Tralee

Thank you, I have added them. I had a look. Good Job. :D 40 Maremma prefixes

50 acres is 20 hectares. If your property is square, then it is one and half kilometres square. This distance will not exhaust an active, inquisitive and bemused dog. Dogs can be used on fenceless properties but you would be talking hundreds of hectares. Fifty acres is pithy in farming terms and you have to fence it, anyway. It can be done with an electric fence and I have had extraordinary success keeping Maremmas in with them.

She may have otitis externa or otitis medea in which case using medications for swimmers ear will dry out the inflamed areas, making it shrink and causing more pain. Removing the wax at this stage will not help either and, again, may aggravate them. You should get a good indication by smelling the ears. Ears are tricky and nothing solid should ever be inserted into ears. That means cotton buds To maintain your own ears and your dogs they can be syringed with a solution of 1:4 vinegar and warm water to soften and remove the wax. Again, vinegar is not advisable if the ears are infected. Lastly, dogs' external ear canals are quite long and can be left wet if not dried properly. Personally, I leave the treatment of my dogs ears to the Vet.

It is irrefutable that Staffords have a temperament suitable to the different ages of all family members. Together with their little tummies ($) and active personalities, fashion also dictates to the tastes and whims of the market. I would readily take a beagle or a pointer since I have had a beagle in the past and was considering pointers as my dog of choice. But when it comes to producing litters I usually try to get a feel on where I might be able to place the dogs. Megz I have a few homes that cannot afford a pup, and I keep them in mind so that I won't be burdened with the feed and vet costs of raising an extra dog.

Probably highly unlikely in our breed, and possibly many others. It would only take a second inquiry to another breeder to reveal that an asking price is inflated and an explanation as to why it is so. Then, the chance of a referral from that breeder, or others when they hear of it, would be highly unlikely. I don't usually succumb to social pressure, and that also applies to the costing of a pup. But I set my price to place the pups in good homes, not to replenish a bank account. This is clearly not happening in Staffords then. I bought my boy for less than $1000 and yet people fork out twice or three times what I do without considering the dogs that are a third the price. People are impatient and want it now and will pay the now price. Maybe that's because there are 520 breeders just on DOL alone. The number of unregistered breeders could be twice that. That makes it a bit hard to apply social constraints. But, Staffies do have a temperament that many people find suitable. Personally, I don't get the Staffy but I am a bit "Breed Blind" ;)

I'm planning to produce a blue male staffy in a future litter. Anyone who pays that sort of money would hardly notice they were getting a Maremma, and not a staffy. Anyway, the coloured Maremmas are priceless. Just one yellow or orange pup and I could retire. ;) BTW: They do produce these colours but usually as blemishes. P.

Probably highly unlikely in our breed, and possibly many others. It would only take a second inquiry to another breeder to reveal that an asking price is inflated and an explanation as to why it is so. Then, the chance of a referral from that breeder, or others when they hear of it, would be highly unlikely. I don't usually succumb to social pressure, and that also applies to the costing of a pup. But I set my price to place the pups in good homes, not to replenish a bank account.

It is the ultimate rationale for registered breeders. In my breed it means improving a dogs pigment, maintaining horse hair coat, eliminating a droop lip, producing correct head and stop, avoiding Spitz tail, etc. However, the paramount goal of all breeding is temperament. Why? Well what can happen if these values are not held above all else? During the early days of my breed, in this country, some entrepreneurs got hold of them and bred anything with anything so that the dogs that were produced no longer resembled the original stock bred over 2000 years to perform a specific function. In the final analysis, would you breed fault to fault? Of course not. The betterment of the breed is not just a phrase. There is a lot of work done behind the scenes that provides education and guidance. I have two great dogs that were produced from the betterment of the breed programs. For that I cannot thank the breeders enough. ;)

This all begs the question that if the normal cost of a pup is $800 - $1000, then what would be an acceptable amount for a pup from imported semen?

I've always understood that rear dew claws are illegal because of the lethal damage they can inflict. :p Seriously pewithers think it through - how on earth can rear dew claws be illegal when dogs are often born with them? Consult the ANKC Standard. They are not allowed on Maremmas. They are also born with teeth. And it is illegal for a dog to bite. So it may not be illegal in civil law to have dew claws, and would be recommended for a working dog, but it would be unacceptable to have dogs slashing and ripping with them. I just have this view because I've seen one of my males innately use his hind legs. ;) I was shocked and stunned. P.

As you state: You said to have rear dew claws was illegal. Full Stop. There is no LEGAL requirements involved. In *your* breed, rear dew claws are to be removed. That is not a LEGAL ruling, it's a statement in the standard. To have dew claws is a fault, it's not "illegal". Well not exactly! You cannot show a Maremma with rear dew claws. It is illegal. Illegal: unauthorized or prohibited by a code of official or accepted rules. There is no question as to the risk involved in flouting this rule, or the function of the rear dew claw in an active working Maremma. I don't do other breeds.

If you want an Apricot Teacup Poodle you will pay more. In our breed you can expect to pay a premium for imported bloodlines.

Rear dew claws can appear on any breed of any size. You CAN show dogs with rear dew claws and some breeds ask for the dew claws to be present. Pyrenean Mountain Dogs have to have 2 rear dew claws! 50kg+ Pyreneans have them in the show ring . So do Tibetan Mastiffs and Pyrenean Mastiffs. You cannot show a Maremma with rear dew claws. It is illegal. I quote from the ANKC Breed Standard. Hindquarters: . . . . Rear Pastern (metatarsal): Strong, lean and broad. Its length is 31% of the height at the withers. Dewclaws must be removed. Hence my comment: "You are not allowed to show dogs (read Maremmas) with rear dew claws."

Did you advise Troy? I would not be letting this bone go. No way!

Great find. Cheer up Lukey He's obviously heart broken,

Well Briards may be an exception and others too. I have not verified it. Of course, removal of dew claws is prophylactic but that does not dismiss the fact that a strategically utilised dew claw could easily, and does horrendously, disembowel a predators stomach. As far as the advice I have, Maremmas cannot be shown with dew claws and for good reason.

That is hilarious!! :laugh: Many rear dew claws are removed at 3 days because in a lot of cases they are not properly connected by bone and can tear off causing the dog pain and recovery takes a lot longer. Some breeds are required to have them, and not to kill things with. Yeah I know! If you had ever seen a 50kg Maremma kick like a kangaroo then you would have absolutely no doubt about their deadly function. Catch an artery with one of those and its bye bye giggles. Why do you think they've evolved? Extra bling!!! Tummy ticklers!!!!! ETA You are not allowed to show dogs with rear dew claws.

Ummm, not in the eyes of the CCs, so long as you register every dog, it's more $$$ for them. Personally, I think there should be a limit as to how many dogs we should have. It would be pertaining to space and how many dogs one person can care for adequately. Which is why it is called a Code of Ethics It doesn't matter what they do, it is not possible to legislate for saintliness. That is why it is Saintly. As to limiting breeding numbers that is also problematic. Will not the current liasser faire system prevail? Apparently there are homes for all the GSD, Labs, Staffies, etc.

I've always understood that rear dew claws are illegal because of the lethal damage they can inflict.

Jed Why? Who, how and when will they be taken away? I think you are underestimating the Environmental Imperative that is now facing us. All animals, great and small, must become sacrosanct. P.

Registered Breeders are fantastic people. Basically that is why I went through with getting a dog in the first place. Both dogs came out of Melbourne and the first one was sired by a dog from the other kennel. The support exceeded what would be considered above and beyond expectations, and we even returned a dog, for two weeks, half way across the country, to be evaluated after getting a negative report, which was proved false afterall, and no cost or complaints were entertained. I sometimes think I would have liked to have taken a pup from others that I looked at but that only shows that there are more breeders at our disposal than can be subscribed to. I am also a registered breeder and my experience has been, well, undescribable.

OMG that's a huge number! Staffies overtook Labs in registered numbers a while back and are so popular they practically have to have there own arena and show at some events.

There is currently 89 puppy notices and 519 Staffordshire Bull Terrier Breeders listed on DOL. A bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Good Luck

Hi lisat76. And welcome to the forum. So you have your heart set on a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, rather than an American Staffordshire Terrier, since you colour preference is black or blue. Why not start at the Breed Pages of this site? You can compare and contrast the two breeds by scrolling through the profile pages, and look up websites of breeders in the breeders pages. Good Luck

I took a pup into the staff room one morning and one of the other staff shot through quicker than a curry vindaloo. Dog Phobia. WTF