alicat613

Oh, I am so sorry. I wish there were something more I could say. I hope he isn't in too much pain and that he passes on surrounded by love.

Huh?

She really can't be rehomed. Not in her present state, she is a danger and a liability. I take it this is a sudden thing? What changed? Sudden changes in behavior can and often are medically related. Have you had her checked out at the vet? As was mentioned before, has her thyroid been checked?

Hmmm....what is a tailed Rottweiler? Aren't they all born with tails, which are then docked?

You shouldn't send any threatening statements. The best thing to do if you wish to write the person, is to sit down and write a well thought out letter without name calling, threats, etc. I doubt it will make much of a difference, but don't lower yourself! All we can really do is help educate people about supporting reputable breeders and shelters.

Well, I am now officially a complete and total idiot. Here I am trying to figure out who you are...and hello, it's right there in your screen name. Gorgeous dogs! I especially love Seven. So I will send you my address privately, and you can just ship her right on over. I'm always home, so no worries about what time. LOL Hey, I'm a 7 of 9 fan too! I'm another Dane owner (ownee?) LOL. I have a gorgeous little fawn boy named Parker. He has black and fawn cousins LOL, the last Remoklas litter out of Cooper (Parker's uncle). So do you breed black and fawn separately, or cross? Interesting about Phoebe..was it AI? Have you noticed any difference in the relationship between her and mom, or her personality, being an only?[/i]

I think I'm still scared of Dachsunds! :D Hmmm...I just don't know what I really think. What a terrible thing to happen.

How are things going? Here is a vet group recommended by some fellow dane owners and breeders - ""it's "Gwinnett Animal Hospital" and is located in Snellville on McGee Rd., near the intersection of 78 and McGee Rd. (McGee Rd. is right across from the motor home dealership). Their number is (770) 972-0447. I use Drs. Connolly (the owner), Churchill (2nd in seniority) and Strong (the young, up and coming rising star), but I hear that they are all wonderful. The practice offers both homeopathic and traditional medicine, and Dr. Connolly's specialty is orthopedics - without the high price of paying a vet who specializes in nothing but orthopedics! "

Well I think an overall definition of how conformation is judged and decided, what it is, etc in general would be helpful. He's mentioning Danes because I did, this question came from another discussion. So maybe we could all understand what the conformation ring is in general before we discuss particular breeds?

[quote name='deepseasnake']Ali what exactly is conformation? I believe it is a set up standard that the dogs must meet to be able to compete in shows, right? I dont really know but that is what Ill go on until Im told differantly. if a dog if conformed to a standard that reflects the ability to look pretty while trotting in circles doesnt that include the exclusion of certain other maybe "undesirable " traits in reguard to the show circut that may benefit the dog in a more natural environment. Maybe its pivitable things I am talking about, I dont know shows or Danes but I know that the health problems that occur now werent an issue back when a specific breed did what it was meant to. Ill bet Mastinos are a better example than danes but I dont know maybe danes are totally exempt from what Im talking about I mean, who goes boar hunting anymore? [url]http://www.a-wild-boar-hog-hunting-florida-guide-service.com/[/url] [url]http://www.guidedventures.com/Wild%20Boar%20Hog%20Hunting.htm[/url] [url]http://www.gamecalls.net/fieldreports/hoghuntingflorida.html[/url] [url]http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/1599/hogcatchingphotos.html[/url] [url]http://www.fourseasonshunting.org/hog.htm[/url] hog hunting is still quite popular wherever there are hogs, there are no hogs in washington but down in the areas there are it is still, to my understanding a thriving sport, however I've never seen danes hunting hogs I agree with the lack of tone in a written message, Im not trying to argue either, just understand usually Im just missing information so thats what Im looking for[/quote] Well I made this great long post last night, then lost power and the post. Argh! Conformation is a lot more than just looking pretty. It's about correct movement, bone structure, carriage, coat, etc etc. It's about which dog in the ring is truest to the breed standard as set forth by the national breed club. It does not exclude aspects beneficial to the dog, contrarily, it requires a dog to have correct bone structure for movement, correct bite, correct gait, etc. A dysplastic dog showing symptoms could not win in conformation (there are dysplastic dogs who show no symptoms, and can be shown successfully). As for the health problems, those are not from the standard, those come from disreputable breeders who feel they do not need to health test because "their dogs are healthy". If all dogs bred were tested fully before breeding, then the problems would be reduced greatly. Also, they didn't have as many problems back then because the breed was still newer. Now, there are years and years of breeding among the same bloodlines. I'm not talking about line breeding, I'm talking about simply, there is a limited population of Danes being bred. Well! Who knew!? People do go bar hunting. Huh. Well you learn something every day! Well at least I hope to. LOL Although I doubt many of them take along dogs who are expected to take down the boar. Glad we are clear, neither of us are arguing! :) I enjoy a good discussion and getting other's perspectives and ideas, that's all I'm doing. So you never really answered about what you think about this. Should we continue to breed dogs in a way that gears them towards obsolete uses? When is it ok, when is it not, for a breed to evolve a new place and use in society? We as humans rarely have need for a dog as we did long ago. There are very few real "jobs" for dogs, aside from SAR and service dogs. What of the many hunting and herding dogs? Which breeds is it okay for them to become only pets? I believe the overwhelming desire for a dog is about personal companionship. Some people need a dog for other reasons, but I would speculate the most popular is simply as a family pet. So shouldn't many breeds, who's prior function is no longer necessary, if suitable, become more well-known as a wonderful family dog rather than trying to retain useless traits? I would imagine that most Danes used in boar hunting were bred to have a good prey drive. There, in my opinion, is a good example of a trait that does not mesh well with evolved desires. The Dane is now generally wished for as a family pet, and a high prey drive, geared towards boar size animals, would be very dangerous. I'm not sure in fact though this is gone actually. Parker has no drive to cats or small animals, but does seem to love to try to fetch toddlers, which are about boar size. Thankfully he doesn't try to kill them! Whew...another long one. Just some thoughts for discussion. Interesting topic you brought up!

Yep, Listerine! You're right, I'm sure it would hurt on a large cut, but with stitches it's all really healed but the small holes for the wire/thread and it kills any germs you may get in there while pulling the stitches through. If there were any swelling or redness around an incision I would go to the vet, but I've been lucky to only deal with nice well-healed incisions. Listerine is pretty handy for pets because it isn't toxic. I've used it on puppy pimples (but not near eyes) as well as stitches.

I've removed all stitches at home so far in my pet care history, with caution and listerine.

I think if they are by a good comapny for dogs or human use, you're fine, I think what they are advising is check before you use bowls that are decorative.

Hmm...I recall reading somewhere that some is ok, some is not, but I can't recall why. I think it had to do with the coating? Oh ok, I found it. Yes, you want to make sure it's lead free as the coating can chip.

Everyone, go hug your dogs, be happy.

Name: Parker Sex: Male Breed: Fawn Great Dane with full mask Age: 4 months ish (b-day August 23) Favorite things: Chewing on bones or killing stuffies, sleeping on the couch or bed, playing with his friends, playing with the kitties, getting attention, eating! Greatest wish: To have more furry friends in the house! More kitties! More dogs! More beds and couches! More treats! More more more! :lol:

I do think every breeder should show, simply to learn as much as they can about the varying form and function of the breed. I think you are a bit misinformed about Danes. They have fewer health problems than many breeds when they come from a reputable breeder. Yes, they are prone to hip dysplasia when poorly bred, but rare in well bred danes from OFAd parents. They are prone to growth problems when given to a family that does not know how to care for them.

Ooh! I'd hate to see your electricity bills! I hope the price isn't as high wherever you are as it is here. I don't think I could afford to run it that much! LOL

Yeah, nasty. That's why I home feed. Thankfully I have the time, interest, and lots of assistance. Natural Balance has "Chicken, Brown Rice, Duck, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Potatoes, Chicken Fat". So less meal at least. The Wellness lines seem to have little meal other than fish meal.

Well that too, I suppose, but I don't dishwash the bowls so I didn't think about that. With a home fed Dane, who eats 3 times a day, I'd have to run a lot of loads! I hand wash instead.

The plastic can scratch, leading to the dog ingesting some plastic or chemicals that may seep out into the food or water, and also the scratches and porosity of plastic encourages more germ and bacteria growth than a stainless steel bowl. And they can't chew up stainless steel. :lol: PS There are no dumb questions. If it's something you don't know, and you don't ask, you still won't know, and that's a lot dumber than asking any question!

I don't know any breeders who only breed for looks or show. They breed for health, temperament, soundness of body, and conformation according to their tastes and preferences as understood within the standard. I believe showing helps you understand the conformation better than anything else. I don't believe you have to breed for useless or meaningless traits to show and breed for show. BUT since I'm a Dane person, I'll talk Danes. Danes really have no function any longer. They are in the working class, but are technically IMO a non-sporting or misc breed. I mean, who goes boar hunting anymore? There are a few who compete in other areas than conformation, several lines actually aim for this, but overall, a Dane is a house pet, and has no other "use" than to be your buddy. So I guess what I'm getting at is what do you think they should be breeding for? I agree with what you said, I see a lot of dogs on the Tv dog shows that are not as "cute" as others I see who are not show dogs, of the same breed, but I don't think that's true for all breeds. There are some breeds who have such genetic functions, like the herders, that they still have those instincts, and other dogs like GSDs often used in police work, etc, but what about all the dogs who no longer have a true function now that the world is so changed? As all things do, they evolve, and how is that a bad thing? I really can't imagine a "use" for many breeds, like Great Danes, Chihuahuas, Maltese, Mastiffs, etc. (PS as sometimes I have a problem expressing my tone in written form, just so you know, I'm not arguing with you or whatever, I'm just curious what your answers are. )

Thanks for your response. Agreed, a mastiff can be aggressive, like many dogs, when left outside, neglected and not properly socialized. I took your post to mean they are aggressive dogs by nature. Mastiffs, like many of the giant breeds are very sensitive creatures in need of love, attention, training so they understand how to behave, socialization. Without these, many breeds can become aggressive out of anger, fear, distrust and whatnot, destructive out of irritation, loneliness, and boredom. Some breeds might not have such adverse reactions to living a more solitary life or being kept outside, but I do not believe any animal should be treated that way. No matter what breed you have, it should be loved, well cared for, trained and socialized, be it a Chihuahua or an English Mastiff. However, as a Dane fanatic, I still disagree with your overall comments on them.

I'm glad they enjoy the rolls. :) I simply said that because they do have more additives (sucrose, "natural smoke flavor", wheat products) than the dry kibble. I personally tried out the Natural Balance after doing a lot of research, and because the kibble did not have those things I assumed the canned and rolls didn't either. My cats eat the kibble and because the kibble is free of many things we don't feed here I assumed the others were as well and used a roll as a treat which made my puppy really sick because he is not used to all those additives. K? :D

Sashagirl, didn't mean to offend you! (I'll pat myself on the back now LOL) You both have a point, it's not really supporting them, and actually better now that I think about it if someone who "knows better" wins. The contest goal is really to give someone a years supply so they end up liking it and using it forever, but if we win and donate it, they lose! Haha! Ok, now I'll enter.