Hi Svava, it's good to see you over here on Garden Web! Look for me on the Decorating Forum, too. I can imagine how badly your poor little dog must have felt during the time it took to build your new home. Poor thing! I'll keep that Royal Canin food in mind, if mine doesn't work out. Your allergy tests showed many allergies with your little dog. If Ronin's problem doesn't clear up, I think I'd like to have him tested, too. Thanks for that info! Hope your mother is enjoying life back in Iceland after living in Florida all those years. Speaking of dog foods, my neighbor called this morning to ask about my new dobie. She has two rescue dobies herself, a Blue and a Fawn. She told me that both have very bad food allergies and she suggested that, instead of putting Ronin on Eagle Pack's Duck & Oatmeal, I should try her dog's food, Taste of the Wild in the salmon variety, which her online dobie group highly recommended. Apparently, many dobies are allergic to grains and/or chicken (who would have thought?!?). This food has no chicken and no grains in it and is recommended for dogs with allergies and skin problems. She gave me several sample packs and I'm going to start easing him into it this evening. Both her dogs had severe skin issues with lesions and itching when she got them (I had no idea!) and now, after switching them to the Taste of the Wild/Salmon . . . and going off all grains and chicken, they have no skin issues at all anymore. Of course, she now reads labels like a hawk to keep them that way! Jean, my neighbor told me that there's a great Doberman forum over on Yahoo, although it's mainly for owners of Blues and Fawns, as they have the most allergy/skin problems, she says. Ronin is our third dobie and is a Black. The other two were Reds. The first, Mikaela, had no problems, except toward the end with her heart. Our second, Turk, had nightmarish eating problems, but more with eating EVERYTHING he could force down his throat, which caused over thirty partial and full intestinal obstructions and resulted in two major surgeries and many hospitalizations. He died from #37 (I believe) just before Thanksgiving at age four. If I didn't love dobies so much, I'd have given up on the breed after all I went through with Turk . . . and missed out on our sweet boy, Ronin. I do love Dobies! Again, thank you all for the information and experiences. I'm so glad I found this forum! Lynn

This is what I have learned thus far. Purebred dogs are bred as such so that a person knows what they are getting when they buy a puppy. For example, tempermenmt, size, coat considerations, and required living conditions. The reasons breeders breed purebred dogs are entirely their's personally and somewhere in their reasons is the adherance to a breed standard (usually). Not a bad idea if a breeder can successfully pull this off. However, this does not guarentee the personality of a purebred dog. Generally speaking, temperment is what they are bred for, personality is something they are born with and grow in to. For example, I have been breeding shelties for many years and can tell you that, as a breed, shelties are not "in your face" dogs, they are more cautious and sensitive, they prefer to be beside you at all times, they bark as they are bred to drive stock and alert, they have a double coat which requires lots of grooming and they shed, they are very affectionate, happy dogs and are extremely smart and easy to train. They can develop skin problems, eye problems, hip issues, and a few genetic diseases more exclusive to shelties. That said, this is the case with all purebred dogs, of course, each to their own breed. Reputable breeders will generally strive to produce healthy, balanced dogs with an emphasis on temperment and genetic soundness. To acheive this, a breeder will put in the best in nutrition, health care, housing, training and everyday care which is not only a financially costly venture but a time consuming one. Why?, because they love doing it! Placing our puppies in the "right" homes is the hard part of the whole process. In a nutshell, this is what I have learned about purebred dog breeders. Mongrels are and always will be a dime a dozen as a dog will do what comes naturally no matter who their choices are. That said, this is why the shelters and streets are overflowing with unwanted and uncaredfor dogs. :( Most of those animals are just as loving as any purebred or designer dog ever bred! And ALL are deserving of love and a caring home. Designer dogs is s whole different story and one I am not impressed with personally. Designer dogs, that is dogs bred purposely to create a dog to fit the fad at the time, are not bad dogs. They are dogs like all others. People in their infinate wisdom decided to make dogs a fashion statement or novelty! Like we don't have enough breeds to choose from and we don't have enough hoomeless animals out there that we have to create more. Cotons are an excellent example IMO! They are not a registered breed and are therefore a designer dog! Cute, fluffy, friendly little dogs that they are, it is sad that people are breeding them for "their" own gain!!!!! And the sadest part is that other people are willing to shell out the cash for one to carry around on their arm like a Gucci purse! In addition to the insanity of desiner dogs is the fact that many (NOT ALL) of these poor little dogs are bred in so called "puppy mills" ( I call them "sweat shops") home or otherwise, to satisfy the market demands!! Sick! I won't go any further with my ideas or understanding of how new breeds are developed and come to be as I have probably already said more than necessary. You asked a lot of questions BalTra and I hope to give you my honest thoughts and opinions. I am very passionate about the lives of animals and any other living creatures we have been so blessed to share our planet with. I agree with eahamel in all of what was shared. My suggestion is that you carefully research breeds you may be interested in. The internet is full of information. As well, contact breeders, go see their homes and dogs, and ask TONS of questions. Be careful of breeders who offer health guarentees (check it out carefully as you cannot guarentee health on any living thing)but don't dismiss genetic testing and medical history of the line. Most reputable breeders are more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise on "their " breed and specifically their line, and many have experience with other similar breeds. Myself, I encourage potential owners to visit my home prior to and shortly after puppies are born to learn as much as they can and get to know where their baby is coming from. I owe that to my puppies. They come first and I will do everything I can to ensure I find the right fit. Unfortunately , we don't always get the opportunity to pick a puppy this way so we take our chances. Contrary to what we would like to believe, animal sheltiers can only give us a good guess as to what breeds may be included in a mongrel and what their temperment may be like after spending a limited amount of time with them. We have to take a chance. I believe that very few dogs are "bad" dogs and that it is most often the ignorance or neglect/disinterest of the owners that creates an unruly or hostile dog. Baring in mind also that breed inherant traits and characteristics will always be. You can't expect the average border collie cross, for example, not to herd somewhat. It is as natural for them as it is for a retriever to retrieve and like water! There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog. Some breeds don't shed as much as others and some have dander that is closer to falling out of their hair (probably why you are more responsive to short haired breeds). If the dog is kept clean and groomed and is fed a quality food with hopes of producing less dry skin, your chances are good you will not react alergically. Some breeds like Poodles, Shih Tzu's, Terriers and such don't generally drop as much coat but require clipping and/or lots of grooming to keep their hair from matting. There are many breeds to choose from and therefore, you have the advantage of getting pretty close to the perfect dog. Only you know your lifestyle, habits and requirements of your pet. IMHO, the perfect dog can only come about by listening to your gut and following it. Your dog will hear that instinctively! I hope I have been helpful and not too wordy. Good luck with your search. It will be an adventure and an exciting one that will end in pure joy with lots of love and puppy kisses ^^^^^ A short story I found that I will share with you that just tugs at my "breeder" heartstrings. Puppy sighs This is one of the neatest stories. You will know precisely what this little girl is talking about at the end (you'll want to share this one with your loved ones and special friends)! "Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the mother told the volunteer. "What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked. "Puppy size!" replied the mother. "Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for." "I know...we have seen most of them," the mom said in frustration .Just then Danielle came walking into the office. "Well, did you find one?" asked her mom. "No, not this time," Danielle said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?" The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed "You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said. Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I`ll find one this weekend," she said. Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," Mom added. Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted. Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one." It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer. "Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It`s the puppy size!" "But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks," Mom said. "No not size ---- the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!" The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both. "Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said. Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!" Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day. They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear. "Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Good luck Ginny Garden Gairden's Shelties Edmonton AB Canada

