eyeopener

what is the difference between a Pyrenean Mountain Dog & a Pyrenean Mastiff? I have a bit of experience with several guardian breeds mainly maremmas, tibetan mastiffs n Anatolian are the Pry's similar in temperament & behaviorism?

IMHO 1 off temperament testing is of no use what so ever especially in the surrounds n situations these dogs are often tested in. I used to retrain & rehabilitate large breed dogs(mainly rotties n shepherds)that had failed initial temp testing for a rescue group & some should never have failed. We also came across many that had passed who should not have also. There is just too much to take in on a 1 off test in a environment & I think it should be broken down into several stages over a couple of days n more than 1 environment to actually mean anything what so ever. But that said i do think many dogs go through other rescues to be re-homed that maybe should not have ever got passed the pound etc.

yes I have seen eastern browns yr round here on the farm in NW NSW but generally the only time we come across them in the cooler months is when we are moving stored bales or tin, machinary parts etc n they are very slow to react n tend to attack as an eastern brown will when all heated up.

<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">I see lots of fleas(and mange, and kangaroo ticks) on foxes & feral cats ..& they are not vaccinated or fed any processed food ! I also see them sick/dying with diseases ... both from parasites & viruses. I try & not use chemical wormers & deflea products & do worm counts to be sure my meathods are working. But sometimes if it's a bad season for fleas or the worm counts are not coming down enough for my liking I still have to resort to traditional chemical products. I have a fair bit of success but I am yet to find a way to keep them totally parisite free all of the time without the chemical products. I would not be game to not vaccionate though & just try & keep it to a mim by testing.

Thats very positive to hear, I think maybe as in all guardian breeds not all dogs any maybe even more importantly in this case bloodlines are exell when it comes to thier natural guardian instints & work ethics. I have to say I have come across a few maremma's that may have been breed more for the ring than the paddock & that may have been a big factor. I do find with our boys the maremma tends to stick more to the flock 7 although the others are not hunting down the predotors they are patroling thier boundries & anything found within those boundries that could pose a threat to thier livestock, humans or belongs are fair game. This Maremma will deal with a threat if it get past the others & gets closr to the livestock but generally thats never more than a fox these days so he has not been tested for me to say whether he'd handle a pig. He was purchased with a female but she had way to much chase n play driive to keep in the paddocks & was at an age she should have known better so was rehomed to a pet home as that was another factor she preverred to hang around the sheds n house.

I have found personally that maremma's stick with the flock/livestock more & they are best used in conjunction with another breed, I have seen a few comabations work well for aussy boars, wild dogs.

I don't believe in vaccionations every year but puppy vaccionations are a must, I also test before vaccionations in adult dogs now to actually see if it's needed or not. To blindly decided not to vaccionate at all is irraspondsible & puts not just yours but other peoples dogs/puppies at risk.

I think 8 to 10wks is ideal. Some pups need the confindence that an extra 2 wks can bring.

Great outcome, so glad you have her home safe & sound.

I think it's fine as long as you are just as comitted to giving the second dog a forfilling life as the 1st then I cant see why not. Of course it's wrong if you dont have the time or finiances for the second but if you have a good enough yard, time & can afford the 2nd dog I really can not see why it should be an issue at all. I actually dont see 2 dogs as much more work than 1 as just about anything you can do with 1 you can do with 2 & quite often it's better fun for the dog if he has a mate too. I think it's a problem when they get a 2nd dog but give up & try & rehome it because of behavoral issues without even really trying to fix it & when asked why they dont do such n such the answer is well he was only bought as a companion for our 2nd but is just too naughty. Thats wrong but if you are committed to goiong through all the ups n downs just like with your first dog it's fine in my books anyway.

belly bands are as good as useless on larger breeds & I would never use 1 as a prevention to mating. Best thing you can do is crate him when your not supervising him fully & do on leash exercise n walks till the bitch finishs her cycle. Then get dog desexed as desexing now wont help much as it takes 6wks or more for all the hormoune levels to change fully.

Sounds quite typical of male behavour when bitches are in season around them. Be careful they can n will eat through walls n doors.

We dont take risks if we need to take a person unknown to the dogs into a paddock guarded by them we pen the dogs every single time.

thank god he is so lean as with the stuctural faults he has he would be a total cripple if he carried any weight what so ever.

I have paid $70 a night but around $40 to $50 would be better. I am talking very large dogs.

I know I am probably guilty of this. Biggest fear is I will give my pup an unbalanced diet and cause issues later on. I've belived the myth that you have to be a food scientist to feed your dog right for so long! I used to be too & with my horses was even worse but after finally converting my horses to a total unprocessed diet & seen how great they look nn act for it decided I should rethink the dogs diets too. I have serveral breeds some really large breeds & they are all doing well on the new simplier diets. My vet even remarked how great the old girl was looking these days n i have noticed another bitch has stopped getting hot spots too. I do buy quality kibble n my meat is human grade but I dont do all the adding of supplements n fussing over every little thing they eat n whether they needed more or less anymore. I go by what i see in front of me more than anything & i am likeing what I see atm.

