Fatsofatsoman

Hey I'm all for the breeder recouping their money back and some - I just get the feeling that some breeders feel guilty or are apprehensive about saying they do make a profit. This is life and nothing is for free.

This was a top post. I think you're spot on with regards to the term 'pet quality' even if not meaning to it can sound degrading and like you say that's the emotional side of owning a dog coming out - when in reality you know it's only a term.

And on another note - just entered my head. Why are certain breeds more expensive? If money is not the overiding factor not even rarer breeds should cost more as the same effort is required, no? ah you say but the semen and stud fee is more for rarer breeds! therefore the owners of rarer breed stud dogs (I keep saying rarer - could be anything that makes a certain breed dearer) are obviously making more money! So really the demand and supply 'invisible hand' is at work - if not at the breeders door it is at the stud's.

Well that's answered my question then - i.e. if the pups are being sold at the 'going' price and are of sufficient quality they're definitely not making money from it. I suppose the breeders who do breed to run one on and not for profit actually keep these guys in check - as who's going to buy a really expensive pup from a 'profit' litter when the 'show' litter still has pups that aren't of show quality (or that breeders opinion of show quality) to sell. I was just unaware how much a breeder was making - never tried or had the inkling to breed. I must admit before frequenting these boards I was of the opinion that yes, whilst the main reason breeders bred was to have a dog or two themselves they were still picking up a nice little earn as well. Again this website and reading the threads has taught me a thing or two.

So is it possible for a breeder to be soley motivated by money and not be classed a byb or puppy farm? If in their process they know that providing healthy, well bread pups with good tempraments will increase his profit? They don't pump out pups in quantity but do breed at safe/healthy levels for the mothers. So really they're in it to make money but it isn't their main source of income (I can't see how it could be the main source and then have them comply with having healthy dogs). Therefore the pups produced are very good quality, don't harm the breed but they make money with no interest in showing any of their dogs. Are these people in existence or for a breeder to be reputable do they need to be in it for the love of the dogs and showing and not motivated by money? Just interested to know as a buyer (I would never go byb) - but what if a breeder I go to has no interest in showing dogs but does have an interest in producing good pups and making money - should you automatically swerve these?

To be fair I've always been quite lucky when taking Boonie out - parents will always ask first whether their child can give him a pat and always get the kid to approach slowly and then will show the kid where to pat. I suppose I've yet to say to anyone 'no' as he'll only ever slobber someone to death so haven't had to deal with a parent spurned.

I believe their memory is quite good. If my sister's dog comes over and stays the night Boonie will know the next morning she is on the deck (he is separated in another room). She can be sound asleep - we'll take the the baby gate down (she's not in his line of sight or making a noise) and he'll run straight to the deck. The day after when she isn't staying he wont bother at all. Also if I have a mate staying over (who Boonie absolutely adores - and my mate adores Boon back) the same thing - he'll run straight to the spare room, which is ages away from his and wake my mate up with excited licks. Next night doesn't bother. To me this I think is more down to memory than smell - so I believe Erik can remember the food is there. The fact that it only happens on the random days that you do it I reckon proves this. And I mean if they (Boonie) can remember straight away when asked to get a certain toy that he's hidden (different spots each time) and he goes straight to where it is and brings it also to me points to memory.

Awesome - we're also going to set up where facilities aren't needed. Chainsaw is packed and ready. We've been in contact with the owners to see how hectic it'll be over easter - apparently very few bookings have been made. I'm really looking forward to it - and Boonie is going to love it.

Thanks for the reply - yeah heaps of fresh water is being taken. Hopefully spiders aren't too much of an issue - we wont be using the cabins but using tents (hope the tents are spider proof). Our boy will sleep in the tent with us - he's not crate trained but more than happy to sleep at our feet. We are going to use the following system for break times (two labs playing non stop need to be broken up). Two tent pegs or very small star pickets joined by a rather large length of rope with the lead attached to the rope. Should give him plenty of walking space but be kept apart from the other monster. We're hoping to be by the creek for dog swimming - did you guys experience this? Also is it fishable? sorry for all the questions just good to speak to someone who has been.

