Jed

It's been quite obvious to me, and quite a few others on this forum, for years, that the rot of BSL would spread to other breeds. As it has in Europe. And will continue to spread, until bull breeds, large dogs, hunting dogs, sighthounds, herding dogs, and toy dogs are all encompassed by BSL. The fact that APBT now are not attacking, the "media staffy" is, according to the media is to me an indication that more bans will come. Prior to APBT bans, APBT were vilified in the media, now "staffies" are blamed for the majority of attacks, no matter what the dog looked like. Some people just don't get it, some people do think banning some dogs will prevent attacks, some people simply don't care about dogs, only their own dogs. Sad, really. Hmm, Geo, I would want to know quite a lot more about that advertiser, and the dogs advertised, and I think the VCA (Dogsvic) would like to know more too!!

Fairly tasteless, I thought. Oh, and uncalled for.

One of the reasons I breed is because I like pups, and I enjoy seeing them develop into little dogs. Oh, sure, I love it when I breed a champion, or one which wins the royal, or the mother of a legend, or some fantastic pet, or a little dog which has given a whole new outlook to a child with Downes syndrome, or someone who is the enduring companion of a lonely old person, but I never cease to be enthralled to see them developing. One of the defining moments is when the pups' circle of knowledge widens, and from recognizing only their mother, they then recognize me, and rush over to me, little tails wagging for pats and attention - or food. Another is the First Time Outside. This happens somewhere around 5 weeks,depending on how forward the litter is. I have a simple system - they live inside, I pick them up, usually in pairs, and deposit them on the lawn. They are fascinated by this. Then a hairy sea envelopes them, as the rest of the dogs, who have only seen them at a distance, want to meet them, and the pups disappear in the sea. The pups, particularly the boxers, who are very confident and bold, meet the big dogs, and soon there are big dogs lying down and play fighting with pups, pups climbing on top of big dogs, an auntie lying on her back with half a pup in her mouth - and pups wagging, wagging, wagging, swaggering here and there, mostly with an adult dog as an escort. They wander around, they explore, they discover it is not wise to disturb hoary old grandmas, because they shout vile abuse -- -having been abused, the pups wander off in search of new adventures. The Cav stud dog is happy to be dragged around by his ears, but not so enthusiastic when some forward pup wants a drink. The aunties say "oh, NO, NOT my boobies" as pups latch on, and scamper off pursued by a small person who thinks all girl dogs are good for a drink. Mum usually stands back, overseeing all. I think she is heaving sighs of relief that she has found some willing sitters for the kids!! The entire litter simply abandons her for greener pastures, new faces, new experiences. After a while, several pups drop out, find a nice spot, and go to sleep. I notice the fattest ones fall over first. Then there is a heap of pups worn out and unconscious, so it's time to go back inside. There's always one who found a camping spot under something, who has to be found. Then it's time for dinner, and tomorrow - another adventure. It's great fun to watch the interaction of the babes and the adults, and each day when they go out, to see their circle widen, and their experiences grow, and to see the big dogs foster and escort them, play with them, provide a nice soft spot for a pup to lie beside, and even to see the grannies teach them reserve and respect. But the first day is the best. It's great to see them, surrounded by big dogs, bold and confident, wagging and approaching everyone. And it occurs to me that this, their first interaction with adult dogs, probably shapes the way they will interact with dogs all their lives. They discover how to approach, they discover other dogs are fun, and they discover what "NO" in dog means, when snarled by an old person. Those oldies sure teach the pups respect and circumspection!! For the first few days, they need to be carried in and out, then they learn to come when I call and follow me, so when they are tired, I call them, and walk inside - with a swarm of pups following. They line up outside their puppy pen to be lifted in for food and a nap. And when it's time to go out again, there they are, standing up to be lifted out, and they all rush for the door .... for new adventures. Pups are fun!!

