imported_Matty

I also found this in the same website I listed before. I think its pretty interesting. [quote]Mixed Breed Dogs You can't predict what a mixed breed will look or act like Because...A mixed breed is not necessarily a mix of purebreds. Someone will say, "My dog's a Shepherd-Husky," as though his dog is the offspring of a purebred German Shepherd and a purebred Siberian Husky. Or "He's a mix of Shepherd, Husky, and Collie," as though his parents and grandparents were purebred members of these three breeds. In reality, such pure crosses are not that common. It is just as likely that a mixed breed dog is the offspring of TWO OTHER mixed breed dogs. The closest purebred in his heritage may be a single grandparent or great-grandparent. He may even be the product of many generations of mixed breeding... ...with nary a purebred to be seen anywhere. The term mixed breed, then, is misleading, because it suggests that a dog who is not a purebred has to be a MIX of purebreds. Not true. ONE-MINUTE HISTORY LESSON It isn't as though the first dogs started out as fancy purebreds and everything that isn't pure is some degenerate form of these purebreds. On the contrary. The first dogs were what we might call original village dogs. They roamed the edges of early villages and reproduced randomly. The purebreds that came along much later (mostly in the 1800s) were developed from these village dogs. But the original dogs have gone right along reproducing themselves, as well, and we still see the results of their random breedings today. So unless you know FOR SURE that a puppy had purebred parents, trying to guess "what breeds are in him" may be a waste of time. Because the truth may be, "No breeds at all. He comes from a long line of original village dogs." In other words, his parents and grandparents and great-grandparents may have been totally random mixtures of plain old CANINE genes -- not the more limited subset of PUREBRED genes. Personally, I think "non-purebred" is a more accurate term than "mixed breed." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even if you THINK you see some recognizable breed in a non-purebred dog...You may be mistaken. You're looking at a dog with black and tan markings. Does that mean he has Rottweiler in his heritage? Or Doberman? Is he part German Shepherd? Maybe not. There are only so many ways that canine parts CAN look -- and these "looks" can occur in any dog. A dog doesn't have to "get" his black and tan markings, or prick ears, or curled tail from some purebred. A non-purebred is entitled to the same basic canine genes and canine characteristics as a purebred is. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even if a dog really IS a mix of purebreds...You can't accurately guess which ones. You're looking at a stocky white dog with a big head. A Pit Bull mix? Maybe. But other breeds come in white (say, a Boxer). Other breeds have stocky builds (say, a Labrador Retriever). Other breeds have large heads (say, a French Bulldog). Combine these other breeds and you could get a stocky white dog with a big head who LOOKS like a Pit Bull -- and yet has no Pit Bull heritage at all! In mixed breed dogs, what you see on the outside often doesn't reflect the true genes on the inside. Don't jump to conclusions that just because a non-purebred dog LOOKS LIKE some breed, then he probably IS a mix of that breed. The old saying, "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck," simply doesn't hold true for mixed breed dogs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even if someone TELLS you what breeds are in there...They're often just guessing. Animal shelters and humane societies often post information tags about their dogs, such as "Lab mix." But in most cases, they are...Assuming that every dog MUST be a mix of some purebred. Assuming that because a dog has some body part (size, head, color) that LOOKS like a purebred, he must BE part purebred. Assuming that they can guess which purebred that might be. Even when the owner TELLS the shelter that their dog is a mix of some specific breed... the owner is often guessing, too. Or he was given misinformation from the original person HE got the dog from. Moral: Don't make your decision about which dog to adopt based on guesses of "which breeds are in him." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even if you know FOR SURE which breeds are in him...You don't know whether those parents and grandparents were "typical" of their breed. Remember when we were talking about purebreds, how there are many purebreds who don't have the temperament and behavior typical for their breed? There are Jack Russell Terriers who are calm and quiet, Doberman Pinschers who love everyone, and Golden Retrievers who are aggressive. Don't assume that purebreds ALWAYS have certain characteristics. You're looking at a puppy at the animal shelter. The shelter manager assures you that the puppy is a Fox Terrier mix -- he personally saw the mother, he says, and she was a purebred Fox Terrier. You're concerned, because you've read that terriers can be energetic, noisy, and stubborn. You reject the puppy. But what you don't know is that this particular Fox Terrier mother was one of the calmest, quietest, and most obedient dogs you could ever hope to find. She was not typical of her breed. Perhaps her puppy may have been the same way. Now here's an example from the other side of the fence... You're looking at a puppy at the animal shelter. The shelter manager assures you that the puppy is a Saint Bernard mix -- he personally saw the mother, he says, and she was a purebred Saint Bernard. You're pleased, because you've read that Saint Bernards are good-natured, friendly dogs. You take the puppy. But what you don't know is that this particular Saint Bernard mother slunk around with her tail between her legs, scared of her own shadow and nervous around strangers. She was not typical of her breed. Her puppy may be the same way. If you don't SEE the parents, you can't assume that they automatically have the temperament and behavior their breed "is known for." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even if you know FOR SURE which breeds are in him, and you know the parents VERY WELL...You still don't know WHICH genes a puppy will inherit from WHICH breed -- and which genes will "trump" the others. You're looking at a "Pek-a-poo" puppy. His father was a Pekingese, his mother was a Poodle. You know for sure that both of them act normal for their breed, because they live next door to you. But...since a Pekingese is very different from a Poodle, the Pekapoo puppy inherits conflicting characteristics. Will he shed heavily, like a Pekingese? Will he not shed at all, like a Poodle? Or something in between? Will he be stubborn (Pekingese)? Will he be eager to please (Poodle)? Or something in between? Perhaps the Pekingese genes will trump the Poodle genes in appearance... while the Poodle genes trump the Pekingese genes in temperament. Or vice versa. Or perhaps the genes will all blend together so that the puppy doesn't resemble either breed in appearance or temperament. You can't get around it. Non-purebred dogs are unpredictable. Now, I don't mean they're unpredictable as DOGS, as though you can't tell what they're going to DO from day to day! No, no! All I mean is that you cannot look at a non-purebred puppy and predict what he will grow up to look like and act like. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, "A non-purebred puppy is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." The solution, of course, is to look for an adult who already HAS the appearance, temperament, and behavior that you want. The difficulty with this solution, of course, is finding him! Non-purebreds tend toward the moderate The extremes of temperament and behavior often seen in purebreds are less common in non-purebreds. It is certainly possible for non-purebreds to be "very" energetic or "very" independent or "very" prone to chasing things. But many purebreds were specifically BRED to have those temperaments and behaviors because they aided the breed's performance of his work. In non-purebreds, extreme temperaments and behaviors are by happenstance rather than deliberate design. Because their temperament and behavior is more middle-of-the-road and less strongly "programmed," non-purebreds tend to be more flexible. They often adjust more easily to a greater variety of households and living conditions. If you want a dog with specific skills, such as herding sheep or pointing pheasants, or to compete in some specialized canine event such as schutzhund or lure coursing, a non-purebred is not the way to go. These are the areas where purebreds are at their very best. Health problems in non-purebreds Most individuals have good genetic diversity, i.e. their genes are unrelated and include a little of this and a little of that, which tends to promote overall health and vigor. Because their genes are usually unrelated, the chances are good that the parents of a mixed breed puppy did not both have the same defective genes. It is the pairing up of the same defective genes that causes some of the worst health problems. Mother Nature tends to make dogs moderately sized, with natural builds. For example, in non-purebreds you seldom find faces as short as a Pug. You seldom find bodies as long as a Dachshund, or as barrel-shaped as a Bulldog, or as huge as a Great Dane, or as tiny as a Maltese. Which is good, because these physical features are associated with increased health problems. It is almost unheard of for a mixed breed dog to have even one parent who has been tested for any genetic disorder. With a mixed breed dog, you have to put your faith in his genetic diversity, rather than in medical testing. Some mixed breed dogs are crosses of purebreds that share similar health problems. This means the same defective gene could come over from both parents and pair up in their puppies. For example, "Cockapoo" puppy has one Cocker Spaniel parent and one Poodle parent. Both of these breeds are prone to a long list of similar defects that could easily pair up. Some mixed breed dogs are inbred just as much or worse than purebred dogs. For example, some people who breed "Cockapoos" have only a few dogs whom they keep interbreeding. Whether purebred or mixed, it is much easier for defective genes to pair up when the gene pool is small and the dogs are related. Non-purebreds are inexpensive Many people are reluctant to spend $500 or $1000 for a purebred dog. You can get a non-purebred at the animal shelter for $25 to $75. Classified ads in the newspaper may charge the same, or may even give their puppies away free. Dog breeders sometimes speak scornfully of people who don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for a dog. "If you can't afford the purchase price," they say, "how will you afford monthly food bills or emergency vet bills?" I believe these are entirely separate situations. If a beloved dog is ill, countless owners will scrape and scrounge to come up with however many hundreds (or thousands) of dollars it takes to help him, whether they found him as a stray, or paid $1000 for him. In fact, if they had to pay $1000 for him, they have that much less available to pay for health care. With all of the problems purebred dogs are facing, breeders do not have a compelling argument that you're automatically getting a better dog for all that money. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To sum up, a non-purebred can be a fine choice... if you're willing to accept whatever characteristics he grows up to have -- or if you adopt an adult so you can already see what he looks like and acts like if you raise and train him correctly if you're willing to accept the potential for genetic defects and health problems (greater in some mixes than in others) if you don't want to pay a high purchase price and if you like the idea of saving a life that no one else may have wanted [/quote]

