Roova

So Fabulous, i feel like ive been to the zoo with your photos, but saved an admission fee lol. The snake shot is amazing!! Is that how they mate?

Like this by any chance? I hope you said she looked intelligent... and friendly... and deadly cute... lol! T. I got your beautiful girl. I kept looking at the blade of grass stuck on her lips and thinking she looked so cute!

This is probably covered by qualifications, but staff who have completed some sort of behavioural training so you know they'll be more aware of subtle body language signals.

Wow, they're amazing!! Was that hand held or on a tripod? Imagine how good you're going to get if they're your first photos

Depending on the time of the year plenty of shade for people and dogs and available water for dogs to drink (which isn't hot). I went to a pet expo on the Gold Coast one year, on a stinking hot day, and there was one dog wading pool with a dribble of water in it. I saw multiple long haired panting dogs trying to lie in the water to cool down. They probably shouldn't have been bought along in the first place but more than one dog wading pool being refilled would have been fantastic for them and other hot dogs. Good luck with your event! :)

Probably a silly question but is there a chance your lens is set to manual, although your camera is on automatic?

I felt sick reading that. How horrifyingly scary for that poor man

Or climb out the little window at the back and leave them behind :laugh: Very cute photo, your pooch looks like he has a 'throw the ball please' face on :)

She's great thanks Huga! Gently snoring on the couch beside me. :) We got a kitten a month ago and after a week of alternate crate time they've been best friends since. Bit hairy for a while there though. The first time Maggie saw her she was frozen like a statue and shaking. It was hard to tell whether the look in her eye was intense curiosity or a weighing up of how much kitten she could fit in her mouth. I could have waved a roast chook under her nose and she wouldn't have noticed! Sid looks like he's in absolutely prime condition. Are you still running a few km's with him?

Wow, over the fence looks pretty awesome. Sid looks so muscly and fit he must really outrun Lola now I imagine? Great photos :)

Such a beautiful looking Frenchie! In that picture she almost looks like an oil painting :)

I don't think people should be expecting to get a return from their pet?? It is a one off investment, as you said + plus running costs thereafter. When was the last time your car or furniture gave birth to a litter for you to sell on? They can also require maintenance, just like a pet. Yet nobody would tell the retailer to charge less because you will not see a return from your couch?? By all means, don't buy a luxury "item", like a $3500 Frenchie or a $3500 couch if you do not want to pay that price or cannot afford it but don't expect people to drop their prices because you won't be making money off them :p Sorry but I find this argument extremely bizarre I don't think the average person would contemplate getting a return from their pet, I was trying to make the point that puppies are purchased knowing this. It does seem breeders do want a return of money spent (or to make money) on puppies though. If not they wouldn't be as expensive as they are! In saying this I think any breeder who puts their time, effort and skill into helping create a long lived, healthy pet deserves money to help them continue what they're doing. There must be some incentive or they might stop. Unfortunately it's the ones who don't put the same effort in but want the same money which I think make it harder for decent breeders to explain their costs. What irks me though is BYBers are frowned on for breeding for money, or with non health tested dogs, when there are registered breeders doing the same. Registered breeders have governing bodies, have been educated, and have agreed to abide by rules but it doesn't seem to stop many from breaking these rules when it comes to breeding puppies.

I don't quite understand what you mean by your question sorry. What I was meaning by my comment is registered breeders are not all setting a good example yet the finger seems to be forever pointed at BYBers for making poor decisions. Both parties seem to have healthy happy dogs or the opposite. Im sure thats definitely the case for some, although advertising how careful you are as a breeder I would have thought, would contribute to attracting a puppy buyer who knows how important that is.

You can see just by reading DOL threads there's plenty of pedigree dogs with health and structural problems so its not just crossbreds affected by lack of health testing in breeding dogs. I think this is worse too because all of these breeders know better where the majority of BYBers wouldn't. Until every registered breeder health tests when they should, breeds responsibly, ie no test litters, or just when they want their next showdog and also socialises appropriately its a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. When breeders complain that people say their prices are too high I think some other factors are forgotton. Buying a pet which will be desexed can be pretty expensive outlay of money, think Frenchies at $3500+. There's no physical return of the money (Im not talking about the love and pleasure you'll have from your pet) and in fact more costs will be ahead with feeding, vets and equipment etc. From a breeders perspective they might invest money and time into their chosen pets but they can have a regular return of money through selling excess puppies. They may also sell older dogs which no longer suit their needs and possibly dogs given back to them for some reason. Every litter can't be a disaster of hand feeding and rushing to the vets or no-one would do it surely? Going through the DOL list of puppies, there's seems to be plenty of ads with no mention of health testing where other breeders mention all they do. Does that put the non testing ones in the BYB bracket?

