore head though and I am not sure it would be great for his epilepsy either. Doh, ignore me, I mis read your post. I thought the dog had gone through a doorway.

An interesting thing that I noted whilst in China, is that the CHinese dote over their pet dogs. I saw them on leads everywhere. They wore cute diamonte collars, the had on impressive fur jackets. They were in beautiful condition and all obviously very pampered. It seems though that there is a marked difference to how dogs that are menat for slaughter are treated though. China is changing though. They are certainly becoming more aware and they are apparently currently looking at the introduction of animal abuse laws which will help stop the abusive practices.

The animals are not exactly treated kindly. We do not transport our cattle like this, these dogs are crammed into the cages; However, I do understand your point that the idea of eating dog meat itself should be considere din the same way as the idea of eating cow meat or pigs for that matter.

Deaf dogs can alos be problematic barkers. They don't neccessarily realise they are vocalising and it can be harder to train them not to bark.

There are things to consider with deafness, such as the fact you can not recall the dog at any time. If the dog is baout to head into danger, you must be within eye shot or reach to prevent accidents. I have also found that deaf dogs (and blind ones) respond really well with being with other dogs. They use the other dogs for cues and this can also help keep them safe and happy.

I happened across a bbq'd dog in Nth Vietnam at a market.

Wow, I jumped when the Police officer fired his gun. I simply didn't expect it to happen then, even though I was well aware it does happen at some point. I can only guess, but I would guess that the end result would not have been pretty anyway had the situation not altered as it did. In the end, the eventual outcome was heart wrenching as well. The owner of the Beagle can clearly be heard to be saying he was "f*&%$g sick of this" whihc leaves you with the impression he has had trouble before with these two dogs roaming and invading his yard. I do think the Police officer reacted too quickly without completely assesing what was happening. However, in having said that, these guys are trained to act and act quickly and they are trained to make quick jusdgements. His judgement may have been off in this instance.

The Age (online version) have several photos as well.

Interestingly, I also visited China and I didn't see one. I also spoke to numoerous people, who were Chinese nationals, about this very subject and they said it does happen, but it is no longer considered accpetable by the majority of Chinese. It is only the people who were stuck in the 'old ways' that ate dog meat. I have also found this to be true in Vietnam.

I think the popularity of breeds come and go though and always will. What is more telling, and is incredibly sad, is that the overall figures for purebred dogs is in a dramatic freefall. In many breeds the freefall just continues, but it is not without warning but across society .... vets, universities, breeders, animal welfare orgs and canine registries .... have pretty much failed to heed the warnings. All know the consequences of depleted gene pools (or they should know) but what steps have been taken to reverse the dangerous trends? None so blind ...... or apathetic. Souff Agree. It is sad isn't it.