Since I have been reading so many posts about people mistaking purebreds and saying they have one type of purebred and some one else saying that its not that breed at all. I was just doing some reading on Purebreds and I found this site. I thought it was kinda interesting. :wink: [url]http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/tutorial1.html[/url] This part I found interesting especially since I just started reading this book. It was suggested on this forum to read, so I bought it :D [quote]Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin and Behavior This controversial book by Raymond Coppinger lays out a persuasive case for why purebred dogs are in serious trouble today. In the past, I followed the traditional "party line" about purebred dogs. Here are Three Sacred Truths held by virtually all dog clubs and virtually all show dog breeders: Purebreds must be preserved. The loss of any breed would be a tragedy. Responsible breeders should try to improve their breed. Breeding to "show standards" is the best way to preserve and improve breeds. Then I read Ray Coppinger's book. And I was upset. Because Coppinger shot serious holes through the Three Sacred Truths. He challenged many other ideas, as well. I tossed the book aside. I brooded about it for awhile. And I decided to give it a second chance. I'm glad I did. Because once you get over your indignation, once you recognize the inescapable truth of Coppinger's insights, you realize, to your shock and dismay, that NONE of the Three Sacred Truths are true. You realize, in fact, that if purebred dogs are to survive through the 21st century, our entire system of dog breeding must change. This is a sobering concept. And of course it is a threat to many current breeders, especially show dog breeders. They will need to get over their own indignation and their past ideas and adjust to new methods. In a dozen years or so, it is likely that many of Coppinger's ideas will be firmly rooted in the world of purebred dogs. This is a good thing. This brilliant book is a must-read if you have any interest in breeding your dog. It is a must-read for the serious student of dog breeds and dog behavior. And it is a must-read for anyone who is interested in a scientific approach to dogs. It is not the easiest book to read. Some chapters require some knowledge about genetics. But you can pick and choose which chapters you want to read -- and Chapter 7 (Household Dogs) makes eye-opening reading for everyone.[/quote] [quote][b]Purebreds are prone to health problems [/b] Bone and joint disorders that cause lameness Eye diseases that cause blindness Sudden heart disease that causes early death Epilepsy/seizures Immune system diseases Neurological diseases Skin diseases Bleeding disorders Cancers and tumors Over 300 genetic health defects have been documented in dogs, and in many purebreds, the incidence of defects is extremely high. Reasons for this include: A limited and closed gene pool. Most breeds were built on relatively few founding dogs, so the same sets of genes have been reproduced over and over since the breed began. Registries such as the AKC require that all future offspring come from the mating of dogs registered with their club. This restriction eliminates the vast majority of other dogs that would otherwise be available for breeding. Without the introduction of new and unrelated genes, in the long term all living creatures suffer "loss of genetic diversity," which inevitably leads to weaker animals with health problems. This is happening right now with purebred dogs. Breeding dogs to a detailed standard of appearance. Show breeders seek to produce dogs who match a written Standard of Conformation (for example, eyes a certain shape). To get these details right, show breeders limit the gene pool even more by rejecting breeding stock who might be healthy and good-tempered, but who can't "deliver" in eye shape. Breeding to some standard is how breeds are developed in the first place, but eventually it results in loss of genetic diversity, which as we've said, leads to problems with health and vigor. Breeding the same champion dogs over and over. This floods the breed not only with the same sets of good genes, but also with the same sets of bad genes. TEN-SECOND BIOLOGY LESSON: The average dog carries an estimated 4 to 6 defective genes in his DNA. These genes are usually recessive, which means a dog needs TWO of the same gene in order for the defect to be expressed. If he has only ONE of that gene, that means its partner gene (genes come in pairs) is normal and will "cover up" the defective gene. Such a dog will be a "carrier" of the defect, but he isn't himself sick. But when the same few dogs are bred repeatedly, as is done with the most successful show dogs, their particular defective genes become more common throughout the breed. Then the chances are much greater that two dogs with the SAME defective gene will get bred together -- and the defect gets expressed. Frequent inbreeding. Many, many pedigrees show the same dog, or even several of the same dogs, listed twice in the first few generations. By breeding together two dogs who are closely related (who share many of the same genes), you run a greater risk of the same defective genes coming together in the puppies. Show breeders only call it "inbreeding" when they breed parent-to-offspring or brother-to-sister. They call it "linebreeding" when they breed grandparent-to-grandchild, uncle-to-niece, aunt-to-nephew, or cousin-to-cousin. But