I understand that one of the vets in Coffs also does chiropractic work. I have no idea who it is - maybe phone up a few vets and ask. I also have no idea whether he is good or not.

I see you too are a fellow cynic YEP !!! I wonder if all those dear little old rich ladies who have left them massive bequests over the years, ever thought their money would be used to hunt down good people while strays and needy animals are left to fend for themselves. fifi And those families of the newly departed who say "no flowers, envelopes for RSPCA donations will be at the church" also need to be told too. *nods*. That's my job I steer people elsewhere too - a dog saved is a dog saved, and if it is saved from an ethical rescue, so much better. Support what you believe in, don't support what you don't. Chocolatelover I believe you asked the question some time ago and were referred to various threads via the search engine. If you didn't read them, that's fine, but don't complain about a "mysterious DOL cloud" because you didn't put in the effort to satisfy your question.

The pup has been at your house for a very short time, and is, imho, making a place for herself. The behaviour does need to be checked. I don't think you need a behaviourist, you need advice from someone experienced with Chows. They are different from other breeds, and need to be treated so, and need different training. You haven't had a chow before? Ask the breeder what is best to do, or pm Goldchow on this forum for advice. Check out this thread in the Chow Chow breed forum http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=194263

The court so ruled on the evidence presented. Other experts could have been called who would have presented totally different evidence - ie, that the two breeds are separate. As people on this forum disagree, so do experts in the breeds. I personally, think, as an outsider looking in, that the AST is a different breed, because of the years and generations away from APBT breeding, particularly in Australia. 4th generation is pure, according to genetics. AST in Australia is AST continually mated to AST over ???? years and ???? generations, with no input from APBT. The ANKC would not allow APBT to be used. Someone who breeds AST and knows more of the history of the breed can clarify time and generations. Boxers are descended from Bulldogs. I can see very little of the bulldog in the boxer. The breeds went in different directions, and the bulldogs used in 1880+ were not the bulldogs of today. No one would class a boxer as a bulldog, unless there were power games going on, as there is with BSL.

hyjak, whippets has already stated she is in favour of BSL. Keep those nasty pitbulls off the streets and all that. Apparently it is different when Amstaffs are threatened? I have no idea why that is. Apparently they deserve to run around, but APBT deserve to be banned? And it was an Amstaff owner who petitioned the court, not an APBT owner. BSL sure categorises folks.

As a breeder, you can do every test under the sun, and something still goes wrong. Sometimes it's hereditary, and sometimes, it simply comes under the "s##t happens category". I once bought a beautiful, well bred pup from healthy lines, only to have it develop some terribly complicated and expensive medical condition. A friend bred a pup and sold it, at 10 months, the spine collapsed, the pup was pts. Dogs who have low hip scores may still produce HD affected pups. Dogs which are clear of LP may still produce pups with LP. Dogs with wonderful hearts may produce a pup with a murmur. There can be no guarantees of lifelong good health with any living thing, no matter how much care both breeder and owner take. "S##t happens" does happen in a percentage of dogs. IMHO, it is how the owner, and the breeder handle the problem which is important. And breeders need to learn that "s##t happens" in THEIR lines too, and make allowances for it. Most owners want support and understanding, and breeders should be prepared to offer it. It is how breeders handle questions and problems which sets them apart. Not be defensive, be accepting, read and understand the evidence, and talk to the buyer about the problems, try to come to some mutually acceptable solution, and provide ongoing support. Some breeders are not good communicators, some just don't want to face problems. I'd also like to say to buyers - keep up some sort of contact with the breeder. An email occasionally, a photo, so if there is a problem, you have some sort of communication open with the breeder. I don't expect my puppy buyers to be emailing me weekly, but if there is a problem when the dog is 2, its easier for me to deal with if I have had some contact with the buyer, and some knowledge of the pup as he grows. raineth Very sad, raineth. What did the breeder do to honour the genetic guarantee? Was it in writing? Bails, have x-rays and scores been done? Do you have a prognosis? It may be, with suitable management that the dog will be ok. Vet I know was taking dogs with HD and putting them onto graduated exercise to strengthen the muscles and ligaments. That treatment was successful with most dogs, particularly young, growing dogs. I've been very fortunate with my breeders, most of them have been absolute gems. I know the last couple would come good if there was anything wrong with the dogs they sold me. We email and talk often, and they share knowledge, wisdom and advice with me. I aspire to be like them.

