Sarahstaff

Here, let me help you. Impulse buying of a pup is a bad idea. Puppies are always cute, it's easy to be swayed by that. But there is a [i]lot[/i] more to it than bringing home a cute pup! That web site didn't impress me that much, honestly. I saw very little mention of health testing. Sure there's a comment about "healthy dogs", but anyone can say that. (at my vets, they have a client who recently bought a Golden Retriever pup from someone who heavily advertises her "healthy dogs". The GR pup has a serious heart condition.) I see some of the dogs are listed as "OFA" (though not what the rating actually was), but not all of them are even OFA'd. And there are a number more tests that should be done on an Amstaff before breeding. There are also mentions of how Amstaffs should be able to get along, and that the dogs are always together in groups. I consider this extremely irresponsible advice. With the bully breeds, no matter how well they seem to behave, it is [i]always[/i] a good idea to expect the worst. The whole site is pretty thin on explaining their breeding and showing philosophy. Some of the dogs being bred are untitled, which can be okay if it's part of a well-thought out program, but there is no sign of that. Mostly, the site seems to be an advertisement for puppies for sale. I'd give this pup a miss, and when you are ready to find a pup (assuming you can't be talked into a wonderful rescue ;) ), look around more carefully for a breeder.

[quote]3) Someone who wants to own a pitbull needs to be qualified. Lets face it, they are not your average dog that anyone can handle. They have special needs, and people need to be aware of that[/quote] That is true of [i]most[/i] breeds, though, singling out the bullies is unfair. Most dog breeds have their quirks, which need to be understood by anyone acquiring a dog of that breed. Siberian Huskies will take off any chance they get, and are extremely difficult to train. JRTs are little bundles of energy that can tire you out just watching them. Many, many breeds are naturally protective, so can easily become human aggressive if not carefully handled. Etc...... If there was just [i]one[/i] message that I could promote to people about dog ownership, it would be that they should really research any breed they are considering, and think long and hard about whether this breed is a good match for them.

What a cute puppy! How could anyone [i]not[/i] fall in love with her?

:( [quote]although, I have to say, the Papillon one kinda creeps me out... [/quote] The only one that [i]I[/i] modified, you don't like. :drinking: Okay, the person who modified the first 2 does a much better job.. :lol:

The question of what to do about the problems of the APBT is a complex one, and I don't think there is an easy answer. I really don't believe that legislation will help, as well as the dangers inherent in handing our rights off to lawmakers. The main thing I do personally is to try to improve the image of the bull breeds. At one time, someone on one of our Staffy lists stated that the best way to help fight BSL was to have a webpage for your dog. I don't agree with that, but I thought it couldn't hurt, hence my website. ([url=http:www.homestead.com/elmothesbt/index.html]Elmoworld[/url]) I also get my dogs out in public and talk to people, and I compete in performance events with my dogs. Of course, I do that mainly because I enjoy it, and that's why I started in dog sport, but once I saw the PR possibilities, it has been a real motivator for me. Especially at agility trials, where there are often uninvolved spectators, for them to see a "pit bull" (they don't usually know the difference between that and a Staffie) running the course, off-leash but happy and reasonably in control, it makes an impact. I never try to delude anyone into thinking these are easy breeds to own, in fact, I usually discourage people from looking for one. But if their image can be remade from "tough dog du jour" into "sweet family pet", the lowlifes won't want them anymore.

The cape picture is actually Elmo, but here it is: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/fdc018c5.jpg[/img] And here's his hang gliding photo: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/flyingmo.jpg[/img] But Tully [i]is[/i] exceptionally cute! Here she is as a Papillon: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/tullion.JPG[/img] And just as her own sweet (hungry!) self: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/tullybeggin.JPG[/img] And of course, no primrose baiting would be complete without one of [i]these[/i] pictures: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/thehaulofteamstafford.JPG[/img] :wink:

Let's get back to the cute pictures.... [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/tullyjumpt.jpg[/img] [color=blue][i]Fly[/i], Tully![/color]

Okay, I've been trying to stay out of the inanity, but.... [quote]So even assuming that The Sarah knew that no matter how many kids fell on poor Elmo's aging and aching joints, he would never snap [/quote] Aging and aching joints? :question: He was [i]four years old[/i]!