I tend to believe we over think dogs diets & like the KIS approach to feeding Keep It Simple. I supply my dogs with a quality kibble thats out 24/7(may not work for labs or other highly food motivated breeds/dogs)7 do not have 1 fat dog & they are feed 1 feed a day for all mature dogs & 2 for youngsters/teens/pregnant bitches & 3 for youngster under 6mths & feeding bitches. The daily main feed varies but are made up of largely raw meat n bone with mixed veg mash/eggs/rice/yoghurt & add a multi vit. The 1 or 2 other feeds may be as little as a turkey wing or neck chops depending on the individual dogs needs. My dogs get access daily to a lot of grass n crops & often will be seen chowing down on the oat paddock before it seeds etc. I mince my own meat(we butcher our own on farm) & add heart kidneys etc to the red meat when mincing.

I would like to find a boarding kennel that has more than just a big enclosure for exercise, something that a swimming area would be ideal. I also have issues with needing air conditioning for some of my dogs in summer if kenneled which has been an issue in the past. i would prefer a smaller kennel n to pay more & know my dog/s is getting the best possible care. Oh they must be willing to feed the diet I supply also.

I have more than your average but I am lucky enough to live on a property with plenty of free running room, creeks, dams & different livestock to keep them all busy. I don't think I can put a number on it as I have had anywhere from 1 dogs to 25 at a time(counting fosters dogs in for long term retraining, my own dogs, family dogs & working dogs) but it has more to do with what your daily lifestyle & living conditions are. I dont work my dogs are my work & i have a partner who works from home & on the property so have extra hand when needed too. But my days start at 4.30am & dont end till 9pm(actually walk through front door n take shoes off)so I don't think it's a suitable lifestyle for many but I love it.

I would still say a Tibbie they dont require a lot of grooming compared to many small breeds & dont shed anywhere near a Jack. They can be independant but also love sitting with thier owners. Also maltesse dont shed & dont really take much grooming if clipped a few times a year. I really like the aussy terriers too but they may be a bit more energetic than what your after but would get on well with the Jack.

pounds & rescues have been full of working dogs & only ever 1 group of dogs more numerous would be your bull breeds. Unfortunatly people will continue to buy work dogs they have no work for which is pure madnes in my book. You would not buy a breed know for being very guardy to have somewhere people are coming n going all day so why buy a working dog when u have no work. If they dont have a sporting outlet of some kind working breeds go crazy & therefore get turfed out & end at the pound 7 the whole thing could have been so easily avoided if they had just brought a breed or type that suited thier lifestyles better.

Ah thast no good to hear & really after writting it I thought really I dont know enough about Aussies to say that, but I have had enough exsperiance with Bulldogs to know I dont want my partner getting 1 at this time. If the general health of the Brittish Bulldogs dose improve & the type go back to a bit plainer I'd love to have 1 they are real clowns thats for sure. Also have hearts bigger than thier smile even. I assumed the aussie had less issues due to it's plainer type & because I had assumed that had been the forefront of breeding Aussy Bulldogs up to get back to plainer & easier care Bulldogs. This has promted me to know go & do some research as prehaps I jumped the gun reccomending them instead to my partner. Although he is pretty set on a mini Bully now anyways.

I think it depends on the individual older dog whether they do ok with a new puppy being introduced into thier homes or not & it also depends on the owners & whether they know when to tell the old dogs had enough & will crate or seperate the dogs somehow to give the older dog time out too. My partner LOVES Brittish Bulldogs but I wont have 1 due to the health concerns the breed has & my believe that they where never even meant to get so squatt, wide of chest or have suuch extreme pushed in faces that they snore & can have breathing difficulites. I have told him if he wants full reg than it will have to be a Mini Bull Terrier or an Aussy Bulldog if reg not important to him as although still very solid dogs & very bulldog or bull x terrier in type they dont have as many health concerns. I love Tibbies too thin k they would be a great fit or a mini Bull Terrier if your after that look but they need more exercise & training general speaking. would need to know more about your daily lives 7 what you want from your dog to really suggest anything properly though.

I would advise you buy a pup outright but if you where to consider this make sure there is a detailed contract that covers all areas well. things like of at what age they would want to start using him & that it would only be on completion of all relevent health testing, how many times they would exsept to stud the dog out, what you would be exspected to do(as in house bitch n dog/hand over your pet & if so for how long each time)& the completion of this agreement would next an end date etc. I think it would only be something I would do with someone I have done prevous bussines or animal deals with that have works out well & benifited us both. I keep 3 ex large breed entire males & 2 little breed entire males quite easily & enjoy them very much. But I have a good set up(with a mixture of full time house dogs, dogs that come in of a night & outside work dogs)with the right mix of temperments & personalities as well as facilities plus amble room & different trails, creeks etc for excising & free running my dogs. I have done it in a surburban sitituations with only 4 dogs & 1 entire male & i found that a lot harder so it really depends on your set up & lifestyle also. Good luck with your decision & I would say go with buying a pup outright if you are ready to take another on.

RSPCA dose do yard check or they used too n RSPCA dosnt home dogs known to be aggressive i dont see how they say they have the same approach. I am not a great fan of RSPCA at times but they are far better than pound rounds any day.