toy dog

yes i agree 100%, anyone with a bit of knowledge under their belts will know about genetic problems and how it affects dogs irrespective of their origin - cross or pedigree, its more about the "humans" and what care they take to produce healthy dogs. People with intelligence know how stupid don burke sounds because if he knew about dogs, really knew, he wouldn't be saying all this rubbish.

Re Shortstep's video clip: That video clip is not even a clip of Australian GSDs. I find it irritating that an isolated example such as appears in that video insinuates that that is how GSDs in Australia move today (changes in the last 50 years). I'm sure you can find very poor examples of movement in any breed. The majority of Australian breeders have sound moving dogs. I've seen many breeds in the show ring moving with incorrect features of movement so to focus in on that video is a misrepresentation of the true picture of the breed in Australia. The person who started this thread wanted recommendations relevant to Australia. I realise toydog was trying to raise the point that one should avoid poor movement but there is a certain insinuation that is implied with the posting of that video. My advice to the original poster is that they should visit many kennels and view what is available in Australia and make up their own mind when they purchase. They may be pleasantly surprised. good points. Judging by the green floor i'd say it would be either at Crufts or at Westminster. yes there is incorrect movement in many breeds for instance, i've seen crippled dogs get BIG then go on to win BIS of another breed we wont' mention here and all because its owners were judges. Judges doing favours for other judges which is shameful. Observers saw all this just pet owners not involved in showing kept asking why was the "crippled" dogs winning all the time and they moved very badly, does nothing to promote our sport in a positive light. This breed also took a downward spiral as it put off many new comers when they'd constantly lose and not only newbies. sorry might be offtopic

has anyone noticed that he seems to be contradicting himself, he is applauding "puppy farms" and how good they are yet saying that pedigree dog breeders have puppy farms??????????? so which is it, what is his point?????

just like to say that i inherited KCC books from my auntie who bred pekes from 1960 - 1980 so i was looking at this lovely breed from the 1960's and i've noticed a big change in their backs (banana not level anymore) that started when the german lines came through in the early 80's maybe. how can the people who are showing those dogs in the vids not notice how their dogs are moving, they look to me they are deformed and its pretty hard to win an argument with someone who claims that showing dogs are cruel when you witness things like this. I believe in my opinion that is just cruel and even crueller to have judges who award dogs like this when really they should be taken out of the ring. i've been showing dogs since 1986 and i've witnessed some judges over the years stating "no award" and then being questioned and stating that the dog was either unfit or had patella lux. there was a lady that i knew that is not around now who tried to sway the judge by commenting on the judges atire. She got ordered out of the ring too. i just think it is a shame about this breed. I viewed macklin GSD and they have level backs although some aren't stacked like a show GSD, I also viewed the first video and some American GSD's legs were splayed right out (leg closest to the camera) in a very unnatural stack. ETA: almost forgot, spoken to a few people with GSD and mentioned banana backs and what do they think and one claimed that they need to have those kind of backs I didn't really understand the reasoning something to do with the drive i mean really you don't have to be just a GSD person to know that there is something not quite right watching this breed from 50 years ago to now.

well if puppy farms are so not a problem why doesn't someone lock him up in one, let him go to the toilet in the same area he eats and not get fed for a few days and have minimal bedding when its very cold at night in a concrete cell and then throw away the key.

the dog will let you know don't worry. With my little chihuahuas they usually refuse to walk another step if they've had enough, my father's dog who lived to 16 'angel" used to walk for about 10 minutes or so and then she'd just stop and dad would be pulling the lead but she just wouldn't budge. i've got an 8-9 year old girl who i walk with my pointer cross kelpie rescue and she always pulls on the lead wanting to run and be out in front all the time. if they've had enough they'll let you know.

yeowsa!!!!

i agree

Woha.... a politer statement would go down a treat. I own 3 ABS "abominations" and could not ask for better dogs. (BTW I spent a long time searching for the type of dog I wanted) One of these "abominations" is in my avatar (she is 7yo and going great). my work friends dogs (she has 2) are so docile, she often walks them down the street and has little dogs yapping at them, and they don't react at all just ignore them. lol she said that one lady went passed her and her hubby they were walking the 2 AB's this lady couldn't control her little dog, there was alot of snarling and barking and screaming going on this lady trying to control her little dog, and the lady had the gall to say, shouldnt have big dogs in society they are all vicious, when the AB's weren't doing anything just standing there unimpressed. the lady said all this from across the road. thats a big sweeping statement to make

i really think that he is trying to bump up his profile again. i heard he has a beef with some breed club many years ago and they could not tell him about some wrong info so he has the personality that cant' be told i read somewhere and is always right, so to get them back and all pedigree breeders promoted the DD, so the DD craze was born. the only losers in this whole thing 15 years later simply because one human had a beef against some other people who owned purebreds, is the poor dogs in puppy farms being bred for profit in their thousands. he is promoting people to keep this trade open in my humble opinion. he is trashing the purebred dog but how can he say that ALL pedigrees have a problem and ALL cross breeds haven't that is a widely vague statement to make. Anyone with a bit of intelligence or a bit of education up their sleeve about all dogs will know the truth. the truth is how i see it, any cross breed any pedigree dog can suffer from health problems. so what's his point??? how can he be so selfish and promote suffering of animals by saying puppy farms are good and petshops selling those pups from puppy farmers are also good. because he is selfish only thinking of himself.

a dog that is in development is the aussie bulldog, australia's answer to the british bulldog. i think they are 10 years into getting them recognised by the ANKC. they are completely opposite to the BB, one of my friends has 2 and they are beautiful dogs. i am hoping they get recognised as a breed as there is 2 clubs working towards this now. I suppose you believe in Father Xmas as well. I have no respect for anyone that lies to registed breeders in order to obtain a pup purely for the purpose of crossing it to another breed and "supposedly" creating something better. Put the shoe on the other foot - how would you feel if someone took a breed that you bred and used it to produce crosses and yes the aussie people are still using pure British to cross with. They are not Australia's answer to the British Bulldog and they are not healthy or better suited to our climate than a well bred British,do your homework before making such outlandish statements. I am unaware of the politics involved and i am not siding with anyone. I make my comments based on reading up and also knowing people with both sorts of dogs. i know a few that have had BB's and i have seen statements to say that 90% of BB's have C-S and have breathing problems. Aussie bulldogs have in their standard of development, that they should free whelp. and i know some people who have had these dogs that do just that making it easy for farmers to take hold. It also says that they have been crossed with bull mastiffs as well as BB's. And i also read somewhere bull terriers were thrown in the mix as well. and pig dogs. So the clubs have said to address health issues with BB's they have tried to produce a dog that doesn't require human intervention to whelp. a longer snout so the avoid breathing problems yadda yadda yadda. and yes, my breed has been crossed to produce the long coat in the breed with breeds like pomeranian, papillon, mini pins, time frame unknown - maybe more than a hundred years ago no one is sure, its just well known and often you see a double coat like a poms (bred and exhibited these 20 years ago) and you also sometimes see a chi looking like a pap with pap markings. so they have "taken" my breed of dog to get the long coat with other breeds. ofcourse all dogs with people breeding them are going to be subject to some not concerned with the health, (as my work friends are not!!! they are puppy farmers only concerned with getting money for their pups which makes me angry - i still have to work with them so have said my piece of what i think) that happens in all dogs whether they are crossed or pedigree. i see that to be accepted into the ANKC 500 dogs need to be registered and health checked but if most of the members are doing what my work friends are doing just breeding any dog to any dog and producing eye problems then turning around and saying they want those dogs to be used in the gene pool then its going to take a long long time to get recognised.

The Australian shepherd is a breed of herding dog that was developed on ranches in the Western United States. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not originate in Australia[2] They acquired their name because some of the Australian sheepdogs arrived in the United States with boatloads of Australian sheep.[3][4] The breed rose gradually in popularity with the boom of western riding after World War I. They became known to the general public through rodeos, horse shows, and through Disney movies made for television. For many years, Aussies have been valued by stockmen for their inherent versatility and trainability. While they continue to work as stockdogs and compete in herding trials, the breed has earned recognition in other roles due to their trainability and eagerness to please, and are highly regarded for their skills in obedience. Like all working breeds, the Aussie has considerable energy and drive, and usually needs a job to do. It often excels at dog sports such as dog agility, flyball, and frisbee. They are also highly successful search and rescue dogs, disaster dogs, detection dogs, guide, service, and therapy dogs.