I don't have a Kerry, but here's a picture of one with my dog: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/twoterrificterriers.jpg[/img]

You missed a chance at some serious alliteration! That's not just a dancing Dachsund... it's a Dancing [i]Dapple[/i] Dachsund! :lol:

K, that's a great picture! bk, the Kelpie isn't mine, but she is a pet. She was in our agility class.

[quote]I love to see them interact with kids[/quote] Okay... at the risk of having primrose appear again, just to tell me yet again how irresponsible I was to let Elmo play with kids we didn't know: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/elmokidslide.JPG[/img] [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/elmoslide1.jpg[/img] [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/elmoslide2.jpg[/img] Let a dog go down a slide a few times, and kids will pop out of the woodwork to play with him! :lol: (sorry for the poor quality photos... they were taken with a cheap camera, and scanned with a cheap scanner)

I got bored, and went to find some more brindle dogs. Check these out. Plott Hound: [img]http://www.treehound.com/treehound/graphics/plott.jpg[/img] Black & brindle Borzoi (they come in all brindle, too, but of the pics I saw, this was the most striking): [img]http://borzoi-color.batw.net/images/Orfeo150_100.jpeg[/img] Kai: [img]http://www.rarebreed.com/breeds/kai/kai.jpg[/img] Aussie pup with brindle points: [img]http://www.ashgi.org/color/PHOTOS/Brindles/brindle1.JPG[/img] Cool looking Aussie cross: [img]http://www.ashgi.org/color/PHOTOS/Brindles/SnickersBrindleMix.JPG[/img] Basenji: [img]http://www.basenji.org/african/images/MBlkFtXw.JPG[/img]

Of course they communicate. I think the biggest flaw in the arguments being made previously was the apparent assumption that communication would mean that they would "get along". It should be obvious to anyone who frequents internet message boards that a common language does [i]not[/i] prevent conflict!

I didn't feel like tacking on to the ultra-long thread... my babies deserve their own thread! I thought of this photo when we were discussing the communications skills of bully breeds. It was suggested that those skills are lacking. Really? [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/miathemolester.JPG[/img] This could have been entitled, "I torture Elmo". Mia, the Doberman, thinks that Elmo is Hot Stuff, and she wouldn't leave him alone. You can see that he wants nothing to do with her! (he actually always had a thing for Mia's Dachsund sister. Don't ask me.) Elmo tried to come to me for protection, but I shoved him back out so I could take this picture. [i]Then[/i] I protected him from that wanton bitch. You can see from Elmo's body language that he is asking Mia to leave him alone, but she ignores this. Poor Elmo has always had trouble with rude Dobermans. (okay, obligatory disclaimer. The fact that I knew that Elmo could handle the stress for a few seconds more in no way implies that any other bull breed dogs could have. And, hopefully, noone would be stupid enough to put 2 dogs with these disparate attitudes together unsupervised.) Here's another "lack of communication" photo: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/elmoleftout.JPG[/img] Everyone has a toy but Elmo. You can see how he just reaches in and takes what he wants... er... not. Nobody wants to share. (disclaimer: Actually, the disclaimer I'll make for this one is that these are [i]not[/i] all my dogs, and anyone nuts enough to own 3 Staffies, a Boston, and a Kelpie would deserve whatever they got! The fact that all these dogs are holding still in this picture should not imply that this has ever happened before, or since.) Tully likes Dobermans a lot better than Elmo does: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/nettully_baby2.JPG[/img] This is her best friend, Jesse: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/nettully_jesse.JPG[/img] See her bravely stick her head in the Doberman's mouth: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/nettully_jesse1.JPG[/img] (disclaimer: Tully was just a pup in these photos. Her games with her Doberman friends are much more rambunctious now, and it would not be safe to stand as close as Jesse's mom is in those pictures!) Tully is a fickle bitch, though. Can't keep her away from those big, hairy boys: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/nettullydragon.JPG[/img] [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/nettullytriumphs.JPG[/img] This was at a show. The funny part was, we ran into this Deerhound again at a show almost a full year later, and the 2 of them remembered each other! After Tully had her "New CD" photo taken, we finally let them at each other... they'd both obviously wanted that. They leapt back into play as though they had never been forcibly hauled apart! (I don't think I need a disclaimer for this one. It is obvious that a Scottish Deerhound is no match for a Staffy.)

