Katalase's Profile

I think that the temperament of the dog one chooses should be tied to a realistic assessment of lifestyle. We have two medium sized dogs of a very high energy breed that is generally (and realistically) not recommended for city dwellers, yet our dogs are just fine. The difference is that we are very active and the dogs are very much included on most excursions. Between regular exercise and the fact that they keep each other company, they seem to be very happy and non-neurotic.

That said, I think that rescues Greys make fantastic pets!

Just keep in mind that cocoa mulch, when ingested, is harmful to dogs.

In addition to discouraging your pup from chewing on inappropriate things (bitter apple is great), make sure that they have something acceptable to chew on and direct their attention toward it. This is doubly important for teething pups.

So since plastic curtains are tacky, it there such a thing as a clear/translucent fabric liner? We use a plastic liner under a sheer fabric curtain because (1) it lets in more natural light and (2) makes the wee bathroom feel roomier. It provides privacy but needs a liner to keep the water in the tub.

Patrick (the other one),

Sure, there is certainly a lot of advertising material on display at conformation shows and breeders want to place pups in appropriate homes. However, if it's a business, it is a business that is when done correctly, is almost guaranteed to lose money.

Not only can conformation competition be pricey, but serious breeders are usually also (or alternatively) involved in other venues, such as performance or working events, which generally require an even higher outlay of funds and time for entries and years of training per dog. Breeding a litter isn't free. Adults are screened for inherited disorders, such as certification against signs of canine hip dysplasia, thyroid panels and most recently genetic screenings. Pups are also screened prior to placement for certain disorders. All in all, between health screenings of dam and pups, stud fee, shipping of the dam to and from the male, high quality diet for dam and pups, health checks and vaccinations for pups, etc., direct litter outlay can be $3000 . And that’s when everything goes as planned. It frequently does not. Of course, none of that includes cost of association fees, years of training and entry fees, hotel rooms, fuel, and flights across the country, etc.

Plus ethical breeders are also frequently involved in rescue. While the national organization will pick up the tab for big ticket items, $50 here and $25 there quickly adds up.

Oddly enough, the price of a pup from an ethical breeder is frequently not much more than from a breeder who hasn’t bothered w/ any of the above and is often far less than for a puppy mill petstore pup whose mother has probably never seen the outside of her cage.

Just some thoughts...