Aroura

Its terrible isn't it? :cry: I was just wondering, what does everybody think is worse? Pit dogs or Pig dogs? Both have their lives put at risk every day and are trained to be agressive. I've never heard of any Pit fighting around here, but there are Pig dogs every left right and centre, chained up to trucks with scars, missing ears etc. The people around here aren't afraid to show thier mangled dogs in public either, its a sport and I'm not sure that its even illegal given the number of feral pigs around and the havoc they cause. So what do you think is worse, Pig dogs or Pit dogs?

I might show Lily one day, the problem here is that I live so far away from any major cities that I have to travell 6 hours to get anywhere that they have 'proper' shows. Apparently they have one show here a year, I'll check it out and see what goes on and then decide if I want to show. I've been told by alot of people that they think Lily would do quite well, even ex show judges!!! :D

Sounds like fun :D :D Wish they had them here because I'd LOVE to get Lily into agility asap!!!! She's gonna love it when she is old enough :)

Both breeds are born with tails and they are just docked COMPLETELY off. I've seen a rottie like this and it aint a pretty sight! :lol:

[quote name='Anonymous']I always suggest pups go to puppy kindergarten if you can find a good positive oriented one in your area and then go on to basic obedience or agility or both.[/quote] Good suggestion, but you forgot to mention dogs should not start agility until they are at least a year old, 18 months - 2 years for larger breeds.

As with every Sunday morning, yesterday morning I took Lily to obedience and Tessa to agility. The place where I do this is at an off lead dog park, and every week while Lily does her obedience dad takes Tessa for a walk to the creek which runs through the dog park, and Tessa goes for a swim before agility. When dad got back one of the instructers walked her Lab to the creek and came back with her wet dog telling everyone not to go to the creek. There was a dead dog dumped there!!!! It was a Pit cross, obviously a pig dog with a large wound on its side. The worst bit is, she rang the counsil to have it removed and they refused to come out because they don't get paid on Sundays!!!! Our dogs were swimming with this!!! Dad hadn't seen it because it was in a scrubby bit of the creek, but I was horrified to learn that Tessa had been swimming in the same water as this poor dead dog! What type of a heartless owner would do this??? :x Especially in a dog park! :evil:

Horsefeathers, I can't get that link to work :-?

[quote name='Anonymous']I've recently started making my own dog dinners. A beef heart heart stew with carrots, celery, brown rice, garlic, sea salt, parsley, and some other stuff thrown in, liver,sometimes. Anyway, it's turning out to be alot cheaper than buying dog food for 6 med to lg dogs![/quote] Sounds good guest, although you may want to add some muscle meat - offal is good to supplement but you must use at least half muscle meat or the diet may be too rich. I have fed BARF for the past month and the dogs have never looked better, all though my wallet has never looked worse :-? Beagle, the meat is usually fed raw. If you are worried then cook it only very slightly so it is still mostly raw. If you are feeding chicken necks don't cook them, rather soak them in boiling water for a few seconds. :wink:

Very interesting... thanks for sharing :D

Lily will run half a km if she knows there's a puddle!!! She's always getting muddied up, but miraculously by the time we get home she's as clean as a whistle every time! When it comes to swimming, she wades around but never actually swims... though it is winter here so I havn't been in with her yet! My Uncles Bull Terrier cross died when it fell out of a boat, I guess if they never learn to swim it doesn't always come naturally. :(

Congratulations on choosing such a great mix! I've met a couple of dogs with this mix before and they are all gorgeous and intellegent. Well, as to your problems, you've got yourself a very cheeky mix!!! Both breeds will always make you run around like a clown just because they know you will! With the walking, I had the same problem with both of my dogs when they were pups. Try throwing a ball just infront of you and making it really fun, otherwise you could hold a treat and lure her, holding it in a fist so the pup can smell it but can't eat it, give her a bit every few steps, and remember lots of praise!!! Running away.... you have two options. Either you could invest in one of those extendable leads, teach the "come" command by extending to the fullest length and just let her run around as she pleases, every now and again say "come", reel her in and give her a delicious tasty treat. Or, you could simply run the opposite direction, act like a clown, maybe roll around on the ground and she should come to you. When she comes give her a treat. If she beleives that every time she goes to you when you want her to she gets a treat, she will be waiting for your call all the time just to have some yummies :D She has to learn 'you' = 'treat' and you should have next to no problems. I had it easy because when I got my Boxer Lily whenever I wanted her I would just have to call Tessa and she would follow her :roll:

