Random dog-related questions

volchitsa

We got our first ever dog a few weeks ago and I've found myself suddenly taking an interest in all sorts of other dog-related stuff that never occurred to me before, often arising from threads on here. So rather than risk taking other threads off topic, I thought I'd start one for my own, and possibly other people's, random questions that aren't necessarily about their own dog.

For example, I never knew exactly what a lurcher was until I started hanging out here (they seem fabulous) but now I'm puzzled because on another thread a mod said that the forum's ethic was against deliberate cross breeding - so do lurchers not count because they're a traditional form of cross breeding?

And also, what happens when you breed lurchers? Can there not come a point when they can be considered a breed in themselves?

And finally (about lurchers anyway!) is there any difference according to whether it's the bitch or the dog who is the sight hound?


Thanks for all your patience.

volchitsa

And another question, again related to stuff I've read here, but not lurchers this time :
On the same thread I mentioned above, someone gave a link to a vet site concerning breeding issues in dogs, fertility tests etc (I never knew dogs could be infertile but I suppose it's inevitable!) and on the page about fertility tests and procedures, there's a list of costs of the various procedures, AI etc - and the last procedure is "Australia test".

What's that? And what's its link to fertility?

Edit : it actually says "Blood test for Australia", which I would have assumed meant a test to be allowed to bring your dog to Australia - but why is it on a page about fertility?

DBB

For clarity, if it's the thread I'm thinking of, the mod intervention was not to curtail talk of cross breeding... That particular poster was looking for information on stud dogs (it just so happened they wanted to breed two different breeds together), and seeking info on where to source brood stock is not allowed in this forum!

Lurchers will never "breed true" as such, because they're a cross of any breed of sighthound, and typically any breed of working dog, which means as a group, they're a real mish-mash. Nobody is trying to standardise them as such, the only thing really driving lurcher production is their ability to work... Not how they look. There's a lot to be said for it!
The usual crosses are sighthound x collie, sighthound x bull breed, sighthound x big terriers, sometimes sighthound x wolfhound, or any combination of these... You could get a half sighthound, quarter collie, quarter Staffie, for example (a very popular cross amongst fox lampers). I've also met lads who are bringing GSD into that latter 3-way mix to bring endurance and perhaps a bit of biddability-to-handler into the mix?

I can't answer your final question, but generally I think it does make a difference which breed/type the mother is, and which the father is when it comes to mixing dogs, or indeed many animals!

volchitsa

Thanks DBB, and yes, that's the thread"

Actually I see just what you mean about there being a difference between breeding dogs for specific working qualities compared to breeding for a look (another thing I learned on here was the whole controversy about GSD showlines vs working lines) so the distinction wrt lurchers makes sense now.

Another question though is, what are wolfhounds then? I thought they were sighthounds? Deerhounds are sight hounds, aren't they? Is there a noticeable difference in how they behave the rest of the time if they are some other kind of hound than sight (when not hunting I mean)?

DBB

I think deerhounds and wolfhounds are sight hounds alright, though I *think* they're also pretty good at working scent too... I suppose both breeds, especially Wolfhounds, have a very different level of agility and aren't used as racing dogs (maybe they were though... My sighthound history is failing me here )... Greyhounds and the more classical sighthounds were certainly raced from thousands of years back, as well as used for hunting, so the combination of their agility, speed and prey drive makes them ideal coursing/lamping dogs.

volchitsa

Right, so if you cross a traditional sighthound like a whippet or greyhound with a wolfhound or deerhound you keep the speed but with greater endurance, would that be the difference?

I'm also wondering about what makes them good pets then, because if they're bred for prey drive and speed, presumably characteristics like friendliness and sociability don't matter much, rather as race horses usually don't make good family-friendly horses. Or is friendliness just innate to dogs anyway, so long as they get the opportunity to develop that part of their personality as pups?

Because I see people here saying greyhounds and whippets make great pets, and I'd have thought that was a bit unexpected, seeing as they are presumably bred for racing ability? (Again, I'm probably showing my ignorance, but until I read up on it I had assumed that the showlines vs working lines would have been about breeding dogs that made good "nonworking" pets.)

Cherry Blossom

In general (I dont have much knowledge of sighthounds specifically) working dogs still have to have a bond with their handler in order to get the best performance from the dog. I think all dogs have an inbuilt willingness to please their 'person'. I did a little bit of agility with my terrier and she flew around the course once she figured out what she was supposed to do. One day we were instructed to swap dogs and she refused to budge for the new person .

