AAD and how do you view the section?

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Alec Swan

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Just that really. I've often thought to ask the question, but was never too sure of the need. I'm now prompted because I read of the thoughts of a fairly regular poster, who on another section of this forum, said that she felt that it had changed, and not for the better.

Do you think that opposing views should be aired, and that discussion to allow for informed opinions should take place, or would you prefer that the themes which are offered should remain as they were, where generally everyone was in agreement?

I'm all for lively discussion obviously, and providing that we remain civil to each other, which mostly we do, then I think that expanding threads are a positive thing.

So, what do you think?

Alec.
 
I rarely give much advice in there. Despite having 4 fabulous dogs that have got that way through mine and Dans hard work...and helping a couple of hundred people very successfully, I feel that unless you are one of the very ling standing posters, the advice you give can be shot down if not in agreement. I've never really felt that in the other sections.

Sometimes I love a good debate, but when it gets to the point that it's more about individuals justifying or defending their position over the actual original call for help/advice...I get fed up.

I used to be on another dog forum and left because it got awful. AAD is not that
bad...at all and the posters are generally fantastic, but sometimes the atmosphere in a thread can get uncomfortable.
 
I don't really post on this section anymore. I used to come on quite often, I made some good friends in AAD and one who I still regularly train the springers with.

My issue is that we have several cross breeds of various sorts that have come to us for one or another reason, and I am absolutely sick of having the "illegitimate breeding" thrown at me. I love the little mongrels as much as I love my well bred springers and I can't be bothered with the same tiring debate.
 
I visit and post on a gundog forum and it is really friendly and helpful, another dog forum I occasionally browse on is awful. There are a group of posters that have obviously been on there for a very long time and anyone new gets jumped on!

I think AAD is lovely, sensible advice and discussion without being too fluffy bunny :)

What I find very interesting are posters that are on both of the other forums I have mentioned and how different they are in their posts, maybe it is a bit of a pack mentality :p
 
I find this section fairly civilised really and 'nasties' seem to be few and far between and not last long. I am always interested in different opinions providing they are just that and not an excuse for unpleasantness. It is a shame when some posters turn aggressive because they have taken a dislike to another one but I do not feel they upset anybody very deeply as everybody knows what they are like and probably just shrugs it off. The more subjects we tackle in depth, the more knowledge we might access and I am all for that.
We have a core of extremely knowledgeable posters on breeding, problem dogs, veterinary subjects and others and I view the forum as a valuable resource which enables me to read what they have to say and learn from it.
 
Often rabid and generally unhelpful in tone, as well as being unrealistic in a lot of advice given. I find quite frequently that threads are downright nasty, and/or condescending. I don't remember it always being like that.
 
abracadabra said:
Often rabid and generally unhelpful in tone, as well as being unrealistic in a lot of advice given. I find quite frequently that threads are downright nasty, and/or condescending. I don't remember it always being like that.
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Me too.
I was genuinely shocked over some of the comments on my puppy thread, after I was 'irresponsible' enough :rolleyes3: to have a litter of terrier puppies living outside in summer.
Some of the comments, from long-standing (and therefore, apparently of deity like status...) were vile. I was called a 'puppy farmer' accused of neglect, vislak memorably said in response to a comment about the puppies health 'they could be dead. Would you even notice?'
And that was one of the better ones. The whole thing was beyond nasty.

I wouldn't post here again for advice, I'd just ask someone IRL.

ETA THIS is why I wouldn't bother posting here for advice again -

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?636707-How-to-care-for-a-litter-of-puppies

For anyone wondering, puppies are all doing well, not all owners kept in touch after the first few months (as expected) but the ones that went locally especially I still see often. One of the boys came to visit last weekend in fact to see his mummy :)
(he seems to be over the 'trauma' of living outside as a puppy and so far has accepted the washing machine without needing counselling).
 
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It is a bit like the barefoot taliban - that goodness they got their own section of the forum and didn't need to keep taking over the new lounge/tackroom. Perhaps the must feed raw section of AAD should get the same thing?
Generally I like it though. But where has Cave Canem gone?
 
It can be a bit 'scary'
My introduction was to get a beating up for buying my labs from domestic breeders I know rather than one getting some staffy from god knows where from a rescue or buying from KC breeder .
 
I have never found it like that (coming from a fairly new dog owner)

i find the dog folk have their VERY VERY set ways of doing things tho, and will not entertain others opinions on anything which might go against their belief, proven or not- but no more so than the rest of the forum. No one can force anyone to take advice given.....

It would all be very dull if everyone just put "yes I agree" after every post.
 
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I agree it can get quite heated at times, and some people can be very dogmatic (if you'll excuse the pun). I do try to be polite and offer advice rather than out and out criticism even if a post makes my toes curl, I am have also learned through the years that what was seen as a solution 30 or 40 years ago may not be so today, perhaps not everyone thinks the same way.
I do not agree with the posters who castigate everyone who does not get a rescue, or alternatively does not go to a KC breeder, different people want different things in a dog. I do however think anyone who buys a puppy and does not make sure both parents have good results in all health tests for that breed is crazy. I don't have a problem with cross breeds or mongrels, but don't get me started on designer breeds at inflated prices because they have "hybrid vigour".
 
MurphysMinder said:
I do however think anyone who buys a puppy and does not make sure both parents have good results in all health tests for that breed is crazy. I don't have a problem with cross breeds or mongrels, but don't get me started on designer breeds at inflated prices because they have "hybrid vigour".
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I am crazy. Learnt lesson well. Luckily Dylan is so far so good, 3 years ago I first posted his mug on here! Sometimes it makes mistakes to learn.

But like you say it's the sudden bandwagon of not nice replies that annoy me the most. Any aren't necessary.
 
I don't post in here very often. I read and sometimes I laugh at some of the ridiculous responses. Sometimes I think "uh oh here we go!" and you just know what certain other posters are going to say on certain threads. On the whole it doesn't really bother me what people say but the thread Patterdale highlighted above was one where I was doing a lot of :eek3: :redface3: :eek3:

I'm about to breed one of my bitches that I bought specifically as a breeding bitch. I doubt very much that I'll post about it on here though, but I'll mention it now just for the naughty fun value :wink3:
 
As a newcomer here my impression is it is a great site to visit and participate. I accept British honesty to the point of bluntness,but do find rudeness without logic less acceptable.
I absolutely love a forum to be open to all views and lively discussion...not offensive name calling if one disagrees,but a gentlemans argument where logic and information win the day.
 
Bellasophia said:
As a newcomer here my impression is it is a great site to visit and participate. I accept British honesty to the point of bluntness,but do find rudeness without logic less acceptable.
I absolutely love a forum to be open to all views and lively discussion...not offensive name calling if one disagrees,but a gentlemans argument where logic and information win the day.
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If English is not your first language, may I be the first to commend you on a beautifully written point. "Honesty to the point of bluntness"...love it :)
 
_GG_ said:
If English is not your first language, may I be the first to commend you on a beautifully written point. "Honesty to the point of bluntness"...love it :)
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Bellasophia, you are most welcome. All that is required, is a sense of reason, a sense which you seem to have, in abundance!

Alec.
 
GG I am English,but emigrated to Italy in 91. I rarely speak English out of the home so relish the chance to have a good discussion with my ex fellow countrymen. My ideas are probably still old school,but I really value new input and enjoy this forum because it is informative and I can still be taught new tricks.
Alec Swan...you are a jewel.Eloquent and experienced ,your posts are a delight. Nuff said.
 
Bellasophia said:
GG I am English,but emigrated to Italy in 91. I rarely speak English out of the home so relish the chance to have a good discussion with my ex fellow countrymen. My ideas are probably still old school,but I really value new input and enjoy this forum because it is informative and I can still be taught new tricks.
Alec Swan...you are a jewel.Eloquent and experienced ,your posts are a delight. Nuff said.
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Welcome to the forum and I hope to read many more of such well written posts :)

I'm pretty old school too so it's all good :)
 
I don't think there's a rabid must feed raw contingent. I encouraged Sixstar to post her dry and wet food indexes on here, just a shame Admin chose to hide it in the locked stickies :( Lots of people are hearing about it and I will link useful stuff if asked, but I'm happy to say which commercially available foods are fab, too.

People raving about health scores is for the sake of the pups and the owners: wish I'd been told about them before getting a springer with HD . If it helps someone to know about them in future, good! (Someone on here is looking for BVA testing before breeding!)

Breeding cross breeds-fine by the majority in here from what I've seen. The lack of health testing and the reasoning behind breeding cross breeds are often queried. If you're going to breed, should it not be for the best reasons? Ie improving something, keeping back a puppy etc.

I love the debates, but not the nasty stuff, it's pointless. And of course there's samey stuff, the topics aren't infinite! If someone new appears, I won't refuse to discuss stuff with them because it's been raised before. It's a forum! It's what we do!
 
Accepting that the reaction to Patterdale's puppies, must have been an aberration on the part of those who criticised, as by any standards, the comments in the main were such nonsense and so out of character, for most, I'd have thought. The critical judgements reached, mostly, were laughable.

I was hoping that there would be those who would be able to suggest improvements in the manner in which the section operates. I'm very well aware that there are those who would prefer that I didn't contradict them, but the dual approach of discussion and considering the views of others, which in my defence I certainly do, should be the path to progress, I'd have thought.

Are there those who would be regular posters, but because of a perceived level of intimidation, feel unable to contribute? I would most certainly hope not.

Alec.
 
I don't post as regularly as I like as I own, and have bred a litter of multi-generational Labradoodles, from health checked parents, grand-parents, going backwards to origin. To many on here, and it is my perception from the posts I have read, I am some money grabbing back yard breeder, puppy farmer or misinformed fool ( I can assure you I am none of these) There is even a sticky against buying cross breeds at the top of the page.

I read the posts and most of the time there is good advice and experiences from knowledgeable people but when it comes to my dogs most of the time but I hear rhetoric, opinion, generalisms and sometimes insults dressed up as 'facts' and sledgehammer witticisms about the animals I have. This I find a barrier to being as involved as I'd like to be and I don't need my blood pressure raising as I go on this forum to wind down haha!
 
After getting abuse for buying a cross breed from a breeder friend of mine, I tend to read this page for the cute pictures and occasionally the behaviour advice type threads only, I avoid everything else now.

Patterdales thread went rapidly to crazy land and then broke through into batpoop crazyville, very unnecessary/vile behaviour.
 
Gingermonkey said:
I don't post as regularly as I like as I own, and have bred a litter of multi-generational Labradoodles, from health checked parents, grand-parents, going backwards to origin. To many on here, and it is my perception from the posts I have read, I am some money grabbing back yard breeder, puppy farmer or misinformed fool ( I can assure you I am none of these) There is even a sticky against buying cross breeds at the top of the page.

.......!
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I too wonder at the value of some arguments, regarding cross-bred dogs. We can discuss how our lurcher may be bred, but not our Labradoodle. I will admit that there will be those breeders who breed without thought, or any degree of planning, but that happens with pedigree dogs too, and there will now be what are referred to as 'Designer' breeds. They're not really designed, and they're actually first crosses, most of them, created to appeal to those who want something a bit different, but without any other real purpose. I suppose that it's the 'Label' which most actually object to.

I spoke with a woman the other day who had two first cross Cocker/Poodles. I asked if they were from the same litter, and apparently not, but they did come from the same breeder. The dogs were all but identical, by appearance, except for their colour. One was sired by a Toy and the other by a Miniature, though they were both just about the same size. Where they were totally different was that one was a nice, normal, well adjusted and outgoing little dog, and the other was a bag of nerves, and faced any approach with aggression. Both dogs had had identical upbringings, so the only other consideration would be that the nervous animal had it's problem from birth and the problem was linked to genetics. Unfortunately I didn't think to ask if the owner knew of any of the litter from the nervous animal, and to see if it was a common flaw. There are known strains, within many working dogs, which are known to throw up similarities, and a nervous/aggressive disposition would be amongst them.

The above dogs were very attractive, apart from what I thought were their rather daft tails!

To return to the theme of your post G_m, there are those who leap on to a preformed set of criticisms and they often really aren't justified. Failing to post because of the fear of criticism or contradiction, shouldn't prevent you or anyone else from posting.

Alec.
 
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