That's true, GayleK, there are different lines within each breed. Some lines look different from others, but still fulfill the standard.

It does seem difficult to understand what a standard is, and why it is, for newcomers, and I hoped an explanation of the development of a fictitious dog, although in a very condensed version, would help explain what breed standards were all about. All the items in every standard of the breed for every breed are there for a very good reason, but unless you have the breed, you have no idea why the standard says "slightly rounded skull", but there always IS a reason. Not just that someone thought it looked ok. And usually it is because way back, people who bred them decided, like the people in the story, that a particular feature was important, because they tried the dogs, and found this or that worked best - so they bred for it, it worked, so it went into the breed standard. We all need to understand what a breed standard is, and what it is for, I think. Glad you enjoyed it, and glad you learned from it. Breed standards for some of the toy breeds are different, but I wanted to give people the general idea of how it happened

Jed noted that both the beagle and gsp were docked, and fainted dead away. Revival with copious amounts of spirits was necessary. I live in terror of going to an airport, the sniffer dog rushes up to me, and I get a full body search enjoyable show though. Kids jumped out of the ceiling pretty fast when he said he's put the dog up there :D Off topic - Watched crash scene investigation later. single vehicle accident ran off the road and into a tree. Driver was the only one in the car, killed. Good samaritan stopped, phoned 000, got directions on what to do. Stayed until police/ambulance arrived. Immediately was a suspect, had his car searched for anything illegal, breath tested, mid range, charged with DUI, fined etc. His car was thoroughly gone over in case he somehow contributed to the accident. Bet he simply keeps going next time he witnesses a bad accident. He was sober enough to phone 000, and to try to render assistance to the driver, he sounded 100% on the phone, and probably thought he was , but was booked. That gave me a negative message, and I think I would simply keep driving.

Was she speyed/had a caesarian/had an anaesthetic before she went blind? Some anaestetics do cause this. Other suspect would be poisoning.Weed sprays, insect sprays etc, or the drift from them to the dog's environment. Or heavy metals. I think I read somewhere about a vitamin deficiency causing temporary blindness, might be worth asking, or googling. Good that her sight is returning. Great outcome.

Mandatory desexing is wrong. Reduces our rights as ratepayers. I hope he wins, and I think he will.

*nods* - that's why they were so keen to catch them and domesticate them and why they put up with serious injury to collar one. Taste ok too, I understand. ;) I believe the president of the Lithuanian Goat Retriever Club has a thriving stud of these little suckers, and would be happy to export a couple of hundred. They still have working days for the dogs, of course.

Yes, a white GSD is purebred. It's parents were both purebred. "Purebred" and "registered" are not the same. A "registered" dog must be a purebred, but a purebred is not necessarily registered with a registering body, such as the ANKC. I breed boxers. Sometimes there are white pups in the litter. Same parents as the fawns and brindles and they are purebred. However, the white pups cannot be registered, so they are unregistered purebreds. But they are still purebred boxers, they have the same genetic makeup as their fawn and brindle brothers and sisters. IngeK If you don't know what the parents are, the dog may will be a crossbred, not a purebred. Whether you know what they are or not doesn't matter, what is important is what IS - whether the parents are purebred or not. Steve, I have nightmares about some of those crosses. If you cross a pug and a beagle, and you get something with the pug's conformation and the beagles drives, I wonder how long it will be before some serious health problems emerge? No long. The beagle was made to cruise over distances and he is conformationally sound to do that. When you cross him with another breed made for entirely different purposes, you are breeding nightmares. Cavalier x beagles give me nightmares too - for exactly the same reason.

