Tralee

I had a New Years' puppy myself just seven years ago. It's a great time for bonding. Welcome also to the Italian breeds. Did you know they have twenty-two different breeds of dogs? In Australia, we have five, I think. Anyway, Good Luck with your Spinone. I hope he's a show stopper. PTS What name do give to a Spinone?

What an interesting day you've had. Do all you posts have to be so caustic? Maybe you should take a look back at all your recent posts, as we all can. Who needs to take a chill pill, now? We are not your whipping post raz.

Yes but that makes too much sense, Steve. Is it really possible to make too much sense? If the way forward can be seen clearly, if it just shines with truth, then that is the direction we must take.

Quote: "Other measures include tighter restrictions for pet shops and higher fines for animal cruelty." end quote. 'Proposed animal laws 'smart': RSPCA' ABC News. Dec 9, 2010. Gets my vote Although what I think is needed is a curb on impulse buying. Prospective pet owners should be required to substantiate a full and complete plan, something akin to being 'vetted' by breeders when they inquire about animals.

I would agree to the above myself. I can see some merit in this part. Not too sure about some of the other points though. I was about to say: Hear Hear, until I realised how tokenistic this part of the bill appears to be. Isn't this some kind of dampening? If they get people to agree to that, it then makes it more likely they will concede to the other parts of the bill. Certainly I personally, would have to see the bill, and perhaps all pet breeders should have a squiz at it, too.

Hi wuffles. You'll find it at the far north end of Redcliffe. It is the last east side beach just before the water's edge turns into Scarborough beach. Scarborough beach, itself, has been voted most family friendly beach several times Anyway, the dog beach, it's a craggy cove, runs from Phillip Street up to Kennedy Esplanade. Be sure to get some chips from the 'chippy' in Anzac Ave. Easily Australia's best fisn'n'chips

You could travel up to Redcliffe. There is a cove just before Scarborough that is simply brilliant. It a bit craggy on some parts of the shore which is why they gave it to the dogs.

Wish I could say that I don't understand, but Blind Freddy could see what you're doing. If you can't contribute to the issue without going 'Ad Hominem' then I, for one, am certainly not going to take the same tack as you. Those comments, have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the discussion, "Judge's Behaviour On Video."

Never quoted anyone saying judges are saints. Analysis and synthesis of the events and comments, together with a literal licence to post a point of view, are what forums are composed of. To put it another way, forums create the space for writers to be creative, or expressive, if that's what fits your muse.

Yep. read them all, with every barb and feather. My response was to your response to my earlier post, which was a response to someone else's post, and so on. Actually, the glass is not half full, it's overflowing. Erm, okay? Meaning, my posts are always fully informed, as far as is practicable.

Hi ravenau 1 Sure, I took one of my dogs very early to puppy school too. After vaccination is usually recommended but if the puppy school can vouch for a safe environment, a place where big dogs have never been, then it is invaluable. My girl loved it, and got an enormous dose of good temperament from it.

I love whinning. That's how they talk. Puppy won't have it long, I would lap it up while it lasts. Alternatively, you could try distractions, like toys and sounds, different areas etc. but why would you push the puppy away. You know what happens to children in kibbutz who lack personal touch. This is the time for massage and stimulating touch and creating bonds of security and belonging. Too much whinning. I found my first puppy's aloofness disappointing. Edit: spelling

Are we talking "Brown Dog Tick" :- Western NSW, "Grass Tick" :- widespread, or "Paralysis Tick" :- Australian East Coast?

Now that would be our very first litter. Forgive my naivete The others came like clockwork, literally to the day. It is truly a wondrous event.

Yep. read them all, with every barb and feather. My response was to your response to my earlier post, which was a response to someone else's post, and so on. Actually, the glass is not half full, it's overflowing.

They guard in a place they've never been? Under the physical control of their owners? Having been trained and socialised to tolerate handling by a judge? Honestly if you thought your dog's temperament wasn't suitable for the show ring, why on earth did you exhibit it? Lilli has said here before that some of her CAS are simply unsuitable for exhibition. That's called knowing your dogs. Don't blame the judges for eliciting responses from your dog that you appear to have been expecting anyway. :D I reiterate my point. "Many people trust, and expect Judges to set an example for all those who are in effect, putting their faith in them to lead and teach. This is especially true of people new to showing and just starting out." Now, pushing a dog off its "stance' by whatever means, by threatening stare, or intimidating approach, and forcing the dog to retreat, in other words deliberately compromising the dog's trust in the judge, particularly a puppy who is vulnerable and still developing is unforgivable. History is done. The facts were confirmed. The pair of creep judges I condemn. I don't see how they are any less hienous than the women in the video.

pewithers I have been involved in dogs for 36 years and have been to literally hundreds of shows (including shows in the U.S., UK. and Europe) and have never seen a judge deliberately set out to be cruel to a dog in the ring. I've come across a couple of judges who were a little heavy handed (usually when checking the mouth), but the vast majority of judges handle exhibits in a careful and considerate manner. I have never seen any judge try to 'spook' a dog in the ring nor have I ever met a judge who bragged about their cruelty to other breeders. My experiences of dog showing have been generally positive, but perhaps I see and interpret things in a different manner. Hi Miranda Of course, without a long and positive tradition of dog showing it simply would not exist. And it continues today because of the consistent high standards of 99.9% of 'Show People' Notwithstanding, the video is atrocious, but it is not a unique or singular incidence of 'mis-judging' My positive experiences are a little less than 99.9%, and I refute the claims of some in this thread, that other than the incident in the video, dog judging is perfect and all judges are saints. Not even the Saints claim to be perfect.

Hi Labkisses I found gently squeezing the jaws to open their mouth so that they take their first breath successful. Whelping is a mixed experienced, tinged with joy and sadness. The best litter, in that respect, was the one that was all done, all finished, all said, while I was away. One thing is certain though, it is always one of life's miracles.

People ARE thinking about the judge - and that they'll never let her near their table dog! Exactly. And a well placed and timely complaint may bring about some redress. I don't have the Code of Conduct for Judges but I am sure there are practices and procedures for dealing with incidents like this. But, bringing a judge to account is not an easy or enviable task in an elitist environment. I may be a little fish in the Big Wide World of Dog Showing but when my dogs are presented, and we have the attention of the presiding judge, we are the whole Cosmos as far as I'm concerned. Somehow, I think a person nearly two thousand years ago was saying very much the same thing.

Not entirely correct. A recent survey shows that more than half of the Spanish population is now against bull fighting. It's just that the government isn't going to do anything until there is a very large outcry against it, which is why it is taking so long. Bull fighting was recently banned in one region in Spain, and others are expected to follow. Exactly my point. Judges have a responsibility and an obligation to lead and teach, to represent the 'sport' with advocacy and not to do the other or bring Dog Showing, or themselves, into disrepute. Who knows the anthropological traditions and cultural practices, or the laws and sanctions, of a foreign country. The video made me sick to the stomach, but I am not going to cast the first stone against this women. Her treatment of the dog is very, very unfortunate and so are the times when we all make mistakes. That said, it didn't stop me reporting my neighbour to the RSPCA for cruelty when he was hitting my dogs across the head with a stick in my presence and in my absence. Impugning people, good or bad, is not a sport. It is simply rude, undignified, ignorant and unintelligent. Nobody has all the facts The video achieves the purpose of this thread. It disgusts and appalls. So can our comments.

I don't understand They don't, naturally, have a fluorescent or chalky white coat. However, they do gleam without tampering. Of course, I could twist the rules and say: "Yeah but; yeah but."

I might start selling sunglasses when my dogs are showing. The "Gleaming White" Coat Maremmas. But then, I could have sold raincoats at the Sydney Olympics, too

Watch the video, or watch people handling their dogs, and if it makes you sick in the stomach, as this video did, then you must say you're against it. When a majority of people complain about feeling ill, when they see how a dog is treated, or another human being for that matter, then something may get done. This video is going viral. It might be time to stop for a while, and think about this poor judge who probably was just doing what everybody else was doing, and now will be pilloried "universally' for simply conforming to expectations. I think it's a different situation to the lady who put the cat in the wheely bin. This is why we have our own minds to discern for ourselves what is good. Let's not condemn the person but the practice

does the effect of the whitener still remain if you then wash with a different shampoo for the second wash. just curious as i'd like to use it on his neck but also use the long coat shampoo for the second rinse but didn't know if that'd make the first wash pointless. SSM makes a good point. But the spirit of the law is not often interpreted and a fundamental reading of it can be applied to curb contention. Personally, I wouldn't go anywhere near a royal with anything other than my dog, specks of yellow or orange notwithstanding, as is the breeds' want. IMO a dog needs more than a coat with bright white parts to "stand out".

Sure, not technically. But the brighteners in laundry detergents are fluorescents. That's what make your clothers look bright and white. The fluorescents remain on the fibres. It's very hard to 'police' unless it is 'flaming' obvious. And ppl still chalk as though ignorance is bliss.