Alison03

Your dog didn't do anything wrong and you had witnesses. Even if they had reported you it would have come to nothing. Your Simi taught that little dog a lesson it badly needed. : )

OMG, how about "put a leash on your dog so it doesn't cause a car crash" That would be worth reporting as a road safety issue Where I live is semi rural, there's a lot of retirees who are stuck in the old ways, like they lived on the farm, so lots of dogs off leash. Mostly well behaved, every now and then a dog runs in the road, with the odd sad accident. Now I've got the choice of hoping the old guy got the lesson or report him and maybe they take his dog. : ) : )

Had an interesting episode this morning, I went for an early morning walk as its going to be 39oC today. As I walked passed the local shops I saw a very elderly man on the other side of the road, standing outside the house where he lives, with him was an off leash Sheltie, the road was very busy with early morning traffic, the Sheltie saw my dog and shot into the middle of the road, I shouted to it "Go back" and pointed, it went back, amazingly. The old guy said "She doesn't usually do as she's told, well done". I'm not sure how all there he was, considering he had no reaction to his dog being narrowly missed by an alarmed lady in a four wheel drive. I called across to him to put a leash on his dog so it doesn't get knocked down, he said "Oh yes everyone says that, she'll be right, she's really fast". . :banghead:

The other important point here is that not all x crossed y have the same coat type by any stretch of the imagination, you can get very different coats even in one litter when you cross breed. You get a range of outcomes that can be quite different in terms of care. Temperament and size too for that matter. A first cross can be highly variable. Yes thats true my girl is a first cross, a Maltese/Shihtzu cross father and a pedigree Shihtzu , that quarter of Maltese caused havoc in the litters coats, some very wavy like my dog and others with straight ish hair. Different colours too, a couple of black and whites (like the father) , and mine is a tri-colour with silver markings on the ears like the mother.

The other important point here is that not all x crossed y have the same coat type by any stretch of the imagination, you can get very different coats even in one litter when you cross breed. You get a range of outcomes that can be quite different in terms of care. Temperament and size too for that matter. A first cross can be highly variable. This. I have a Shih Tzu X (not sure what, was told Maltese but he is same colour and markings as a Schnauzer) and his coat is silky, fine and soft. He doesn't matt easily and although I keep him shaved most of the time as I'm not a fan of long haired breeds his tail is always long and I brush it only when he gets groomed (once every 5-6 weeks). I groom from home part time and there is a huge variety in the type of coat these mixes have. My favourite breed to groom is the Poodle, they have the best coat for clipping and always look great when done. Its hard to stuff up a poodle clip :) I think its hard for you to stuff up a poodle clip because you know what you are doing, an Aunty of mine used to "have a go" at clipping her poodle and it always looked like it had big lumps cut out of the coat, like a piece of foam with bits dug out of it, she kept telling me she was "getting the hang of it", she never did, poor dog wore a little jacket permanently. :laugh:

I've seen that happen a few times, once with a kelpie a neighbour had, it ended with their 3 year old having stitches in her face when she sat down next to the kelpie while it was eating, the mother was a metre away, so it wasn't a matter of there being no supervision. The mother told me that normally she fed the dog out the back and kept her daughter inside the house but it was raining that day. You don't need me to tell you what happened to the dog. A lot of dog owners make allowances for their dogs, they have an assortment of rules for everyone who comes to their house to follow. One of my relatives had a Maltese/Silky cross, if he jumped onto the lounge next to you, you were told not to touch him or he'd bite, he was fed in the kitchen and no one else was allowed in there, they used to put his bowl down fast and run out. Its was farcical to watch. This dog mind you, could have been an extra in the Exorcist, when he bit it was for real and it was accompanied by this awful hissing snarling sound, and no warning snap first. He never bit me though, if I picked him up his owner would squeal "Don't he'll bite you", her out right panic :eek: when anyone went near him was a huge part of his problem. He lived in absolute luxury for 16 years and totally ruled the house.

I've seen Cesar Milan do that, put his hand in a dogs food bowl while it's eating, I can do it with my dog but I'd never let a child, that's asking for trouble with any dog. I've seen food aggression appear in a puppy and I've seen what happens if no one does anything about it, but training them out of it should be done by an adult who knows what they are doing. Once a dog is food/toy aggressive and their are kids around, sooner or later there will be an incident. : ( I do that with my dogs every once in a while...but I would not let a stranger or a child do that. When I do it, I usually add some extra yummy treats to make my dogs feel that when I put my hands in their bowl while they are eating, it's a very good thing. The yummy treats is a good idea. My dog will stop eating and sit if I put my hand near her bowl, perhaps she thinks I want to share :laugh: If I have another dog here, she'll give up her bowl and toys for the other dog, she's super submissive that way, I have grandkids so when she was a puppy, I made sure she realized that she owns nothing. She isn't submissive off leash in play though, she doesn't let any other small dog dominate her, she gives as good as she gets, unless a big dog turns up then she comes straight to me, she knows her limitations.Unlike some small dogs she's not suicidal. :)

It is coat texture too, as well as length. I have a large long haired breed and apart from more housework when they do the seasonal coat drop their long silky coats are so easy to maintain. If I am not showing them a quick brush once a week is all it takes and I never see a matt, and they are kept in full coat, no scissoring or clipping.. I have friends who have cross bred small dogs, no idea what mix, and if they didn't have regular grooming appointments they would not be able to stay on top of the matting, it happens so quickly. Cute dogs but so much work. Things new owners really need to know but often don't get told. My Shihtzu cross will roll and roll after I brush her, she ends up more matted than when I started, it's definitely the texture of her coat that doesn't help. Keeping her coat short is the best solution. No one warned me about how much grooming they required but I did research it myself, so it wasn't a shock. I find the curly poodle type coat much harder to deal with than the more straight maltese/shihtzu coat. I have had experience of both and much prefer the latter. Now I think about it you could be right I have a friend who has a poodle/maltese, she keeps her coat very short at all times, sometimes she looks like a short haired breed its so short, she's told me it gets very out of hand, I was assuming it was something like my Shihtzu crosses coat but perhaps it is a little be worse.

It is coat texture too, as well as length. I have a large long haired breed and apart from more housework when they do the seasonal coat drop their long silky coats are so easy to maintain. If I am not showing them a quick brush once a week is all it takes and I never see a matt, and they are kept in full coat, no scissoring or clipping.. I have friends who have cross bred small dogs, no idea what mix, and if they didn't have regular grooming appointments they would not be able to stay on top of the matting, it happens so quickly. Cute dogs but so much work. Things new owners really need to know but often don't get told. My Shihtzu cross will roll and roll after I brush her, she ends up more matted than when I started, it's definitely the texture of her coat that doesn't help. Keeping her coat short is the best solution. No one warned me about how much grooming they required but I did research it myself, so it wasn't a shock.

Yep that's what does it, my dog can smell my vanilla yoghurt through a closed door. : ))

That's sad but I can see how someone would get in trouble buying a Shihtzu cross, if you don't research them first. They are such a pleasure to have around but are high maintenance coat wise. I trim my girl about every 3 weeks to keep her coat manageable, honestly I could open a cushion stuffing business. : ) I wouldn't swap her for anything though. I feel sorry for the ones who get neglected. : (

Best in Show (2000) Stefan Vanderhoof: [discussing the calendar] We're not gonna sell, just give it out to friends. Scott Donlan: I think we should try to sell it. Stefan Vanderhoof: Really? Scott Donlan: Yeah. Stefan Vanderhoof: Well, if we could give the money to Shih Tzu rescue. Scott Donlan: They have plenty of money. Stefan Vanderhoof: Well so do we. Scott Donlan: What Shih Tzus need rescuing anyway? You don't see Shih Tzus straggling around the streets in an old coat "help, alms for the poor". Stefan Vanderhoof: Like the little match girl. Ha ha love this, can't imagine there being a need for Shihtzu rescue but then I'm biased. : -))

It often happens that someone new to the forums who hasn't read the forum rules refers to their dog by its made up cross breed name, I'd be pretty confident in saying that it is always mentioned that "xxx" isn't a breed and that on DOL the dog should be referred to as requested in the forum rules ('xxx' X "xxx'). You may not have seen it but it certainly does cause a reaction! Minimax was just pointing out to you that it is in fact a breach of forum rules. Thank you SG for putting it so nicely. I've seen many postings with all kinds of names (cavoodles etc), to this point no one has been pulled up for it. Nevertheless seeing as you have taken the trouble to be polite, I'll no longer make up names, having only done it once as a joke. I wasn't objecting to what Minimax was telling me, only her manner of doing it. Interpersonal skills are important wherever you are. Any sentence that starts with "I think you'll find" is going to get someone's back up. Thanks for clueing me in without being confrontational. : ) From the forum rules: No need to feel singled out - believe me when I say that people have been picked up for this many many times. To the OP - your friend needs to do some research of her own. There are plenty of differences in temperament, grooming and exercise/stimultion needs between the varying breeds of smaller, long coated breeds. It's not a one size will fit all situation. If health testing is a key concern, your friend will need to confine her enquiries to responsible, registered breeders. Thanks HW, I was feeling like I had a target on me. : )

It often happens that someone new to the forums who hasn't read the forum rules refers to their dog by its made up cross breed name, I'd be pretty confident in saying that it is always mentioned that "xxx" isn't a breed and that on DOL the dog should be referred to as requested in the forum rules ('xxx' X "xxx'). You may not have seen it but it certainly does cause a reaction! Minimax was just pointing out to you that it is in fact a breach of forum rules. Thank you SG for putting it so nicely. I've seen many postings with all kinds of names (cavoodles etc), to this point no one has been pulled up for it. Nevertheless seeing as you have taken the trouble to be polite, I'll no longer make up names, having only done it once as a joke. I wasn't objecting to what Minimax was telling me, only her manner of doing it. Interpersonal skills are important wherever you are. Any sentence that starts with "I think you'll find" is going to get someone's back up. Thanks for clueing me in without being confrontational. : )

Whatever you call them Alison I agree they are great little dogs :) The ones I have seen are really sweet and quite robust also. Well I'll call mine a Shihtzu cross now as it seems to be upsetting some people for me to have a joke and make up a name. : )) Yes they are lovely dogs, make great lapdogs and lively little companions but I wouldn't call them a high energy dog. Robust is a good word to describe them. Their coats can be a little high maintenance but if you clip them yourself, like I do, grooming doesn't have to be costly. : )

I don't want a compliment, I want you to repay my compliment by being in good humor, as I have been with you. Making a compliment and repaying a compliment are not the same thing. I have seen the term Groodle, oodle, cavoodle and even BS mastiff mentioned many times on this forum and never seen any reaction from their use, obviously something about me needles you, I can't help that. Now I'm going to have a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit, I suggest you do the same. It cures all ills : )

I think you'll find a "shmalt" isn't actually a breed. If your friends can't afford to outlay money for a dog, can she afford vet bills or ongoing costs to care for the dog, especially if there is an unexpected cost or accident? I know I just made it up. : ) Well you might need to do a refresher on the forum rules. Well I think you might find you have no sense of humor and may need to do a refresher in that subject. You've had a couple of shots at me for some reason and I am continuing to stay in good humor, please repay the compliment. : )

I think you'll find a "shmalt" isn't actually a breed. If your friends can't afford to outlay money for a dog, can she afford vet bills or ongoing costs to care for the dog, especially if there is an unexpected cost or accident? I know I just made it up. : )

I paid $400 for a Shmalt ( Shihtzu Maltese) that is 3/4 Shihtzu, that was a few years ago. I like the breed, good with kids, but do take some grooming, I do some kind of clipping every two to three weeks to keep the coat manageable. A lot of brushing involved if you let the coat grow. My current dog likes to roll after brushing, so ends up more tangled than before the brushing, so a short coat is better for her. She is almost non shedding, you can count the hair that comes off her. She weighs 6.3 kgs, has a lovely temperament but female attitude. One downside is she likes to bark and she had a suspected luxiating patella at one point but that has firmed up now. Great little dogs for a family. : )

I've seen Cesar Milan do that, put his hand in a dogs food bowl while it's eating, I can do it with my dog but I'd never let a child, that's asking for trouble with any dog. I've seen food aggression appear in a puppy and I've seen what happens if no one does anything about it, but training them out of it should be done by an adult who knows what they are doing. Once a dog is food/toy aggressive and their are kids around, sooner or later there will be an incident. : (

What an evil thing to do, some people are just soulless bags of shite.

Thats bad doggie manners. I'm sure there is such a thing, I've just invented it if there isn't

YES!! the terms furbaby, et al tend to numb the mind to dogs' abilities in the hunt/kill category. There are instincts/reactions and the tools to back them up contained within waggy tailed companion .. but with the intense moulding of many dogs to fit into the 'little furry accessory' box ...the predatory ability gets further and further away .. and it is just so sad. There are many of you here who have working dogs .. who switch 'on' & 'off' ......you can see clearly that which they are capable of . Somehow Joe/jenny public need reminding of this ...and children need to be kept safe. I think it's not just that they don't know what to watch for (that is definitely a big part of it though!) but I also get a sense from many people that they believe the family dog should put up with anything. I walked Digby past a place the other day where a family was out the front with their young son and their dog. The son was deliberately frightening the dog by throwing a basket ball at it and the parents were doing nothing about it. They saw it going on and couldn't care less. This is not the only example I can think of; there definitely seems to be a perception by many that dogs should tolerate any behaviour from adults and children without reacting at all! Ridiculous! It really upsets me when I see a dog being maltreated, they just want to be with us, be one of the pack, not stopping a child being cruel to an animal can lead to that child becoming a bully or worse. That phrase "Its only a dog" sickens me, I heard it too many times.

I'd call that an excellent result. I call anything like road safety or dog safety empowering our kids, giving them the tools to protect themselves. :)

Sad but true SG. Banning any breed won't work. The macho idiots will find a different large breed to use to beef up their image. No doubt another name will be invented for them. The responsible dog owners will be punished for those as well. b.s. mastiff would be a suitable name Lets put it up for a vote. :laugh: