TheMadDogLady

k9angel, Hi. I wasn't after x-breds, I was after a trio of purebreds, which is what I was lucky enough to buy. When I said, "3 for less than the price of 1", that was very tongue in cheek. I mean the $k's saved enabled me to cover all desexing, chipping, booster car carriers, crates, a Dehydrator for making their treats, a Mincer for prepping their human grade raw meat/veg, and to buy ZiwiPeak, way, way into the future. So, as you can see, definitely not "material things" at all, rather, much loved, exquisite, well behaved, beautifully adjusted family members that will undoubtedly be my last in this lifetime due to our respective life spans. The perfect way to round off a life that has never been without top dogs, multiple champion show horses & exotic parrots that cost as much as a house deposit. Sorry to hear about your Sibe, it must've been devastating for you - a pedigree, immunised annually? I'll be running with annual or bi-annual Titers Tests in an effort to stave off any future issues from that quarter. Should anything crop up, they're in the safe, caring hands of a Uni Prof Vet.

Sigh, please go back and read post #33, slowly, carefully, and take it all in ... then please, do tell me where I was at all attacking, harsh, rude, derogatory or, much less, saying breeders are contemptable and pedigree dogs are bad? Then read subsequent posts in reply and tell me who's been condescending, rude and elitist. The guy that flew off the handle against Reg'd Breeders/Pedigrees ... his post got me thinking about something that had never occurred to me before now, because this is the first time in my life I've not shelled out $1k's for a pedigree dog group as such, and it's been a fantastic, emotionally & financially rewarding experience. In no way did I dump on anyone, status of dogs or the people who bred them; I simply made an observation that the only issues I've ever had, and the many, many $1k's lost has been as a result of pedigree dogs - it's not rocket science, it's just plain simple fact - I'm not knocking the dogs or the breeders, just stating the truth. The pedigree dogs with issues (2 Rotties & Akita etc) were amongst the first few bred and sold in the country.

Look, when I write in plain, simple English expressing my personal experiences and opinion, only to be attacked for same, wrongly accused of holding breeders in contempt and not liking pedigree dogs (oh sure, I can't stand them, that's why I've had so many so many successes over the years I suppose), it is inferred I must've caused HD in my 2 top Rotties and someone sees fit to take the piss because I referred to the breed of a dog correctly, then you can bet your sweet patootie I'm going to get somewhat peeved and start to treat peeps exactly in the demeaning manner they've treated me. Oh and their elitist attitude of "you've got a BYB mongrel, so why are you here???". I HAVE PUREBRED DOGS, I JUST DIDN'T PAY ANY OF YOU <>$1.5k ea FOR THEM AND THEY DON'T HAVE PAPERS BUT THEIR PUREso therefore I'm some sort of philistine renegade who's supporting "real breeders" competitors whom they'd like to see stamped out, banished, done away with, outlawed, hung, drawn & quartered for their plethora of sins. Find a show program from 25 years ago when I was showing mine & see what Akita Inu's were referred to way back then. Akita Inu is the correct name. I don't give a fat rat's crack what the Aussies of today call them, I refer to them correctly and don't take kindly to being ridiculed for doing so, especially by pedigree breeders. So, let's start calling Blue Heelers just Blues shall we, any type of Mastiff prefix can be dropped so it's just Mastiff from now on, and whilst we're at it all Retrievers can be just that, no more differentiation between them requ'd. It's the Aussie way afterall

