It depends on your ultimate plans for the rose. Both of these will develop as quite pleasing shrubs without any pruning to shape, so that is definitely one way to handle them. Dead and dying wood has to be removed to make room for new basals. With Canary Bird that may not show up for ten years or so. Mme. Plantier will cycle through canes a lot faster. If space is an issue, they can be pruned back. However, I'd strongly recommend finding somewhere else for Canary Bird, if that's true. Mme. Plantier can probably be pruned like gallicas and damasks, though I can't think of anybody doing it. The way to get more flowers is to simply have a larger bush. You get a larger bush by leaving it alone. Aside from dead and damaged growth, not touching either for a few years isn't a bad idea.

Tom - no I have never had one stay but for more than a day or two - as Marcia says that may start soon. This guy showed up Jan. 10 and has been a daily visitor. Then on Feb. 11 saw a 2nd, an immature male and he has visited but only in the late afternoon. I think my resident one may have moved on or at least he is definitely not hanging around throughout the day as he was. A few of my neighbors found out that I had one and they have also put out feeders or at least said they were going on. I don't know if he would move to another house after being here for so long. Anyway, only saw one feeding at noon and only for a few seconds. Its color under the chin was coral - not as deep red as "Hummie" but more than the immature. As I said it was only for a second and it was bright outside so maybe it was him. But he hasn't been around for the long afternoon feeding he used to do. I feel kinda sad. As far as butterflies - not much going on here. Have seen more Sulphurs than anything else. I have tons of Milkweed and even some of my Passionvine made it throught the cold. I have several pots of Parsley, dill and fennel. My poor Pipevine really got hit hard, burnt to a crisp on top. Wild Lime is okay, Rue is struggling. I haven't seen as many Gulf Frits or Monarchs as I usually do throughout the winter. I too have a couple of Eastern Black chrysalis and a couple Giant Swallowtails overwintering. I am sure there are Polydamas underneath the Pipevine. My neighbor found a chrysalis inside her screened porch, attached to the frame of her sliding glass door. Hope we are finished with the cold weather. I am ready for spring!

I have never dead headed any of my lantana. The birds like the berries on the ones that form berries. I just don't want to take the time to do something like that, so I just let 'em grow. The only thing I do to one of my lantana plants is to trim it back a little if it starts to get out of bounds and grow over the front sidewalk too much - which is maybe once in the growing season. Cynthia - I have never seen a dog eat the berries. Maybe your dog has built up an immunity to them. They may be toxic, but compared to what? arsenic? Probably far from that. Your dog may get a little bit of an upset stomach, but it would probably take eating a whole lot of lantana to really harm him. And, sometimes only parts of a plant is toxic. For example, I like to eat rhubarb (us former yankees like that stuff, especially as a pie filling). The stems are edible, but the leaves are very poisonous. Another plant that is like that is violets. A lady was telling me that she used the leaves to make tea, but didn't remove all of the stems. She ended up in the emergency room because just the stems have a toxicity in it that can affect the liver and cause all kinds of problems. She is okay now, but it could have been worse. The leaves are okay - just don't use the stems. Actually, after what she told me, I wouldn't try using any part of that plant for a tea! Too risky if you don't get all of the stems off!

Mazer, I find your bias statement confusing. It makes sense only if you mean bad behavior. And bad behavior is almost certainly caused by people. Whether on purpose or because they have no idea how to handle a dog. The differences in breeds was done to get the various built in characteristics. Those characteristics come with accompanying tendencies. Herding dogs herd, hunting dogs hunt, and so forth. To add to that, different dogs have different personalities. Two German Shepherds will have two entirely different reactions to the same stimuli. Some GSD's make wonderful police dogs and some do not. Of those who do not, some are too passive and others are too aggressive. When I worked for the vet, the breed that was the most apt to bite was the cocker spaniel. That is the only breed to have been successful in biting me---twice, six years apart and in two different cities. Not nips---that happened several times---I mean premeditated attacks, successful even when I was expecting that reaction. And the German bred GSD that flunked out of the police K-9 academy for being too aggressive, who would not let the family maid in the house unless penned, and who chased a painter up the ladder turned out to be quite friendly with me. That shows dogs are individuals, but bias does have merit.