Autumn

From what I have read on this board I agree with Snow. Maybe the majority here don't necessarily agree with Pit matching/fighting, but you most certainly *condone* it. If someone is uncomfortable with Pit matching/fighting that's their right. Personally, I am very uncomfortable with that too, along with what I read about *kids* owning/walking Pits out in public, turning them loose etc. I know most cities have laws stating that kids under a certain age cannot be out in public with Pits. It's for a reason. What I have read on this board sickens me.

(sigh) I agree with Black GSD. The out of control brat of a kid is ruining the dog. So many parents feel their bratty kids should be able to do anything they please to an animal and it should take it! They even BRAG that their kids can ride the dog, pull it's ears, tail etc. and it is such a good dog it doesn't do anything!! A *good* dog usually will just get up and move away when it's had enough, but not all dogs are that tolerant. Then when it's finally had enough and inflicts a serious wound, the dog is pts. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Exactly, but I would say they are not only *reputable*, but *knowledgable*. Even some reputable breeder's will agree to selling two puppies to someone because they are not *knowledgable* about the pitfalls.

I am with the *nay sayer's*. It's never a good idea to get 2 puppies close to the same age, let alone litter mates, even if they were one of each sex and spayed/neutered. If you are just looking for a companion for each other, than go ahead, because that is what the puppies will be. As other's have said, they will bond with each other and not to you unless they are seperated, and why have 2 puppies if they have to be seperated? In one of my recent ob classes a father and son attended. The father had bought 2 female Lab pups from the same litter. The father was keeping both the pups at his house. The classes were pretty much a waste of time, because the pups were so concerned with being close to each other, that they could not concentrate on anything else. The father, son and I discussed the situation several times during the classes. I advised him to at least seperate them and train them seperately. Later, several months after the classes were done, I ran into the father in the local grocery store and asked how the *girls* were doing. He said his son had to take one of them to his home, because the more dominant one had begun to *pick on* the more submissive one and she was becoming afraid to come out of her kennel when the other dog was around.

Personally, I would rather buy from a breeder with requirements than not. I know we don't like to think about it, but what if something should happen to you in an accident, and you are no longer around to care for your pet? I'm the type of person that doesn't think anyone can care for my dogs like I can, except the breeder, or in the case of a Rescue organization, the rescue. I am thrilled that the Rescue Organization requires the dogs go back to them in the [i]any[/i]event where I can no longer care for them, no matter what the circumstances. I have explicit instructions for my husband, and as a backup, my sister in case something should happen to me. I have names and phone numbers of the Rescue Organizations to call, because I would hate to think my beloved dogs would end up in a shelter and that happens many, many times when the owner dies. The next of kin doesn't want the dogs and just wants to get rid of them the fastest way possible....which is a shelter. Often times if the dogs are older, (mine are 7 and approx. 11), the shelter will just pts. In fact, that is the way I got my older dog to begin with. I had an application in to adopt a BC. The rescue didn't have what I was looking for, but the President kept getting information from a Shelter in the next state from us saying they had a 12 yr old female BC...very sweet dog, etc. etc. that came in as a stray, but that was going to be pts. The Rescue was full and couldn't take her in, but she kept haunting the President, so she called me and asked if I wouldn't please reconsider wanting a male and a younger dog? I relented, so another volunteer went many miles to pick her up, and guess what!! She was a HE, and he was only about 6-7yrs. old, but because he has a lot of ticking, they estimated him to be much older! He was so traumatized from being in the Shelter, I can't bear the thought of him ever having to go back to one!

[quote name='Horsefeathers!']By the same token, I have to admit I'm not a breeder, but from a rescue standpoint, I've never placed one of my dogs in a home without an upright fence, or to outside only homes.[/quote] I have never bred dogs either, but I have owned dogs all my life and have fostered for three breed rescues and [i]I never have had an upright fence.[/i] If it had been a "requirement" from the breeder's I bought puppies from, or from the Rescue's I fostered for and adopted dogs from, I never would have been able to own and or foster a lot of dogs!! Something else I did with my adopted rescue dogs and with the dogs I fostered, that might make a lot of people feel I am an irresponsible dog owner, but I did it with the full knowledge of the Rescue origanizations. I bring the dogs home, and take them around the yard/house on leash. Then I take them, on leash, in back of our house where there is acres of fields/woods/ponds etc. I walk them, on leash, about 1/4 mile from the house and turn them loose! I have my Retriever whistle with me, and immediately train them to the whistle while they are still unsure of their surroundings. I carried treats with me, and would give them a treat when they came to my whistle/call. I have never had a dog run off from me or refuse to come to the whistle, and mind you...these dogs did not know what a whistle was when I got them, and most hardly knew their name! That's why I began to use the whistle! A dog will most times respond to a whistle when they won't respond to your calls. Every day the foster dogs were with me they got to run with my dogs and swim in the ponds, and they were some happy, grateful dogs!

