espinay2

Agree with what others have said. Keeping the dog active to maintain muscle mass will help it stay pain free and mobile for a lot longer. Letting the dog be a couch potato may not in fact be in the dogs best interests. Having had a dog with severe HD who lived a happy and relatively active life until passing at 10 from an unrelated condition, I have seen the benefits of maintaining fitness in situations like this. Of course it will depend on the individual dog, though you say he is currently not symptomatic? Only thing I might restrict is jumping and forced exercise. If you live on a property where the dog can run and swim and self regulate its activity that is fantastic. If you are looking for treatment options, I would be looking into stem cell regenerative therapy as well which is proving to be a worthwhile approach for similar cases to this and can minimise future requirements for drug therapy (pain and anti inflammatory meds). Yes a dog such as this may be difficult to rehome - and you will definitely need to do it with full disclosure and personally I would not be charging for the dog (though I would not be advertising 'free to good home' either!). Whether you offer to provide monetary support for the dogs after care will be up to you, but I would make sure that everything you will or will not do is put in writing. As mentioned though, if you really don't want to keep him yourself, and you can not find a suitable home to rehome him to (or do not feel he is suitable for rehoming), then having him PTS may end up being a realistic option (even if it is one we don't like to think about).

Tripe (the washed white type) - minimal fat and calories. Feed in a large piece if they will eat it that way. Low salt broth - more water in the food means stomach feels fuller Also make the dog work for its food. If the dog is eating its meals quickly its brain wont be telling it it is satisfied. The more a dog has to work for its food, the fuller etc it will feel (not working for its food is 'unnatural' for a canid but unfortunately a symptom of the modern diet) You can feed its food in kongs and treat balls or in larger pieces etc.

Hound it out Hounding better all the time Houndabout Lost and Hound Hound you! A hound my heart

First thing to note is that what you will be looking for is 'show potential' rather than 'show quality' as while a breeder can choose a pup they think may turn into a good show prospect, they dont have a crystal ball and as a dog grows things can sometimes change. It is the risk you take when buying a pup. Best advice I could give would be to find a breeder that has dogs you like and who you can develop a relationship with. dont necessarily look for breeders that have pups available as if you are after a pup to show, you may have to wait for a likely prospect. Note that to be trusted with a show prospect you may need to 'prove' yourself a little first. See if you can go along to a few shows with the breeder for example, and help them out. Let them see you are keen and willing to learn. Note you are possibly going to have more success getting a male than a female. Breeders tend to be very careful about where they place main register bitches. Not to say that they arent careful about males, but it is often easier to get a good quality male than a female. The breeder may also be interested in negotiating 'terms' with you so that they can use the dog later in their breeding program if this is considered suitable. Don't necessarily shy away from co-ownership if this is offered. The trick with co-ownership though is to make sure all the terms of the deal are in writing on the contract and that both you and the breeder are happy and benefit from the arrangement. It is not rude to email a breeder to ask about a show potential pup. I would recommend though that when you do send an email, set out clearly what you are looking for, being very honest about your intentions. Give a little background on yourself - that you have shown horses but not dogs, plus any experience you have had with dogs (dogs you have owned and what you have done with them (obedience etc???), whether they were desexed, what breed they were etc and your experience (if any) with the breed you are looking to get. Don't be too long winded but be clear and concise. As mentioned, be prepared to wait for the right pup. Just as important is your relationship with the breeder. Pups on main register for show homes won't often be advertised as these types of homes are usually lined up through private negotiation and are waiting for the right pup to be born. Good luck!

Some advice here on grooming that may help: http://www.espinay.com/grooming.cfm Agree with what is posted so far. What you do will depend on how bad the mats are, how bad he is to groom and who is grooming him. Be very wary of trying to cut them yourself. Some advice on using scissors in the above link. I remember well a Newfie grooming client that came to me as a regular after the owner tried to cut mats on his chest and he ended up with about 10 stitches when she cut his skin. Getting him professionally groomed by someone experienced with big dogs may be a good way to get started. Once he is done, groom him VERY regularly for short sessions (see my link). Be firm, and groom to PREVENT matts occuring rather than to get rid of them once formed. Eventually if you keep it up your dog will come to tolerate grooming if not enjoy it and the whole process will be easier and much more pleasant for the both of you.

