lathom01@yahoo.com

I have a new puppy and, on her pedigree, I see several of her relatives who have been DNA tested. I know what DNA is and I know about DNA testing, but what does it mean in relation to the pedigree papers? Does it imply that the dog is a show dog, or just a regular dog that someone had DNA tested for grins and giggles? I would assume that reputable breeders would benefit from DNA testing but I'm just wondering if that's something only done for show dogs, or ANY dog. How can I tell if she has any champion blood? Will the papers say "champion" under the dogs name, or is there some other indication? My puppy's mother was a show dog (did OK but nothing special) and her father (I believe) is just a regular pet. By the way, I have absolutely NO intentions to breed my puppy regardless of whether or not she has champions in her pedigree. Although her markings are perfect, her conformation is not quite up to standards. (And I just dont have the desire to mess with the whole breeding thing.) I'm only asking because I'm curious to know why some dogs were DNA tested and some were not.

I recently inhereted my deceased Father's coin collection, so I'm very new to the hobby. All his coins are American coins, and many are almost pure silver or copper. Many of the other coins are either clad with silver, or made up of other types of metal. I plan to finish his collection and either keep it until I'm old and need money, or I'll pass it all down to another generation. My point is, I dont plan on selling any of the coins any time soon, if at all. I was unable to stop myself from cleaning all his Walking Liberty silver 1/2 dollars, but (so far) have resisted the urge to clean his Mercury dimes, Buffalo nickles, Franklin 1/2 dollars, Flying Eagle pennies, and Indian Head pennies. Some are very very old---AND very very dirty. Some of his nickels are even growing hard blue-green knots on them. To me, they are not at all pretty to look at but I've been told that cleaning your coins will reduce their value. How can that be? Why does it hurt the coins value to make it clean and shiney? It's still the same coin---with the same amount of silver (and whatnot). I also collect 99.99% pure gold and silver bullions and coins so I tend to look at this coin collection's value in terms more of the silver content than the numismatic value. I use a cream silver cleaner and soft cotton rag. I take my time and dont rub too hard. Am I putting tiny little abrasive scratches on the coins? If so, they are pretty latent because I cant see them! I would really love to clean up his entire collection, but first want to hear from other coin collectors with an opinion.

If yes..........why? Is it OK to just let it die when it gets sick, and then go get another one?

Buffalo, kangaroo, duck, venison....but never any rabbit. Is there something wrong with rabbit meat?

Today I met a guy who had a bunch of feeder mice he was raising in his garage. I asked if he had a snake and he said no, he feeds them to his dogs, about one or two a day. My first reaction was "How cruel!!" He explained to me that his dogs do not constrict the mice like snakes do, tear it apart like hawks do, impale it with talons like owls do, crush it in their mouths like reptiles do, or torture it to death like cats (wild and domestic) do. He says his dogs simply gulp it down....alive. He went on to explain that the mouse suffocates long before stomach acids are released to aid in digestion, so it's death is not cruel but rather just a kinder act of nature. I asked why he does this when there are other raw food options that don't involve the cruel killing of mice, and he said that because other raw food options involve the cruel and inhumane killing of cows, pigs, chickens, and etc. He is a vegetarian and does not support animal slaughter, but understands that his dogs need meat. He says that the mice (and sometimes baby chicks) provide the dogs with the most natural diet they can get anywhere, and the soft bones and raw organs give his dogs all the nutrients they need without the addition of artificial preservatives or other chemicals. And since he raises them himself, he knows the mice are healthy. Both dogs are over 5 and have eaten this "diet" since he acquired them as puppies. His dogs are medium-sized and (according to him) swallow the mouse in one gulp, although he did admit that they will occasionally chew it a time or two before swallowing it. He says that's why he doesnt use rats---his dogs cant swallow them whole and he doesnt want the rat to be torn apart. I know, from reading my ferret magazines, that many people feed mice and chicks to their ferrets for the same nutritional reasons, and I know ferrets cant swallow them whole. The whole concept still bothers me, but I was running out of argument! Can anyone tell me why this is either a good idea or a bad one? Other than the apparent cruelty issue, which I addressed with him, he seems to have valid points on everything else.