geneticists say that this is simply splitting hairs. Within the small gene pool of purebred dogs, all of these pairings are inbreeding. Making dogs larger and heavier. If you fool around too much with Mother Nature, you get increased bone and joint disorders, and a much shorter lifespan (7-10 years in many large breeds, compared to 13-16 years for smaller dogs). If this risk is okay with you, and if you can afford the potential vet bills, fine. Just so you're aware. Breeding for unnatural builds. Breeds with short faces (such as Bulldogs and Pugs) are sweet dogs, but they can't breathe normally and are prone to many health disorders. Breeds with long bodies (such as Dachshunds) are prone to crippling back problems and paralysis. If this risk is okay with you, and if you can afford the potential vet bills, fine. Just so you're aware. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All About Health Testing Breed clubs are working hard to identify and manage the defects and diseases that are wreaking such havoc in the dog world. Committees and foundations have been formed, and millions of dollars have been spent on research. As a result, medical tests have been developed for some disorders. These can show whether a dog has the disorder, or not. For example, x-rays can detect hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, which cause crippling. An ophthalmic exam can determine the presence of PRA and cataracts, which cause blindness. A cardiac exam can detect certain heart diseases. Someone who tests prospective parents for specific disorders before breeding them together has the breed's best interests at heart. Most health tests simply show whether a dog is displaying the disorder at the time of the test. Even after testing clear, he could still develop it next month. And he could still have it hidden in his genes, to be passed on to his puppies. You'll have to do some research and decide for yourself how much faith to put in the different medical tests as predictors of how healthy a puppy may be. DNA Testing Is Much More Reliable DNA testing for some genetic diseases is just beginning. A DNA test can determine with certainty whether a dog has, or carries, or is completely clear of a specific disease. For example, the DNA test for Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Labrador Retrievers will show whether a Lab has, carries, or is completely clear of PRA, a dreadful disease that leads to blindness. At the current time, DNA testing is limited to only a very few diseases AND only a very few breeds. For example, there is a DNA test for detecting PRA in Irish Setters... but not (yet) in Golden Retrievers or Cocker Spaniels. In other words, DNA testing is breed-specific. [b]Geneticists warn us that even if DNA testing included all diseases and all breeds, we wouldn't eliminate genetic disease from purebred dogs. Why? Because of the current breeding practices I described above. A continuing loss of genetic diversity leads to less healthy, less resistant animals. Even if the current canine diseases were eliminated through DNA testing, different diseases would simply pop up and take their place in the closed, weakening gene pool. If current breeding practices continue, purebred dogs are stuck in a hopeless loop.[/b] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many show dog breeders will be upset by what I've written here. But this information is well-known to dog people who have studied the science of genetics. [b]"We shall all have to rise above our own narrow individual interests and perspectives if we are to save our purebred dog world from genetic disaster." Dr. Jeffrey Bragg, author of "Purebred Dog Breeds Into The 21st Century: Achieving Genetic Health For Our Dogs." [/b] If you'd like to learn more about the serious problems that purebred dogs are facing, and how current breeding practices might be changed for the better, send an email to [email][email protected][/email]. I will email you some eye-opening articles! Purebreds can be very expensive Finally, many dog breeds are extremely expensive: $500, $800, $1200. You can cut these prices way down if you stick with adolescents or adults from animal shelters and rescue groups, and sometimes from classified ads in the newspaper. The trade-off is that virtually none of these dogs come from parents who were screened for genetic health defects. In some breeds, certain health disorders are a virtual epidemic and you are taking a much greater risk if you acquire a dog whose parents weren't officially tested and declared free of these specific disorders. In other breeds, the risk is much less. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To sum up, a purebred dog can be a fine choice... if you know exactly what characteristics you want in a dog if there is a breed who actually HAS the characteristics you want if you're willing to accept whatever other traits that breed happens to have if you acquire your puppy from someone who consistently produces puppies who grow up WITH those characteristics -- or if you acquire an adult dog so you can see that he ALREADY has those characteristics if you raise and train him correctly if you're willing to accept the potential for genetic defects and health problems (much greater in some breeds than in others) and if you're willing to pay several hundred dollars for your dog -- unless you find one through an animal shelter or rescue group [/quote] I just thought this was interesting and I stumbled upon it by mistake.

