imported_Cassie

[quote]All adults are AKC,CKC registered with Hip OFA scores from good-excellent.25 month guarantee on all genetic diseases. [/quote] It sounds to me as if they are doing quality breeding with health certified parents. I think its great that some one is trying to get some of our purebreds out of the horrible genetic pickle they are currently in. Just remember where all of our purebreds came from in the first place. They all come from mixed histories. Purebreds are man made creations with small gene pools, which leads to genetic diseases. Its funny how people of yesteryear where much smarter when it came to breeding than we are today. In the times of old they bred their best dog to the best dog no matter if it was of the same type etc. They created our current purebreds, but, the problem is we stopped and closed the stud books on a small population of dogs and called them purebreds.

At one time breeders used to cull mismarked or not typical colored pups. I remember one breeder who had a few patch puppy dalmations PTS due to this being a major fault in the Dalmation. At one time she tried to place a few of these pups in pet homes, the owners started taking them in parades etc. word got out where the pups came from and her kennel was disdained by other breeders and show people. Basically it was keep your dirty little secrets well hidden. I have also dealt with many breeders of boxers who will have white boxer pups euthanized when born due to the health issues they experience. As for keeping a breed going and culling to control the excess. I think this is silly. If a breed is no longer popular then let it go, we have new breeds popping up every day there is no need to hold on to an aritficially inbreed small population of dogs as some sort of historic reminder of what we once had. Every purebreed was created by man by taking mongrels and inbreeding them to create a certain look and motor pattern and also hard wired behaviors which were perfect for a "certain" job. Human lifestyles have changed, so there fore dogs which may have been a bonus for us at one time are just not required any longer. Its not as if these purebreds are a seperate species which we have to perserve from extinction :lol: possibly if we ever wanted that look again we could just cross breed until we get that look again. Just my humble opinion, not always the popular one :wink: As far as modern breeders, any one I know who breeds have waiting lists. Some customers have been waiting for a pup for as long as 2 years. Breeders will sell pet quality and if they cannot keep all of the show quality they place them at no charge in homes of people who they have easy access to. Some times the pups which are kept are co-owned by more than one breeder, or they will sell a show quality pup to a customer and be their mentor. Also today, mismarked or inproper colored pups are not destroyed, it happens and they are sold as pet quality.

All of my friends who breed can spot their champion pup at about 6 weeks of age. Although its not that difficult to get a championship title on any dog, it depends greatly on who is handling the dog. All of my friends get their Canadian/American and Bermuda Championship titles on all of the dogs they keep or farm out...it doesnt take long at all for them. [quote]Ideally the pick puppy with all the wonderful physical attributes will have a great temperament, and for the lucky show person, even a showy personality (think of Josh at Westminster). [/quote] I have one of Josh's pups. Shenanigans, have you noticed that the Newf's being shown are not what the breed standard calls for? Breeders are looking for the next beautiful dog which catches the judges eye in a flashy manner. For my Newf's, they are not typical of what the breed should look like (years ago I had proper Newf's) and my Newf's are placed before the proper Newf's. I think in the Province of Newfoundland the have the right approach to a perfect Newfoundland dog...a Newf in that province is any thing which is black. Better genetics that way :wink:

Those PETA people sound like crazed lunatics :o I was just reading this portion of the thread [quote]8 ) We may not know as much about a mollusk’s ability to feel pain compared to a fishes’, but here at PETA we prefer to err on the side of compassion and urge people to avoid eating sea animals of any kind. Those who crave the taste of shrimp, scallops, and other “seafood” can be order vegetarian versions from May Wah at PETAMall.com. 9) As I mentioned above, there is no evidence that plants feel pain. Fish, however, have the capacity to experience fear and pain, have sensitive nerve endings in their lips and mouths, and begin to slowly die of suffocation the moment they are pulled out of water. [/quote] This got me thinking, we do not know much about head lice and other parasites ability to feel pain. So here on Dogomania, we have decided to release all of our poor unloved parasites (including scabies, head lice and other parasites) to the group of PETA. At PETA they may honor these lovely little parasites and provide a safe haven for them to thrive which would be their own bodies. It would be anti PETA to kill these poor little parasites who also deserve a place on this planet. Let us allow the PETA crew to be the host for these poorly misunderstood little creatures...I mean after all, all they want is a little blood, bile and love...all creatures deserve that right....don't they??? :wink: Just to add to this thread, I come from a family of hunters. We have enjoyed many delisious dinners of Caribou, white tailed deer, partridge, trout etc. This is what these creatures were put on this earth for. They are food. I hate to be blunt about it as I love to watch a deer run free etc. but, every animal has its reason for being on earth. One more thing to add, PETA seems to think that humans can survive as pure vegetarians....perhaps this day and age they could with the additions of tofu etc. into the diet to make up for the lost B vitamins. There are certain vitamins which can only be found in meat, man would not have survived if it were not for including meat in the diet. This is a known fact, and a reason why true vegetarians must be so careful when planning their vegetarian diet. How would our ancestors of yesteryear have figured out how to plan a veggie diet??? :roll: we humans are omnivorous.

