Small Dogs

[bckrazy]

It's cool. I don't think this thread was really going anywhere, and we *are* talking about dog breeds after all!

NAS's have the same temperament, drive, appearance, etc. There are definitely poorly bred dogs out there who look more like an Aussie x Pomeranian, but KissMe is one of the best breeders in my area. Their dogs are all shown & work goats and sheep every day on their farm, they are *wonderful* and very versatile working dogs. I feel that a lot of breeders of show Aussies are breeding much, much larger fluffier dogs for the look (think 60-75 lbs, just no practical for the breed) which is why I really like where many NAS breeders are going. Reputable breeders stick to dogs who are a nice size (14-18" and 20-40 lbs), retain excellent herding ability on small and large stock, and are also sound pets. Part of the reason I was drawn to Mini's is because, when I went to herding lessons, I noticed that whenever I saw an Aussie it was over-stimulated, barking, snapping, and basically doing nothing but driving; the Mini's were actually working in the manner that an Aussie should work. I definitely feel this is due to the emphasis on working dogs that MASCA/NAMASCUSA upholds. I actually wanted a 16-18" working Aussie puppy, but I found a breeder of that kind of Aussie virtually non-existant in my area!

[Muddy4paws]

OK about this whole situation.. I couldnt be bothered to read all of it because its so predicatable with the whole arguement thing so I'll just say my bit here..

If your dog is ill he/she NEEDS to be priority, if they have tumours then get them checked out and no you couldn't of prevented them and it was a stupid thing for that PTer to say in the first place.. You have three dogs from what i can see? if you are just thinking ahead then yeah fantastic, I have done some research on the breeds I want in the future but I wouldn't dream of adding to my pets knowing they were getting older and would most probably need extra vet care due to old age problems. I wouldnt want the stress of a puppy hanging about my older dog either, I think they should be as comfy as possible in their old age without the need to feel they need to compete for attention with a puppy because lets face it, When you add to your family the new addition gets the most attention even if its for a while your dog picks up on it.. We found that out the hard way and although I love my dog to pieces I reget the way we done it.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I'm pretty sure I was the one that said the tumors could have been prevented, and that's not what I meant.. what I should have said was something like.. Yes, you can think ahead, but I wouldn't even dream of another dog if one of my current dogs had tumors.. (sorry don't remember my exact words, and I'm too tired to look them up.)