The name "Bloodhound" was contracted from "blooded hound", referring to the dogs' own breeding. They were very carefully bred, and their "blood" kept "pure", to create the finest trailing hounds possible.

This came in on a draft dog list I'm on. It was originally forwarded from a Siberian Husky list. Not sure who had the honor of originally composing the message, but they sure can tell a story! >>Me and the girls (my packhiking sammies and my min-pin, who could be thefirst packhiking min-pin ever) have seen some incredible things when we go packhiking. The story is somewhat graphic in nature, so I've left a lot of that kind of stuff out. Use your own imagination. We were hoofing it through the Cleveland metroparks with about two miles left on our ten mile hike, and we came up to a picnic pavilion area. Off to the left were several portable toilets, porta potties, and one was being used in a very unusual fashion. There was some sort of training cart parked next to the porta potty, with four Siberian husky-malamute looking dogs in harnesses, all hooked to one gang line (I think that is what it is called). The gang line was probably 20 feet long, and went directly into the door of the porta potty. The dogs were not hooked to the training cart at all, so it appeared they were out on a port o' let sled riding mission. I can only assume there was no way to anchor the cart and dogs while the driver was taking care of business, so she got the brilliant idea to just take the gang line into the porta potty and hold on to the dogs while she accomplished her goal. You are probably thinking the exact same thoughts I was when I saw this little set up: Recipe for disaster. And of course this story wouldn't really be worth typing if it ended with the woman coming out and driving off with her dogs into the sunset. I am fishing for my digital camera to take a picture of the porta potty-pulling team when my dogs yank their leashes, almost toppling me over. A squirrel has decided to stop nearby, pick up a nut and chow it while my three dogs watch. So far the four sled dogs haven't seen the squirrel, but it is only a matter of time, as my dogs are doing the "If I wasn't on this leash I would kick that squirrel's a##" dance. Sure enough, the potty pullers' heads all snap to the direction of the squirrel, and they all appear to get the same idea as my three straining at their leashes. My dogs see those dogs spot the squirrel, and some sort of dog tribal hunting nonverbal communication thing happens, as every one of the seven dogs on either end of the field realizes that its pretty much a race to see which of the two groups can get to the squirrel faster. My dogs redouble their pulling efforts, and the four dog sled team reacted as one, and lunged full steam for the squirrel. The porta potty sort of spins about 30 degrees and rocks like the dickens. Luckily, it doesn't tip over, but kind of rocks back and forth a time or two and then rights itself. Well, that is just unacceptable to the sled team, and they give another huge yank. The porta potty spins yet again, and from inside some sort of human screech occurs. The screech seemed to slow the sled dogs down and they settled into a nervous stand. At this point the squirrel decided the dogs weren't going to get him so he started doing some kind of "na,na,na can't get me" dance, infuriating the porta potty pullers. If you ever wondered why dog sleds are built long and low to the ground, as opposed to small and tall, like, say --- the shape of a porta potty, you need no longer wonder if this is a design flaw. Anyhow, the pulling and barking started up again. The porta potty did its best to stay standing, rocking heavily back and forth. The dogs, sensing victory, forgot completely about the squirrel, and started timing their pulls with the rocking, and of course triumphantly gave one last tug and yanked the porta potty over. For some reason, they just stopped pulling after the port potty settled on the ground. (I'm not sure what happened to the squirrel at this point, although if he was anything like that insurance commercial where the two squirrels make the car wreck and high five each other, then my guess is he ran off into the woods to get his friends so he could show them what he'd accomplished.) From the port potty came a series of cuss words unrepeatable in this story, so I figured I'd better see if I could help. The port potty unfortunately had landed face down, meaning the door was now the bottom. I tied my dogs to a tree, and ventured toward the port o let. I asked if the occupant was OK. She said yes, in a lot more colorful and verbal way than just yes, but for the purposes of this story we'll just say she said yes. The port potty hadn't fared as well. You could tell it was hurt because there was a lot of blue fluid leaking from it. I told the woman that I would have to roll the port potty on its side to get the door open and she should find something to hang on to. Well a couple good shoves later, the thing rolled 90 degrees and the door was exposed. The door opened and out crawled a blue mama smurf, covered with the blue blood of the dying port potty. Her dogs came running and decided she needed a bath. About this point she realized that step 10 in the bathroom process entitled "put your pants back on" had been skipped, so she disappeared back into the port potty. Well, she was in absolutely no mood to talk about her ride on the wild side, which I didn't blame her, so she got the short version of what had happened outside and I spared her the indignity of having to recite what happened from inside. I helped her hook her dogs back up to the cart looking thing, and off she went, glowing blue as she went drove down the path and back into the woods. I can't imagine what all the other visitors thought as they walked serenely through the park and were passed by a pissed off blue smurf and her merry band of blue-tongued dogs.<<

