Opinions on dogs

[Moreliaman]

Dogs eh....ok let me get my flame suit on....

...ok...ready.
I havent read all 12 pages here (sod that) but I'd stick with your first choice & get a lab, excellent dog, intelligent, loyal etc etc.......I thought german sheps develop hip problems when they get older ?
Staffies & rotties here are usually owned by the "look at me im ard" retards & the dog is usually aggressive because it hasnt either been socialized properly or the owner doesnt know how to be a pack leader.
Huskies, malamutes etc are strong minded powerful dogs & the ones i see here in the UK dont like the hot weather (on the rare days we do get hot weather) during the summer.
You could get a mongrel....they might not be a fancy breed but they live longer & seem to develop less health problems.

 

[Midol]

Dogs eh....ok let me get my flame suit on....

...ok...ready.
I havent read all 12 pages here (sod that) but I'd stick with your first choice & get a lab, excellent dog, intelligent, loyal etc etc.......I thought german sheps develop hip problems when they get older ?
Staffies & rotties here are usually owned by the "look at me im ard" retards & the dog is usually aggressive because it hasnt either been socialized properly or the owner doesnt know how to be a pack leader.
Huskies, malamutes etc are strong minded powerful dogs & the ones i see here in the UK dont like the hot weather (on the rare days we do get hot weather) during the summer.
You could get a mongrel....they might not be a fancy breed but they live longer & seem to develop less health problems.

German Shepherds from an ethical registered breeder will rarely present problems as they genetically test their breeding stock and test the hips to ensure they are of sound quality. If you buy from a BYB who fails to test their breeding animals (like matty) then you're bound to run into trouble.

Comparing PBs to Crossbreeds is not that simple as dogs coming from registered ethical breeders will rarely have health troubles but purebreds from BYBs who do not test will. Cross bred dogs tend to have just as much trouble from my experience. It all depends on the skill and ethics of the breeder and whether they want to put in the money to ensure they are breeding with healthy dogs

And yeah, people not socialising and not understanding pack leadership is a pain and causes all of the problems we see. I thought labs needed a fair bit of leadership work as well? I don't have any experience with labs though.

 

[Jacqui]

well i think you really have to think about this hard as your dog can live for many many years..also your location makes a big impact on what breed of dog to get.. ie room for the dog to live in...you have to consider enviroment factors such as .ticks..heart worm..a short coat dog is always better to have easier to check for ticks and such.. i like the australian cattle dog but they need lots of room.. or kelpie.. lots of dogs lots of different problems you becoming a veterinarian would know of these problems.. but if i was talking to a client about dogs i would consider maybe the german short hair pointer ...(veterinary nurse) Jacqui.

 

[Moreliaman]

Sorry i thought it was xshadowx asking the question ???
My sister is a veterinary nurse & a vet told her that mongrels dont usually develop as many health problems as pedigree dogs, personally i'd rather take advice from a vet, but thanks anyway.

And yeah, people not socialising and not understanding pack leadership is a pain and causes all of the problems we see. I thought labs needed a fair bit of leadership work as well? I don't have any experience with labs though.

Thanks for the sarcasum in the first part.....but no experince with labs ? are you sure ? you seem to know everything else

 

[Kitah]

Ahhh that white shepherd is gorgeous! When I first thought about getting a german shepherd, i saw those white shepherds and immediatly thought "I want one of those" (vs a normal coloured german shepherd) but couldnt find any breeders in the local area. but it would be worth it to pay for a well bred pup and for the shipping to get a pup, because it would hopefully be with me for 10+ years

I do agree with Midol; if a purebred dog comes from a backyard breeder, chances are it will have a lot of the genetic problems associated with certain breeds, but if a pup comes from a qualified, ethical breeder, they check for genetic issues such as hip dysplasia by checking hip scores etc and only breeding from sound dogs and bitches with low scores, thus, the pups will also have low scores because it is a genetic trait and passed down. Thus, I have no qualms about getting a purebred dog, provided it is from a good breeder and the parents are sound.

Thanks for the posts guys, is really keeping my mind active on this topic. but rest assured, i will not go out and buy a pup as a spur-of-the moment thing, will only get a breed which i think will be suitable for me, my lifestyle and living arangements

 

[Midol]

Sorry i thought it was xshadowx asking the question ???
My sister is a veterinary nurse & a vet told her that mongrels dont usually develop as many health problems as pedigree dogs, personally i'd rather take advice from a vet, but thanks anyway.


Thanks for the sarcasum in the first part.....but no experince with labs ? are you sure ? you seem to know everything else

I actually tried really hard to remove sarcasm from that post Guess it didn't work.



XShadow, the white sheps are awesome. They're not actually able to be registered yet but they will be soon (white sheps are technically going to be a different breed to GSDs). I know a few people who breed working white sheps but there aren't that many.

 

[Moreliaman]

Yes i do agree with midol regarding the health of certain pedigree dogs (if its a pedigree you want) but when it comes down to overall health, then im inclined to take the advice of a qualified vet ..... mongrel dogs live on average 20+yrs & pedigree dogs only live about 10+yrs

Whatever you decide let us know what you get shadow....we wanna see puppy pics too !!!

I actually tried really hard to remove sarcasm from that post Guess it didn't work.

LMAO.....no it didnt m8:lol: (Id rather you leave it in !! i do !! i had my flame suit on anyway)

 

[Miss B]

mongrel dogs live on average 20+yrs

They do?! :shock:

 

[Moreliaman]

Most mongrel dogs here do yes....are aussie ones different then ?


(dont forget i did say most not all ! sorry....I forgot i have to clarify every single detail on this site !)

 

[Miss B]

Not sure... I just don't think I've heard of many dogs living that long. My dad had a mixed breed mutt that lived to be 16 years, and we thought that was a pretty good innings.

 

[Midol]

Actually, the average age for a dog in Australia is 5 years old.

Most are put down due to behavioral issues.

This is just a personal observation from working with rescue, but the large majority of dogs that come through pounds are mutts or backyard bred pures.

Most vets are idiots though, seriously. Who is that idiot TV vet guy? Dr Harry or some crap? He is always going off on how first gen labradoodles are non shedding... IF he had any knowledge of animal genetics (which he should if he is a vet) then he'd realise only 25% of those dogs are going to be non shedding (I think its 25%) yet he is constantly saying they are a non shedding breed? No Dr Harry. You are wrong.

ETA: We do get some mutts living that long, but we also get pures living that long. The president of the MDBA (master dog breeders association) has a corgi @ 21, a beagle @ 20 (she breeds beagles) , a maremma @ 13 (big dogs dont live as long, so 13 is old).

 

[cockney red]

I've got a hot dog thats been in my fridge for 12 years,:shock::lol:

 

[Midol]

:O!

Is it furry yet?

 

[Miss B]

Haha don't get me started on 'designer breeds' :evil:

Labradoodles, Cavoodles, Maltipoos etc. They annoy the absolute crap out of me.

In fact I was in the pet store the other weekend just having a browse around, and some people were looking at puppies in the display. A lady asked the cashier what breed they were, and she goes, "Oh - those are Daschoodles". I felt like smacking her over the back of the head :x

 

[Midol]

Okay, everyone ready for some reading!

Mortality of purebred and mixed-breed dogs in Denmark

Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Volume 58, Issues 1-2, 30 April 2003, Pages 63-74

Helle Friis Proschowsky, Helene Rugbjergb, and Annette Kjær Ersbøllb

Causes of death and age at death of 2928 dogs are reported from a questionnaire study among members of the Danish Kennel Club (DKC) in 1997. The dogs represented 20 breeds, 15 breed-groups and a group of mixed-breed dogs. The median age at death for all dogs in the study was 10.0 years. Mixed-breed dogs had a higher median age at death (11.0 years) than the entire population, but breeds like Shetland Sheepdog, Poodle and Dachshund exceeded this age (12 years). The Bernese Mountaindog, the group of Molossian types and the Sighthounds had the shortest life span with a median age at death of 7.0 years. Old age was the most frequent reported cause of death (20.8%) followed by cancer (14.5%), behavioural problems (6.4%) accidents (6.1%), hip dysplasia (4.6%), heart diseases (4.6%) and spinal diseases (3.9%). Breed-specific proportional mortalities with 95% confidence limits are given for the six most prevalent specific causes of death.

So, this study shows that mixed breed dogs lived till 11.0 but pures to 10.0 - however, most mixed breed dogs are small (and small dogs naturally live longer - seen in the quote below). So these stats are a bit misleading.

Okay, now we look at the other numbers and think about it, HD and breed specific issues are all tested for when being bred by ethical breeders. I can't access the study but I'd guess that even though the average age for pures was only 10.0 that a greater number of pures died of old age rather than other defects?

Statistical analysis regarding the effects of height and weight on life span of the domestic dog.

Research in Veterinary Science, Volume 82, Issue 2, Pages 208-214

K. Greer, S. Canterberry, K. Murphy

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the association between life spans and breed size in the dog, based upon data derived from the pet population. Seventy-seven American Kennel Club breeds were analyzed with data collected for more than 700 dogs. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out with longevity as the dependent variable and height or weight as the independent variable. A negative correlation was observed between height and longevity (r = −0.603, p < 0.05), and between weight and longevity (r = −0.679, p < 0.05). Weight was the significant predictor of life span (p < 0.001), revealing that breeds smaller by weight generally live longer than heavier breeds. These data form the ground work for investigations of aging utilizing the dog as a model and provide owners with a quantitative method for predicting lifespan of dog breeds, thereby aiding in pet selection.

ETA: Lmao, MissB, I'm not a big fan of designer dogs either.

In fact, you might be interested in signing this petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/support-clover-moores-animals-regulation-of-sale-bill

If you know what clover moores bill is its calling for a ban on the sale of mammals and banning puppy farms and such. I'm sending a pre written letter to a large number of NSW parliament members. It is only for NSW but if NSW brings it in QLD will too, we copy everything NSW does

 

[Ridgeback]

Gotta be a rhodesian ridgeback!! Naturally protective of their family. Super active if you are or, being a hound, just as happy to lay in a beanbag with you and watch a video. Short coat requires little grooming. Handsome and friendly, they will always put themselves between you and a stranger. Great with kids and other pets. I can probably find a breeder near you if you are interested - although may take a few days to go through the grapevine. PM if you are interested. Recommend you go to a dog show - you can see many breeds and talk to breeders and owners.

 

[Midol]

Ridgys are banned in some shires though so you need to be careful (I don't support the ban.)

 

[Moreliaman]

Well after that reading midol....i must have known 2 amazing dogs that somehow defy veterinary science !! My ex's father had some weird cross breed (god knows what it was!! i think it was a shi.tzu x poodle) but that died at 23 yrs & my friend had a lab x collie that lived for 21 years....im not saying they all live over 20 years remember !! lol...but thats 2 i know of that lived long lives.

Yes its sad to know dogs are put down for behavioral issues, which is sometimes the fault of the owner & not the dog... people need more training than dogs.....
Im happy with my vet, i dont think he's an idiot...judging from his knowledge it shows he spent 7 years training !....he's not on TV either !!

 

[salebrosus]

Dogs eh....ok let me get my flame suit on....
Staffies & rotties here are usually owned by the "look at me im ard" retards & the dog is usually aggressive because it hasnt either been socialized properly or the owner doesnt know how to be a pack leader.[/quote]

I am far from "look at me im ard" retards, i have had my staffy for 10 years and he is as pathetic as the day i bought him. HAve you ever kept a staffy? I walked as a vet nurse and the dogs i always got bitten by were smaller dogs like jack russells etc. I would take a staffy any day.

Simone.

 

[Duke_jensen]

Ridgys are banned in some shires though so you need to be careful (I don't support the ban.)

which shires?

I havent heard of any in QLD

it is stupid to ban any breed, it comes down to there upbringing, they should just ban stupid people