I have to ask wtf is wrong with some people's powers of comprehension here. "Dislikes purebred dogs and has contempt for their breeders", what a load of old bollocks - when I went to school we were taught reading & comprehension, perhaps that's not included in today's curriculum but, nonetheless, it's not a difficult thing to read the written word & understand it if you really put your mind to it. All I have ever said is that in my personal experience I've never had an ounce of trouble with non-reg'd bred dogs I've purchased, but have had a great deal of health issues with expensive reg'd dogs I've bought over the years. HTF does that translate to disliking p/breds & their breeders lfmao. Some of my best companion and show dogs have been purebreds from wonderful breeders i.e. a magnificent Golden Retriever from Hope George in S.A. whom I am sure would be resting in peace by now, and several others besides. In answer to all your queries and innuendos about why am I on a purebred forum when I currently only have mongrels - ummm, let me see ... umm, err, that's such a hard question - because I like to learn about new new foods, drugs, legislations, training methods, animal artists and robotic vacuum cleaners. God I have to laugh at some of your outlandish suppositions - so, my 2 purebred with HD must've been environmental. Well, I could name names of the breeders concerned mate, but I'm sure it'd get slam dunked instantly, even if they are probably dead and buried by now. Two Rotties under the care of Dr. Geschmay, who was Adelaide's foremost HD specialist in his day, for a couple of years each, sure as hell was no environmental issue - NONE of my dogs are ever permitted to do a damn thing that could lead to environmental skeletal disorders, so you can trot off back to your drawing board and think up some other reason that I, the useless owner, could possibly have brought it about. To the, I presume sarcastic (with 22,000 posts what else could it be) " a what?????", you read correctly, I said AKITA INU You've not heard of them You know, they're the big fluffy ones with curly tails, the national dog of Japan, the dog that sat at the train station every day after his Professor owner died & now there's a statute of him, the ones the Japanese used for hunting wild bear & boars, the very same ones that only royalty was allowed to own for 100's years, and, even to this day if you become unemployed &/or broke the Govt. will take the dog and feed/maintain it for you whilst you starve, Hellen Keller and all that stuff. Yes, that's the one, the AKITA INU. See here for more detail: http://www.google.com.au/search?q=akita+inu&rls=com.microsoft:en-au:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGHP_enAU431&redir_esc=&ei=QNGbT7bcDMmSiQew0LmxDg

One of the broadest, most incorrect generalisations I've ever read ... I've got 3 sat here playing with me right now that are in perfect health and soundness, three for less than the price of one, three times the love and joy! I've had champion bred show stock all my life, they all scooped the pools in their puppy classes but, alas, all too soon the fully health tested, immaculately bred from supreme bloodlines, high falootin', who's up who & who's not paying the rent famous pups found their way to vet surgeries to finally be PTS despite all best efforts - 2 for hips (different breeders) and an Akita Inu for a congenital nerve condition that saw him having bouts of being completely paralysed. Oh and lets not forget his plethora of allergies and temperament issues (one of the breeder's Imp stud dogs tried to kill him) - $4k to buy him and probably just as much again, if not more, spent in trying to save him. Was the breeder interested in compensation, another pup, contribution towards vet bills? Not on your bloody life they weren't!!! They're the 3 cases that immediately spring to mind. All I'm saying is, buying any dog is the luck of the draw (having a good eye, commonsense, some knowledge and intuition goes a long, long way) and there's lots of factors that come in to it, not the least of which is nature and environment. I appreciate and understand that this is a pedigree dog forum and breeders are all dedicated to trying to do the right thing. However, there are none so blind as those who won't see, and narrow-mindedness, self-righteousness and relying on health tests as though they're some sort of gospel is just pure, unadulterated BS that all amounts to nothing when the shit hits the fan. ALL any buyer can hope for is the best of luck, be it their beloved pet comes from a reg'd breeder, a BYB or the gutter - my personal experience is that I've never had an ounce of trouble from my rescues or BYB, whereas ALL my issues, heartache, pain and expense have been incurred by pedigreed show dogs. That is all. If you dislike pedigree dogs and their breeders that much, I wonder at you being on a pedigree dog forum. LMFAO, what a puerile, ridiculous statement to make. What part of my posts were you unable to comprehend that caused you to arrive at that conclusion petal?