Too late, all gone, Lituanian Goat Catching Retriever Specialty last weekend!! Not a drop left in the country

Rufus the Doofus, just for you, I am bringing back the tale of the Lithuanian Goat Catching Retriever. Although it is a fable, a lot of breeds were developed in just this manner, over a lot of years. I hope you enjoy!! THE LITHUANIAN GOAT CATCHING RETRIEVER I have noticed during discussions, when breeders mention The Breed Standard some non breeders have no idea what they are talking about. And why should they? People who haven't been coming to DOL very long can't understand why there is a standard, or why it should be the "blueprint" for the dogs. Doesn't make much sense. Each standard was developed at the time a number of dogs became a type, and the originators wanted them to be a breed. And if there was a blueprint, others who followed could breed to that blueprint, because that was the key to the dogs being able to do the job they were originally designed for. I thought if I told you a story about the evolution of an imaginary breed, and the standard that was written for the breed, it might be easier to understand what a standard is, and why it is important. So, sit down, take a seat, hang on…… Once upon a time long long ago, there was a small rural community in ? oh, Lithuania. The soil was sparse, rainfall was poor, crops did not thrive, and because the farmers were poor, they could not afford to buy any animals, and there was no Maccas, so they were often hungry!! However, in the region was a native goat. It was noticed that once this goat was caught, it was domesticated quite quickly, it didn't eat much, and it could be milked 365 days of the year, each goat giving about 10 litres daily. The goats, although plentiful, were exceedingly difficult to catch. They could run like the clappers, they could jump 2 metres from a standstill, and they could swim like fish. Additionally, they could bite your finger off, and kick the eye out of a needle. In a spirit of co-operation, the farmers got together, and held goat catching days. Unfortunately, because of the attributes of the goats, the haul was very small for the effort, and usually a couple of farmers were gored, kicked or bitten - or all three. Because the goats could swim, if they were herded towards the shores of the large lake, they tended to keep running, and to swim once they were out of their depth. The waters were icy, and many men caught pneumonia in their quest for the goats, in addition to being gored, kicked or bitten!. One day, Vlad brought along his hound. The goats were worried about the hound, which could run as fast as they could, and in the confusion, a couple were caught. However, the hound was greyhound size, and although he could run as fast as they could, they could run underneath him (little suckers were only 30 cm high after all). Next time Vlad's hound went on the hunt, and Igor took his dog too. His dog was smaller than Vlad's, so when the goats did a 360, they ran into the dog, which promptly bit them, and by the end of the day, he was grimly hanging onto them while they snapped and kicked at him. So more goats were caught. Obviously, something smaller than Vlads dog was needed. medium sized dog Next time, Ivan took his dog, which was also medium size, and could run very fast, so he easily caught them.. However once a goat kicked him, he legged it for home as fast as he could go, howling. Then they knew they needed a bold, courageous dog with a fair turn of speed well laid back shoulder, back of medium length, good hindquarter angulation with strong gaskins (because this exactly how Ivan's and Igor’s dogs were) This went on for quite a while - and the farmers had a pack of medium sized dogs which were courageous and fast, and the goat catching was becoming more successful. However, the goats continued to jump in the lake. None of the dogs would go into the lake, and if the farmers threw them in, they swam for shore as fast as they could, and spent the rest of the day sitting around shivering, or legged it for home. Then Dmitri brought his dog - which could swim like the clappers and had a very short curly coat. This dog took to the water like a duck, frightening the goats back to shore where they could more easily be caught. They noticed that the dogs with a short curly coat like Dmitri's were all willing to enter the water, and further, when they exited the water, they shook themselves and were dry. They deduced that the dogs with the short curly coats were willing to enter the lake because their coats kept them dry, and stopped them freezing to death. short curly coat with water repelling properties Of course, they mated the dogs together (as you would) and came up with a medium sized, built for some speed dog which loved the water and had a short curly water repelling coat. If you were lucky enough to get one of these dogs from Mikhail's litter, you thought you were the ducks guts, and in truth, your dog had caught a couple more goats than your neighbours, so you were very proud of your dog!! One of the bitches from Mikhail's litter was not only prepared to swim after the goats, she could swim like the clappers, and she damn well caught one. Unfortunately, it bit her, so she let it go. There's your first breed fault!! Everyone wanted to know why this was the only dog which had ever caught a goat in the water. They noticed that she had webbed feet. Of the litter of 8, 2 had webbed feet, although neither parent did. There was some talk in the town of the mother having mated with a duck, and witchcraft, but in the end, they decided the webbed feet were too good to let go. feet shall be broad, with arched toes and a web of skin between the toes But the lack of boldness continued to be a problem. They noticed that Dick The Drongo's dog which they always laughed at, because he couldn't even get close enough to the goats, was a demon if he ever got his teeth on one. He would push it to the ground and hold it - without biting it. So they actually caught more goats, because the curly coated ones would drive them back to shore, where Dick the Drongo's dog would be waiting with gaping jaws. The farmers all examined the dog, and discovered that he seemed to have a lot of skin on both sides of his face, and his jaw structure was slightly different. great jaw strength, wide bottom jaw combined with "soft" mouth Now, they were too poor to keep TWO dogs - one to chase, and one to hold - so they thought they would see if they could combine the two. So they mated him to the faster and leaner of the web footed, curly coated dogs, and kept the curly coated pups which could hold a goat down and keep it down until the farmers arrived with ropes. And bred them together. They had pretty well cornered the goat market, but then they discovered that some dogs had problems with their ears after being in the lake. The ones that had the problems were the ones with erect, pricked ears. The dogs which didn't have problems had their ears folded down. They probably couldn't hear quite as well as the ones with erect ears, who could hear the goats when they were 20k away. The ones with the folded ears could hear them at 10k, which was close enough. a fold in the ear, just covering the ear canal Things were going pretty well, but there was one problem. Most of the medium sized, web footed, curly coated dogs had to live outside, because they were pretty sharp in temperament, and the farmers had to watch they didn't take chunks out of the kids. It was pretty hard outside in winter, and some dogs died of the cold. So they picked the dogs with the nicest natures and mated them together. gentle, trustworthy with children, devoted to the family, never treacherous After a couple of hundred years, the farmers of that area had a good sort of a goat catching dog, good with the kids, healthy, and damn good at what he did. The farmers used to have competitions to see which dog could catch the most goats in a day -- and of course, they all wanted the services of any dog which was better than the rest. They now had a fair bit of milk, and enough meat, so life wasn't as desperate. They thought they needed a hobby. Of course, on goat catching expeditions, there was a lot of joking and joshing and comparison of the looks of the dogs.. So they decided to have a contest to see whose dog was the nicest looking. They asked the mayor of the neighbouring village to decide, and knowing nothing about dogs, he immediately agreed. And then he stumped them by asking - "What should these dogs look like? How will I pick the best looking one if I do not know how they are to look?" So, the farmers scratched their heads for a while, and talked amongst themselves, and then wrote on a piece of paper, and gave it to the mayor medium sized dog bold, courageous dog well laid back shoulder back of medium length good hindquarter angulation strong gaskins short curly coat with water repelling properties feet shall be broad, but catlike with arched toes, with a web of skin between the toes great jaw strength, wide bottom jaw combined with "soft" mouth a fold in the ear, just covering the ear canal gentle trustworthy with children devoted to the family never treacherous The farmers had a great day - a lot of lies were told, a lot of potato wine was drunk, a few were sick, and they decided it was the very best day they had ever had. They decided to have another day like it. And they decided to begin a club for such festivities - and they would call it The Lithuanian Goat Catching Retriever Club. And over time, more items were added to their breed standard - they noticed that the dogs with the round eyes were better at spotting the goats bold, round eye They also found that the white curly coats were very hard to clean (specially before Plush Puppy was invented), and the brown and black dogs could catch goats just as well as the white ones, so black or brown colour preferred. White shall not be a disqualifying colour And so it went. About 50 years after that, all the dogs looked pretty much the same, and behaved pretty much the same. When they bred them, the pups looked like the parents. Over time they had developed a full breed standard, they registered the breed with the FCI, and people who wanted to breed the dogs knew exactly what they had to aim for. Remember too, that the originators of the dogs had the actual dogs in front of them - so you need to know what the breed looks like to make any sense of the standard. Even though you have read the standard here, you don't know what the dogs look like, do you? So, you need to match the dog with the standard. Edited to add - It is well known that I keep, breed and show these dogs. I love the shows, and particularly the drinking of potato wine which follows. Non believers say "but there are no goats, why keep to the standard?" I don't care about keeping them for the purposes they were bred for - and it is important to breed to the standard, because if we did not breed to the standard, we would, over time, lose the uniqueness of the Lithuanian Goat Catching Retriever. There is not another dog in the world like him. I love them for their bold, courageous temperament -they are steadfast and true, they are kind to little kids, I know they would never bite them. I love the way they look, with their glossy curly coats, which never need grooming or clipping. I love their round eyes, and their cute little folded down ears. I love the way they love to swim, and come out nearly dry. And most of all, I just adore their personalities. For me, they have many other attributes, so forget the damn goats. However, as a breeder, I know where the original breeders were coming from, I know how hard they worked to produce "their" breed, which they have handed on to the following generations, and to me. I cannot breach their trust, and I believe in the integrity of this breed, through the ages. No matter that he never sees a goat, what he does not see, he does not miss. And he would rather be lying by my feet in front of the fire in winter than swimming around some freezing lake after some smelly goat!!

