Blackdogs

I have arranged 18 adoptions through Gumtree and all have been fantastic, caring homes. I'm not sure what I would do without it. I definitely will not be signing this.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned a Brittany or a German Pinscher.

Thought this might be well worth contributing to. Will be interested to see the results. http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1915186/Your-Dog-s-Lifestyle

We all know about the German Shepherd, but there seem to be a number of other breeds that come in working lines - some I wasn't previously aware of. So which breeds are you aware of that come in working lines? Feel free to post pictures!

Great stories, and gorgeous pictures! My first dog was a terrier cross who was smart, drivey, ball obsessed and dominant. We were obsessed with each other. I wish I'd known about competition activities back then, as this dog could have done anything with her endless drive and high biddability. I would recommend her for a first time owner only if they had the time and energy for her. As it happens it's hard to make that recommendation given her indiscriminate breeding! As it turns out, a lot of us had breeds we wouldn't recommend for first time owners and we turned out to be dog lovers. I wonder if we give novice owners enough credit? I recently rehomed a high-drive working breed to novice owners and it's the best thing that ever happened to both of them.

Which breed was your first dog? Did you feel equipped to handle them? Would you recommend them to first time dog owners? As always, pics would be a massive bonus.

I'm going with an Azawakh for food and protection.

You're stranded on a deserted island, with no way off. Which breed would you choose to help you survive?

Adore working line Shepherds, but would neve own a show line GSD. I like short or scruffy coated versions of most dogs/breeds, but dislike long haired versions. Aside from the maintenance, you can't see their physique.

Happy birthday, Tibor! Glad you revived this thread, I hope more people post!

And you have to pay for it.

I also remember when I was young and naive allowing my boisterous dog to harrass other dogs and not understanding why owners didn't let their dogs play with mine. You can't blame people for naivety I suppose. Behavioral education isn't a requirement for owning a dog.

I was once at the dog beach and witnessed an entire make rotty charge up to every dog there and stand over them until they submitted. I started to leave because my entire male wouldn't stand for that conduct, but the dog rushed up to us and I had to grab him by the collar before he got to us. The owner was upset that I'd grabbed him and didn't understand why I had 'an aggressive dog' at the park. I suppose it all gets pretty complicated when most people only have a basic understanding of behavior.

Actually it was the vet's decision. He asked me to do it.

As a vet nurse and dog trainer I have saved many a dog by talking abut behaviour, offering training alternatives or surrender for rehoming. In this case the dog was euthanized and a complaint was made against me for making the client feel bad about her decision by talking about/offering these things. I just wondered how others would approach it. Appalling, very sorry you have had to go through this. I hope the customer doesn't get any more dogs or cats as they kill things too. Thanks, Dogmad. The client had the dog loose in the yard with a variety of small animals. They considered the dog disturbed because it dispatched the animal by grabbing it around the neck and shaking it. They intend on now getting a 'sane' dog. Management apologised to the client for my 'meddling' and assured her it would never be allowed to happen again. This is the thing that bothers me most. I have a great track record with these situations. One complaint and all animals will now likely be euthed no questions asked.

As a vet nurse and dog trainer I have saved many a dog by talking about behaviour, offering training alternatives or surrender for rehoming. In this case the dog was euthanized and a complaint was made against me for making the client feel bad about her decision by talking about/offering these things. I just wondered how others would approach it.

You work at a veterinary hospital and a client comes in with a 7 month old sight hound puppy that they want to euthanize. They consider the dog dangerous because it killed one of their guineapigs. What do you do?

Entire male Kelpie here. Has never toileted inside since I got him as a 9 week old pup. He recently spent some time inside with an entire, un-toilet trained male who marked all over the house. Although he would mark over the top outside he still didn't try to countermark inside.

Chongqing Dog, Beauceron, Dogo Argentino, Short Haired Shetland Sheepdog. Ok so that last one isn't real. But if it were, I would own it.

Why do I get the uneasy feeling that the company is going under? http://www.productreview.com.au/p/petplan.html

So many great stories! Jed, that story about Cleo is amazing. Rozzie you really must tell us your secret.

Such awesome stories. Thanks guys. That video of Clover almost made me cry. Happy Birthday Zeddy! You're gorgeous. Roly reminds me of my last dog. So cute. The only common factor I can see with all these oldies is lots and lots of love. Let's hope that works for my brood!

Wow, looks great for 14! Amazing how well some dogs can do on low quality food.

How old is/was your oldest dog? What breed are/were they? Do you think there is anything you did to contribute to their lifespan? Were they active or inactive dogs? I'm always curious about canine longevity and how to achieve it. I also love hearing about oldies! My oldest was the family dog who was given her wings at 16. She was a relatively inactive Shih Tzu cross JRT. Physically she could have gone on for many more years, but her dementia left her increasingly distressed. We felt it was fairer to let her go. She was brought up on PAL and then Supercoat and Optimum and barely had a sick day in her life! Tell me about yours! Oh, and pics would be a plus. :)

Smooth collie.