In my area in designated dog areas and vet clinics they have these poop bag dispensers. These containers allow one bag at a time to be taken and the city or people who work at the vet go around and fill the dispensers up. I havent seen them empty yet. They also make sure that there is a big garbage can at the first of the trail and some throughout the designated dog walking trails so that people will be able to get rid of their load quicker :wink: So there are specific poop holders to dispense poop bags that you can purchase. Probably through a dog magazine. We have them all over our city. I heard that one lady who walks her dogs saw a person not do the proper dead and pick up. I "heard" she called the city and gave the owners license plate number and filed a complaint. :lol: Im not sure how true this is, you know how "hear say" goes :lol: I can't even say what or if a fine was given.

What about Austrian Kelpie mix??? [url]http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/australiankelpie.htm[/url] [url]http://www.glassportal.com/herding/kelpie.htm[/url] [url]http://www.puppydogweb.com/gallery/australiankelpies/e.htm[/url]

My dogs at that time were REALLY big time barkers. At that time we didn't know much about redirectional training and and stuff to get them to be less "enthusiastik" :lol: But, they would bark at a blowing leaf just like they would bark if a prowler was sneaking around the yard. There was no difference in their barks at all. There was a big differnce between play barking, wanting to come inside barking, but it was the same barking for any thing that moved. this was years ago when we just had dogs and never did any training. My current dogs are wonderful and quiet. I admit I was a bad neighbor at one time. :-?