[quote]about a month ago she finally got a steroid shot to stop the itching and started on frontline plus [/quote] You should also treat the environment for fleas as well. A dog with severe allergies to flea bites can still be bitten when on a topical treatment. There is a type of earth TDG mentioned before...this earth can be used to kill fleas in the environment. Hopefully TDG will see this and give us the name. The next thing is, you should be vacuuming your dogs sleeping areas daily, I would also apply a flea treatment to the dogs bedding, carpet, and outdoor areas, look for products containing oils or extracts of juniper, citronella, eucalyptus, cedar, Canadian fleabane, or citrus oil. Don't shampoo your dog too often as this can dry out her skin and cause added irritation. [quote]or if I should add some sort of oils to her diet to moisturize her skin more (her coat seems nice, but maybe it would help?) [/quote] I would definately be adding more omega 3 fattys acids to the dogs diet. Good sources for omega 3's are sardines, wild salmon, ground flax seeds/ or flax oil, haddock, and cod, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose, borage, and black currant seed oil. A combination of the Omega-3s and GLA seems to have the most potent effect. You can make your own topical treatment for the irritated area on your dog...you can make this spritz from a tea brewed from calendula flowers, spray on several times a day, directly to the lesion. Other herbs such as chamomile, yarrow , lavender , and mullein may also be added to the herbal brew. You may want to get an elizabethan collar from your vet to keep your dog from chewing at the sore area. You should also try to improve your dogs immunity. Some people like to detoxify first. Then add herbal liver helpers such as dandelion root , and milk thistle seeds. Also try to return the gut to a normal flora by adding beneficial bacteria by adding probiotics to the dogs diet, also increase the dietary fiber in your dogs diet. Also try to balance the immune system using herbs such as echinacea (don't use for more than 3 weeks), or you can use Siberian ginseng. I add astralagus to my dogs food, I find this works wonders in building the immune system (I use it myself in the winter to ward of colds and flues, it works) Its also a good idea to add immune enhancing supplements including vitamins C and A and zinc may also be helpful. For a natural anti-inflammatory or cortisone-like herb try licorice root...this may enhance the adrenal gland and also take some of the itch away. Some people find it beneficial to add raw meat in the dogs diet. A healthy immune system helps dogs deal with allergies. Some times over vaccinating a dog can add stress on the immune system as well making the immune system weak. Good luck to you :wink:

Here is an article for you to read. Good luck :wink: [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1551&articleid=2266[/url]

[quote]I would think it will come back to bite her in the hiney!! [/quote][b]Taurus and Jada[/b] Thats what we think at the shop I work at. My boss doesnt really care one way or the other on how some one else conducts their own business. We have just gotten involved as every groomer in the city is ticked off and has been calling my boss all upset. Its mainly the newer groomers who are most ticked off as they don't have a well established clientel. My boss does, and has to turn away some customers. My boss had said that once this groomer gets busy with grooming she will regret putting the add for advise in her phone advertisment. There is nothing more annoying than when you are trying to scissor a dog etc. and have the phone ringing off the hook. The vets are a little mad as she is advertising on skin problems. Its not a good idea to lose the respect of the local vets :wink: [quote]If she isn't required to have any legal certificates for nutrition/behaviour/grooming etc then she is within her right to advertise. [/quote] Kat, your right. I don't think there is any legislation which requires a person be licenced in each of these catagories. I suppose when you think about it most pet stores hire young people in high school etc. and they give out advise on diet/nutrition/behaviour/skin problems. :shock: :tard: Thanks for the opinions, I think at the shop I work at we will try not to get involved in this dispute. Leave it between the other groomers.

