Purdie

Yes they are not the same at all..My dog did not have anxiety she had a brain disorder and the Vet said only option was she could be sedated for the rest of her life and i chose pts rather than do that to her.

Has the breeder known other dogs that have been the same and recovered or is it wishful thinking on her part. Perhaps try the medication for 6 months to see if there is any improvement while you get more advise from professionals and others in a similar situation.

It depends if the medication allows him to have a good life ,I know it is hard i had a Cocker Spaniel with a brain disorder and chose to have her pts rather than heavy sedation. Perhaps if you could talk to other dog owners who have dogs on medication for similar reason before you decide. Don't consider re homing as i believe the dog would not cope well.

What does the Vet say .Has he had a complete check out and tests to see if the cause is a health issue ?

Probably not much help but here is a dog breed selector for you to try. http://www.selectsma...dogresults.html When i put your info in it came up with Greyhound 100% match. I think you would need to keep chickens in a seperate secure part of your yard no matter what breed you get.

Thank you everyone,lots of sound advise there. Alpha bet. i am glad you mentioned 3 of my favorite breeds;Airedale Schnauzer and Curly Coated Retriever. I am going to research more about Tollers. HW. I am glad you mentioned the Finnish Lapphund,i wonder how they compare to the Samoyed,?

Any larger low shedding breeds that make good family pets ? I'm thinking Standard Poodle, Airedale,or are they ""Too much dog'' for joe public average family.

My Daughter just moved to a townhouse with a small yard and owners were happy to Allow her Greyhound..

I've known people who over fed their small breed about as much food as my large breed. It is a consideration with food costs when choosing a dog.

Yes interesting.I bred birds for over 30 years and avoided inbreeding them and noted in the breed club i was in others often inbred to the point of birds unable to breed and an increase in Epilepsy. I wonder if problems such as Epilepsy in dogs is related in any way to breeding closely related dogs.

Ha Ha ;speak of the devil,Mr Newfoundland just went by. Also saw my first ever Welsh Terrier on our drive yesterday;nice looking dog.

Thanks Thistle;are you in the suburbs or rural.? I have seen a Newfoundland who walks by with his little Pug mate. On a good note i have seen an increase in the number of Greyhounds out walking also saw lots when we went on a 2 hour drive on the weekend.

Yet i have heard people advise others against getting a Labrador because they are too big and active..

Have our lifestyles changed so much now with smaller back yards that we are seeing fewer larger breeds about. Where i live i see lots of dogs out walking past my lounge window across from my computer;almost all are smaller breeds with the odd Labrador. Why do we not see as an example more English setters or curly coated Retrievers out and about or am i not getting out enough. Seeing less Labradors and Golden Retrievers about than i did 20 years ago.Is it just the larger size that owners are turning away from or other factors. I worry that larger breeds will become quite rare in the next 20 years .Are some dog owners becoming less able to adapt to the needs of their dogs or expecting that the dog must adapt fully to owners lifestyle . Have others noticed less bigger dogs around their area. efs

When the average family are looking for a pet dog there seems to be a large variety of breeds to choose from among the smaller breeds that fit the requirements However when looking at medium and larger dogs it seems to be a lot harder to find a good fit unless the owner wants to do special work or activities with the dog. To help with my research and understanding please answer the following... What breeds in the medium / larger and Xlarge sizes are most suited to the average family pet home ? Would size alone indicate a dog is not suited as a family pet ? Is activity level alone a factor in a breed being considered not suitable as a family pet ? What breeds would you consider only suited to owners with a special activity or work requirement for the dog and what would those requirements be.? Many thanks.

Perhaps a Chesapeak Bay Retriever ? http://crowleekennels.com/Chesapeakes.html

Is there a reason why they don't sterilize instead of desex as the article meantions..

My dog had the nose spray every year for 8 years for Kennel cough as we lived next door to a dog breeder; then the Vet talked me out of having it the last year saying it wasn't needed. Another neighbour had visitors who brought their dog over and was at the fence barking at mine;soon after she got Kennel cough and died. I always blame myself for not continuing with her full vaccinations that year and wonder if she would have lived longer if i had;but she was a short lived breed mix.

The Springers are great dogs.. The important thing is to find a dog that matches your Boxers play style and energy level otherwise the 2nd dog could become overwhelmed and stressed.. There are heaps of Stafford type mixes in Vic on Pet Rescue, pups and all ages .

I would not recommend Amstaffs or Irish Terriers as a dog that will get along with other dogs. I would.

An Australian cattle dog ,tough energetic and smart; also the right American staffordshire terrier or something less common an Irish Terrier,less coat than an Airedale but will need some stripping of coat.

If i was in that situation i would go to the persons home when they are out and take back my dog.

But many still have prey drive in spades. I would not recommend any sighthound for this situation. I wouldn't recommend a sighthound with chooks, period. And yes, I know some dogs are fine with chooks. if there are kangaroos around, scratch them too unless the house yard has roo proof fencing. Anatolian Shepherd or Central Asian Shepherd perhaps but you'd want to do your homework on breed AND breeder. Only buy from responsible, registered and informed breeders. I new you would say that HW..:). I would not trust any dog around free ranging chooks. Small pets need to have their own safe secure areas and any interaction with big dogs needs to be managed depending on the dog and the safety level needed for the other pets. My Wolfhound cross was protective and guarded my bird aviaries. My neighbours Vizsla that i minded for a day could not be left in my yard as he would try to get to the birds and knock over the cages.

An Irish Wolfhound.If raised with little pets they can live with them quite well.