Divapom

An aquaintance of mine was telling me about how wonderful her adopted pit bull is doing. She is one of those people who think pitbulls are marshmallows. She has had it about 3 months and treats it like a baby. She told me the dog is still rebelling about "downing" except when she lures him with a treat. She was telling me of an episode where she took the dog for a visit to a friends house. Soon after another friend came to visit with a small dog. She said that her dog reacted to the small dog because he thought the house was his and they did not introduce the them off the property. They put her dog on a "time out". But it never accepted the. The other dog. I finally asked her straight out if her dog tried to eat the small dog and she reluctantly admitted it. I was in a social setting and it was not the place to tell her that pit bulls are known for dog agression and high prey drive. I had already recommended a good trainer to her, but she and her husband didn't think they needed one. The problem I forsee is she is one of those people who think pit bulls are maligned and they are just big bunnys in a dog suit.

I was on another discussion and made the statement that a dog should not be let off leash in a public place unless it has a 100% foolproof recall. I was told that no dog is capable of it and anyone who thinks it is possible is delusional. Am I delusional?

I live in a low heartworm area and have never used preventative. But I am taking my pom into a heartworm prevelant area for a competition. She is heartworm negative as of today. Which of the 2 are safest with the least potential side effects for a 6.6 lb pom?

And what type of person would you recommend your breed to?

If your breed has different "types" aka show or working type? What type is your choice. Feel free to comment on the other "type"

If so, have you learned how to exploit it and how?

And what advice whould you give a Newbie what to look for in their trainer when to move on?

Even if other members of the family are at home?

What disipline are you choosing, what age do you prefer? How do you choose breeder and individual dog/puppy?

Starting out did you make any mistakes? What is your advice for newbies wanting to get into your sport?

Everyone preaches a breeder should only breed "to better the breed". But what does that really mean?

In your breed is it better off than 100 years ago? If so, in what ways? And how do you think the breeders achieved this improvement? If not, in what ways and what do you think the breeders did to cause the decline? When do you think the improvement or decline started?

If your breed is younger than 100 years feel free to comment since the inception of the breed. If your breed has more than one "type". What are your thoughts of the ifferent types as compared to the original.

What is the 1 thing a breeder does or does not do that would in your eyes make that person a good breeder. Someone you would purchase from and recommend others to.

What is the 1 thing a breeder does or does not do that makes them a poor breeder. And you would never purchase from them and would warn people against them.

If you want you can answer your 2nd top things.

I took my 2 poms to a festival the other day and people kept going on and on about how well behaved and trained they were. We were doing nothing special. Just hanging out. The "fanciest thing I did was but them on a stay outside once while I went to the ladies room. They just acted like I expect any dog to behave, yet people were amazed.

This past weeken at an AKC show at the obedience ring a Dobeman broke loose from its handler, pulling her to the ground in the process, and viciously attacked a silkie that was waiting to go in the ring. The silkie was severely injured. This doberman is a Champion and was scheduled to show in the opedience ring. It is also reported that this doberman is known for going after other dogs. In paticular male dogs and not just small dogs.

What do you think the sanctions should be against this owner. Someone had mentioned that if the incident had happened in the breed ring, then the dog would have been stripped of it's CH title, but since it happened outside the obedience ring it would not. Is this true?

Since the dog has a history of dog aggression do you think this woman should have her AKC privlidges revoked? Taking into consideration that this dog would have been required as part of the competition to be off leash performing groups. And the owner knows her dog has sever dog agression. There is a inter club obedience competition coming up in a couple of weeks and it is rumered that this dog is entered. My club is checking it out. This is not an AKC sactioned event, but is run with AKC rules. If this dog is entered my club wants it's entry revoked. If the dog is going to be there some of my club's team will not go due to the danger to their dogs. What are your opinions? And especially AKC rules regarding this. If there is a difference between agression in the breed ring and aggression at the obedience ring as far as sanctions against the dog. And what you think about this woman bringing her vicious dog to compete in obedience or even to the show at all?

In a month I will be traveling by plane across country to an agility competition. The problem is, I feed raw. I figure about 10 to 12 hours from home to hotel. How do I transport her food without it defrosting? I will not have transportation once at the hotel as it is across the street from the competition site. For the 4 days I will only need 1 patty. (She is a very small dog). Any suggestions?

Specifically on line agility classes where you watch the video of the "assignment" then film you and your dog performing the exercises then the trainer critics and helps you remotely.

Has anyone done these and do they help? It seems that some world class trainers who otherwise would be unavailable due to geography are now offering these courses.

If so, I am curious what goes through peoples minds who do this?

What makes it OK for your dogs to be off leash when there are leash laws?

What do you expect people to do if your dog were to run up to a person or their leashed dog?

How would you feel and what would you do if some kicked, hit, or pepper srayed your approaching dog. Do you think they have a right to do so even if your dog was just going to them to be friendly?

This has come up a few times here and I am curious because I am one of those old fuddy duddys that always keeps my dogs leashed and don't understand why others don't.

If you were walking your dog on leash and a dog off leash ran across the street towards your dog. And you called to the owner to get his dog away. The owner calls back tht his dog is friendly. And you again tell him to get his dog on a leash. And the owner of the loose dog makes no attempt to get his dog. Would you hit the loose dog with something that was in your hand in order to keep it away?

Now let's say you are the owner of the loose dog and this person with the leashed dog was hitting your dog? Would you just get your dog and go or would you confront the leashed dog owner getting screaming in that persons face just inches away.

What if the leashed dog owner was a woman and the unleashed dog owner was a man?

If you were the woman would you slap the man to get him out of your space? If you were the man would you hit the woman with your leash after getting slapped?

My friend was walking her small breed dog on a leash when a large dog went after her dog. The owners were about 200 feet behind the dog who was being allowed to wander at will. Luckily my friend saw the dog charging and picked up her dog to save it, taking full force of the hit from the dog resulting in a fat lip and bruising. All the owner's said was that their dog doesn't like small dogs. Should she report these people? she was injured by this dangerous dog.

2nd question. Why do some big dog people think it is ok for their large dogs to attack and often kill small dogs. Yet when the small dog owners try to get justice and save other beloved pets from a violent death from these aggressive dogs by having them removed fromthe irresponsible owners and put down, many come to the support of the killer dog without a thought of sympathy to for the death or injury to the small pet.