AllAmericanPUP Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 Very good post Nylablady!! I have 5 mutts, and I absolutely love mutts, but the intentional breed of mutts is just wrong IMO. The only time I think breed mutts is ok is alaskan huskys and labrdoodles(when bred to be service dogs) other than that it's just rediculous. like nylablady said, there are over 400 breeds, if you cant find one that fits your needs then you're a fricken weirdo LOL :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefeathers! Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 [quote]Poodles in general do not have the overall temperament needed in Service Dog work,[/quote] Elaborate, please? I reckon I'll just have to agree to disagree. I can't think of a thing about a PROPERLY bred Standard Poodle's temperament that would not make them good service dogs and just because these "professional" and well intentioned breeders say otherwise doesn't make it so. I think I will always believe it is still marketed toward people, disabled or otherwise, who do not wish to have a Poodle, but will settle for a Poodle lite. I can live with it if these dogs are actually being used for something and serving a function other than "cuteness." I'm not a militant anything and I'm pretty open minded. I just think the reasons listed by people are a lot of excuses and it isn't necessary, though good for them if they're able to produce service dogs for people who otherwise wouldn't like a Poodle. I would love for one of the "professional" breeders of these Labradoodles to tell me what it is about Standard Poodle temperaments that isn't acceptable. I'm not saying they're being dissed... just that I think, yet again, some people, "professional" or not, may not actually be aware of what properly bred Standard Poodles can do. IMO, Labradoodles are just Poodle lites. It's kind of how some people perceive Pit Bulls as all being killers. Some people perceive Poodles as just big foofy brainless dogs. I wonder how people would feel if they started breeding Pit Bull MIXES to fill some niche (service dogs?) just because they wanted a watered down, "safe" Pit Bull (public perception). They could be marketed as having all the good traits of Pits, but the "bad" things were bred out by being diluted with Labs. I think it's the same for Poodles, only instead of "safe," it dilutes them to where people aren't having to live with the stigma of having a foo foo "cutesy" dog. Disabled people are still people and subject to the same misperceptions as the rest of the world. It's hard for me to explain how I'm seeing this. Long story short, I don't believe it, no matter how well intentioned or "credible" the source. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mutts4Me Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 [quote name='Horsefeathers!']I can't think of a thing about a PROPERLY bred Standard Poodle's temperament that would not make them good service dogs Some people perceive Poodles as just big foofy brainless dogs. [/quote] Nah, don't look at it like that... It's not an insult, but rather a compliment, IMO. The thing about Labradors is (yes, I do have issues with Labs, but I'm trying to be fair) that while they are reasonably intelligent, they're also... erm... highly trainable and eager to please. They are the "perfect" dog, you know. Poodles, while friendly and ever so intelligent... may just be too intelligent. Too able to think for themselves and make their own decisions. Border collies are incredibly smart and very able to do anything, but they don't make good guide dogs because they've got such a high engery level, plus they tend to get distracted easily. That's not to say I think a poodle would make a bad service dog. I don't think that at all. But the thing the Service Dog people love about Labs is that they're sooo trainable and soo eager to please, that they actually have to be "taught to disobey," meaning making decisions like not crossing the street when told because they know there's danger. I, personally, think that is one of the things that would make a poodle a great service dog, because I think they'd be smart and independent enough to not have to be trained to disobey. But I don't think the lack of inclusion has so much to do with a discrimination against Poodles as it does the hailing of Retrievers (Labs especially) as the Perfect Dog for anything and everything. But people are wising up, it looks like, and I thought I'd include a few articles for HF's benefit: [url]http://www.oregonnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030817/FEATURES/108170013[/url] [url]http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/08/06/local/news09.txt[/url] [url]http://www.dominionpost.com/a/news/2003/07/25/bf/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefeathers! Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 You rock! Thanks for the articles. 8) It's not that I'm trying to be defensive of Poodles because they are my breed. I like to think I'm pretty openminded. Even if Labs are the "perfect" service dogs, I don't see the point of basically watering them down with Poodles. I don't buy into the coat thing that's often used as an excuse. Either way it goes, whether it's for coat or for temperament, one or the other isn't going to be reliable. Again, I have no problem with dogs being bred for service, possibly even mixed breed dogs (as opposed to designer breeds bred for profit), if that's what it takes (though I would argue if that's what it takes). I just fail to see why it's necessary. I'm not necessarily adamantly opposed to it as much as I don't understand the need for it, I reckon is what I'm trying to say. Also, I reckon the thing that's really scary about them is that they're rapidly gaining popularity. I can live with service dogs, but people are buying Standard Poodles and Labs left and right and breeding them because they are fast becoming the breed du jour. Even in our podunk town, our local miller is talking of plans to get a Standard to breed with their ugly, nervous, ill tempered Labs because of how much money they think they'll rake in. I just see it as a disaster waiting (or beginning) to happen. I have no problem with the dogs that don't cut it as service dogs being sold as pets and on a spay/neuter contract, but I'm very concerned with the inevitable overbreeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Border collies are used more for hearing dogs than they are for sight dogs. The reason why they aren't used in breeding programmes as service dogs is because they are too intelligent and very strong willed and like to make up their own variations of what a commad means in some cases. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mutts4Me Posted October 28, 2004 Share Posted October 28, 2004 [quote name='Kat']Border collies are used more for hearing dogs than they are for sight dogs. The reason why they aren't used in breeding programmes as service dogs is because they are too intelligent and very strong willed and like to make up their own variations of what a commad means in some cases. :wink:[/quote] I meant to say that :oops: I was going to say it, and then I read something that said that Border Collies had a tendency, because they are so sight-oriented, to get distracted by slow-moving objects. But yes... some dogs are just too intelligent to do Guide Dog work because they do need to be so obedient most of the time. Thus, the ever-perfect, eager to please Labrador. I don't hate them, honest. I had one. He was nice. I love my friend's yellow lab guide dog. But I agree with HF in that any effort to add lab bloodlines to another breed just waters it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoandDahlilasgirl Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 Theres nothing wrong with a mix breed! My parents got Dahlila from a lady who never intended to breed her dog (long story supposedly happened at vets office while owner was on vacation so if u wanna know what i know about it then pm me) and Cinco we got from a humane society and they r both mixes and doing wonderful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 People here are not opposed to mix breeds, generally they are oppossed to deliberately breeding mixes. Mixes should ideally be adopted , much like your Cinco was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoandDahlilasgirl Posted December 24, 2004 Share Posted December 24, 2004 I don't realy know much about how we got Dahlila because it was 7 yrs. ago and I'm 15 so I was only like 8 all we know is from what the vet told (Dahlila had the vet already so we didn't change it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunneva Posted January 29, 2005 Share Posted January 29, 2005 Skundi is mixed breed and he is the beautyfullest*, cyndest* and with the most personality* of all of the dogs I know, and I know alot of them... *: Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunneva Posted January 29, 2005 Share Posted January 29, 2005 And my best model: [img]http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5df04b3127cce9f74e898a4e700000016109AZOGTZu1bQ[/img] [img]http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5df09b3127cce9f046f1cda5100000016109AZOGTZu1bQ[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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