Well it not locked Jem!!! I love the NI and as soon as we have a bit more time to spare we will be getting another one (not sure when that will be though!). Sometimes this place can get very one sided about the NI which does drive me up the wall as well. Alot of the threads recently though have been more balanced and helped to highlight some of the problems facing our breed (wolf dog crossing Cry wolf ect).
Just noticed your post Dawn sorry... Dawn I am just so tiered of it all, if anyone asks me for advice I will say what I know about N.I's...other than that I don't see how a chosen few will ever change the fact that wolf look a likes are here to stay, we can only hope that breeders with a concieonce do what is best for what ever type it is that they are breeding. As for not wanting another, I prefer a dog with a brain, my Bullie is so quick to learn and eager with it, I could do so much with her, booking in to start agility with her in April. N.I make great family companions, they are lazy in the way that they like a quiet life, thats the reason I wouldn't want another, I like a dog thats a bit more firey, nothing more sinister than that.
Im sick of it too and you'd think things would of improved wouldnt you by now, but they havent, such a shame.:-( With regards to other breeds, I appreciate your point, you will probably find that you will settle on a breed that suits you, perhaps the Bull Terrier is that breed, the Border is certainly mine.
Cor blimey, you havent met my lot, Moon is a little bit lacking in the brain dept, he loves a good walk but would just as soon curl up with me lol, whereas Tukki is a livewire, he is always on the go, can never sit still and is as sharp as a tack, all my lot are different to each other in so many ways except one, in that their temperaments are second to none, and they are all great with other dogs, and no, thats not anykind of bull sh*t its true. My boys are more loyal than my girls, Inca and Yummy would waltz off with anyone, Freya does her own thing, she's an independant spirit, Murphy is ditzy and always playful, Star is still a baby at 9 months and likes to hang out with her mum. We walk for miles on the bogs, they never ever run further than where they can see me and all have pretty good recall, saying that, they all pull like trains on the lead, except for Rogue and Star. I guess I am pretty lucky with my guys lol.
Oh Ink you must have a very different ebt to ours, our old ebt, sadly at the bridge, was the most stubborn dog we have had the pleasure to have, wouldn't budge unless food was involved. His only intelligence and agility was food motivated. eg. how to get child locks off the freezer, open stair gates, he even used to move the dining chairs so he could reach the food on the back of the cooker. on the other hand our NI are a lot more lively, like Suttys dogs, all very different personalities. Mine all have great temperaments.
The Bull Terriers we board are very stubborn too. Interesting two people who own NI's claim they are all different in temperament. You would imagine they'd all be similar.
Oh yes Toro is stubborn, a lot of Bull terrier owners have problems trying to get them to do anything because when they are puppies they do refuse to walk, we all know if you give in to this then they will get their own way, in Toros case I already knew this was a trait so she is walked as much now as Inka...she is stubborn but will work for food or a ball, she needs a lot of stimulation gets bored very quick but I think bitches are hard work compared to some of the males I have met, they seem more laid back. My 2 N.I's were very similar in that as long as they had a good couple hours walk they were happy to lounge around until it was time to go again, they showed no difference meeting other dogs, always submissive, infact Kain would sometimes do a big circle in an attempt to avoid confrontation, they will take as much excersise as you can chuck at them, mine loved pulling the scooter, but there wasn't much training involved in that they took to it relatively easily...now try doing obedience with them, no chance they just weren't interested
Aw Janie thats a shame, are yours both girls ?, maybe the girls are a bit more defensive ? saying that though Inkas sister is just like Inka.
Can you come and tell Shila that please? She is so switched on and clever its scary to be honest and she would hate the quiet life I cant really comment on Isis as i never really know if her traits are husky, NI or just the fact that she's still got some issues but she does enjoy doing nothing with her day the lazy mare
Dawn, mine all have great temperaments, its their attitudes that differ, meanwhile i have a JRT that thinks she is a guard dog, the line of her hackles goes from the top of her head to the base of her tail, last n ight she was guarding me from a ginger moggy that has taken up residence in my wood pile lol
Oh yes Sutty, Im sure they are good natured, I meant, some are like this and some are like that, if you get what I mean. Whereas say a Border, 9 out of 10 will chase things given the chance, or 10 out of 10 will kill a squeaky toy. It was the differences in their characteristics that stuck out with the NI's. I had a JRT, I know what you mean there!!!
Theres no doubt in my mind that if something small and furry popped up, they would give chase, especially if there were 2 or more there at the time, individually, they would probably chase a moving target too, not to sure what they would do with it if they caught it tho lol, ginger mog is very wise and keeps a low profile when the bigguns are out and about, he likes to taunt jess the Jrt thru the window
A girl and a boy... girl is worse though... i think he just follows her lead.. i`m sure if he was out by himself he wouldn`t be as bad