Sarahstaff

I gotta agree with you, Mei-Mei. When I saw that topic title, all I could think was "glad it's not [i]my[/i] dog!" Bet people will be clamoring to buy the bitch pups now, hoping they can repeat the fertility of their dam....

[quote name='hillside']Dogo is supposed to be a place for ALL dog lovers from all walks of life, purebred and mixed, show and rescue. As I said before if this kind of all inclusive bashing was going on about rescue and mixed breeds, there would be a riot. .[/quote] Hear, hear! This kind of anti-purebred, anti-dog show stuff is going on on more than one board I post on, and I don't care for it. I happen to own purebred dogs by choice... and I like mixed breed dogs just fine, I just happen to choose purebreds for myself. I am somewhat involved in the world of dog showing, though I plan to retire my bitch without any AKC points, as it's proving too difficult to get them on her (she's a nice bitch, but entirely different from what is shown around here, and I'm not willing to send her out with a handler) There are bad things in the world of dog shows, but there are good things too, and I don't like the bashing. My bitch is not any less of an excellent dog just because she is from a long line of dogs bred for the show ring. In regards to the Bloodhound who won the Eukanuba show, I've heard from people who know the handler that he is an extremely nice guy, always helpful and considerate of everyone. So, I'm glad the Bloodhound won.

[quote name='hillside'][quote name='Carolk9s'][quote name='hillside']Yeah, but would you ever own a Dalmatian? ( I swear, you guys are trying to kill me here.)[/quote] I guess if I ever got a DalmatiAn I'd have to learn how to spell it right? 8) Believe me, I understand. I seen and heard the Belgian Shepherds called BelgiUM Shepherds many many times.[/quote] Precisely. I am VERY disappointed in my fellow Dogo'ers for not recognizing my comment. Except Jessashelony. So Carol, how is that Belgium of yours? :wink: :lol:[/quote] Anybody have a Burmese Mountain Dog? :lol:

[quote name='DivineOblivion19'][quote name='Cairn6']Just for fun I asked my sister who worked in a grooming shop for 10 years. Her experience was that no dog breed was all bad but she did become quite leary of Chows. She said more often then not they were snappy. But there were a few that were very sweet.[/quote] [color=indigo]This is the main reason I don't care for Chow Chows. I don't like that they don't like other people. They truely are a one person/family breed, and some people like that, I don't. :wink: :) [/color][/quote] I generally don't like Chows for that very reason, but I've known 2 Chows which were very sweet, so I can't make a blanket statement that I would never own a Chow... except that they are too damn hairy!

I'll never own anything with a lot of hair, which lets out a lot of breeds. Other than that, I could wind up with any dog, there are lots that I like, but I'll always have my Staffybulls.

[quote name='xavierandrea']OK I have to put my 2 cents in for what its worth. I have 3 Rotties. I use all kinds of collars on them. I have the " Spike" ones, nylons, leather, bright pink, smiley face,choke chain, prongs, you name it I have it. Why because I like it.I like the variety. On the girls I have to use the prong collar and the chokers at all times because of the fighting that we experienced between them. The older members know what I went through with my girls. With out the prongs and the chokers on I have no control over my girls and they will snap at one another and a fight might start. I can not risk that. But Asim breaks through every collar we have. He is a very powerfull dog. He will be 2 in a few days and has broken through 5 choke chains, 3 nylon collars, snapped 2 leather collars. We use a real chain on him now but only when we take him out though. I don't think a collar will make a dog "vicious". I would use it because it is different and looks strong enough that Asim probally couldn't break through it. Oh who,,, I ready for the attacks.......[/quote] If I had a dog who was breaking out of collars, I'd buy it one of these: [url=http://www.blockydogs.com/]Blocky Dog Collars[/url] In fact, I wish I could buy one, but my little dogs would look ridiculous with a collar that size. These are awesome, well-made collars! My dogs have lots of different collars, including some which are relatively unique, but I would never put a collar on them which was supposed to make them look "tough". We're fighting BSL here... the [i]last[/i] thing I want to do is to play into people's stereotypes which make them fear bully breed dogs. It's easy to say that people shouldn't judge by appearance, but people [i]do[/i], and it's silly to ignore that.

Yes, I [i]do[/i] sometimes sit around thinking about what I'll do with my dogs' remains when they die. :o I think I might like to do [url=http://www.lifegem.com/index.asp]this[/url] with Elmo, if I can afford it when he (sometime in the far future, hopefully!) dies. I like the idea.

[quote name='courtnek']me too. Who was the star that had to go to the hospital because the guinea pigs got, ummm, "stuck"? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:[/quote] Nobdy, because that is an [url=http://www.snopes.com/risque/homosex/gerbil.htm#add]urban legend[/url]

Yes, the Amstaff does worse. But the GSD does better. When supposedly creating a new breed to "improve" on an existing breed, why have these health issues been allowed to creep in? The testing has been available during the time the breed has been being created. If the people who created the breed really wanted to improve on what was available, they could have been carefully testing, culling, and practically eliminated health concerns from the breed. Long term breeds that have health issues are unfortunate, and something to work on. A new breed with this level of health issues seems to me to be a failed experiment.

