Jed

No, this is not an experiment and it is not crap. You are, however, entitled to your opinion. I have been breeding long enough to have seen every sort of disaster known, and a lot of them involve people who work full time. This is aimed at people who want ONE puppy. Wreckitwhippet, I believe you have numerous dogs, so your input is not relevant. I have had pups too - but there have been other dogs as well. I also understood from previous posts that you stayed at home with all new litters? Things have changed apparently. You (collective) leave for work at 7,30 to get there by 8 or 8.30. You get home at 5.30 or 6. That means that the pup is alone for about 10 hours a day. You presumably sleep for 6 hours. That means the pup is alone for 16 hours. You are awake for 6 hours - and in this time, you do housework, cook, wash, go out sometimes, see friends, do the garden, and train the pup, play with the pup, care for the pup. Everyone thinks they are doing a fantastic job with their dogs, whether they are or not. Everyone argues that they are doing a great job, whether they are or not. No one accepts they are doing a bad job,and all will argue they are doing a great job - while the dog suffers. People who are charged with cruelty often think they are doing a great job and fight the charge. If you thought, like wreckitwhippet, that this was aimed at people with more than 1 pup, think again. It is aimed at people who mean to buy one 8 week old pup and continue to work full time. Megan has the dog walker, so doesn't count. StephM, you think he is happy; he has no choice. What will he do, write to the RSPCA, run away? dotadash And now you have 2 dogs. Wonder whether you went to some trouble to keep the 2 year old happy when he was a pup? tdierikx - I have never known you to have just one dog. silent child No problem there, the dog does not appear to be alone all day. You have made provisions to cater for his needs It is ok if you can make arrangements for the pup to have alternatives but not if you can't. Obviously, some of you don't get it, or can't read. If one person reads this and re-considers getting a pup, it is worth it. If you are a breeder, and are happy to sell pups to people who will leave the pup alone for 12 or so hours per day, it's none of my business. The person I rejected can go to you to get one. You will be happy, you will have a sale, they will be happy, they will have a pup. Will the pup be happy? No one cares, really. It doesn't matter if you are offended because you have raised one dog from a pup - what matters is making people think before they do it. There are far too many teenage dogs dumped. All of them were wanted pups, some of them wanted by people who worked full time and thought they could cope, and found they had a dog with problems, that they didn't want any more. There are far too many poorly trained and behaved dogs. There are far too many unsocialised dogs, too many fear biters. Working full time is not the cause of all these problems, but it can be one cause. Yep, puppies from me are for people who either don't work, or have something in place so that the pup does not spend 10 - 12 hours a day alone.

If you work full time, please reconsider your decision to buy an 8 week old pup. There is NO way you are going to be able to raise it properly - unless you have some special assistance. The pup is the one who will suffer. If you cannot live without a dog, how about getting an adult - and if you want a purebred dog - there is probably a rescue of the breed - get it settled, and then get the pup for company Can't deal with 2 dogs? Don't get a pup I had an enquiry for a pup from someone who works full time. I said "no", but I know someone will sell them one. I've been breeding for a long time, and it never works. The pup is too much on its own, so personality and training suffers. It is also sad and lonely. Many end up being rehomed as older teenagers.

Too many know-nothings now in the dog world with absolutely no idea that bitches' have feelings. Or know that and couldn't care less. Shame to be lumped in with people like that. Until we get people like that (and the vet) out of the fancy, we will always be at the mercy of animal rights. And why not? I do feel for Jupiterlights, having to endure what the bitch will be doing now. And I feel for the poor bitch. Just a tool

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/boy-3-dies-after-dog-attack Monday 4/11/13. A young Queensland boy has died in hospital after being attacked by his grandfather's dog on the weekend. 3 year old Korbin Sprott was attacked by the German Shepherd Dog. He had been plahykg in the front yard of the Grant Street home in Mackay when he was attacked by the dog about 6.45 pm on Saturday. His grandfather suffered bite wounds to his forearm after he intervened. Family and neighbours rushed to the toddler's aid trying frantically to stem the bleeding from a punctured artery in his neck. The 3 year old was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital and then on to Townsville in a critical condition. Mackay Regional Council impounded the dog at the request of the police on Saturday night. The Mackay Daily Mercury has reported the family has since signed an indemnity form requesting the dog be put down. Police are investigating. This serious attack was reported in Mackay and Townsville, and nowhere else, as far as I can discover.

Diane Vick, former mayor of Bullhead City, Arizona, was injured and her husband killed when their family dog attacked them on Saturday. Accordingto ABC 15, Tom Vick, a social studies teacher, died Sunday morning after being attacked by the family's boxer. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reportsDiane Vick called 911 at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, saying her husband had been badly bitten. The attack came after the couple tried to break up a fight between the boxer and another family pet, which ABC 15 reports is a cocker spaniel. Jack Hakim, current mayor of Bullhead City, told the Arizona Republic the attack was "pretty devastating" and that Diane Vick "was pretty well beat up." “We’ve had dog bites before but never something like this,” Hakim said. “It’s very sad for us in Bullhead City." "We’re just grateful that at least one of them was able to survive," Hakim continued.

Your friend should be seeking legal advice from someone who is au fait with legal cases involving dogs. There is a group of solicitors with dog interests, but I do not know what they are called. The will help. Second, the vet needs to declare in writing that the had seen the dogs, and state what you have written here about the various problems. A veterinary opinion will always over-rule an inspectors. And your friend does need to go to court. They do tend to target older people (particularly woman) as an easy target. Don't let it happen to you. Ams There is also age related dry eye which is not hereditary but part of the aging process.

shivers

naw

I have raised a few singleton litters without issue. What needs to be considered here is that the dog is not a rock. It actually does have feelings, and I know none of mine would be too impressed if someone nicked off with their pup. If it was my bitch, and it looked as if it was going to be able to raise the pup, it would keep the pup. I have never had a bitch without milk after a singleton birth or caesar. I suppose the breeder does have a say too, so that would need to figure in your calculations. I have no idea how much experience the breeder or the vet has (the vet probably has none), but I would leave the pup with the mother. I hope that whatever you do works out. :)

Childs wading pool. They can lie down or sit in it - they run around, they get hot, they lie down in the pool, they get cool, then they run around and get hot again. This is off lead in the garden. I never walk them on lead when it is very hot. They make their own decisions about playing or lying around. In the pm when it is cooler, we might play ball, or dog-rugby for a while.

AQIS perhaps ... I imagine they would have the figures. The question is whether they would give them out or not. Everyone seems to think that everything is covered by the Privacy Act, even when it isn't.

None of the vets I use has any animals on seats. The GP is usually so packed people are lucky to get a seat. And personally, I don't want to sit on a chair at the vets where a dog incubating parvo, with a smelly vaginal discharge, a contagious skin problem, or with gastro may have been sitting .... apart from the dog hair. Dogs on seats are for home. Although I admit to owning one, who on every outing, leaps into any and every empty chair she finds *sigh*

I don't think laziness; that is not how it works with dogs. I would see a good chiropractor, or another vet who has more knowledge of movement issues before it becomes a serious issue.

Don't clip her, she will deal with the heat better with a "normal" coat which has insulating properties. Buy a Coat King (google)22 or 20 blade and run that through her coat a couple of times a week, until you thin her coat to something you like and can live with. Clip the hair behind her ears to stop pin knots forming. The dog will look better than it would clipped, it will be less work, and a Coat King will last for years.

What a damn good idea!! :laugh: Some cretin in England knocked off my debit card ... no idea how he got numbers, passwords etc. The bank told me. He spent $UK34 at a restaurant, bought quite a few things, and paid his tolls. So "snap" - I think they will get him. Bank advised some time ago not to keep much money in the a/c, so I have another a/c which is only accessed via computer, there is no card or anything linked to it, and the money in it can only be transferred to my "general" account, which is linked to a card. The world is full of people wanting money for nothing

My ex-husband learned on ride on a 16 year old ex-pacer. Forgotten his racing name, but he won 32 races, and would never be sold, but we were able to borrow him. Apart from being a willing but bombproof ride, he was happy to have the collar and hames on and drag posts and trees all over the place for fencing. He didn't have a head like a brick either - he was a cobby type, with a nice short head with a lot of width between the eyes. Only problem was he was more cunning than an outhouse rat and could open every gate or door on the place, including the feedroom. He was a laugh a minute though!! There is quite a lot of driving now a(competion, pleasure etc) I am surprised more people don't use them for that. Friend just completed a 2 week pleasure drive in northern NSW with an ex trotter. they all had a grand time. And whilst I don't think James is quite up to the conpetition in the Garryowen, he is a lovely horse with good paces, who could hold his own in most shows, including the royal. And it was good to see him out there in the public eye. Can't generalise, they are all different. Go Standardbreds

Are you sure? I thought the Lost Dogs Home had that honour? As far as I know, LS is ok.

