sandgrubber

https://www.facebook.com/772242113/posts/10159345171457114/?sfnsn=mo

Hey everyone, when you talk about studies, please give references. Such things vary by breed, age, nutrition etc. Plus some research is dubious due to small sample size, selection bias, lack of controls and so on. ATM my reading is that evidence is inconclusive

Not if they play in mudpuddles.

It's called 'product differentiation'. Common marketing strategy. It allows appealing to different niches, sometimes with one product selling at a higher price

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2021/05/08/obama-dog-bo-dies/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook Former president Barack Obama on Saturday announced the death of his dog, Bo, whom his family brought to the White House in 2009 shortly after he took office. “Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion,” Obama said in an Instagram post that included pictures of Bo running alongside him at the White House and being doted on by visiting schoolchildren, as well as a close-up of his shaggy face. “For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives — happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between,” Obama wrote. “He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair."

Build a drop box at the gate. You're not going to win at trying to get the courier's to change.

Ridgies are stubborn ... My experience...not easy to train. Dobies tend to bad hearts and early deaths...but great house dogs and people are scared of them. Possibly an English pointer, though they're not very scary.

I think it's cycads... which people mistakenly call palms. Very different 'flower' (cycads aren't flowering plants and have a seed come. The seeds are toxic in most species.

Some of the events in gameness competition, like pulling, treadmill, and wall climbing, don't require a lot of space. There are a couple of links in the tricks and training section under the heading gameness competition. See https://www.grcdogsports.com

https://www.dogbreedhealth.com/toy-poodle/ Has a thorough list

Any breed that is struggling back from near extinction faces dilemmas. Breeders who want to preserve genetic diversity (or more cynically, want to capitalize on high puppy prices) tend to overlook faults, including temperament faults. I rented to a Logatto breeder a decade and more ago (she has since passed away). She bred four litters from a bitch who was pathologically fearful. Many of the resulting pups were, IMO, not suitable for pets. She looked good on paper...she got many of her dogs titled. But if there's almost no competition, you're a good handler, and you go to a lot of shows, a title is more a badge for attendance than a proof of quality. I think this breeder was the exception, not the rule. But such things can happen, especially in rare breed. And when they happen they give the breed a bad reputation. I'd recommend reading up on temperament testing, and steer clear of any pup whose infant behaviour is off kilter...shy, nervous, passive, aggressive, etc.. likewise if the dam's temperament is off, don't ignore. As for bloodlines, titles don't prove anything, and a pup whose pedigree looks good at 3 or 5 generations may be highly inbred if you could see 10 or 15 generations. There are now genetic tests that pick up inbreeding, bit they're far from standard. In the future that may be the way to go.

I go through phases of being pissed off with the pedigree registry system, and there are some good dogs that aren't registered, especially working dogs. However breeding off register can get dicey....can be hard to find an unrelated dog that's health tested.

An alternative to dog fighting? Not sure how I feel about this. So macho. https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2021/04/19/gameness-sport-that-harnesses-power-pit-bull/

Bribery. Close her in/out and call her from outside/inside. Big praise/reward when she goes through. Wait awhile and repeat. Ignore barking.

Tie long, dayglow cords on them. They're still going to be buried, but resurrection will be easy

No one can absolutely guarantee there will be no hereditary health issues with a pup. You should read up on the breed and find what health problems are worries, and what testing is recommended for the breed. Ask if side and dam are tested and get their test results. Ask about longevity in the bloodline. There are many health problems, including some with a genetic component, for which there are no tests (allergies, cancer, epilepsy, bloat, to name a few), and some tests that don't rule out health problems in the pups (hip and elbow scoring, some of the things checked in annual eye testing).

There seems to be a cadre of anti-chemical folks out there...like the anti-vaxxers. I'd do a critical review. If there are 100 serious side effects reported and 10,000,000 dogs getting the stuff, I wouldn't worry. A wormer, by definition, is a poison that has been extensively tested for toxicity to mammals/dogs. Reported side effects can be due to 1. Dogs with some mutation that makes them vulnerable 2. Coincidence, and people looking for something to blame 3. Counterfeit drugs. In selecting wormers, it's important to know what works you need to guard against. Heartworm, tapeworm, and various other worms require different treatment. Ask your vet.

My first thought is local is good. Second thought, why grain free? Third though...'meal' can be top quality or junk, depending on what was ground and how it was treated. Final though: 16% fat is higher than I'd want to go for a Lab

Labs are water dogs. Raincoats, IMO, are entirely unnecessary. Towels, on the other hand, are obligatory

Flea and tick meds are essentially insecticides (commonly neurotoxins) that, when tested, showed little toxicity in mammals (rats and mice first, progressing to dogs and cats). I've read that the blood brain barrier in mammals makes them immune to some(many?) of the neurotoxins used as insecticides. I have no idea how many dogs are on Bravecto or Nextguard. 10s of millions? Hundreds of millions? A relatively small number have experienced problems. It's possible that some dogs have blood brain barrier problems that let insecticides cross, or that on rare occasions some odd coincidence results in apparent poisoning when something else actually caused illness/death. It's also possible that counterfeit drugs are on the market and causing problems. I don't think it's time to panic or use language like 'killing our pets'. Further investigation and transparency are needed. If you want to be absolutely safe, use no flea or tick meds. Anything you do use poses a very small risk. With my own dogs, I've had seizures following use of synthetic pyretheroids... another class of insecticide and excellent results using Bravecto. one further note, if the problem is in crossing the blood brain barrier, it's unlikely to show up in the kidneys.

Yes. A breeder would know. But with puppy prices where they are, lots of people are breeding for $. IMO the pedigree dog world pays far too little to allergies and skin problems in health testing. A lifetime of itching is as bad or worse than old age cataracts. There's a good chance it has a hereditary the component... inbreeding compromises immune system...but very little research has gone that direction. Sadly, I doubt you're going to have much success in pinning this on the breeder because it is a blind spot in pedigree dog breeding.

No matter what problem your dog has someone will come up with a dietary fix, usually based on anecdotes. 30% protein isn't particularly high for puppy chow. I've seen higher in working dog bickies. No harm trying for a week or two, I guess.

Not a rage that's going to fly at my house. I find it challenging to cook for myself. No way I'm going to take on cooking for the dog

Japanese chin?

Yes... although this research was looking at more basic behaviors... like making eye contact and interpreting a pointing finger.