We're heading off camping to Gordon Country (in between Warwick and Boonah) with some friends and our dogs - the campsite is dog friendly and we can't wait. Was just wondering if anyone had been here and had any tips, or if anyone had any tips in general for camping with two labs. Cheers, Dan

Blood Shot Snap Shot Sling Shot

I've got no money left so you're paying for the next round of shots My wife can hit a better shot than that If you carry on like a pork chop you're gonna get shot 50 cent has been shot 9 times am i doing it right?

haha - thought about replying with this I then thought about finding the thread and linking I then thought I'm a lazy barsteward, oh bugger it someone else will

honestly think a crate is a damn generous giveaway - would be awesome to win.

I only found this after googling - dogs and zoomies, I believe your views mirror that of a lot who replied to his post on the supplied link. Just thought it was an interesting take on it. Our boy doesn't zoom after baths but has for no reason identifiable at the time started to run around the living room two or three times then stop. This has probably occured 2 of 3 times since we've had him and always wondered what could have sparked it.

I apologise in advance.. Money Shot

And this story was completely different from what I first thought it would be about after reading the title

Shot Bro! for any kiwis out there

some do it not just after baths http://naturaldogtraining.com/blog/why-do-...ound-the-house/ Behaviorists call the syndrome of a dog running helter-skelter around the yard, or zooming from room to room in the house “frequent, random activity periods (FRAPS). However this is a profound misnomer because there’s nothing random about this activity. When a dog goes zoom-zoom-zoom it is actually fear coming to the surface so that it can be dissipated. The opportunity for the release of fear occurs when the dog feels safe. That fear is being is expressed is why one can observe in such a dog a tell tale “scoot” in its hind end with a tucked tail and hunched in hindquarters as it corners and gathers itself for the next fly by. It looks just as if the dog is being chased by an imaginary predator close on its heels nipping at its tail so that it has to zig and zag to keep away from it. You can see the identical behavior in cats that find themselves out in the yard, a gust of wind kicks up a leaf and the cat zoom-zoom-zooms until it finds itself up a tree and “safe.” Another example of the behavior can also be found in a litter of dogs. One puppy isn’t comfortable engaging in the group scrum with all the head knocking going on in the pile, and so not being able to participate directly but feeling just as energized as the others nonetheless: it races around orbiting the litter because it’s afraid to make direct contact. Needless to say, the worst thing an owner can do is encourage this kind of behavior or play chase because now they are becoming the very embodiment of the imaginary predator. This will come back to haunt them in one way or another as we shall see when we plumb the nature of fear and the role it plays in nature.

We don't have the zoomies at ours - but our boy (lab) loves baths so much he'll try and get in whilst either me or the wife are showering.

I feel for you - luckily we don't have the same issues. We had to go stay away for the weekend as we were at a wedding in Stanthorpe. We had 4 offers from people either wanting him to stay at theirs or wanting to house sit and look after him. Our family all love him to go over there's - I'm the one a bit hesitant to let a shedding lab into other's houses. We usually enforce an outside at other peoples rule ourselves. We are quite lucky in that we got Boonie used to being separated from us if other people are over. We'd often have him in 'his' room and put a baby gate up - he can see everything but can't 'annoy' non dog people.

Not to be a mood dampener but wouldn't your lab x now be at risk of anything this 'seemingly healthy' but likely unvacc'd pup has? I only ask because of the quarantine issue I have been reading about so much.

Boonie had me at hello :D I definitley have a stronger bond with Boonie than my wife does - and she craves it way more than I did, she has slowly won him over. But it took a while - he was indifferent to her and always laying all over me and coming to me for pats and play. I don't know why it just was - we did equal feeding, training and playing so one wasn't seen to be the pack leader. It's funny I think my disciplining him (and deeper scarier voice) actually led to me being the pack leader. One thing I've done though that she hasn't is swimming with him - not just taking him to the beach/creek for a swim (we both do this) - but actually going out in the water myself and having him come and swim to me - we then just spend time in the water with me supporting his weight, he loves it.

Cheers guys - I think we are going to have to find other arrangments inside of a night time (he is in at night when we are at home). He is always supervised for toilet trips of a night time so will have to continue that. The weather and my 'rehoming' has seemed to diminish the population for now - until the rain and heat again next year.

I have a real concern for my boy when we leave him out if we go out of a night - I have caught him on a couple of occasions trying to mouth/eat a toad - I usually escort him for all his night time toilet breaks but I'm worried that if I'm not there to stop him we're going to have a tragedy. Do any of you guys have any solutions/tricks to minimise toads getting in to your dogs runs/areas. It's getting to the stage where we will probably leave him inside or on our back deck of a night if we aren't there. Cheers, Dan