a dog that is in development is the aussie bulldog, australia's answer to the british bulldog. i think they are 10 years into getting them recognised by the ANKC. they are completely opposite to the BB, one of my friends has 2 and they are beautiful dogs. i am hoping they get recognised as a breed as there is 2 clubs working towards this now.

i remember about 2 years ago seeing an article in either new idea or womens weekly (i don't read these mags but the girls who i work with do and bring them in and put them on the table)he was answering letters from people with pets. one person asked what is the best breed to get for a flat or apartment>? his answer was a cavoodle, spoodle and all the crosses encouraging people to go and buy a dog from a petshop. also they wanted to know about training and his method was completely ridiculous, i can't remember exactly what he said but it was stupid and would not work. so i emailed him and gave him a serve about him encouraging breeding up of crosses and puppy farms etc etc. and next thing i know he is going into a puppy farm raid and advertising about it on the 7pm project. he changed his tune, i gave him heaps of links and it looks like he did take notice of me or others who also gave him a serve.

some people who have seen on tv how "some" show people act, and sometimes i am ashamed to be associated at times, but overall i have to say that most are passionate about their own breeds and want to make a difference, some dont' give a damn and just in it for their own selfish needs buggar the dogs, it takes all sorts in anything where there are a group of people, what they show on tv or what they've read in the media has turned them off dog shows completely, are you in the dog show world are you speaking from experience? sounds like you have gotten a completely negative experience there. i've been in the showworld since 1985 and i disagree completely, usually people say negative things about dog shows or show people when they aren't involved fully and know what goes on. i've had people commenting at work that they think it is all cruel pedigree dogs and the showring. after seeing pedigree dogs exposed mainly. is it possible to explain more why you think the GSD breed survey is bogus

one of my favourites, who's gona save the world - dogs thats who!

poor dog! thats really awful my idea of an ethical breeder is someone that is honest with the buyer. Alot of chis have a mild case of collapsing tracea that doesn't affect their lives not complete collapse although some other toy breeds besides chis can also suffer from it, i had a pom with it and we were able to prolong her life for 3 yrs with my vet who had her on a good medication program also had other problems like hernia and probably grade 3 patella luxation. never bred this girl she was just my cherished little pet. she lived to 14 despite having all the health issues under the sun and she was bred by us and came from an untested line and what i term as a farmer (registered) and i see this breeder is still breeding un-registered now apparently from what i heard.

I have seen plenty of small chi/terrier mixes with patella issues and oblivious owners. They don't necessarily stop a dog from living a long and healthy life but I'd prefer a pup without them. I've even been told that 'skipping' is normal for such dogs. yep heard all the excuses even one vet said to one of my buyers that its normal "normal" for chihuahuas and toy dogs to skip this is what they do. but yeah they can still lead normal lives the dogs and the one that had grade 3 in his left leg the other was zero grade you could not tell by just looking, lots of other breeders said where, i can't see it. you could hear it though, click like crazy so if they can't see it, the dog does n't have patella lux. i've even been congratulated by being honest with everyone telling everyone what i've done by desexing as they claimed, there's not enough of us are that honest which frightened me for this person to tell me that. one breeder said a funny thing to me one day, she claims a lady came up and said my dog has patellas! the breeder goes well all dogs have patellas!!! the lady goes nooooooooo my dog has slipping knees, slipping patellas. well explain yourself a bit better.

Yes you can be unlucky, but don't forget the Guy up the road may caused the problem by over feeding and over exercising. Many of the problems that we hear of can be also man made. I just get so sick of breeder bashing. (I am not saying that you are doing this) If it was a registered ethical breeder why didn't he just take it back. without opening a can of worms again like i did many years ago talking about patella luxation and what us breeders should be doing and being honest with each other and ourselves.. lots of breeders have said to me in the past that having a dog affected with PL can be due to injury. the same discussion came up with a person who bought a bulldog who ended up having surgery on her knees due to having grade 4 patella luxation. i told the person that in all the years we've been dealing with this and trying to breed sound dogs and sometimes it just not working out so you go back and start again, i've never had one of my dogs get patella luxation from an injury. there's of course a small percentage of a chance that it could be due to this. i had a dog that i desexed that did alot of winning but he developed grade 3 in one leg, i got alot of opinions on what i should do with this dog and alot did say they'd still breed this dog after getting title because you know, one said, it could be due to an injury, my response was well i know for a fact he has not injured himself! it was a gradual decline being tested every 6 months until he was 3 years old. sometimes it can be an excuse to still put the dog in the gene pool which i think is wrong. i've seen many other major faults being bred just because the dog in question is a pretty example. the vet that did my friends bulldog won't say if he thinks its due to an injury or genetic as he bought this dog from a breeder at 4 months old. so we have no idea if it is due to an injury or not. just my opinion on the whole thing

