Controversial Issues

[pinkspore]

Coming in late but don't have the time to read 25 pages to get caught up, but I just wanted to say that I think doodles are stupid. Regardless of how I feel about the whole concept of breeding crosses, I have now met several dozen standard poodlex(lab/golden/aussie/saint bernard) mixes, and they were all dumb as toast. Could not grok concepts like not climbing on people or other dogs. Could not figure out what anyone wanted them to do at any given point. could not understand how gates work. Fell in the swimming pool repeatedly and never figured out they couldn't walk on water. Got stuck in/on the plastic toddler play structures and needed to be rescued. So. Dumb.

Also I really strongly dislike the look of the mini aussies that are obviously mixed with papillon or some other toy breed with a tiny muzzle. I've met some perfect mini aussies that really are proper drivey Australian shepherds in a tiny properly-proportioned package. The other ones are just weird.

 

[Linds]

This! It makes me so sad when I see an 8 month old GSD puppy that can barely walk because his back is so sloped. And they all are so nervous and freaky! I once had a neighbor that had/has the two most beautiful GSD's. They both have/had great hips/elbows/backs and temperaments. Great watch dogs, but they would never hurt anyone. I think they were imported from Germany.

Yep! Sorry, I was trying to rile Equinox up with telling her mean things about her dog. She didn't come and yell though so apparently it's not working.

 

[Grab]

Ahahaha I glued ears on both my puppies (and Georgie.) I have no issues with gluing or taping ears. The only reason I quit with Auggie's was he hated having to sit still for it SO much and it was clear he wasn't going to be a confo dog, so I obliged and quit. Payton's ears were glued almost all the time until he was a year old. I don't have any problems with it - when I said "fix it" I meant let me glue the prick ears down to set them LOL.

We have a really cute Sheltie pup who comes in to board at work, who had his ears taped for the longest time. Happiest little guy ever. Without fail, someone would say "I wish they didn't glue his ears" every single time. He really gave not a bit of care. The first time he came in, a different tech did not know about such things as ear gluing and actually peeled the glue off:yikes: His owners, an elderly couple, made sure to mention to not touch the glue for like the next 6 visits.

 

[CharlieDog]

I think there are some breeds that are definitely not for the general public. Malinois, working lines GSDs, Dutch Shepherds, working line ACDs, ect. They're just not prepared to handle a dog of that calibre.

I think that's probably the reason so many owners of those breeds try to talk people out of them. It's not that the dogs are "super specshul" it's that they're hard dogs to manage, and that they need work. If someone if willing to put the time in, they can be first time owners dogs, but so few people are willing to do that.

For instance, Harrison is going to be eight months old soon. He greets me when I come home from work by barking for about eight to ten minutes and spinning the whole time. I laugh. Not a lot of people would. It irritates my SO.

 

[Paviche]

I'm not interested in cropping or docking being outlawed although I'm personally not a fan of it. But a weird thing that has happened for me is that no matter how beautifully done, when I look at cropped ears all I see is how artificial it is anymore. I've come to really dislike the look just because it looks SO fake to me and all I can see is how the ears were changed and how they wanted to be.

Late, but this is how I feel, too. I tend to think long (Dobe, Dane) crops look nice/striking/etc in pictures, but in real life they weird me out. They don't move right. It's awkward and stands out to me how unnatural it is. I don't have any desire to ban it, either, but I've gone from liking it on some dogs, to being indifferent, to disliking it. I saw a Beauceron with cropped ears yesterday and it didn't bother me because, at least from a distance, it looked more natural. Super short or super long crops just look weird to me.

The whole concept kind of skeeves me out too, tbh. Let's chop off pieces of dogs to make them more aesthetically appealing! I don't like the comparison of cropping to spay/neuter, because whether they're correct or not, s/n serves a purpose (preventing reproduction being the proven one, preventing cancers being debatable) whereas cropping is literally just for how the dog looks 99% of the time and that just leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling.

Funny because I'm okay with docking. I feel like docking at least serves some sort of purpose still for hunting/working dogs. But I also wouldn't be sad if it disappeared. I love Rowan's nub, but he's look equally fabulous with a tail.

 

[HayleyMarie]

I'm not going to lie. If I ever decided to get a breed that was cropped. I would totally get the pup cropped.

 

[Paviche]

I think there are some breeds that are definitely not for the general public. Malinois, working lines GSDs, Dutch Shepherds, working line ACDs, ect. They're just not prepared to handle a dog of that calibre.

I think that's probably the reason so many owners of those breeds try to talk people out of them. It's not that the dogs are "super specshul" it's that they're hard dogs to manage, and that they need work. If someone if willing to put the time in, they can be first time owners dogs, but so few people are willing to do that.

For instance, Harrison is going to be eight months old soon. He greets me when I come home from work by barking for about eight to ten minutes and spinning the whole time. I laugh. Not a lot of people would. It irritates my SO.

I don't disagree, but the flip side to this is that I hate people who act like their breed is literally nothing like other dogs. Your Border Cattlenois Shepherd is still a DOG. Yes, their combination of traits sets them apart (that's what makes a breed a breed, after all) but if you take each of those traits individually, I guarantee that they can be found in other breeds, too. Mals are bitey as hell, but so are Dutchies, lines of GSDs, etc. ACDs are strong willed but so are Beaucerons, Bull Terriers, etc. Filas have ojeriza, but I'm not about to run up to a strange Caucasian Ovcharka. BCs need a lot more mental stimulation than a lot of dogs, but so does basically any dog still bred for a job... etc... etc...

There are tons of dogs not suitable for an inexperienced/unprepared owner, but that doesn't make them a special snowflake that is unlike any other breed.

(rant not directed at you, Sam you just reminded me of one of my pet peeves.)

 

[JazzyTheSibe]

I'll send you a Facebook message later! Because I'll probably ramble on about things and whatnot, and not the thread to do it in, I don't think.

Sounds good!

 

[HayleyMarie]

I don't disagree, but the flip side to this is that I hate people who act like their breed is literally nothing like other dogs. Your Border Cattlenois Shepherd is still a DOG. Yes, their combination of traits sets them apart (that's what makes a breed a breed, after all) but if you take each of those traits individually, I guarantee that they can be found in other breeds, too. Mals are bitey as hell, but so are Dutchies, lines of GSDs, etc. ACDs are strong willed but so are Beaucerons, Bull Terriers, etc. Filas have ojeriza, but I'm not about to run up to a strange Caucasian Ovcharka. BCs need a lot more mental stimulation than a lot of dogs, but so does basically any dog still bred for a job... etc... etc...

There are tons of dogs not suitable for an inexperienced/unprepared owner, but that doesn't make them a special snowflake that is unlike any other breed.

(rant not directed at you, Sam you just reminded me of one of my pet peeves.)

That is actually a huge issue in the Boerboel breed. People think they are some magical, mystical creature that only the holier then thou should own. Drives me crazy. Yes, they are a more difficult breed to own, but if you are determined and willing to put the work into them, they make awesome dogs to own..Also no, my Boerboel in not going to take over my household because I'm not dominating the **** out of him.

 

[CharlieDog]

I don't disagree, but the flip side to this is that I hate people who act like their breed is literally nothing like other dogs. Your Border Cattlenois Shepherd is still a DOG. Yes, their combination of traits sets them apart (that's what makes a breed a breed, after all) but if you take each of those traits individually, I guarantee that they can be found in other breeds, too. Mals are bitey as hell, but so are Dutchies, lines of GSDs, etc. ACDs are strong willed but so are Beaucerons, Bull Terriers, etc. Filas have ojeriza, but I'm not about to run up to a strange Caucasian Ovcharka. BCs need a lot more mental stimulation than a lot of dogs, but so does basically any dog still bred for a job... etc... etc...

There are tons of dogs not suitable for an inexperienced/unprepared owner, but that doesn't make them a special snowflake that is unlike any other breed.

(rant not directed at you, Sam you just reminded me of one of my pet peeves.)

Oh I know, I was just saying that yes, dogs are dogs (my autocorrect tried to put dogs are trees lmfao!!!!!) but there are a lot of breeds that should definitely be entered into with the knowledge that they can be quite different than other breeds.

The issue becomes when people see a well behaved well socialized dog of *insert breed* and want one because it's a cool/smart/good looking/protective/whatever breed and their household is totally unsuited to owning that breed and they can't or won't take the time to put into their dog and come online and start going "help my eight months old *insert breed* is biting my child/digging up my lawn/dragging me down the sidewalk/trying to bite guests" ect.

And I'm just like *facepalm*

 

[StillandSilent]

I'm going to go againsr the grain here. I think crops are lovely though I wouldn't do it because I know I'm too lazy/scatterbrained to care for it properly, but I hate docking. I think it looks ugly, even if it is to breed standard. I especially hate the short aussie/rott dock.

I get that it has a purpose, but based on looks (which is why 95% of docksare done) I could never do it myself.

 

[xpaeanx]

I'm going to go againsr the grain here. I think crops are lovely though I wouldn't do it because I know I'm too lazy/scatterbrained to care for it properly, but I hate docking. I think it looks ugly, even if it is to breed standard. I especially hate the short aussie/rott dock.

I get that it has a purpose, but based on looks (which is why 95% of docksare done) I could never do it myself.

Awww..... You hate my dogs. They are sad.

I used to hate the look of docked dogs, but now I'm 100% on team tailless. But my reason for liking docked has more to do with being around some serious tail injuries and less about looks.

 

[DJEtzel]

Yep! Sorry, I was trying to rile Equinox up with telling her mean things about her dog. She didn't come and yell though so apparently it's not working.

But... Trent is a working line. Right? RIGHT? Oh god have I been missing something?

I think there are some breeds that are definitely not for the general public. Malinois, working lines GSDs, Dutch Shepherds, working line ACDs, ect. They're just not prepared to handle a dog of that calibre.

