Trisven13

I've only met a few Standards and the adults I've met have been quite stand-offish with people they don't know and very, very reactive towards children. Is this typical of a Standard Poodle who has not grown up around children? Do they need a lot of socialisation to ensure that they are good with kids? How much does the temperament vary between Toys, Miniatures & Standards?

Interesting that your standard doesn't contain that. That is the new FCI Standard that we now follow. Wish I could get over to the UK and Europe to see some of these dogs in the flesh.

The French pronounce the word as fOHve (rhymes with ROVE). Why wouldn't we use the same pronunciation? Sorry - I read that wrongly the first time - yes it is pronounced Fauve to rhyme with Rove. Becks - it is interesting you say that it is not a coat you can roll as I have found that myself. My girls definitely lose more coat after a season than normally - as I spend more time with more Fauves from different lines I will be able to see if that is true of all Fauves. As the standard says the coat should be "Very rough, harsh, rather short, never woolly or curly" - to me some of the coats on the UK dogs wouldn't fit the "rather short" part but that may be because I'm used to the lines we have here.

fOWve Trust me it is not a silly question as lots of people have difficulty with the name. Fauve is the diminutive used for the breed.

Hey Becks . To be perfectly honest you would quite possibly be able to provide as much information on this as me, if not more as you have probably had the benefit of seeing more variety in lines than I have. The Fauves we have in Australia are from lines with less coat than some of the other lines and so grooming really is as minimal as described. I HAVE however seen photos of lots of pet Fauves that look vastly different to those we have here and I believe that there is a great variance between the different lines - well so I have been told. Some Fauves such as this girl have enormous coat - I've been told by Judges who've gone over her that she possibly has the best structure of any bitch in England but she has so much coat it is hard to see. This is her quite stripped out. Brevelay Maid in England Marie has very little coat. The texture of her coat is fabulous - really coarse and harsh - but there just is never enough of it . Everytime I get excited about her coat she comes into season and wham - its gone again . Daphne has more than Marie. General has more than Daphne. Chrissy has more than General. General needed a really good stripping out when he arrived with me but so far no Fauves in Australia need regular stripping. I strip mine out more than Neil does as I like to keep their coats nice and neat - he is happy to let me strip his out though so I don't think he minds ;) . It is difficult as I'm going so completely on photos and on-line discussions but there really appears to be a huge variance between the Fauves - some lines have more leg under them, some lines have more coat, some lines have deeper colour. Australia has the leggier, less coated lines so far.

Hmmmm - good questions. I'm currently working on training Marie so that she can be the first dual-titled Fauve in Australia - not having got there yet it is hard to say. They train like most scenthounds..... some days good, some days not so good . My guys are really, really food focussed so food rewards work very, very well. I think that they would train very well and they seem to respond really well to kids so I would think that they would be a good option but as it has never been explored yet in Australia it is hard to say definitively. They definitely show well for kids BUT are quite heavy to lift on the table so would need a late primary/young teen to show them. My girls are the most animated when the kids are on the end of the lead. Flyball - not so sure but I'd love for someone to try :p . Mine don't fetch balls but I've never taught them to. I think they'd really enjoy agility - I think they'd find it great fun and it is another thing I'd love to do with my Fauves. Fauves love fun - they love when their owner is happy and they are a part of it but they do seem to pick up very easily on your nerves so they would do really well with someone who didn't put too much pressure on themselves as that would communicate down the lead. I learnt this the hard way with showing my Fauves and with obedience training - the more nervous I get the less fun they have, the more relaxed I am the better they do. I think that is why they love kids - they're so uncomplicated by comparison to us adults

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) I have 3 Fauves currently living with me and another possibly (temporarily) arriving in the next couple of months. I met my first Fauve just over 2 years ago at the Murray Valley International and have been besotted ever since. That day I met Marie who I picked up 2 weeks later. About fourteen months later Daphne joined us and six months after that Marie's brother General arrived for a holiday. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? The breed was developed in Brittany in France to hunt in packs as a scenthound. They hunted small game from rabbits through to Roe Deer. They were (and still are) generally owned by farmers in France who have a small pack for hunting. ETA - 2012 will mark the 30th anniversary of the first Fauve, Naika Des Vieilles Combes being imported into the UK. At this point all Fauves in Australia are from English lines which is why this point is so relevant. 3. How common is it in Australia? There are only 20 in Australia (and 7 of those are only seven weeks old ) so they are probably one of the rarer breeds in Australia. 4. What is the average lifespan? Apparently the average lifespan is 12 years though it is hard to say for sure as the oldest Fauve in Australia is coming up for 5 years. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Fauves rock . Running an all breeds rescue it was vital that I found a breed who would get on with other dogs. It was also important that they be kid and cat social. The Fauves haven't let me down one iota, even General who arrived aged 2 years never having lived with either kids or cats. My Fauves love children - so much so that at last year's Melbourne Royal Marie spent most of General Specials lying in the walkway so that people, particularly children had to stop. She loves children and is very gentle with them. Daphne is a little more enthusiastic but loves them just the same. Daphne's brother is best friends to a 10 year old boy in Melbourne and sleeps on his bed every night . Happy dogs but also able to be calm and quiet I'm amazed at what great little dogs they are. ETA - I have met and spent time with 9 of the 20 Fauves currently in Australia and they all have spectacular temperaments - bombproof is how I would best describe them. I can only imagine that the other 11 are the same, particularly given that 7 of them are only babies. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Mine get a real mix of exercise - its either a feast or a famine sadly. When I was researching the breed I read that they will take as much or as little exercise as you can give and I have to say that I have found this to be true. If they don't go for a walk for a few days they are fine. If you only go for half an hour a day six days a week and then three hours once a week they will be fine, if you only go for an hour walk 3 times a week they will be fine - provided they get to spend time with you as part of the family. They are diggers (chasing insects etc) and they are worse if they haven't been for a good walk. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? I think so - they would be particularly good for families with kids. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? Probably not though I don't know how much this has been explored in Australia. I think that there is currently only one Fauve living as an only dog in Australia and as she is in a pet home I haven't heard much about how she is doing. Fauves are an animal that has historically run in packs - they love the company of other dogs and whinge like no bodies business if left alone - well mine do anyway. Provided they have another dog for company they are quiet and well behaved - as a result my Fauves share a giant crate unless the girls are in season. They also seem to really love their breed - Marie has really blossomed since Daphne & General came to live with us. I know on the Fauve Yahoo Group there are people in the UK with only one Fauve and they seem to have no trouble - mine are quite possibly used to having lots of company. 9. How much grooming is required? A brush every couple of weeks and a bath every couple of months. Marie's breeder calls them Teflon dogs and I must say this is a very apt description - the mud dries on their harsh coat and just brushes out easily. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? No, not at all. I actually think they would be a fabulous dog for families with disabled children as they are very gentle, love kids and aren't too small or too big. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? No. There are some issues with epilepsy in some lines in the UK and I've heard about a few dogs with allergies but nothing here in Australia that we are currently aware of. There is a register being kept in the UK of any health problems that crop up but so far they are looking to be a very disease free breed. 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) No health tests necessary. At the moment there is only one breeder in Australia though I hope to be having a litter within the next twelve months.