[quote name='sashagirl']One day a friend came over to my house, and she told me that Sasha was ugly... I told her that she was ugly and to leave my house immediatley. She was full of apologies after that, and any time she came to my house after that... She made it a point to tell Sash how pretty she was... :lol:[/quote] I was walking my dogs one day when I ran into one of my friends. He said (about Lily) "that dogs got an ugly face!", well I just said to him "yeah, well she already told me that you've got an ugly face so your even". He was pretty offended, but he knew I was joking around - the way I see it if everyone in the world thought my dogs were ugly, I wouldn't care less because all that matters is that I think they are beutiful, and the more other people say otherwise, the more I will tell everyone they are gorgeous. A boyfriend on the other hand is a different matter, I always say "love me, love my dog (and my rat, and my cat...)" and if they can't deal with that its "goodbye!" :wink:

I can't really say about the registration etc as everything is different here in Aus, there are blue papers and orange papers. Blue papers mean that the pup is intended for sale for breeding or show, orange papers mean that they are intended as pets only. Registration papers are something different alltogether. I don't think your dog will have pedigree papers, and I doubt that the parents did either, or at least the white one. Although I can't say much on this subject as I've already said, things are different over here. I can say that even if he isn't a pedigree, or even a purebred, as long as you love him thats all that matters anyway :)

Now I would have to agree with James to an extent. Where I live there are many farmers who cross kelpie with cattle dogs or border collies to produce better working dogs. BUT this is a different matter all together to people breeding thier purebreds to other purebreds and selling them to pet shops or unknowing people at a higher price... or even at a lower price. It is not just the fact they are trying to scam people that is the problem, but that they are corrupting the breed in the first place. Working dogs and pet dogs are two completely different things. I know a farmer who lives in town, he keeps his four kelpies out at his property and they would be lucky to be fed 3 - 4 times a week. Is this cruelty? In my oppinion, no. It is what these dogs are bred for, and they do not expect anything more. Try doing that with any other breed and the dog will go crazy. Just enforcing my statement that comparing working dogs to pet dogs is like comparing an apple to a banana

Ok, lets see if I can remember everything that I have to say! *Firstly, congrats on getting such a wonderful breed of dog! A bit aprehensive about the "she realized she could make some dollars if she bred the two" statement. Does the pup have papers? He does have a very long nose, still - too cute! :D *With house training, I heard that you add one hour for every month old they are, and thats how long their bladder can hold for eg 1 month = 1 hour, in my experience its the way to go - with Boxers at least. *Puppy training - hmm, I would tend to strongly disagree with your vet on this matter, the earlier the better. It teaches them that you are the master and makes training easier later in life. Not to mention the valuable socialization they get. Puppy pre schools are EXCELLENT and I recomend them 110%, I would have taken Lily if she hadn't left such a great hole in my pocket from buying her/getting her second shots/re worming her etc! *With your Boston, I'm sure they will get used to each other. If you have a crate for your puppy it will make accepting him alot easier for your Bostons. When I first moved back in with my parents with Lily (only about 6 months at the time) Puddles HATED her. We ignored Puddles' bad behaviour and after about 3 weeks they became best friends and now, less than 3 months later, they are inseperable!!! :wink: *For the names, go for a famous Boxers name!!! I so would if I had a male boxer, I'm thinking of naming my kennel name after one. How about Costya? Hmm, I only know Aussie boxers so you might have to do the thinking yourself! :-? Hmm, I think thats all I have to say... oh, I was going to tell you smooshie, Dad just walked past and said "that running boxers all wrong, it needs a great lolloping tounge hanging down!" He loves the breed just as much as me :wink: Lily is just impossible to resist! :D

Good on you Newfimom! :D Being single definatly has its benefits, more time for the dogs! Oh, and you don't get in trouble or feel guilty for checking out somebody else... :wink: Dogs give you more cuddles and kisses than you need as it is, without the disagreements! :roll:

Guest, I may be a novice, but the lady who bred Lily certainly was not and the kennels I am looking at to use a stud dog from are some of THE best kennels in Australia. You can't shoot off and say 'line breed, line breed, line breed' to everyone, because if all the dogs ever bred were line bred we'd be looking at some pretty hefty mutations! Linebreeding may be the way to go in some cases, but certainly not all. Just because I am a novice doesn't mean I'm not going to look into things before I do them and produce bad pups!