Maybe your question is the answer? The win has become more important than the dog....

I must admit I was a bit shocked by the photos of the GSD too. It doesn't seem to stand over its front legs properly and resting on the back leg pasterns looks painful for the dog. It might be a bad photo but either way it was standing like that. I started looking at photos on the web (maybe not a good idea) but came across this one which is a GSDCA National Gold Medal dog in Oz. It's also the sire of a number of winning dogs. If overangulation is not desireable, how can they be winning looking like this? It doesn't look like its moving easily at all. The standard calls for "The topline flows from the set on of the neck, over the high long withers and over the straight back to the slightly sloping croup without a noticeable break" These winning dogs seem to have a roach back, not straight? Sorry for my ignorance if I've misunderstood the standard.

If you're staying overnight with your dog somewhere you pack more stuff for the dog than you do for you!

Presuming the owner of the big dog was shocked at what happened, and beside offering apologies he could have found out if the small dog's owners had a way of getting to the Vet (they might have been dropped at the beach or walked a distance to that spot), he could have also offered to pay for Vet bills. Im guessing he hightailed it to avoid he or his dog getting in trouble.

Desexing a dog is not removing a body part which plays a big part in a how a dog communicates with the world though. The reason for desexing is to avoid unwanted puppies or/and unwanted behaviour. What is the positive for the dog in removing a tail except to please the selfish views of humans?

Wow. Cute, funny and hard to believe they're under water shots. What a great imagination!

I would say pet quality doesn't mean there's something wrong with the puppy, just that he isn't show quality. It might not be an obvious fault rather incorrect colour or height etc for the show ring. The breeder has put the same effort into all the puppies whether they're keeping them or rehoming them, so why should they sell some for less? All the costs and effort behind the scene are still there. A puppy which shows extremes of temperament at a young age is probably not a good choice for anyone, and not be something to be sought to save a few dollars. Any puppies with a physical fault which may affect them later in life are probably not a good choice either, there may be expensive trips to the vet or even heart break down the track. I would be more interested in finding out if the breeder does all the appropriate health checks for that breed (if they require them), what type of socialisation they do with their puppies, do they show and how much support or help might they give you once you take your puppy home. Not all the breeders are the same so its worth doing your research. Good luck finding a new puppy and good on you for asking questions first

Oh WOW, such beautiful horses and their babies. You take a fantastic photo!!

If thats a tiny picture of what you saw, it must be a truly overwhelming experience down there. Just beautiful! Is it absolutely silent that far under water, or can you hear some noises?

Lots of comments about all talk no action in the thread 'Article: Extinct Show Dog Breeders'. (The jist was people aren't buying purebred dogs anymore). I said I'd get my hands dirty so I thought I'd put my money where my mouth is and start a document for potential puppy or dog owners. I was thinking it might be useful on websites like gumtree or just for the general public who have never thought too carefully about buying a puppy. Hopefully it doesn't put them off getting a puppy at all I apologise for how long it is and I know there's valuable information missing and it's all a big generalised. I also know there's spelling and grammatical errors but I ran out of steam at the end. I haven't added info on recommended feeding, enriching environments or basic training etc. This thing could be pages long!! Im interested in knowing if the information is too much, not enough, or can it be used anywhere? If so where? The idea is to discourage purchasing from BYBers and to consider purebred dogs. For those not interested in purebred dogs, maybe it will at least make them consider there's more to owning a dog than falling for the first tpuppy they see. Maybe a better version of this could be useful through he council, in the paper, flyers etc I'm an outsider looking in so please go easy on me If everyone keeps complaining from the sidelines about how the general public think then nothing is going to change, in fact things are probably going to get worse! So you want to buy a puppy? Following are things to think about when deciding to buy a new puppy. You can save yourself heartache and buy a dog or puppy which will have a long and healthy life with you! Why have a dog in your family? A dog can be an amazing addition to your family. No matter what your mood your pooch is happy to see you! Go out for five minutes, come back and you may as well have been gone for hours with how happy your dog is to see you! Without speech they forgive your bad mood and they'll wait with you until you feel better. They give love unconditionally and the happiness in their lives comes from simply being with you. They can teach responsibility to your kids and can give them an awesome playmate encouraging outside activities. Getting out and about with your dog can allow you to meet new people and find new activities to enjoy. Joining a dog training club or entering the show ring scene can allow you to experience team spirit or even the spirit of competition! Health: Unfortunately indiscriminate breeding and lack of health testing has meant some breeds have health problems bred in to them. All responsible breeders should test their breeding dogs for known genetic problems! (It is worth knowing not all breeds of dogs have genetic problems which need to be tested for). Most backyard breeders are puppy sellers simply looking to make a quick buck from selling a litter of puppies. In 99% of cases they don't factor potential health problems into their decision to breed and they probably don't even know the health problems exist! Some think the fact the parents are able to run around the backyard and are nice dogs it makes them healthy and an appropriate parent. Buying a crossbred puppy does not guarantee hybrid vigour as some would have you believe. In some cases you may be buying genetic problems combined from both parents! Health problems may include hip & elbow dysplasia, deafness, eye problems, breathing problems and skin problems. Some of these problems are not obvious in puppies, or even their parents until later in life where they can cause a huge expense and heartache to owners. Will the person you’re buying from know or care your puppies parents may have one of these problems? One way to avoid buying an unhealthy puppy? Responsible breeders health test parent dogs before allowing them to have a litter. They also ensure temperament plays an important role in the parent dogs before bringing a new dog into the world. Don’t be sucked in to buying a pup from someone looking to make a few dollars from breeding their pet! Some puppy sellers say their puppies have had a 'vet check' this does not necessarily mean future health is involved. A vet check just means at that point in time the puppy is ok, but the health of the parents should be of major concern to a new owner too. In saying this there are no guarantees, but you should do the best you can to ensure the future health of your puppy. Why do dogs end up in the pound? Mostly lack of training is the culprit or someone buying a cute puppy in a spur of the moment decision, without looking into the future. In some cases the cute puppy grows into a dog which isn’t so cute. In most cases adolescence has hit and the dog has started to test how much it can get away with. With no training their behaviour can become unacceptable to the family or the neighbours. Imagine how many human teenagers would end up in the pound with similar behaviour! It is so simple to apply basic training when raising your dog and it can make the difference between a dog which lives with you forever or a dog which you think is being naughty and you want to rehome it! Don’t buy from a pet shop In the main pet shops buy their puppies from breeders who have little care for the health of the pup or where they end up. They often keep their breeding dogs in appalling conditions, all for the sake of a few bucks. Responsible breeders care about who buys their puppy and will probably ask you questions to determine you’ll give their puppy a good home. Why buy purebred? Do you want a predictable temperament and look? Purebred dogs have been bred for a reason, sometimes it’s to replicate the job they used to do (or still do) or for their potential as a great pet. Buying an ‘oodle’ may mean your pup will end up looking like either parent, this may not be a good thing! A purebred has both parents of the same breed and a pedigree of at least 3 generations. Just because a dog is sold with ‘purebred parents’ doesn’t mean it is, so make sure the breeder is registered and the dog has a pedigree to prove it. Registered breeders: Don’t be fooled by someone who is only registered with the local council. A true registered breeder is registered with a national body and has sworn to uphold certain ethics. Find a breeder who does appropriate health testing and who breeds for temperament as well as confirmation. You couldn’t start out with a better lifelong pet this way. The dogzonline forum is a great starting point! Training: Your dog, like a child, is not a mind reader. They cannot just know what you expect from them. It is your job to set boundaries and train what behaviour is acceptable to you. Training can be the difference betwen a dog which becomes a great member of your family and one which causes stress and is eventually dumped in a pound. Start as you mean to go on...don’t let your puppy do something you wouldn’t want an adult dog to do! Set boundaries and reward desired behaviours as you would a child and your dog will grow up with an idea of what is required from him or her. Make sure you give your dog appropriate exercise, you may have a large yard but looking at the inside of a fence all day is not considered an enriching experience. Give your dog regular training, or at least take him on good walks to give him something to think about when he's in the yard all day. This can avoid boredom and possible destructive behaviour. Be realistic and don't buy a breed where you cannot fulfill its basic desires. Can you fulfil the needs of an intelligent high energy dog? If not, expect destructive behaviour may be a result of boredom. Environment: Some breeds require a more gentle upbringing whilst they grow and develop. In general larger breed puppies allowed to run or jump from furniture indiscriminately may hurt growing bones , ligaments and muscles . This can mean unwanted trips to the vet. Be considerate of your dogs breed.

If anyone has any suggestions for some good info to get out to the general public, I don't mind getting my hands dirty and helping spread the word!