RufusTheDoofus

Poor damn puppy

Please don't let this get to you. There are many of us out there who are breed afficionado's who also believe in rescuing dogs. However, most people here seem to have a problem (and I agree with them) with puppy mill or byb dogs bought from those organisations. It isn't the dogs themselves we hate, it is the people who exploit them.

Cuts both ways. You're both spot on IMO

I saw something on TV about a dog that lived to be quite old and was fed on Nature's Gift alone.

Sounds like a great way to bring up a pup

Would love to read it Gayle, and thanks mumof3

Nothing wrong with it, even though I believe that everyone should own at least one rescue dog in their lives.

Ahh yes the mini-retriever, suited to retrieving tiny tiny objects I'm not trying to cause controversy, I am just trying to get things straight in my mind because the more I experience in life the more differing views I encounter and perhaps engender some discussion. This seedstock is what exactly? In the case of bull arabs I means

Who is perpetuating a myth? These dogs are bred to be companions for people. Whether they grow up to be this is another story, but that is the purpose of their breeding and the marketing. I dont like oodles even though I have friends who own them. I like the individual dogs but would never own them myself. However, from what I have seen they fit the needs of these people (others here have said the same) It isn't my mind you have to change, I agree that these dogs are a pot luck but they are "tailored" through advertising and positive press. I see less and less positive press for pure breds. In fact most of what I have seen lately has been BSL related. Perhaps pure breed people need to get out there and advertise pure breeds better. I am even thinking of putting up a site where one x bred is listed for what the "breeder" promises and saying why not have this, this or this pure bred instead.

Obviously we are all here for pure bred WELL BRED dogs. However, what constitues a pure bred? Is it simply 8 or 58 or 158 generations of careful x breeding? Is there more to it? All of our current breeds came from somewhere. The White Shep has re-emerged in recent years (one of the original GSDs was white) but when can it be considered a distinct breed? For example, I can take a black and tan GSD and breed it with a White GSD and still have a GSD, can't I? wikipedia - the source of all that is good and pure in this world - says: "Purebred dog refers to a dog of a modern dog breed that closely resembles other dogs of the same breed, with ancestry documented in a stud book and registered with one of the major dog registries. Documentation (so that the dog is known to be descended from specific ancestors) and registration distinguish modern breeds from dog types or landraces of dog (sometimes called natural breeds or ancient breeds) that arose under human influence over a long period of time to do a specific type of work." If this is true then aren't lab x poodles now a breed? and couldn't it be envisaged that other x bred dogs would eventually be considered pure breds? I know there is the argument that we have enough breeds but is there anything otherwise? I am by NO MEANS promoting x breds, I have always owned pure breds or pound puppies, I am just wondering where the line is drawn and how firmly? Is there anything that I can read to sure up in my mind what it all means?

I have a Russian Blue X DLH who is 2yo and a 7 month old DSH x Oriental. The DLH will attack the dogs if they corner her and it has taken nearly a month for Shiloh to stop bailing her up. Both dogs groom the kitten (flea biting or licking him) and he sits there and purrs or grooms them back. However, she doesn't touch Rufus because he knows the rules. Fact is, most dogs will chase stuff that runs. Kitten just lies there if a dog chases him so they dont bother. If he wants to play he runs right over one of them to try and get them to chase. He is pretty sure he is a 4kg GSD though. I have had him since 5 weeks (fostered the litter) and he was reared by Rufus as much as by me lol. Not all of the kittens were great with dogs though. Some of them tolerated the dogs and at least one wanted to claw their eyes out from day 1 and it took time for her to accept them. I will add another pup to the household one day soon and it will learn the rules but I will always be vigilant and I never leave the dogs and cats alone together.

Are you sure they didn't just break it's neck?

Oh and what about the puppy mill raid in qld? There must be some ammo there

Some brilliant posts, thanks!! Mumof3 - I like being questioned by breeders because it tells me they care. I will have to check out the RSPCA guide before I can judge it.

Why not show them some shelter websites with swf listed. Alternatively youcould say something like, you are really good dog owners, of course you will have the puppies desexed before they leave so that other people don't use them for puppy farms. At least then you can perhaps break the cycle before it starts.

LOL Any chance for sharing pics of Doof!

I agree with this totally. It is much easier to go to a pet shop and grab a puppy on the spot then it is to research a breed, find a breeder and be prepared to wait for the right puppy to come along. I know this is not a pet shop debate but I think if you got rid of the easily accessible fluffy x breeds out of pet shops you would probably find there would be much fewer of them around. I think pound stats would prove that incorrect to an extent. Friends that have x bred dogs go on and on and on about hybrid vigour (which I dont think exists) but never about shortage. I do agree that impulse buying is a real problem.

I hope you find out what is wrong soon and that she back to her best soon.

That's great!

I was there...and I talked to you...LOL I took Rufus and Shiloh for a swim today down behind the causeway - the river is really good there and we went to the farmers market after, always a bonus! You'd probably recognise him in this photo

So if our authorities are setting the trend what can be done to change the authorities? Much as people fight BSL it still seems to be approaching like a freight train. How long before we are told we cannot have dogs that are bred to hunt (fox terriers, deerhounds, etc) or dogs that are bred to guard (dobermanns, malinois, etc)? Is it decades or years? Are we so intent on degrading x breds and fighting BSL that we are missing the subtle removal of breeds from society through removing things such as Schh? I know this is stretching my oriignal post but it is someething that often plays around in my mind. Perhaps I need a hobby.

I would hope that people would be able to discuss things intelligently, yes. However, if you choose not to discuss this topic, fine by me. At least try to understand that I am not discussing pros and cons but asking if oodles are a threat to pure breds and if this threat is getting worse.

I never promoted oodles (I own a GSD - if you had read my intro thread before jumping down my throat you would have seen that) AND I don't personally believe the marketing, but the general public does. This thread was meant to encourage discuss not incite attacks. Deary me. What I was really wondering whether people think that oodles are a danger to our purebreds. I am also talking about the future, not today, not tomorrow, but years ahead. Trends and so forth. I didn't realise I was so unclear in my original post. My apologies. I brought this up as I was at petstock today and noticed a magazine with a footballer on it. It was promoting his oodle as the perfect pet.

In our growing society, our cities are spreading as our country areas dwindle. Suburbia is growing up as much as it is growing out. There has been a surge of x bred oodles tailored to size and shape - a round dog to fit a hole, no shaving around the edges. As these x breeds become the norm are our prure bred dogs in danger of becoming obselete? Who needs a dog thats good at catching rats when you dont live in a farmhouse (or a DHS house)? Who needs a dog that is good at herding when all of the animals live in battery conditions? Who needs a dog to run down deer. lions, tigers, elephants (whatever hunting dogs run down)? People will want dogs that are companions and that is all. We will all have the best alarm systems and thus need guard dogs. I do realise that I am being facitious in some of what I say and that I exaggerating as well, but who knows what the future brings? What do you think? Are we going to end up in a world of oodles and not much else 20 years...50 years...100 years from now?

In past experience the RSPCA have always tried to help with gsds. Can't speak for other breeds but if we treat all of the RSPCA as if hugh wirth has them under his thumb we would be as prejudiced as those who say all pit bulls are aggressive.