WreckitWhippet

Being able to get into the ring, set your dog up and then detach yourself from the moment to take a critical look at the dog and the way you have it set up is also useful. You should be able to see if you've a-framed the dog, understacked, over stacked, pointed it's head in the wrong direction, missed being in line with everyone else and learn that it's not what you want to do next time.

Finally old enough to show, now I just have to get it to a ring

Know your dog, understand it's faults and it's strengths is the first step to making it look good. Whilst you can't necessarily hide a fault, you can do a hell of a lot to make sure that it's not glaringly obvious and that's both on the stack and moving. Get yourself a big mirror and stack your dog infront of it. Walk into position and stack it whilst counting to ten, when you get to ten look up and see what you've got, because that is exaclty what the judge in the middle of the ring is seeing.

There's still the small matter of people lying to agents or not bothering to tell them in the first place. It's no wonder that many people with renatal properties do not want to rent to those with pets. Renters forget that it's not actually their property and it belongs the the landlord.

You have got to be kidding, it's people like you that make is so very difficult for those that are honest to find a place to rent with a pet and it's people like you who have agents tell owners, put not pets allowed as it makes their life easier. What's the OP going to do when they omit the not so small detail of a dog and find themselves in hot water with an agent later.

Bit rich isn't it of PR to think that they are calling the shots. Even richer when they are nothing but keyboard warriors who don't have anything to do with the dogs, other than frantically typing, calling for $$ and hoping that someone else will actually help the dogs out. Councils are under no obligation to work with rescue and some have become a little gun shy, given the piss poor attitude and demands made by some rescues. I would like to see all animals temp tested before they are released from any pound and for Councils to work closely with reputable rescues, to ensure only dogs that are suitable for adoption are released into their care or to the general public. Some rescues seem to think they have a right to demand whatever dogs they like be released to them to the point of blackmail and shaming councils in local papers , when their demands have not been met. Pound Rounds ceasing their relationship with Blacktown, can only be a good thing, it will allow others, who actually have the best interests of the animals in mind to build or in some cases rebuild their relationship with Council and continue to successfull rehoming of suitable animals. Yes, they have a duty to "consider" alternatives to euth, but it must be in the best interests of the dogs and the safety of the community. Nowhere in any legisaltion does it state that dogs must be released to a "rescue" because they demand it.

If you want certified Maremma judges, then hold a Specialty and bring in a breed expert. Your breed club could also have some input into the current judges training scheme but you cannot seriously expect the current judging parameters be overhauled just for one breed.

True, but that's not the issue. An exhibitor is going to take a suitable dog to present at a Show. In the past, a small number of judges have not, IMO, been fair in their comportment around my dogs. Some have been blatantly deliberate and others ignorantly innocent. But neither should be excusable. It has happened in the past and is more than likely to happen in the future. It happened at Crufts for cries sakes. I would want my dogs to be dogs first, companions second, show dogs third and breeders last of all. I simply do not want the order changed for the convenience of some overbearing Judge, Dog Club or Canine Council. Perhaps there's your problem. You might need a rethink on that list and perhaps looking at your dogs as being suitable as potential breeders ( type, temperament, structure and soundness ), then what the dogs were actually bred for and can they do the job. They may or may not make a great companion and given the breed history it would be rather arse about to put "companion" anywhere near the top of the list, along with exhibition. You can blame judges all you like, but you are the one who has ultimately put your dog in an environmemt that it's not typically suited for.

Clearly the custodians need to work out what is in the best interests of preserving their breed and maintaining it's integrity and working ability. Not every dog or breed is suited to every job or activity, that is why we have "breeds" and there's nothing wrong with that. I personally don't think the Maremma belongs in the show ring, it doesn't mean I'm calling for a ban on it. If you've got a great working dog and it can multi task and star in the show ring, than great, if not, then it needs to be left at home. You can't blame the judges who approach perhaps upto 200 dogs in a day, for the short comings of your dog or even worse an other wise great working dog, that you've chosen to place in an environment for which it's not suited. I can't expect to take my Whippet an participate in the Iditarod or that my Stafford will do well in an earth dog trial or a Neo will successfully complete an agility run, within the standard rules and regs for that activity, nor can I expect that the rules and regs be changed to accommodate it. ETA: Why can't owners and breeders accept their breed has limitations and this applies to every breed. Just because a breed has ANKC recognition, doesn't make it suitable for every ANKC sanctioned event, nor does it mean it's not worthy of recognition. The ANKC to put it simply is nothing more than a "registry" for pedigree dogs, being on that register doesn't mean you have to participate in showing or that a breed is suitable to be shown.

