Smooshie

Thanks everyone,for your input and support :D Now that I've had the whole day to mull it over,read your feedback,and watch Loki,I am in complete agreement with all of you.The best thing for him would be to have the tail re docked properly.I would hate to have to see him go thru all of this again...it is pitiful...everytime he tries to sit,his stub is just long enough that it rubs against the floor,and he yelps and jumps up.I feel awful for him......I trained him to sit when he's waiting for his dish to be put down at dinner,or his leash to be put on, and even though it hurts him he's so eager to please that he still tries :( He seems pretty comfy right now though...sprawled on my bed...I couldn't say no to him,he's had such a rough day :wink: I will call the vet tomorrow to schedule an appt for the docking....its funny,if it had been anyone else asking this question about their dog,I would have given them the same advice you all gave me....its just so much harder to see the "right" thing to do when its your own baby :-? Thanks again... :fadein:

[quote name='Jamie'] Now we live in an apartment in town, they are never outside without me, and never without a leash.[/quote] I am in the same situation,but it works well for me as Loki is very much a "velcro dog" so even if we HAD a yard to let him out in,its likely he wouldn't go out without me anyways :roll: .He LOVES his walks though....and we try to get to the dogpark as often as possible.I'm actually very excited...I found out the other day that they are opening a new "PAW Playground" dogpark 5 minutes walk from my apartment! Complete with doggy water fountains and showers :D

Aaaaargh!! Its time for my weekly rant (geez I seem to be doing this a LOT lately)... I know tail docking is one of those really sticky issues , and this will probably add fuel to the anti-docking contingent BUT I have to let off steam...and get some advice. First off,I don't have a problem with tail docking...as long as its done CORRECTLY and as humanely as possible(by someone with [i]experience[/i] and [i]knowledge[/i]). That said, I just got back from the vet with Loki...he has always had some scarring and a little bald patch at the end of his tail stump,and every once in awhile it seems to bother him and he digs at it. This morning,in a particularily rowdy "tug of war" session,the rope slipped out of Hubby's hands and Loki went reeling back and bumped his hind end on the wall...SCREAMED..and went tearing out of the room....there was blood on the wall, and when I managed to catch Loki and check him out, the BONE was sticking out the end of his stub. :( Took him to my vet and they patched him up (I feel so bad for him!!) But the vet said that by the look of the dock job ("butchering" was the exact term he used),in his opinion the tail was probably done by an inexperienced person....cut WAYYY too close to the knuckle with not enough skin left to heal over the stub properly,and it probably wasn't stitched shut. He also said that judging by the scarring at the end of his stub this probably isn't the first time this has happened to him (bone breaking thru) and he will probably always have problems with his tail "splitting"....our only other option would be to have the vet re-dock the tail,and shave the bone down a bit (he's not [i]recommending[/i] this procedure,but it [i]is[/i] an option for us)...either way it will cause a lot of pain and discomfort to my baby...if we leave it and let it heal over, there's a risk it will happen again..but if we choose to have the vet remove more of the tail bone its will cause him even more pain than he's already in and the recovery time will be longer :(.Has anyone else had this experience???? Any input or advice on what I should do would be very welcome.I don't want my boy to go thru more discomfort than he already has,but I also want to do whats best for him.. I can't stand milling and backyard breeding to begin with, and this experience just makes me even [b]more[/b] angry :x

I'm late..as usual :roll: ...its Tuesday so you've probably already made your decision...but I just HAD to get my .02 in as well :wink: I know nothing about Pitbulls (conformation-wise),so I'm basing this on personal preference... Of course they are BOTH adorable, but I'm with the majority on liking the one on the left....bigger head...and I love the white markings (especially the toes).I don't know what the trend is for white markings on APBT's but for show Boxers,"flash" is favorable (so I'm a little biased) :wink: I can't wait to see more pics of the pup you choose :D

[quote name='Jacsmom']That idea is the from the Kong company they do fit inside the other...use Pam spray or butter and the fit right in each other!!! I will see if I can find it!!![/quote] Ohhhhhh! Well that IS a great idea then!!....might be just the solution to Hollywood's problem! ...although, ya might want to make sure there's no one else around when you try it......it might be "awkward" trying to explain to someone why you're lubricating a KONG :o

I found this book (yes the [i]entire[/i] book..all 206 pages..in PDF format :o ) on the internet yesterday... [url]http://home.att.net/~cusickbook/1.pdf[/url] The author (William D Cusick) theorizes that each individual [i]breed[/i] should have a specialized diet,determined by breed origin,coat type,native climate....etc etc...he then goes on to summarize nutritional guidelines for 152 different breeds based on his findings... I was just wondering if anyone else had heard of it or actually [i]read[/i] it,and what your thoughts are on this theory??? (Its a pdf file so I think you have to have Acrobat Reader to open it...)

