Aroura

I've been staying away from this topic for a while, unwilling to give up my precious time for such an idiot, but decided to have another look and her stupidity was just too funny and I found that I couldn't stop reading :lol: Well, I think I have discovered why she thinks Bull Terriers have no nose, for those who have been wondering - [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0agAkA5AgzdK2ez3jaolxZJJb!!PA1NRV6MfMJE6T9MeyE1MrHYCfvL6ayvM1AOtjOMaXDEbg2vdFtLYOyPsYPDmHQFp!k0utm7XonQouyElRrXFbRluniDV4dEb*mG7gH9Jtkb7bOAtWB8Cg57NZJVjAsOqgNb6Z/The%20mighty%20arse%20of%20Kobi.JPG?dc=4675473597149855778[/img] - She has been looking at the wrong end! :lol: :lol: :lol: A few questions for you Rabid: - How old are you? - What would you consider a beautiful dog? - What would you consider a friendly dog? - Would you consider yourself beautiful? Or are you just taking out your own insucuritys on other peoples dogs? - Why would you think thats acceptable? As a human being, surely you would know better! - Would you consider yourself a friendly person? Ok, that last one is a bit of a joke, as you are so obviously a MEAN person, why would you discriminate against MEAN dogs? (which, by the way, aren't even mean, just a product of your highly over active imagination)

Thanks :D I wont live and die by it, but it will give me a list so I can remember where I'm up to etc. Mouse, I've looked in to puppy pre school, I have to ring them closer to the date as they can't tell me yet when they'll have classes starting and I'm not getting the puppy until August. I'll be getting a pup from a litter due in less than a week, so will be able to have pics for you all soon! :D Kat, bonding will occur on the first few days where I won't be teaching anything other than to accept being walked on a lead, the first thing I will be "teaching" is pretty much rewarding the pup for looking at me, I figure this will tie in with bonding and will be a good foundation for future obedience etc, having a pup that thinks its great to look at you because it will get rewarded is a good thing, and if you can get it to do this from an early age (its not even really training so much as rewarding for a desired attention) it should be easier to train more complex things later in life such as agility. I believe being able to take food away from a dog (and of course, give it straight back!) is important for any dog to learn, and the sooner a pup learns this and realises it will get it STRAIGHT back, the better :wink: As for sit in the second week, well its something that everyone who meets it will probably tell it to do (everyone tells dogs to sit!) so if he learns it first he wont get confused when he's been told it 100 times and its introduced to him later! Also, its the first thing they teach in puppy pre school. As for "here", thats just something I can say when he is running towards me so he builds up an association with the word, then I can build on it later - nothing formal, just handy to start training at a young age for a strong association. As for the rest of the list, I'll do what I can, of course if he doesn't pick things up very quickly I will go more slowly, but over all they are all pretty simple tasks and he'll only be learning one or two new things a week, and with a couple of training sessions a day of a few minutes each I don't see why he wouldn't be able to pick up a couple of commands by the time he starts training! I know you werent having a go at me Kat, but just thought I'd explain the first week so you can all see where I'm coming from :wink: AussieLover, I'm getting a Whippet puppy - not exactly a typical "obedience" dog, which is why I want to try to get him focused on me from an early age! :angel:

Well I don't know if i should call it spare time, I'm supposed to be doing uni work but the thought of a new puppy is sooo distracting!!! Little darlin isn't even born yet :wink: So, in efforts to satiate my "thinking of puppy" cravings, I've done up a socialisation schedule - didn't work on the cravings, but thought I'd post it here to see what you all think! Don't mind all the q's and funny symbols, I just copied it straight from a word document, it looks better in real life lol 9 Weeks Old 7th of August

I think somebody has a little self confidence issue, people who are unhappy with the way they look usually transfer these ugly thoughts onto others, who may not be so unfortunate :evilbat:

Courtnek, it would be good if all dogs had to pass a test where they had to do what they were meant to do before being shown, but because this isn't the case I guess thats why there are working breeders and show breeders :roll: Thanks Kiwi, I'll have to keep that in mind about telling the judges I'm new - it'll probably be pretty obvious anyway, no doubt I'll be wondering around with the gun dogs wondering where I'm supposed to be and feeling very out of place! :lol: I'll have to go to the warehouse and check that out - I need something anyway, for obedience. Mouse, we've already decided on a dog as they are slightly bigger (we wanted something bigger) and you don't have the worry of them coming into heat. Also, I'm not sure about sex differences, but its all the males the line that are australian champions, so I'll stick with that!