My 16yo Golden Retriever came to me in what I put down to some sort of weird "awake dream" at 2.35a.m. He was chatting away to me, thanking me for moving heaven and hell to get the vets to wait open after hours, and then my subsequently agreeing to put him down. He was in a very particular environment that was significant and made me smile. The next day I got to work and lo and behold a gal I worked with who'd met the dog a couple of times only, and I never used to discuss my animals at work so staff really knew nothing about them said, "Mac came to me in a dream last night" and proceeded to tell me about the exact same environment, right down to the last detail which was all identical to what I had seen. He didn't speak to her though, and when I asked her what time this was she said, "Oh just after 2.30a.m., it woke me up and I went to the bathroom and looked at the clock". Any doubts that I had as to the validity of this incredible experience vanished, and I know we (our loved ones, both 2 & 4 legged) will all be reunited.

One of the broadest, most incorrect generalisations I've ever read ... I've got 3 sat here playing with me right now that are in perfect health and soundness, three for less than the price of one, three times the love and joy! I've had champion bred show stock all my life, they all scooped the pools in their puppy classes but, alas, all too soon the fully health tested, immaculately bred from supreme bloodlines, high falootin', who's up who & who's not paying the rent famous pups found their way to vet surgeries to finally be PTS despite all best efforts - 2 for hips (different breeders) and an Akita Inu for a congenital nerve condition that saw him having bouts of being completely paralysed. Oh and lets not forget his plethora of allergies and temperament issues (one of the breeder's Imp stud dogs tried to kill him) - $4k to buy him and probably just as much again, if not more, spent in trying to save him. Was the breeder interested in compensation, another pup, contribution towards vet bills? Not on your bloody life they weren't!!! They're the 3 cases that immediately spring to mind. All I'm saying is, buying any dog is the luck of the draw (having a good eye, commonsense, some knowledge and intuition goes a long, long way) and there's lots of factors that come in to it, not the least of which is nature and environment. I appreciate and understand that this is a pedigree dog forum and breeders are all dedicated to trying to do the right thing. However, there are none so blind as those who won't see, and narrow-mindedness, self-righteousness and relying on health tests as though they're some sort of gospel is just pure, unadulterated BS that all amounts to nothing when the shit hits the fan. ALL any buyer can hope for is the best of luck, be it their beloved pet comes from a reg'd breeder, a BYB or the gutter - my personal experience is that I've never had an ounce of trouble from my rescues or BYB, whereas ALL my issues, heartache, pain and expense have been incurred by pedigreed show dogs. That is all.

Such an incredibly sad story, for you, and especially the pup. Health checks are great, everything laid out in black and white, hips rated, opthamologist reports etc. etc. However, they in no way mean that all offspring will remain clear, shit happens, and it happens far too often despite every test known to man. Usually the last thing owners think about is getting their money back or a replacement pup once they've bonded with the unsound dog they ended up with, they simply focus on the dog and go to the ends of the earth and many $k's to fix whatever problem has arisen. I know in my case, I never bothered to go back to the breeders myself because I didn't give a rat's about the $'s lost, just the piece of my heart.

Would be keen depending on where and when.

Greyt - mine will ALWAYS be on a lead at a venue like that except when we are sitting at our campsite and they're visited by friendly locals. I will always put myself between my pups and any other dog that approaches us out in the open until the owner manages to recall it, or come over & drag it away (as so many seem to do). As you say, they are way too tiny to be let loose, regardless of how much they harden up. Having my 2 Mastiffs there in future means that my tinies will never have to harden up. However, the utter dorks that go there need to respect that not everyone who goes to any off leash venue desires to take their dog off leash, regardless of how small, big, old, young their animal is, for their own reasons, which is not up to any other weirdo to question or lecture. Why the bloody hell suburban dog parks aren't divided in a civilised fashion so that 3/4 of the total area is available for medium/large dogs and the remaining 1/4 is dedicated to medium/small dogs has always been a constant source of puzzlement and annoyance to me.

The direct correlation between the "rednecks" and the breeds they keep/sell is not one that can be easily overlooked, and is thankfully limited to a few in general. However, one would assume even they are capable of loving and caring for their animals to the same degree as the upper echelons do or don't! A flannie shirt hardly dictates that someone is incapable of breeding or doesn't take adqueate care, anymore than a Prada bag and the ability to spell, reflects they do. A national Vet Surgeons' survey asking where the majority of HD, LP's, entropia etc. etc. stems from and whether pedigree dogs suffer more allergies than mongrel cross-breeds, would really throw a few cats into many pigeous houses.

Gemini's post really got me thinking. This, from a buyer's only perspective: I've had the best of the best pedigreed dogs all my life, shown some with great success, but mainly just enjoyed them for the fun, love and companionship they bring. Later in life, I'm older, more tired and somewhat poorer than I used to be and have 5 x BYB dogs. Why? Because no way on god's green earth was I inclined to spend $1.5k each on a COMPANION - 3 of these are purebreds and $350ea each is a darn site easier to find! I've had them ALL health checked, m.chipped, immunised AND desexed (or they will be ASAP once we know if they're going to retain baby teeth or not, so they will be removed under same anaesthetic). Now, my Vet is an ex Uni lecturer, extremely well known & highly regarded in veterinary circles. I was mumbling & all apologetic about them being BYB but explained I just couldn't afford $4.5k all up for my beloved x 3 toy companions. His response pleased me immensely, him saying they were in absolutely fantastic health, super patellas, ticked all boxes, and for a breed he didn't usually like at all, these little guys were simply outstanding in temperament & health - they came from different BYB breeders. We discussed the differences between "line bred" pedigree dogs and BYB, and his words reassured me that I had made the right decision for MY circumstances. BTW, they're fed human grade raw and Ziwipeak, not bad for cheapies that the majority of buyers are said to not care about or even abuse, wtf is that all about!!! When I sit here and think about the many, many $1k's spent (in fixing never mind buying) and anguish suffered in over 4 decades of dog ownership, all of the health issues and temperament problems can be attributed to trying to repair those finely line bred animals who all came from various top, top kennels (and I happen to know I'm not the only one who suffered issues/problems). Far, far too many had to be PTS. Conversely, the rescues, strays, bitsa's and BYB purebreds have been perfect in every respect - as have a few of the dogs bought from top level show studs, but in my case, they were the minority. I have a girlfriend who's extremely wealthy, even bought a brand new "dog car" to save their luxury vehicles so as to cart her tribe around between their 3 properties. She's had many dogs in the 35 years we've been friends (their properties are all rural so they never have less than 5 at a time) - every single one of them were procured from the council pound (ie BYB's mongrels that have ended up there) and all lived happily & healthily to ripe old ages. Recently she went out & paid $1.3k ea for a couple of swanky pedigrees. One is already having tumours removed from his legs at 6mo. You can all protest the BYB's for all eternity, but if I was a top stud breeding to sell, I'd be out there amongst the people doing my own survey to see what YOUR BUYERS, we consumers have experienced and think on the topic. Your efforts, regardless of how extensive they may be, are unfortunately NOT always as fruitful as you may wish, and horrible, tragic issues still arise that lead to absolute heartache and despair that never really go away, just fade in time. The reality is that by buying a dog from ANY SOURCE is fraught with danger, risk and expense, and all types of sellers (except for the damn greedy, unprincipled pet shops) have for's and against's.

+ 3 for the Puppia, they're fabulous - I bought x 6 from a woman in USA on eBay who sells them really cheap & really combines postage. Only sorry I can't remember her name but if you check over there, they'll all much cheaper than here.

Got rushed by a Staffy today at Southport off-leash. It was the first time my 3-4 month old babies had been out besides puppy play group - all 3 were on leashes for only the 2nd time in their lives and were doing fantastically well until this. I placed myself between the Staffy & my pups and just kept blocking him every time he lunged at them. The owner comes up and says, "He just wants to play with every dog he sees" and I politely replied, "Well, I'd prefer he didn't play with mine if you don't mind" whilst looking at his heckles & unmoving tail (with bloody good reason, 2 of mine weigh in at 2 kilos and the third weighs in at just under 1 kilo). Then the moron starts, "Well .... you shouldn't have brought them to an off-leash area if that's the case" - he obviously didn't see my eyes glaze over beneath my sunnies, because if he had he would've run screaming like a girl. How dare he, the arrogance of the SOB, I'll take my damn dogs wherever I damn well please and however I damn well please, leashed or unleashed as part of their training/socialisation without risking being eaten by a feral who's not being watched adequately or controlled!!! I'm thinking next time I'll take my 2 adult Mastiffs along to play guardians to their little buddies and see how inclined his damn dog is to lunge then. For the most part though I have to say I was pretty impressed with the crowd down there, both canines & their owners. Only a few dog spats that, coincidentally, the offending dogs all had boguns trailing along calling their dogs' name in vain.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/160817-new-laws-in-qld/