Yes, I agree with what you all wrote too!

mommacat, I think Maya is reacting to knowing that your husband is upset with her. Dogs can sense things even if we are trying hard not to show our feelings. I too feel it would be best to rehome Maya, but if you do not surrender her to a breed rescue, make sure the new owner's are very dog saavy and will train her etc.

Well said, KP and Kendalyn. Had to laugh at your last sentence Kendalyn, because while I expect my dogs to behave around guests, if someone else's dog is a *holy terror* around me, I just laugh weakly and say, "oh, that's o.k"..while inside I am seething!! :lol:

You raise a lot of points here to answer. :) I will try to be as brief as possible and still make some sense, but I may not touch on all points. As to whether a breeder has the *right* to be selective on who their puppies/dogs go to and ask the new owner to feed the way they do, etc. Yes. Most definately. Not all breeder's ask you to feed a raw diet (I personally feed my dogs a raw diet, but don't expect everyone else to agree with me.) But: If I wanted a puppy from a certain breeder who feeds raw, and requires new owner's follow their feeding program, and I know their puppies are the best I can afford, I would agree to feed raw. If I didn't want to feed raw, I would find a breeder that didn't require it. Of course, you also have the option of still getting a puppy from that breeder and not doing what they require. How would they know unless they are a personal friend of yours. [i] However, is this ethical/honest on your part?[/i] If you want to buy a puppy from an ethical/honest breeder, than you should be no less. All that aside, what constitutes a responsible dog owner? In our state all that is required by law is, *food, water, shelter*. Dogs can survive with these three things alone, but is that being a responsible dog owner? Not to me. You also have to exercise, and train your dog, and give them plenty of love. No, you don't need a fenced yard to exercise your dog. Some of the most abused and under exercised dogs live in fenced in yards. I know. I now own one of them, and until we put in our underground fence, I did not have a fenced yard. I am thankful the Aussie rescue did not require a fenced yard, but being a responsible dog owner means giving your dog daily exercise in all climates. Being a responsible dog owner means training your dog in at least basic obedience so he can be controlled under all circumstances. I love dogs, but I hate going to friends/relatives homes and have their dogs jumping all over me and in my face when I sit down! I once had a friends dog jump on the back of the couch where I was sitting and proceed to grab my hair and try to pull it out of my head! Being a responsible dog owner means providing the best health care possible for your friend, which also includes grooming. My long haired dog was so matted from neglect when she came into rescue, they had to practically shave her! Her nails were so long they were like claws, and I still have a problem getting them back as short as they should be! One last thought: Being a responsible dog owner means loving your dog enough to know when it's time to let him go because of illness or aggression. It is very selfish to keep your beloved friend with you if he is in pain daily and there is nothing that can be done for him. It is also very irresponsible to keep an aggressive dog that is a menace to society because you "love him too much to put him down". You cannot be a responsible dog owner and not step up to the plate to protect your neighbors from your dog. If you have tried everything within your power to rehabilitate said dog, and he is still a threat to other dogs and/or people, it's time to act responsibly and do the right thing by him and other's. We also have a responsibility to our fellow man.

