SparkyTansy

No one has updates? What happened to all those people who were showing in the neuter classes?

My OH gets really annoyed at the hair, which admittedly is a lot and gets everywhere - he prefers the wei who has less hair to shed but he knows that I'll never ever give up my setters and the white hair that comes with them. When I first met my OH, he had a dog that was not allowed inside. Seems there are a few out there brought up that way (dogs not allowed inside). I lived at home when I got Spartan, and he was an inside dog - when I moved out he came with me. OH didn't want him inside, I didn't want him outside - he'd been inside his whole life and I thought it was unfair. The compromise was that he'd spend his time outside while we were at work. Well the lack of company and change of situation for spartan caused him to bark all day and we had to take on my mum's greyhound for a while to keep him company, as we were waiting for James to be born at the time. When James came along they were outside together and were fine (a few puppy antics from James). When Ari came along, she dug up the retic - all my dogs are inside while we are at work after that little incident... they seem much happier inside and spend the afternoons outside or out walking with us when we get home from work.

Can anyone please tell me what the status is of the Neuter Title and the rules of the Neuter class being offered at shows is (is it meant to be complulsory to offer the class at shows yet?)? I am specifically after news of it for WA. I have some friends who might be interested in showing, and given permission from their breeder (they have two ex show dogs), they might consider showing. I'm also interested in the status and any updates on the success of the title or the class (increase of entries over time?) in other states. Thanks

I listened to a segment interview with him last week on our WA talkback radio - he didn't mention any of these things and I assumed that it was a bit of a comedic look at various individual dogs - not a slight on purebreeds (and when they announced the interview, I was all ready for it) This person has won a couple of awards for short film pieces, and this book was a bit of a time filler before he can start his next project. He has not written a book before and certainly isn't qualified to make the statements he has on our breeds.

I have a preference as both an exhibitor and breeder for coat colour. I love my black brindles and the less brindle and white I have on them the better. There's nothing wrong with that and I'm not alone but it's what breeders are prepared to sacrafice in order to get/maintain that colour preference that sorts the wheat from the chaff. I personally look for the best match for the dogs and bitches in terms of type, temperament, structure and soundness, the choice can be any colour, providing it's within the breed standard and will produce pups that are the same. For me that means no dilutes or any animal likely to produce a dilute but I'm open to the red, brindle, white, pied and everything else accpetable. No colour should cost more than another. X2 not that I breed a breed that has a colour preference... My other breed does come in more than one colour choice. All I want for my next one is to have good conformation and temperament and overall health. Colour is a bit like a surprise to me!

So sorry to hear about your daughter Emery - i hope that she will be ok. i finally saw a real isqueek last nght, but unfortunately for us, James would chew right through that, so it'd be no fun for my other two. I did get one of those bottle cruncher things from CleanRun though - i have to say, BEST toy ever for James, who loves to chew the lids off usually and doesn't get the chance with this. Ari was a water baby from day dot. Sorrel on the other hand only pretends to swim (she gets in knee deep and does the swimming actions).

yes hugs to valley

yep entries are more expensive - even in the time i have been showing (8 years or so) - but you'll also see much fewer entries and they have to keep the clubs running somehow... i can imagine it's a shock to the system for those travelling from the country though. You coming to the Western Classic OSoSwift (R&L )

It's also pretty tragic to see blood sprayed all over the walls from a split tail that just won't heal - but I digress...

If not enough that I giggled all through the first post THIS sent me over the edge :mad Then THIS sent me over the edge, down the hill whilst ROFL :mad Ahhhh - little tearies Thanks for making my day!! edited cos i can't spell

Is that Kevin Kelly?

With the Vic law change, I take it you have to get a certificate from a vet to say that they have been done by a vet? I wouldn't leave Dewclaws on a wei - their nails are thick and they are very active dogs. I wouldn't want to put them through the pain if i knew i could prevent it when they can't even feel it. If i had a breed with rear dews, I definitely wouldn't leave them there.

Valley - Change your name to ValleyRally

given that i haven't entered a show for a little while, I realise that what I love the most about showing is going to hang out with friends - talking to likeminded people, and learning, learning, learning.

Just spoke to the Post office and it is my parcel!! They put the wrong name on the card (they put the senders name - DER). now to get there before 5pm to pick it up!! I'd like to go to the mock trial... but just to watch Ari and I aren't ready yet and Spartan is just not a happy guy at the moment... he hasn't been this itchy for so long - so i'm blaming that kilo of chicken he ate *cough* stole but who knows?I have to take him to the vet and get him some cortisone i can't stand the thought of putting him back on it but he needs some relief.

