sandgrubber

I don't think dogs (or should I say bitches) are much traumatized by being spayed. Mine have always bounced back very quickly...the big problem has always been keeping them quiet for the 10 days the vet prescribes...and they haven't developed fear of the vet clinic either.

I didn't find the selection very typical of dogs you'd find in a US pound. Not a lot of pit bull or Chihuahua.

I had the same problem... I think it was the 3rd dog that looked kelpie. I gave up because of how often I couldn't find the breed I wanted to choose.

Skeptvet.com blog has done a couple good literature reviews on this. Bottom line is it's complicated. Seems to vary between breeds. Different results for different ailments. I think I remember some sex difference as well... desexing has fewer positives for boys if I remember correctly.

Urbanized living is hundreds of years old... thousands, even, though if you go back before the industrial revolution the numbers are a lot smaller. Street dogs aren't strictly companions... they do some guarding/warning and some waste disposal. In some cultures they may be emergency food supply. Europe may be odd...as dogs were much used for carting, turning spits, etc. In the 18th and 19th centuries. I don't think you see that in Africa, Asia or Latin America.

The recent News post on the Baladi has left me thinking that most of our breeds stem from 1. Rural working breeds 2. Aristocrat / wealthy peoples' dogs, meant as lap dogs or hunting dogs 3. Fighting dogs, either as in pit fighting or as war dogs. Not many breeds come from land races associated with the urban poor or common folk. Seems a shame. Such dogs would almost have to be well attuned to people, dog friendly, low maintenance, and healthy to have survived... exactly the traits I want in a house dog.

I wouldn't mind seeing more street dog types become available in richer countries. I think they'd make better pets than many registered breeds.

I'm sure 'rescues' sell dogs for more than they pay at auction. If you look at average, as opposed to top prices, they paid under $500/dog. It can be pretty hard to find a purebred or a DD for under $1000 in big cities. As for flying dogs in from other countries, if the airlines are giving them a break, this may be pretty inexpensive.

So glad I moved to New Zealand. Australia is going crazy.

Sounds like a sick (or malformed) puppy... not just a runt. Yes, notify breeder asap. Good if you can get a written report from your vet.

More dogs die on United than on any other airline. Here’s why. https://wapo.st/2GP9QCm Bottom line is that United accepts brachy breeds ... other US airlines don't.

Due 5-6 April, probably viable now

Was that sarcasm?

What surprises me is the popularity list. Brachy breeds are taking over!

I think that's because so many terrier breed we're created in the UK in the last two centuries.

This may attract flames, but I see no harm in letting breeds go extinct, or creating new ones (presuming there's an adequate gene pool begind the new breed). If a breed has a specific purpose and that purpose is gone, and there has been no success repurposing the breed, let it go. When numbers get too low, genetic problems mount. Dog breeds are NOT species, or even subspecies. Some land races may have been around for thousands of years, but those were open breeding populations, with selection by fitness to purpose. Closed populations are less viable. It's ok that some of them go extinct. Canis domesticus is a huge variable and adaptable specie. It does evolve with the times. I see no need for living museum pieces.

No one can say what is normal. It's not the sort of thing anyone keeps track of on a big enough scale to define a norm. I think the majority here think what you describe it ethical...provided there are no undisclosed problems.

Sire, excellent. Dam, very good...no worries. If you get 0:0 0:0 scores, good chance someone is breeding with undue emphasis on the few measured and not paying enough attention elsewhere. Dogs with much worse scores than the dam live to a ripe old age with no arthritis of hips or elbows.

There's lots of opinion about dog food and little solid evidence. What YOU prefer, and what you are not a fan of, are minor considerations compared to what your pup will eat. Soft poo is inconvenient, but not serious. Personally, I much prefer feeding dry food to feeding rolls, and my dogs are healthy as...

Yesterday, United screwed up again. They mixed up two dog crates ... The Dane got sent to some US destination and the GSD, booked on a domestic flight, got sent to Japan. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/united-airlines-dog-japan-missouri_us_5aa949dee4b0004c04067a57

For perspective: the yelpie kelpie is worse. Somehow, dog breed reviews seldom consider the piercing quality of some barks.

To quote the folk song: You gotta walk That lonesome valley You gotta walk It by yourself, Ain't nobody here Can walk it for you. You gotta walk that lonesome valley By yourself. It's hard. Sympathy. Been there. But trust your heart...and don't feel guilty.

Huntaway? Big as herding dogs go, and mellower than most. Smart. Want to please. Gawdawful bark, though.

Has anyone seen anything about what breeds/types go farel? My sense is that some breed contribute nothing to the farel gene pool, and other, quite a lot.

I think it's pretty common for top predators to prey on mid-level predators. A fox, coyote, or dog can have 8+ kits/pups a year. Historically, Eurasia and North America would be overrun with various canids if something wasn't killing them. If hungry, predators generally eat what they kill.