[quote name='Jacsmom']Aren't the Black Kongs the largest ones??? They are guarenteed though!! Someone...wrote the Kong place or emailed and they said to take the XL kong and the small kong and put the small one inside the big one! This is for those dogs that REALLY like to CHEW!![/quote] Hmmm...the black kongs are made of [b]stronger[/b] rubber than the red ones and are meant for the "power chewers"....I've seen them in 2 sizes here...regular and XL (king)....hey! that WOULD be a great idea if they could put one inside the other :o ...maybe we should ALL write to the Kong company :D

[quote name='K']Smooshie...great idea! :o but who would pay for all the stuff she can effectively make worthless in 1 hour!!!!! I can tell you this my Sharm-el-Sheik "Hard Rock Cafe"Teddy Bear never stood a chance :( I did have more luck with the "indestructable dog bed" people they gave me a replacement bed and marveled at her determination to prove thier 12 seperate "stress" tests wrong...but now I have a new problem with the 2nd bed...it is supposed to be able to withstand weights of up to 250kg but Elric getting on and off it has managed to buckle the legs so much Hubby is thinking of re-welding the entire frame as he knows we will never persuade them into giving us a 3rd one!!!! :-?[/quote] Sadly,I too have lost several innocent teddy bears to horrific doggy-induced dismemberment! :o ...they're very crafty....you'd never know by looking at their big goofy doggy grins that they are really cold,vicious toy murderers!! :evilbat: ...and when toys just aren't enough anymore,not even the dog beds are safe :o (ohhh the horror!) :lol: :lol: :lol: See what happens when I have too much time on my hands and a whole pot of coffee to myself??? :wink: In all seriousness though K....you should put your dogs' "strengths" to good use, and open your own pet product testing facility....Elric and Bobbi can perform all the weight tests and Storm and Blade can perform all the stress testing....I'd buy any toy that could withstand YOUR bunch :lol:

[quote name='deepseasnake']Just dont buy an Akita those dogs were bred by Lucifer to kill humans for soul harvest[/quote] :o .................. :lol: :lol: :lol: Halloween must be REALLY fun at YOUR house,Deep :lol:

[quote name='deepseasnake']what about a Chow [/quote] Actually,I think Mallomar already has a Chow...check out some of his/her other posts :wink:

[quote name='K'] I don't think there IS a Storm proof toy :( She has had a Gallileo bone and trashed it in under an hour (and it was expensive and they did not believe me when I tried to get my money back :x they said I had done it myself with electric equipment....DUH! WHY??? [/quote] :lol: :lol: ....Geez K...maybe you should offer to bring Storm to the store with you for a free "how to effectively trash a toy in under 60 minutes....the Staffie way" Demonstration. :wink:

Now to answer the original thread topic :oops: ..... what can I say that hasn't already been covered??? My best advice is to keep on doing what you're doing,Mallomar...take your time..talk to owners and read everything you can about all three breeds then decide from there which you think would best suit your lifestyle and situation....,Then either find a good breeder(thats breeding for temperament and stability) or a reputable rescue and don't be afraid to ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS...people that are raising or rescuing dogs for the love of the breed will be more than happy to provide you with any info they have,and help match you with the right dog. I actually think breed rescues are more apt to give you both the pros AND cons of owning a particular breed,because they don't want to see the dog have to be rehomed later on...sooo,even if you decide to buy a pup,I would still contact your local rescue just for additional info :D Oh also,I'm not sure where you're located,but considering the breeds you are interested in, it might be a good idea to check into the BSL policies in your area (if there are any).Good luck :D

[quote name='gooeydog'] Then if the dog kills someone's little fluffball, there will be more "fuel" for BSL around here. But it doesn't matter, because they can't do anything to "her dog". :roll:[/quote] That is the sad thing about her attitude :( .....its not just "her dog" thats potentially going to suffer as a result....[i]EVERYONE[/i] with a BSL-affected breed will have to pay the consequences if her dog hurts someone....Keep chipping away at her Goo...maybe the lightbulb will go on :-?

[quote name='Hobbit']Whoa, whoa there Mallomar -- Smooshie was not directing that to you, it was a general comment on **SOME** owners and how they view their dog(s) ---- and surely not meant as sarcasm to you. Smooshie is not one to spout sarcasms.[/quote] Thanks Hobbit :wink: ...Sorry Mallomar if you took what I said as a personal slam.It wasn't directed towards you in any way......In all honesty,Hobbit was right...I got a little off topic and was ACTUALLY responding to [b][i]Gooey's[/i][/b] post about her friend wanting her Pitbull to be more aggressive towards people.(you must have missed that post) :wink:

Thanks for the info Gooey! I meant to ask you what kind of ball that was (in Goo's pic),and where you got it ...I might have to go ahead and order one of those for Loki...he goes thru balls in no time....eats the tennis balls....punctures the basketballs,and just plain shreds soccer balls and volleyballs :roll: Maybe one of these orbee balls will last him......what size did you get for Goo?

[quote name='hollywood'] I did buy the black kong, but not the largest. I'll get the biggest for them. -Hollywood[/quote] I hope that will slow them down a bit!....I think they have yet to invent a "pit-proof" toy :lol: If you haven't already, you may also want to try giving them "Galileo Bones" (They come in 3 different sizes and are made by the same company that makes Nylabone). A friend of mine has a Pitbull and her vet recommended these.....according to her it takes Oz (her Pit) a long time to break them down ....I believe you can get them at most pet stores/PetSmarts :D

FRUSTRATING trying to bang sense into someone like that,isn't it Goo??? :-? <sigh>...and therein lies the difference between a [i]responsible[/i] dog owner...and one that acquires a breed solely for [i]status[/i] :roll: The responsible owner spends all his/her time ensuring their dog does NOT show unwarranted aggression...while the [i]status[/i] owner spends all his/her time finding ways to [i]encourage[/i] it :x

They're strong....but they're not guaranteed to be indestructable....even my Boxer can wear down a black Kong after awhile. The Black XL "King" Kong is the strongest they make I think...was this what you gave them, or was it the smaller black Kong?? My vet told me that if my dog was easily destroying his Kong,to go UP a size...

she definately has a patch on her face...I can't tell if the other (on her back and perhaps opposite side) is a patch or just a shadow??? From what I gather, as long as no more than one third of her body is colored, she is still considered a "white" Boxer....I think??

This is a great resource for anyone who owns or is interested in learning more about white Boxers... [url]http://ladywind.com/bxrpages/whitepgs.html[/url] Its interesting to note that the foundation Bitch:"Meta Von Der Passage",considered"mother of the Boxer breed" was white... [img]http://ladywind.com/bxrpages/bxrbeginimages/meta.jpg[/img] pic courtesy of "the whitepages"

From what I understand,there are 3 breeding combinations that produce white boxer pups: white to white-of course produces 100%white pups (as Hobbit stated) white to flashy-produces 50%flashy pups/50%white pups flashy to flashy-produces 25%plain/50%flashy/25%white pups. I'm with Hobbit...white Boxers should never be bred... aside from the fact that it is against breed standard and therefore not a betterment to the breed to intentionally try for white pups,they DO have a higher risk of hearing and sight impairment. Unfortunately some unethical breeders and pet stores try to pass them off as "rare" and sell them at a higher price to unknowledgable buyers . When in fact,I believe the current statistic is that 20% of Boxers are born white (hardly "rare" :roll: ). That is why it is SO important to do your homework when it comes to choosing a puppy.KNOW the breed you're interested in,so that you don't get "taken". Now with all that said...a Boxer is a Boxer and the whites still make beautiful, wonderful pets,and I think that the ones that ARE born should be sold as just that...PETS...with a spay/neuter contract....JMHO :-?

[quote name='Hobbit']Corgilady --- you MUST see this website! Go to: [url]http://www.steynmere.com/index.html[/url] then click on "genetics", then click on Part 1.[/quote] :o :o :o ....now...I have seen it all :o Would those pups be considered "Borgis"...or "Coxers" ??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[quote name='Jacsmom']if they do not know.....It's half Lab! Okay sorry venting!!![/quote] Way back when I first moved out on my own and decided I was ready for a dog,I went to the local Humane Society and came home with one of these "shelter Labs" :lol: His name was Winston and they had him listed as a 2 yr old GSD/LAB cross He was gorgeous though ,other than being jet black,I couldn't really see the Lab in him,and even though he was supposedly full grown,in hindsight his paws were awfully LARGE(I should have known better :roll: ) Anyhoo,I was smitten and took him home....to make a long story short,he just kept growing...and GROWING,so 2 months down the road I took him BACK to my vet in a state of complete confusion....turns out Winston was closer to 10 MONTHS old...and was (in my vet's opinion) looking more and more like a GSD/DANE cross everyday.....eeeeek!!! By the time he STOPPED growing he was 160 lbs and could lay his head on my kitchen counter...my neighbors kept asking how my "pony" was...and the pizza guy refused to get out of his car when he made a delivery :lol: He was the sweetest tempered dog though.....

[quote name='Hobbit']Village photos are a little weird. If you post your pictures, they disappear --- if you are using Village Photos.[/quote] that is very true Hobbit.....they only give you a 5 MB daily bandwidth limit,and once you use it up they freeze the acct til the next day....does anyone know of any other good pic hosting sites?? I use webshots for my online album...but they're a little stingy with bandwidth too....

By the way...welcome to the board,Athena :D ...that username sounds familiar,have you posted here before? You should think about registering as a member so that you have access to all areas of the forum!....we're a pretty friendly and informative bunch here :wink: I would love to see a pic of your brother's Boxer! You know I'm not sure if its true with all white Boxers,but most of the ones I've met have been oversized (makes for a pretty hefty lap dog :lol: ).Is this the first Boxer in the family,or does your brother own the parents too? I'd be happy to help you post a pic....first off it has to be already hosted on a website....then all you have to do is post the pic url surrounded by image tags(making sure to take out all the spaces) for example: [img]http://post pic url here[/img] for a better explanation check out the "Pictures" section of the forum...there is a tutorial there all about posting pics. If you don't already have your pic hosted online you could post it at any pic hosting site (there are lots of free ones) a lot of people on here use [url]http://www.villagephotos.com[/url] If you read all this and still are having problems, feel free to email pics to me and I'll post them for you :D ( [email][email protected][/email] ) Good luck!