I do think that puppy is suffering, and I do think it will continue to suffer, and perhaps the suffering will increase as the force on the front legs increases. He is already not running straight on the front legs. I would suspect that there is already too much pressure on them, and from that, leg ailments come, and continue. They probably hurt him now. Sometimes dying is the best option. And I would have pts at birth too, had I been the breeder. There can be no suffering, for any reason whatsoever. Not ever.

That's pretty funny, Mita. Wish my dog would buy a Jeep!!

I think it is an excellent article, corresponds with proper research done by others. I thine #3 is a bit simplistic. I don't think that it is that the dogs are undesexed, it is more the whole culture which goes with "not having your dog desexed". There are plenty of undesexed show dogs of all breeds who interact with each other and strangers weekly, and it is a rare one which might bite (and everyone knows and talks about it!! LOL) because the culture is so different. Other research suggests that chained dogs become more territorial of the area within their chained limits, and are more likely to bite if that space is entered - ie by strangers. There are lots of stats on incidences where the dog bit/killed because someone wandered into the area it occupied. Both children and adults were bitten or killed, mostly people that the dog did not know. This was more likely to happen than if the dog was kept behind a fence (ie in a houseyard). And that applied to all breeds. It is interesting that a German Shepherd killed a toddler last week in Townsville, and the incident hardly made the papers. It was only in the Townsville paper

What she said!!

Congratulations, Sheila. No doubt nominated by another happy puppy buyer.

How dreadfully sad, and wrong. The terrible strain on this poor pups remaining legs must be great - and he also has "spine issues". Has no one stopped to think of his suffering? Some things are worse than dead. I am on a US boxer list, and there has been a lot of discussion on it about this pup, but there are no videos. Just wrong. Poor pup, I could cry

Doesn't sound good. I hope he is ok. Firies are great.

This is an incredibly difficult question. Many of the best websites are owned by the dodgiest and most dishonest people. Lovely shady acres, nice buildings, marvellous text (often stolen from other websites), cute pups. It all sounds soooo wonderful, and the pups look soooo cute. Tests - you need to research which breeds need which tests. I have some dogs here and who are clear of two of the biggest nasties in the breed BY PARENTAGE - which means they can't have the problem because the parents were tested clear. How do I get that over to puppy buyers? There are NO certificates, the certificates belong to their parents. Some tests are done by breeders for show only ... the disease is very rare but they look good if they test, and they are probably quite responsible breeders Ask a friend who has a dog who is not sick, and which you like, where he came from. Ask someone at the dog park. Phone the breeder, and speak to them .... but the dodgiest often have the talk down pat. Ask to visit their property and see the pups --- you may not be allowed to pat or touch the pups, but at least you can see. However, many genuine breeders do not allow anyone and everyone to come and see the pups. And that is because there are some scammers out there, and there are also people who want to spend their Sundays visiting pups without any intention of buying one, and after wasting a few sundays doing that, breeders lose interest!! Ask on dogzonline. If I wanted another breed, I have no idea who is a good breeder and who is not, but I would ask a breeder for a recommendation. Try to buy from someone who has genuine care and regard for their babies, who has bitches who are well loved family members, who are in good health, with no ribs sticking out - with playful pups who run up to see you. This doesn't guarantee all will be well, but it is a good beginning. Also ask to see the pedigree. there should be a few Ch in front of some of the names, and maybe an (imp) or two. If the whole pedigree consists of names with not one ch I would look elsewhere!! The needs not be the parent, but maybe a grandparent etc. Others will have other ideas, take them all on board, and use them all. And don't feel bad. In 1950 something, my mother sought a show dacshund. She approached a CCCQ councillor and purchased a pup which she was assured was a show pup. As time progressed the pup's legs grew longer and longer, and it became quite apparent that the pup was in fact a terrier X. The breeder refused to take the pup back, or refund, but my mother had some methods which saw him take the pup back and refund. It's been going on for a long time. :)