I have a Thundershirt sized for my lab I will send you if you want to try one. She started getting phobic about fireworks and we had neighbors who would shoot off big aerial displays that rattled our windows and shook the house. It was kind of too little too late by that point and we have found other things that have helped more. Neighbors moved too, so we only have the distant fireworks for the most part and seem to be able to limit the valium to a half dose on the 4th and NYE. Anyway, we aren't using the Thundershirt now and if it could help, I'd be happy to send it to you. We also use Composure chews. In our case, I give them to the dogs for a day or two before the main fireworks holiday and a day or two after -- mainly to catch the folks who set them off for days. They do seem to help, but that alone is not enough. I also started using Hemp and Hips supplement chews after a co-worker was raving about a hemp supplement when she was talking with my DH. I researched them and decided to try this less expensive one first. We gave it to both dogs -- the lab to see if it helped with anxiety and general energy (she was 12) and the border collie for arthritis/joint support. It made a quick difference in both dogs, but we have backed off giving them to the lab on a regular basis because of other health issues. One thing I will tell you is that you can give a dog too much. After seeing how the dogs responded, DH bought a bag of hemp hearts at Costco. He used them regularly for a while and then stopped. I thought I might use some in the dog treats I make and then not have to buy the supplements. What I didn't stop to think about was dosing -- or the fact that with the boys home this summer, my brown-eyed beggar was getting an uncontrolled and increased dosing. We went through a couple thousand dollars in vet bills when she had accidents inside the house but didn't have a UTI. The docs were telling us she needed this test and then that one -- did an ultrasound looking for cancer, blood panels and specific tests. Something wasn't sitting right with me -- and I don't think the vets believe me, but I researched it and found that a high amount of hemp can cause incontinence. Back off the hemp though and things return to normal. It's worth trying -- and we're still using it, but with more awareness. I will also tell you that I realized that my lab got worse about fireworks after I got upset about the shaking windows and the fact that they were concerning the dogs or the fact that we were getting the glowing embers from their fireworks coming down in our yard during the summer of our worst drought. By seeing me get upset about her being upset, I was reinforcing her fears and telling her there was a real threat to be upset about. I started looking at ways to work on behavior modification and de sensitizing. Of course, that works best if you know what is causing her anxiety, but you can work on rewarding her for not losing it when she is starting to get anxious. I used distractions -- activity, TV on, training and giving her treats to give her positive things to associate with the c=sounds instead of all negative. It has helped a lot. We have gone from several days of having to medicate her in the evening to pretty much being able to use chews and treats and only having to use medication in a half dose once or twice each season. Sorry this is so long. Hope something here is helpful.

We’re very fortunate in that our dog doesn’t require a fenced yard and when we’re on our property we don’t use a collar or a leash. I know our dog would never hurt anyone but no one else knows that, which is the only reason we still leash her when we take her off the property. It’s the right thing to do for both the dog and anyone who is in the area. When walking the path, if someone is going to pass us, we stop and have her sit to the side of the path so the person going by knows she’s not going to hurt them. It’s obvious by their smiles and kind words about how good she is, that they appreciate the consideration. I’ve had lots of dogs through the years and have worked at training all of them to some degree with varied success but it wasn’t until we got our lab that I discovered how socializing your dog can be just as important as training it is.