Salukifan

Buy her a bottle of hair dye and get her to work on a nasal tone... no dogs need suffer in the cause... No idea about the grooming.. pick up a phone and ask a professional.

There is no denying many of these mixes are lovely dogs... But why don't you simply tell her the truth: There is so much variety in this cross that there is no guarantee HER cavoodle would be anything like the PMs. Explain the conditions such dogs are generally bred and raised in and show her some puppy farm photos. Then send her into the rescue pages OR direct her towards poodles and CKCS. She DOES realise such dogs require professional grooming I hope. ETA: Thundercat, is it just my imagination or are you frequently starting "high drama" threads intentionally???? Everything you need to inform your niece about designer dogs is already here for you to show her.

Not what is being said IMO. Rather ANYONE who can not provide a stable and consistent upbringing for a PUPPY would likely not be considered suitable for a PUPPY by many breeders. Point 1 - Most FIFO workers and military personnel have FAMILIES and FRIENDS. Point 2 - It's not the JOB I'd refuse to sell to but anyone who thinks that a week at home/week in kennels situation is a suitable way to raise a pup. Anyone who could provide a stable home environment or a better option than that should be considered. I had dogs for the last few years of my military career BUT I owned my home home, knew I would't be deployed at short notice AND had friends that could mind my dogs if I need to travel for work. Not much has changed since then really.

If they are single and unable to provide a stable environment for a pup, Hell yes. Frankly I'm a bit amazed a genuine dog lover would expect to put a pup through it. And I'm ex-military. This isn't about the job to me but the capacity to provide an appropriate home environment for a pup.

Supercoat is mostly cereal filler Canned food is mostly water. After a thorough vet check feed the poor dog some quality food. Premium junior kibble, chicken wings and some lamb too. No canned food. The diet she is on now is probably not high enough in quality nutrients to put weight on her. No wonder she's hoovering the mince. You can't feed Whippets crap and expect them to do well. Upping the quantity is just feeding more crap. Wormers are damned hard on a dog's stomach - frankly the LAST thing I'd be giving to any dog with a gastric upset. A decent probiotic wouldn't go astray but frankly this is down to your sister. Not much is going to change in 4 days. ETA: One more thing. Where does she sleep and does she wear a coat at night? Its getting colder and no Whippet is going to be in great shape if it can't keep itself warm.

You are right. But there also are a lot better ones and when you sell a pup that's what you're looking for. The instability and the potential to develop unwanted behaviours would be what worried me most about a pup in a week in/week out situation. I'm not sure you could ever successfully toilet train a pup in this situation.

I'll be surprised if your entries are accepted if the breed on the entry is "Kangal". The Kangal no longer appears on the list of recognised breeds on the ANKC's website.

I know I am off topic but I am fairly new so forgive my ignorance, but what sort of dogs do prostitutes traditionally own? Historically, small poodles have been popular pets in brothels. I understand that for "soiled doves" in the USA in the 1800's, where sometimes a woman was the sole prostitute in a town and ostracised by other women, it was a very lonely life. Poodles were sometimes the other only companions these women had. Other small breeds have filled the role as "comforter" over the years and for aristocratic women in times of arranged marriages and children being raised outide a nuclear family environment, they did the same. Until about the 1950's when poodles became the darlings of a few celebrities, quite a few "respectable" American women wouldn't be seen dead with one. Lavendergirl: I think a few folk have learned something. Let me clarify - this isn't a rescue bashing thread (I made it clear the attitudes I object to are not universal in that group) and nor is it a crossbred bashing thread. I object to the fact that I prefer purebred dogs being written off as "you do it so you can think you're better than other people". No, I do it because I support responsible breeding and because I prefer to get my dogs as pups, I try to improve the predictability of the characteristics of my adult pets. Dismissing it a "snobbery" is not only unfair, but allows those who expound that statement to conveniently skirt a host of other issues about dog characteristics and selection. No one's holding a gun to people's heads to read or respond to the thread..

No. Kennels 50% of the time is no life for a puppy

One more thing. History does not support the theory that purebred dogs were the sole purview of the wealthy. My two breeds of choice have some pretty strong working class or lower associations. Poachers and prostitutes! Whippets were developed by English coal miners to race once a week and put a bunny in the cooking pot when they could. Entire groups of purebred dogs were developed for working lives by people who carefully selected and refined certain characteristics because they didn't want to take chances on randomly bred pups.