Is the breed in trouble? Yes. Is Primrose helping? No.

[quote name='cheekymunkee']At Patty's Dog Park, where P-diddy floated here from they DO censor posts. Everyone's but HERS!! I was only able to post on that board ONE TIME before I was put in a down-stay & my posts never again reached the board. That is because the admin there pees all over herself every time Primmy posts lies about pit bulls. Debby[/quote] I should mention that at Patty's, they did wind up putting primmy in a "down stay", which I assume is why she left. Of course, it wasn't for anything she ever said about pit bulls, or to pit bull owners. It was for attacking a Golden Retriever person. :roll:

Here are some more parti-Poodles. This page has some photos of partis showing at the UKC Premier: [url=http://www.partipoodleworld.com/ShowUKC_June2004_Photos.htm]Cute Partis[/url] I can't bring any photos to this board, as the page doesn't allow it, but there are some nice looking dogs. One of the Standard parti Poodles got a Group 2! (Poodles are in the Gundogs group in UKC)

I [i]love[/i] the phantom! Very striking! They are all interesting, thank you. HF, the UKC just started accepting partis a couple months ago, it is very recent, so not suprising that you didn't know. I post at the UKC message board, and there was really a brouhaha when they were considering that decision. It was really funny for me, as a non-Poodle person, to observe. I couldn't believe how deadly serious some of these people were about not allowing the partis! One guy was saying how terrible are the partis were, which is ridiculous of course, there are many attractive partis. I don't know the breed standard, but I've certainly seen nice looking parti Poodles. Considering some of the [i]other[/i] issues in the Poodle breed, making such a big fuss over a color seemed ridiculous to me. I was very glad when the UKC announced that they [i]were[/i] going to accept the partis. Oh, and the sable pup [i]does[/i] look like a Power Puff girl. :lol:

They are already being shown in conformation in the US. :wink: Just not in the AKC. The UKC now accepts partis and phantom Poodles. There was quite a big to-do about that, too, with some Poodle owners ranting about the horrors of the multi-color Poodles being accepted by a registry they probably don't even show in. :roll: I believe the partis (and phantoms) are a separate variety in the UKC. They didn't add the brindles though. I've never seen a brindle Poodle, I would like to.

Since you like brindle, here's a picture for you: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/brindleboya2.5weeks.jpg[/img] And there's always my boy: [img]http://elmothesbt.homestead.com/files/RCA.jpg[/img] My Tully is actually brindle too, but she's so dark it's hard to see, she just appears black.

Oh, I thought that was an Akita [i]eating[/i] a pit bull. :evilbat:

In America, there are several different organizations offering agility, and they all have different rules. The one Carol was trialling in [i]requires[/i] that the dog wear a collar. Sorry your trip didn't go well, Carol. I agree that if your dog is having reactive issues, you should avoid letting her meet other dogs.