Malamum

I agree with all of the above. You are doing the right thing.

Thank you :D I'm not sure what the deal is with the tail but he is still cool. I have added it to my signature.

We congratulated you on your 2000th post in the NDR forum but I don't think you saw it. However I believe that it was referred to as Mental rather than Mentor :wink:

KathyM, that dog licking his chops is just adorable. I want one of these fancy moving doggie thingymejiggies too. Where to I find them :P

I have heard that snow nose (where the pigment in the nose turns pink) can be caused by using plastic bowls. I'm not really sure how or why though :niewiem: I use stainless steel bowls.

Can you let us know how old you are? My reply will vary depeding on your age.

Welcome to Dogo. I'm so glad that Alfie is doing so much better. :D

Excellent news!! Keep us updated on her progress.

Good luck Montie. I'm sure he will be fine :D

Yipee - that's a good sign.

Good news. Come on Alfie - you can do it :angel:

It's the breeders personal contract. I have always wondered how legally binding it is. I don't really know. To tell the truth I haven't put much thought into it since I have no intention of doing anything contrary to any of the clauses.

My contract has the following two clauses: * The breeder retains all stud and breeding rights. * Any progeny produced by the dog/bitch without the breeder's consent will automatically become the property of the breeder (xxxxx) to dispose of as she sees fit and the dog forfeited and returned to the breeder with no refund to the purchaser. What about using something like that as well.

I have seen a very similar sort of thing but I don't think all the dogs displayed were the same. It's scary how everything these days is just automatically a "Pit Bull" and the way some people tend to use the term they make it sound like a whole new species not just another breed of dog. :-?

I really don't have enough medical knowledge to offer an opinion on spaying or neutering at an early age. We had Indy done at 7 months. Our vet said the best time was from 6 months...we waited the extra month because we were still umming and ahhing about showing him. Though with males I think I would prefer to wait till both testicles have dropped or to see if they do. I know a neuter with a retained testile can be quite invasive surgery. I know someone whose dog went through this and the lost nugget was hiding right up in the abdomen. [b] Kiwi wrote[/b].. [quote]Every week I go through the newspapers, sort through those ads, and give them a ring (Yes I know I have too much time on my hands ) I find at least 2 litters a week (might not seem like much to you lot, as you're all from larger countries) that have not honoured their "Pet Only" endorsed Contracts and are now making money out of their pets. I usually report them to the breeders that they got the pup from, and those people usually get blacklisted from ever owning a NZKC Pup from that breed again. [/quote] Good on you. [b]Kiwi wrote..[/b] [quote]Another thing I was considering doing, was a $100 rebate on the presentation of a signed certificate from the vet stating that the dog had been speutered or alternatively I could pay for the op myself Many breeders I have spoken to about that, have told me they don't think it'll work so I'm still thinking about that one[/quote] I think that is an excellent idea. Why don't other breeders think it would work?

IMO the term backyard breeder isn't based on premises but on attitude and the amount of dedication to the breed in question. The breeder that I got my dog from did not have acres of land or an actual kennel facility as you described it. She is a regular person with a regular house however in my opinion the aspects that make her a fair dinkum breeder are: 1. She shows her dogs. This tells me that she is very knowledgeable on the breed and the breed standard and that her dogs have been judged to meet this standard by independent persons. 2. She is a member of the xxxxx breed club. 3. Both the sire and dam had all the relevant heath checks done and I was given copies of all the paperwork. And no - just being told by your vet that your dog his healthy enough to breed is not enough. 4. She did give us the third degree and we had to sign a comprehensive contract before she would let us become the new parents of one of her babies. 5. No puppy produced by one of her breedings will ever end up in a pound or shelter etc. If for whatever reason the new owners can't keep the dog (regardless of age) it must go back to the breeder. Now say for example I had a purebreed dog and well what do you know a friend of mine has purebreed dog of the same breed and we decide that we want to have puppies. Both dogs are loved and well cared for family pets. They both have no obvious health issues however we don't really know that they both meet the breed standard 100% and we don't bother with the expensive genetic testing. The bitch is very well cared for during her pregnancy and so are the puppies once they are born. All puppies are sold to people who seem very nice however I don't really ask too many questions about fences or their lifestyles to determine whether they are really suited to this particular breed. In the above scenario there has definitely been no abuse or neglect however I would still be a backyard breeder.