Please dont respond if you've only read bits and pieces of this post because I dont want to hear insults about how cruel and horrible I am when it isnt even ME that's doing it. At this point, it seems to me like the guy had some legitimate points----I simply want to know if other people have other opinions, or have ever even given it any thought..

This pole used to have a basketball goal on it, and now it doesn't. It's extremely sturdy and has an outer diameter of about 3". We'd really love to convert it into a flag pole but cant figure out what all we'd need, in the way of hardware. The stickler is: we want this to have the kind of attachments on it that will allow it to swivel in the wind rather than just wrap tightly around the pole, and we still need to be able to raise it and lower it (as well as raise it to 1/2 staff when the occasion calls for it). I will also eventually want to put a nice finial up on top, to complete the look. Right now, the pole is laying on the ground to make it easier to work with, and it's just under 14 feet tall so, after we set it back in the ground, it should stand about 12 feet tall. I know I'm asking a lot but I also know there are some creative minds out there that might be interested in helping us honor our soldiers. Thank you for reading!

I asked the question about getting mine tattooed and got some fairly disturbing answers. First of all, of COURSE she always has her collars and tags on---I thought that part would be implied, but evidently not. Collars can be removed or fall off. (duh!) And tattoos on dogs are certainly not insane.....many show dogs, police search and rescue dogs, racing greyhounds, hunting dogs, and even dogs adopted from some pounds are often tattooed. I would not brand my dog (as one poster suggested) because THAT is insane. I had my horse freeze-branded because I wanted a visible deterrent for thieves, but I don't intend to do that to my 10-pound Dachshund. I want her to have the same type of tattoo as many other dogs have for the purpose of identification should she become stolen or lost. Micro chips are not 100% fool-proof because not all scanners are compatible. So, if you've never heard of dog tattoos, don't be so quick to squash the person asking the question. So....one more time....does the vet do this or do I have to take her to a specialist? If you don't know the answer, please do a bit of thinking before commenting. It's a virtually painless procedure, less than the large-bore needle used to insert the micro-chip, so spare me the comments about cruelty.

She is micro chipped but that isn't enough for me. Because she looks just like every other red Dachshund in the world, I want there to be an external, visible marking that would differentiate her from all the others. I want it to be the kind of tattoo that is registered with the NDR....not some freaky one done at a tattoo parlor. So who does this procedure----would it be my vet? I plan to call and ask but just wanted to see if anyone already knew.

A previous poster got me to thinking....if a dog's tail is important for balance and cropping it serves no purpose other than for aesthetics, can you show a doberman or jack russel terrier (etc) with a full tail? If the AKC requires that the tails be docked, how has this made the breed better?

Why dont you give it a rest? EVERY solicitation you post is under a different sign-on name so, if it were such a great job, why do you have to be so sneaky and annonymous about it?? It's nothing but a pyramid scam and I certainly hope no one is stupid enough to even consider it. People come here looking for advice on REAL careers. SHAME on you for trying to divert them into a scam that will ruin them. Since this has to be in the form of a question, I'll ask: Why are you doing this?

I am particularly interested in doing this as a home-based job. I have found several online schools that all claim to be able to give me the training but I don't know what kind of certificate or degree I need to work from home. Also, how do I go about getting work? Where do I apply, and how do I start doing this at home? I was a nurse and paramedic until I retired about 4 years ago so medical terminology is very familiar to me. If anyone has any information on this subject, I would be very appreciative of your help. Thanks!

I have an African Cichlid who's developed a large bump on the side of it's face, just under it's eye. He/she is almost 5 years old and has had this thing once before, only in a different spot. It went away then without any kind of treatment, but the bump that's there now doesn't seem to be getting any better. It looks like a zit that is primed for popping, and is now almost as big as his/her eye. He/she shares a tank with other fish that don't have any problems. Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

We insist that dogs be selectively bred, to weed out genetic faults and to better the breed, but why don't we do any of that to ourselves? We breed like rabbits, indiscriminately spreading STD's and all levels of genetic illnesses and malformations, and often times, we KNOW we bear these genes. But still, we reproduce. Humans have a universal conformation standard---we just don't call it that. Should a dwarf get her tubes tied? Should a man with a genetic heart defect get a vasectomy? Should only the people with academic or athletic achievements be allowed to reproduce? We have kids because they're fun, and cute, or it was an accident. What did we contribute to the species? There are millions of kids in orphanages, foster homes, and living on the streets. Why are people not adopting instead? I'm serious---why are we not as interested in bettering OUR species as we are in bettering the dog species?

It's a serious question---if you cant answer it with civility, please move on.

Why does America look at anorexia and bulemia as a medical disorder, but look at obesity with disgust? Even alcoholism and drug addiction is now viewed as a "disease", but obesity is just the sign of a weak pig. Do eating disorders not go BOTH ways? It's been proven time and time again that food "comforts" the brain with the release of dopamine in the same way that drug and alcohol addiction do, but still no one wants to accept obesity as actually being a physical and/or psychological disorder. Why is alcoholism a "DISEASE" but food addiction is not?

Why is it, when someone comes here and talks about looking for an inexpensive puppy, they get reminded of how much the vet bills will run because he has purchased an inferior bred dog, and then he is told to go get one from a shelter??? Are the vet bills cheaper for an inferior dog from a shelter? I know, the whole idea is that he'd be saving that dog from euthanasia, right? But he wont be saving any money on vet bills. So then, what happens to the poor puppy a the pet store? I understand the whole reason for buying a well-bred dog over a BYB dog, but to use vet costs as your arguing point seems pretty silly when you turn right around and tell him to go get one from the pound.

Also, why is it that, if someone cant afford to pay $1600 for a 3-pound Chihuahua, that person either "doesnt deserve" a dog, or he's relegated to only choosing from the strays and drop-offs at the shelters? Maybe some people dont WANT shelter dogs because they generally come with some kind of behavioral problem or medical condition??? I, myself, dont mind paying 4,5,6 hundred dollars for a well-bred dog but since I couldnt care less if it had champion show abilities, I'd be d**ned if I'd pay more for a Chihuahua than I'd pay for a horse. That's just absurd.

I agree the guy shouldnt be looking for a "cheap" Chihuahua because he's likely going to get what he pays for, but as long as BYB's keep cranking out puppies, if NO ONE is there to buy them, millions of puppies will be put to death long before BYB's take the hint and stop their breeding practices. It's supply and demand----if you take the demand away, there's is still a giant surplus already "on the shelves" that will now have to be disposed of because no one wants them. Eventually the BYB's will stop, but how many millions of their puppies will go unwanted and euthanized in the process?

What all does this involve and where does a person go to get this done? Are we talking about DNA profiling, gene sequencing, or just some blood work and an x-Ray at the local vet's office? I keep reading about genetic screening to make sure a dog doesnt have any defects, but how does a person go about doing this? What all do they test for?? Is the dog tested for every possible defect known to plague that breed, or just a specific few? Is it fool-proof? I mean, if it comes back "clean" does that mean that the dog wont ever suffer from the genetic problems it was tested for? What is the average cost? Thanks, in advance, for your answers!!

Well, other than "Select for Quality" I really appreciate the answers. His was the only condescending one I got, but I wasnt suprised since I've seen some of his other responses to other questions. It's that "Holier than thou" attitude I sometimes see in show-breeders that gives all the others a bad image.

Loki---you said "Drive is great, but if the dog isn't built for the function, it won't excel at it." I understand that, but is it possible to be built for the function, yet NOT have the drive?? As someone else pointed out, many dogs are not used for their original purpose because our urban society doesnt need it anymore, so cant that "drive" deminish over time, even though the build is still there? And the individual judge who is looking at your dog trotting around the ring may have the capability of judging conFORmation (did I get it right this time?) but he cant judge the drive. So how can his decision be fool-proof?

I did not know that the breed's founders are actually the ones who set the standards (assuming of course that they've passed this info down to other generations since they're probably all dead by now). I'm all for selective breeding to prevent genetic disorders. I just dont fully agree that "clean" dogs can ONLY be created in the show ring. Can anyone's dog be genetically tested or is this a priviledge reserved only for show dogs? I have met both good AND bad BYB's. The good ones (IMO) are the ones who stick to their own group of bloodlines and consciensciously weed out the sub-par ones. They grant registration papers for a select few, and mandate spaying or neutering for the others. They will also buy back their dogs if necessary. I bought my dachshund from a breeder like this and was severely bashed here for "supporting a BYB". I still dont understand what I did that was so sinful.

I'm open to opinions (as long as they arent stabs that are intended to draw blood). There's no point in that (Mr. "Select for Quality") and it accomplishes nothing....other than to make you feel superior, I suppose.

Can someone please educate me on this matter without getting hostile, immature, and offensive??

If a person is raising champion standard poodles, but that poodle couldnt perform the task it was originally bred to do so many years ago, then how has the breeder made the breed any better? The dog is judged on it's confirmation, but not it's hunting ability, it's intelligence, or it's motivation to work. None of that is evident in a show ring. So who exactly is making the decision about what confirmation qualities are to be the breed's standard? And how are they to know (other than assumption) that a certain body style will make a dog more capable to perform the duties for which it was originally bred? Especially since hardly anyone uses poodles for hunting anymore? What is the AKC basing their "standards" on, and why do they sometimes change those standards? Why is so much credence given to what one judge says, when most of his or her decision is based on opinion? (I know they have training and experience, but they're still human.) A dog that wins Best of Breed in one show may not even place in another. Is showing just a game of chance?

Do all dogs have to have a singular purpose for which they are judged on? What if all I want is a lap companion? How can a judge decide for me which dog would be best for that? Does a dog need good confirmation to be a lap companion? Who cares if it looks pretty at the end of a leash....if it doesnt have any other redeeming qualities besides looking good trotting a couple laps around the ring, is this dog REALLY better than someone else's "backyard" variety? If you say yes, can you please explain how you would know this?

Also, someone earlier said that breeding sport dogs is a load of crap, but didnt elaborate on why she felt this way. Doesnt the obstacle course prove a dog's intelligence, agility, and willingness to perform? Are sport dogs not considered "worthy" of admiration regardless of their winnings, just because they arent shown on the end of a leash?

I know my questions sound confrontational, but I really am not trying to kick any ant beds. I just have some questions I'd like someone to shed some light on without bashing me into the ground and insulting me at the same time. Can that be done?

It has GOT to be the nastiest smelling food ever, but also one of the most nutritious. Two of my 3 dogs (much to my suprise) will eat it. People even eat this junk!! Does anyone else feed it to their dogs and, if so, what has been the outcome (i.e. your dog's general health...)

My brother has a young female Chow who has not yet been to a show where she didnt take First Place and/or Best of Breed. I imagine he intends to breed her eventually to a male Chow with a similar show history. Obviously, we arent talking about run-of-the-mill dogs or mutts, but dogs who's bloodline contribution should be a definate asset to the breed. And, also obviously, he isnt going to just be giving them away. They will make him a pretty wad of cash. Knowing him, he'll sell the good picks only to prospective show clients, and sell the rest to regular families (minus the papers). So, what draws the line at "backyard breeders"? Does the overpopulation of pets make it shameful for ANYONE to breed their quality dogs? I mean, for every Chow puppy he sells, there may be another one sitting in a pound somewhere with it's name on a needle. Chances are extremely high that whomever buys my brother's puppies isnt interested in a pound dog anyway, especially if they choose his high-dollar puppies over a free one. I have 2 dogs I've spayed (one of excellent quality and intelligence, the other not as much). I deeply regret spaying the intelligent one but I wanted to do the responsible thing. Now I have a young female Dachshund that I'd love to breed but, again, I am torn between what's right and wrong. She has several great qualities to pass down to her puppies, but she isnt a show dog. (She is AKC but nothing spectacular). Tell me, are show dog owners the only ones who dont get (metaphorically speaking) SPIT on when they breed their dogs? My Dachshund is only a few months old so I have a while to think about it. I just dont want to end up regretting spaying her like I did my first dog. Any (polite) input?