Just to see what every body else thinks of this, the local groomers and vets are very upset. In the yellow pages of our phone book (new phone books just came out) one of the groomers advertised in her ad the following. [quote]Exclusive professional dog grooming for small & medium sized dogs. Also offering advice on diet, nutrition, skin conditions & behavior problems[/quote] The fact that this women has not earned certification in any of the above catagories of nutrition, diet, skin conditions and she definately has not taken any courses in behavior , she is not a behaviorist and she has never taught obedience. This is what has many of the local vets, behaviorists and groomers most upset. This lady just started grooming about 5 years ago. The only courses she has attended on diet, nutrition and behavior problems are from the seminars all the local groomers attend together. My boss stated that the seminars on nutrition given at these seminars does not make you qualified to give advice on it, or at least advertise about giving advice. I mean, all dog groomers give hints and suggestions and will say things in a way as to not step on the toes of the vets. For instance my boss will say that she has tried a certain dog food and she has heard good things about it, or she has used a certain supplement and has had great success but talk to your vet first...etc etc. My boss has learned more about nutrition from posts I have read on this site :o for instance TDG and dogpaddle. But, just because I have read these posts does not make me qualified to give advise to customers...especially when it comes to skin problems etc. Any way, my boss is not upset..she doesnt really care :lol: its the other groomers who are freaked out and a local vet has written a letter to this groomer. My boss and I agree that this is going to be bad for this groomer...not only for the fact the vets (who are your best referrals) and other groomers now hate her (when you lose the support, advise and respect of your peers it can alienate you). My boss and I think this groomer is setting herself up for having her phone ringing of the hook from people looking for free health advise and training. So, IMO opinion I think the ad is going to come back and bite her on the butt. From knowing this girl what she is trying to do is make her self out to be a knowledgable dog person. She is also trying to make it seem as though she is better than the other groomers in this area. Believe me she has done things in the past to stir a hornets nest in the dog groomer circle a few times...once she took out a whole page ad in the newspaper stating how much better her shop was from all the other shops in town as she provided "gentle" grooming. The implimention was that all the other groomers are rough with the dogs :o :-? Any how, what do you guys think. Do you think its right for a person who just got into dogs 5 years ago and has taken a few courses at seminars (which all of the other groomers have taken as well) to be advertising that she is pretty much an expert in feilds other than grooming? Or do you think like I do and believe that you reap what you sow and she is going to be bombarded by calls and will live to regret that ad?

I wish you the best of luck with Patti. I myself would never be able to handle having to keep any of my dogs seperate...it would drive me crazy :lol: ...I have to admire some one for being so committed. Pick up the books rotten2 suggested and seek the help of a certified animal behaviorist who pratices positive training methods. I have also found the NIFIL policy works wonderful in my multie dog house hold.

[quote]I bet the stuff for her CHD is causing the deposits? I don’t know but it maybe something to think about[/quote] MajiesMom, you are a genius! I never even thought about the supplement I am giving her...perhaps I am responsible for these deposits :-? I hate to think I have been so deligent in giving her her supplements daily only to find out I have created a far worse problem :( The calified deposits were only first noticed about 3 years after I first started giving her these supplements. I feel horrible about this. Could you tell me more about hydrotherapy? I think I will stop giving her the CHD supplement for the time being and look into hydrotherapy. [quote]Can they be removed? Do they only show up in x-rays or can you feel them?[/quote] From the information I received from my vet, they do not remove the calcified deposits. I can't feel them and they were really hard to see on the x-ray...that is why we sent the x-rays to the vet college. We knew some thing was wrong, we just didn't know what. My vets know that if I say there is some thing wrong with my dog...there is some thing wrong with my dog :lol: last time one of my dogs was limping it turned out to be bone cancer :( [quote]Actually my fianc

Shenanigans is right, it is questionable. I know of many reputable breeders who are into 3 different breeds, one of my friends breeds & shows Tibetian spaniels, Dalmations and Dobies...she has been known to have many more than 23 dogs at a time. She also has a staff who takes care of her dogs. No, they are not all house dogs...she does have a couple of retired house dogs in the house though. Her dogs are well looked after and shown on the weekends...the reason she keeps so many...she has the space, the money and she loves to show. She has a hard time selling pups she feels may be next years top show dog. She also vaccinates her own dogs, the only vaccine she needs a vet to do by law is rabies...for this she has her friend who is a vet come down and vaccinate. My freind who breeds Newfoundlands currently has 12 Newfoundlands and a litter on the way. She also stays at home with them part time, when she is not there she has me come down to take care of them. She has a 2 acre feild fenced off for "play time". Her dogs are very well looked after and she does all of her own grooming...you wouldn't find so much as a heavy area with undercoat coming out :lol: she also brushes all of the dogs teeth daily, grooms them all weekly (or has me do it) and she takes them on the road. Her retired dogs live in her home. Her show dogs stay in the kennel. I don't think they have a bad life...and I certainly wouldn't consider her a back yard breeder. She is the head of Newfoundland dog rescue and she is also very much involved with the Newfoundland dog club of Canada. She is a peer to many other breeders and has been there to give advise to other breeders. [quote]She can tell which dog is barking simply by listening, she can detail each dogs personality to a tee and she can ID each dog flawlessly and when they're all black and hairy, it's easier said than done. I had a hard time picking out my own when we let him lose with the girls (he's neutered) for playtime. [/quote] It's funny that you mention that :lol: I was just thinking about my first day on the job with her 12 Newfoundland dogs...she had each dogs name written down and what they ate and what supplements each was on...she had introduced me to each of her dogs the day before and expected I would be able to tell them apart :o within 1 week I couldn't understand how I couldn't tell them apart...once you get used to them they are very very distinctive from each other. :lol: :wink: I still have a hard time with a new litter of puppies :roll: the breeders last litter consisted of 7 pups. She had them all named at 3 days of age...and she expected I could tell them apart..fat chance on that! I still don't know if she could tell them apart or if she was having fun with me letting me believe she could tell them apart :lol: :wink: $1500.00 is not a big price for a dog. My friend charges $2500.00 american for her dogs. If you can't pay it, then you really shouldn't have one in the first place :lol: :wink: I think the thing which sets reputable breeders apart from BYB is the fact that reputable breeders test all of their dogs for genetic disorders. Are very very picky about who buys there dogs...my friend will not sell a Newfoundland dog to any one with young children or planning on having children. Her simple way of thinking is that most times the dog is put on the back burner and neglected. She will not put her dogs in a situation like that. She keeps in touch with every one who buys one of her puppies and insists they send her updates and pictures via e-mails. She was once approached by a korean couple at a dog show, they offered her $10,000.00 for one of her dogs she was showing. She turned them down as the dog would be going much too far away. I guess it comes down to, when you are a responsible, reputable breeder you love all of your dogs as if they were your children. You are in it to "supposedly better the breed", and you invest alot of money into it. You are not in it to make big bucks.

About a year ago my Rottweiler Athena was diagnosed with Calcium depostits on her front legs. She had been limping on and off for weeks. After numerous vet appointments and myself and the vet studying the x-rays we finally had to send the x-rays away to the local vet college. They advised me that my Rottie has calcified deposits...my vet said there is no treatment :( I have been doing alot of research on calcified deposits and in all of my searchs I come up with zero information of what I should be doing. It doesnt seem to bother her all that much except after she has had a good run...this had lead me to modifying her actively levels and not letting her get too wound up with the other dogs and racing with them. She also has HD, this does not seem to bother her at all. This concerns me a great deal as she is only 5 years old and she seems to be falling apart. I do realize that both these conditions are hereditary (especially HD) the calcified deposits I am assuming are hereditary as the vets just brushed it off stating it is "common" for Rotties. My vet's only suggestion for my Rotties condition was to put her on metacam which is an anti inflammatory...I chose instead to use Yucca root which works well without ruining her liver. My question is, has anyone here had any experience with calcified deposits? how and what have you done for your dog including diet and supplements? is there additional information I should know which has not been given to me by my vet? I currently give her Nutri and GCM this product contains-Glucosamine HCL, Chondroitin Sulphate, MSM, Vitamin C, Mineral Manganese and for an anti inflammatory I use Yucca root (purchased from solid gold) I feed her a variety in her diet including some home made meals including raw meals and partially cooked meals, she gets lots of veggies and some fruits, I give her wheat germ in her food a few times a week, canned sardines & canned wild pacific salmon, ground organic flax seeds, hemp oil, organic live yogurt, probiotics, d-enzymes, occasionally dandelion root. For her stable kibble diet which I do not feed every meal I feed her solid gold or wellness (the only good quality foods I can get around here) Is there some thing I am missing, I hate to see Athena lame after she has played with the other dogs...and I also hate to see her miss out on having fun with the other dogs. Should I be cutting her activity level back more? or is there some thing I can do to control the pain caused by these deposits??? its so hard to keep one dog in a laid back life style while owning 5 other young dogs which want to play and run. :-? :(

Thanks for the information TDG, I am glad this came up. It never even occured to me that they would use this as a marketing ploy...poor naive me :lol: :wink:

Here is an article which may help you. [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1551&articleid=153[/url] Just to add, a 4 month old puppy should be on a tolit schedule. This is how you keep peace and order in your house hold. :wink: I would have a schedule for the pup, take pup out first thing in the morning 15-20 minutes after eating breakfast mid day before supper and 20 minutes after supper. just before bed time. Some times we make the mistake of allowing our dogs to train us the owners :wink: your pup is learning that by barking he is able to go out doors or get attention. For myself, I would never train a dog to bark to get what it wants...this can lead to a very annoying companion. Your pups schedule may be a little screwed up right now, but, dogs are very flexable..its time to make a new schedule. I think I would go bonkers if my 6 dogs barked every time they wanted to go out :lol: that would probably by every 15 minutes...not because they have to go to the bathroom...just because they want attention and want to go out side. My dogs have all learned to do their business before going to bed, they sleep through the night and then I take them out 1st thing in the morning. I was also looking after one of my dogs pups (the pup is 5 months) and this pup went the night without having to wake me up. The pup was learning good potty behavior from my adult dogs. :wink:

I agree with you HF. The only other thing I can add to this is I wouldn't even use a shock or prong collar as a last resort. I have seen dogs become much much worse with the use of a shock collar. As for Prong collars, I don't like them...and none of my friends who have been training and breeding dogs for years..some over 50 years...they do not like Prong collars either. We are asking our dogs to do some very undog like things...such as healing, sit when owner stops etc. if you make it fun for the dog they will learn because they want to please you...not because they are avoiding a punishment. Dogs taught with positive only training are easier to work with, are able to learn more and want to learn. Dogs taught with negetive training techniques learn quickly as well..but, they are learning by avoidance techniques...this leads to the dog not enjoying training and come to distrust their owners. I have rescued many dogs which could not be placed in normal homes due to behavioral problems. I have created wonderful, obedient dogs out of these wild things :wink: also owning 6 dogs, I can't always keep them on lead (I walk in the country) so for me positive only training has been the best choice I could have made. I can recall my Rottie from a potential rabbit chase, when I need to cross a pulp road I ask all of my dogs to heal so they are all with me when we cross...or if I hear an ATV coming I ask my dogs to heal until the ATV is gone. Positive only training is a no fail training method...for starters in the past with some dogs I trained using negetive training techniques, they may have been a little hesitant to come running right back to me right away, or perhaps pull on the lead when they felt they could get away with it. There is nothing more enjoyable than taking your dog into an obedience trial and every one wanting to watch your dog as it is having so much fun.

[quote]he wants to run into my next door Neighbor yard ..this can not be aloud my Neighbor has already said if see the dog in his yards its as good as dead [/quote] Can't say as though I blame your neighbor, there is nothing more annoying than having a neighbors dog use your yard as its own personal outhouse. For starters, living in such close quarters with your other neighbors...did you ask your parents if you can have fencing put up? Another thing is, any dog/pup will pull on its leash until they are taught how to properly walk on lead. With my dogs I like them to have a run before trying to train them. You may need to find a big fenced in area like a ball field, let your pup run and play and then start teaching him to walk properly on lead. I would highly advise you to enroll your pup in an obedience class. You will find this beneficial as you will meet other owners and puppies and perhaps make some play dates to get rid of some of that excess energy. [quote]and when i'm walking him he want to run or walk but he likes to stop in middle of cross walk and smell around i cant get him to move unless i drag him "afraid of hurting him"..so i pick him up..[/quote] You have a hound, hounds love to sniff and smell things. What I would do is to carry some great treats around and lure the pup away from the area he is smelling, or get excited and start play running with him and enticing him to play. You really need to start taking your pup to obedience classes. Bad dogs are created by naive owners...you can have a great dog by learning how to be a great owner.

[quote]for everything u read theres about 20 things that say do diffrent...i'm still doing postive training stuff ..my dad thinks being to nice to the dog thats why misbehaving so much...[/quote] There is a big difference between being "nice" to your dog and "spoiling" your dog. A dog which has no rules and rules the roost is a spoilt dog. This is due to the owner not enforcing any rules at all. You can create a wonderful dog by using the NIFIL program where the pup/dog has to earn every thing it receives. This gives you lots of control, and when the pup/dog is unsure of himself he will default to his earning behavior such as a sit command. Do as TDG advised and pick up the bood the other end of the leash... another good book to pick up is, "After you get your puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar

We have alot of dogs which come into our grooming facility which have major behavioral problems (the local animal behaviorist refers all of her fearful and other dogs with special needs to us). The owner of the grooming facility takes her days off to groom these dogs. They do not handle a stressful situation well when there are other dogs around and we may be in a hurry. The dogs pick up on this and it makes them anxious. With these problem dogs the owner makes sure her facility is quiet, no other dogs around and she is able to take her time. Another thing my boss suggests to her clients is of course to see a qualified animal behaviorist, and also to watch how "they" the owner is reacting to situations. If the owner gets nervous before they come to the appointment (they are nervous of how their dog is going to act) the dog will pick up on this tension and start getting nervous itself. Then on the drive over the owner is perhaps talking to the dog in a soothing tone (perhaps laced with a little bit of nervousness) and the dog is getting more nervous as its owner is acting differently and is trying to soothe it. Then they get to the clinic and they are a little defensive, perhaps holding the leash a little tighter and sweating perhaps a little. The dog is now getting freaked out as it can smell the change in its owner...if its owner is scared then the dog is certain to be scared as well and become defensive. My boss has have helped alot of clients by helping them to lessen "their" nervousness before coming in. She also advises when they get into the shop not to hold the dog tight in a defensive manner or coddle it in any way shape or form. Try to be happy. I read a few other suggestions from your other post where people stated you should make a few friendly visits and let your dog get to know the staff. That is a good idea, but, only if your visit is done when there are no appointments going on and every thing is quiet. Let your dog see the clinic when it is not hectic and there are no other animals waiting. Be happy when you get close to the clinic, start by getting a little excited. If you are happy at the clinic it will some times rub off on your dog. If you are not currently happy with your vet, ask around for suggestions of a vet who is running a laid back relaxed clinic. Some vets are comfortable and are not trying desperately to make enough money to pay a big staff etc. Go see a behaviorist and learn about body language for your self and some calming signals to give to your dog. Help your dog to feel confident in these situations. I have also found with some dogs that obedience can help them alot in a stressful situation. We had one client whose dog was uncontrollable/fearful/offensive, a vet wanted the Shepherd euthanized. The owner started coming to my boss at the grooming facility to have the dogs nails done. The dogs owner was more anxious than the dog! the dog was horrible at first and my boss was only able to clip off one nail each visit...they spanned the nail cutting procedure into a one nail a day job. My boss would first play with the Shepherd (at first he was not receptive to this) then she would put the Shepherd in the bathtub and ask the owner to stay with him and talk in a happy uppity voice...not anxious uppity :lol: one nail would be clipped the dog was rewarded and praised by both my boss and the owner and let loose to run around the shop (she only did the dog when she was officially closed and had no other clients) the owner also "liked" my boss so he was much more comfortable and relaxed about coming in. After about a year (the owner is still seeing an animal behaviorist as well) the dog is happy to come into the grooming shop (still done after hours) and greets the owner of the shop. The dog has improved in all aspects and the owner has found a new vet who likes his dog and the owner likes the vet...they never feel hurried or rushed and this has helped this dog improve...he is still fearful at times, but, he has improved 90%. Remember our dogs are very intune with their owners, if you are stressed, they will pick up on it and become stressed themselves. It's funny but heres a little story of one of our clients and how sensitive dogs are to their owners. Lady brings in her Lhasa to be groomed, the owner of the facility feels the dog over and informs ower the dog is too matted to be left in a long trim and will have to be shaved...our motto is "humanity before vanity". The owner picks up her Lhasa and is shocked at how the dog looks...she has always kept her dog in a long coat and this is the first time she needed to have it shaved. She takes the dog home and her husband and children start making fun of the dog...it looks funny,they laugh...they are treating the dog differently. The dog then starts hiding and acting different. The owner of the dog gets upset and thinks some thing happened to her dog while being groomed. The owner of the facility asks how every one is responding to the dogs new shaved look...the dog owner states that the family thinks the dog looks ugly and they have been laughing at the dog. The groomer tells the owner to ask every one to tell the dog she looks beautiful and treat the dog as they normally do...perhaps just making the dog feel a little more special since it has been shaved. The owner of the dog calls back a couple of days later and says her dog is back to its normal self since every one has been treating it normally again. Now when she can't keep the Lhasa brushed out and we need to shave, the family tells the dog how beautiful it looks and gushes over it. The dog feels like its special after the groom and enjoys the attention it gets after its been shaved. :wink: Heres a good article for you to read on dog body language [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1553&articleid=1135[/url]

With all of the litters I have helped raised in the past 30 years...from coming out of the birthing canal until they leave...I have NEVER seen a female dog scruff a pup or bite a pup. The only bitches I have heard about doing horrible things like these to pups were never bred again as they were bad mothers. As K said, mother dogs are quite gentle, they nudge they clean...they never nip or bite the puppies. I think some people have been watching too many wild life shows :roll: With puppies they learn about bite inhibitation from playing with the other pups. When one pup gets too rowdy and bites too hard the pup on the receiving end will yelp and not play with that particular pup for a little while. The rough pup learns that in order to play properly he/she has to control the level of the puppy bites. This is "learned" behavior. Next time your pup bites you, yelp and abruptly walk away ending the game. After some time out go back and play again...the pup will soon learn that to keep his play partner he will have to play in a much more softer manner. Remember as well, our pups explore the world with their mouths, just as human babies explore the world with their hands...would you scruff a human baby for picking up items and putting them in their mouth??? no, you would take the item away and give the baby another toy which is safe and will hold the interest. Another issue to point out is HOW you are playing with your pup. Don't encourage biting games and wrestling matches, tug o war. I find some owners are very naive when it comes to playing with their pups. If you encourage rough play, then you are creating a bad dog. You do not need to use forceful or negetive training procedures with pups and dogs. You can create a good dog by rewarding for good behavior and ignoring the bad behavior. Dogs will repeat actions which give it rewards or attention...so be sure to direct your pups good behavior by rewarding all the good things. I have trained all of my dogs with positive only training, all of my dogs were adults and had MANY bad behaviors, I was able to bring out the "good" dogs in each of them and have even gotten my obedience titles on my 4 Newfoundland dogs. My dogs are also eager to please me, there is nothing worse than seeing a person train there dogs using negetive training and the dog will obey, but, it is frightened of making a mistake...they are also usually afraid to try new things.

That really ticks me off :evil: I think alot of times its a marketing tool to sell puppies...for "some" reason people feel the need to aquire a wolf hybrid to make them selves feel special or make them selves feel tough. Around my area we have had a few people advertise for wolf hybrids for sale...I have called them up and asked...."where did you find a wolf??? in our province even biologists cannot find any native wolves left in our area :roll: we have lots of coyotes, but, no wolves. :lol: Here is a little article I found which I found interesting about the subject of wolf hybrids...this is from a person who races sled dogs and is also a biologist. [quote]I raced sled dog teams for over a dozen years, and can attest vigorously that the problems already visited on the driver even by a team of good working sled dogs need no exacerbation due to the addition of a wolf. People who sell huskies often claim "wolf blood", for it excites the novice into purchase. Perhaps it really just helps to sell pups that have no purebred pedigree and cannot be registered as purebreds. But what possible wolf trait would anyone want to add to a sled dog team? wolves are not faster or stronger, nor do they have more stamina than sled dogs. They do not take commands better, if they take them at all. I have never heard of even one wolf that has demonstrated top racing or freight-pulling ability. The very important distinction between dogs and wolves is that wolves may be smarter and able to learn more, but they cannot be taught much using instrumental conditioning. Dogs have been described as just smart enough to do a job and just dumb enough to do it. They are without peer in the animal world in responding positively to instrumental conditioning. [/quote] Most people cannot even handle ordinary dogs, its scary to think people can even "think" they could keep a wolf hybrid. I think they are dangerous and can be more so dangerous as they "think" differently from dogs. They have the ability to figure things out and are quite good escape artists. The only positive thing about this is that many of the so-called wolf hybrids do not have any wolf in them at all. Some times owners of mixed breed dogs will use this as a marketing scheme...for some sick reason the moment some one hears a dog may have wolf blood in it...it excites them and gives them some sort of odd power. We have a few clients which come into the vet clinic I work at which "one of our own vets" told them their dogs had coyote in them :roll: it almost makes the owner so happy they almost pee them selves right there...then they go around bragging, yeah, my vet told me my dog has coyote in it...look at me, I'm a some body now. I don't know what ever possessed this vet to tell these owners this ludicrous story...it boggles my mind. To me the dogs look like Belgian Turvern crosses. People, they really make me wonder some times. :-?

Here is an article for you to read, its mainly about sneezing. It does give lots of information and also touches on nasal discharge. [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1611&articleid=479[/url]

All mammals can be infected by contact with rabid individuals of any other species. It's interesting that prey animals and predators take on different forms of the rabies disease. For instance a raccoon is more likely to display the "rage" signs of the disease where a cow which is bitten by an infected raccon (for instance) is more likely to develp the "paralytic" form of rabies. The point of entry of the virus determines how quickly the disease progression. For instance an animal bitten on the toe may be slower to exhibit the disease than another that has been bitten in the upper leg. I was also reading else where that you should be on the alert if you ever see a bat out during the day, or in an area where bats do not usually go. Bats with rabies will not try to get away from you. This can make it especially dangerous as they are easy to approach.

[quote]I am just curious Cassie but why don't you have them all spayed and neutered? Are you breeding them?[/quote] Cairn6, all of my friends are reputable breeders. Over the years my friends have always placed their top quality show dogs with me. They are still bred occasionally. Acutally with my current Newfoundland dogs my oldest bitch Cassie was just signed over to me at the age of 5...at this time I am legally allowed to have them spayed (which the breeder pays for :wink: ) but, until that time none of my purebred Newfoundlands legally belong to me. For instance my boy Gil, his father is Josh the Newf that just won the Westminister dog show...he is co-owned by 2 breeders. Same with Dilon and Tori...they are co-owned by 2 breeders and I am their "agent"....or just the person who loves them and takes them for hikes :wink: So in other words, I have 4 Newfoundland dogs at home, one which belongs to me which is spayed...the other 3 belong to the breeder...why do I do it? I get 4 Newfoundland dogs for free, their food is paid for by the breeder, their vet bills are all paid for by the breeder, obedience lessons are all paid for by the breeder, when I was working on getting my CD obedience titles on my Newf's all entry fees for the shows were paid for by the breeder. When they are no longer used for breeding they are signed over to me and spayed/neutered by the breeder. My Rottie and Dobie mix are rescues and I had both of these dogs spayed and neutered as soon as I could. Athena was spayed 2 days after I adopted her and Beau; where he was malnourished and not healthy enough to have neutered right away was done after I had him for 3 months...I had him to the vet every week for wellness checks to ensure he was healthy enough to go under anesthesia. So thats my story. I have never paid any money to purchase a dog in my life...I am very fortunate to have friends willing to give me their "best" dogs. The only down fall is when my bitch is bred she goes back to the breeders to whelp. Show season can also be stressful as my dogs are being hauled off to dog shows. All of my dogs are champions in 3 countries, but, the breeder likes to take them past their championship titles and is currently working on specializing the boys.

[quote]but she is an aggressive female who marks her territory like a male, lol. I have been told that might help curb the behavior in her.[/quote] Don't get your hopes up :-? I own 3 female dogs, 1 which is not spayed and 2 which are spayed...the most dominant dog I have is one of my spayed bitches. She is a Rottweiler and is a more dominant breed than my other 2 bitches which are Newfoundlands. My spayed Rottie marks and will try to get her urine marks as high as she can get them. That is just her, and I addressed her dominant issues as a "behavior problem" not a hormonal issue. Most aggressive tendancies are "created" by allowing our dogs away with alot. I found a big difference in my Rottie with the NIFIL policy where she has to earn every thing she gets. With all of my dogs I use this policy, when you have 6 dogs and 2 are intact males and you have an intact bitch you have to have rules. I found this works great for keeping order in my house hold. So, my suggestion to you is, if you have an aggression issue with your bitch work on the behavioral problem itself. Make sure you seek the advise of a certified animal behaviorist. Of course, get her spayed as well...spaying is just a smart idea all the way around. :wink:

I am glad Pepsi found a home, that is wonderful. [quote]well after the one post about the two females fighting maybe it was better i didnt get her. [/quote] Fighting amoung dogs can be avoided and can be prevented in most cases (depending on the breed). I have always had a multi dog house hold with intact males and intact females all kept together at all times. I have never had any problems with dog fights. All of my dogs know their place and I have the NIFIL policy in place. Currently I have 3 females (1 which is not spayed) and 3 males (2 which are intact, 1 neutered) I have never had a problems with any of these dogs fighting. They sleep together, live together and are never seperated. Except when my bitch comes into heat of course :wink: then she goes back to the kennel.