Why potentially ruin a breed, just so you can win a ribbon or two. A working dog is valued for it's working ability, not 100 points

Oh terrific. Just what we need, a hegemonony of oppression and discrimination. As it stands at the moment, there are a number of them out there as a disaster waiting to happen. If the correct temperament for the breed, means that it will not readily accept the hands of a stranger ( which is required in the ring ) then perhaps it is best that they are not shown. If dulling and dumbing it down is the sacrafice that has to be made in order to achieve a "show dog" then that's certainly not in the best interests of the breed. There is no oppression or disrimination involved, the ring is not place for a dog that cannot be judged according to Australian ring standards. As I recall you've had problems with your dogs in the past in the ring.

If preserving the "correct" temperament for the breed and maintaining it's working ability means that it's not suitable for the show ring, then perhaps it's best that the breed isn't exhibited. The custodians need to decide what is best for the breed, perserve and maintain the working ability or dull and dumb it down, so it becomes a Goldren Retriever and meets and greets everyone with a waggly tail. There are some breeds that are simply not cut out for showing and there's nothing wrong with that and if that's the case, leave them at home in the paddock, doing the job they were bred for.

I never said they had to be friendly, what I expect is for them to tolerate it. No. You miss the whole nuance of the argument and the protest. The Maremma does not tolerate. The Maremma is not a submissive breed, they do not submit to a stranger's expectations. Either do they submit to the accompanying shepherd. On the contrary, they work in partnership sharing the role of guardian, notwithstanding, they don't need the shepherd for their role as guadian. I simply do want to see shows being turned into a circus. The dogs are presented as they should be, I don't need some patsy of a dog doing endless circus tricks for the convenience of a Judge or Kennel Club or Canine Council that can't be bothered to make the extra effort to accomodate all breeds, maintain a level playing field and apply the rules fairly. They are my expectations as a paid member of a CCC. Then perhaps they have no place in the show ring at all

I always tell my Husband I love the dogs more than him :D I try to spare his feeling and tell the dog instead of him.

I tell Sessy frequently that I love her more than my husband

Having just expereinced a young pup with a foreign body that did not show up on xray, I would say the symptoms are very similar. What did not show up on xray for us , was a 25cm stick. There could well be something in your pup and the only way to find out is to open the pup up and go looking for it.

I think that perhaps exhibition is not for every breed or every dog of a certain breed. The owners and custodians of such breeds need to recognise this.

I'm not going to attempt to defend the conditions these dogs were supposedly kept in, however if people want action taken, then they should have reported them to the local council and the RSPCA.

So if we are going to expect and accept that they be judged differently to other breed, are we also going to accept those that lunge and lash out at passers by and other dogs ? do we just write that off as the Mareema temperament ? or should they be reported for being aggressive ? Personally I don't think that any dog , regardless of it's breed, belong in or around the ring if it lunges and carries on and a judge can't get their hands on it and judge within the normal judging parameters . ETA: If they want to be judged by breed experts and judged differntly to other breeds, then that it what a "specialty" is for.

It's about time someone actually pressed charges against these AR loonies for trespass..

Don't give him any bones at the moment and put the toys away until you can get some help. He can have toys but they are on your terms, get him one to play with, play fetch or make another game of it with him and then put them away again. He can't resource guard over what he doesn't have and the behaviour can't escalate. You control the resources such as food and toys

The destruction of the toys is not an issue, buy him toys that are more hardy. It's the humping that should be discouraged, as an adult if he humps the wrong dog, he could find himself the recipient of a flogging from the dog that ojbects to it. At a young age, it's not sexual behaviour and desexing is not going to cure it, any undesired behaviours should be addressed early and with training.

is it safe to spray on dogs? Yes, it's fine for dogs.

Take his toy awsy, humping that, someone's leg or another dog should be discouraged very early on

Hence this thread about electric fences. Electric fences are not an option, unless you want the RSPCA on your door step