All good points Liz T. I think there's another dynamic at play too - most average families these days desex their pets - that message is getting through. So the days of getting a pup from your neighbour down the street and from a bitch you probably knew are gone. So with pups, the sources are now the breeders for profit, the irresponsible/negilent, rescue (but not that many baby puppies are around) and ANKC breeders. And no folks, I don't think that they are three distinct and non-overlapping groups. So if a responsibly bred, carefully raised pup is what you are after then the sources of those pups are narrowing constantly and generally in the direction of the ANKC. Rescue is a good source of adult dogs but pups, not as much, particularly if you don't fancy making up for lost time, careless breeding and poor nuturing. The money argument largely doesn't wash with me. Its a matter of priorities for many folk. I don't have a McMansion, Foxtel, a play station, a brand new car or go on expensive holidays. I've seen plenty of "just a dog" buyers who quibble over purchase prices on pups but don't stint on themselves.

The "just a dog" argument is an extension of "all dogs are basically the same" one I think. And it simply isn't so.

Of course rescues and purebreds aren't always two distinct groups. And the "dog snob" label isn't limited to rescue circles. I find it ironic that crossbred owners who think a purebred dog is somehow to be sneered at are often the same folk very keen to describe their dog in exactly those terms. They just use more than one breed to do it and sometimes the breeds used are a bit of a stretch. I dont think my dogs pedigree makes ME superior. As pets it doesn't make them superior to a crossbred either. What that pedigree does makecthem is responsibly bred and a better fit for my home.

I am heartily sick of the old chestnut of "purebred dog owners are snobs". Sorry rescue folk but its often bandied about within your ranks along with the "buying a purebred pup condemns another pup to death" philosophy. Frankly I think the basis of this accusation is some kind of misapprehension that all dogs are in essence the same temperament and that all we do is select for cosmetic appearance and origin. It's the same kind of thinking that says socialisation is some kind of magic that can prevent behavioural issues like aggression. It's a crock and its a myth that needs to be stamped out good and hard every time its trotted out. I'll tell you why i own purebreds. I'm risk averse. I want the best possible odds that the pup I buy will turn out into the adult dog I want to live with. I want to own pups because I want to raise them in a particular way. The best way of knowing what you're going to get in an adult dog is to buy that adult from an environment as similar as possible to your home. IF you don't want to do that then a purebred pup is a best bet. That pup would have ideally been raised in a domestic situation and closely observed for the first 8 weeks of its life. You don't have to guess parentage and you don't have to guess what bite threshold, level of bite inhibition, level of prey drive, level of protectiveness and level of trainability the dog will have. You will have a good idea of the general characteristics the adult will possess, including its size, weight and coat type. You'll be able to predict that with a reasonable degree of certainty. If you aren't risk averse will that's fine by me. But don't call me a snob because I can't live with any and every dog and want some certainty about the animal I"ll spend the next 15 odd years of my life with. End of rant. Thoughts??

Six months old... not good. If there are kids in the family, I don't think a behaviourist is going to solve their problems. Combine two breeds, one with a low bite threshold (gundog) and one with a low bite inhibition (herding) add a few temperament issues and this can be the disastrous outcome. The pup is also a also combination of a breed not unknown for resource guarding with a breed with strong protective instincts - wow what a great idea NOT. Just prepare them for the fact they may not get a happy ending. And people get told that because they prefer the predictability of characteristics in purebred dogs they are "snobs"... well folks sometimes being a snob means not having to deal with situations like this. Hope it turns out well but this level of behaviour in a pup of this age suggests to me that it might not.

Just saw this. I think the poster can thank the FCI for doing it first. I think this breed has a few more terrier characteristics than its name too.

Same old. Same old. You know the rules. Never express an opinion other than the one the OP wants confirmed. And never believe someone who says they'll never post again. I can accept the OP thought my opinion was crap. What I never get is the need to make a disagreement personal.

You tell me about 1 feral dog population living in the middle of sydney??? Some people posted some really interesting things based on their knowledge of breeds close to their heart. Others seem to have nothing better to do with their time than go off topic with random comments. Dont worry I won't bother posting anything here ever again. So no apology then.

