Sanvean

*Hugs* to both you and Zebra. I'm so sorry about his poor hips...we will all be praying for both of you! My goal one day is to open a foundation that will help people pay for their pets' medical costs when they can't afford them...I even have a name picked out: The St. Martin de Porres Foundation. (He is one of my fave saints...he even had an animal hospital in 16th-century Panama, when veterinary care was unheard of.)

[quote name='Aroura']What makes the breed great has nothing to do with its fighting ability, its the loyalty and big heart that makes this breed one of a kind, some people just can't see that :-?[/quote] Well said!

Macy eats NB and loves it, especially her "tubes" (that's our name for the rolls).

Well, it would depend on the dog. If Macy, who is a tiny little thing, had attacked a person or another animal, I would probably consult a behaviorist before euthanizing her. HOWEVER, that is only because she couldn't cause much real damage. If she were larger, I would probably have her PTS immediately. I have a question for "Your Special Guest" -- why do you only show up here to discuss aggressive dogs?

I think the mastiff you're referring to is a brindle color, not nec. a separate breed of mastiff. You may want to check out this site from the Mastiff Club of America. They have info on choosing a breeder and will provide recommendations for a small fee: [url]http://mastiff.org/faq/breedref.mv[/url] The site's FAQ says pups generally cost $800 to $1500.

I didn't say "not knowledgeable," I said "not experienced" :D

I bet he's darling! (Btw, I just responded to your other post on the Akita thread). You can tell by their teeth, but I'm afraid I can't tell you how! I'm sure the vet will be able to give you an estimate, though :D

I'm sorry about your Akita :( I'm surprised that someone recommended you get a Lhasa...I've always heard that they can be a little bit moody. I prefer Shih Tzus or Havanese for families with kids (as far as small dogs go), but I'm glad your baby has worked out for you :D

What a wonderful thing you do! (Btw, where are you in Michigan? I'm in the Lansing area.)

Maybe you could do different holidays, like Halloween and Christmas bandanas? That would be super cute!

Momtomany, are you from the Catholic Women forum? (My username is Sanvean over there, as well.) I certainly sympathize with livestock owners whose animals are harrassed, but what this guy did was pretty appalling...it didn't sound like the cattle were in any danger, and shooting a pet in front of its young owners is abominable.

I agree with HF about Akitas, too. I also am certainly not in favor of BSL, but I do NOT like the idea of this breed (or chows, or a LOT of the northern breeds) being in inexperienced hands.

#225 here!

Well, you could use those humane traps. Or if those don't work, the old-fashioned mouse traps (though I love mice and just hate to kill them!). Whatever you do, don't use glue traps...they're are horribly inhumane.

I think it sounds like submissive urination. He is trying to appease you, so it's very important not to yell at him or act angry, because that will just worsen the problem. Check out these sites: [url]http://www.perfectpaws.com/subr.html[/url] [url]http://www.terrier.com/advice/submissive.php3[/url] [url]http://www.scvhumane.org/behavior/dog/subm_urination.htm[/url]

That's darling! My rescue group had a li'l pit puppy, Mitzi, who had Test 5 down pat. She was sitting on my lap at a recent adoption and sticking her cute little nose right in my ear. I love it when they do that :D

I can't see the photo when I click on the link, either :(

That's horrific! I think I have an idea what might be a just punishment for that guy...tie him to a car and then go about 60 mph and see if HE can keep up.

We're so excited to hear how it goes!

Simon, I agree with you that some of the posts are a bit harsh. But I disagree that "everyone has to start somewhere." This woman bred two dogs -- of a breed that should only be bred by the MOST experienced of breeders -- with no thought as to the most basic elements of whelping. That does certainly lead one to the assumption that she doesn't know much about health, temperament or conformation, either. The last thing the world needs is more pitbull puppies who are badly bred. I don't know about you, but in our area, we're drowning in them (and I don't even live in a particularly large city). No other group in the area takes them -- and my little no-kill group can't handle all of unwanted ones, by any means. While I have no intentions of breeding dogs in the future, I would certainly hope that I would do extensive reading and find an experienced mentor before undertaking something of the kind.

Seven weeks is quite young to get a puppy, but I know some people who think the pup "bonds" better with the owner. (But then, I own a toy breed, and they usually stay with mom till 12 weeks!) A pup this age really cannot be housetrained. They are just infants, still -- it would be like expecting a 6-month-old human baby to use the toilet. Just keep a CONSTANT eye on him, and take him out after he eats, drinks or naps. I would skip the papertraining, personally -- I think it just adds an extra step.You should also consider crate-training your baby, though you really cannot expect so young a pup to go too long without having an accident. This site has lots of good info: [url]http://users.visi.net/~lfleck/grreat/booklet/housebk.html[/url]

I can't see the photos, either...is there a Web site where we can look?

Riesa, ignore the guest. As our last publisher at the paper used to say about anonymous letters, "If someone can't put their name to something, their opinion isn't even worth considering." The babies are absolutely darling.

Good suggestion about the yogurt! I will try that. She's in the x-pen during the day because she's crated at night. We hated the thought of leaving her in the crate all day and all night, too. I certainly agree, though...if she has another accident in her pen, she'll be back in the crate until we think she's more reliable.

I agree that many rescue dogs can have special needs...that was part of the reason that we got Macy from a breeder. (She was an adult who had been retired, though, not a pup.) I looked for a rescue Maltese, but most of the ones I found were either very elderly, bad with kids or bad with cats. However, I would not say that it is universally true that rescue dogs are more work, either. In some cases, they are LESS because of prior training and for the simple fact that they are adults. For example, we just got a gorgeous GSD whose obedience is flawless. He was actually trained to be a police dog but was rejected because of hip issues (his were only rated good, not excellent). He's being given up because his owner's new boyfriend "doesn't like dogs." This is his photo -- isn't he handsome? [img]http://www.petfinder.com/fotos/MI132.2006310.jpg[/img] As for your terriers, I don't see too many of them languishing in shelters! I don't think my group has ever had a Westie, a Cairn OR a Scottie. However, I do still feel that dogs should conform to the standard, so that a breeder should at least be familiar with it, even if he/she doesn't choose to show dogs.