DogPaddle

I am thinking it is one of the following: Someone with "an axe to grind" and/or a problem with this breed. Someone hoping to start another long fight thread similar to the pit bull ones. ( Someone who has a pit and is hoping to shift some attention :wink: ) Someone who is, although possibly mislead, genuinely concerned and trying to pass on info, although why here I don't know. Someon who has been injured by or has had a family member injured by this breed and is naturaly feeling angry/sad/confused/distraught and needed somewhere to vent. If its the later 2 then fine at least there is some point in posting and sharing and discussing. If its the former 2 then I have no interest, they can go look elsewhere as far as I'm concerned.

If you can provide for its mental stimulation, excercise needs and have a decent sized secure yard and will be able to be aware of its heat sensitivity and will not be leaving it outside for long periods of time during cold weather . . . I would personally suggest the Boxer out of the three.

Boxer Very energetic, above average excercise requirements, very playful, very affectionate, ok with strangers, other dogs, other pets, average training and watchdog ability. Low grooming needs, not good in the very cold (not enough coat) even worse in the heat, very sensitive to heat. Does not do well as an outside only dog but likes lots of outdoor time and space. Weighs 50-80 lbs, 21 to 25 inches, lives 8-10 years. Curiouse, demonstrative, devoted, outgoing/playful, family memeber. Can be stubborn but is responsive to families desires. Some can be aggressive with strange dogs, good with household pets. Needs daily mental or physical exertion, running, jogging, long walk on leash. May snore, very little grooming needs. Watch for cardiomyopathy, SAS, CHD and possibly gastric torsion, tumors, intervertebral disc degeneration, corneal erosion, colitis. May be sensitive to anesthesia. White boxers may be deaf (but in my personal experience they also have the most personality which may be bad if you don't like crazy dogs. :crazyeyes: )

Doberman Higher energy level and excercise requirements, average playfulness and affection, aloof with strangers and other dogs, ok with other pets, very trainable, watchdog, low grooming requirements. Weighs 60-90 lbs, 24-28 inches, lives 10-12 yrs. Intelligent, very alert, protective, loyal, adventirous. Needs physical and mental stimulation or will become distressed and possibly destructive, usually responsive although may be domineering. Needs a long jog or longer walk are strenuouse run in safe area. Again due to its gaurdian nature it does not do well as an outdoor only dog. Watch for: CVI (wobbler

Mastiff Low energy and excercise requirments, very affectionate although not overly demonstrative, may not be playful enough for younger children. Moderatley good with other dogs, good with other house pets. Good with children. Excellent watchdog, may be reserved with strangers, may bark a bit more than you'd like. Weighs 165-190 lbs, 27 to 30 inches, lives 10yrs. Good natured, calm, easygoing, gentle giant, well mannered indoors, needs room, loyal, needs daily exercise - walk or game. Not good in the heat, doors very poorly as an outside dog due to its gaurdian nature - will bark excessively or develop behaviour/emotional problems. Very little grooming. DROOLS. Watch for: CHD, gastric torsion and possibly ectropion, PPM, vaginal hyperplasia, elbow dysplasia, PRA, cardiomyopathy. Obesiety is a pitfall of this breed.

[quote]If I thought it would please them, I would dye ME pink. [/quote] :lol: :lol: :lol: I don't think it would come to that but if it does - go brilliantly royal blue instead its such a cheerful colour! I don't think they care at all about our grooming habits but tolerate our obsession with theirs with reasonably good humour. But I do find that all 4 beasties here are fascinated whenever I take a bath - they all watch :o The cats must thing I'm some kind of masocist and the dogs try to drink the water - the seem to think I'm soup! I gave up shooing them out but I do insist on closing the door. This upsets those left outside who fuss till I let them in. So now I just call all 4 of them before I get in the tub, close the door and THEN settle in for a soak.

I have been switching the boys over to raw and they are loving it. My fav. pet food store has [size=7][color=red]2[/color][/size] brands of frozen raw diets, both sans grains! I have told myself they are just in case I run out of my own . . . or am travelling (where there is refrigeration) they come in containers like paper ice cream tubs . . . or if I'm feeling a bit lazy . . . or if I admit that the dogs like the store brand more than mine sometimes :oops: Anyway they also have 2 feline raw frozen diets so I was very excited and brought some home for Mroo and Eowyn my 13 and 12 year old Siamese kitties . . . you'd think I was trying to kill them, they actually ran from it :lol: (I did mix it with their old cat food 1:5) I can see I'm going to have to be more creative and sneaky with the girls than I was with the boys. Maybe I'll try beef instead of chicken - Mroo always begs for the seasoned ground beef I fry up for tacos :roll:

Keeping my fingers crossed for you, good luck!

Zaphod is . . . skittish. I don't know how else to explain it. Sometimes he hides and barks (hackles up) when exposed to new things. Sometimes he stands and peers intently and barks (hackles up) when exposed to new things. Sometimes he charges barking (hackles up) towards new dogs (doesn't get far 'cause he's always leashed - no charging at people although he will bark and raise hackles if someone enters the house without me letting them in and I personally would not want that to change.) Sometimes he gladly invites new doggies to play. I have been working on socialization and we will be having a trainer who does one session in home trouble shooting come by in early October but he relys a lot on owner impression and I'm confused. I don't mean to make it sound like a big deal its only an occaisional problem and he calms down fairly easily its just that I don't want it to become a big deal and right now I am unable to take Zaphod on canoe trips and feel guilty about it because I can and do take Kavik. My question is - does it sound like fear, dog aggression, slow socialization or what?

Thanks Ellie - I hate p***ing people off but I find it hard to keep my mouth shut when I have an opinion . . . what a dilemma - usually my opinionated side wins. :lol:

I know I am late joining in here but: After seeing those pics HF posted I have to say, if I could find a petsafte product I would sooooo love to dye my pet for fun and festive occasions (so long as my dog didn't hate it) unfortunately my dogs are mostly black so there is not much I can do. :(

Ok I'm going to get flamed from two different camps here but: It sounds like you act responsibly while engaged in the business venture you're engaged in and that's great. It also sounds like you care about the pups you produce and that is also great. You also follow up and ensure good homes and that is even better but . . . I think the attitude you are defending yourself against here is this: 1. There are already something like 6 or 7 pups born for every person in North America so making more is troublesome. 2. The steady supply of relatively inexpensive pure breds (ie pet quality) [color=indigo][i]encourages[/i][/color] people to buy pure breds [color=darkblue][i]rather[/i][/color] than adopting from shelters. 3. This in turn causes the death and/or misery of dogs needing homes. 4. There are so many breeds that have been over or poorly bred that if you are going to breed a paticular breed it should be for the [color=indigo]betterment of that breed ie the resolution of health and behaviour problems linked to genetics or preservation of a rare breed[/color]. I don't think (and I could be wrong) anyone here insists that all breeders aspire to create "show dogs" [color=darkblue]just that they are breeding with a plan to improve the breed.[/color] While I don't think you are a bad person and in fact believe you have good intentions I do agree with the 4 points above. Not bashing or anything, just something to consider or at least giving some perspective on why people here are leary of any breeding till the KNOW otherwise.

I hope you get enough snow this year! Skidooers, skiers and mushers near here have been complaining for pretty much 7 years straight that there just isn't enough snow :(

Mommacat - I cannot find an ingredients list for Sensible Choice online which worries me. This food is made by Royal Canin who produce Natural Blend Holistic Dog Food which does have ingredients listed and seems pretty good. Sorry I couldn't help more.

[quote]"Fine. I warned you -- don't blame me when they come kill us all!"[/quote] :lol: If the boys are kicking up a racket about something they see past the yard and I tell them "NO" or "Quiet" they may stop barking but they then move on to pacing and worried whinning and going back and forth between me and the patio door. I have to tell them "OK, that's enough now, I see them." and then their fine. I guess the just need to know that I know what's up, doing their job. :lol:

What precisely is the goal of this post "Your Special Guest" ?

Ah, if only we ran the world . . . or at least made the doggy laws. I think part of the reason occurances of animal cruelty and neglect are so high is because the penalties are so paltry. And its not the big stick deterrant attitude I'm looking at (although that's fun too) but its what message a $500 fine for killing a dog sends that's the problem. You get in more trouble for stealing and trashing a CAR than torturing and killing a DOG. Laws clearly reinforce the idea that the life and well being of dogs is a cheap and valueless things. Society's attitude is in part shaped by this. :cry:

Courtnek wrote: [quote]that describes my old malamute mix to a tee as well... He was mixed with a border collie - and too big for his britches.... [/quote] What an interesting dog he must have been. Malamum wrote: [quote]he is very dominant

Same here. Sometimes when we have been playing tug for a while and I'm getting bored I just let the tug slip out of my hands as if "oh you won" but Kavik will come right back put the tug back in my hand and tug lighter, this progress with both of us tugging lighter and lighter until it is actually funny. Sometimes I think he is thinking "oh poor pathetic human here let me help you" but he still knows whos alpha.

Ok it may not seem immediately obviouse why I would make these choices but I think it would work for a number of reasons. 1. All breeders must be licenced. Must pass test and agree to terms which include but are not limited to: No more than (perhaps 30-50 - not sure on this) dogs owned. Breeding only dogs 2 years and older, breeding bitchs only 1x every 2 years. A recorded and adhered to breeding plan designed to improve the breed they are breeding ie I will reduce the occurance of HD in breed X by . . . Insisting on a plan/standerd for placing dogs in homes so dogs go to good homes where the dogs will be well cared for, socialized, [color=darkred]understood[/color] and well trained. Loss of breeders licence if pattern of poor breeding developed including temperment problems. Huge fines for failure to comply so that it is more expensive to break the rules than too comply. 2. All dogs except those owned by licenced breeders must be desexed. Penalty - $350 fine if dog has never been bred, $5000 if dog has been bred and lifetime ban on breeder's licence. 3. Jail time [color=red]and[/color] fines for animal abuse and ban on any future ownership. This would apply to dog fighting including spectators. 4. Increased government funding for all dog shelters, with a goal of placing dogs in good homes and instituting subsidized obedience classes for all adopted dogs that need it or owners that need it. 5. Mandatory obedience/handlers/aggresion management courses for people whos dogs are involved in biting or attacks - whether against a person or another dog. Followed by heavy fines and possible jail time and possible ban on future dog ownership for noncompliance or for repeat offense. 6. Fines for breeders who's dogs are repeatedly involved in bitings or attacks and if a long term pattern persists a revocation of breeders licence. Massive education campaigns! Maybe some other stuff, I'll have to think about it.

Shih Tzu,Pit Bull Terrier Mix :o :errrr: Every Shih Tzu I have ever met has been the embodiment of stubborness. Fiesty, demanding, imperiouse little creatures but cute like Ewoks. I cannot imagine a Shih Tzu in a Pitlike body I hope its temperment is more like the Pits.

Thanks. I hope Pitbull_Lover shows up and responds but I don't think its gonna happen.

Well I haven't seen me online while I'm at work since so hopefully it was a fluke.

My uncle used to use cedar chips in a tray, the dog always smelled soooo good. He had a GSP too.

I couldn't find anything for dogs by Friskies on any english pages. Is Bonzo by Friskies sold in North America?