Thanks Helen. Thankfully he is not bothered by people around his food but I will add those links to my collection :p

Thanks I will keep working on training him with food too to keep his drive up.

So I was probably kind of doing that when I was hand-feeding him as I was only giving it to him when he was calmly standing still in front of me. I sat on the floor and gave him food when he stood still. If he jumped on me or put his paws on my hands etc I withheld the food. I will have to find a place to tie him whilst I do it. I've had lots of starving pups who've had issues with foods but this boys are a bit more extreme than most AND he has a fabulous temperament outside of the food issues. K9 - I would imagine that once I put his bowl down, even with no other dogs around, he will be straight back into standing/lying in his food bowl. He does this to control his food - how do I deal with THAT part of it or will it fade in time as he learns that I'm in charge?

Thanks K9 - will read through that again to make sure I get my head around it as that is what I'm trying to teach him - he has to work for his food, hence the hand-feeding for lunch.

We have a litter of manky pups who have obviously had irregular access to food and who also had a heavy worm burden. They have been wormed and provided with quality food 3 times a day. One of the pups is really, really pushy about food and I'd like some thoughts on whether what I'm doing is right. I will admit to rousing on pups who fight over food - a quick growl and a scruff and normally within a couple of days they're all eating nicely. This boy is still being a real brat though. He stands in the bowl and covers the food with his body as he eats - if any other pup tries to eat out of that bowl he has a go at them. I will provide enough bowls for each pup but he moves from one bowl to the next doing the same thing. Today I just got jack of it and removed him completely from the other pups and hand-fed him his lunch. This could get quite time consuming though so I'm wondering what else I could do? I understand that food is a very high value resource for him given his history BUT he needs some better manners about it before he can go off to a new home. Whilst he wouldn't have a go at a human for food he is not nice to the other pups at all. In all other respects he is lovely though. He is middle of the range too for size - he has a brother who is bigger than him but easier-going and a smaller sister who cops most of his nastiness.

Most definitely - his dogs turn into piles of butter around him as does my own

The breeder of my Fauves as standard smooths and they are snappy and yappy. Is this common? In my experience I have found (in the show ring) that most of the wires & longs have great personalities but the smooths can be a little touchier. Would this be an accurate assessment? Also I've noticed at shows that they are shockers for barking and carrying on if anyone walks past their crate or pen so I've assumed that they're quite a guarding breed?

Out of interest does anyone know what the protocol should be for adult rescue dogs with an unknown vaccination history? Should they have one vaccination, a second 12 months later and THEN follow the 3-yearly routine or is it one vaccination and then the 3-yearly routine?

I'm so sorry.

I had our lovely Grandma girl for the last 12 months of her life. I miss her soooo much it is hard to believe she was only with us for a year. Everyone says that she was lucky to have us for the last year of her life (and she probably was) and that we should be so glad that we made the last year of her life happy (and we probably should) but it will never take away the pain of losing her. The old ones we never expected somehow take our hearts.

What a shame. We have a rescue pup here at the moment who we are expecting (hoping) to be diagnosed with a liver shunt.

I'm so sorry..... He was a lovely boy - a truly dignified gentleman. Hugs to you and your family.

Oh Chewie I'm so bloody sorry. I was so looking forward to introducing Steve to him in September. Hugs for you and your family and of course for beautiful Elliot.

Thanks everyone. Whilstever she is happy and full of beans (as she is now) she will have a place here but the minute she is suffering she will go to god. For now she is happy, very naughty, and full of fun.

Thanks Nekhbet - some great reading there!!

Hi guys, We have a tiny greyhound pup here who was diagnosed yesterday with a congenital kidney problem - this accounts for her manky coat, her failure to thrive (weight gain of 700gm in 3 weeks) and constant water consumption. She will live with me until she is too unwell and then we will put her to sleep - its all about quality of life for her now whether that be 3, 6 or 18 months. So..... I need tips and links and places to go to read up on this and find out as much as possible about anything I can do to make her life easier other than the obvious one of feed her, cuddle her and make sure she always has access to water. Thanks

Any future greyhound I get will be an adult from you or another group.

I am soooo sorry Heidi. I hope you have contacted the plumber and made sure that he is more careful about turning taps back off in future - I would be irate with him if I was in your shoes. What a tragedy.