I think that's probably the reason so many owners of those breeds try to talk people out of them. It's not that the dogs are "super specshul" it's that they're hard dogs to manage, and that they need work. If someone if willing to put the time in, they can be first time owners dogs, but so few people are willing to do that.

For instance, Harrison is going to be eight months old soon. He greets me when I come home from work by barking for about eight to ten minutes and spinning the whole time. I laugh. Not a lot of people would. It irritates my SO.

This. Someone in another thread mentioned being bitten by their dog and they were getting sympathy. CAN I GET SOME OF THAT? I lost track of how many puncture wounds I have all over my body. Let's not get started on bruises.

Sorry, but I'm not recommending that kind of dog to anyone on the street.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I think there are some breeds that are definitely not for the general public. Malinois, working lines GSDs, Dutch Shepherds, working line ACDs, ect. They're just not prepared to handle a dog of that calibre.

^SO MUCH THIS. Hell, I would argue even some confo bred ACD's shouldn't be owned by the general public.

I get bit on a regular basis. It comes with the territory of building drive with these dogs. I know I've had a crappy session when I'm not bleeding. With my conformation bred dog. opcorn:

But, that's just me. I personally don't think much of the general public should own herders just for the fact that they don't get the mental stimulation that should be required. When Tulsa was ~5 months old everybody said they wanted to take her home. She's still great with other people, but when I switch that drive on they change their minds. I'm totally one of those people who talks up the exercise requirements of them to people who I don't think should own them. /noshame.

Ranting, but we have a 6 month old GSD here at my work who doesn't get any walks and isn't potty trained because "we have kids and don't have time. plus I don't want my kids out in the cold" and surprise surprise "we are thinking of rehoming her". Well damned it, she would be better off!

UGH. I swear I need to live somewhere in a hole.

 

[DJEtzel]

MEAGAN. Tell them to give her to me.

 

[yv0nne]

I don't know. How do people prove they should own a certain breed without ever owning one before? Penn is my first dog as an adult& SOMANYPEOPLE say Vizslas aren't for first time dog owners.

We've been just fine and she is better trained than lots of people on their third, fourth or fifth Vizsla who just don't put the time into training. Yet when getting Penn I was asked to look to those people to see what they say about training the breed. I got told they were hard to train, can be stubborn and lots of other things that just so weren't true. So I either really lucked out, I'm a fantastic trainer or everyone else just didn't bother trying. And I'm willing to bet it's the latter because I'm a terrible trainer and Penn is a pretty typical Vizsla. I don't know that just owning several of the breed means you actually are a breed ambassador, know your **** about the breed or are even any better of a fit for the breed than the average person. I know lots of people who I wouldn't say to them 'GO GET A VIZSLA! They'll be perfect for you~!' but they have them and the dogs do just fine. They may get the zoomies in the house more frequently or do some naughty things that I couldn't tolerate.. but it definitely still works for them.

Anyway, end rant. I think we just all want our breeds to be special& they are.. but that doesn't make them exclusive.

Edit: this is how Penn greets me. I love it. My boyfriend loves it. Most people who visit us love it. If I decided I didn't love it, I'd change the behaviour!

For instance, Harrison is going to be eight months old soon. He greets me when I come home from work by barking for about eight to ten minutes and spinning the whole time. I laugh. Not a lot of people would. It irritates my SO.

 

[DJEtzel]

Fwiw, I don't think I'd ever recommend a vizsla to anyone. Lol

 

[sassafras]

I think what irks me about it is that a first time dog owner is not a first time dog owner is not a first time dog owner. Other qualities like problem solving, flexibility, and commitment are more important than how many or what kinds of dogs someone has owned IMO.

I suspect a lot of the people who have problems and/or complain about their dog's behavior would be complaining regardless of what breed they actually had. Also, someone might find "easy" breeds enraging and "hard" breeds engaging.

I don't have overflowing faith in the general masses of humanity but at the same time, it's just so oversimplifying to me to talk about people as suitable or unsuitable based on whether they've leveled up or not.

 

[yv0nne]

I think what irks me about it is that a first time dog owner is not a first time dog owner is not a first time dog owner. Other qualities like problem solving, flexibility, and commitment are more important than how many or what kinds of dogs someone has owned IMO.

I suspect a lot of the people who have problems and/or complain about their dog's behavior would be complaining regardless of what breed they actually had. Also, someone might find "easy" breeds enraging and "hard" breeds engaging.

I don't have overflowing faith in the general masses of humanity but at the same time, it's just so oversimplifying to me to talk about people as suitable or unsuitable based on whether they've leveled up or not.

Whether my post came across this way or not.. this is basically what I was trying to say ahahahah thank you.

And Djetzel.. I don't know what you mean but okay? I probably wouldn't recommend a GSD to many people lol

 

[Bruschnazzy]

And Djetzel.. I don't know what you mean but okay? I probably wouldn't recommend a GSD to many people lol

Me either. But that's because I can't stand the breed. I think there are a lot of beautiful GSDs out there, but nope. I think that's pretty unpopular right there. :yikes: