espinay2

This is where I love the lidded c-crate and similar pens. You can peg them down to keep them in place and they are lighter than big crates to move. Just take more space! I have a soft crate but it sits in the shed as as others have found the dogs get too hot in it. I personally don't like cooling coats as I am not totally convinced they work. A dog stays cool primarily through paws and belly. Wetting or covering the whole coat can increase skin temperature. The reason they don't generally recommend wetting the whole dog in cases of heat stroke.

I am soooooo glad I don't live near you. The dog singing I can handle but bagpipes are enough for me to call the Police LOL I sincerely wish I could do that myself sometimes We are lucky we live on a big property. Though I do remember back one time when my OH was learning and practicing outside that the neighbours over the hill (teenage son I suspect) decided to play some (what must have been - we could just hear it) very loud rap music. Somehow I don't think it was a coincidence Interestingly enough the dogs don't mind the bagpipes (though Hamish does obviously have some music appreciation and tends to leave the room if a new piece of music is being slaughtered . Louise on the other hand loves it! Whenever he starts playing she magically appears to stand beside him!

About 3 days for mine I think.

Appreciating music...... (I had a bitch in season. Hamish was singing her an opera. Bruce decided he needed competition :laugh: ) I posted this just to show that I DO have dog runs and I don't hide them.....

Out and about... Playing... Patrolling and teaching... Hanging out with other animals... Goofing off for the camera... Hanging out...

Resting.....

Pyrenean Mountain Dogs - I tend to pull out in the mid 20s (25 to 27 degrees at most generally). Means I don't show much at all in Summer. For me it is not worth it. The dogs don't like the heat and don't show well in it. By the time they get to Group they are well and truly over it and on 'go slow'. I would rather they enjoy themself and be comfortable. I HATE the heat and don't do well in it (yep, a born and bred Queenslander - go figure! :laugh: ) . I may do the odd show here and there (Royals etc or the odd night show) but that is about it. We show a lot more in winter when we can all freeze and be happy :D But then I generally dont show in the rain either ..... (though the dogs wouldn't care either way about that one!) Edited to add - cooling equipment I use is silver sides and top, fans for the crates, ice bottles and ice for licking, plenty of water, and I use x pens with no mats apart from the gazebo mat so they have plenty of room to stretch out and a fairly cool surface to lie on. I try to set up in the shade if I can and whre there will hopefully be a breeze.

One of the best books in English (or any language) for the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is Joseph B Genzel's book 'The Great Pyrenees: From France with Love' For working LGD in general, 'Livestock Protection Dogs: Selection, Care and Training' by Orysia Dawydiak and David Sims is excellent. I also have a (english language) booklist on my website which includes some more basic starter books for pet owners: http://www.espinay.com/booklist.cfm Of the non English language books, 'le Chien de Montagne des Pyrenees' by A Guardamagna and 'le Montagne des Pyrenees' by Benoit Cockenpot would be my picks. I should add that there are LOTS more books available, including some absoloutely wonderful older ones, but for anyone just starting out, the above in particular would be my suggestions.

Yes, fan blowing over containers of ice/water or damp sheets that the air blows through. Basically the same principle as an evaporative cooler. I have also resorted at times to standing with a squirt bottle of water on mist and spraying it at the fan (when it is going of course!! - you don't want the water actually going on the fan itself!) - the fan's air stream then disperses the droplets and it helps cool a bit more. If you have any show gazebo silver sides, you could also rig them up on the hottest side of your house to shade the doorway/windows by attaching it to the eaves and using guy ropes to peg it to the ground at an angle.

Growing up we had a dog whose front leg was amputated after an accident. She was fast, she was fit and once she got used to it it was no handicap! I also used to groom an old GSD with one rear leg amputated. He got around with no issue, though arthritis in his remaining leg was slowing him as he aged (he was 13 though!). The funniest thing was watching him pee as he would cock his remaining leg to do it! Watching him balance on his front legs only was amazing :laugh:

you should see my thoughts on this in the other thread, but IMO feeding a dog (a carnivore - however opportunistic they may be) on a vegetarian diet, just because you don't want to kill another animal (and not for any specific medical reason which may predispose an individual to a specific diet which may not be normal or even possibly healthy for the average dog) is not the right thing to do. If you are worried about factory farming, by all means seek alternative sources of meat to feed your dog (not really that hard to find!). And seek ways to give thanks to the animals that give their lives so you can keep an opportunistic carnivore as a pet. And as a former vegetarian let me say I have no problem with you eating a vegetarian diet yourself for whatever reason. But please think VERY hard before you go down the vegetarian path with your dog as it is not a natural way of life that you would be subjecting them to, and IMO may be just as bad as subjecting an animal to life in a feedlot being fed unnaturally on lots of grain as in the same way you are making them eat a diet that is not natural to them, however 'well formulated' it is for your purpose.As always, JMHO.

) Don't all breed standards say male dogs "should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum." ? Yes it does so showing with one testicle, unlike other scars, would IMO likely be an issue no matter how the dog came to lose it given it is one of those 'golden rules' for showing an entire male and not such a grey area as other scars etc may be. You could give it a try, but be prepared to be refused I guess if you do. I personally would not do it where I may show a dog with other scars (I know of a number of big winning dogs that have had scars due to injury etc) The important thing though is that you have your dog and as you say, his health comes first .

Steve, why not ask them?

Welcome Linda and a thanks from me too for a view from someone involved with the breed. This is a breed I have often admired and I appreciate committed people such as yourself who are working to ensure its future

It was sent out to DogsNSW members when the task force discussion paper was first circulated: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15878506/NSW%20Taskforce%202012/DogsNSWProposed%20DP%20Member%20ResponseTaskforce%20May%2012.pdf

Yes, some here test in nanomols and some in nanograms! One place I use does one and one the other. Makes it very confusing!

Note that there are different petitions for different electorates. Petitions were sent out to DogsNSW members based on which electorate they resided in. So make sure you sign the right one :) If you live in NSW and are a DogsNSW member and did not get a link to one through email, I suggest contacting DogsNSW or getting someone else you know in your electorate to send the link. Or you may be able to find it on the petition site? (not sure about that one). Here is the link for the one for Goulburn Electorate: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/companion-animals-taskforce6.html

Pacing can be related to a range of things which may or may not be relevant. Some breeds pace naturally at low speeds (it is specified in the standard for the Pyrenean Mountain Dog for instance). It is an 'energy saving' gait for a dog. Some dogs will do it if the speed you are going is not comfortable for them - such as not fast enough for a proper trot, but fast for a walk. Again, it is energy saving and can be more comfortable. My Dalmatian used to pace if I was going at this 'in between' speed when on walks on lead. Some dogs will do it when tired - again energy saving. Some will do it if injured or sore if it is a more comfortable gait for them and can take pressure of an injury or sore area that may be jarred by other gaits. Some dogs may also pace if their construction makes it more comfortable. An example here is if they are shorter in body or have more angulation/drive in the rear than in the front (to put it in basic terms). As their front and back legs get in the way of each other as the back feet land further forward when trotting, they may pace as it is more comfortable. this type of thing may be the result of permanent structure or if the dog is young and their growth is not proportionate they may grow out of it as they mature.

Socialisation is not about getting a pup to meet lots of dogs, it is about providing GOOD experiences with SELECT dogs in a CONTROLLED environment. This is not something a dog park can generally offer. In most cases you have no control about the dogs in there, whether they will be a good experience for the pup or how controlled they will be. Basically it is a high risk environment, particularly for a puppy. Add to that the fact that this is an Iggy? NO WAY would I be taking it anywhere near a dog park. Run into or bowled over even by another small dog and you have a VERY high risk of injury.

I hate my computer. Just wrote a nice long post and it crapped out and ate the lot In a nutshell: agree with alpha bet and secret kei! In relation to ellz comment regarding breed temperament, I too think it is important to distinguish what is being talked about as there are many layers. IMO the first layer is 'base' temperament or rather 'mental soundness' this is relevant regardless of breed and is basically about how a dog reacts to stress. Stress meaning changes to the environment around it such as a new place or a new object, person or sound. The next layer is 'breed traits'. A dog can react to something in a different way to another breed and still be 'sound'. But here it is important to distingush between what may be, for example, 'aloofness' as a breed trait and a shy/skittish stress reaction when approached by a person, or as another example, bold investigation of something 'out of place' as a breed trait, and an instant forward and agonistic fear based reaction to any change in the environment. These are VERY different things. Then there is behaviour and reaction learnt through experience. This experience may either increase or lessen the reactions based on base temperament or breed traits, but it will never eliminate them. Edited to add, there is also 'personality'. Just like us, individual dogs have individual quirks! :laugh:

Yep, that is about it for me too!! :D Planned way in advance! Even if sometimes plans need to be adjusted. But I am also open to 'opportunities' so to speak as well - though mostly those opportunities are recognised because they fit with the overall plan!

I most definitely can't agree with this and I too find THIS comment extraordinary! The base temperamnet of a dog is what they inherit and are born with. As Steve mentioned, character, personality, and also experience add other layers, but the base temperament is what you start with and defines a dogs 'default' reactions and actions. The two bitches I mentioned in my post are an example. Same environment, same dam, different temperament which reflects temperaments also seen other dogs in the two sire lines. Yes, it can become quite obvious over multiple generations of observation how these things can be inherited. Even dogs raised 'hands off' as Steve mentions above will show innate traits such as steady nerve, or reactiveness. There will be those that stand their ground or investigate and those that bolt at the slightest introduction of something new or something like a loud unexpected sound. How they react to the environment around them, how they investigate new things in their environment, are at its base, products of their nature. And when it comes to raising a dog in the home, that 'base nature' can influence how they react while being 'socialised' and how much work and effort it takes to get them used to new things. It can mean that placed under 'stress' (by this I mean changing its environment in some way - be it taking it to a new one or introducing something new be it object, sounds, person, animal etc) some dogs will handle the same experiences in different ways than others. It must also be remembered there is really no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' temperament. It is a LOT more complicated than such a simple black and white definition.

Aching ankles may also be because you are spending a lot of time standing up. I was getting very sore feet all the time and then realized that 'nervous energy' had me standing up all day rather than taking time to sit down. I now make an effort to try and sit down more and my feet are thanking me!

An example to add to the already good posts. I have two bitches who are half sisters. Same dam and raised in a very similar manner. Bitch 1 is more reactive ( ie showed more extreme startle reflex, particularly during fear periods) and required more careful socialization. She shows traits common in some bitches in her 'family' line. Bitch 2 is very even and steady and has been 'easy'. Shows minimal startle reflex and no real definedfear periods to date. This is a common trait in her sire line and tends to be passed on strongly. So nature has provided this base in the two bitches. Training and socialization has done the rest and bitch 1 does display minimal to no issues under stress now while some in her line who have had less socialisation maintain a degree of nervous reactiveness under certain stress.

There is no magic product, only training. As leader you need to restrict priviledges and enforce the rules.