Recent content by kassa

I think in some countries seals are called silkies, and so perhaps a seal (black) brindle could be called a silk, but that's a stretch. I was surprised at last week's Regional that the super dark brindles have made a comeback again. (NOT talking about solid black dogs, just the depth of the...

The only thing I could guess at is a little pit bull, but really, if the pup is a year or less, chances are it's just a combination of an extra long muzzle and gawkiness from the age. He has the essential black mask and that's generally one of the first things to disappear in a mix.

If you got the pup through a pet store, chances are it came from a puppy mill, and the breeder would be registered as a USDA broker. It's kind of a maze, but if you go to the USDA website you may find your breeder listed as a licensed dealer or breeder - generally not a good sign...

Ages ago (back in the dawn of the modern breed in the 20s-30s in Germany), good quality brindles were hard to come by, and I know there were definitely structural differences (?weak toplines, I think?) that were more common to brindles than fawns, but that was probably due to being so close to...

Drooling's more of an issue if the dog's bite is off, but "tugging the lips" is a new one on me! If it did anything, it sounds like it would do the OPPOSITE, i.e. make it easier for the saliva to run OUT! That said, I've been known to play with the flews!

I'd definitely see a cardiologist and get a precise diagnosis. Sotalol does NOT prolong life. It usually will decrease the number of arrhythmias, and if the arrhythmias are causing fainting, that's a plus for quality of life, and reason enough to take it. However, there's no proof in...

I think he's a very attractive dog and have no reason to think he's anything but purebred boxer (couldn't really see his body but the long muzzle and the very light color mask are two traits that crop up when you're not consistently breeding for type - the muzzle is a very hard thing to keep...

I've never seen them used on boxers except really old dogs who were incontinent, so they could continue to have full run of the house without having to keep them off furniture, etc. It does seem more common with smaller dogs, however. That said, my friends with stud dogs have them living in...

It might be worth talking to an experienced handler (or jr handler) for some tips. Has your daughter gone to handling class? If what you mean by "skittish" is that he moves his leg as soon as it's put in position, it's perfectly natural for a dog to resist this, especially if it's not done...

Yes, mascara on the muzzle is a real no-no. My Mamie has the most jet black/ink black mask I've ever seen, and I've heard ringside comments about how it can't "real." (Just peek inside her flews - those spots are pretty black too, folks!) Depth of color is something that many lines have...

Sounds fishy to me -- you don't "sell" papers if you take breeding dogs as seriously as you should, so you were dealing with a back yard breeder. My guess is, based on that, that even if you got the papers, they wouldn't prove much. The only use really of a pedigree is to tell you the family...

Guess all the poor and hungry are taken care of in their community, huh?

Most veterinary schools now recommend a 3 year cycle for most vaccines (but admit that immunity lasts longer than 3 years). Rabies vaccine rates are determined state by state, so you don't have much leeway there. In my state it's 3 years, but in many with severe rabies problems it's 1 year...

If those don't end the tremors, I've heard multiple times over the years that dogs started on thyroid meds (because of diagnosed thyroid problems) ceased having the head tremors that they'd had. Now whether it's an indicator of some kind of subclinical thyroid problem, I don't know, but it...

Last time I was switching (off Wellness) I looked into Merrick. The place where I buy my food also has a boarding kennel and she said most of the dogs wouldn't touch the Merrick kibble (she agrees that they all love the canned Merrick). She said Artemis is popular with most dogs and mine like...