A purebred dog is one whose parents are both the same breed. A registered purebred dog is one who is the progeny of two dogs of the same breed, whose ancestry is recorded in an appropriate stud book. Thus, there is not only proof of his pure breeding, but a reliable record of his parents, g/parents, gg/parents, so his breeding can be traced back, if you wish, to the inception of the breed, whenever that was. The pekinese is a very old and purebreed, and if you could find the pedigrees, you could, in theory track his ancestry back to the first century AD (but only if your Chinese was good!)

That's so sad about your stallion, Jackiej. Did he survive? Was the dog put down(or shot)? Poor, poor horse. My pet sheep was killed by a Border collie, in a very nasty attack causing great suffering. She lay on the ground, unable to rise, bleating her pain until her life was humanely ended. She loved going for rides in the car, she ran up the driveway to meet me when I came home. she always greeted me when I went outside, she walked around the property with the dogs, who were her friends, she had no fear of dogs,, she loved lieing beside us when we were outside, she loved biscuits, and sweet milky tea, she always came when called. My studbook suffolk ram was chased for hours and mutilated beyond saving, with his back legs hanging by tendons only and his face eaten off, by a GSD and a Great Dane. A "feral" merino on my property had his back and neck torn away by a cattle dog with ribs, skull and spine exposed. My beautiful Himalyan cat was killed in his own driveway by an unknown dog,despite fighting back for all he was worth. I am not happy about these attacks. The GSD and Weim will attack no more sheep, nor will the Border Collie. Should the entire breeds of German Shepherds, Border Collies, Weimaranas, Great Danes and Cattle Dogs be banned, restricted and classed as dangerous dogs? A cocker spaniel and a labrador (registered, purebred) pulled down and killed, over a period of hours, my friends purebred and valuable, in foal arabian mare. Should they too be banned, restricted, and classed as dangerous dogs? My own cocker spaniels have run around with horses for 40 odd years, without any problems. Is it fair to ban them, or restrict them, or class them as dangerous dogs. Or fair to shoot them for worrying stock, when they never have? Would it not be better to ban, restrict, or class these individual dogs as dangerous, rather than the entire breed? Would it not be better to destroy those individual dogs, rather than tar the entire breed with the same brush as the killing dogs?