If it was my dog I would stop visiting local vets and demand a referral to a specialist and get some serious allergy testing done. I spent $2k 23 years ago pissing around with local vets and allergy tests on an Akita, turned out he was allergic to additives in dry feed. I would also take the route of adding enzymes and canine probiotics to a diet of home prepared raw which included a small amount of blended vegetables, or they can be frozen in ice blocks & given that way if he doesn't like it mixed with meat. Did I read somewhere he had rotting teeth & the vet was complacent re that issue??? Then that surely to god is going to have a hell of a lot to do with him refusing to eat kibble!!!

Question was....what's it like on carpet for picking up dog hair :) The Damn Dyson works just fine on the carpet, curtains, parrot cage and anywhere else I choose to point it, but if I wanted that much bleedin' exercise I'd join the gym and get a spunky personal trainer to oggle! As for the robot thingie, I can't tell you, I'm still waiting to hear if the store manager accepts my offer or not, but will know tomorrow. The green model is being disccontinued according to the nasally young youth who was trying to outwit me on the phone (silly, silly boy had no idea what he'd taken on). Was working his sorry little ass off trying to upsell me to the red, but in a very small unit I'm not wanting bells & whistles, and I'm a bloody technophobe anyway, so anything electronic usually ends up being hurled as far as I can manage, so it's life expectency may not be long :) So, in answer to your question, I'm in no position to provide an answer :)

Me three has the Dyson, but if I wanted a weekly sauna with the sweat pouring off the end of my nose (even in my tiny apartment), I'd go and pay for a sauna!

Darn this thread, darn it to credit card hell!!! I was researching these a couple of weeks ago before ever seeing this and sort of let the idea slip, sad that I just didn't have the funds. Reading this just fired me right up again & I currently have an offer in on one with Electrical Discounters or whatever they're called. I'll know on Monday if it was accepted, it was a deliberately ridiculously low offer because I'm trying to avoid smashing that credit card out of its bucket of ice :) Jasus wept, I never spared a thought to the poo smearing issue either ... with 3 very young pups in the throes of housetraining, that is something I'll have to be super vigilent about, thanks for the wake up call.

Sounds like the 2 bastard, murderous mastiffs at Norman Park - "The Muppets", their owners, as a few of us in the area call them, have let them slip out a few times whilst they dither around with their gate, rubbish bins etc and there's been un unholy screaming, yelping affair as they've gone for the throat of whatever is walking past. STILL victims refuse to take it to Council and file a complaint despite being told they have several willing witnesses.

Until you get the definite diagnosis from a Specialist and x-rays, don't assume she has LP. I have never exercised any of my large or small breeds even close to what most people do because I wait for their bones to fully develop/set before full exercise or tearing around in play. Ditto I've never broken a horse in until 5yo for the same reason. I've NEVER allowed my dogs of any size to climb up or down staircases nor stand or jump on their back legs whilst growing. ALL of these activities can exacerbate existing conditions. As for diet, I'm an avid raw feeder, but ensure the mix is 80% muscle meat, 5% raw bone and 5% secreting organs (liver/kidney) as well as Ziwipeak. I add an egg joke & sardines to their raw once a week. Since getting them a few weeks ago (3 x Chihuahua pups now 18wo, 16wo & 14wo) the change in them, brought about solely by this diet, is phenomenal! I'm also in the process of sourcing some Ester-C you would benefit researching by searching google for "ester-c dog" or "esterc dog" - it's an incredible human compound but used by dog owners for skeletal issues and the facts coming out of USA working dogs, hip d, LP etc is incredible. Good luck.