[url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1551&articleid=163[/url] How can I stop my puppy from nipping and biting? A. A puppy likes biting and chewing on almost anything that enters her world. Just as with jumping, biting between littermates is their style of play. Biting also teaches them how to use their main hunting tool, their mouth with all those teeth. Unfortunately, this often carries over into their interactions with the members of their new home. All the people, including the children, are brought into the game. Puppies have very sharp teeth, and a bite or nip can hurt and be terrifying to small children. There are several methods that are used to eliminate this behavior. Startle response and redirection Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., an animal behaviorist and adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin, suggests a method which startles the biting puppy. Just as the puppy bites down, make a sudden, abrupt, high-pitched and loud 'AWRP' sound. This would be the same sound that a littermate would make if bitten by the puppy. The sound should be so sudden and sharp that the puppy is immediately startled and stops the behavior. If done correctly, you will be surprised at how instantly the pup removes his mouth and looks bewildered. At that point, quickly substitute a toy, such as a ball, the puppy can chew on. This redirects the puppy's biting behavior to the ball. This way the puppy learns it is no fun at all biting you, but chewing on the toy is. You may need to do this multiple times if the puppy gets excited in play. If the 'AWRPs' make the puppy more excited, try another approach. Stop the action Dr. McConnell also suggests that, in some cases, just immediately (and dramatically) leave the room when the puppy bites. This is certainly a method children can use. After multiple times, the puppy will learn that every time she bites she loses her playmate, and that is no fun at all. Important prevention measures! No matter what method you use, do not entice the puppy to bite you. Games like tug-of-war and waving your hands in front of the puppy instead of using toys may encourage the puppy to bite.

DO, I always thought that mange, scabies was self limiting on the wrong species. Like if I got scarcoptic mange from my dog it would be itchy but it would die off on its own. I wouldn't have to go through treatments like a dog has too? am I wrong? I know of a few dog groomers that got mange from a dog they just took in for grooming and they just got itchy red hands but it didnt go any further than that. Thats what I would think of human mange on a dog, where its not the perfered host it would die off on its own. :crazyeyes:

The problem is when you have a constant barker or bayer, how do you know when there is some thing to be concerned about? I had a neighbor who was complaining about one of my dogs. I had an outdoor kennel and fenced in yard. I would take them for a walk, then put them in the kennel for the evening (after supper) then they came in at night. My dogs barked, not a "I want to come in" or "Im bored" they just liked to bark when playing, or at any thing that moved (including blowing leaves). any how, my dogs were out and they started barking. To keep my neighbor from being annoyed I brought them in right away. The dogs did their usual barking inside the house, I thought maybe a crow flew by or a leaf fell from a tree. My neighbor was broken into that night at the same time my dogs were barking. But, and a big but here. It wasn't unusal for my dogs to bark, how was I to know my neighbor was being broken into? Any way, my neighbor never complained about my dogs again. Oh, just as a side note, I was always a good neighbor. We were always good to not leave our dogs out too long and never past 8pm. They were just big time barkers and I liked them to run around my fenced in yard and play to get the energy out that I couldnt get out during a walk. :wink:

My friend has leather furniture, she has had to take it back once already because of tears. She had to get these special plastic things to put over her cats nails :o but, with her dogs she still finds that they rip the leather furniture when they jump up on it. She tried even using a dremal to do the dogs nails thinking it would make them more blunt, but it still never helped. I don't know how they do it but she has these scratch marks all over her set. Its burgandy so they really show up big time. When she goes out she has to put other furniture and folding chairs on the leather furniture "just in case" the dogs happen to get up on the furniture. I don't have leather furniture myself, but after hearing what my freind goes though I would never get it while I have pets. She has tried to get these scratches or scuff marks out of her furniture but they are actual tears and there is nothing she can do but send the furniture back once again. 'One more thing, I don't find leather too comfortable to curl up on when watching tv. I have sat and watched TV at my friends house and pillows slip off when you try to buch them under your head. I also would never lay back and get really comfortable in case some thing on my clothes tore the furniture. So, for me, I dont find it comfortable.

I read about some people using Yucca root to kill the smell of deadly farts! :wink: just in case you want to counteract those smelly quality times together with your pets. :wink: you can give Yucca to horses too. There are some Gluc/Chom/ Yucca supplements in my green hawk horse supply magazine.

