I am trying to choose a breed for my family. In a nutshell: I have had dogs all of my life (AmStaff, Pinschers, Bassetts, Setters, Fox Terrier), am confident with most breeds that I have had or have had experince with. Difference is now I have a family w/ children (13/yo down to 1/yo). I work at home as does my wife. Children and dog will be under supervision all the time. Have time for training. My dilema is, we are now living in Argentina and need a dog that can and will defend our home and family in the face of armed intruders but will not pose a threat (practically speaking) to the children. None of the dogs I have had or have cared for will do so effectively except the Rottweiler. I cared for a pair of very highly trained Rotties for a month when my eldest daughter was 1 year old. Loved them! Also, out of the working breeds it seems to me that the Rottie is the most stable in an active household. So I am asking for objective opinions. Care to share? I am open to all objective suggestions.

I was going through all the junk I've taken with my cheapo, early-generation digital camera in anticipation of buying a giffy new one, and came across some not too bad pictures of the girls that I had missed previously. Here are a couple of Jonesy, our fairly recent addition, who is a Border Collie/Beardie mix: [link] lr snooze Here's Jonesy and Sadie together, head on: sadie 001 And one last one of Sadie looking deceptively angelic: sadie 001 In the camera department, I'm leaning towards a Canon Powershot A70 or A80, and would be happy to hear comments and recommendations. My main requirements are suitability for outdoor action shots of dogs & small humans, so speed is a biggie. Simple enough for the less technically inclined members of my family would be good, and a budget of less than $400 USD will cut down the list of candidates... Stafford A. Rau Sadie and Jonesy: [link]/

Is this an English Mastiff or a Bully?

Mustang Sally mentioned what a change it was going from Greyhound coats to Borzoi! I'm not an exhibitor so I get away with a quick groom once a week. A breeder friend told me this one: Get a spray bottle full of water and add a squirt of hair conditioner to it. Use it on the little tangles that otherwise would get pulled out with brushing (or have to be cut). Anyone else in the same boat with some ideas? K.K.

...if you like Golden puppies... [link] (All pups in this litter are spoken for) Kate Storm the FCR Remove spamblock to email, and let me know because this account is heavily filtered.

Our 1 1/2 year old Irish Setter is bolting every chance she gets to see her friends over the hill. When I call, she usually comes back, but when my wife calls, she looks back but keeps going. I know Irish Setters are a happy, headstrong breed, but there must be some effective things to try. Thanks, M.

We are the proud owners of a 11 week old Tricolor male Cavalier KCS. We will be neutering him and in searching the web, the American Association of Veterinary Medicine web site, my breeder and my Vet I am getting disparities in exactly WHEN it is ideal to neuter him. The info I am getting is as early as 8 weeks and as old a 6-12 months. Some data supports benefits in early neutering, others not. There is obviously no HARM in waiting until 6 months but I would like to know what the most recent evidence basedliterature says about early neutering. Anybody who may know this information, Vets, Vet Assistants, Breeders, educated owners...your input is appreciated. Thanks!! Matthew

Did anyone catch Talk of the Nation yesterday? The did a great bit on canine genetics. I was especially interested in the soybean geneticist who wound up studying dog genetics when he found Portuguese Water Dogs are a perfect population for genetics research. no lab animals required! You can hear the show here: [link] if you like. -kelly

has anyone used this for prescription drugs? if so, do you need the prescription already made? how does it work? is it cheaper than the vet

Next week I am going to a friend's litter evaluation by Pat Hastings (Belgian Sheepdog puppies, who will be exactly 8 weeks old at the time of the evals). I am very excited about going, and was curious if any breeders on this group have ever had something like this done. Personally, I don't have an interest in breeding (I have two neutered dogs!), but am really interested in learning more about structure. I think this will be a good learning experience for me, and be helpful in choosing my next puppy in the future. Any good tips on reading material beforehand to help a fairly new person to learning about structure get a better handle on terminology? I have a good handle on much of it, but I want to know what she's talking about! -) I have borrowed a friend's "Puppy Puzzle" video to watch, and have read Ms. Hasting's "Tricks of the Trade" books...and also will probably take along my copy of "Canine Terminology" by Harold Spira. Shelly & The Boys [link]

[link] HB 1895, "The Deeds Not The Breeds Bill," has just passed the Washington House of Representatives by a vote of 91-3. this will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against dog owners because of their dog's breed. this is a major victory! now on to the senate... -kelly

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pix are here: [link] yes, they show a clear bias towards bull breeds and working dogs. what can i say. :-) yes, there are several pictures of an AmStaff in a tutu. she was the breed representative for the "meet the breeds" bull breeds exhibition. and i thought she was adorable. i also took a lot of pictures of service dogs, because i think they're such an incredible bunch of dogs, and i was in awe of their perfect manners. FYI, the poofy service dog is an Irish Water Spaniel, not a Poodle. -kelly

Hi All - I have an AKC 4.5lb female and would like to breed her next month. We would like to find an AKC male who is smaller than 4.5 lbs. Please reply to (Email Removed) if you have a stud.

There is an interesting and rather lengthy article in today's Washington Post (Style section) on the Westminster KC dog show titled 'Whoops, Is That Your Tail? A Day at the Pooch Pageant'. You can kinda tell what the tone of the article is from the title. [link] Suja