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Messages - Karina

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Ok, I contacted one of the information folks at the Saint Club of America and this is what she wrote me:

Basically, the FCI standard requires that the dogs get their height from their legs; in other words they do not want big bodied dogs on short legs.  Our standard calls for a 50/50 relationship between body depth and leg length while theirs is more 45/55.  We all like our Saints to have good leg length and there are many dogs in this country that fail to meet even the 50/50 ratio and that is just not right.  It was put quite well once when someone said a Saint should remind you or a horse, not a cow!  So, any dog with a body depth (measured from the top of the wither, right behind where the neck blends into the back, to the bottom of the chest wall) that equals the leg length (measured from the elbow to the bottom of the foot while standing) is in good proportion for the AKC standard and will appear to be a tall dog.  The problem that we see with many FCI dogs is that they are so leggy that they have lost the “powerful and imposing” look and take on the characteristic s of a Great Dane instead.  Also, a good Saint should be “square”, in other words, he should be as tall from the withers to the ground as he is long from the front of his chest to the last boney projection of his rump.  Too many of our dogs, both AKC and FCI are too long and it throws off the proper proportions.  One of the other differences deals with eye color, we call for dark brown only and they allow lighter brown.  This is no big deal as it is not something that will affect the soundness and health of the dog.  I haven’t had the two standards side-by-side for comparison for some time, but don’t really remember anything else that significantly changes the dogs.  Many US dogs are imported to Europe and South America because they found they need the bulkiness they have lost in their long pursuit of height.  As this trend continues, the two styles of Saint will come even closer.  To sum it up: AKC dogs need more leg length and shorter bodies; FCI dogs need more bulk and soundness.  When I see the European Saints, I think of a 7-year old girl walking in her mother’s high heeled shoes; too many of them are spindly, lack power and have poor movement

So I am content.   :D ;)  I've got a bit of context in language that I can understand!!  Very nice folks there at that club.   ;D

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Thank you Lisa.  Looking at them section by section my eyes seem to glaze over.  I'm not a dog expert and the technical terms for the canine anatomy leave me boggled.  I will tackle this slowly. 

In the meantime, if anyone already is well-versed in this topic and can give me a brief summary of the main differences I would be very thankful.

Thanks for pointing out the temperment difference Lisa.  Weak or aggressive temperments are considered eliminating faults for the FCI.  That's got to be good!

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Hiho- I'm researching St. Bernards and live down in Brasil, under the FCI umbrella.  I understand that the St. Bernard standard for FCI and AKC are very different but I'm not sure how.  Does anyone know the basic differences?  Are the temperments generally aspiring to the same standard?

Thanks in advance for any help-
Karina

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Great Dane Pictures / Re: The guardians!
« on: March 30, 2006, 03:30:59 pm »
Hilarious!  Lovely pups! 

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Great Dane Pictures / Re: Mr Slobberoboggus (AKA Bubbleboy)
« on: March 30, 2006, 03:18:08 pm »
And he makes that look *good*!   ;)

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Great Dane Pictures / Re: Maggie loves to wear my shirts...pics!
« on: March 30, 2006, 03:16:24 pm »
Wow- she has Liz Taylor's eyes!  Too adorable.   ;D

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Introducing myself
« on: March 30, 2006, 01:05:01 pm »
Ok, I may have popped up and introduced myself last year briefly but I can't remember. 

My name is Karina and my family and I live in Brasil in a small farming town.  I have 2 girls (2 and 4) and have had a bad case of doggie-lust since last summer.  We are waiting till my younger daughter potty-trains to get our first family dog and I've been researching up a storm.

We've got it narrowed down to mastiff, great dane or newfoundland (I do have reservations about them in this heat despite hearing from a number of very respectable folks that they adapt just fine).  I figure that I'll make the call based on the breeder that I feel most comfortable with. 

We've been to one dog show and may be going to another one (with specialties for great danes and mastiffs!) in a couple of weeks.  I'm still working out the bribery for my husband for that one!   ;)

The most popular dogs around in this area seem to be Kuvasz, Pit Bulls, Australian Cattle Dogs, border collies and of course the Brasilian street dog (mutt).  It's a pretty rustic area.   ;)  Fila breeder up the road too. 

Ok, just popping in to say hi and I've been enjoying learning from this site.   

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Oh it was lovely.  Just lovely.  Out in the scenic hills of rural Paraibuna.  And I must say, probably the safest house in rural Paraibuna with all those Kuvasz!

The folks are really nice and are going to introduce me to some nice great dane breeders and mastiff breeders at a Dog Show a couple hours from here (if I'm able to go that is...).  They are lovely folks and everything was muddy cause we've been having rains like nuts the past few days.

There were only about 2-3 Kuvaszok running about, the rest were in their pens (ivy-coverred pens on a scenic hill mind you  ;)).  Usually everyone is out running about but as I was coming (and with my 2 year old daughter) they decided it was best to play it safe.

I didn't feel right whipping out my camera and taking pics, especially as the place was muddy and it wouldn't show off to its best. 

But if you're curious, check out their website: http://www.canilkuvaszok.com.br/index.htm  and click on "nosso canil" to see pics of the place.   

They also raise French bulldogs and there were constantly about 8 underfoot.  My daughter *loved* it.  And boy are my cats interested in me now!!!!  Sniffing like nuts.   :D

So anyway, lovely morning, lovely folks.

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I'm not interested in getting a Kuvasz, but I am fascinated by the dogs and also how a top-rated kennel would be run.  They also do training there and I want to see if they'd be an option for puppy-training classes when we get our dog (I'm researching mastiffs, danes, and newfoundlands).  They've been really helpfull in giving references for vets who are used to large/giant dogs and have been really friendly despite the fact I made it clear that I wasn't going to be buying any puppies!   ;)  (I'll be a first-time dog-owner with little kids.  Sound like I should be getting a Kuvasz?  I think not!  But they are brilliant in the right situation.)

I'll try and get pics (if they let me, don't know their rules/preferences about that).  I'm really looking forward to it.   ;D  They even have puppies right now.  I get to cuddle!!!   

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Great Dane Discussions / Re: Tracking with Danes?
« on: March 29, 2006, 07:41:44 am »
Tina, we're the only Americans living in a little Brasilian farming town (with 2 little blonde girls, no less).  Believe me, we're used to stares!   :D 

And over here there are no organized tracking competitions so we couldn't get any titles even if we were stellar.  ;)  I just think it'd be fun- exactly your point, the time together!

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Great Dane Discussions / Re: Tracking with Danes?
« on: March 27, 2006, 04:14:38 am »
Really?  They're sight hounds?  I didn't know that.  Ok, scent games aren't really going to be all that successfull are they.....  ;)

I think I'm still going to try it though.   ;D

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Great Dane Discussions / Re: Another question - male vs. female?
« on: March 26, 2006, 06:47:57 pm »
Oh mercy Jack'sMom!  That's what I'm looking for!   ;D

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Great Dane Discussions / Another question - male vs. female?
« on: March 26, 2006, 11:10:17 am »
Have you noticed a difference between the male and female dane in terms of personalities?  Is one more protective than the other?  (I'm looking for the lesser protective. ;))  Naturally a great deal of personality will depend on socialization and the temperments of the parents and such but I was wondering if there was some consensus among Dane people on this one.

Thanks! 

-Karina

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Anything Non-Dog Related / Re: Favorite reads!
« on: March 26, 2006, 10:57:17 am »
Marcus Aurelius Meditations (No, really.  They're great.  Get the Maxwell Staniforth translation, very readable.)

Anything and everything by George Bernard Shaw.


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Great Dane Discussions / Tracking with Danes?
« on: March 26, 2006, 10:51:54 am »
Do any folks out there do tracking with your Danes?  I know it's not what they were bred for and whatnot but just wondering if they still enjoyed it.  Sure they're no beagles but it's not like they are bulldogs with no nose at all! 

I am very interested in doing (informal) tracking games with my future dog and was wondering if that would work with a Dane? 

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