I feed different things for the meals. For one of my dogs (the one that bloats) I feed kibble mixed with soft food in the morning and in the evening I feed a raw meal. My dogs enjoy the variety in their diet and especially love it when they get a few raw meals. You could try in the morning feeding raw meat; what I do is I cut beef or chicken/Lamb or some other protein source I give a different protein source which i change weekly. I mix in some organ meats like liver/heart and some ground up meat like ground hamburg/turkey/chicken or lamb. Then I add a couple tablespoon fulls of puried veggies and fruits mixed with hemp or flax oil, organic yogurt with live bacteria cultures, kelp, and what ever else I have in my cupboard that healthy. With the differnt types of meals my dogs don't get bored. I never feed the same brand of kibble either. Every 4-5 months I change brands, for instance I fed Innova, now Im feeding wellness, next I'll feed Solid gold then eagle pack then back to Innova, and I mix in California naturals some times as well. Variety is good for health of your dog and its good to keep your dog interested in what he/she is eating. :wink: Like DO I never feed kibble without adding canned food or fresh meats and veggies or yogurt. I think it just looks plain boring and unhealthy. :wink:

Thanks TDG, I tried to reply to this post last week but my computer was having problems. The name of the book is called " Healing Pets with Natures Miracle cures" by Henry Paternak DVM., CVA. TDG, maybe you could read this book and explain what the aurther is trying to say. He talks a lot about things like biochemistry and stuff. All of this is way above my head :lol: Thank you for explaining vitamins to me in your post. Your ideas make a heck of a lot more sense. :wink:

HF your a saint to be taking on this challenge of retraining peaches. :wink:

I don't think human scabies would find a dog a favorable host. Each species has specific form of mites so I wouldn't worry too much about it. :wink:

I was watching a show called "Good Dog" on TV and they were getting a Dalmatian to stop chewing this childs teddy bears and stuff. What the guy did was to dab a little bit of peppermint oil on all the items the dog was "allowed" to chew on. So, how it went was the little girl had hundreds of teddy bears (collects them) she selected a few for the Dal to chew. On the ones she selected they dabbed peppermint oil and when the dog took them in it's mouth she rewarded him and told him he was a good boy. Then she took an item he was not supposed to chew and when he put his mouth on it she said "no" and offered him the one that smelled like peppermint. The dog soon learned that any thing that smelled like peppermint was alright to go in mouth and chew on. Any thing without peppermint was not allowed in its mouth and it avoided them. As for the leather furniture, nightmare time :lol: I have friends who have to put things on the leather furniture before they leave the house. Their dogs are not chewers, but, they like the creature comforts of lieing on the furniture when parents arent home. The leather couch has nail marks and scratches from the dogs having gotten on a couple times. She will have to send the furniture back and get new couch and chair :roll: its kinda funny as she asked the store that she bought it from what the warranty is like and they said even if you pee on it you can bring it back in and well replace it :lol:

I just got this book :lol: I don't have it here with me but when I do I will give you the name of the aruther. I didn't quote exactly what the guy said but that was his general implication. :wink:

[quote]a dog does not have to go to training - training starts as soon as you bring him into your house when you let him know how to be a good boy/girl[/quote] Exactly! You should have heard what people told me about Husky's before I rescued mine :roll: I even had one person tell me it was cruel to keep my dogs in the house at night! :o they said they should be kept outside cause the indoors will make them depressed and too hot. I couldn't imagine not having my dogs sleep with me at night. I do keep a fan going (ceiling and floor fan) just in case they do get too hot. But, they seem to get on fine and love being indoors snuggled by the TV with me. I was also told you could never let them off leash. I play with them in my yard off leash all the time and go for hikes off leash. Maybe its cause I don't have full blooded huskies, who knows. I was also told they are bad at obedience and the recall command. Proved them wrong once again. I think if you really want to you can mold any breed into the perfect pet. You might have to bend a little yourself, but it usually works out in the end if you have structure and love. :wink: of course there are some breeds you would really have to be a previous dog owner to be able to understand them better. :lol:

