lefty's random dog thread.

[dcg]

Bigger dog = bigger bladder. Also, it's been mentioned a few times in this thread that the larger breeds often need less exercise than the smaller ones (not that the BT is a dog that needs a ton of exercise.)

 

[rennavate]

Lefty, are Shiba Inus a good dog for a first time owner? Anything I should know about them prior to taking the plunge?

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by ItzJimmy

Lefty,
what do you think about a boston terrier or enlgish mastiff for apartment living in NYC? any problems with those breeds to look out for?

Ask yourself what best fits your living style. Nice furniture and a mastiff don't really mix. You and a 160lb dog on your bed could also be an issue. Then there's food - have you ever seen a mastiff eat? It isn't pretty. They require the same amount of exercise/walks, but in general giant breeds are more work/money. Look hard for a decent breeder.

Try and spend some time with a mastiff before you take one on.

Originally Posted by ItzJimmy

Dcg,
I always wanted a large, laid back breed. But i understand apartment life won't give me endless options as far as breeds with a full time work schedule.

You have to be realistic about what you can take on.

Originally Posted by NorCal

The breeder I got my dog from did not give out gods before 8 weeks. He did not even handle them before 8 weeks as he felt the mother and pack mates did a better job of it then he could and the weak would be weeded out by then. I got mine at just around 16 weeks and she is solid as can be and had ZERO trouble bonding totally with me and the family.

I was BSing via e-mail a few weeks ago with the breeder and he said pretty much all dog problems are a result of ****** owners putting their own neurosis into their dogs.
I could not agree more. People have so many expectations about how they want their dog to act or how it "should" act that they forget that it's still a dog.

One example that drives me nuts is the second a dog really gets into something and starts to make the play/ excited/ happy/ rough growl noises that dogs do their owners start freaking out and yelling "no! no! bad Fluffy, be nice."

All I can think is for ***** sake, let your dog have a moment to enjoy its self. A Lab and a Beagle aren't going to kill each other, let them work it out and have a little fun.

The dog is doing what is totally natural and harmless for it to do and you start yelling, hence the neurosis.

He's a good breeder, but no handling at all? I'd like to see his setup.

Puppies were often brought out to our club for evaluation. Quite a few showed tremendous promise, but for whatever reason the owners didn't train with us. Twelve months later I would see the dog and they would be a bloody mess. Owners screw dogs up.

Originally Posted by gfreeman

Lefty, are Shiba Inus a good dog for a first time owner? Anything I should know about them prior to taking the plunge?

Cool dog. Bold, fearless, willful and relatively healthy. Independent minded so can be stubborn, but with a non-idiotic approach to dog ownership you'll be fine.

lefty

 

[Rambo]

Lefty - Just wanted to say thanks for continuously answering the mine and the forum's questions. This thread has been a very valuable resource and I appreciate you taking the time to keep up with it.. You too JLib.

 

[dcg]

Originally Posted by Rambo

Lefty - Just wanted to say thanks for continuously answering the mine and the forum's questions. This thread has been a very valuable resource and I appreciate you taking the time to keep up with it.. You too JLib.

+1.

These guys have answered countless dumbass questions from me.

 

[lefty]

My pleasure. I've been fortunate to learn from a few real dogmen so am happy to share the little I know.

The thread should really be retitled "lefty and JLibourel's random dog thread."

lefty

 

[NorCal]

Originally Posted by lefty

He's a good breeder, but no handling at all? I'd like to see his setup.

lefty

OK, so I went back and double checked. Turns out he said he does not handle them until 4-weeks, I think I got 8 weeks in my mind b/c that's how old they were when I forst contacted him. He raises them outside though, and I know my pup had never seen the inside of a house until i picked her up.

 

[lefty]

That makes more sense. Outside with shelter - no problem. Assuming the ***** is socialized, not handling pups until 4 weeks also makes sense - dogs know how to raise puppies. My guess is he that doesn't intervene with weaker or failing pups. Hard to watch a puppy die, but good for the breed.

lefty

 

[nootje]

GF has fallen in love with quite a unique breed, `saarloos wolfhond`. Allready explained to her that any type of dog would be incompatible with our lifestyles for the next couple of years, but to keep that breed specifically would be inhumane for the dog..

 

[lefty]

Have you seen one in person? If so, what are they like? My understanding is that their temperaments are pretty much like all wolf hybrids.

lefty

 

[NorCal]

Originally Posted by lefty

That makes more sense. Outside with shelter - no problem. Assuming the ***** is socialized, not handling pups until 4 weeks also makes sense - dogs know how to raise puppies. My guess is he that doesn't intervene with weaker or failing pups. Hard to watch a puppy die, but good for the breed.

lefty

Nope, first thing he said when I contacted him was that he did not hand raise the weak.
HE had a pretty decent out door spread. At least three or four fenced in areas that I could see, each the size of a big yard. One was a proper run that was a bit bigger. In the area that the pups were, there were 15 or more dogs of various ages including her mom (dad was in another pen). They were all friendly enough that I got right into the pen with no worries.

 

[NorCal]

Here is a shot of the kennel and a dog nammed Jack. He's 9 months and 76 pounds. I met him when I picked up my pup. He's built like a horse, but totally friendly and playful:

Here are a few shots of Airedales hunting:

 

[lefty]

People come out on both sides of the human intervention question. Some let puppies die; others hand-feed. I remember Donovan had a puppy whose leg was more less torn off by his mother - it was hanging by muscles and tendons. He sewed it back on in his barn and the puppy (affectionately called, Scratch) made a full recovery and became a pretty decent dog. The problem is that within the same litter there are puppies at different developmental ages and a puppy that seems weaker can simply be a week or so behind. From the article I posted: One finding extremely important to the 49-day time frame was that pups in a single litter can vary in developmental age by a week in each direction, though all are born within a few hours. This developmental variation arises from several sources-conception can vary two to three days due to superfetation, and implantation of fertilized ova in the uterus may he delayed another two to three days. In addition, location in the uterine horn, blood supply to the various embryos, developmental arrests or speedups, differential delay in parrition all contribute to developmental variability. For example, one marker signifying the beginning of the socialization period is ear movement in response to sound. The average age for this time marker is 19.5 days, with 95 percent of the pups showing this characteristic between 14.9 and 24.1 days. Another marker is first teeth eruption at 20.8 days with 95 percent limits from 15.0 to 26.6 days. So according to these time markers, the average age for the start of the socialization period is about 21 days, but it can actually vary from 15 to 27 days in terms of developmental Criteria. The "weaker" puppy could simply lagging by a week if given the extra time could be as strong or stronger than its more advanced littermates. You need a really experienced eye to determine the actual cause of the weakness. lefty

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by lefty

My pleasure. I've been fortunate to learn from a few real dogmen so am happy to share the little I know.

The thread should really be retitled "lefty and JLibourel's random dog thread."

lefty

No, lefty, overall you are much more dog-wise than I am.

On the matter of puppies being born at different stages of development, I think of my little female Jessie. She was clearly the runt of her litter, being about half the size of the other pups. A little girl bottle fed her with a doll bottle and goats' milk to help save her life. She matured into a nice little female Tosa, not huge--but respectable in size: 26.5", 98#.

 

[lefty]

I wouldn't cull based on size - at least in anything under 3-4 months.

lefty