Poofy

How to test a wood floor to see if it will stand up to your dogs.. :) Don't make the same mistake I did and listen to the sales man...sheesh. Get a peice of sample flooring, lay it on a hard flat surface, take a key or butter knife (key is better) and tap the florring with the end with about 30 pounds of weight from your hand. Scrape the key across of the surface going from the center to the edge, as if your hand was a back foot "launching" off. Put the key at the bottom of the piece and scrape forward. Put the key dead center and apply 60 pounds of pressure. This will give you an idea of the effect of toenails on a surface. My experience has been tile flooring (heavy duty) or pergo is the best investment.

I did some research on this anomolie...and I think I might actually know what it is. ITs called Carpal Sublaxation, it is a sex linked trait in some breeds. Most likely to be carried by the female parent and displayed by the male offspring. Your right, it is not caused by inbreeding, simply by poor breeding. Inbreeding like out crossing, is a tool to be utilized in any breeding program.

There is a happy medium coat, that is on a breed, that look awfully like a lab/golden cross (when it comes in yellow) A hovart would have a medium coat. As a groomer, I shave down as many labs as I do goldens, to stop the shedding.

Yes that is all true...but its also why we are a loud to own particular breeds of dogs, why we have dog shows, why we can breed our dogs, why we can put them in fences, spay and neuter them when we want too, subject them to terrible things like grooming, when they don't want to be groomed, make them stay home, when they want to run free...correct them when they mis-behave...its always a two way street.

Because in the US it is a free country. We are capitalist and we are unwilling to give up those rights. We must find other ways to deal with the problem, even if it means cleaning up a mess...our freedom and rights to choose, are what make us who we are.

oh thank god...I was getting a headache.

I know how and why, when M is homozygous that the coat is clearer. However, it seems to me that Bowling, insinuates that M in either heterozygous or homozygous form, should be looked at and considered individually. Now, as to why, MM produces a BETTER merle then M, is up in the air really, there is no real scientific data that I can find...however, the proof is in the pudding when you look at the production record of the few, quality MM dogs produced, and their offspring. I agree with you that its a risk. A HUGE risk...and one that should not be taken lightly...however it is (and should be) a breeder's choice in the end. Hope you can get back online again soon...miss chatting genetics with you. ;)

Yes dogs can eat human foods...however we tend to forget that the protien levels can affect their kidney and pancreas. When we feed dogs what we eat we oftn over load them with fats...which can cause pancreitis. If you want to feed your dog fresh foods, stick to a ***SMALL*** amount of boiled chicken and then veggies, as much as you like with them. Carrots, peas, squash, melons, green beans and such are great.

You said: A merle-merle breeding would not "clean-up" the color. More than likely the offspring from this mating would be white with minimum amounts of color. If a high percentage color pup was produced, the color would be lighter than normal. Actually, you are incorrect on this one. As I have seen it done and utilized in sheltie and collie breeding programs. These double dilutes, when bred do produce better blue merles then those who may be merle and carry discoloration in the coat. The F1 generation, the all white or nearly all white blue merle, is not the goal, its the offspring of that dog and what it will produce. That is really the only reason I have seen people do these breedings. Now, *why*, it is like that...I have no idea.....I have a hypothosis as to why, but its not in relation to the double merle. Since M only works on black pigment, dogs who are MM and do not carry excessive brown coloration (pewter tinge) to their coat, will come out with a clear high blue to white color, those that have it would/should still be discolored. That high blue is highly sought after in shelties. So those are then bred and they are less likely to produce that discoloration. Who know...all I can tell you is that is why the MM is often sought after as a dog in a blue merle/tri breeding program. Most people do not have the knowledge of genetics and thinks the only way to obtain a merle is to breed merle to merle. This, of course, is not true. Merle to solid will produce merle (and solid). Yes, a double merle bred to a black solid will produce an entire litter of merles. Yup, you are correct. But I am not reffering to the average person, I am reffering to true knowledgable breeders. Breeding merle to merle is taking a chance ............ at the expense of the pups. As with any breeding. You take the life of those dogs in your hands when you bring them into the world. No its not a simple choice...but those who have made it wisely, have reaped the benefits.

The problem with chaining is several things. First, in many breeds, chaining increases bite drive. Chaining can make a biter out of a dog who origionally was never a biter. They use chaining in bite training to increase the drive to bite...so I know it has a record of sucess. Second chaining does not protect the dog. Another dog can and still will get to your dog. Unlike the chained dog, the intruder can get away, the chained dog is at its mercy. Third, a chain does not keep out people who are too stupid to not try and pet a strange dog or a child who is too ignorant to know better. Even if by accident a chaned dog can do serious damage to a person if they wrap the chain around their legs and trip them or a childs neck and choke them (we actually had an account of that in my town) At lease with a pen, you can put a top on it to preven people from climbing in, a lock on the door to discourage them to go in...and the chainlink usually prevents the intrusion of other dogs and animals. Chains can have their uses for SHORT periods of time. Like a tie out if you don't have a fence and no time to walk the dog that day, put them on the tie out for 10 minutes, let them do their job then bring them in...chains as a means of confinement, are generally more dangerous then a pen. I do not agree with any dog being left out 24/7 to live as a yard ornament.

There are reasons to do a merle to merle breeding. When a double dilute is used in a blue merle breeding program, it can help correct color faults and or "pewter" discoloration in the coat. There is an increased risk for having no ears or eyes due to the doubling of the merle gene...however those "defects" are not "inheritable" as they are associated only with the presence of M in homozygous form. Most dogs do have their eyes and eye sight, deafness is more common...however there are many that are also normal. Its one of those choices a breeder has to decide if they are capable of making.

Bag balm will work...and so will hemroid creme...and don't ask me why? I have noooo idea

Yes...digging wears them down nicely :) I would not worry about it...really. :)

Dry and wet noses. Dogs who have poor draining eyes, like flat faced breeds, can tend to have drier noses. There is a connection between the "eye" run off and nose dampness. Those that have clogged ducts tend to have a less moist nose. The "smooth" verses "rough" on the paw pads...those little bristle things are a type of skin/calous that grows very fast and on a constant basis. If the dog does not wear them smooth, they of course will become bristly over a few days. Kinda like your finger nails. If you filed them all the time they would be smooth and short...you let them grow for a while and they get longer. On some dogs, especially on the extra toes, the "pad skin" can get very hard and very long...almost like an extra toe nail...I have actually seen toenail like growths come out of dew claw pads.

Okay never mind my question from where to where...I missed the title. Any how..call the airlines, specifically delta, let them know you will get a letter of aclimation...I think it will work out.

Okay never mind my question from where to where...I missed the title. Any how..call the airlines, specifically delta, let them know you will get a letter of aclimation...I think it will work out.

Okay, where is this dog going? Starting from where? Ending to where? Delta air logistics will ship a dog when it is under 45 degrees. MOST airlines will. You simply need a letter of ACLIMATION. THis is a letter from the vet, who is doing the health certificate, that the dog is aclimate to temeratures as low as 32 degrees, however should not be kept at that temperatur more then 12 -24 hours. I prefer Delta airlogistics because the dogs are kept in climate control conditions...they are very good. I would check this out before launching a cross country campaign. You might have to get it to arrive in the middle of the day, but you should be able to pull it off.

[url]http://www.onlinepetauction.com/auction/index.php[/url] Nothing listed *yet*...but we shall see :P

Okay...I am probably going to get flamed for this one...but... I can in a way see why these people decided to kill these dogs. There are so many good sound dogs, who are dying (literally) for new homes, it just doesn't seem right to try and take a chance with dogs that are disturbed because of isolation and neglect. This is why I do rescue on such a small scale, why I have a 100% no tolerance for human aggression. I do not enjoy putting dogs down, but sometimes they cannot be helped. In the case of these dogs, they might not have the money or the time to commit for that help. I will say that I am upset by they way the dogs were being handled...and I think that made things very unfair for them. I think that the vets were probably making some shot gun calls. It has been my own experiece that rescue shelters, kill or no kill, are often staffed and run by people who know nothing about dogs, breeds of dog, or dog language. I think that the information about what is really going on needs to get out...if these people are going to destroy these dogs they need not to be taking donations for "saving them". This type of massacare makes me wonder if the HSUS or PETA is not behind it all...since they have a reputation for these kind of "rescues". My next question, may start a flame war...I hope not and please do not take offense. Are all those pregnant dogs goin to be spayed? or allowed to have puppies? I honestly can't justify bringing in more unwanted animals into the world. Why weren't they concentrating on getting all the bitches evaluated first, and spayed, to prevent a population explosion? I think there are a lot of unanswered questions...and I have no idea who has the answers.

Well I am shocked that none of you got it...can't you see! its a cow eating grass....(he ate all the grass and has left) ;)

I am sorry...but I have no sympathy for this person. He obviously stole a car and drove it with no care or thought to the public (he could have killed some one himself.) There is no excuse for such behavior. I got through my teenage years and young adulthood without breaking laws and putting myself in situations to hurt myself or bring harm to others...and there were some pretty tough years too. As far as I am concerned he sadly, brought this on himself...I feel more pity for his family who will have to grieve over him. I know cops make mistakes...but hey, they are only human, and by god they are doing a job I sure would not want to do...and working for barely enough to live on. I don't think people appreciate the police enough (except when they are calling them about a break in or asking to be rescued of course...) Sorry...no tears here for that fool.

A double merle can be deaf and or blind, and or normal for that matter. A double merle is born from a merle to merle breeding.

Well...It would not surpise me if most of the "handles" being used on the bidding were just fronts to run up the price on the dogs.... Only problems is...seems all the price running up is just ENCOURAGING the practice...but ah well.... I don't agree with it...but at least it gives everyone an equal opertunity to purchase the dogs...even rescue.

I guess I must have missed who did the bidding...what were the names?

They asked for people to stop sending e-mail it was over loading the system. I think that if these people want a re-trial they need to make that descision. If they don't have the evidence to put her away...then they are making fools of themselves. No one will ever know for sure exactly what went on, on the trip and when she was stopped, etc...etc...because we were not there. From what I read of the court case, it seemed like a pretty weak arguement, with all the "proof" the rescue groups were printing on the internet. How come if it were all true, the prosecution did not use it? (they used some of it, but nothing in comparison) There are just way to many un-answered questions here. My worry is for the dogs and I hope they dog okay...but at the same time I don't want stuff like this used for AR fodder either. I am on the fence on this one....I just want the dogs to be happy and healthy.