ilana182

1. What is my relationship with the breed? First time owner, but I dare say I will own more in the future! 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? From my understanding, they were bred down from a larger size (German Spitz), as pet dogs for Queen Victoria, and I also heard that they were bred for the circus, but I don't know how true that is. 3. How common is it in Australia? I have only met a handful of other pure Pom's. 4. What is the average lifespan? 12-16 years 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Well my beautiful girl is extremely friendly! She loves absolutely everyone, loves to play, and everyone that has ever met her has fallen in love. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? We take her for two small walks a day. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? I think so. I was a first time dog owner, and found it extremely easy to adjust to owning. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? We had her for two years before we got another companion for her, and she seemed to be fine when we were at work. She was never alone for more than about 6 hours. 9. How much grooming is required? They are probably one of the higher maintenance breeds, in terms of grooming. Contrary to what some people think, she doesn't seem to shed much hair though. We give her a quick brush every few days, and a bath once week. She's not a show dog or anything though. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? I think they have the perfect temprament for small children. I would be more worried about the children getting rough with the dog, if anything. But I would say it would be a suitable breed. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? I'll let someone else answer that, but I've been told they can have patella problems.

OT - i just made a few puchases for pablo from your store I appreciate your business Andie! Your order was shipped this morning, I hope Pablo likes his pressies!

Never heard of them, but I think they're adorable!

No, they just have a "Pets" category, and they just list any and every business that has anything to do with pets. I think I might ask to get the "free" listing removed.

Mooshy the Pomeranian - I originally named my Pomeranian "Mischa", but when my brother first met her as a puppy, he said she looked so cute and "smooshy". So we'd called her Smooshy Mooshy, she's 4 years old now and "Mooshy" just stuck! Willis the Mini Daschund - my brother had always wanted a sausage dog named Willis, so he could say "Whatchu talkin' bout Willis!" (Diff'rent Strokes)

I run a small online pet boutique, which is listed on a "local listings" type website. Even though I don't even have an actual store (I work from home and just sell toys etc online). I often get phone calls on my mobile from kids asking me if I have any puppies for sale, which is annoying in itself, but I just received the following email from some lady: I wrote back simply: I DO NOT SUPPORT PUPPY FARMS I'm just so furious that someone is going around and just emailing any old business that's listed under "Pets" and trying to pimp their poor puppies. Did I do the right thing but emailing back?

Here's one from Woman's Weekly: http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=27072

Travvy you are a God!!

Can't please anyone in this forum can you

I had the second class of my dog grooming course at TAFE on Wednesday night. I was very impressed! The lady definitely knows what she's talking about when it comes to grooming... and was extremely happy to hear her warn us all against buying puppies from pet shops, she even advised us to always buy dogs from a breeder, make sure you inspect the parents, and never buy a pup under 12 weeks old. Hooray for people who care about dogs!!

I started a six week (one night a week) TAFE course (in QLD) and had my first day last week. I thought it was quite good. The teacher owns her own dog grooming business and seems to know quite a lot about grooming. She has explained that the course isn't made for people to begin a career in grooming, rather, it is designed to show you how to properly to groom your dog at home. I still have five weeks to go. For the price ($230) I would so far recommend it.