:lol: :lol: I'm still laughing at the lion. Some people really are born with only half a brain aren't they :roll: (that even sounds a little generous in this case)

Dogs are smart. She didn't cry when you left the house because she knew you were gone and couldn't hear her cry so there was no point. When you are in the next room she knows you are there and knows you will come back to her if she cries. When Indy was a puppy my boyfriend used to work shift work so he was still asleep in bed when I went to work every morning. Since he never got up and stayed in bed the whole time I was getting ready Indy didn't really associate that there was someone else in the house. Michael said that when I would leave that Indy would cry for maybe 5 minutes then he would settle down. However one morning after putting him away before I left I had to go back upstairs to do some stuff and as Indy realised that the car hadn't left and I was still in the house he cried and howled and carried on the whole time. I asked Michael if he does this every morning and he said no - once he knows the car is well and truly gone he stops. They are smart - they know. Our rule was [b]never ever [/b]go to him when he was crying and it worked for us. It will be harder on you than it will be on Bella but you need to be tough otherwise she will only get worse and the more ingrained the behaviour the harder it will be to change it.

I'm sorry she is so down at the moment. Give her a big kiss from me. I know you are terribly upset but when you visit her try to act all happy like nothing is wrong otherwise she may pick up on and reflect your emotions.

Ok, I will list the pros and cons for the Alaskan Malamute. These are based on my own personal experience and from stories shared with other Malamute owners. [u][b]Pros[/b][/u] [b]1. [/b]Loves people. Indy loves any and all people and loves to be patted and fussed over by strangers. [b]2. [/b]Very affectionate and have tones of personality. Indy has to know where you are at all times and again loves nothing more than kisses and cuddles. He also loves to have a conversation with you and can be a total clown. [b]3. [/b]Great outdoor companions. Malamutes are fantastic companions for all sorts of outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, jogging, cycling and of course if you live in a cold climate there are all the fantastic winter activities to do such as sledding, ski-joring etc. [b]4. [/b]Very clean dogs. For a dog with so much fur they are very clean and have little to no odor. They only require a bath a few times a year and tend to clean themselves like a cat. [b]5. [/b]Don't bark. I have never heard Indy bark more than two or three times in succession. Although they can be quite noisy with all their talking :wink: [b]6. [/b]Very intelligent. Indy is very smart and you only have to show him something once or twice before he picks it up. However knowing how to do something and deciding if he will are two different things. [u][b]Cons[/b][/u] [b]1. [/b]Can be very dominant. Their pack structure needs to be clearly defined with humans as the alpha. If this is not enforced they will take the job themselves. Alpha rules must be followed and obedience training is highly recommended. [b]2. [/b]Can be prone to dog aggression. This tends to relate to their dominate nature as although they may not set out to attack another dog they will rarely put up with being corrected by one. [b]3. [/b]Require quite a lot of grooming and do shed a fair bit. Being a double-coated breed they do shed all year round, however they blow their coats twice a year and then you have fur everywhere. No matter how many times I brush Indy I can still get a shopping bag full of fur off him. [b]4. [/b]Very stubborn and not known for unconditional obedience. They will evaluate if what you want them to do is worth their while. Generally can’t be trusted off leash. [b]5. [/b]Can be quite destructive. If you value your nice pretty landscaped garden then a Malamute probably isn’t the dog for you.

Poor little Alfie....sending lots of positive thoughts. Ellieangel, please give us an update and let us know how he is.

I agree with what Courtnek has advised, however I just wanted to add don't go back to her when she is crying and carrying on. It will just reinforce that crying gets her what she wants.

They are adorable. The last one is my favourite too. :D

Some people really have no idea do they? :roll: Around here Shar-pei tend to get called rolly dogs. They became quite well known when a Shar-pei puppy featured in a toilet paper commercial. The dogs name was Rolly and people just started to call them rolly dogs.

Awww what a sweet little boy and from the last picture he seems to be fitting in with the others just nicely :D