Seijun

Children are cruel no matter what is seems.. I was teased all the way from 1st grade through 8th grade and the only thing "different" about me was that I wore glasses. It was weird that they hated me so much, because everyone knew and liked my mom- they called her the Bird Lady because she would come in every year with the Harris hawk and do a presentation on them. ~Seij

My take on things: If it's ok to breastfeed a human baby, what's wrong with breastfeeding a puppy? ~Seij

It could be either sable or agouti. I don't think the undercoat matters for either one. One thing I am confused about though, is that one site I read says agouti and sable are the same thing, but huskycolors.com has it as two different colors. Each says that for both the hairs are banded with individual colors, so I don't know what the difference is. I think agouti is a little darker than sable though, that's the impression I was given from looking at the pictures. ~Seij

[quote]Dog behaviour experts expressed alarm that a woman was breastfeeding a puppy, fearing it could result in savage behaviour. [/quote] Oh puhhLEASE! If a dog breastfeeds off a mother dog it does not grow up "savage", why should it be any different for a dog who breastfeeds on a human?? I can understand if the dog might grow up with a problem jumping on people, but I hardly think it's enough to make the dog "savage". Plus I don't see this woman's single action of breastfeeding a puppy as being a serious enough thing to warrent her a trip to the phsychiatrist. It is strange yes, but people do plenty of other things that are MUCH stranger. Perhaps she has a historry of mental illness, I don't know-I just don't think it is fair to treat this woman in that way just because she does things differently. [url]http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3101393a11,00.html[/url] [quote]Psychiatric treatment for woman who breastfed puppy 19 November 2004 By KAREN HODGE A woman who had been breastfeeding her puppy so it would grow up to protect her baby daughter is understood to be in a psychiatric unit. Kura Tumanako, of Hastings, said this week that she was breastfeeding her Staffordshire bull terrier twice a day because her own baby had stopped taking her milk. Ms Tumanako, who is in her 30s, is reported to have said she did not want her breast milk to go to waste and wanted her puppy to grow up protecting her baby. The Dominion Post understands she was being treated in the Hawke's Bay Hospital mental health unit yesterday. A spokesperson for the Hawke's Bay District Health Board could not confirm Ms Tumanako was a patient in the unit because of privacy issues. An associate of Ms Tumanako described her as a "lost soul". It was not known who was caring for her three-month-old baby or the dog. Dog behaviour experts expressed alarm that a woman was breastfeeding a puppy, fearing it could result in savage behaviour. [/quote] ~Seij

That's pretty cool Court :D What was the name of the place? Wolf Park lets you go in with the wolves, it's pretty cool, they really know what they are doing there so you aren't in any danger by being in the pen with the wolves. It is supervised and they can tell even before you go in if there might be trouble, like if one of the wolves doesn't really like your presence, so they can prevent you from going in and perhaps being in danger. They only let you in the most social wolves too, so you can watch their interactions without being a disturbance. ~Seij

Here's a few [url]http://skyway.usask.ca/~schmutz/dogcolors.html[/url] [url]http://bowlingsite.mcf.com/Genetics/ColorGen.html[/url] [url]http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~brown/dogs/genetics/color-genetics.htm[/url] ~Seij

Pyrless, the problem is that it is impossible to prove beyond reason of a doubt, even with papers (ESPECIALLY with papers it seems, since papers are often falsified). Yet papers are still used whenever possible as "proof" that a dog is/isn't part wolf. In this case I don't know if the dog has papers, and even if it did it wouldn't matter since they want the papers for 4 generations to prove mal, not just the paper documentation for those two individual dogs. If papers aren't available, they just use "expert opinion", which to them seems as good as "beyond reason of a doubt". Stinky system. :-? Pumpkin: :lol: I had to laugh when I saw your comment on water. Someone mentoned once (not sure where) that they knew a wolfdog breeder who culled all the pups that lapped water, under the conclusion that dogs who didn't lap water had more wolf in them. Wolves can lap OR "sip", neither one proves wolf inheritance. What I mean by wolf behavior is more the intensity of their behavior-i.e, communication skills, awareness of suroundings, reactions to stimuli, etc. It's difficult to describe, something you understand best by seeing it for yourself. That's cute the way you describe your dog :D Regurgitation of food is something I have always been curious about. Apparently it can happen in pure dogs but it is not usual unless there is a need for it. Some wolfdogs will regurgitate food regardless of their being a "need" to. ~Seij

