ellz

Well, I guess you'll never really know unless you can get hold of the lady who bred him and ask her. Are you sure both parents were purebred Maremmas?

Neutering when young can cause rapid growth of the long bones.

Sandra is right. And proving that the dogs used are the registered ones is the problem. The controlling bodies don't want to force anybody to DNA test everything they own in case they are wrong and get stuck with court costs and that is the only way they can prove that the registered dogs are being used on unregistered dogs or dogs of another breed.

Is he neutered? If so, at what age was he neutered?

Yep, I did show to Frank Kane many moons ago and I also attended a breed lecture that he conducted for the NSW Club and one of the things he drummed into the aspirants THEN was that texture is way more important than length or amount. And that the breed is SUPPOSED to be moderately coated. The thing is that it was a long time ago and I have no idea if he still feels that way. Now don't get me wrong, the dog's coat isn't that bad that he should just be clipped off. If it were that dire, the decision would be easy. The problem is more that the coat is not quite what I present a Yank like. I don't clip saddles and I do sculpt the outline more. There's nothing to say that the saddle won't have grown in enough to not look as extreme by the end of October and certainly the other coat will have grown in more as well. The texture is lovely...silky and cool to the touch, as it should be. I'm probably being a bit paranoid and it was always going to be a big ask to have a dog that has lived with somebody else for a couple of years come home and be exactly what I do myself. Anyway, I have entered. As I'm a member of the RAST, the entry was discounted so if I don't take him it only cost approximately what a normal show would cost anyway. I was going to be there anyway, I'll probably just have a dog in tow now! :laugh:

I've often wondered if stress and change of environment wasn't a factor. But that said, of my three imported boys, the one who SHOULD have been infertile if stress was a factor was the only one who wasn't..... I wonder too if the infertility is related to things like geography. Dogs who are required by geography to have rabies shots and who are from long lines of dogs who require rabies shots vs dogs who only really need rabies shots for export? There are so many what-ifs, wherefores and whys....but it would make an excellent study for somebody doing a doctorate or masters at uni.....

Ahhh but without the benefit of a crystal ball, how will I know if I am going to be 100% happy on the day? I haven't really trimmed him up yet and he doesn't have a lot of shape but entries close this week and I won't have time to get right into him before then...hence my question. The dog is lovely....coat texture is really quite nice....presentation may not be up to my particular levels....

Believe Im A Hurricane Like To Believe Not A Hurricane Hurricane Or Not Not A Believer Like It Or Not

Withdrew due to illness.

Firstly, comparing English and American Cockers is like comparing apples and oranges. Different breeds with different activity levels and care requirements. Secondly, cocker rage does exist but is very rare. Third, Staffords are mostly a high energy breed but if you are prepared to put in the time to rein in the energy, you will reap the rewards. Not all Staffords are energizer bunnies and some cope with a couple of fast bursts of exercise in a day and couch or bed the rest of the day. BUT, off lead running in mixed company may be somewhat of an issue. Not necessarily because the Stafford is a problem (although some most certainly are) but moreso because of the unreal expectations and pre-conceived opinions of other people.

If you had only seen the lead up to the photo and the antics after it....it was lust....pure lust. Quite tragic really but I am now becoming more and more aware of where Woger's sexual proclivities lie...:laugh:

Hmmmm...I guess at the end of the day I'm my own worst critic. I probably should just cut myself a little slack. I'll enter him as suggested. Thank you all for the input, it is greatly appreciated.

OK, to give you an idea....this is how he landed on Tuesday night. He's unbrushed and unclipped here. You can see the gaps. It's very short underneath, like to the skin short from chest to testicles, down the insides of his legs and actually a fair way up underneath on the show side. And this is after I bathed him and trimmed his head a bit. He is a LOT shinier now and the texture is silky as it should be and not especially curly. Thankfully he seems to be one of those dogs whose coat is better the day after a bath which will make things a lot easier for shows (and bear in mind that when I sent him away he was still just coming out of puppy coat so I had no real idea what his adult coat would be like when it came through fully)! :)

And just so you can see how much Woger LUUUURVVEESSS his "brother"......*sigh* *SIGH*

:laugh: I just read that and thought "who on earth is Roger??" :laugh: Then it clicked! Mr Rimes is gorgeous! Can't wait to meet him :D Hahahaha....Roger is numbnuts "normal" name...it's just that he acts "normal" so rarely that it isn't used a lot. UNLESS he's been weally, WEALLY bad and then it is like a "trouble" name.......

Mr Rimes is home (aka Ch Ellz Cant Fight The Moonlight)...some may remember him from the Show Hopeful 2010 thread! Bodywise and temperamentwise he is sensational. Coatwise...well.....next question please.....he has "enough" coat, but it is quite ragged and he is missing a lot underneath. Not so badly that I couldn't scissor it up but that does mean sacrificing a LOT of length and it is a bit gappy in some areas. Unfortunately, his saddle has also been clipped. NOT something I would do as I have always presented my dogs with a handstripped, natural saddle. It is very short but thankfully is quite shiny and may grow enough to not be as obviously clipped by the time I want to show him. So....Hobart Royal entries close next week and we have an English breed specialist judging Gundogs. Do I enter him? Do I take the risk that his coat may sprout between now and then or just let it go and wish I had entered him? And then, even if his coat hasn't grown much, do I groom him up and take him anyway and hope that the judge can appreciate the qualities and forgive the presentation anomalies? This ISN'T how I'd normally present one of my dogs but this is how he has come home so I have to make the best of it. What would you do? And please, don't turn this into a spite fest or slanging match, I'm genuinely asking because I'm torn.

I'm thrilled to have him back Crazy Daisy! I've had a pretty yucky time recently and this boy has filled a big void. He was from a litter of three boys who were my "Moon" litter. Dad's name is Jaymeric Shoot Forthmoon (Mum is Millcreek Elmst Alliance). His buff brother Errol is Ellz Dancin In The Moonlight, his other black brother Harry is Ellz Dark Side Of The Moon. My sons and I were sitting down to dinner bouncing names off each other and one of my favourite "chick flicks" popped into my head....Coyote Ugly...and shortly after that followed the song Can't Fight The Moonlight. Call name was easy, you can't call a boy Leeanne so it was a quick step to MR Rimes! :laugh: He and Roger (the Stafford) sleep on my bed at night. Mr Rimes gives the most amazing smooches. He's sweet but not a pushover. Poor Woger thinks he's just beeeee-yoooot-iful!!

This week saw the arrival home of one of my homebred champion boys who had been living with a co-owner on the mainland for a couple of years. Due to work and family constraints she was unable to manage a coated breed so she asked if she could send Mr Rimes home and I agreed without hesitation. He arrived late on Tuesday night and has walked in and it is as if he never left. His housemate, my Staffordshire Bull Terrier was only a young puppy when Mr Rimes left home but they are getting on famously. I'm so thrilled with my sweet natured, happy, affectionate little boy. A few months of coat rehab and I'm hoping to have him back in the show ring! Some of you may remember him as my 2010 show hopeful, but for those who don't know him....proudly introducing Mr Rimes, aka Ch Ellz Cant Fight The Moonlight.

I personally don't think this sounds normal. Whilst dogs can certainly evacuate their own anal glands in times of stress, it shouldn't necessarily be an unconscious type of event. It might be that while her stool is firm, it isn't firm enough to completely empty the glands when she is defaecating so some more fibre might be helpful. However, my first port of call would probably be the vet to make sure she doesn't have an impaction that is causing the overflow or an infection of some kind.

For me it isn't a recent thing at all. I imported 3 American Cocker males, 2 from the USA and 1 from the UK between 1990 and 1992. The dog from the UK, imported as a puppy via New Zealand was sterile. As was one of the dogs from the USA who was young, fit and newly titled and had been used at stud in Hawaii en route to Australia. The bitch was confirmed in whelp and then reabsorbed and after his arrival in Australia it was discovered that he was subsequently sterile. The third dog was fine, he also came via Hawaii (although did his quarantine in New Zealand), was proven (with champion progeny in 3 countries) but was reaching the end of his stud career at the age of 7. He was GIVEN to me as a replacement for the other US import. I'm not convinced it is a new thing, probably moreso that the internet and improved methods of communication make it quicker and more fun to spread the news. Editing to add: I'm not sure the subject line shouldn't read infertility rather than impotence. None of my boys had any trouble "doing the deed" it was just the firing blanks that was the issue.

Greyhounds really are couch potatoes and for a large breed take up surprisingly small amounts of room. And despite appearances, are very, VERY cuddly and most are just so adaptable it isn't funny. Another breed if you are sure you don't mind grooming is the American Cocker Spaniel. Slightly smaller (or meant to be) than the "garden variety" Cocker (the English Cocker) but with a different shaped face and more coat. Not generally yappy unless you allow them to be, intelligent, pretty and very sweet. I personally prefer the males, but then I tend to lean towards the males in most breeds anyway because I find them to be softer, but that is just my preference and opinion. My other current bedpig is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who would equally tick the boxes (as would most which are bred and raised carefully by knowledgable people) but they are really an acquired taste and you either love them or you don't, so if they haven't sprung into your mind early in the equation, they generally aren't a breed which will appeal to you later in your considerations.

I've used all kinds of stuff at one stage or another. I even grabbed a handful of Twisties from one of my sons when I couldn't find anything else one day and they were a real hit! :laugh: I tend to use cabanossi or twiggy sticks because they're easy to manage but also like those little zip lock packs of cooked chicken that you can get in the packaged ham/salami section at Coles. These are good to take away because you can just throw them in the Eski and they won't go off. If I can be bothered, I'll also cook up the liver. I do it in the nucrowave too. Put it on a plate with a desert bowl upside down over the top and then zap it. Doesn't smell, the bowl catches any splatters or pops and when it cools, it's easy to slice and chop.

And a Lowchen would be a very close second......

I admit to thinking the same but not a puppy, can't raise a greyhound puppy properly in an apartment. Agree! An ex-racer would be the go. Plus the OP said she wanted to rescue but didn't want the unknown of the risk - that way she could rescue but still have a very predictable purebred that would suit her circumstances perfectly! Yep :) friends of mine have a greyhound in a townhouse as he is a very happy hound. The no odour of a grey is a big plus for indoor living as well. I'm another who would be endorsing a greyhound. Sound absolutely perfect for what you are wanting. And as somebody who has owned one (and would do so again in a heartbeat), they tick all the boxes, including (with the right dog anyway), the interaction with the cat. My cats used to tease my GAP boy unmercifully and he'd just grin at them and wag his tail....and then go back to sleep! :laugh:

Something else to consider is that you may not necessarily stick with Weis which may make something with Wei a little too restrictive (or look a bit silly) down the track if you end up with another breed. And don't say you won't because I am pretty sure most people don't go into dogs intending to change breeds but many do.