I can understand some of your motiviation - in fact you sound a lot like me when I was looking for my first dog as an adult...and ended up with a Pyr. I will admit to be ing a bit of a 'dog snob' myself and preferring something a bit more 'uncommon' ;) And yes, 'uncommon' generally means they may come with a higher price tag, and you will have to wait for one to become available. (after all, if they were cheaper and more easily available, they would not be 'uncommon' ;) ) On feeling 'safe' - yes my Pyrs make me feel very safe. But to many people they may seem to be marshmallows and that is good too (though I have found most will hesitate about entering a yard with a Pyr!!!). Socialisation will be very important as well as an understanding that a Pyr is NOT a 'guard dog' but rather a guardian. They act instinctually and any effort to actually try and 'train' them to 'guard' people etc can be counter productive. It can not (and should not) be 'taught' to be intimidating and in most situations will (and should) come across as a big fluffy cutie, but they CAN act appropriately when called for. Better they never have to though.They DO need an owner that can be a good leader and understands the importance of good management and socialisation. Note that a TM can be an even more difficult breed to manage than a Pyr IMO. More territorial, more standoffish, even with accepted visitors and needing an even stronger leader. Barking, shedding, digging, being an escape artist, not being trusted to be off lead and being rather independent are issues you will need to consider with a Pyr. You will find more info on my webpage and feel free to contact me privately so we can talk more.

Roo tails, turkey necks, rabbit and chicken parts with any skin and major parts of fat removed. Remember though that your dog will still need some fat in its diet so it is important to still feed some RMB with skin/fat on them. Dogs fed a very low fat diet (e.g. just feeding very low fat meats like rabbit without some source of fat) can become quite ill as a result. Therefore you need to balace over time by feeding a variety (substituting lower fat RMBs for some meals or for part of the meal), feeding smaller portions, but still feeding some 'higher' fat RMB's, just not in as large a quantity.

I am living the dream

I so remember the time a child wiped ice cream all over my dog when they ran up to pat him just before we were to go in the ring.... Not fun! My dogs love attention and at royals they do get plenty of time 'up front' for pats and to meet the public. But even they can't do that all day and need some down time. If someone wants to pat my dog during that downtime they will (as politely as possible) be told no and I expect people to respect that. I certainly don't appreciate anyone patting my dogs without asking. Simple courtesy goes a long way. I am happy to have people meet and greet on my terms but frankly the reason I am there (to show the dog) and my dogs welfare outweighs any wishes of a stranger. The lady the OP mentioned, sounds from the account given to be rude and the comments uncalled for, but after a day in a pavilion at a royal (deafening and constant noise, heat, constant questions, often a VERY early start to the day and virually no sleep, and no escape from any of it) sometimes tempers can get short on even the nicest people.

:laugh: You do realise that some things like HD can show no obvious signs and the dog can be shown and titled before being x-rayed and the HD discovered? The same with some of the eye conditions? That in most catalogues the parentage of the dogs is displayed? It's what the person does after they discover their dog has a serious fault that counts IMO. This. Many times HD for eg is not symptomatic. A dog that moves well may not be discovered to have an issue until x-rayed or tested etc around 2 years of age (which is a standard age for testing in many breeds). By then they could have been in the ring for quite a while and already be titled. And what do people consider to be 'HD'? Is it a total score of 20? 40? higher? Would you consider a Mastiff with a score of 25 to have HD severe enough not to show it? Or what about, for example, a whippet with a score of 25? Symptomatic lameness in the show ring is to me not acceptable but a dog that is not symptomatic is different. Judged on its merits on the day, if the judge (judging honestly and with the knowledge and skill they should have) considers it to be worthy when it assesses its structure and movement against the standard then it deserves to be there compete, and yes to win. What the breeder then does with that dog from a breeding point of view is a different issue. Breeding decisions are made on more than just what a dog wins. It is only one small part of the overall picture.

Agree no dog is perfect. If we threw every dog out of the ring that had a structural 'issue' there wouldnt be too many left. I suggest for those who haven't read it getting hold of Pat Hastings book 'Structure in Action' as well as her 'Puppy Puzzle' DVD. IMO there are differences between showing a dog and breeding it. I have shown a dog with HD (via x-ray and scoring), and yes she gained her Ch title. She was desexed when she was retired from the ring and not bred from. I will not (knowingly) show a dog that is lame. Re the second question - I wanted to say 'no' but did not like the way the no answer was worded (as I chose a yes answer for the first). I was therefore complelled to say I would show in neuter, even though I most likely would not show a dog after surgery.

Agree with Malaseb. I would also check out the Fidos range. I have found them to be particularly good - the Herbal shampoo and perhaps the fre-itch for example. I use the herbal rinse and also used to use this when I was grooming. It can be used in a hydrobath as a mild wash as well.

You are gonna die....... :p :laugh:

Pyrenean Mountain Dog - standard replies include the following: "They live with the sheep and protect them from predators" "They were bred in the French Pyrenees mountains to protect sheep from wolves and bears" "The French cousin of the Maremma" (if they have mentioned the Maremma) "They bark, dig, shed a lot, like to escape and can't be trusted off lead...but we love them anyway" :laugh:

My rescue Pyrenean Liza Jane was listed by the pound as a Shepherd! She was VERY lucky that someone who knew what they were looking at visited and she was pulled the day she was due to be put down. Mislabelling/misidentification can sometimes mean a dog can be missed. Pyrs aren't that common so I understand people will get the name wrong (calling them a Maremma is par for the course a lot of the time, and I do understand that one a little). I have had them called Newfies or Saints too. The ones that for some reason get up my nose though is when they get called a Labrador or Golden Retriever (or a Lab or Golden X)! Many a Royal show I have thought I needed a sign with a picture of a Pyr beside a Golden and Lab so I could point out how different they are!

For new puppy owners - something with a little structure, but also time for CONTROLLED play. One of the biggest issues I see with dogs who have been to puppy classes (and then go on to other obedience/training classes) is that they have often learnt to rush up and try and play with every dog they meet and consider class time to be free for all play time. Owners find it hard to keep their pups attention as all they want to do is drag their owners to the other puppies to play and their attention is on the other dogs and not their owners. Some owners often have a hard time as the pups have to unlearn what they learnt at puppy class and learn to focus on their owners more and wait for permission before approaching another dog. Learning to play and interact with other dogs is important, but it shouldnt be a free for all. More informal groups for experienced owners are good too. Locally we have an informal 'breeders group' that meets to do just this. Basically just a group of people who know each other who meet up on a semi-regular basis for the mutual benefit of themselves and their dogs/puppies.

But if they were only there for e.g. to be fed, water in the crates may not be necessary. I know I don't leave water in my crates as a rule so my dogs may be locked in the to eat/when there is a visitor etc and not have a water bowl in with them. Doesn't mean the dogs go without water though.

I had to vote for both as I use both. The dogs tend to go into boarding if we are both away. The cats and other animals get looked after via paid home care (a truly fantastic lady) In an emergency or short term I feel comfortable leaving the dogs for the lady who does our home care as well, but for longer stays I tend to send them somewhere else as I have found a routine change in a new place seems to be easier on them than a routine change at home (as they would mostly be confined to the runs full time at home just for the practicality of a stranger managing it, and they seem to take better to longer term confinement if on someone elses property rather than their own - as they are relaxing 'off territory' and not worried that they are not patrolling the property - this is just the way my dogs work though). The cats and other animals (multiple pens of chickens and other livestock etc) have minimal to no changes to their routine when using home care so that works well, though I tend to leave free ranging flocks confined to their secure pens and the cats stay inside full time rather than being allowed outside during the day.