No, I don't believe a dog will do something out of *spite*. Example: You leave your dog alone to go to the store and come back and a pr. of your shoes are chewed up. A lot of inexperienced dog people would say the dog did it out of *spite*, because he wanted to go with you and was angry because you left him home. I believe he chewed up your shoes, (or couch, or coffe table or whatever) because he was not crated when you left and he: #1. Is not ready to be left alone uncrated #2. May be suffering from some form of *seperation anxiety*. As to whether a dog can reason or think, I definately believe they can, but not of course, to the extent we humans can. I have definately seen my dogs stop and *think* when I say something to them, and then it's like a light bulb comes on and they are thinking, "Oh! That's what she means", and they go and do it. Example: I am teaching my dogs to go find each other. When we are on our off leash runs, one or the other may *disappear* for a few minutes in the woods. I will tell the other one to go and find the absent one by using the other dogs name, of course. The dog with me will stop and become very alert while looking around, and then will take off in the direction the other dog is, even though they do not see him/her. Now a good question is: Is the dog actually *thinking* or is he/she using their senses to locate the other dog? From observing my dogs, I believe until they really know what I am asking, they stop and are processing or *thinking* about what I asked. They know what *find* means, they know the other dogs name, so they are putting the two together. Is this thinking? I believe so. As to whether a dog can *reason*, I also have some good examples of that. One is: We used to own a fantastic Field Trial Lab and in a Field Trial, the dog must go and retrieve a *bird* it did not see fall. (Blind retrieve). They have to do this on land and water, and to make the test harder, on the water test they have to take a straight line to the bird, and swim parallel to shore, but not *run the shore*, which of course, is the fastest way to get to the bird. The most intelligent dogs will always want to run the shore to the bird, because to me, they have reasoned in their minds, that that is the fastest way to get to the bird, eventhough it may not necessarily be the shortest way. I also believe that some people attach too many human qualities to dogs and therefore treat them too much like thinking/reasoning people, (letting them make ALL their own decisions) which can get you into a *world of hurt*, as they say, while other's don't give them enough credit to be able to think and reason at all, which can be very detremental to your best friend as well.

After reading through all the advise, I have to say that *Snow* is right on with what she has said. You do not want to give Maya *doggie Prozac*. Drugs can be and often are very harmful to dogs, plus drugs will not solve the underlying problem, which is not enough exercise/training. Solve the underlying *problem*, and the problem will be solved! I live in a [i]very cold[/i] (try -20 and lower) winter climate, but like Snow I take my dogs out for a daily run no matter what. The cold bother's my lungs also, but I wear a face mask so I am not breathing in the cold air. There are also masks made specifically for people with Asthma/empysems. Another problem I see is that you have children, and puppies and children so many times do not *mix* in the sense that the children's activity will stimulate the puppy and make them more hyper. The kids run around, the puppy follows, becoming more excited. I got one of my current dogs (an Aussie) because she was outside alone in the yard all the time, and when the owner's children would go out to play, she would chase them and grab their clothing and nip at their hands. Do not tie your dog outside no matter what. If she is tied, even on a *zip* line, and the children are running around etc., she will become frantic to run with them and this can quickly turn to aggression. I also wouldn't depend on the children to walk Maya for you. There are many cases where dogs who were being walked by children have bitten people, plus the children will not be teaching Maya the things she has to learn. I am never in favor of just *getting rid of* a dog, but in a case like yours, where you don't feel you can meet her needs, I think it is the best thing to do for her. I would contact an Am. Eskimo/Spitz Rescue in your area. They will put her in a foster home and assess her and then place her in a home she will be completely compatible with, which she is not with you. But then, please DO NOT go out and get another dog. At least not a young dog.

I have a purebred Aussie and an Aussie/BC. My Aussie/BC is blk/wt and has a full beautiful tail. When he holds it up, the tip spills over like a plume. In his winter coat, when he holds it down, it touches the ground! His tail is always wagging too. He is one happy dog! I also love my little Aussie girls tail less butt too! I call her, *Miss Wiggle Butt*, because when she wags her *tail*, her whole butt wiggles, and frankly, I like the Aussie w/out a tail. That's one of the things that makes them an Aussie! If I happened to get one with a full tail I would never have it docked, but if I bought a puppy, I would get one with a docked tail.

They, like most other purebred dogs can also have some health problems, so make sure you check that out and if you decide to get one you go to a reputable breeder whose dogs are healthy and who has a good health guarantee.

[quote name='DogPaddle']Intersting. For those of you against dogparks, do you think dogs miss out on anything really important by not being able to run loose in a semi-wooded area?[/quote] I'm a little confused here. Do you mean a semi-wooded Dog Park, or just a semi-wooded area? Either way, a dog will not *miss* what it has no knowledge of, therefore will not miss running in a Dog Park or anywhere else if it has never done it. Personally speaking, however, I love to take my dogs on long unleashed walks through the woods and let them swim in the ponds and just be dogs! They are not retriever's, but I trained them to a retriever whistle nevertheless, and they are ob trained so I can easily call them off a deer sighting or scent, and bring them to *heel* to pass a skunk...if I see it before they do, that is! They have been sprayed, so usually keep their distance now! :lol: Our daily walks are our favorite part of our day and we walk rain, snow or shine and all come home refreshed but tired, and very very happy!