Salukifan

Not obvious. Just irritating. And pointless. You're not going to win others over to your point of view and you've made your views plain. How about you give it a rest. Your dog is purebred OK? If you want endorsement for your rationale about buying from a backyard breeder you are both on the wrong forum and pushing it uphill. Few folk who care passionately about purebred dogs are EVER going to support your decision no matter how you've convinced yourself it was the right thing to do. You've got your pup, you're happy so why on earth you feel the need to keep justifying what is unjustifiable to most of us IS unfathomable. You're flirting with a breach of Forum Rule 6 and you're certainly irritating a lot of folk. I'm happy to accept that you've made a choice about the source of your pup but please don't expect me to endorse it. Try grasping that this is a forum primarily funded by the registered purebred dog community and show a little respect. We don't need "BYBs rock" messages rammed down our throats. LG: Well, given the purpose of this forum, what did you honestly expect? LM asked about buying from a registered breeder, got all the usual advice and blew it off. We were supposed to support this??

Your dog doesn't have a pedigree. A pedigree is a written record of ancestry generally recognised by the breed body (although not always). That doesn't make him a crossbred. You bought a baby puppy. How you've concluded that he will never have tear stains I cannot fathom. It has a range of causes and many of them have little to do with genetics. Any white dog with a depressed immune system may have them at some stage. They can often be successfully resolved. Why you seem to feel the need to keep on about this issue I cannot fathom. Not everyone is suggesting your dog is crossbred. We get your point. Personally I think you got spun a yarn. You have to jump through quite a few hoops to get prefix and unless the breeder was in hospital for months, I don't see how they were prevented from applying (provided they met the criteria). But you are happy... and lets leave it at that. I'm sure the breeder of the dogs she owns is just thrilled about them producing unregistered pups.

I think it's also important to remember that just because a dog "looks" like a particular breed, doesn't guarantee it is. I've seen Golden Retriever/Standard Poodle crosses that could pass for one of the parent breeds yet carry only 50% of that breed's genes.

Couldn't agree more. Life became much easier when I got a trolley to groom on. But a non splip surface on an outdoor table or something works well too - and is also MUCH easier on the back. A towel on the washing machine or the laundry bench works well. :)

Your pup's breeder didn't do you or him any favours. You need to persist and reward for good behaviour. Short (very short) sessions and lots of praise. Perhaps a quick brush every time before he's fed is one way to get into a routine.

Can you post a stacked and a jumping shot?????

I can't think of a harder sport on a dog physically than flyball.

I'd want to know the reason for the recurring injury first and foremost. If it's structural, then I'd retire the dog. If a chronic injury, then I'd want to know the whys and wherefores as to how it is occurinig. However, in my opinion you don't compete with dogs that are unsound or likely to become unsound repeatedly. They often pay for it with years of pain down the track. You have other options to compete him in. And no, I'm not talking theoretically here. I retired my last agility dog the day he was diagnosed with a spinal issue. I could have kept competing him but he'd have paid for it over time.

You also need to move to an intermittent reward schedule once a behaviour is on cue and reliably performed. You don't want a dog that gives you the finger the moment it realises you're not carrying food. I've seen that.

Not quite. Any dog born of two parents of the same breed IS purebred but it's a genetic dead end for the most part. Without a pedigree (that provides a record of proven ancestry) and registration with its breed register, the dog is lost to the future of the breed, no matter what its quality. That may not matter a damn to pet buyers but it certainly matters to breed fanciers although most breeders of non-pedigreed stock aren't thinking that far out. You may be perfectly happy with your dog PL but please don't try to justify what the breeder did here. It's a middle finger in the air to what a lot of folk here strive for. It's done and you're happy - can we move on from it please.

4 month old pups have the brain spans of a gnat. I think the first thing you need to be is realistic. I think the second thing you should do is kick the obedience club into touch if it's not how you wish to train your pup. if you're switching methods each week (using the obedience methods taught) and then doing something else at home, the poor pup is probably confused. If things are not working well, the first lesson you need to learn is to look at your end of the leash before labelling the dog as "defiant". Most dogs do aim to please us. If you are having issues, there's every chance the fault lies with you. Work on building a relationship of trust and confidence in you. After that, you can work on more specific behaviours. You want you dog to want to be with you.

If you want to know if something will get the dog in trouble, it pays to check the law. Companion Animals Act 1986 (NSW) Short answer - if they entered the yard without permission, then no, the dog is NOT in trouble unless it was a declared dangerous dog and outside its enclosure. Your friends need to secure that yard pronto.

