All good advice I have rescued a few dogs in my life, but Skeeta came by no wish of mine.
She , we are told was mini foxy, well just maybe it was Tenterfield terrier?
My age and job say my dog, should be a house one , who likes the car, and long trips.
Likes putting her head out the window and saying Gday to workers walking by.
Pure breed? yes if I can find her price? who cares,mates are worth it.
Back to the intent of thread, we are a weak bunch us humans sometimes aren't we?
Tiny little pups with a use by date, waiting sale or death!
No micro chip, law says they must but none there.
Cross breeds that make the dogs whole life a risk.
To avoid that we should pay ten times the price for a well breed and treated best mate.
I never had a dog working or not that was not my mate.
Sky , my new mate is out there some where waiting for me.

Yes sharkfin, nice to have a conversation about something that many of us have in common, despite ideological differences :)

Thanks Belly - and good luck in your search.

I only adopt from shelters, both on principle and for the hound's health.

Pedigrees are achieved through inbreeding, which creates genetic deficiencies which leave some dogs susceptible to disease and degenerative conditions.

Crossbreeds have at least some chance of receiving alternative alleles to compensate.

Bully, What do you mean when you say: "Cross breeds that make the dogs whole life a risk?"

The pound in my regional area picks up 100 stray dogs a month - pedigrees, bitzers the whole lot! Most are euthanased. The local pound is the dog's vision of hell!

And yet residents continue to support the pet shop industry by buying a dog they can show off as a status symbol.

What a shameful, callous lot we are!

Belly,

Surely you know better than to look for a dog just like the old one. No such thing. That's like having another child because you like the one you have so much that you want another just like it.

I'm with dickie on this. Go to the pound and do some poor mutt the biggest favour of its life. Unlike a pet shop the staff will let you take all the time you need to get to know the creature a bit before you take it home.

There's also the foster system, where you commit to looking after a dog until a home is found. An awful lot of dog owners own dogs they meant to foster, but couldn't give up.

Keep trying Belly.. I'm sure you will find a new dog soon.

Sharkfin..speaking of dacshunds there was a doco about this animal shelter in South Africa.. and it has lions, monkeys, dogs, and hyena's.. the naughty little Dacshund tried to hump a medium sized lioness laying down :) Hilarious.