pyrless

Wow. He says "Mom"? That's great!

hee hee! :D Sasha actually says woof. Well, more like [b]"WOOF!"[/b] She has never uttered a whine a day in her life. If I am leaving for a walk with one of the other dogs she makes this donkey-like sound of frustration. Really! It sounds like "EEEEEYORE"... Taz grumbles and whines and yelps and barks and generally has his own vocabulary... Muffin (the Pom) makes this chirping noise that kind of sounds like a cat, which REALLY confuses the cat! :D

[quote name='"__crazy_canine__"']The Great Pyr won Working Group.... my canine science teacher said its coat was incorrect. :-? Wonder if hes right.... no. for one thing he would never have gotten that far with an "incorrect" coat, and I can tell you from looking at him that his coat was fine. it looks a little fluffy when the dog is clean and groomed for a show, but trust me, once the judge gets his hands on it, well, once [i]anyone [/i] gets their hands on it, you can tell the difference in a Pyr's coat from, say, a Samoyed's coat, which is stand-off, and incorrect type in the Pyr. Is this what your teacher meant? If he meant markings that is also correct-the Pyr can have up to 1/3 of his body marked as long as it gives the impression of being overall white. :wink:

you guys are great! i want to live where i can have four or five Pyrs that are real livestock-guardian dogs, many acres, perhaps an alpaca farm...and work as a vet tech-the clients are better than in the law business! :roll:

same goes for elkhounds too! (except it's moose, not elk...)

I think this goes back to the old AKC tradition of two groups-sporting and non,they must have shown all the retrievers together, all the spaniels together, etc. At least I think so!

Seijun, I love the photo in your avatar! I guess that kind of sums up the personality, eh? :D

yes, that was him at the national championship! i was very disappointed then too! I can't wait to see how it turns out...

So happy to see a beautiful Pyr get to compete for Best in Show...i know all you folks have your favorites too but cross paws for this one, it is, I believe, his last show. Wouldn't it be great to go out with a Westminster win! :D (that norfolk terrier will be tough though!)

aside from the idiots that think sasha is a polar bear... :roll: a lot of folks ask if she is a white st. bernard or a white newfoundland. some genius thought she was a husky. and some one else asked if she was a big Golden...???

Thank You! I look forward to it, and again, this has been a really great topic!

does a sin of omission count? :wink: my elkhound/collie mix is mistaken for [i]everything[/i], GSD, Belgian tervuren, husky, even wolf. Sometimes I just don't feel like explaining what a Norwegian elkhound is so I tell people i don't know.... :roll:

i saw somewhere in a magazine about the ancient "types" of dogs, spitz, molossus and sighthound. ie dogs as they naturally occur. so maybe we should think of our purebreds as "types".... where did you find this book, i would like to read it too! :D

Matty, I like what you said about "purebred" being a misnomer. And also what you said in response to my post does make perfect sense! :wink: This is a very interesting and informative topic! i am always seeing things on National Geographic or the Discovery channel about the village dogs (scavengers) and the pariah dogs. As much as I love the Pyr and respect what the old-school French and American breeders have done for it, I also like the idea that the so-called pariah dogs kind of evolved without us (humans).

I think it's important to remember that so people know they're not getting a Shephard/Husky mix, they're getting a totally unique mix of various breeds.[/quote] i think that for people like us on the board that is accurate because we have more than a passing interest in dogs and their behavior. however for joe average dog owner who goes to the pound i don't think there is anything wrong with saying "shepherd/husky" or whatever if the physical characteristics and behavior of the dog seem to indicate that. why confuse the issue? people by nature like to label things and will tend to simplify things. as long as they treat the dog well and accept its unpredictable characteristics, what difference does it really make, except to the shepherd and husky fanciers who might know better?

first of all, she is adorable! :wink: i have a pyr so i feel your pain... :o i tried everything under the sun until i realized that sasha has a good grasp of "NO", so one day I gave her one warning bark and after the second one, said "NO" and she stopped. Unbelievable. However this only works in the house. If she really gets going outside I bring her in immediately and put her in her crate for a "timeout" with a fun toy or treat. Basically Sassy needs a good grasp of "NO" and a good recall and you should be able to control the barking. The best thing to do is start out with some leadership/obedience, either in a class or on your own, so she learns to listen when you speak. If she really is too off the wall you might want to call a professional behaviorist to evaluate the situation. Good luck!

Give the girl a break, you guys.

I just wanted to say that these conformation shows exist primarily to evaluate and reward excellent breeding stock. The dogs are not winning because they are "pretty", they win because they closely or exactly match a very stringent set of standards written by the parent breed club, which illustrate how a dog is to be put together, and how its temperament should be, to properly and successfully accomplish the task it is meant to perform. These standards have often remained unchanged for decades. For example, my Pyr is by no means "show quality". Her front and rear angulation is very straight. Which is fine for living a life of relative luxury in my city home :wink: but would not give her the proper flexibility of movement needed on the steep slopes of the Pyrenees. I really don't think it is a waste of time to pursue a better dog, and those championship points do mean something.

I think Edgar has some really good ideas. I have to tell you though, my first reaction was euthanasia, due to the unpredictability of the dog's behavior. Just IMHO.

no, i have no idea BUT i think there are directions in the Pictures section? If you post there someone can help you! This is kind of off-topic, but I have wanted to go to Alaska since I was a kid. What's it like to live there? (you can PM me if you want.) :wink:

That's ok. The dog in your avatar is gorgeous, and I see you live in Alaska, what better place to have Huskies! Do you sled with your dogs? This is something I have always wanted to try.

well, i don't have a maltese BUT i do have a dog named Taz! And I am a sucker for white dogs, the Maltese is a cutie!

Thanks everyone! I think the cranberry is a great idea, hey, it works for us, right? :wink:

well, not every dog is that clear cut, but some crossbreeds are, in the cases where the parentage of a cross or mix is definitely known. aside from that, we're just guessing! :P

YOU GOT HER! YOU GOT HER!!!!!!!!! Oh, i am so happy for you, she is absolutely gorgeous! (not that i am biased in any way... :wink: ) how old is she? I knew there would be a pyrfect dog for you....Tell me all! You will be so happy. Remember , ANYTHING I can help you with, you let me know!