Choosing the Right Dog > I want a golden retriever is a smaller body. Any suggestions?
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Thu May 23, '13 6:49am PST |  |  |  |  | Have you thought about a Coton de Tulear? They're pretty close to a Golden personality-wise, and I think they're fairly healthy. My friends have one, and many people who aren't "small dog people" love her. She's friendly with everybody, playful, cuddly and eager-to-please. They also don't really shed much at all. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 3 posts. Last posting by ~Emma~ RL1, Thu 10:46 pm
Behavior & Training > Flexi-lead rant
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Tue May 21, '13 5:05pm PST |  |  |  |  | Well, since originally posting, I've been watching carefully and STILL haven't seen anyone using retractable leashes correctly. Instead, I've just seen more of the following:
My neighbor down the block walks his very friendly lab on a flexi. This dog manages to tangle himself around my legs and/or my dog's leash almost every time we meet. Today, they walked past my yard (Lupi and I were sitting outside) and the dog had so much line available, he came all the way up to my front step, laid down and refused to move! His owner was pulling on the leash, trying to get him back, but it's the dog who clearly has power advantage with those types of leashes. It was quite comical, but Webster has also been known to lay down in the middle of the street! I just have no clue why they don't use a normal leash. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 3 posts. Last posting by Jasper, Tue 9:04 pm
Choosing the Right Dog > Choosing an excellent breeder
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Tue May 21, '13 7:18am PST |  |  |  |  | I've just been on the Pandoradox website and the first image that caught my eye was of a dog I've been drooling over, back on the Grandgables site. I looked closer, and sure enough-it was Casanova! Looking a bit further, I found that a number of their dogs are from the Grandgables kennel. So they are just as gorgeous, and much closer to me. But you're right-the emphasis seems to be on showing, not working. Still, I'm excited to hopefully visit this kennel, as they're only a few hours away.
eta: I'm wracking my brain trying to remember where I know Hula, their retired dam, from. I don't forget the faces of Doxies! |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Wiggles, Tue 10:41 am
Choosing the Right Dog > Choosing an excellent breeder

» There has since been 2 posts. Last posting by Wiggles, Tue 10:41 am
Choosing the Right Dog > Choosing an excellent breeder
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Mon May 20, '13 6:44pm PST |  |  |  |  | Thanks guys. I've never looked at breeders before and I'm seeing how easy it is to get sidetracked by sheer beauty. I'm nowhere near that breeder either (I'm in Calgary, Alberta and they're in Ontario) but I'm really coming up with nothing at this end of the country. Still looking at trying to attend an Earthdog practice near me-I'm not sure if anyone can go watch or if you have to be a member. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 4 posts. Last posting by Wiggles, Tue 10:41 am
Choosing the Right Dog > Cavoodles?
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Mon May 20, '13 3:57pm PST |  |  |  |  | Yes, what is the draw of this particular mix? I know someone with this mix and honestly, I prefer the breeds separately. She was told his shedding would be minimal, but he sheds a fair bit. He also has allergies that cause him to constantly have a red and itchy bum. They've changed his diet numerous times and now think it may be an environmental allergy. Anyways, some people think a mixed breed is automatically healthier than a purebred and that just isn't true. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 1 post. Last posting by Jewel, PCD, Tue 9:11 am
Choosing the Right Dog > Choosing an excellent breeder
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Mon May 20, '13 12:19pm PST |  |  |  |  | What do you guys think of Grandgables kennels? They are sort of the opposite of what I was looking for (heavily into show/conformation, as opposed to working) but their dogs are absolutely stunning. I can't quit looking at the photos on their website. Anyone have thoughts on these breeders? What do you think the dogs would be like in terms of function? Agility, earthdog, that type of thing. What about temperament? Is that important to most show breeders? |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 7 posts. Last posting by Wiggles, Tue 10:41 am
Dachshund > Digging Gachshund!
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Mon May 20, '13 8:51am PST |  |  |  |  | It's because he was bred for digging! Dachshunds were originally used as hunters, and the smooth-coated ones specifically for going into burrows to hunt badgers and rabbits. Their claws are excellent for digging out the burrows sufficiently so they can get inside.
Your Doxie is acting on instinct that is a part of his ancestry. You should try letting him find ground squirrels or gopher holes if you have any near you. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 0 posts. Last posting by Lupi, Mon 8:51 am
Choosing the Right Dog > Choosing an excellent breeder
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Sun May 19, '13 9:06am PST |  |  |  |  | Thanks Wiggles. I looked at the site you recommended and I love what they're doing. I'm not a hunter myself, but I do encourage Lupi to follow her instincts with tracking and flushing out gophers and jackrabbits. I would love to do earthdog with my next Doxie.
The only disappointing thing (for me) was that they had no breeders listed who breed smooth Dachshunds. I love the look and temperment of the long haired, but prefer the smooth coat for ease of grooming. I'm going to try and check out some earth dog trials near here. I have a feeling the folks involved in the sport may have more knowledge about the type of Doxie I'm looking for. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 9 posts. Last posting by Wiggles, Tue 10:41 am
Choosing the Right Dog > Choosing an excellent breeder
Lupi
 I\\\'ll do- anything for a- treat! | 
| Barked: Sat May 18, '13 7:27pm PST |  |  |  |  | Thanks guys! I actually recently attended an event with Weiner races, and one dog especially appealed to me. I was kind of thrown when I approached her handler and found out she was purchased from a pet store. Obviously, that's not the route I'll be taking.
I'll have to look into Teckel dogs-I always thought Teckel or Dackel were just the German names for Dachshund. Those dogs definitely sound like what I'm looking for.
I do belong to the Lowriders club in my area, but as I mentioned, I would avoid the breeders most of them come from. A good number seem to be from a nearby breeder that is little more than a puppy mill, as far as I can tell. She doesn't show her dogs, and advertises a ton of puppies on her website that can be purchased with no more info than your credit card number.
I think you guys are right in that I need to focus more on actually meeting breeders/handlers/better examples of the breed in person, rather than focusing on breeder websites. As you said Addy, I'm going to have a relationship with this breeder for decades to come, so there has to be at least a bit of a connection personality-wise. |  |  |  |  |
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» There has since been 11 posts. Last posting by Wiggles, Tue 10:41 amPLEASE NOTE: Due to the rapid nature of forum postings, it's quite possible our calculation of the number of ensuing forum posts may be off by one or two or more at any given moment.