Blackdogs

You see, I don't get that either. Like another poster my daughter has exceptionally blue eyes and people always comment *. As a baby, people would often stroke her head or touch her cheeks etc and it's just never bothered me. Same with touching my tummy when pregnant, people are just trying to share some joy. I think society is becoming so intolerant and cold towards strangers. I guess it's my country upbringing of being friendly to passersby, people at the shops etc. * Off topic even further but people comment so much on my daughters eyes that now when they say 'what blue eyes you have', she replies "I know, they're the bluest eyes in the world" Out of the mouth of babes. She has come to seriously believe it as she has grown up with strangers telling her that all the time. I think we're of the same mindset here. I tend to think the best of strangers who wish to interact because usually they mean well, even if they do come across as socially inappropriate! I think we all need to interact more, not less, because let's face it, as someone once said: "We're all in this together".

So I met my first Bedlington terrier the other day, but I didn't recognise it because it wasn't in the traditional cut. I've always admired the look of this breed, but this dog was the most gorgeous, woolly little teddy bear! Does anyone know much about their temperament? What are they like to obedience train? What about agility? Does their coat just keep growing forever like a poodle's if you don't cut it, or does it stay at a fairly short length? I found the feel of the fur different to that of a poodle. Very soft. Looking at google images, it seems they are born a particular colour then fade? Thanks! :D

Thank-you.

I think you're looking at things the wong way. I don't think people have a sense of entitlement with or ownership of your dog. I think people are engaging in a socially acceptable behaviour and you are, in return, offering a socially unacceptable response. I think when people gush over others' babies or puppies they are engaging in a behaviour which, they assume will endear them to the receiving party (owner/parent and dog/child). It's partially self-serving but also partially an attempt at social friendly social interaction. It's kind of like smiling and saying hello to someone and having them frown and turn away. People take it personally, whatever your justification may be. You can't change the view of the general public when it comes to social interaction, so perhaps as part of your training program you need to attempt to change your responses. Not just in order to reduce the anxiety of those attempting to interact with you and your dog but also to temper your own emotions so as to benefit your dog in these situations. Perhaps smiling and explaining to these people that your puppy is undergoing a specific training program then offering them a chance to interact with you and your puppy in a few moments may work? Maybe in engaging them in conversation about what you are doing and what you would like them to do might offer them the icebreaker they're looking for? Whatever the solution, I think you need to find a solution to your dilemma as soon as possible, lest your negativity around strangers impact on your pup. A dog need not be in its critical period of development for behahaviour to have an impact.

If you go on ANY internet forum and post the same post you will get exactly the same responses. That's because there are many more backyard breeders out there than there are people breeding for the betterment of the breed. If you are showing your dogs and have taken conformation, temperament and health in to account but still want to understand the basics of genetics to add to your gene pool, then there's no problem, but perhaps you should specify that to avoid negative responses. If you know nothing about the aforementioned attributes and are breeding for colour alone, then the world is full of unwanted dogs being bred for trivial reasons and we don't need any more to add to the pet overpopulation problem. Here, breeding for the hell of it is not tolerated, but I'm sure you're not silly enough to be doing that. You seem intelligent enough to understand the importance of a considered breeding program, therefore why not just state your full intentions so you can recieve the advice you want from well educated people?

I have two dogs and one cat. Both dogs are young and high energy and with full time work it can be a challenge at times to meet their needs without becoming exhausted. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. They are so much fun and I really enjoy exercising and training them. One is a medium sized dog and the other a small dog, but I find size is not as impacting as stimulation requirements. Two greyhounds would be far less taxing! The cat mostly just does his own thing, he is a low energy inside/outside cat. The main thing stopping me from getting a third dog is the financial requirements involved. All my animals are insured and are on high quality diets. At this point in time I believe I am at my financial limit if I wish to continue to provide them with the best.

The responses to this thread have been incredible. I'm really enjoying looking at all these beautiful pictures. :thumbsup:

:rofl:

I think it would depend on the health problem. Can you be more specific? Some things are heavily genetic, others are genuine bad luck, or a result of high risk activities. Performance dogs are much more prone to injury because they engage in high impact sports.

I have a show line Kelpie with plenty of drive and natural instinct. One of his relatives was the best dog on a cattle station. I really think it depends on the lines.

Kelpies, I would say red, but I prefer black. Schipperkes I have no idea about the colour demand, but black definitely seems to be the most popular.

Stunning, Poocow. What about the other two in your banner?

Maybe he meant that as in 'I see what you mean'.

TOY ETT Mini Pin Papillion TERRIERS JRT Aussie Terrier Glen of Imaal GUNDOGS Weimaraner Longhair Chesapeake Curly Coat HOUNDS Portugese Podengo Irish Wolfhound Basenji WORKING Kelpie GSD Dutch Shepherd UTILITY Rottweiler CAS Cane Corso NON SPORTING Schipperke Shar Pei Canaan Dog

Ooops. I missed that!!

Can no one provide me with a link in which breeds are listed via categoy?

Is there a list somewhere of which breeds belong to which group?

Fantastic responses! How beautiful these dogs are. It's interesting to see how they develop. To those with rescue dogs, the initial picture doesn't have to be a pupy photo!

I thought it might be interesting to see how people's dogs have changed over the years: Puppy to adult, adult to mature dog, mature dog to old dog, that kind of thing. It doesn't have to a series of sequential shots, even one as a pup and one as an adult would be interesting. I'd post some of mine but this is a new computer with no pictures on it. I need to get snapping.

My Schipperke spends 50% of her waking existence doing zoomies.

I agree with this. Temperament is the most important thing when looking for a doggy companion. Can you describe the sort of temperament you are looking for in more detail? Do you want a dog who is easy to train or more of a challenge? Do you want a dog who is clingy or more independent? What about outgoing vs reserved with strangers? Territoriality important or not? Good with other dogs or not important? Dominant and headstrong or soft and submissive? Just how much grooming exactly can you cope with? Every day or once a week? How much time will you spend with the dog and will it come indoors?

What dog-related products would you buy if you had unlimited cash (include links to specifics if possible!)? I would have all my dog's meals made from fresh, organic produce. I'd get them a cooling bed for summer and buy out clean run's toy department! I'd specifically like a Kong Wobbler and some Nina Ottoson toys. I'd spend all day playing ball with them and going hiking. I'd also buy a complete agility set up! Are you reading this, Santa? ;)

Another vote for the Schipperke. It ticks all your boxes. The females are around 5kg, they're a Spitz breed with similar independence, just more biddability. Mine does not want to cuddle often, runs all day, it a bloody mountain goat on rough terrain, can jump great heights, has a wash and wear coat, doesn't run off, fearless, bold and extremely intelligent. Oh, and they're damned cute!

The same is found on Pug forums. They crate their dogs 24/7 if no-one is home to watch them. I find that horrifying. Crates certainly serve a purpose, but not this. To be fair, in some states in the US they have birds and wild animals (coyotes I beleieve) that I am told will come into your yard and drag your dog off. This is moreso if they are young. Ive had many a debate about this concept before. On one hand we are fighting to treat zoo animals better and let them out of cages, fighting to stop the caged abuse of dogs in puppy farms and on the other we tell people they are abusive and negligent owners for letting a dog be a dog and smell fresh air. How bizarre. My own dogs would much prefer to be inside with me. However, they need sun, they need fresh air and they need to be dogs so I put them out every day when I leave home unless it is really hot, really cold or raining. It's strange, isn't it. Even when I argued that perhaps the Australian environment was safer, I was still lambasted for 'negligence'. I mostly let it go after a while, until a poster one day bragged about how responsible they were for crating their two huskies 23 out of 24 hours sometimes 7 days a week, in a crate with no bedding or blankets in case they 'choked' on them. I had trouble letting that one go, but I was the only one who showed any reservation! Several people on the forum also went to the extreme of believing that leaving a dog inside a locked house was unsafe if the dog wasn't crated because they could chew and choke on things. Apparently, even if the dog is not a chewer, it's irresponsible to take the risk. I also got the whole lecture about it being like leaving a five year old home alone, because dogs have the mentality of a five year old. I argued that I wouldn't leave a five year old in a cage all day either, but that didn't seem to make sense to them. I think that unless there are serious behavioural issues at play that cannot be resolved otherwise, crating a dog for 8 hours a day is lazy dog ownership.

I have been criticised on an American forum for having my adult dog outside at all whilst not directly supervised. And this wasn't by one person, it was the general concensus! My yard is wholly enclosed with six foot fencing and I live in a good neighbourhood. Apparently this is considered negligence over there. I think the attitudes are quite culturally different in the US.