I understood the American standard for the APBT was the one in use here, and there was no need for a specific Australian standard? As the standard for other breeds is developed in the country of origin, and used is Aust, it is, to my understanding, the same in Aus. PRIME MISSION AND MESSAGE: Judges must begin to look at temperament, structure, and health in that order to make a placement in the breed ring. The Temperament of the APBT is THE MOST important aspect of the breed. American Pit Bull Terrier moves with a jaunty, confident attitude, conveying the impression that he/she expects any minute to see something new and exciting. THE STANDARD SAYS: The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. Judges: Temperament is fundamental and the most important aspect of the breed. The above line from the standard uses the word ESSENTIAL. This means the essence of the breed is its temperament and outgoing enjoyment of every moment not its substance, head size or movement. Confidence is a must! Puppies may be nervous and wide eyed but should never avoid the judge. Adults that show any type of fear or HUMAN aggression should be disqualified and judges should follow through on signing the book on it. Judges for the sake of our breed do not hesitate to dismiss a dog and certainly never pick a dog (even a 6-12 month puppy) that is fearful or aggressive toward humans. Our breed is in mortal danger because too many dogs with fear and human aggression are being bred. People do not realize that temperament is 80% (some say more) genetic in dogs. Regarding aggression in the breed: DOG toward DOG aggression IS a characteristic of most terriers, including the APBT. DOG toward HUMAN aggression IS NOT a characteristic of the APBT at all in any form. Any APBT that displays dog toward human aggression in any form, unless saving the life of their owners, should be euthanized. The APBT is not a guardian breed and should never act like one. While various degrees of dog to dog aggression are to be expected. Handlers at all times MUST and are expected to maintain control of their dogs at all times and dogs must be trained and socialized around other dogs enough that they can be moved through crowded show venues without danger to other dogs. If a dog is out of control excuse the competitor. Any dog showing aggression toward a human I don't care what the breed or reason the dog should be euthanized. (working sports such as Schutzhund exhibit controlled aggression toward a padded suit not toward a human) This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. Judges a dog brimming over with enthusiasm should bean automatic PLUS!!!! A dog with this type of joy that has a fault in conformation should win over a dog with no personality that does not have a fault. That is how vital the temperament is to the future of this breed! Do not put up dead head, no personality dogs. These are terriers and should act like terriers. Bottom line: The Standard notes that the essential characteristic of the breed are courage and a zest for life. The APBT should be ALIVE and NEVER NEVER NEVER FEARFUL!!!! An APBT should always have a happy smile when meeting new people and should wag their tails enthusiastically especially as puppies. Older more experienced dogs are less outwardly bubbling over with enthusiasm they will typically be calm but alert and will respond to the judge or other interesting distraction. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children [/b] From APBT club website. Full standard here http://www.apbtconformation.com/centralbody.htm A good one is a truly beautiful dog.

Me neither. Apart from being against the CC rules, which we all sign and agree to. A lot of them aren't even aware of BSL!! Some don't think

Mita An amstaff without papers is in the same position as the 10,000 odd dogs knocked off by councils. Up that creek without a paddle. I fail to understand why registered BREEDERS who sell these breeds don't insist that buyers must take the papers. Particularly with any bull breed, particularly Amstaffs, where the council may come knocking. What can they be thinking? Hard on the owner, harder on the dog. He's the one who loses. People get papers with every single pup I sell, whether they want them or not. There is no question, the papers go with the dog. And none of my dogs are likely to be in the gun any time soon. *sigh*

