Blackdogs

:laugh: Physically.

What breeds have you had and at what age did they start to slow down? Pictures always welcome!

I'll second the vet check. If it is dementia there are drugs you can use to improve things. Ask about vivitonin. Some of the symptoms do sound eyesight related.

I wouldn't give him any bones that he can ingest large quantities of from now on. You could mix a variety of vegetables in with mince or add Vet's All Natural.

I'm an extremely picky puppy buyer, after all, dogs are my life and I'm going to be living with my selection for the next ten to fifteen years. When I have a dog in mind it's for a select purpose and I know exactly what I'm after in terms of personality and looks. Having said that, part of this process is finding the right breeder, so if I didn't trust their judgement from the get-go I wouldn't purchase from them. In this respect, I'd hope for a mutual decision making process with respect for my requirements, but with lots of input from the breeder as they know the litter best. There are some things I'm willing to negotiate on, and there are some things I'm not. My first dog was always going to be a girl, but there were none available, so I was happy to take a boy, but I wasn't willing to compromise on colour. If there were none in the colour that I wanted I would have waited. I made that clear from the outset and the breeder respected that decision (which is pretty lucky, considering so many breeders seem to think colour shouldn't factor in at all). I got the dog that I wanted in the end and the breeder and I still keep in contact regularly. With my second dog there was not much compromising on my behalf at all. I wanted a specific personality, a specific colour and it had to be a female. As it was an interstate purchase, I trusted the breeder to select the puppy with the correct temperament. She was spot on. I think if you have specific requirements and you know what you want (and you're educated enough to make that decision) it's important to find a breeder whom you can trust and who will take your desires into consideration.

Great stories. What would we do without dogs?

This looks like a splendid hybrid, but I'm after something more exotic. Do you have any Maned Wolves?

I just love hearing stories about heroic dogs, so I thought I'd make a thread dedicated to them. Do you have any links, articles, personal experiences or second hand stories about heroic dogs? Here is a link to start you off.

I'm just wondering, is the dog going to be outside when they are inside, or will it be supervised outside? How far is the road from the house? I have no problem with a well trained dog being outside unleashed with its owners as long as it's not too close to the road. Many herding breeds have limited inclination to wander too far from their owners when they are present and can be kept close with the occasional whistle. I agree with the Smooth Collie suggestion.

But I don't think the poll gives you enough accurate figures re. population vs sample, skewness, significance etc to draw any real conclusions. Interesting to read people's experiences though. Agreed. If you are trying to do statistics, read up on "Opportunistic Sampling". I already stated that it would be skewed because of sampling, but then I thought it would be skewed in the opposite direction, so I think that says something in itself. DOL polls don't really provide for collecting technical, scientific data and neither does the forum. I still think you can take something away from the results here, however.

Thanks for your responses, everyone! I find these results very interesting. For those saying the poll is useless, if the results answer the question "How many people have had dogs who have aggressed and to what severity" the poll does make sense, in my opinion. I see a lot of dogs with a lot of behavioural issues, so I suppose to that degree, my own experience has been skewed somewhat. It's interesting to understand the extent to which the average person's dog aggresses. The results have surprised me, to be honest. I expected fewer incidents because of the education level of those on the forum. I'm not stating this in a critical way at all, what I do believe is that just as with people, aggression is a natural part of being. It's not convenient and it can be treated in many problematic cases, but it exists to a much larger degree than many people acknowledge. I think that as long as humans and dogs continue to coexist there will be incidents in which both humans and dogs become injured due to aggression. It's a sacrifice we make for all the benefits we receive due to our mutual companionship. It doesn't mean we can't work to reduce incidents, but they will not doubt always exist and there shouldn't be such a stigma attached to them.

Hi AMS, thanks for your thorough and honest response. I still think you can answer the survey based on your answers, though. Just select the most serious answer for each question. :)

Stick with the most serious in each.

Out of interest, I have provided an anonymous poll for members to record their dogs' biting history. I am aware that this poll might be skewed due to the educated status of a lot of DOL members. When I talk about biting here, I do not talk about play biting or trained bites. I'm talking about defence, offence or prey bites. I'm aware of the sensitive nature of this topic so I have made the poll anonymous. If people wish to share their stories I hope that no aggressive unsolicited advice will be given. If you have more than one dog that has bitten, please fill out the poll for the most serious incident in each category.

Gorgeous. I'm a big fan of heelers, both temperament and looks. The one in your icon looks adorable.

Do you get people guessing at the breed? I usually get Pom X, Pug X (because of the tail) or they think she is my Kelpie's puppy. When I say 'Schipperke' they invariably say 'a what'. I feel like I have to launch into the history of the breed in order to make them believe that it's not a made up name for a designer breed. I am also surprised at the amount of attention she gets. I always figured they looked pretty generic as well.

Both on my bed since day one.

Wow, gorgeous!

I will also stuff this dog in my Christmas stocking, thanks http://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/246417

Aww. What a sweety. I have found another that I want: http://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/253896 Good choice! Drizz is my foster. She is such a sweetheart, we hope she will find a home soon! What an amazing looking dog. Her personality sounds perfect! I'm in Vic anyway, sadly. If I was in a position to have another dog, however, I'd probably find a way. She'd better find a home soon, or temptation will get the better of me! :laugh:

Wow do you have a pic?

Aww. What a sweety. I have found another that I want: http://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/253896

That's actually a really sad story. I always hope a bonded pair end up finding a home together when I see them. Maybe one day when the time comes I will acquire a pair.

Oh no I shouldn't have clicked on the link.... she is gorgeous!!!! If only... Maybe we can time share or something. :D

Well done on all your hard work. :)