We have no way of knowing that. The crates are clean. The dogs look healthy and not stressed. How do we know they were not simply confined between free running/play/training sessions, rotated in and out so incompatible dogs dont fight, while there were visitors in the house, at night for sleeping, while she was out and/or while they were eating? All things which are fairly standard crate use. To say they were confined full time is pure speculation at at no point is that even mentioned in the article. All the article says is that the crates were considered 'too small' for the dogs by state law (dimensions for which are not even suggested by the HSUS: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/crate_training.html and may be a misinterpretation of the recommendation that a crate should be 'just large enough for him to stand up and turn around in'? - more info would be needed on the state law in question to answer this one) The article also mentions she 'sells dogs to the public from her home' (something every breeder does, so nothing can be read from that statement). That photo looks like a scene you would see in many a responsible dog owner or breeders house in many countries around the world, including here.

Take a look at the photo of her dogs in their 'too small cages' on the web article............ World gone mad? http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20120403/NJNEWS14/304030021/Bridgewater-woman-faces-animal-cruelty-charges?odyssey=nav%7Chead BRIDGEWATER — A Bridgewater resident Friday was charged with two counts of animal cruelty by the Somerset County SPCA police. Lucia Mariani, 47, who resides in a home on Route 202/206, was issued the two violations for keeping dogs in cages too small for the animals. It appears Mariani sells the dogs to the public from her home, police said. State regulations require a caged animal to be able to stand in the cage and turn 360 degrees without hitting the roof or sides of the cage. Several of the cages were too small to allow the dogs to properly maneuver, police said. “It is very important for pet owners to be fully aware of what they need to do if they want to have pets, especially if they intend to be in the business of adopting them out to the public,” said Joe Biermann, president of the Somerset County SPCA. The two violations, one criminal and the other civil, are subject to a maximum of $2,000 in fines and/or jail time. Police said the case is scheduled for first appearance arraignment in Bridgewater Municipal Court at 10 a.m. on April 18.

This. I would just stand (or grab a chair and sit there) holding the lead. Ignore him and wait the blighter out. When he turns over the right way up, praise and reward. At the moment it sounds like he is manipulating you to get exactly what he wants. Any resistance/pulling/rolling/playing fish on the end of the lead just stand there and let the pup learn the limitations of the lead. Praise when upright and not pulling e.g. just standing there. Once you are at that point, as mentioned encourage the pup to take one step then reward etc.

If more children were treated like dogs there may be less issues in the world.... As that is a leading and provocative statement I will clarify by saying that good leadership, setting rules and boundaries, teaching manners and respect are just as important for both. And operant conditioning works on both! (read Karen Prior's book "Don't Shoot the Dog"). A child is not a dog, just as a dog is not a child that is for sure, but frankly if children are raised in the same manner that some who consider their dogs a 'child' raise their dogs then I am not surprised when problems are seen with the behaviour and ability to cope of either of them. From my own personal experience as a groomer and a trainer I have found it interesting to often see a correlation in that families with 'babied' dogs also often seem to have 'wayward' children who also appear to lack leadership and boundaries. JMHO and YMMV As for me? My dogs are not my children. But as I speak, one dog is cuddling on the bed with my ill OH, two are in the study with me lounging on the lounge. I enjoy buying pretty bling show leads, I enjoy our time grooming and making them look nice and the dogs frequently go on outings with us (one yesterday to 'visit grandma' in Sydney). They like sharing ice cream with us or the odd iced vovo. But my dogs also enjoy doing the job they were designed to do protecting our livestock and you can see the pleasure they get from that. They enjoy getting dirty and they are comfortable being away from us and us being away from them. I cry and mourne the passing of all of them and I have pictures and ashes in urns for all the ones I have loved and lost. But they are dogs and I love and respect their uniqueness and talent as dogs. I love seeing their natural instincts at work. I love that they see and hear and respond differently to people. I love that I can work with them in partnership in a way that is not possible with another human. That partnership is a special one and the relationship is a special one and I would not want to degrade that by bringing them down to the human level. Thank goodness they do not think and act like humans as when we see what the humans in this world do, to consider a dog to be one is really demeaning. Frankly I would rather aspire to be a dog than try to make my dogs human.