Oh one more piece of advice for the OP; Before calling a poster here an idiot and a wanker, it might pay to check that you have no FB friends in common. Amazing what a small world the online dog community is. Some lovely comments about DOL there from some of your friends too. "Polite Paws" how ironic :laugh: I won't hold my breath for an apology. Frankly I think one to folk who posted here in good faith, and some of whom you also insulted would be an appropriate thing to do.

What pups do you know that aren't handled by people in their first 8 weeks of life?? By week 4 or 5 most are on their feet, out of said box and wreaking havoc. Mum has pretty much weaned them and someone will have been feeding them solids for weeks?? Crikey, even puppy farmers have handled pups plenty by that age. Indeed, by that age they are gone. Do your homework about those first 3 weeks. There are studies that say they are equally important for socialisation with people as the weeks that follow are for wider experiences. Must be some silly canine researchers around. Recheck your critical socialisation periods too. I never said this pup or any feral born couldn't make a great pet. You have suggested this pup's issues won't make her suitable for rehoming though. Seems to me you think that my use of "feral" is an insult. That was never my intention -it was used to describe one potential origin for the pup. I offered an what I thought was a reasonable explanation for her colouring and her behaviour. I might be completely wrong but I did provide some factual basis for my opinion. It's as good as any opinion based on her appearance alone. There are plenty of crossbred dogs that look nothing like their parent breeds.

Sorry, are you saying that stray dogs in Sydney never whelp litters? There's been plenty of examples given here. I've seen it on TV shows. Any dog born wild and that has never experienced human companionship IS feral whether its environment be urban or rural. God we've even got FOXES whelping and raising litters in cities now. A wild born pup (or any pup not handled by humans in the first three weeks of life) is likely to have a life long fear of strange humans. Do a bit of reading on the behaviour of stray pups and my guess is you might recognise than a few behaviours in this pup. If you think this dog is an F1 cross of two purebreds, in my opinion you are sadly mistaken. I seem to recall it was opinions this thread was designed to gather. Ditto for sighthound in her, regardless of her level of prey drive. Huskies have prey drive up the yazoo. Even my poodles will lure course. If she 's not wild born, then my guess is she's a true crossbred - several generations of crossbreds in fact But no never mind - none of us will ever know her origins or her breeding. If people ask what breed she is, give them an honest answer - no idea. Or say whatever you like - you seem pretty keen on Saluki. Just don't expect anyone with a knowledge of the breed to agree with you.

Yeah, because they are always sooooo accurate. :laugh:

My first thought on seeing this girl was "feral dog". They do exist in urban settings. Sabling or grizzling of coat is something that feral dogs tend to develop over generations. Just out of interest, what were the issues she exhibited at six weeks? If born "wild" I'd certainly expect to see a few in a domestic situation. Fear of unknown humans would be a key one. Are her ears now pricked? ETA: I finally found a suitable picture of a feral dog that hadn't been shot (this one is sleeping). Note the body shape and colouring:

I am surprised no one commented on the bit bolded above. How tiny? I would expect a 7 week old dog that matures to the size of a Cane Corso to be somewhere around 8-10kgs which is hardly tiny. Young yes, not fully vaccinated yes, but tiny, no. If the puppy is a lot smaller than that it may in fact be a lot younger than the supposed 7 weeks. Or it ain't what the owner thought he bought. It's happened a time or six.

And I'd argue that a little less judging and a little more education will do more to help this pup and its owner - or you or any other owner. For all anyone here knows that pup is a cossetted and much loved pet. It's age and it's owners lack of understanding of dog parks don't give any of us the information to decide otherwise. However it seems to me that the pups breed may be leading some posters to make assumptions about the owner. More's the pity. If you want to give someone a serve, how about the owner of the dog that allowed it to bully the pup? Dog parks COULD be great places to socialise young dogs if it weren't for owners like that. Perhaps the owner of the other dog was also ignorant and thought they were just playing. Many dog park users and others don't know when their dogs are being aggressive or even rude. They will say that their dog is just being friendly. Fair point. Although it was clear the owner knew the dog "didn't like puppies".