[quote name='Anonymous'][quote name='Guest Pat']To which guest are you referring in this post.[/quote] hmm sounds like another new member who plans to be on the attack guests bandwagon[/quote] Sounds like we've found our guest!!! :lol: So newfimom, maybe I've missed something but I'm guessing by that statement you broke up with you'r un-dogloving boyfriend? You go girl!!!! :D :lol:

[quote name='hazelhover']EEK!! Why is it everytime this subject comes up everybody gets so heated? :o [/quote] Its because it is a topic that we all feel strongly about. I am 100% ANT CROP!!! It is cruel, unnecissary and inhumane, just as I would speak out against someone beating thier dog I WILL SPEAK OUT AGAINST THIS!!! And nothing will chance my mind!!! Do you think its illegal in this country for no reason? Of course not, its illegal because it is CRUEL!!! Tail docking is done before the dog can even feel it, there is nothing cruel about that, still, if someone approched me before I bred Lily asking for a 'pet' with a tail, I would let them choose one and leave it un docked. IF DOCKING WERE DONE AT THREE MONTHS I WOULD HAVE THE SAME OPPINION FOR IT AS I DO WITH CROPPING!!! I am sorry if anyone disagrees with me, but I honestly can't see how someone can say they love thier dog and still take it in to have its ears chopped off!!! How long do the ears have to be taped for? Do you think that it is comfortable for the dog? Grrr, I think it should be banned everywhere, it seems like Australia is the only country with any sence!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: Sorry, but as I said before, I DO feel very strongly about this matter, as I do about dog abuse in general!

Thanks. I'll keep up the hard work, although I'm not sure she will ever be an agility dog. I will take her out to the propper course and give her a go with the other doggies and see how she goes then, I think she figures that if she's in her own yard that she doesn't HAVE to move, so she wont! Out with the other dogs in an actual class she may get excited and be more willing to follow the treats. Play isn't really a motivater for her, although she looks like a Poodle, I think she got her characters from the chihuahua (another reason not to mix breeds, you'll never get your 'perfect' dog, just a heap of mixed traits!). She's not all "come play with me, PLAY WITH ME!!!" like most of the poodles I've ever met, she's more of a "can't we just sit infront of the tellie" dog. Although she does LOVE playing with Lily and will do so all day if Tessa didn't decide to join, leaving Puddles getting squashed and pushed out of the 'play circle'. Thanks for the tips though, I will try them but I'm afraid to say I think she will never be a super agility hero! :lol: Oh well, for now I can concentrate on getting Tessa those tittles and in a year I can start with Lily!!! :D I know she'll do me proud, she'd do anything for a treat!

After doing so great with Tessa's agility and realizing how fun it is I've decided to train my sisters Poodle/Chihuahua cross Puddles for it as Lily is still too young. I've set up a little course in the backyard, but as soon as I get out there with Puddles and the treat bag she wont budge! I've tried everything, from luring her with the tastyest treats to using my excited puppy voice to putting her on the lead, and she just stands there and looks at me as if to say "what are you looking at?". Its not even a matter of she wont jump as that she simply WONT MOVE! She loves dad and would do anything for him, but she does the same with him! She seems to have a phobia of having food offered at her level and her following it, she'll eat it if you put it in her mouth, but as far as taking a single step towards it she simply refuses. Any ideas? I've tried everything!!!! :o

Happy endings are always good :D Glad you found its home straight away otherwise you may have been abused like I was when I posted about a dog that I found!!!! :-?

Ah K, we always knew you were special! :wink: Well I shouldn't talk about MY diet!!! I've got eczma and went to have some blood tests yesterday, and YAY, they proved I'm not allergic to ANY animals, which is good because it wouldn't stop me having the dogs in my bed! :wink: But, on the downside, I'm no longer allowed to eat Dairy products, Caffine, Potatos (yes, potato :-? ), Citrus fruits or yeast. Which meants I can't eat cheese, bread, yoghurt, ice cream, cheese cakes, CHOCOLATE :( , tea, coffee, cakes.... its terrible!!!! :o So I've gotta live off cornflakes with soy milk (yuk) for breakfast, an apple and a rice cake (can't have vegemite, peanut butter, jam etc on it either, only honey, no butter...) for lunch and something plain for dinner! Oh, don't know how I'll get through the next year (I've got to slowly add them back over a year), and to top it off I think I'm allergic to Soy milk!!! I was sick all last night and all today and have a massive headache! :( Does anyone pity me??? :cry: :cry: :cry:

Why would you want to make a Pit look even tougher? Its gets me why people even crop ears, its cruel and unnecissary. Lily is only docked because it is in the breed standard, but that doesn't hurt them anyway and probably saves them sore tails in the long run being the clumsey things that they are! :)

"An autopsy revealed that the dog that killed Volkan had not eaten in three days and drugs were found in his body." How can anyone in this situation blame the breed? Even a labradore would have done the same thing! Its pure dogism (my new word for it), discriminating a dog just because of its breed. How could they? :evil: We need to fight the root of the problem, not the result - kill the people training the dogs rather than the dogs themselves!!!! I always considered something like this may happen, but I never dreamt that it actually would, and now! Grrr, I'll shut up now, just getting frustrated.... :evil: :x :evil: