I directed a gent to the guest post so that he could get some advice on what kind of dog would suit his family.  He had been intouch with breeders and owners of the breeds he liked and I thought it would be helpful if he could ask for futher advice from you guys.  It was clear that he had done his research and liked the look of a very early Bearded Collie, some working dogs look very much like this today (not suggesting he should have a working Beardie as boy are they hard work).  He went on to talk to people to find out about temprament and behaviour before coming to Champ Dogs, another point in his favour, but then something got lost in the translation and it was no longer about choosing a pet but about showing how much more one of us might know than another.

I know it is difficult not to get emotionaly involved with a thread such as this but I am sure he did not mean for it to be a competition between us to find out who knew most about grooming.

I havent posted very often and I wont be posting again.  I will be keeping an eye open for the interesting threads though, just to see how things are going.

Good luck everyone with your dogs

from a relative new person in Beardies (only 25yrs)

Got me intrigued now as I don;t remeber this post or maybe stopped reading once it got breed specific????

Page 2 visitor post last entry -  What breed is best for us.  I dont think he will be back

I went to the post and there are no replies so I don't understand?
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=69016#fnp

http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=69017#fnp

I'ts up to you if you think the thread went off track but it seems to me it raised relevent points about choosing a coated breed and then perhaps altering it to the point where it did not resemble the breed chosen or possibly fail to provide adequate weather protection.  I think it was also worth trying to correct the idea, that your friend seemed to have, that lurchers where generally of a ridgeback/smoothhaired type because he had found one on a web site when in fact they are very commonly of a rough haired type and he was perhaps missing the opportunity to explore that possibility.  It seems you felt this information was not sought but by posting on an information exchange I'm afraid there is always the danger you might be informed of more that you set out to seek

Yes I couldn't see what was wrong with the information given either, surely the more information the better, I can't see why the guest should be offended by what was said at all

Well, one of the beauties of the Internet, and world-wide web is tht if you find a site, and then find you don't like it - you don't have to come back to it!   There are so many other sites that I'm sure you'll find one to suit you - its not as if it has to be "one size fits all".

Hope you do find one which, to you, is as good as Champdogs is to we Champdog Addicts :D

Margot

Good morning Lokis Mum,  yes you are right we have freedom of choice and it is my choice to withdraw from Champ dogs as I have nothing of any value to give.  I shall be going away to do more homework - currenlty studying toward a degree and then I may be in a better position to understand my chosed breed of 25 years.

Good luck with your dogs they are all wonderful (I just had a nice win at Crufts which made me realise that it is possible I know a bit more than I think I do)

Can't see why anyone would take anything in that thread the wrong way gave plenty of food for thought.

I have to admit I am with the majority here not understanding why someone would choose a long coated dog and then cut it so it looks nothing like what they were attracted to, there are plenty of coated dogs that aren't long coated and given to tangling.

My own breed only needs weekly brushing and daily combing when moulting.  Mid length GSD coats are nice as are Goldens though they require a bit more work with feathers.

just to clarify. I dont know the gent he isnt my 'friend', I am just one of the people he approached before coming to Champ Dogs.  He had arranged to visit other breeders before me and was doing what he thought was best. None of my ideas are his I simply wanted him to have the best advice possible.

I dont think he was even contemplating altering the breed to suit his design, he just wanted to know the reasons why it was not the thing to do. 

It's a shame you've decided CD is not for you - you've got a wealth of experience there, and we have so many youngsters coming on here asking quetions, that it's important to give them as much informtion as possible!

Margot

Very kind of you to say so but I am only a beginer in the field of canine care it takes a lifetime to learn it all and then something new presents itself.  I am quite old now and still need to learn - my chosen subject Wolf Conservation.  Now before that sparks a debate, I do not advocate breeding wolves with dogs, I am a responsible breeder and the two should remain separate.

I intend to offer the guest who's post started this the chance to meet Beardies in person and the Tibetan someone else suggested might be good for him also a firm favourite with me.  I had suggested to him that the Tibetan would be a good scruffy dog choice - hope mine doesnt look scruffy in the ring though.

There are a few people around here who may be able to show him a Lurcher type as well.  The only other dog I could show him would be a Husky, my neighbour has one,  a joy to own but not for a child to walk or look after.  Hopefully there may be some other people out there who can introduce his little boy to the family pet in an effort to identify the best choice for him.

For the pedigree breeds you could suggest he goes to one or other of the Discover Dogs events run by the kennel club, for the lurchers maybe he could find a country show locally with terrier & lurcher classes he should see all the varieties there.

I will pass that on to him.  Any other ideas?

Nope, not until I see how that one is received :D