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Messages - wolfsoul

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FAQs about puppies / Re: Pictures of my new baby
« on: September 04, 2006, 07:56:00 am »
Thank you! Yes I'm keeping him. I'm not sure what his full name will be yet. I'm thinking "Dancing With Myself," but I'd like to include my kennel name so maybe "Lone Wolf O'Uniquity" or "One and Only O'Uniquity."

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FAQs about puppies / Pictures of my new baby
« on: September 04, 2006, 07:43:50 am »
My girl, Visa, gave birth on the 2nd, to only one puppy. I've named him Solo.







His little white stripe..


Isn't he adorable? I just love him.

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Pit Bull Discussions & Pictures / Vote against pit bull ban in Chicago!!
« on: August 14, 2006, 09:29:46 am »
Click this link http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Under "SPECIAL REPORT: Pit bull rampage's enduring agony.
As doctors rebuild a boy's body, a frightened community splits," it says "Vote: Ban pit bulls?" There is a poll. So far "Yes" is in the lead!! :( Vote and help save the breed.

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Saint Bernard General Discussions / Re: When to neuter?
« on: August 14, 2006, 06:11:36 am »
It is my opinion that a large breed dog should wait until after it's physical development before being spayed/neutered. My vet is holistic and so she does alot of research and has taken alot of courses that most conventional vets won't. She participated in a study that showed that large breed dogs (particularily rottweilers), when neutered under two years of age, had a higher chance of developing bone cancer than a dog that wasn't neutered until after two years of age had of developing cancer of the sexual organs. I believe that bone cancer is harder to treat than testicular/prostate/uterine etc cancers. If the person in question has a history of letting their dogs stray or not being very controlling of their dogs, I always say neutering early is better, as it's my belief that one dog with bone cancer is better than several accidental (or even unaccidental but badly bred) puppies being born. But if the person isa good owner and has good control of their dog, I say wait! :) It's well worth it in my opinion. My dog is 3 years of age an unspayed and I've never had a dog with such a well-fitted body.

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Breeding Questions & Information / Re: Backyard Breeders
« on: August 07, 2006, 07:10:07 am »


So question to the group... there is this breeder that sells her dogs when they are done breeding them.  They'd be about 5-6 years old.  Why would breeders do this?  Don't they love their dogs, they've had since they were 8 weeks??  I don't get it??
It is generally for the love of those dogs that they are rehomed --- a breeder that wants to continue breeding when they have older dogs will rehome them because at that point they are no longer able to breed, which means they will recieve alot less attention than the dogs that ARE able to breed. Breeding dogs typically recieve alot more training and socialisation than non-breeding dogs. Alot of breeders just don't have the kennel space. It is our selfishness --- not our love --- that makes us hold on to dogs. My Visa's breeder gave away Visa's mother last year to an agility home that is giving her much more attention than the breeder could with the amount of breeding dogs that she has. I look at that and think she's amazing for being able to do that. To put her own love for the dog aside and think about it's needs. It's something I could never do, and so I must always keep a small number of dogs because I'm going to keep them their entire lives.


Back on the topic of BYBs...
BYB is a loose term.
A Reputable breeder is one that does health testing, shows and/or works the dogs (mainly to show that they are involved with the dogs, not to "prove" anything), RESCUES, sells all puppies with registration papers and pedigrees, keeps their dogs in a healthy sanitary well-stimulated environment, and breeds for the better of the breed.

A byb, to me, is someone who doesn't do one or any of the above.

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Blog Feedback & Discussion Board / Re: Working dogs not good family dogs
« on: August 06, 2006, 09:11:13 am »
I have Belgians --- Belgians, though with a different herding style than Aussies, are ALOT more high-drive and typically are quite a dangerous breed. However they make wonderful family dogs. While it may be true of one breed, it isn't always true of another. My dogs are very drivey working dogs, we do several sports and herding, yet they are wonderful with kids.

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Most pups in a litter are pet quality anyway
This depends on the breed you are looking at. I am in Belgians. Almost any groenendael can be shown. Even one of my females that I have now, while not nearly conformational ly perfect (ugly in most people's terms), can still be shown and can still win. And of course, no dog is perfect -- every one has somehing that needs to be improved upon.

A Championship does not mean alot to me. What it tells me is that the dog will stand for a judge. Otherwise it doesn't say much. My foundation bitch doesn't have her Can CH yet. She DOES have 5 points and was the #19 Belgian in Canada last year from only one show, beating 25 dogs. But she doesn't have her CH. Does this mean she isn't a good specimen? Of course not, it just means she hasn't been shown enough.

I know a sheltie bitch that has been in atleast 30 shows, and now only needs one point to finish her CH. If you don't know she's been in 30 shows, you might take a look at her CH and think "must be a good dog." But how good is she when she's been shown like crazy the past two years and still does not have her CH? The fact that she HAS been shown that much will not be advertised -- only the shows she's won points with. And of course she has never taken anything over Best of Winners. But she will have her CH. Does this mean she's a good specimen? No, it means that occasionally there aren't many other female shelties entered and so she has a chance at taking best female which may give her a point or two.

Unless you know the breed well enough yourself and you look at the dog yourself, you can't look at a CH as an accurate measure of how well put together a dog is. I've met plenty of ugly dogs that have their CH. I've met plenty of breeders of ugly less common dogs that pin their dogs together in the same show so that not only will one of their dogs win, but that dog will also have enough points to finish their CH in one weekend.

Unless the dog has "BIS" or "BISS" ahead of their name -- the CH means nothing. And even then, the amount of grooming it takes to make that dog look better than it actually is is quite phenomonal. I know people that shave their dogs' cheeks to make them look thinner. People that shave cowlicks down the nose to make it appear as if there isn't one. People that dye the hair or chalk it. Oversize dogs that get shorter haircuts to make them appear smaller. Dogs with weight stuff in their ears to make them tip better. People who glue their dogs splayed toes together. Dogsc whose leg hair is brushed inwards so they don't appear easty-westy. Dogs whose head hair is trimmed so that their headplanes appear paralell..etc etc. And then you still have to look at health and temperment, so on and so forth.

Yes, a CH does not mean much. It's easier just knowing what your breed should look like and what it's faults are, so that you can determine it yourself. If the dog is too far away to tell, ask someone who has seen the dog. A good breeder should be willing to tell you the dog's faults, but the best person to ask is not the breeder. Also, a Can CH is different than an AM CH. An Am CH is much more difficult to require.

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Congrats! I recently found a stud for my bitch's second litter and I was SO happy (in fact I still AM happy!). It's great when you find a dog that gives you that "feeling."

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Introduce Yourself to the Forum / Re: Introducing myself and Visa
« on: November 20, 2005, 02:23:21 am »
Thanks everyone! I can tell this board has nice people. :)

Her name is Visa for a good reason! ;) When she was a pup, her breeder had both her litter and another litter at once. The first litter had just had it's shots and one of the puppies had a vaccine reaction and developed parvo. Unfortunatly the breeder went to the bad vet in town because it was closest to work and asked what she should do -- they told her to vaccinate the other entire litter. She did so, and the vaccines weaked their immune systems and all of the puppies developed parvo. Half of the litter died, and Visa's breeder spent over $2000 keeping the other puppies alive. So there is Visa, Cash, and Amex.

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Introduce Yourself to the Forum / Introducing myself and Visa
« on: November 19, 2005, 09:21:41 pm »
Hi everyone. :) My name is Jordan and I'm an 18 year old dog groomer from Kelowna, BC, Canada. I have a 2 year old Belgian groenendael, Attra Dea's Credit Approved HIC, "Visa." She is a showdog and we are currently taking agility lessons. We are starting competitive obedience next year and have our canine therapy screening next year as well, so therapy might be something we'll get into. We are also going to a herding clinic next year. She took her Herding Instinct Test this year, passed, and obtained her first title. Her first show was this year as well and she took Best of Breed and a Group 4th. We also have our first flying disc competition next year, though it is not for points. Hopefully we will start schutzhund and rally-o in 2007. Next year I'm getting a catahoula leopard dog puppy. I will have my hands full for sure!

Here are a couple pictures of Visa..
This is the one that we're entering into the Dogs in Canada Annual..All of these ones were taken at the beach behind my house..



Here are two at home..



Hope you like the pics. :)

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