Glad I could help. Depending where you are you may be able to find a do it yourself grooming place that has a dryer. I use an EzyCoat dryer. Just the single motor hose dryer. It has lasted me many many years of regular use: http://www.ezycoat.com.au/frame_index.html The les Poochs brushes are definitely a favourite of mine - not cheap! and you will have to order from overseas, but I love them and am a real convert to them above other styles of slicker brush. The blue (wide) Firm Bristle or the purple (wide) Pro Brush F/F (the one I use) are what I would recommend in your case: http://www.lespoochs.com/brushDetail.asp?inpItemCode=BP%25

A white coat can shine, but not necessarily in the same way as a darker coat. In this case it looks like your dog is a red dog with phaomelanin dilution though so different from the white bits you will see on black border collies for instance which is lack of pigment caused by the white spotting gene. The white therefore has yellow tones which may make it harder to make shine. White hair which is caused through total lack of pigment will respond differently to light than your dogs coat (as it acts more like a crystal by reflecting light - which is what makes it white). That said there are ways to help improve your dogs coat so that it looks healthier and 'glows'. It may take work though. And you may need to wait before you see the full results. First is diet. Make sure you are feeding a good quality diet that contains a good source of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Fish oil capsules for example. Also things such as eggs and sardines. These are all things which can help grow healthy coat. It will help new coat to grow in a healthy manner. (just re-read and you are already doing this - great! :) ) Next is grooming. Regular grooming can be important if you are looking to improve coat. You need to make sure the coat is well brushed out on a regular basis so that dead hair is removed (great you are doing this!). This allows it to be replaced with the new healthy hair. Make sure you are line brushing all the way to the skin. Good airflow to the skin helps keep it healthy and healthy skin helps a healthy coat. It also allows the natural oils to be distributed more freely in the coat and remove dirt. Dirt can damage hair. Noting his age and that he is desexed as well as the fact the coat has been clipped (how long ago?) these may all be contributing factors to its condition. As such it may always be a somewhat problem coat and you may never get the shine you are after . How are his thyroid levels? If you have access to a forced air blowdryer this can be good. It can help remove dead hair and really helps 'free up' the coat. Really this is your best friend for this type of coat IMO. Never brush a dry coat. Brushing a dry coat will cause hair breakage. Always use a grooming spray (I suggest a non silicone based one if you can - e.g. Plush Puppy OMG or similar products ). Also be careful what tools you use. Good quality brushes can also make a difference. Poorer quality ones can catch and break hair as you brush. Broken hair doesn't shine as what you have is a lot of split ends. I like to use brushes that have polished tips. My favourites are the les Pooches slicker brushes and Chris Christiansen pin brushes. I found after changing my brushes to better quality ones my dogs coats improved over time and I also had less matting (as broken hair will also snag and tangle). Note that a furminator breaks the coat - I don't use them for this reason as while they may temporarily thin things out, they can damage the coat and make things worse in the long run. If you are washing the coat, you can use a shampoo designed for white coats that has a bluing agent. This can help reduce yellow tones in the coat. Also, when you wash the coat, protect the coat (particularly if you use a deep cleansing or whitening shampoo). Washing removes natural oils. I love the Plush Puppy Seabreeze oil. I use a few squirts in a bucket of water then applied with a sponge to the coat as a leave in finishing rinse. It protects the hair and helps replace the oils. I do find it helps with shine. If you want an extra little bit of shine, try PP Shine and Comb. While it is 'artificial' it sure does look nice, particularly in the sun! He is a sweet looking dog whatever he is and looks to be a lovely healthy 11 year old enjoying his life (disclaimer: after reading this I thought I better mention that I have no association with Plush Puppy! I just like the particular products I have mentioned here and have found them to be effective )

If your dog is human then problem solved. Just take it to a doctor instead of a vet.