Happiness is ....

Yvsa said:
Kenny said, "That does it!!!! Either that damned dog goes or I go!!!!" I got a kick out of it when his sone Rick was telling us why his dad had to move out from his girlfriend's house.:D ;) ;)
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Ultimatims are always a bad idea in relationships, especially when a girls dog is involved. They think of their dogs as their babies, especially if they're childless.;)
 
Bill Marsh said:
Thought about getting a bulldog, but heard that they were all artificially inseminated and the females had to have C-Section to give birth because their hips are too narrow. Don't know if this is true or just an urban legend.
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If you're talking about English Bulldogs, it can get a lot worse. They are so overbred that you have to help Mr. Bulldog on his approach to Mrs. Bulldog on their "wedding night". Some of the other bulldog breeds, the Olde English Bulldoggee, American bulldog, Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, etc., were bred largely to overcome the limitations of the genetically challenged English Bulldog.;)
 
Love RRs, but never had one. I see that you have a history with dogs with high prey drives, so this dog should be right at home with you. One of my current hell hounds is a pit/boxer mix. Too smart for his own good, incredible with my kids and the neighbor kids. I agree with neutering dogs later, as it does make a difference in their physical and mental development. Just keep them from fathering babies in the mean time.:o

Andy, I have had one purebred boxer, one 3/4 boxer, and now this 1/2 boxer. They are fun dogs, have a real goofy outlook on life and keep it way into adulthood. Be cautious when you get one, though, as health problems are common. Too droopy of eyes, hips dysplasia, colitis, and heart problems are just some of them. Find a reputable breeder, and this doesn't always mean a show breeder. Health and temperament should come first (although looks are good too). You mentioned giant schnauzer, they are cool dogs, but their temperament is quite a bit sharper than a boxers'. They can be pig headed and very dominant. My friend is a professional protection dog trainer, and he said that they can be handler aggessive as well. Not trying to discourage you, just hoping that you research before getting choosing. Both eyes open and what not :)
Everyone have fun with your new puppies!
 
Kismet said:
Sam Spade referred to the Maltese Falcon as a "dingus."


Celebrity name!
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Wasn't there also a movie called "Dirty Dingus Magee", or something like that. All I can remember is the title. Looks like I may have come up with a "show" dog name afterall.:o
 
bwray said:
Another RR trait you have to watch out for is that they are world class "counter surfers". Leave any food out on the counter and you can color it gone.:(
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I have a friend w/ two RRs who made the mistake of leaving a 6-foot meatball sub unattended on a counter. It was for her husband's surprise birthday party. Guess who enjoyed the party the most?

They're a great breed, although I'm partial to large, wirey terriers myself - like the Airedale (which I own), Kerry Blue, and Irish.
 
DRM said:
I have a friend w/ two RRs who made the mistake of leaving a 6-foot meatball sub unattended on a counter. It was for her husband's surprise birthday party. Guess who enjoyed the party the most?

They're a great breed, although I'm partial to large, wirey terriers myself - like the Airedale (which I own), Kerry Blue, and Irish.
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I like the Airedales too and had a good one a while back. Only reason I didn't get another one is the high maintenance coat. Have to do a lot of grooming in order just to have the dog look like an Airedale. Hand stripping, in particular, is really onerous to me, though it does yield a fine appearance. An associated problem is the voluminous shedding. I guess all dogs have their pluses and minuses and we people have different preferences and tolerances. That's why AKC lists so many breeds.:)
 
If you look at old photos of airedales (100+ yrs) many had a much sparser coat than today. This is common to almost every sporting dog that the AKC and other show clubs have taken over. This is one reason most working terrier men want NOTHING to do with the AKC or its standards. Look at the American Staffordishire, it has IDENTICAL roots to the APBT; many are still dual registered. An old school APBT has a head like a brick, not as bully as most Staffies, and their rump is higher than their shoulder. Most Staffies have a flat back or one that slopes from shoulder to rump; definitely wrong from a performance standpoint.
 
stevomiller said:
If you look at old photos of airedales (100+ yrs) many had a much sparser coat than today. This is common to almost every sporting dog that the AKC and other show clubs have taken over. This is one reason most working terrier men want NOTHING to do with the AKC or its standards. Look at the American Staffordishire, it has IDENTICAL roots to the APBT; many are still dual registered. An old school APBT has a head like a brick, not as bully as most Staffies, and their rump is higher than their shoulder. Most Staffies have a flat back or one that slopes from shoulder to rump; definitely wrong from a performance standpoint.
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Excellent point to bring up. I personally think that the ill conceived breeding of some varieties constitutes little more than animal abuse. When you deliberately breed an animal that can't mate, can't naturally birth puppies, can't breath well, can't maintain proper body temperature, and is set up for eye trouble because of lower lids that that gape away from the eye, and all of this in the name of "cuteness", you are not acting in the best interests of the breed or of the individual dogs that comprise it. The pathetic English Bulldog is the best example of this type of abuse.

P.S. When I began looking for an RR I found that all the breeders were women, and learned that many of them will not permit hunting with their dogs. Seriously, they actually put a "no hunting" clause in the puppy contract. I can understand why some would object, for example, to boar hunting, in which a high percentage of dogs get torn up, but rabbits and squirrels? Some also did not want their RR exposed to the presense of mountain lions where I live. We have a large population of mountain lions, and, during droughts, they are frequently spotted FOLLOWING JOGGERS. We have had numerous incidents. So, as an avid hiker, I wanted a large dog that would avoid engaging but hold his ground in the event of a chance encounter. That is what RRs were bred to do on a lion hunt. (Still, I have a CCW permit and carry a Kahr PM40 in the woods at all times just in case. I carry concealed only because some hikers I encounter are upset by the sight of a gun on the trail.) A small dog, especially an insecure one, is worse than no dog at all because it stimulates predation instincts on the part of the big cat.
 
Hey anybody raised a chinese sha pei before ? From what I know it's a breed of doggie with an attitude and character. :)
 
Yvsa said:
With four Airedales hand stripping was out of the question so I kept them in trim with clippers and scissors. They were still pretty wirey.:thumbup: :D ;)
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FOUR AIREDALES? You're a better man than I Yvsa, one was enough to run me ragged.:D :)
 
Astrodada said:
Hey anybody raised a chinese sha pei before ? From what I know it's a breed of doggie with an attitude and character. :)
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I seriously considered a Shar-pei. However, they are generally unhealthy due to misbreeding. There are breeders working hard to overcome this stigma. Therefore, find such a breeder!
 
bwray said:
I like the Airedales too and had a good one a while back. Only reason I didn't get another one is the high maintenance coat. Have to do a lot of grooming in order just to have the dog look like an Airedale. Hand stripping, in particular, is really onerous to me, though it does yield a fine appearance. An associated problem is the voluminous shedding. I guess all dogs have their pluses and minuses and we people have different preferences and tolerances. That's why AKC lists so many breeds.:)
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Are you kidding? My Airedale requires grooming only 3-4 times a year and shedding is almost non-existent.:confused:

Furthermore, he's a fabulous watchdog, protective, and a real clown too!
 
I love terriers in general, but I guess that you either love them or hate them. I don't think that their personality allows fence straddlers!;) One of my friends had a gianormous male airedale that was about 28" at the shoulder and 90lbs of muscle. His muzzle reminded me of an alligators.

Neighbors had 3 sharpeis, one is a devil dog, one died of a heart attack at 5, and they all had bad skin allergies. (none are relatives). One had turned in eyelids that needed corrective surgery. Not my cup of tea, thank you.

Bill, I was looking to get a RR a few years back and ran into the same thing that you did. Hunt pigs? No, I won't sell you a pup, and I will tell all my friends not to sell you a pup. WTH. The developers of this breed would roll over in their graves if they knew this I am sure.
 
DRM said:
Are you kidding? My Airedale requires grooming only 3-4 times a year and shedding is almost non-existent.:confused:

Furthermore, he's a fabulous watchdog, protective, and a real clown too!
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Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Airedales and appreciate them for all the traits you mention.:thumbup: I'm just a lazy, low-maintenance sort of guy who would rather not have to do ANY grooming. So the APBT (which is a terrier) was my first choice for an alternate breed, then the RR for similar reasons. If anyone ever bred a shortcoated Airedale (like the smooth fox terrier) I would be the first in line to get one, even though it might look kinda funny.:D :)

To me the most remarkable thing about an Airedale is that they have a zest for life that is unmatched in the dog world.:thumbup:
 
stevomiller said:
Bill, I was looking to get a RR a few years back and ran into the same thing that you did. Hunt pigs? No, I won't sell you a pup, and I will tell all my friends not to sell you a pup. WTH. The developers of this breed would roll over in their graves if they knew this I am sure.
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You got it. I almost got banned from the "RR buyers group" at the same time I was flirting with being banned from the forum. All I did was mention that I would like to take the dog predator hunting to watch my back when I was calling. (Last year we had a large mountain lion jump on the back of a guy calling turkeys.) I know Airedales perform this function routinely. But all of a sudden a lot of RR breeders dropped me like a hot potatoe. Guess I should have said I just wanted a companion for my wife's dog Poopsie.:D ;)
 
stevomiller said:
bwray said:
If anyone ever bred a shortcoated Airedale (like the smooth fox terrier) I would be the first in line to get one, even though it might look kinda funny.:D :)
Looky here http://www.mogollonrimairedales.com/our_dogs.html

There are a few folks breeding these. Ask and ye shall recieve!:D
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Daayum Stevo, I had no idea such a thing existed. Not only are these dogs not funny looking, they're quite attractive. My mind is racing on whether or not I could justify getting two new puppies. My wife and I have a "one puppy each" agreement, one male and one female. Maybe I could convince her to make her next dog a smooth Airedale bitch. Then again, maybe not because she is really hooked on Bassets. Like I said, "my mind is racing".

In any case, thanks loads for digging out this website. I love the dog I got, but maybe he will need a "companion" at some point. If one dog is good, two dogs are better? Who knows, there may yet be a smooth Airedale in my future.:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
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