21.7% of Shiloh Shepherds have HD, by OFA statistics. Compare that to 19.1% of German Shepherds. Shiloh Shepherds do appear to have less elbow dysplasia, but since there are only 52 evaluated, that could be wrong. Shiloh Shepherds are at #6 on the most affected by congenital cardiac disease, with 1.3% affected. (GSDs are at 0 affected) You could pick a healthier breed to obsess over.

[quote]In my experience this statement could not be farther from the truth. I've not done any research on the breed or anything but we do see quite a bit of these dogs and every time I see one I'd swear it was on CRACK![/quote] The Wheatens I've known (both the ones we treated when I worked for a vet, and the ones I've encountered at agility & obedience trials) have not been hyper at all, and have met the temperament description in their breed standard pretty well. Maybe there is just a bad strain of Wheatens predominate in your area? Kerry Blues are another nice terrier breed, along the same lines, but a bit more zesty in temperament. German Pinschers are supposed to be more terrier like in temperament. I've really liked the ones I've met, but I've heard that they can be rather sharp and protective. Probably not a good choice, as from what I've read, they aren't necessarily good with kids. Of course, I'm sure some are fine, but I think it might be best to choose a breed which is more typically good with kids. I don't think a Stafford would be a good choice due to the lack of a fenced yard... Staffords should not be taken to dog parks... and the uncertainty of the living situation. Staffs are illegal in some areas, and many landlords will not rent to owners of "pit bulls", which SBTs are usually classified as. Don't get me wrong, this is my breed and I think they would otherwise suit well, but I care too much for the breed to recommend them to any less than the perfect home.

Are you in Ontario? If you're in Ontario, you'd better wait until this thing is settled. If that idiot's bill doesn't pass, things should settle down and then would be okay. If it does pass, you'll have to move if you want a Staffy. If you are in Vancouver, you'd probably be okay to get a Staffy, they're just making noise right now. But anytime you get one, you [i]will[/i] have to be careful and alert for people who might want to hurt your dog. Never leave a Staffy outside unattended, and be careful when you go out with the dog.

You know, the creepiest thing is that she went to the [i]media[/i] about the fact that she was breastfeeding the puppy. Why did she do that? I don't think we know nearly enough about this woman's pathology to criticize CYFS for removing the child.

I threaten my dogs all the time. I say "stop that, or I'll beat you!" Or I tell them, "qualify this time, or I'll leave you here in the fairgrounds when I go home." Or even *gasp* "if you don't do your signals this time, there will be no hamburger on the way home!" They never pay any attention at all. Of course, this could be because I never [i]do[/i] beat them or leave them in the fairgrounds, and they generally [i]do[/i] get a hamburger on the way home. :wink:

[quote name='DivineOblivion19'] [color=indigo]Wow, that upsets me. Divina didn't pass because she was standing at the end of her leash looking out the door during supervised separation. The judge failed her because of that. I was watching through a window and she was just standing there looking out the door. She wasn't upset at all. I think the guy was just being an a$$ because she was deaf. He passed a Golden that he had on a tight leash and wouldn't let her walk around and he was talking to her the whole time telling her to stay. :-?[/color][/quote] Yes, there is no consistency to the CGC at all. Tully really shouldn't have passed when she did. (she could easily pass it now, btw, she was 13 months and very silly when she took it) I saw the same examiner pass other dogs who probably shouldn't have. (all had excessive friendliness in common). It sounds to me like your Divina should have passed, and I've heard of other dogs subjected to higher than necessary standards. Still, it's better than nothing. BTW, your avatar is really cool.

It would certainly be possible to get an unsound dog through the CGC test. The temperament component of the CGC test doesn't really stress the dog... there are audio & visual stimuli, the dog is handled (gently) by the evaluator, and is in the presence of another dog. There is also very little consistency to the CGC testing- some evaluators let a dog get away with almost anything, others are more demanding. (I belive the AKC is about to tighten up on that) When my Tully was tested she; tried to jump up on the examiner, wiggled all over with wanting to play with the strange dog so that I had to keep telling her to sit, and cried loudly through the supervised separation. She passed. :roll: The CGC is [i]not[/i] breed specific. The behaviors required of the dog are very basic, and there are really no allowances to be made. The ATTS temperament test [i]is[/i] breed specific, and it has to be. It is a much more in-depth assessment of temperament, and what is right in one breed would not be in another. Mutts4me, Schutzhund training [i]is[/i] relevant to the reaction of the dog to the threatening stranger in the ATTS test, as it is very like some of the situations in Schutzhund. While I have no personal interest in the bitesports, I know that there are situations where a dog is supposed to show protective behavior when the decoy is threatening. The dog does not have to wait for a command in those situations. This isn't the neutral stranger, or the friendly stranger, encountered at the beginning of the test. This is the stranger who is charging at dog and handler, waving a stick and yelling. I saw a couple Schutzhund trained dogs react during that section of the ATTS test, and they all had the same reaction, of lunging and barking, which is trained to them. One of the dogs was known to me, and I got a chance to meet the other; they are both nice, stable dogs who deserved to pass the test, as they did. They cannot be faulted for acting according to their training. OTOH, if my Staffybull had reacted the same way, he would have deservedly failed the test, as that is not correct temperament in the breed, and he has not been trained to do that. If he had hid behind me (as one of the Berners did), I [i]hope[/i] he would have failed, because that isn't correct temperament either, but I don't know since he didn't do that. (the Berner who hid behind his handler passed) It is probably possible to get an unsound dog through the ATTS test, too, but it would be a lot harder than the CGC, because the ATTS test puts much more pressure on the dog.

