What would you have like to known about your breed?

Hmmm, good question.  I think the most important thing about my breed at least is to GET OUT AND SEE THE DOGS!  I've learned that no matter what any web site says, I've learned far more just WATCHING the dogs show and work.  I've seen a dog on a web site that looks amazing and I'm drooling and then I watch his bite work and wrinkle my face.  Then I see a picture online of another dog that I would easily pass up just based on the photo because he is not what I care for as far as color and pigment but then I see the dog *move* in front of my own eyes and I'm sold.  I think too many people have this notion that since their dog is "just" going to be a "pet", they can't go to shows or won't know what to do, etc. and that is NOT true.  People who truly love and care for their breed are always willing to take someone aside and answer their questions, even in general not just promoting their dogs.  I will point out the faults of my own dogs to anyone who asks.  I wish more people would come out to shows and trials and just have fun, either watching or getting into it with their dogs.  Some of the club and show sites are outdated and disorganized so I've had a lot of trouble getting accurate information on upcoming events and I already know what I'm looking for.  So maybe on your site be sure to include all the upcoming RR events in your area and encourage people to attend.

I'm working on my own site for GSD and dog enthusiasts in the area.  I don't breed but I'm including recommendations for area trainers, articles about selecting breeders, and now need to finish the page with info about the different sports and activities you can do with your dog and how to find these events.

http://vankelderdogs.dutchbingo.net

I think this goes in "Breeds" but I'll answer anyway!

I guess 'my' breed would be the lovely, athletic, energetic, Border Collie!

When I got Tucker, all I knew was 'border collies are the worlds smartest breed of dog, there hyper, bred in scotland, and bred to herd sheep..they also make excelent flyball/frisbee dogs." basicly, I went into the great world of BC's blind. I WISH my Dad had done more research, and INCLUDED me in this research, taken me to MEET these dogs, spend TIME with them - not just pick a smart, energy-filled breed of dog to get the kid out of the house. I WISH that had happened, it didnt....so, my Border Collie experience is a heck of a lot different then most(or, the way I got into the breed). I wish I could find a website with ALL the colors of BC's, all the sports and activities, all the information one might need before going into this breed, all the medical issues, medical remidies, natural/homeopathic 'cures'.

As for the natural remidies - I have you guys and Callie now! LOL!

Good luck putting all that into RR's for your site!

BTW - I'd love to learn something new about those beautiful dogs!!!

I cant wait to see your new site, Bonita! Sounds like you have alot of great info there, already.

Things I want to know about my breed(Labradors) are;

What did the foundation stock look like?

What other breeds are related to this one?

What are some trends the breed has taken over the years since it was developed?

Who founded the breed?

When was this breed first introduced to our country?

What can I expect from this breed in the future?

What should I look out for in a breeder of RRs?

 

Yep I was not sure where to put it either !! considering it is about dogs, all breeds, about buying them, about research, about the goofy stuff that we often hear, about out right lies like the breeder who assures the buyer of a ridgeless "don't worry the ridge will come in later "  , it is about dog websites, about what each of us foudn when looking into the breed of choice ....

I think the idea of having an events calendar is a great one! and I like the idea of having a page not simply about showing but encouraging folks to go to shows. They are so much more than just competitions.  Maybe pointing out the vendors, sports, activities or talking about the giant shows like Houston where it is an entirely different world ?? Maybe I could put my list of both dog show supers in it along with a list of the different catalogs I am addicted to??

The concept of needing to see a dog move is so simple it is truly brilliant, THAT is the type of thing that when you have been in a breed a long time you just "do",  and since this is about helping new comers That is the type of thing I need pointed out.

This is a monster site but hey why do it half way??  By breaking things down they do not have to linger on any given page. They can browse to their heart's content.  And due to the generosity of the RR comunity world wide I have some amazing photos and a ton for future pages, medical issues etc  oooh ooh I need a page about the at home medical kit we all should have !!  And you should see some of the photos I have been sent, just got some non RR ones because the sender and I began chatting she bred some awesome Chinese Crested and when lending a bitch to another breeder as a wet nurse got her back bred to a champion pug ! the pups are tooo darn cute, I know OT but stilll you have to see this baby for real!

come on guys what did you learn after you got the dog?? Anything about color, build, needs etc that the "Breeder" should have told you up front?

hee hee this is like crack I am addicted and can't stop myself!!

Bonita of Bwana

Since I consider Dobes "my" breed, I'll respond about them.  I was prepared for a high energy, intelligent, velcro dog, but not to the degree that I got. 

I would have loved for someone to have been brutally honest with me, & warned me that I was going to have a dog who would be willing to run around like a madman all day, & most of the night.  I would have loved to have known that if I wanted a dog with an "off" switch, so to speak, then I was going to have to teach him how to relax because he would not be capable of relaxing on his own. 

Instead of calling the breed intelligent, they should be described as frighteningly smart, & always ready to try to outsmart their owner. 

People's description of a velcro dog varies, but a simple "you will never pee alone again" would be a very accurate description of a Dobe's velcro-ness!

All of this said, while more candid descriptions would have been nice, it really wouldn't have changed my mind about this breed.

 Bonita, I can't wait to see the website.  I'm sure that it will be great!

BEVOLASVEGAS

"you will never pee alone again"

And for BC's too!!

I'd love for someone to had told me that an electric, cattle strength fence, would NOT keep a male BC in.... LOL!

 something that always bothered me was breeds labeled as "For experienced owners only"

 i mean if you have owned pugs your whole life and suddenly want to upgrade to an American Bulldog or Doberman(also my fave, cant decide which i like most!) then there should be some way to help a novice. list ways that they can become acclimated with their new favourite breed besides "Baptism by fire". and you have to do more than just go to a dog show or talk to a breeder. most dog shows are AKC and Ambulls are not AKC dogs. you MIGHT find a local UKC but a lot of people probably dont know how to go about looking them. and you'll likely get two different kinds of breeders... ones who just want to sell you a puppy or ones who want you to have experience first. Lets talk to some owners, eh?

i think a list of guidelines on how to become experienced - along with dog shows and breeders and books- should be in there, if it isnt already.  whether you want an Irish Wolfhound or Jack Russell Terrier...you need to have a way of talking to an actual human being who owns one or two of your breed of choice on a down to earth level.....

it was because i had "experience" with Ambulls when i was a kid, and read a couple of websites on the internet, i considered myself worthy of owning them! however I didnt know just how quirky they could be until i had one snarling my trespassing reletives into a corner while i was asleep. i knew they were "good guard dogs" but i didnt know they would take up the job the day of coming home! i didnt know just how serious this breed could get when an aggressive stranger made prolonged eye contact. good thing i have an interest in Security Canines! but not every Bulldog/Doberman owner does!

I learned things the hard way and am experienced now as a result...... experienced enough to have three bulldogs :D and confident enough to help people who might be considering bringing one into their house. sadly i had no one when i started out. just a very patient dog willing to please. not everyone is so lucky! that's obvious by the amount of bullies in the pound.

 

DD has made a good point, I think. I've been trying to work my way up to a harder spitz breed, but I don't think there really is a way to do that. I got a Finnish Lapphund thinking it might kind of ease me into it but he's still a herder and as easy as pie.

WRT to op, I had a hard time of it with the lapphunds as there are only about 150 in the whole country and most of them are in Victoria and Queensland, which mean a good 10 hour drive if I wanted to check out a few lappies. In the end, I just talked to some breeders and met my breeder's 3 dogs. The breed is still new in this country and even the breeders are still very much learning. I've since chatted to one or two that are a wealth of knowledge on the breed and wish I had found them earlier.

A couple of things I wish I'd known was that my lapphund was likely to have quite a weird obsession with birds and some more about coat care. I didn't realise how much maintenance the coat would take in this first year or so and how important it was to brush and comb regularly. No one warned me it would be crazy while it was growing in properly and how long that might take. No one told me I would spend a lot of my summer combing grass seeds and burrs out of his coat!

I often find it hard to believe breeders because they are so keen to sell their breed to you. Not because they want to make money so much but because they are so sold on them in the first place. I recently spoke to a Basenji breeder that I found extremely helpful and trustworthy. She was honest about the breed and what kind of home it was suited to and told me she wouldn't place just any Basenji pup with me but would pick me one she thought would do well in our situation. One of the Lapphund breeders I spoke to also said she could pick me one that would do better with our older dog. That kind of thing makes me relax a fair bit and really trust what the breeder says. I KNOW I have some special requirements in a dog, and it's great to hear a breeder acknowledge that and confidently say they know what they're doing enough to pick an individual that will suit us best.  

All of my guys are pretty much as advertised. :P I would say, the BEST thing I can advise for prospective owners of a breed is to join as MANY mailing lists as they can. The ones for pet owners, the ones for breeders, the ones for fanciers. You can lurk- you don't have to post- but see what people are saying about their dogs. Learn the problems that come up over and over again. See what is going on healthwise and temperament wise with dogs that come into rescue. See what age dogs are dying at, and what from.

 With the collies, I honestly think the grooming was OVERemphasized. Yes, they take grooming- a dog with poor coat texture (and most spayed bitches have softer coat that can be harder to brush out) is going to take you an hour or so a week. But as long as you keep an eye (and conditioner!) on it, it's really NOT any worse than say, an Aussie from show lines! I *do* wish I'd learned how to linebrush a dog from the beginning (I did on a smaller dog, but some of it didn't translate well. I'm still figuring out how to get Kaylee TOTALLY conditioned with one single bath, I inevitably miss bits. Thank god for leave-in conditioner, even if it DOES smell different.)

With the corgis, I don't really remember- I think I was pretty well prepared, since I'd joined Corgi-L. If someone was interested in corgis, that's the first thing I would tell them to do- join Corgi-L and pick up a copy of Everything Corgi from amazon- that pretty much gets you ready. I was a little surprised by how MUCH variation there is in the breed(s), though- they really do run the gamut from intense little sport dogs to couch potatoes.

With the spitz - I can't say anything isn't pretty much like I expected.  I think Lizzie is more willing to work with me and more handler-oriented than some breeders warned me to expect, but I'm not sure that that isn't a combination of a really awesome dog and the CU/building blocks for performance methods I used when she was a puppy.

When I first started Researching Boxers it would have been so so nice to know that are different versions of hyperness out there- my female is a couch potato until someone walks through the door, my male- is so over the top with the hyperness- he has to run everywhere he goes- one time when he was running into the house he forgot to turn and go up the stairs and crashed into the concrete wall- then got up and went to run up the stairs and crashed and actually went through the wall. Everything could have clearly told me that i will be making repairs on the house everytime i turn around. Also the coat in a Boxer can be different- my female is super short- and not very soft- when i play with her it makes my skin itchy. My male on the other hand has a lil bit longer coat which is a whole lot softer. I found in the research that i did that they are prone to certain illness and ALOT of other stuff but it never really specified that I would really basically live at the vet and might as well take a cot to sleep on. I thought that it was just something that could happen- like in medicines- if you take you might get this or that- it would have been nice to know that Boxers really do have a lot of issues. i read everywhere that Not cropping the ears would help with the ear infection because the ear laying down would shield the inside so to say- but clearly that is not the case- my female is uncropped and i think she might go one month with out having an infection- my male he has never had one because  athena acts like his mom and cleans his ears all day everday.

Good luck with your site!!

Hmmm, I think Shih Tzus and Chihuahuas are pretty well represented in descriptions that I've read. Just my input on those two breeds.

When doing research on my breed I found it very difficult to find information / experiences / opinions on what it is like to own an Aussie as a family dog. Most of the web sites were breeders, show dogs, agility dogs, herders etc. I wanted to hear from John & Jane Doe, regular folk who owned the breed and what the up and downsides were.  How much they exercised their dog. How much time they spent grooming. How much they spent on vet bills. Easy things to train. Difficult things to trains. Quirks of the breed. Things like that.

As for breeder's websites I always like the ones that show dogs they have sold as adults. My breeder recently added a testimonial page with pics and stories of her dogs with their new families. 

 I wish I had known how stubborn labs can be.  it would not have changed whether or not we got one, but I would have been a bit more prepared.  There are times when Jack can be to most hard headed and single minded creature on earth.  I was also surprised how into people he was.  I knew labs were dogs that wanted to be with their families, but not to the extent that Jack does--he is *always* in my face and *always* wants to know what is going on....

I have a minpin and 2 bichons. The bichons personalities and mine are perfect. No issues with them there, love the grooming and the hair and happy personalities. On the other hand.... I wish I had known how HARD it is to house train minpins. I don't think it's so much as a house training issue as it is terrier-male-marking. He is very dominant, both to humans and other dogs, especially males (and look out if they're intact!). I wish I had known that they really need a lot of mental stimulation and exercise. I wish I had known that he would bark so much and so loudly that he nearly got us evicted from our first apartment and fired from a job (I was a bather for a groomer). They are definitely not for the 'first dog' person. Wish I had known that!! Now, I love him, he's funny, smart and sweet, never forgets a friend or a trick! But stubborn and dominant and MARKS all the time (wears a belly band). Even at age 13 he's still full of energy, barks way too much even with a mile or more walk darn near every day.