kendalyn

[quote]does not breed dogs of their breed to be bigger than the breed standard. ( IE does not use giant, king sized, bigger is better as a selling point.)[/quote] I would add smaller to this also. Lots of times small breeds are advertised to be extra small (teacup, peanut, etc...) You could change it to: does not breed dogs of their breed to be bigger or smaller than the breed standard. ( IE does not use giant, king sized, bigger is better, teacup, tiny, super small) as a selling point. [quote]is usually involved in rescue at some level [/quote] I don't think it's necessary to be involved in rescue to be a good breeder. It would be nice but it doesn't have much to do with the puppies they are selling. [quote]takes back the dogs of thier breeding [/quote] I would explain this more. It sounds like the breeder would not let someone keep a dog permanently. We know what it means, but someone else might not.

[quote]Once I read that someone suggested taking a spray bottle with their own pee and spray it on top of the dogs outside[/quote] ewww :-? I don't think I could collect my own pee and spray it in my backyard. That's really weird. How would the dog know that the pee belonged to you? And wouldn't he just mark over it? Very strange

Thanks! But I meant did you have to go to the vet for the test? Sounds like you did

I was walking Buck today and one of the houses we usually go past has a huge mole problem so of course Buck likes to take some time sniffing. I don't let him go up into the yard, but I do let him sniff the grass near the sidewalk. The neighbor of the house with the mole problem was out getting his mail and he said, "You know, if you let him stop to sniff like that, he'll think he's in charge of you." I just said, "It hasn't been a problem but thanks for the tip." I've never had a dominance problem with Buck and we do NILIF and all that, but is he right? If you're dealing with a dog who has dominance issues is it a bad idea to let them stop and sniff on a walk? I figure it's ok for Buck as long as I can tell him "lets go" and he'll stop sniffing and come along. I hardly ever do that though because I figure it's his walk and if he wants to stop and sniff around a little, it's ok with me (as long as he's not sniffing something he's not supposed to like someone's crotch :lol: ) What do you guys think?

wow, that's really interesting. How do you test for that?

Sounds like a good plan! Hope it works out for you :-)

What a wacko! :-?

Congratulations! You are a busy lady! :lol:

I like the hard sided airline crates too. The wire ones are too open. I think the dog feels like it's more of a "den" if it has hard sides. I know some people who like the X-pens. They are portable and easy to set up and give the dog some extra roaming space. I'm not sure about cost.

It's good that he backed down when you stood up to him. Keep doing it and don't let him get away with that stuff! :) Maybe he was more defensive because he was in an enclosed area under the table and felt cornered? You could try getting him out of there before you take whatever it is he has next time.

Does it really get cold enough in LA to require a dog to wear a sweater!? :lol: I'll bet he would look really cute though :-) I'll bet there are sweaters made especially for pitbulls... Maybe check out some online pitbull specific stores.

uh oh, the jig is up! Have you ever seen Survivor? That's how some people get really far. They lay low the whole time and don't make any fuss until the end when it's too late to vote them out! :lol: Seems like maybe that is Laurel's strategy! :D

That's really rough. My 10 year old Standard Poodle Kody died in a similar way, only the vets never could find out what was wrong with him. He stopped eating and withered away before our eyes as we were trying to save him. It was horrible and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. Good luck to your friend and Razzle. :cry:

I think there are a lot of red flags with this breeder. First from the size of your dog I think this guy is breeding mainly for size and color. That's not a good thing. Is it possible some other larger breed was once mixed in? Second, you said he was advertising him specifically as a stud dog even though no health tests at all were done and this is a puppy! Who knows what his health and temperment could be? Also, not good Third, none of his other dogs were health tested. What about this breeder makes you think he is responsible? I can't really think of anything...

I think the point is that when you buy something (anything not just dogs) it's a way of voicing an opinion. By buying from a breeder who is most likely less than responsible you are saying it's ok for them to do what they are doing. Some people don't see it like that and just want a nice puppy that they fell in love with. Other people see it as a bigger picture and are unwilling to contribute to a growing problem not matter how cute the puppy is. It's simply a difference in point of view. It's easy to say, "I don't buy from irresponsible breeders... except when one of the puppies is really really cute and I fall totally in love with him." How strong is that statement? I say Think Globally Act Locally and avoid buying from unscrupulous breeders. Yes, I know that the puppies produced by irresponsible people are usually the ones that end up in shelters, but I'd rather get them there and not line the pockets of the bad breeders.

I think there are 2 schools of thought on cropping. Some people think that older is actually better because the ear has had time to gain some shape and there will be less need for taping or "training" the ear to stand up. I would talk to the vet personally and look at some pictures of previous dogs he has cropped. It's kind of an artistic thing and you want to make sure he knows what you want and is able to do it. I prefer the uncropped look but I wouldn't go so far to say that it is cruel to do it to your dog. I'd prefer people didn't do it, but if they're going to, obviously they need to have it done right (no backyard hack jobs).

I notice that Diallo and Drey are males and both have their ears cropped and Deja is a female and you left her ears natural. Is that a coincidence or do you prefer males sport the cropped look? I'm just curious is all :)

Oh, yeah! That makes sense :wink:

Contamination? I really doubt feeding Iams once is going to have much of an effect later on.

You're not a bad mom! You tried it and it didn't work so you're not giving it to her anymore. I'm sure she's forgiven you! :-) I'm like you, I hate to see something wasted. I probably would have given it to Buck too. I agree with you though about the purebred vs. mutt feeding thing. Buck can eat anything and doesn't have a problem. Kody, my Standard Poodle (passed away) did not do well with food changes.

Yeah, he's really big for 15 weeks! How were his parent's hips? I'll bet you guys are having a ball :)

good post Courtnek, I agree whole heartedly. Sternberg has no place in the dog rescue world. :x

I have no idea. You're probably going to have to see a vet for something like this.

Glad it's going well with the new guy :)

I think some people think that the dog park is a place where their dog can just do whatever it pleases. :roll: