Posted on 01/09/2003 2:47:46 PM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A golden eagle made a meal of a dachshund hunting dog in Sweden after experts warned the cold spell sweeping northern Europe was forcing hungry birds of prey closer to towns and cities.
The dog was taking part in a rabbit hunt in Halland, southwestern Sweden, when it became the prey, local radio news reported on Wednesday.
Owner Valdemar Nilsson will replace the animal at the government's expense -- under Swedish law, the government compensates losses of cattle and dogs caused by bears, wolves, wolverines, lynx and eagles.
Any insight you might have on the puppy selection process would be greatly appreciated, Mom.
Anybody watch that program? The jumping dog competition is the only reason I watch.
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Less than a year ago, Mike Jackson and his black Labrador retriever Little Morgan were thinking only about hunting ducks, pheasants and grouse. The ESPN Great Outdoor Games Big Air competition wasn't a part of their game plan.
That plan changed dramatically Saturday when Little Morgan blew away the field with a world record jump of 26 feet, 6 inches in a gold medal Big Air performance.
BTW: This year's outdoor games are coming out west. To Lake Tahoe/Reno , July 10-13, 2003
You're kidding! Really?!? Any chance you could find that story? I'd love to read it.
Wow!!!
No, he knows exactly what he is, a Badger Hound, is quite proud of it apparently. Good for him.
I'll tell you what I learned while I was selecting this puppy . . . for what it's worth.
No. 1 is Meet the Parents. While puppies are always sort of imponderable, you can get a pretty good fix on what you're likely to get by meeting the parents. Not only size but energy level, temperament, etc. We did not meet the mother (the pups were already weaned and the mom was back doing her field trial stuff) but were very impressed with this pup's sire (and two of the grandparents!) because they were VERY laid back and affectionate Labs. The dad, a working stud dog, was a sweet pussycat who was happy to let the other dogs steal his bone while he came over to talk to us. I was in love with the grandmother dog and wanted to take her home - just a calm, steady, friendly girl who spent most of her time sitting in my daughter's lap and smiling. (All this breeder's Labs are the rather small English type - really too big for lap dogs but they won't squash you. My girl is fully grown at 21 1/2 inches and 45 pounds.)
There's a fairly standard testing routine you can go through to gauge the pup's boldness, calmness, friendliness, etc. There's an entire book on puppy selection written by the monks of New Skete (who breed and train German Shepherds, but the principles are the same). Essentially you WATCH them once they have begun to develop independent personalities and place them in situations where they react in ways that show their temperament. For example, pick them up and hold them on their backs in the crook of your arm. If they struggle relentlessly to get free, it's a very strong willed pup and may be difficult to train. If they just collapse and go saggy, they're very submissive and may not have enough independence to be a good hunting dog. If they struggle briefly but then submit in an alert fashion, you have a reasonably assertive but intelligent dog. Another example is to toss your car keys (or some other noisy item) about six feet from the pups and see how they react. Some will run to Mama and hide, some will pounce, some will react with interest and then investigate (that's the one you want). There are lots of other tests you can do, they are all detailed in the book.
It's very important to talk to the breeder and explain what sort of pup you want. He or she lives with the pups on a daily basis and has a better line on their personalities than you can with just an hour or so of observing. And of course it goes without saying that the kennel should be clean and sweet, all the dogs bright eyed and alert with good shiny coats, no discharge from nose or eyes, clean teeth, etc. Ask for references and ask about show or trial experience. Labs should have hips and eyes certified free from congenital defects. I bred and showed Siamese cats for 12 years, so I have always preferred to deal with the professional breeder who is active on a show or competition circuit.
With all this said, I went to this breeder looking for a quiet black female and came home with this kangaroo of a Chocolate. I had my eye on two black females and was trying to decide between them, but this girl had other ideas. She kept following us around and especially loving on my two children, licking their hands and knees and sitting on their feet. Whenever another pup would come over to investigate, she would place herself between them and my kids, as much as if to say, "NO! MINE!" She was much more active and curious than the other pups, but she was not aggressive or unfriendly. Ultimately I decided that although I knew she would be a handful to train, she had chosen me and more particularly my kids, and a dog that picks YOU is worth twice as much as a dog that you pick.
This assessment turned out to be 100 percent correct. She is a VERY active girl with tons of energy, but as long as we direct that energy with lots of agility practice, long runs, and fetching stuff, she's fine. I'm willing to put up with all the exercise (hey, I need it!) because she is an affectionate and loyal companion.
And we're about the meanest, most vindictive things on the planet. Ask the European wolves...oh you can't, there aren't any anymore. (Sort of like Arabs in the Star Trek universe. :) )
lol...
Birth of Tha SYNDICATE, the philosophical heir to William Lloyd Garrison.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.
And they hardly shed.
Apparently, a Swedish eagle is fond of them, too.
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