The Mondeos look pretty roomy. Definitely worth checking out.

Wow - $950 for an unpapered pup. I can think of ANKC breeders who sell pups for less than that. Agree with the other posters. Few if any inheritable health problems occur in Whippets. You hear occasionally of epilepsy (which has no health test) and there have been a few incidences of heart issues (confined to one line that I'm aware of). There are a few breeders that check hearts but that's about it. Of course, if you don't know the pedigree behind the pup, then knowing the lines behind it and the potential issues becomes completely impossible.

Foster dog wouldn't get another day in my house. The potential for things to go pear shaped for the resident dog is very real

It would have scared the crap out of me too.

You must be shocked. Not what you expect from a dog you've had for so long. But he's old, he may be in pain, he warned you he wasn't happy and you pushed it. If he'd meant business, you'd be at the doctors now. He could have bitten you and he didn't. Give him the benefit of the doubt and head off to the vet. Pain could be a reason for this response and old dogs can feel quite a bit of it.

You won FRINGIES!! Congratulations!

Corvus's suggestion, based on her survey was that sighthounds were "timid". When asked about what breeds were surveyed, the conclusion most got to was that it was greyhounds that were in the majority. You can count the number of non-racing greyhound litters born in this country every year on the fingers of one hand. So most of us were concerned that observations of retired racing greyhound owners (who were asked to assess their dogs with no definition of "timid") were inaccurately skewing the data an leading to an erroneous conclusion. A lot of sensible pet buyers don't want "timid" dogs. I know I wouldn't. So the implication, if the 'science' says that sighthounds are timid is that folk won't consider owning one. It's a common perception based on ignorance and it's wrong. Just like a lot of common misconceptions about breeds that could be explored and exploded with good science. And BSL is a subject begging for such focus.

Corvus actually made no conclusions. Corvus saw an interesting trend in her data that hadn't even been properly analysed, but piqued her curiosity and so she asked 'the source' like breeders are always lamenting scientists never do. Corvus phrased her question very carefully and provided minimum information deliberately and as a result, for once actually got what she wanted out of the discussion, which was a few ideas she hadn't thought of. Corvus felt it was probably the single most successful discussion she has ever had on DOL, but it still pissed off a lot of breeders. See how hard it is to win? You can start with me by stopping the third person talk Corvus. It's bloody annoying. Try "I". Glad you got some ideas - pity about the price others payed for them. "Providing minimal information" put my blood pressure through the roof and resulted in me taking an extended Doliday to stop me blowing a gasket. That you now admit you were deliberately manipulating people to benefit your research agenda hits me as callous in the extreme. I am not, nor are other members here, your personal lab rats to be pushed in the direction that assists your study. Of course it pissed off a lot of breeders - its seems your provocation was deliberate - not what I call "how to win" in the longer term. You may have had no stake in the outcome but you were playing with people who genuinely gave a damn about it. If you want to know something, ask. If you can't say something, say so. You may often be the smartest person in the room Corvus but perhaps its time to ditch the white coat and realise that when you're posting here you're dealing with real people who deserve some respect because some of them actually know a hell of a lot about subjects you're researching and most people are very open and honest with their views. You have a tendency to take the intellectual high ground to take the piss out of folk here (most can't spot it) and people wonder why some of us get upset with you. If this is the kind of behaviour condoned by your department then all I can say is no bloody wonder people are wary. Hidden agendas are precisely what keeps people at their distance. The offer of assistance still stands - but don't play with people to suit your purpose. It's cruel.

Yep. Checked one out at a show in Albury last year. It really WAS big in the back. It had a power tail gait too - great for when you're staggering towards the car with an armload of stuff. I think the thing I particularly liked is that all the cargo space was usable - not wheel hubs in the way. You might want to take a look at the smaller Octavia wagon too. I checked out an agility friend's a while back and was impressed by how deep the boot was - good if you're thinking about a false floor.

Check out its arse - pwhoar!!! :laugh: You might do a good deal on a nearly new one*. Resale's probably not startling. * I am not on commission from Skoda.

The Isuzu 4WD ute will be available next year in a wagon format. That's the vehicle I'm waiting to see. If you want a wagon with a cavernous bum I'd say the Skoda Superb would be the one but it ain't cheap

Agree with this. There are a few ideas around that it may be linked to shorter sternums. That's a rabbit worth chasing down a hole.

Problem is that such dogs would NOT suit a lot of families. I think it would be heartbreaking to see such dogs confined to yards untrained and unexercised, Many would end up in the pound. But there are some pretty specific working dog breeding programs around - encompassing quite a few breeds.