DBB

Lol... That's hilarious Westies are their own little people!
Volchitsa, I have a good friend who has done an enormous amount of research into greyhounds. She has manuscripts that are thousands of years old written by Arabian huntsmen, describing how their greyhounds slept beside them in their tents (and people try to tell us that living inside is a new thing for dogs?!), and shared the best of food with them from the same plate. These men from eras ago seemed to take huge pride in their dogs' emotional welfare as well as their hunting prowess,referring to their dogs as their friends
Working dogs generally have a serious drive to feel close to and bond with their owner... There's research to support this. Generally and traditionally, working dogs that showed aggression towards their owners were culled and not bred from, so sweet-nature towards humans has been selected for in many working breeds.
Predatory drive doesn't equal aggression

Latatian

One of the sadder examples of that bond is fighting dogs. I remember reading old books from when dogfighting was not yet illegal, describing how to train your dog to fight. It emphasised that the dog is doing something that it may well be frightened of, because of its desire to please you, and how you can exploit that love. You were expected to be able to walk into a pair of dogs fighting to the death and grab yours without being bitten. I don't get how you could train and care for a dog that was literally happy to go into a situation where it would be killed because you said it was okay, and still do something like that to it. Absolute treachery.

Wolfhounds are kinda a recreation of an older breed that went through a bit of a die-out - so I'm not sure how far they would still be classed as a sighthound, how far they have those tendencies vs the other things that went into the initial crosses (possibly including great dane and pyranean dogs). People I know who have greyhounds love them and consider them to be excellent pets, though I don't know much about them beyond that.

the_syco

volchitsa wrote: »

We got our first ever dog a few weeks ago

Get pet insurance. When you need it, it's great, as in the long term it'll allow you to ensure your doggie gets good care should they need it.

What breed is your doggie, and pictures? Dogs are awesome

Ro.mcdonagh

Hi All,

How does one go about breeding a dog?

I am unsure as the proper channels to go through.

Thanks

Nody

Ro.mcdonagh wrote: »

Hi All,

How does one go about breeding a dog?

I am unsure as the proper channels to go through.

Thanks

What dog shows have your dog won? Have you done all the relevant health tests for the breed? Do you have the bloodlines going back five generations?

Ro.mcdonagh

Nody wrote: »

What dog shows have your dog won? Have you done all the relevant health tests for the breed? Do you have the bloodlines going back five generations?

We don't do shows as personally I don't like them for her.

Yes I have her blood line and have had her health tested for any breed related issues.

I don't want to make money or anything we just want to keep one of the pups and have family members interested in the others

Cherry Blossom

1. Buy the book of the bitch and read it cover to cover.

2. Look for a suitable match, if you don't know about the breed confirmation 3. Can help you.

3. Contact the breeder of your dog and ask would they be willing to mentor you through the process.


What breed is it? Is it a working breed?

Ro.mcdonagh

She is a Cocker spaniel but she is a family pet not used for working.

I have tried to contact the breeder but he has actually died since we got her.

I will get that book.

Thanks for the advice.

Cherry Blossom

With cockers I would be careful of temprament. Sometimes a temprament issue can skip a generation so try to find out as much as you can about dogs in her pedigree and the same for the male. It's a real shame the breeder has passed away, the breed club might know if someone else has taken on his lines. What health tests do cockers have as a matter of interest?

Ro.mcdonagh

I met and spent some time with the mother and father when buying her and they were friendly and outgoing.

I know off the top of my head her heart, kidney, hips and eyes were tested but there was more also.

Their ears are a problem in general but once an eye is kept on them they are fine. We have never had any issues.

aonb

OP, would you whelp the bitch yourself? NOT for the complete novice or faint-hearted, so you might want to find someone to help you there....
Especially for a much loved family pet - it can be a fraught time waiting for puppies to start, wondering how many more there are, hoping the bitch has a clue, will be a good mother etc
Remember having a bunch of puppies to rear for 8 weeks is hard work.
You will have to chip/vaccinate/passport all of the puppies before they leave you the breeder. You will have to rehome all of your puppies - finding good safe homes for them can be an issue if you have more puppies than family members who want one.
Keeping a bunch of puppies contained, and socialized and fed etc etc - before you have to worry about any health issues is hard (but enjoyable!) work.
Not trying to rain on your parade here, but just be aware that the whelping and rearing process needs to be taken into consideration.
Finding the right stud dog should be researched extensively - the last thing you want is puppies with some traits/temperament that you wouldnt want.
Good luck - let us know how you get on.