Salukifan

Just thinking, Mr Busy is your dog a "smiler"? Sounds to me that your dog was worried about your husband's approach and hid behind you. Has there been any kind of interaction between them that you don't know about? Some rough handling perhaps? Some dogs bare teeth as a sort of anxiety/uncertainty based reaction. You need a decent behaviourist but rereading your post, a dog baring teeth when offered meat does seem a bit odd. Forget any Cesar Milan type thoughts about dominance and get a decent professional to advise. "Boss" dogs don't hide. This sounds more like fear but you need someone in the room to advise.

The day the ANKC demonstrates that is able to effectively police its registered breeders itself perhaps the desire to 'police' will fade. In the meantime, if Troy is taking the steps he considers may assist to keep the less desirable breeders from his website, then I say good on him. There might be a few less broken hearted puppy buyers. At least he's trying.

Really? How have poodles benefitted from being outcrossed? For a start they lose the one thing that attracts many to the breed - their non-shedding coat. What benefit would you get from outcrossing Whippets? What issue would you be "fixing"? You're buying the hybrid vigour argument hook line and sinker but you're losing sight of what outcrossing brings - unpredictability. They did it for the kromfohrlanders for the reasons I already stated. Are you saying whippets have an endless gene pool? It's not always about "fixing issues" but about keeping the vitality of the breed.Also, I said most. Not all. Of course Whippets don't have an endless gene pool. The moment you close the stud book on any breed, that's an impossiblity. But how about some evidence that the breed "lacks vitality". Short answer, is that it doesn't. It's not a rare breed, its possible to keep the COI at a suitable level within the breed. It has a couple of emerging health issues but frankly, that may be as much to do with advances in veterinary medicine as that they are "new". But your statement that "most breeds would benefit from it" [outcrossing] seems based on the premise that "most breeds" have serious health issues. And that simply isn't borne out by the facts. So if Poodles ain't broke and Whippets ain't broke then why on earth do they need your version of "fixing". Short answer, they don't and this kind of myth needs stamping on. What breeds would you add to one with a lot of prey drive to "fix" it. The mind boggles.

You could stick the dog in the run while the chooks and rabbits get some time free ranging.

Non-shedding breed in a tick area is going to require constant, thorough checking. I think to ask a terrier to ignore its hard wired instinct not to hunt rabbits and chickens is going to be challenging. Is a run for the rabbits or chooks out of the question... or the dog??

Really? How have poodles benefitted from being outcrossed? For a start they lose the one thing that attracts many to the breed - their non-shedding coat. What benefit would you get from outcrossing Whippets? What issue would you be "fixing"? You're buying the hybrid vigour argument hook line and sinker but you're losing sight of what outcrossing brings - unpredictability. SNI: I love a dreamer Tell your family to heed the warning about crooks in the BB breed - they are legion.

To be quite frank if you want a dog for any of the "work" you describe, you'd not be getting a BB - or quite a few other breeds. That doesn't necessarily mean they are walking congenital disaster areas.

And most are from the breeder that both you and I have recommended.

And yet, there are Bulldogs that have none of the issues you describe - and none of the variations in temperament or type that go with crossbreeding to "fix" the breed. The 'real work' of the BB was made illegal in the breed's country of origin in 1835. The temperament of the breed was modified to create the amiable character for which the breed is now renowned and which, I am reliably informed, is NOT universal amongst the dogs that are bein created to "fix" the breed. I am no fan of extremes of conformation that lead to health issues but bear in mind that the price associated with BBs has attracted crooks of the first order into its ranks and frankly some of the dogs advertised as BBs are appallingly bred or simply not purebred at all.

24 hours later, Lily is almost back to normal. She's a tough old chook :)

Very hard to call unless you've been there. My view is that a dog that will kill a dog when its loose is likely to do the same again given the chance. Hard to understand why DAS isn't prepared to up the ante for the dog's owners and issue a DD notice.

Add some blood tests onto the vet visit. I'd be starting with a thyroid check. Make sure you get a professional who is both qualified and experienced with dog aggression. You are unlikely to get what you need from a franchise pet dog trainer.

Thanks, I leave some on at night for my other old boy and I have a motion sensing one that turns on so that he see and use the stairs up onto the bed

Thanks! I honestly thought i wouldn't be bringing her home.

Vet checked eyes, ears, reflexes and balance and stability. No scans. It certainly is distressing to see from my Googling and my friends' experiences, circling is very typical of an IVD episode.

Arrived home last night to a disoriented, staggering and distressed 15 year old poodle. She'd vomited. Her eyes were rapidly flickering and when picked up she stiffened and splayed her front legs. I dismissed poison as a likely scenario and thought she'd had a stroke. Rapid trip to the vet and Lily has Idiopathic Vestibular Disease. A post on Facebook revealed a range of friends whose oldies have had or suffer from IVD. There is no cure - treatment is limited to managing symptoms. My vet gave me anti-nausea meds and sent me home with advice that attacks can last up to two weeks. In Lily's case she improved throughout the evening, had her breakfast this morning and is close to normal now. Anyone else with experience of IVD in their senior dogs? It certainly scared the bejesus out of me

How is it that you can still advertise a litter of APBT pups in NSW with impunity and yet legislation making advertising microchip numbers mandatory will force people to chip their pups??? New laws without new or increased methods of law enforcement don't make an ounce of difference. The day rangers visit dog parks with chip readers and fine anyone with an unchipped and unregistered dog I'll believe they're serious about enforcing current laws. There are people and dogs that never see the legal side of current dog regulations. The dogs are BYB, not registered, not chipped and not desexed. Have a look at the profile of the average dog involved in a serious dog attack and I've just described it. More law won't make people more responsible. It will simply be an additonal burden on those already complying with the laws. I'm an advocate for increased education, not increased legislation. The Calgary model works and is being ignored. Of course legislation is cheaper.

The level of ignorance on the FB page about the reality of unrestrained, unsupervised dogs in the country is pretty apalling. Who cares if it was obvious the dog was a purebred Husky. All breeds of dog are capable of being stock killers. Shooting it on a public road was illegal but.... the dog shouldn't have been left at such risk - even just from cars.

You cannot expect a vibrant and growing show scene if you only put effort into encouraging another generation of a family already in the scene to participate. The secret lies in NEW BLOOD with the time, money and commitment to exhibiting. That means adults and what do we do to encourage new adult handlers..... You know the answer to that. A newb adult handler only achieves any kind of welcome via sheer luck and stories of hostility and lack of help abound. Every single one of us has the potential to welcome or deter new entrants to the show ring and frankly its something some of our number need to be reminded of frequently.

What I don't get is who lets their dog out on the side of the road OFF LEASH and allows it to wander off???? No, it doesn't justify the dog being shot but frankly when I started reading the story I thought it was going to end with the dog being run over and the car driving off.

Rubbish. Haven't DAS heard of DNA testing. The attacking dogs DNA would have been all over poor Charli. I'd be pushing it with the relevant Minister if my dog had died under such circumstances.

Bummer, have a 15 year old poodle boy who'd have been a good candidate - but he's in Canberra

Yep, when you dont own something and you transfer it into new ownership that's got a particular word associated with it. It starts with a T and ends in HEFT. They could have impounded the dog, put their name on and if unclaimed, rescued and rehomed it completely legally.

Point has already been made but Brittanies are NOT Spaniels. They are a utility gundog and, in my limited experience, are quite different in temperament to most Spaniels. All breeds named are smart, high activity and need a fair bit of physical and mental stimulation.

I'll simplify your confusion. Which would you prefer? Either scenario can be made to work within reasonable parameters. But for my money, a pup is usually a more sure bet provided the size of the exisitng dog and the pup isn't a big issue.