What makes a breed a 'breed'? Discussions

Yes..Hamsters....Hmmm (or THE hamster..now we're talking!)

Anyway....

Working..means in harness.... pulling something..whether it be for fun or for competition..

Are you brothers springers out 9-5 working??

Dogs that pull that aren't built to pull could be causing problems to their joints in the long run..There are dogs that enjoy it and dogs that please their owners..
How do you know your dogs enjoy it?

No they are not out 9 - 5 working everyday, that would kill them! During the game bird season they work 3 - 4 days a week from about 8 in the morning until dark. Out of season they are still used to pick up pigeons and ducks but not as often. The bitch also has a litter this summer so she will not be working for a while. The rest of the time they live outside in kennels and have to make do with a normal walk.

I don't use my dog for pulling (she is only 10 weeks!) i won't use her on a sled or rig. But if they didn't enjoy it they wouldn't do it. How do you know your dogs enjoy it?

Totally agree. Breeds were bred in a certain way constructionally to be able to cope with the job they had. Many dogs suffer health wise, when this isn't taken into consideration.

Trust me, the noise alone when a Mal sees a harness is enough tell you what they want to do

And before anyone says that all dogs get excited when they see a lead............ MY Mals couldnt give a hoot when the leads come out, but we take them out, put them in the car, take them to whereever we are working them, and as soon as the harnesses come out of the dog box, they are OFF ! A rally is the best BUT loudest place on earth to witness this ;-)

Right...well Sled dogs aren't worked for a ful day neither..so your point is??
How do I know my dogs enjoy it...well the reaction they have when they see their harnesses coming out..and the big smiles on their faces while they are running and coming back in..that tells me they enjoy it

Perhaps then we should put an end to agility - it could be causing problems to the dogs' joints in the long run - all that jumping over heights and distance - what dog is bred for that?

The purple crested, Nik-Nak, Jamaican snozzlehound !

Who is that aimed at?? You really are having an arguement all to yourself aren't you!

Maybe agility should be stopped..who knows the damage it could be doing..BUT they are only using their own weight..NOT pulling someone else or the weight of a rig/sled

You tell me what dog was bred for that..I asked you that before and you said none..

LOL..CONFUSED!

Is that a fancy breed of hamster?

Most should be able to deal with a course developed for that breed, after all, dogs, all fit dogs are able to, or should be able to, walk up and down hills and jump over things about their own height and most should be able to do it for an extended time. True there will be a few breeds that have been bred to have over long coats, over long backs, are unbalanced or overweight may not be able too but there fortunately are not too many like that.

Have you lost the plot or have I?

I don't understand the problem with using an NI to pull a rig or sled if they enjoy it.

People know if they enjoy it for the same reason your dogs enjoy it. No owner would put there dog at risk of illness which is why no one that i know of does this a lot. The construction of the dog is taken into consideration thats why they would never be used to pull loads that the mal or husky could cope with.

The NI is not a sled dog breed and the NIS have never said it is.

My point is, that you imply the only dogs that should pull are those purposely bred to pull, whereas dogs are very versatile and are often capable of doing things they were not specifically bred to do. Therefore I don't see the problem with allowing a non-sled dog to pull IF he showed that he enjoyed it.

The bit about the springers working hours was in response to your question quoted above.

But that doesn't make that dog a "sled dog" or a "Working breed", even though WIKI used to say that it was !

Do you actually read anything I write???
I said.. Mals are BRED & BUILT to pull..NI are not...

They could be doing long term damage to the dogs by doing this..Just because they enjoy doens't mean its good for them

What she said

I think we've already established that Wiki can be unreliable as a source of information.

So, because it's unreliable to those who know, other people won't read it ? :?

I have read everything you have written in this thread. I just disagree with you on this point that's all. It's no big deal.