Lynxy

I m trying to remember the name of a book or series of books that I started reading. The book I read was not the first in the series, I think it was the second or third. Main character is a young woman. Plot: Her father (the king) dies sometime during the book, and she becomes queen. Kings/Queens are bound to their kingdoms in this world, and the dukes/earls/barons are also bound to their dukedoms/earldoms etc, though to a lesser extent. There are also the Kings Guard (or something like that) which are chosen magically/intuitively. When the King dies and princess becomes Queen, she asks all of the old King s Guard to become Queen s Guard. Some stay, some don t, and she also chooses new ones. I think the next book focuses on a female --King s Guard who, despite doing her best to protect her King, failed to keep him from being killed and yet survived the attack (she thinks that she should have died protecting him, especially since he died), and so ends up leaving the palace/city in guilt/shame.

And I think the Author s last name starts with A to G, and most likely C,D,or E.

What are the pros and cons of breeding dogs in kennels as compared to in one's home? If anyone has done both, is it easier to keep it clean in the kennel or in the house? Are there challenges in socializing puppies in kennels, as compared to in a home? What are some thing you do to overcome challenges that come from breeding in one setting vs the other?

As a breeder, what do you prefer to breed in, and why? Does what breed you're into affect this decision?

If you were looking to buy a puppy, what would you be looking for, and why? Also, what are some things to beware of in either situation?

So, the other day I found this answer/discussion, and thought it was really interesting.

What is the ideal breeder, to you? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201007...

However I did have a couple questions about certain points I'd read, and I'd like to hear both sides of opinions, and well, a more in-depth explanation. (A1 = Answer 1, A2= Answer 2, etc). Also, fyi, none of this is trolling, I actually want to know why, and questioning a certain point doesn't necessarily mean I think it's wrong.

A1"Their dam has had no more than two litters, and between 2-4 years old." Why only two litters? What's the absolute absolute maximum amount of litters a dam should have, and what is the recommended amount? From what else she said, the dam would be having one litter at 2, and the second at 3-3.5. The not younger than 2 reason is obvious, but I thought that people did breed their dams even when older than 4. So....why say 4? Other breeders (as this was only 1 person), In your opinion, at what age should a dam be stop being bred?

A2 "Doesn't ship puppies or sell online"

A16 "- they CANNOT advertise on the internet, newspaper, Craigslist, Kijiji, Penny Saver, or anything of the like!"

Okay, I totally understand not advertising on most things on the internet, but is having a website for one's kennel, and stating "I'm planning on having a breeding around this date", considered advertising? Would you stay away from a breeder that has a website, or am I just putting the wrong interpretation on this point?

Also, would shipping be a 100% no point? Say, if the buyer lived quite a ways away, met the breeder in a face-to-face meeting before they bought the pup, then if the buyer was approved, and when the pup was old enough, was shipped to lessen the expense (and also stress of a much longer trip otherwise)? Or are there other dangers/problems involved in shipping that young a dog that I (obviously) don't know about?

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions!

I'm going to put a disclaimer in here up front, before someone goes on about it. I know you guys aren't vets or vet techs, and only a vet is qualified to actually diagnose. However, some opinions would be nice :)

So, I'm dog sitting this dog for my friend, and have been dog-sitting him for almost two weeks now. I've noticed some weird things about him. He is a 7/8 month old chocolate lab. He drinks excessively, and pees excessively, and although he's being fed enough, and of high quality food (orijen), he's often looks for extra. However, that could be due to him having been fed scraps from the table by his owner.

Anyway, on to the symptoms. He drinks, a lot. I can fill his dog water bowl (and it's a big one), 3 times a day. Except at night, he's peeing at least every 3 hours, and often every hour (I've timed it). And then he just gulps water down again. Now, from what I've read, this is indicative of diabetes. However, I've also noticed that....basically, what he eats, he poops. His poop is pretty much the size of what he's fed - I would think it should be less - that he'd extract more of the nutrients out of it. And take a bit longer to digest, because he's pooping within 1-3 hours of eating (usually closer to 1). Another example of this, is, I gave him a chewable/eatable *bone* (not an actual bone, but is a chewy made to look like one) an hour ago, and he just now, told me that he Had to go potty, and pooped out poop the size of the bone, and a different colour than his normal poop. So....things go through him like a sieve.

Is this still indicative of diabetes? Anyone know what else it could be indicative of?

Any suggestions and opinions would be welcome. And yes, I'm going to try and persuade the owner to get him to the vet and checked out.

(Inspired by the Breeders: Have you ever been called a snob? question)

I've thought about this a lot, and researched the breed a lot, as well as other breeds. I've also researched the various genetic defects that come with it, many different methods of training, good dog food brands, etc. etc, and come to the conclusion that I want a german shepherd dog.

To all those who think I should adopt from a shelter, I would, if I were to get a mutt. But with GSDs, I don't want a mix, or one that I don't know the parents. I wouldn't know what, if any health certifications they had, any temperament testing, any titles, etc. I've also looked at rescues, but the one near me rarely has dogs (and they don't know the pedigrees either), and the next closest is in Ontario, and they've got a limit as to how far away they'll adopt out (I'm in Manitoba).

The thing is, I do not want one from american lines, nor the german show lines. I want one from working lines. However, I'm not a policewoman, or patrol or anything. I am interested in doing S&R (not sure though, besides which I don't currently have a vehicle to go to the training sessions), or at least training for tracking (when the puppy is old enough). I'm also interested in possibly doing shutzhund. I'm rather curious about the herding, but I doubt it would be a practical thing to get into, as I have no plans to ever be a sheep farmer :p. Agility, pulling are some other things I'm interested in, but I don't plan to get into every sport out there - it's just to give an idea of some of the things I'm looking for - A puppy with solid nerves, good temperament, healthy, with a pretty good drive.

To that point, I'd researched Kennels a few years ago, and chose one (I've been planning for a few years.....) but after some more recent research, I'm not so sure. It is so hard to weed out all the american and german show line shepherd kennels. I'm also not sure what dogs to look for in the pedigrees, and which ones I'd do well to avoid. I also don't know various kennels' reputations, as I'm not hooked into the breeding world. So, does anyone have any kennels they suggest? or places that I could look that would list those types kennels (I'm willing to buy in USA or Canada)? And information on pedigrees?

And yes, I'm continuing my own search, and yes, I know this is yahoo answers, but I am So curious as to what kind of answers I'm going to get. :p