Dog breeding

[bluemoon]

Dogs are truly mans best and only friend.

Well said. Sadly we don't always reciprocate.

[Hilary B]

The R.S.P.C.A. who I would not give the time of day to(But that's another story!!) would like to see only cross- breeds. They say that cross-breeds have no health issues.
I have one cross-breed with a massive heart defect (happy and well loved though) and another with severe mental problems, put up with for the last fourteen years and who will probably live until twenty five just to spite me
The issue is people who breed indiscriminately whether pure or cross breds, and who hasn't see in their local paper "Labradoodles" "Cockapoos" and other cross bred puppies selling at ridiculously high prices. These dogs are no more or less healthy than any pure-bred puppy,bred sensibly.
Look at past Crufts shows and track back bad breeding, I will guarantee you will find very little!!

The problem with Crufts is not the show dogs there, but that it triggers 'fashion demand' for winning breeds, and this creates an opening for the unscrupulous breeder to breed from unsuitable parents, in oreder to supply pups to the uninformed buyer who sees them do well on TV and 'wants one of those', without thinking.
There is nothing new in this effect. Several breeds have suffered from it over the decades, and some have only recently started to pull back from the brink (and some probably still need to make progress). Requiring a 'health certificate' before registration can be finalised would help, a lot! Adding 'viability' clauses to all breed standards would be even better.

[Polly Fouracre]

No, Bluemoon, but usually.

[jamesp]

Are we truly any different!, when we look at our own children who wear their emotions more than we do. If you do not ensure plenty of the first, it will lead to little of the second, and make it very hard to show any of the third.

You make a very good point there!....like it or not we are social pack animals with human differences such as emotional intelligence amongst other things and we are the only species on the planet that will 'follow' an unstable leader.

In fact some people who have learnt Cesar Millans ways have used similar techniques on their children with great effect!

Look at the kids these days going round in 'packs' with hoodies on, I don't blame them as nobody has set any rules, boundary's or limitations for them, and they channel their boredom and frustration into bad behaviour into such like as smashing peoples cars up, if they had exersise....discipline....then affection they would have far less energy for bad behaviour, its the same for dogs, ie in the wild they would walk their territory for 8 to 10 hours a day, when they sleep they do not 'twitch' in their sleep as some domestic dogs as they are so drained of energy and more or less toxin free which can cause the twitches.

[jamesp]

jamesp. I agree fully with you! Firework night, I get so cross with people saying that they have to huddle with their dogs on the floor to "re-assure" them. All they are doing is telling the dog that they are right to be afraid "Look, here is me , your pack leader also terrified" The sensible thing is to ignore the dog and carry on as usual until the dog says "Oh! God's in his Heaven, all's right with the world!"

I agree what you do here is better than giving affection, but I have found this works far better.....please read the link.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ped_21214.html

[squashysu]

Polly FA, I totally agree with you, not enough good stuff as people wont watch it! I didnt want you to think i was being critical of every dog breeder.

All 4 of my GSD's were from loving breeders who bred for the love of the breed and for the love of the dog, i remember when they took a pup back when someone wasnt being so kind to it, they just went and collected it (it was being kept in a shed) they were horrified and gave them a refund and the pup turned out to be a champion!!

James, one of my GSD's hated fireworks, so that he would bark all the time, i just ignored him and turned up the tv as he was putting me off my viewing lol!!!! he soon shut up lol!!

I totally agree MW - dogs should be man's best friend, I would love my Rosey to come back to me, she was my best friend in the world - RIP Rosey x

PS. Polly - can i have those ponies, i would love them and look after them!!

[di]

Ah but as a nation we do not eat dogs!, we do however keep them as pets, so there is always a lot of emotion charged around animals that you keep as a member of the family. The truth be told they are for me the only real pet, you do not keep a cat it chooses to keep you company, you cannot interact or communicate with a pigeon, or a hamster, or a goldfish. Dogs are truly mans best and only friend.

That'll be why we'll never have a pet rabbit!Daisy refuses point blank to eat chicken~but at present has no emotional ties to rabbits.

[jamesp]

James, one of my GSD's hated fireworks, so that he would bark all the time, i just ignored him and turned up the tv as he was putting me off my viewing lol!!!! he soon shut up lol!!

If that works then that's great, im glad you didn't have to witness more than that as my dog was showing a much higher state of fear than just barking and that's why I took the action I did.

The real proof of the pudding so to speak is what happens the next time our dogs hear fireworks, it could be weeks or months before they here them again so the correction at the time may not work the next time fireworks are heard by your dog, so I did this......

Repeatedly played a loud recording of fireworks and went through the same corrections until he ignored them all together, repetition in cases like this and used as a 'flooding' technique as we do for humans, ie if someone has a fear of spiders you make them confront a number of spiders to help them get over it, in most cases it is very successful and its the same with dogs.

Also as dogs communicate back to front to us, ie Nose first then eyes then ears, I bought some fireworks so my dog could smell them as this helps when fireworks are present again, they will smell the scent of the fireworks well before they go off!...even if the fireworks are miles away...

[kirsty b]

My two are ok with fireworks, they have a bit of a bark at first which we ignore, then they lose interest, come in and go to sleep.