Your malamute, like hers, could pass as pure. At only 1/8 wolf though, it is entirely normal for wolf looks and behavior to be gone. When content gets that low, no one, and I mean NO one, expert or not, would be able to tell if it was part wolf. With any northern mix or "pure" that is rescued or comes from a bad breeder, there is [b]always[/b] going to be that [i]slight[/i] risk that there is wolf somewhere in the background. "true" wolfdogs are fairly uncommon though compared to the number of misrepresented ones, so in most cases if the dog doesn't look wolf, and doesn't act wolf, most rescuers will just call it a dog unless they find out it had a history of being called a wolfdog, it came from a supposed wolfdog breeder, or they find out that wolf was supposedly added way back in the line. As for your question on who decides what is wolf and what isn't, most rescuers follow a seriously flawed identification system set up by the HSUS. In a court case like this, "experts" can include wolf/wolfdog experts/rescuers, northern breed experts/rescuers, vets, and AC officers. USUALLY, a vet or AC officer is used as an expert, unfortunate because these people most likely had absolutely no training on identifying wolfdogs, but are called in as experts because, as a vet and AC officer, they are regarded as canine experts by the public because canines are what they specialize in. On some occasions, a wolf or wolfdog expert is called in to give his opinion-unfortunate again because many so called wolf and wolfdog experts are NOT what they claim to be. Northern breed rescuers are probably the best to use as "experts". Having had a LOT of experience in northern breeds, they will know if the dogs looks like just a plain northern mix dog, or if it truly is something "different". When telling a wolfdog from dog, looks are most often what the conclusion is based on. If it looks like a wolf, it can be called part wolf. There is no sure-fire way of telling a wolfdog from dog though, and it was once told to me that unless the animal is over 80% wolf, you can never be 100% sure that it is part wolf and not just a pure dog that happens to look a lot like a wolf. This is something I must say I have to agree with. In our case, we have a mal rescuer and a wolfdog "expert"/rescuer/not sure which or who exactly who will be there to help defend the woman's claim that the dogs are mals. Like I said earlier however, there is of course always going to be a [i]minute[/i] chance that they do have wolf background (this could be said for ANY mixed breed dog or dog who came from a bad breeder or breeder who does not keep long-term accurate records on the dogs). BUT, because they do not look or act like hybrids, and they have no history of being called or sold as such, there is nothing anyone can do to prove they are part wolf. With absolutely no reason to suspect wolf inheritance anyway, there is no reason why they shouldn't be called just plain dogs, and no relevent reason why anyone should think they are anything [b]but[/b] dogs. In all reality, the chance that they are part wolf would be incredibly small, especially considering that they came from a mal breeder and have always been called malamutes. It has always been my opinion though that if it is low as 1/8, and/or the animal is several generations removed from a pure wolf, does not act or even look like a wolf, it should no longer be considered a *wolf*dog. The whole point of a wolfdog being a wolfdog is that it has RECENT wolf inheritance. Many people beleive that a wolfdog should be considered a dog by the time it is 5 generations removed from a wolf (each generation having been bred with a dog, not with another wolfdog). Bengals for instance are considered domestic by the fifth generaion in many places. ~Seij

We have some malamute people coming in to help testify that they are not wolfdogs. ~Seij

Hmmm, that is strange that she breats-feeds the pup but not her own infant. I see nothing wrong with breast-feeding an animal yourself, it's just a bit "different" I guess... :/ ~Seij

[quote name='courtnek']correct me if I'm wrong, but arent Mals and Huskies the closest things to wolves, in the gene pool? THIS IS SOOO WRONG!!!@!! [/quote] Although huskies and mals are closer to wolves in temperament than any other breed, some recent studies showed that they were not the closest genetically. I don't remember what breed was closest though. The woman got her dogs from a friend. The dogs did come from a mal breeder but they must either not know the breeder or the breeder has disappeared because they don't seem to have contributed to the saving of the dogs they produced. Perhaps I am just being pre-judgmental though, all I know is that I have heard nothing of the breeder-only that they did exist at one point. Regardless, the dogs have no history of being called wolfdogs and they don't even look or act like one. Junk like this happens so much, I'm sick of it. ~Seij (for the woofer in my avatar, who thinks at times that she is a Malamute)

