lanabanana

That's a good question. I once had a dog who when young was attacked by a certain breed of dog when he was young, and forever after, he always got aggressive if he saw that particular breed and would attempt to attack them first. He was awesome with all other dogs, just not that breed. So I would say he was definitely affected but all dogs ar edifferent so it may not affect all.

Understand totally what you are saying....but I value all life and don't believe that the life of a human is more important than the life of an animal. I just can't imagine ever leaving the dogs behind to fend for themselves in a horrid situation where they may not make it. However, if I had to run into a burning building to save the dogs and my daughter, I would naturally save my daughter first as I gave birth to her...I would then likely die running back in to rescue my dogs. It's probably good that my OH is at the other end of the spectrum as it balances things out a bit LOL

I don't. There are breeds I wouldn't give houseroom. There are breeds I can't bear to touch. And I'm sure MY preferred breeds conjure those feelings in others. Vive la difference. I agree - difference is fantastic. Where would the fun be if we were al exactly the same. I do wonder if I would become a bit more breedist after owning a certain breed though. We have wanted a bulldog for years and years, and the next dog will be one - if w ecan find a great breeder who also thinks we are suitable for the breed. And I imagine that once we have owned one, it would be very easy to start liking other breeds less and less. But for the time being, I just love dogs and as long as I have one or few, I am happy regardless of breed. They are such a fantastic animal and I thnk it is great they come in all different shapes, sizes, colours, temperaments and looks to satisfy most people.

I used a gentle leader ezy walk harness for my 40kg puller. Allows for much better control. To be honest, it doesnt stop him from pulling, but it allows me to get him back in place very easily - though he does pull much less. Attached at front. I also have a lead attached to his front collar so I can eventually wean him off the harness. We tried a lot of different things for his pulling to not much avail.

I will probably get "bashed" for my last couple of posts, but I really couldn't care. I am just thankful I am not so uptight

labsrule wasn't offended by Star's comment, they were offended by my comment, also stating I didn't find labs attractive. Just as an offside, just because I don't find a dog attractive, doesn't mean I wouldn't love one. I in fact own an SPCA dog who is a lab x. He is big, black and boofy and looks pretty much exactly like a lab (with some small differences). He is an idiot and still hasn't matured at 5, much like purebred labs and to my "non lab breeding eye" he is very labby with many of his personality traits. I love him to pieces and in all honesty, I chose him based on how gorgeous he was as a youngster even though I was not a fan of labs. I am not uneducated when it comes to dogs, I have grown up with a nana who bred (German Sheps and toy poodles) and a mum who only owned purebreds until recently (border collies and staffs - go staff, stunning wee dogs, love them), so over the years have learnt many wonderful and not so wonderful things about dogs. It just so happens that I currently own mutts. This has generally been in the past due to not being able to afford the higher cost of purchasing from a breeder as opposed to adopting from a shelter and me being poor but wanting a dog. I love all dogs, some breeds a bit more than others but I would be happy just to have a dog...any dog. As long I had one I would be happy. Though our next dog will hopefully be a bulldog.

and I am not a fan of DD's nor crossbreeds or any form of promotion of these mutts for that matter. Give me beautiful Labrador or Poodle over the cross mutts any day. If you are such a great fan of crossbred mutts why did you join a Purebred Forum and denigrate our beautiful purebreeds any chance you get. as this is not the first time you have done this go away and join a mutts forum instead I don't denigrate purebreds at all, I love all dogs regardless of breed. Our next dog will be a purebred in fact...we have two breeds we are especially interested in and would like one of each (no not for breeding). I don't think it is against the forum rules to have a favourable opinion of a particular kind of mutt. Although I should clarify, I don't want, nor ever have wanted a lab/poodle mix. I was merely stating, I find them more attractive lookwise than their purebred counterparts. Take the dog biscuits our of your ass and harden up.

I am not really a fan of poodles or labradors...but to be honest, based on looks alone (of the lab/poodle x's I have met) I quite like the mix. Obviously they are all different so not all are going to look like the ones I have met, but if I had to choose a dog out of those 3 based on looks alone, I would choose the x. *looks apologetically at the big boofy headed lab x in the lounge who looks just like a lab - love you bumbum* LOL

Like many others, I would hope that I got to safety with my dogs before it got to the point where me and the dogs had to be rescued. However, if it came down to it, I don't think I could leave them. My OH is the opposite, he would leave them in a second. We also have a human child so I would probably encourage the OH to take her and go....although he owuld probably drag me kicking and screaming with him. In saying that, our lab x is a fantastic swimmer and will follow us whereever we go so we could probably bolt with him running along with us (if we couldnt go via 4wd) and the pocket monster would be easy enough to chuck in a backpack or whatever else. My mum really thinks something is going to happen in 2012 and she has requested that her 3 Aussie based children and their families come home for Xmas that year because if something did happen she wants us all together - so she knows her kids are all safe. I am the only one of the 3 aussie imports with pets and I have said that I wont be coming home for Xmas that year. I don't think that anything is going to happen but on the basis that my mum does (and her ideas can be a little convincing at times) I refuse to go just in case. She told me to put the dogs in a kennel and I couldn't because if something did happen, I would feel awful knowing I had left them behind with the "possibility" (said with a grain of salt) of knowing something may happen. Cheeky mum though said, well if oyu wont come can you at least send your daughter over. LMAO yea sure mum, Im gonna send her to be with you instead of us LMAO I find it abit silly that a rescuer/whatever wouldnt allow a toy dog or any dog that is small enough to be carrie dby it's owner - it's not tlike they ar etaking up space a person could have. I kinda understand for a large dog though. If we got rescued by a boat (for eg) I could probably hide the wee dog in my sweater and then just call out to the big one so he followed behind if I was abosuletly forced to go LOL

Anyone used them?

Depends on your circumstance I guess. Before we moved to Oz, our dogs got some or all puppy shots and that was it. I now vaccinate yearly since w ehave moved here. Purely because, we do not know anyone here so if we go away the dogs need to be kenneled and so far I have been unable to find a kennel who is ok with less than that. Mind you, I havent looked too hard just yet but will be looking hard now as we are planning to go away in Jan and I want to have my dogs booked in to a kennel by end of october

Dogs have been fine so *phew*

I would never do anything I am against....for any reason. But that's just me.

I also agree with Diva. Reading the OP, nothing screams out vicious, disobediant, whatever dog. If anything, all I got from that post was "my newish puppy is really obediant because she is my dog but I am terrified of everyone elses new dogs because although I spend a lot of time with my own dog, I am actually quite inexperienced". I am not a pro by any means, and in fact my dogs can and often are naughty disobediant buggers, but I would never lump a dog into the agro pile just coz of it's size and I saw a tooth. LOLOL - ta for the giggle though.

For me personally, the bond is either instant or comes with raising them I guess. I bond with all my dogs, though not all immediately. Most of my dogs thus far have been very similar as adults as they were as babies. Pippis so far has only just gone one so still quite young but Barney was a big change. When we got him, he was the most boring pup ever. He would get up and play for like 5 minutes and then sleep for 5 hours. I guess it was coz he was a big boy when he was young. He didnt really have much of a personality at all. I remember saying to my OH "ooo I have picked a dunger here, what a boring dog, hes just a lump" I assumed he would just lay around all the time and be low energy etc Well I spoke much too soon. He is now 5 and he is the most annoying dog ever. he has far too much personaility now LOL. He doesnt sit still fo rlonger than 5 minutes, he has to always be in ya face getting pats or making noise, or playing with something youve got. The change has literally been from one end of the spectrum to the other. I love himn to pieces though and I wouldnt care if he was boring or annoying because he is my baby and I have thoroughly enjoiyed watching him grow. I do have a friend though who adopted a pound dog and there is no bond at all. The dog lives in the back yard by herself and thats it. I did advise them that they would be better off with a pup as I had suspected they would not bond with an adult. Also, for some reason they were both crazy about barney and were looking for a dog like him (they cheekily asked if I would be prepared to give him to them - yea right) so I am wondering if the bond hasnt developed because she is not like him at all. Anyway, quite an interesting topic. Like I said, if I raise it, I love it and bond with it - sometimes instantly. I would like to rescue a small adult breed at some stage but I dont know that I would bond with it. However, even if I didnt, the dog would receive the same treatment as the others. But maybe the bond would happen - I dont know. Waffling now

I Agree aussielover. I call my dogs my kids or my babies and we call ourselves mum and dad. They are spoilt in some ways, but they also are treated like dogs not little humans. I also agree with some of the other comments about supervision. We don't know there was a lack of supervision and IMO, you should be able to let a baby crawl round a dog whilst you are in the room. I am a terrible owner, my daughter has been going round the dogs semi unsupervised since she was about 2. She is now 11 and it is her job to feed the dogs their evening meal - which she does alone. My daughter has always gone out in the back yard to play with the dogs by herself (geeze, with all the "im a terrible owner" posts I make, I'd say I have probably fully ruined my chances of getting a dog via DOL LMAO) I grew up playing in the backyard with a dog by myself or with my siblings and so did many of my freinds and I dont recall all these dog attacks back then.

How do you know if it wa sbutane? It's one of those bic lighters for ciggies....or was anyway LOL I will give the vet a quick call but I am not too concerned at this stage, only for the fact they both seem perfectly fine. Bu will call vet and keep an eye anyway

I am stoked to see this thread. Our wee foxy/shih tzu is a digger and she is going to get a sandpit for Xmas... She is only little though so will just be getting a clam shell pool with sand in LOL

Does anyone have any experience with this? We have just fed the dogs and found a chewed up lighter out in the back yard with them (no idea how the lighter got out there) I have no idea which dog chewed it (although going by teeth marks I would say both have had a go). I have no idea how long ago they chewed it (they have been out there unattended since I left for work at 7.15am so they could have chewed it hours ago). I have no idea whether any has actually been ingested. Both dogs appear fine. I don't really want to go to the vet and have both their stomachs pumped or anything ridiculous but just wondered if anyone else had had this issue before? One dog is 36kgs, the other is 5 kgs.

I can draw if you can't get hold of the other person. Let me know if you are interested and I can show you some examples

Good question. I haven't got a will yet but my plans are as follows (I have told my OH) If I am to die, then he is to keep both the dogs as if I were still around making decisions and they are to be cared for until they are old and decripid and I would make the decision to send them over the rainbow bridge. If my OH and I both die, then our daughter will go to NZ to live with my mum if she is not an adult (we argue about this though as OH wants her to go to England to his mum) and the small dog particularly is to go with her (to provide some stability). Depending on the big dogs age and health (he is the older dog), I would like him to go with her also but I do understand mum already has her own large dog and my boy may not be a good idea around stock (they live in the country) and I would be happy for him to be rehomed after intensive screening. If he is already old and poorl then he will be PTS and be buried with me and my two other already deceased dogs. If the kid is an adult, then the dogs will go to her. I am not sure what would happen if mum was already dead or whatever...I guess depending on age they would come with me or go to someone who I knew would give them a home similar to ours (even if that meant shipping them to a freinds in NZ)

I am always puppy clucky. I dont care about the loo training or anything. Only thing that stops me from getting another is the OH LOL

My dogs sleep in a kind of "entry way" by the back door, and they are shut in there at night (If they arent sleeping with us). Anyway the usual bedtime goes something like this: I go out for a last ciggy and take the dogs out for toilet. Somehow they know it is bedtime (I have no idea how they know it's my last ciggy and not just a wee break) and as soon as we go back inside Barney will get on to their bed and stay there. Pippi on the other hand races through the next door and quicly rushes into the lounge and gets comfy, or, if the hall door is open she will rush into bed with Dad. I go get her and put her in bed with Barney. What I ended up doing was when it was time to come inside, I would pick Pippi up so I didn't have to go to the other end of the house and get her and so she wouldnt jump on people sleeping and wake them trying to get away from bedtime. Anyway, the other night I couldn't pick Pippi up as I had a full washing basket with me so we came inside and I was locking the door. I tuen round and she has gone into the back hall (on the other side of the door from where they sleep) and is waiting. She looked like she was gonna bolt for the lounge so I said to her "No, it's time for bed" and I stepped through the door way. She waited...so I said "into bed" and OMG she got on the bed!!! I was so shocked as she is a pretty ignorant little thing and unless she thinks there is something in it for her, she aint doing anything you say! Tonight, I had just come in from my final ciggy and their wee and Barney jumped on the bed as usual...and guess what...so did Pippi!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know it's a bit silly but I am just so proud. Admitedly, I am going to miss the little bolt into the lounge though as when I go to get her, she gets all cute and super cuddly and lovey and you can just tell shes asking to sleep with mum and dad. Anyway, yay for my girl - just thought I would share as that is honestly about the most excited I have got for a few months (thrilling life I lead lol)

I always thought Benji was a border terrier for some reason???? *goes to google* Nope, definitely a mutt http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Kind-of-Dog...&id=2021550 And I just rememberd another breed I always wanted. I sqaw turner and hooch when I was however old, many years ago, And ever since then I have wanted a dogue. However, at the time I didnt realise it was an actual breed and just thought it was some big mutt they had found in a pound. I only found out it was an actual breed about 5 or so years ago and I was soooo excited when I found out I would actually be able to own that dog one day LOL

Do you have to sell purebred pups with papers though? Can you register them and then not give the new owners the papers? Also, while everyone is talking about chipping...I think I can feel my dogs chip up on top of one her shoulder blades - is this normal? She goes in for a vax next month so I will get her scanned to see if that is what it is.