OK, I am bombarding this site today with questions. :lol: I was just reading in this new holistic dog book I bought that vitamin supplements are bad for dogs and humans (all animals). It said that the body does not look at vitamin supplements the same way it would accept natural vitamins from whole foods. It went on to discuss ascorbic acid which is not the whole form of vitamin C, it said that ascorbic acid is just the protective layer that protects the differnt kinds of vitamin C and other components. It also said that you can't just take one component of a vitamin and expect the body to use it accordinly. The body will view the offending supplement as if it were an invader and try to secrete it out of the body as quickly as possible. It also said that a vitamin has tons of different components which cannot be manufactured in a lab, when you only offer the body one component of many then the body has to leech enzymes and other components from other parts of the body to absorb it or try to absorb it. Also by taking one vitamin supplement or just a component of a vitamin supplement you cause deficencies in other vitamins. Its all so mind boggling :o I always thought it was a good idea to add a few vitamins to my dogs meals and my meals. Now Im not so sure if its healthy or not :o by giving a vitamin pill am I causing an imbalance of another? This is the first book I ever read that was so totally against vitamin supplements. It talks a lot about bio chemistry (which by the way I know nothing about :-? ) and the book goes into big time detail of how unacceptable and proof of why vitamins are bad. It says you can only get vitamins naturally from whole foods. So, are they bad or is this book just a little bit misleading? I will get the name & authur of the book for you guys later I just don't have it in front of me.

[url]http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams.htm[/url] I was just looking at this site. I was just curious, I read some where in a new holistic dog book I just bought that all dog food companies do testing and they send them to a "central" testing place. So, where some of these dog food companies don't have the money to have their own testing facility do they have Iams test it for them? It would kinda account for the hundreds of tests they perform. In the book I have (and just as soon as I will find it I will quote what they say :lol: ) it said that kibble and dog food companies all have to perform certain tests on animals. I don't know how true that is. This book promotes raw feeding so maybe they are a little baised? Any how, do you think maybe we are getting mad at Iams when its probably all dog foods that do these horrible tests? should we be mad at all dog food companies? I am just curious. :confused1:

[quote]I kinda feel like Matty here... [/quote] :lol: :lol: Peteducation site rocks :thumbs:

Check out this site. I think its got a forum where you can talk to other dog owners with the same problems. [url]http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/[/url]

[quote]I think Seij's concerns revolve around the treatment of vets as "experts" when a dog's breed is called into question on legal issues.[/quote] Mutt4me I Didnt know about that.

My vets just put down on the file exactly what you tell them the dog is :D They don't get really much extra training on identifying breeds. I think they do need to know the specific diseases breeds are more apt to get like HD and other breed specific disorders. [quote]when it comes to identifying dogs so I was just wondering what training they have to allow them that privilege[/quote] They just go by what people tell them or they make educated guesses just like every one else. If your smart and can remember what a dog breed looks like and the standards and stuff then it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure it out :wink: [quote]I've always had the impression that they were only taught medical info. [/quote] They are. If they want to learn more they can take extra courses. But, I do know that they do learn about genetics and differnt genetic diseases which are breed specific. They also would have to know about how much med's to give to each breed and what breeds can't have what. That they would learn from the companies that actually sell the products. (like intervecter & herding dogs). Just like nutrition they arent taught a whole lot about nutrition in school except what the major vet dog food manufactors sent them (like hills) Vets do learn about differnt breeds for different things like some time ago a friend of mine got a Great Pyrnees (sp?) and she had to inform her vet not to give it too much antisitia for the spay cuz they cannot tolerate it even though they are a big dog. They learn from people buying purebreds and the breeder giving them a list of instuctions to give to the vet and so on. :wink: So for as far as I know there are no specific courses a vet takes on identifing breeds. But, its common sense and working wiht many differnt dogs and breeders. :wink:

I know, its very sad. They have so much to deal with right now and more dieseases than I could ever think off :( Rabies is just one more disease they don't need right now :(

ORPHANED SRI LANKA DOGS SEEN AS DANGER Many canines were left to fend for themselves after the tsunami. Fears of deadly rabies trigger a government plan to exterminate them. By John M. Glionna, Times Staff Writer ULLE, Sri Lanka