I will keep you all UTD when results start coming up. Malamum, I will visit the forum for you, thanks for posting the link. I have been looking for a mal forum for a long time. ~Seij

I, as well as a practical army of others, am currently trying to help out with this poor woman's case. She is taking this to trial soon. They wanted her to prove that they were mals for at least 4 generations which she couldn't do. Her mals have light brown eyes, and light eyes was supposed to be a sign of wolf inheritance according to the HSUS, that is why I asked earlier for pics of mals with light eyes. She should have enough pictures now to help prove that mals CAN have light eyes. She sent us (the wolfdog community) pics of her babes, and they are as malamute as ever, just with slightly bigger ears and small feet, perhaps from poor breeding. Anyway, there is absolutely NOTHING wolfy about them and the word of a neighbor is all they have saying they are wolfdogs. She SHOULD be able to win this case but knowing those wackos, they might do anything to "prove" they are wolfdogs. This place has a history of confiscating "wolf hybrids" who are dogs. They once confiscated a purebred Irish wolfhound as a "hybrid". Unfortunately stuff like this happens a LOT. EVERY time a place bans wolfdogs innocent dogs suffer because people mislabel them. Although it is said that 80-90% of wolfdogs are sold as having more wolf than they actually are, about 60% of the wolfdogs I see could pass as pure dogs and probably are pure dogs. It is VERY sad; "Salem Witch Hunts" is exactly the way to describe it. A few months back we had to help save two dogs in GA that were supposed to be wolfdogs even though they looked just like shep/husky/mal crosses (the one could have passed as a purebred black GSD). They were going to be PTS because wolfdogs were banned. Even sadder thing is wolfdogs are not at all as "dangerous" and "vicious" as many people are led to believe. They get a bad rap just like the pities do. :( ~Seij

If that's your dog than you must have the "original" photos still lying around. Scan them and send them in (in a larger size, with your hand next to them, something like that). They will know you are not lying if you show them the original pictures and they can tell it's the original pictures. (just a thought :-? ) Good luck. ~Seij

Kat, the alpha roll is not "abusive". I have said that before. It doesn't hurt the dog, and if a dog gets an alpha role it deserved it unless you are doing things wrong. And like it or not, some dogs will grow up b****y and dominant regardless of how you raise them. [quote]...if you had performed an alpha roll correctly you would not need to be repeating yourself so how can you do it only on a dog you have dont it to before?...[/quote] My adult dog has used the alpha role twice on the same puppy. The alpha role isn't an automatic problem solver, just a warning that you are tired of the dog misbehaving when it has been given numerous warnings already. Therefore it can be performed more than once on the same dog. What I mean by performing the roll only on dogs who have had it done before, is that you shouldn't do the alpha role on an adult dog who has never had it done before. If you alpha rolled him before as a puppy, then he has had experience with it and should be familiar with what it means when he is grown into an adult. Dogs are like people, and they learn a lot of their language as they go. You are correct that dog language has changed a bit through domestication, but that doesn't change the fact that they still "speak" with the same base language. Just because a dog is domesticated doesn't mean it won't understand what an alpha roll is. Now mind you, SOME dogs won't, just as not all humans know what the word "[insert word here]" means. BUT, it is expected that because the alpha roll is a basic part of canine language, most dogs will understand it. I have seen adults use it on pups, and I have seen adults use it on adults. Domestic dogs (at least some) obviously know what it means and how to use it if necessary. It's not my fault if bozos like the "role it over and force it to make eye contact because it barks too much" guy misuse it, teach others to misuse it, and basically butcher the "job" of the alpha roll. The problem is not the alpha role. The alpha roll is a perfectly permissible form of language for the dog provided the dog understands it. The problem is people. Most don