AmandaS Someone told me exactly the same thing. I did point out that a good Shih Tzu didn't have breathing issues, but realistically, I guess a lot of the pet quality ones do have minor issues. Someone else told me she loved Maltese, but went for a Malt x Shih Tzu because she didn't want a totally white dog, I could see the rationale there too. The one she has is cream and tan. I think the Shih Tzu x Malt is one of the better crosses. And the robustness is an issue too, I think, although Malts are a lot more robust than people think. Although I think is people who bought them tried a good quality Malt, or a Shih Tzu, they would be very happy. It's perceptions, and experience. It's easy when you know show dogs, and see really nice purebred examples, but we have a lot of "urban myths" - which are partly true (as above, and boxers slobber a lot, blah blah), so people want to avoid that. And they are more likely to see a x than a purebred, so that is what they want. Totally understandable. I met someone recently, who has had a variety of dogs over her lifetime. She has got to know my boxers, and is terribly taken with them - "so noble, so humourous, so open and affectionate" and she has decided to get a boxer next. She had seen them but never known one. But that IS how you choose. You see one of a breed you like, and that's it. I'd like to see the breeding side improved too.

Cavs tend to move in, figure out how the house works, and just fit in. They need a lot of people time, and they are generally happy hanging out with the family. They are sporting spaniels, and mine managed to dig up most of my neighbour's 300 acre wheat paddock, searching for mice!! They love to go for walks with you - not too far when they are young - but they love to sit on the couch too. They invented selective deafness, by the way. Their favourite saying is "take a message and get back to you". And they graciously agree to share your home, and your life, providing you accord them the treatment they know they deserve. That is - you become a Cavalier slave!! A lot do obedience, flyball, etc with success. Some just hang out with their family. They do shed, particularly when they change their coats with the change of seasons, and should be brushed a couple of times a week, but more often when they are changing coats, or they mat. The ideal cav coat should be fine and silky - these are the easiest to care for, so when you select a pup, go for one with parents with fine silky coats. Some cavs have coarser hair, and some have wavy hair, neither of these coat types is as easy to care for as the ideal coat. Sleeping on the bed is not absolutely essential, they are happy with their own bed on the floor, provided the bedding is acceptable. Mink is good, rabbit is acceptable, and cashmere blankets are ok in a pinch. Some are greedy, some are difficult eaters. MVD can be a problem in the breed. The mode of inheritance is not well understood, and it is possible to purchase a pup from dogs which have clear hearts, and have it develop MVD. However, if the line is clear of MVD in middle age, your chances of getting a pup with MVD are greatly reduced. some kennels are noted for having little or no MVD. If your dog develops a Gr 1 murmur at 8, it's probably not a disasater, but it is if he develops it at 2. It is believed that feeding raw (as in BARF or prey diet) can retard the onset of murmurs, and can retard their development, once they have appeared. Worth considering. Of my own dogs, the 12.5 year old one has a Gr 1 murmur, she is the only one affected. The others are checked annually by the vet, and heart scanned occasionally. Breeders should know the heart status of their dogs, and should be prepared to provide clear certificates to buyers. Also be aware that luxating patellas can be a problem, both parents can have good patellas, and yet the pup still develops patella problems. No slippery floors, not too much jumping up and down from beds, no over exercise will help to keep problems at bay. Dogs also can develop syringomyelia, but the incidence is 2% so your chances of buying a pup which develops that are very small. Parents can be tested, but it is difficult and expensive, and still doesn't gurantee pups without syringo, so most breeders aren't testing. Go to a reputable breeder and ask the right questions. Never buy from a byb, puppy farm or unregistered. Don't worry about those things - they are in the breed, as other problems are in other breeds, just be aware of them, and know that the breeder you choose is also aware of them. None of my dogs have any of those problems, and because they are older, they are mostly from untested parents - but I chose dogs from older parents, or with old living grandparents. I know nothing about Westies, except they are as cute AS!!