i agree with some of what you say here, when i was a kid we had a few crosses growing up, some with chi, some dogs with terrier cross and none of these dogs had any health issues and lived to old ages. i think back then dogs were bred tougher than they were today, the old bitsa wasn't a designer dog bred specifically for money as they weren't worth anything back then. this little girl could be quite sound in her legs, being this age though it is mostly hidden how sound she is going to be in maturity.....there is quick tests you can do at that age and it is usually done by sight only and watching very carefully but its not a fail safe guarantee unfortunately. this disease generally sets in much older say generally between 6 months and over. there's nothing wrong with having 2 or more chihuahuas!

the dog we are talking about has a flat head and very big solid legs and feet. i'd say that there is either jack russell in her or something else, thats my call. in regards to testing for known problems in the breed, some registered breeders do refuse to do this or just don't do it at all, the most common problem in this breed is patella luxation. Dealing with this for over 20 odd years and writing articles about it, breeders can get the parents tested and show results but this doesn't give a 100% guarantee that the resulting pups will be free of this condition. it can lessen the severity as each generation is bred down but we have found that patella luxation is very much a recessive gene meaning there are carriers that look perfectly healthy and sound that can be bred and carry it down the line from 5 generations back and the resulting puppy can be severely infected like grade 4 for instance requiring surgery. so really no one is free from these genetic problems even if they do test and are diligent in only breeding sound individuals. the point about going to a registered breeder as opposed to a backyarder that doesn't know the history of the puppies or dogs they breed, is an ethical breeder will back up their puppies sold, be honest tell the buyer what faults the pups has and be there with the buyer every step of the way or they should in our opinion. where as a backyarder that we've had dealings with anyway, is not interested in what happens to the pup whether it gets a genetic problem or not and certainly will not back up what they breed or sell most are just interested in the money and will take it and run the other way. so for the buyers protection much better to go to a reg breeder that will stand by what they breed and be there to ask questions as the knowledge is there for the buyers disposal. JMHO

from what i can make out it use to be a nice house i wondered how do some humans get to that stage that they live in such squalor

I just want to ask everyone has anyone heard of a Pet direct online supply store? and are they good? They have no charge for deliveries. i can't see how they can do that and make a profit? or maybe i didn't put in my state or suburb and it didn't calculate it not sure, tried to go to checkout and it didn't work. i am after some nutrigel and calcium supplements. anyone use an online store which is good?

i can smell it from here

i believe that its not really "us" (i assume meaning reg breeders) against "them" who do you mean is getting us to work against each other? the govt or the RSPCA? i have stated what i have said on here from being an animal lover and pet owner first then a registered breeder. I think really most registered breeders don't want to be involved in this big debate and campaign against puppy farmers that the RSPCA have launched. I choose to support this campaign so i can help educate the buying public on where to find puppies rather than buying from a petshop or puppy farm online. as i have said numerous times on here and probably people are getting sick of it too, is that we were there keeping an eye on these puppy farms in a certain area and wanting help to get something done about them way before the animal libs took it all on and ran with it and then got RSPCA involved which i believe isn't a bad thing. at least they are informing the public on the right ways to go about buying a puppy. also i meant when i said you are very negative about registered breeders not about statistics but just generally with negative comments. Wouldn't it be better to promote all of us in a positive light so the public can make a clearer decision of where to go to get a puppy? JMHO anyway. in your statistics about chihuahuas you forgot about numbers in litters also crippling numbers being reg and bred, in our breed many of them only have 1 or 2 pups in a litter, its not a breed for beginners as many problems around too tiny a pups do arise which also decreases numbers in our breed as well. All i can vouch for is the last 30 years of breeders not doing a bad job in our breed but i cannot say for the next 30 years how that is going to pan out but hopefully thinking positively we will be okay if we dont' all fall victim to the overuse of the most popular stud syndrome.