The "alpha role" as it is called, is best used on puppies, and only in extreme situations such as if a young pup is seriously challenging your authority and nothing alse seems to be working at the moment. It can also be done on adult dogs, but again, ONLY in extreme situations and only on a dog that you have raised and that you have performed the manuever on before. Using an alpha role on an adult dog can be dangerous, but it CAN be done, if done correctly. It should be done gently though, and NOT on a daily basis or as a regular training method. I have seen my adult dog use the roll about four times on two different puppies and YES, they know perfectly well what it means. Some dogs may not, but most will. The problem with the alpha role is not that the dog won't understand it, the problem is that not many PEOPLE understand how to use it. It is not a style used by "nutters", Kat, it is the dog's own language, and one that they understand. And yes, an alpha dog will sometimes FORCE another into an alpha role. Again, the alpha role is only for extreme situations, on a dog that is clearly misbehaving even when warned and when it aught to know better. Unfortunately, this move is often misunderstood and misused, which in turn has given it a bad rap. The alpha role is not "evil", "cruel", "old-fashioned", or any of the other names so often attached to it. I used it once on a puppy who was refusing to listen, and being a total brat. One role and he behaved perfectly the rest of the day. The alpha role is the equivelent of giving a child a spanking-its a "lasty straw" move, sort of like saying "ok, that's it buster, no more mister-nice-guy" lol :D ~Seij

Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"?? I've noticed it doesn't seem to apply to cases like these.. (misidentification of a dog). ~Seij

[quote]Pit bulls are different; they

Does ANYONE here have/know where I can get any pictures of verified/registered/proven Alaskan malamutes with light yellow or amber eyes?? I need pictures showing light yellow/amber eyes on a Malamute, and it has to be a pure Malamute, and a Malamute that can be proven as being pure (i.e.-has AKC papers). This is urgent, please speak up if you have anything. ~Seij

I have no idea why they want such a big dog. All I know is that they have their hearts set on one. ~Seij

A friend of mine is looking for a good family dog who is around 100 lbs, doesn't shed much/is easy to groom, is non-hyperactive, would be good with their 3 small children, and who would be not be a big problem for his wife who has allergies to dogs. Any suggestions? ~Seij

The breeders of the Shiloh wanted a dog that reflected on what the GSD USED to be, they weren't just going for something big. Also, in this day and age, with so many dogs being bred purely for human companions, I couldn't care less that these dogs were created for no "real" purpose. Plenty of breeds were bred just as companions, The SHih Tzu for example. IMO, being a companion IS a "real" job. ~Seij

The Shiloh and Kings ARE true breeds. They reproduce in a predictable manner both physically and behavioraly. Technically, that makes them a pure breed. I know people who have owned and worked with both breeds. Just because they started out a mix doesn't mean they are still just mixed breeds. ALL of todays "pure breds" started out mixed breed mutts. ~Seij

The Shiloh Shep is an actual breed. The GSD's have the slanted backs partly for looks, and also because it gives them a long flowing gait that is prefered in the show ring. A slight slant (beleive it or not) actually helps the dog to run better too. However, some breeders do overslant the backs (you know, the dogs whose rear ends are nearly touching the ground). Also, part of the slanted back problem is actually an illusion. When the dog stands the trainer/owner has the dog stand with the hind legs stretched back, which gives the dog's back a more slanted look. The labs are huge today because the latest fad seems to be breeding HUGE dogs. Some breeders are doing this with the GSD's too. The huge labs are just for looks. A large lab would be useless for field work. ~Seij

[quote name='TDG'] i'm going to step away from this topic and will agree to disagree, i've seen too many people wanting to inerpret too many things into the breed for too many reasons, the latest of which seems to be to justify the creation of various wolf hybrids. :)[/quote] Oh, I'm not trying to argue with you, I know nothing about GSD's other than what I have read, and of course anything you read can be flawed. Regardless of the effect wolves had on the GSD's temperament, the fact remains that the use of wolves in the creation of the Czech dog HAS created an outstanding breed of wonderful performance. I know little about the Saarloos, but the Czech was anything but a failure as reported by the police forces that have used them, much better and more intelligent working companions than the modern GSD. ~Seij