Thanks Kendalyn, I was going to talk to the breeder about it anyway. [quote]but hopefully anyone with a bitch in heat would be smart enough to keep her at home or on a leash also.[/quote] Well the other day at the dog park there was this guy, his dogs were running around having fun and he asked if Montie was desexed - why? Because his bitch was in heat! :o :drinking: Cairn, sorry I missed your post before. Yes, I know agility is also fun, as is obedience, and I do both with my dogs and am so proud of their acheivements, I just LOVE it when they bring home a blue ribbon. I love my dogs and am very proud of them, and love to show them off to the world - showing would just provide another way to do this. The point of shows is so that when you go to buy a pup you can see its pedigree and how many champions it has etc. Why then put desexed dogs in the show ring? I do beleive there should be seperate "fun" shows for desexed dogs, but I don't believe they should be pooled together. Weighing up the pros and cons of desexing, I have decided its probably best to leave him undesexed, this way I get the joys of showing, plus with all the new evidence showing that desexing doesn't actually prevent much at all, yet the opperation can cause problems, its probably best not to desex him for a year or two anyway, in which time he could have gained some points and I would have already had fun in the show ring.

Just another quick question, I know un neutered dogs are more likely to exhibit dog aggression, but with good genetics and socialization can an un neutered dog be just as friendly and playful as a neutered one? Aslo, can anyone give me any ideas on the costs of showing???

Thanks everyone for your help. We've decided definatly to show, I've told Josh how expensive it can be and all the rest, but he still seems keen - even though I'll be the one doing all the work with it, he's the one with the cash! :wink: Kiwi, you do have a good point. I am not an experienced shower, so I may not get the pick, but the chances are I will still get a good dog with its breeding, I'm putting a deposit on it now (its not due to be born for another two weeks) and will be getting photos emailed to me when he is born. I've been in contact with the breeders and they'll be behind me the whole way, also I know a show judge that is willing to give me show pointers. If he doesn't do well in the ring he will be desexed and be a loving pet, and I wont feel any regret because you've gotta be in it to win it and at least I'll be giving it a go! :D Kendalyn, you say as long as his obedience skills are good... will they be as good if he is not nuetered? Will his focus be entirely on me instead of those nice smelling bitches running around strutting their stuff? Or am I just dreaming? I've been advised to keep him on lead until he's about two anyway, as they don't fully mature in the head until then and because they run so fast they can be too far away to find you again by the time they decide to turn back - of course I'll be able to evaluate this on an individual basis, he might not want to leave my side for all I know! Thanks for the links 8) Thank you for that Carol!!! I had no idea, initially I was going to get him desexed as young as possible, with his fine bone structure I wouldn't want it to be any finer! Hmmmm, I don't think I'd go with a vasectamy, the reason if I did chose to desex him would be to get rid of the testosterone, which would still be there if he had a vasectemy. Him getting out and making unwanted puppies wouldn't be too much of an issue, we have a high fence and the breeder has already requested we get a run in case he does learn how to jump it, so I'm getting our aivery, if he proves to be a jumper I will extend it and he can go in that while we are out, though he will be a mostly indoor dog. Besides, if I show him and he earns himself a great title I may want to stud him out and continue showing with one of his offspring :wink:

Its not a need, more a hobby. I think it would be fun, and I intend to breed in the future so it would be good if I'm familiar with the show ring so I can have success with my future show dogs and know what I'm doing, so I can get titles before breeding them. Is there that much of a difference if a dog is allowed to reach maturity before he is desexed? Does it affect them in the long run?