I got a package notice to pick up yesterday... i was hoping it was my cleanrun order but it has someone elses name on the card either cleanrun got it wrong or the post office did...

*hugs* Valley all - it's been a while... i haven't read back very far but i hope everyone is well. Ari is having the mother of all phantoms the other day and dug a "den" in my backyard...

My sister is taking her OES to the UK and she got his Rabies Vacc done a month ago and just had his blood test done. She went through Jet Pets.

I am so sorry for your Loss Moselle

Parkeyre - my current bitch was one of 9. She was the smallest all the way through. She thrived and grew perfectly fine - she is at the top of the height standard, and while a little slim, has good bone and muscle.

Describe to the breeder what you want in a dog - then they can match your pup to what you are looking for. Shazzapug - can you describe what you mean by best attitude? The little one isn't always bad - but choosing the little one because it's little is not the right way to go... but the littlest migth be the perfect match.

The standards can and do change... sometimes for the better, and sometimes not. I can think of several examples of standards which changed or vary within countries from the country of origin A breeder is a temporary guardian of a breed, our aim is to preserve that breed and hopefully pass it on to the next generation of breeders is as good or even better condition than when we started. I have dedicated 36 years of my life to one breed of dog and to me the breed standard is sacrosanct. However I understand that it is virtually impossible for those who don't breed to understand that concept and to comprehend just how involved we are with the the welfare of our breeds, how much respect we have for their history and how much concern we have for their future. Well said as usual Miranda

Not in my book. If the creators of the Wei set out today, to create a great working dog and it just so happened that the best examples of their working dog were dilutes I personally wouldn't have an issue with it. Others no doubt think differently but if you are breeding dogs which are good at their intended function, healthy and have the correct temperament then what colour it is is irrelevant to me. It's when the colour comes first in this equation that it's unethical IMO. Well, my understanding is that colour was a key factor in the development of the Weim... They selectively bred for a recessive colour to distinguish the dogs as well as aiming for a superior hunting dog - Weim's were reserved for royalty and the rich and famous for some time after their development and could not be owned merely as a pet, however, unlike other hunting breeds, they were kept inside the house at night because they were so valuable. There were enormous constraints on which dogs could be used for breeding, primarily proof of their working ability, but the unique colour was deliberate and actively maintained, not because these animals were initially the superior hunting dogs, but because they were distinguishable, which was as important to the royals and wealthy who developed them as their hunting ability... And I bet they culled each and every dog that developed health problems, just like they'd have culled dogs that failed to be superior hunters. Times have changed and we don't tend to knock dogs on the head at the first sign of issues these days. Yes they did - which is likely why the breed ended up being successful. And PF you are right - it's popularity that causes the most problems... blue weims are starting to become a popular phase in the US right now... and they are seeing health problems that don't usually pop up at all in the silver weimaraner. Also Jacqui, you might be interested to know in Germany they still place the same restrictions on people owning a weimaraner - you must hunt the dog, for starters. If you want to breed one, the breed warden of the club not only approves the bitch for mating, but chooses the sire.

could you have him tested for any kind of imbalance? perhaps there is a reason why he loses so much coat? What about sending a sample of his hair off to a naturopath - they might also be able to determine something.

The creators of the Weimaraner started with a plan to breed a dog with specific traits which were useful to them. I honestly doubt they started with a plan to breed a grey dog THERE is the big difference. No one seems to know how dilute alopecia is come-by but if it is genetic then the Wei breeders obviously removed those dogs from the original gene pool pretty quickly. If it is an automatic result of having a dilute colour and not inherited as a separate trait then Weis would be affected, which apparently they aren't. actually there isnt a big difference, think about it. if the originators of the weimaraner today did this the screams of you cant breed dilute to dilute no matter how good it is at its job is UNETHICAL. would have stopped them in their tracks, who wants to be branded unethical. I find that people breeding for true working dogs are less scrutinized because their dogs are doing a specific job, not just breeding to a standard of a dog that used to do a specific job. look at the Greyhound - a dog that is bred as far from colour preference as possible. They are bred to run. What if, coincidentally, in a certain year every single dog that is winning and placing consistently is blue? Do you think people would start jumping up and down, even if generations later they are still winning, just because they bred dilute to dilute? The only problem that might have to be faced then would be idiots who might start breeding just for blue because they think they can run faster :D