Start any conditioning program gradually, and work up. Don't start an out-of-shape dog out with a 5 mile run! The amount of walking/running your dog will need depends on the dog. For pull training, get a pull harness and get the dog used to wearing it. Then start the dog out with something light, such as a milk jug with a few rocks in it, to get them used to the feel and noise of something behind him. Have a collar and leash on and lead the dog while it's pulling (at least at first), so that the dog understands that pulling in the harness is different from pulling on the leash. Gradually build up until the dog is pulling a reasonable weight. I wouldn't go over the dog's own weight unless you are planning to go for pull competition. Probably won't need that much. Biking with your dog running is just fine, only be sure that you don't run the dog too long or hard. Since bicycling is easier than running, you can overwork the dog if you don't pay attention. A rowdier game of fetch is going to exercise the dog more, thus produce more muscle, though it also causes a greater risk of injury. I think you could play fetch and/or frisbee in the snow, it would depend on how slippery it was. If it's slippery, might be better not to risk it. As for food, I personally feed a high grade kibble, and my dogs thrive on it. Whatever, if you seriously want to condition your dog, your best bet is probably a combination of activities.

All Tully does is play fetch. [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/tlooks.jpg[/img]

[quote name='Seijun']She is about 5 or 6 years old. Unfortunately I just don't think she has the concentration level required to weight pull. Also, she didn't receive any training for anything until she was three. Pretty much any chance she had at a serious "job" was ruined by her first owners. ~Seij[/quote] Elmo wasn't trained at all until he was nearly 4, which is when I got him. His first 3 owners never did anything with him. I don't think they even took him out much, since he pulled incredibly badly on a leash, and couldn't ride calmly in a car. Old dogs [i]can[/i] learn new tricks! About the cow hocks... mild cow hocks are probably more of a cosmetic fault than anything, but more severe cow hocks are definitely a weakness. It's hard to evaluate structure in a pup though, a pup can definitely outgrow apparent structural defects. Pups don't grow evenly. Toeing out in front is called "easty westy", a severe toe out can be called "fiddle fronted", and again, that would be a weakness, but a slight toe out is actually the most functional structure for a dog. The Staffybull standard does call for a dog to toe out slightly at the pasterns.

How old is she? Elmo was 6 when he started weight pull, and 7 when he started carting: [img]http://www.homestead.com/elmothesbt/files/elmocartinside.jpg[/img]

RAT would be a fine choice. This is another good one: [url]http://www.agilityfun.com/index.html[/url] I know some people who train there. I don't think you'll have much luck finding the kind of club that lets you take classes for free, but you could look around, I might be wrong. I know we don't have any in Portland, but I don't know Washington [i]that[/i] well.

Sounds pretty normal, actually. I'm very close to your area, can you tell me where you've looked? I might know something about them.

She's just still woozy from the anesthesia, and possibly a bit sedated from pain killers (if they gave her those). Let her sleep, and she'll probably be back full throttle tomorrow.

In regards to the request for pictures... these aren't APBTs, they're Staffybulls, but really, at this point, who could tell? [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/ididntdoanythingbad.jpg[/img] [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/whatevercanyoumean.jpg[/img]

[quote name='Baileysmom'][quote]If she bays, she's coonhound. If she doesn't bay, then she isn't. [/quote] I agree with pretty much everything here, but jsut wanted to add, that if she doesnt bay that doesnt mean she isnt still part B&T coonhound...... my beagle mix doesnt bay.[/quote] Beagles aren't bayers the way coonhounds are. I've known many a Beagle mix that doesn't bay, in fact, I've been around plenty of purebred Beagles that I've not heard bay. But I've [i]never[/i] been around a coonhound, mixed or purebred, that doesn't bay. Baying is the "a-ROO a-ROOO" noise that hounds make when on the trail (and sometimes at other times). It's a pretty distinctive noise. All scent hound breeds bay, but some bay more than others.