The reason I want to decide now is that if I do want to show, I will ask for the pick of the litter, otherwise I'll just want a pet quality dog. Show quality is $100 extra. I tend to agree with what most of you have said, I should get one for show and if I don't like it I can desex him. I need Josh to understand how expensive it is to show and then see if he still wants to. Do you get prize money if you win? I've never actually been to a show, but watching the movie "Best in Show" makes me feel really competitive and want to be the star of the show! :lol: Thanks Crazy canine, I'll have to find out more about the less agressive - more social thing. Whippets are generally a friendly breed so I'm not too worried about it turning aggressive, but I know these things can still happen even if you do everything to prevent it. I don't mind if he's full of energy, whippets are known for being lazy lap dogs, except when out running off all their energy in one burst, a more energetic boy wont be any trouble. As for marking, as long as he's house trained that doesn't worry me too much! Montie marks everything, waiting for one more dog to mark every post can't make our walks too much longer! The main thing I was worried about is him being so distracted and not doing obedience/agility, does anyone know if this would happen? Courtnek, will he be more likely to run away if let off lead at a park? Can he be trusted at all if he's not neutered? We have a high fence, so hopefully he wont be able to escape BUT whippets are known jumpers so I'm going to get our old aivery and IF he needs it I will put him in that when not at home, though he will be mostly indoors. Well kenalyn, you can see I'm still getting a whippet, but I want to show off mum and dad to everyone, so here is mum: [url]http://www.lisp.com.au/~chasbank/lois.html[/url] And dad [url]http://users.chariot.net.au/~swifthund/patrick.htm[/url] Go have a look everyone and tell me what you think! :D By the way, since dads page was last updated he has become an australian grand champ :wink:

I just need a list, I'm considering showing my next dog, but that means I can't desex him. He is full of grand champion lines, so I have high hopes. Should I just get a pet and desex him instead, or should I show?

I stumbled across that page the other day when looking up Whippet racing, I actually thought it was quite cute! I knew it was just a joke, but the idea was still pretty cute, I just imagine Montie playing in the surf with lots of other doggies surrounding him :angel:

Whats going on? I'm confused.... and what has this post got anything to do with what is being discussed? Is it just me or is something not quite adding up? :-?

Thank you all so much. I just wish there was something more I could have done, maybe a miracle. I know it was the best option - over her mauling someones child and being thrown in a pen and put to sleep that way - but I still feel so terrible. I miss her so much, its not the same not having her around the house. And I feel bad doing that to Montie too, Montie loved Lily, he misses her so much already, and has been smooching up to me all morning, and coming in and out of the house looking for his buddy. He doesn't understand all of this, he just wants his best mate back. I don't see any reason that this could happen for either, why have a perfectly stunning, healthy, loved dog (I'd like to think of her as a human though) go through the terrers of turning out this way? What could be the reason for that? Its bad enough that my brother is schizzophrenic, he has just been institutionalised for five days for beating up a counsiler and throwing him out of the house. If he was a dog he'd be put to sleep. Why do animals/people turn out this way? I beleive its a cruel world, where well meaning people/animals get neurological problems for no reason :cry:

I almost couldn't go through with it. As I was holding her head still and the needle was going in, she was looking into my eyes, as if to say mummy, whats going on? I just wanted to yell "STOP!" but it was to late as she flopped to her side on the table. It was over in seconds, I can't change my mind now, I'm never getting my girl back. People keep saying it was for the best, but I feel terrible now, how could I take my baby girls life? I feel like I've just committed the worst crime on earth - taking the life of one who looked up to me and loved me and trusted me to always be there for her, as she was for me :cry: :cry: :cry:

Thank you all so much for your kind words. I wish I could say something more, but I'm too upset. Less than two hours to spend with my honey now and my head hurts and my eyes are stinging. I don't want her to go, I don't want to have to this, not to my angel :cry: Hazel, that was a really great poem, it has made me cry even more. I wish there was something I could do to change things, make her friendly so I don't have to worry about her. There's nothing I can do though, and I'm so upset. I know its the right thing to do, but the thought that I will never wake up to her again, or be able to laugh at her or play with her, or be proud of her acheivements, it just seems like such a waste, we've been through so much together. Now its over. Just a feeling of emptyness. I will miss her more than anything :cry:

[quote name='courtnek']My heart goes out to you and Lily. I will light a candle for her and for you.[/quote] That means alot, thank you :cry:

I cried myself to sleep last night, and woke up crying this morning. Josh has been great, I don't know what I'd do without him. We are burying her tonight at Josh's mums house out of town. Its too cold to plant a tree now, but as soon as spring comes around I'm going to get a nice Japanese Maple or something to put ontop of her. I've had alot of pets come and go over the years, but of all of them Lily has been the most precious to me. She was the one who would give her life for me, as I would for her. At obedience she would always remain so focused on me, as if the rest of the world didn't exist. She's such a clever dog, I've got so many fond memories of her. She's always made me have a laugh when I'm feeling down, like the time I looked out the window to see her walking around on hind legs, picking ripe apricots from the apricot tree. Or the time she broke into the veggie patch only to steal 3 ripe tomatos of the bush and place them neatly in her bowl next to the back door, waiting for someone to see how clever she was. I'm going to miss her so much, no more snoring and snorting to listen to, no more whining to go out at 6:30 in the morning, no more cuddles, big sloppy kisses, no more feeling that I am the single most important thing in the world :cry: This is all too upsetting to me, why Lily? Why did she have to be born with that little voice in her head telling her she must kill everything? Why not some other dog? Some one who doesn't even care? Why my beautiful girl? What did she do to deserve this? :cry: :cry: :cry:

Its 9:30am.... Lily is going to the vets at 5pm. I don't know if I can do this :cry: I'm too upset to do anything, my poor baby, all she ever wanted to do in life is to please me, and now I'm taking hers away :cry: :cry: :cry: All the words in the world can't explain how upset I am right now. Those who've been through this before - how did you cope? How did you get yourself up out of bed that day and off to the vets? I don't mean to upset anyone, but I feel like crawling into a hole and dying :cry:

Thats excellent news! My little ones go through the offlead dog park every day. I've found a way i can walk them where they can have 4km of off lead running - which they take full advantage of!!! Montie ran flat out for an hour today, not a bad effort for a 2kg dog! I was pretty amazed 8)

Thankyou Courtnek, I will take you up on that offer. I've been offered many shoulders to cry on, and I think I'll need to take every one of them :cry:

Shannon, I have considered that, but I would still be worried about her getting out or someone jumping over the fence. The people next door often have children visiting, and there is a vacant block of land behind us that kids can play in and could accidently hit a ball over & jump to get it. Besides which I plan to have children myself someday and I couldn't have her around then anyway. However sad it is, the fact that I know it is the best thing to do really helps, I cry alot, that can be expected, but inside I know she'll be going to a place where there is no stress, and she wont always be striving to be good & getting in trouble for what she does. It must be a hard life having something in your head telling you to do something bad and then getting in trouble for it. :cry:

There is going to be a few people there - my mum will be there, Josh is getting time off work, his mum might come and I think my sister will be there also. She's such a beautiful dog. The appointment is for Thursday afternoon :cry:

I'm going to try to make the appointment for tomorrow afternoon... its so soon, then I wont ever be able to hug or kiss my Lily again :cry: :cry: :cry:

Well there is a neighbourhood cat here that is always hanging around the house and banging to come inside. I havn't let it in yet, Lily doesn't like cats, besides, the rats are in the living room! But I guess I'll have to get the cat used to coming in the house (it isn't scared of dogs, and Montie and Cassie don't chase cats) so that when I get the new pup its got a cat to grow up around! :lol: They are a good size though, tall enough to be a "proper" dog, yet skinny and light enough that they are cheap to feed and wont pull you over walking them down the street! :D