Dogs- which to choose!!

I have a rottie - who's now 18 months old :D

He's been at the farm every single day since he's been allowed out after his jabs at 12 weeks ... he lived in my one bedroomed house with me until recently (we've moved as I got married).

Exercise wise, very good in that I can take him to the farm and he just 'does his own thing' wandering into the barn/stables as and when he pleases and the rest of the time he goes to find mice :rolleyes:

I feel very safe with him - I tend to be there first thing/last thing on my own and his growl when something is nearby is something that would send shivers up your spine (also feel safe at home is hubbie if working late) :D

Horse wise he's a bit of a pain with .. if they're loose in the front field he ignores them ... if Im near them he goes into protective mode ... barking and circling them. The same in their stables - stable door open so he can come in not a problem, licks their legs (poor horses), mouse hunts but as soon as the door is closed and alone with them he goes into annoying bark mode ...

He also chases wheelbarrows (had killed many tyres in his little 18 month life), poos on the muck heap ... licks the kids to death as and when they come up ... plays other dogs again if/when they come up - so wouoldnt change him for the world ... ;)

Rotties (especially males) are very dominant though and without constant rules they will walk all over you ... :rolleyes: we also took him on socialisation walks with other dogs from being a pup and training school although found that a complete waste of time.
 
Labrador - fantastic dogs and easy to train. Don't believe the rubbish you may hear about Chocolates being crazy, we have one from a pup, shes now 20 months old and has been as easy as the black ones we have had. I work for a Vets and we have a client who has 2 Pointers, they often disappear and the owner has now had to have tracker collars on them to find them. When they get a scent they are off! Labs are faithful and always wanting to please - you won't go wrong with one. Mine have all been girls by the way.
 
rescues rescues rescues, my only point would be if you are wanting a dog for beating/retrieving you need a dog that is good working away from you rather than a dog that is more bred to work at your side such as a rotti, doberman, german shepherd, collie, not saying they wouldn't work well, but they are more bred for close partnership work rather than being away from you in the undergrowth. Completely agree on the lab front and there are plenty of labs and lab crosses in rescues if you do go down that route. otherwise pointers, i have a crossbreed pointer and will start to do the odd shoot next year possibly, his instincts are there completely and naturally points his leg when he sees something!! so cute! he is a high energy dog mind, but then any dog you would consider for those purposes is going to be a high energy dog!
 
Rhodesian Ridgeback ... Stunning, very outdoors and full of stamina, hard working dogs but quite lazy too. Very clever and protective (in a good way!) and fab around people, horses etc... I can't rate them enough and far too many people overlook them.

My ex and an old employer had this breed- and I absolutely loved them!! Old employers dog was my first experience, and although he was very much a guard dog, he was extremely soft when he got used to you being around. My ex's dog was the total opposite- extremely cuddly, very bouncy and playful and yet you knew you could rely on him when if anything ever happened. His favourite past time was climbing onto the sofa and lying on top of you and going to sleep- not fun when he was a fully up to size and weight ridgeback haha. My ex was also epileptic and his dog knew when he was going to have a fit and would keep everyone else away, but was never nasty with it (he was never trained to do this either, it was just instinct). He could also be trusted to play nicely with his 4 year old daughter. I really do love them!!
 
I have 2 rescue border collies. One was rescued as a young puppy (around 14 weeks) and has been around horses ever since, he is as good as gold around them, at the yard never wanders off, always waits right by my side :)
The other.... well shes most definitely the opposite! She was rescued from a gypsy site where they kept her locked in a stable and bred from her well before she was a year old (she had the litter and they were weaned before she turned 1 :( ), she also had severe mange. She was very, very hard work. In fact, we havent even conquered all her issues after 2.5 years, however she has come very far! She goes up the yard, doesnt wander but cant be trusted around horses as her herding instinct is incredibly strong, this may change over time but I doubt it.

I personally would not go for a collie as a first dog, rescue or not, they are so extremely intelligent and most need far more mental stimulation than just being at a yard all day - they need interactive training and play. Just because they are highly 'trainable' means they also pick up unwanted habits very quickly (it only takes one accidental 'praise' for mine to learn that something gets you attention and to carry on doing it). They also can be quite nervous of loud noises etc so probably not ideal for a shoot.

I would go for a lab if I were in your shoes

EDIT - just re-read the post and it sounds like I'm saying dont go for a rescue, thats not how I meant it to sound! Rescue is definitely the way to go, with the current economic climate I have seen lots of dogs go into rescue who are well trained and have been well looked after all their lives, unfortunately their owners have lost job/house and just cant keep them any longer.
 
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Youngfarmer - Sounds like they have won you over too :) They are amazing dogs and surprising lazy for their size but on the the hand they can run for miles. Mines exactly the same, he'll sit on top of you and being 8 stone it's rather uncomfortable for me haha. Fab dogs, I wouldn't hesitate to get another :)
 
rescues rescues rescues, my only point would be if you are wanting a dog for beating/retrieving you need a dog that is good working away from you rather than a dog that is more bred to work at your side such as a rotti, doberman, german shepherd, collie, not saying they wouldn't work well, but they are more bred for close partnership work rather than being away from you in the undergrowth. Completely agree on the lab front and there are plenty of labs and lab crosses in rescues if you do go down that route. otherwise pointers, i have a crossbreed pointer and will start to do the odd shoot next year possibly, his instincts are there completely and naturally points his leg when he sees something!! so cute! he is a high energy dog mind, but then any dog you would consider for those purposes is going to be a high energy dog!

Having a dog that can beat/shoot is definitely something we are considering, as my partner beats weekly and shoots fairly often (usually only on cockdays or as pest control on farms that his friends own). It would firstly be a family pet, and secondly be a working dog (I know a lot of people say this doesn't work, but many of my friends and their families have it this way and it works perfectly. Except my friends dog giving her dad a hi5 in the middle of a shoot when he simply asked the dog to stop haha :D).

Labs are definitely a breed I am considering, as I have grown up with family owning them and I know they are extremely good shoot/ beat dogs. Pointers types/crosses are another I had started to consider until some said they tend to run off a lot!
 
Not sure if it would suit or not, but had a basset hound as a kid and she was brilliant, really easy-going type who would never hurt someone yet a big dog's bark and could walk and explore for hours when she was young.
 
We temporarily rescued a collie after losing our two GSDs and wow was he an eye opener. We thought being experienced owners of a large, lively breed and having an outdoors life style we could cope with a collie. We were wrong! Buzz was about 14 months old when we got him and had always been an only dog. He got on fine with our terrier x collie but she is old and didn't want to play with him so I used to take him to the yard with me. He was so unpredictable around the horses- one minute he'd ignore them the next minute he'd be jumping up snapping at their faces for totally no reason. I also found him difficult to train- not in things like sit, down, stay etc he was brilliant at those but in things like stopping him barking or eating things. We would stop him doing it one way or for one reason so he'd try it another way -whereas with a GSD you'd tell them no and that would be the end of it! The last straw came sadly when we decided to rescue a GSD puppy. Buzz did not like having another male dog in the house and as the GSD got older they started fighting quite badly - again instigated by Buzz. I could just never quite trust him , I had to stop taking him to the yard and he got bored. We have now rehomed him to a farm home where they may even train him as a sheep dog, he is the only dog in the house and he loves it. Sorry it's a long reply but I wanted to give you an idea of the differences we found with a collie compared to a GSD.
 
Youngfarmer - Sounds like they have won you over too :) They are amazing dogs and surprising lazy for their size but on the the hand they can run for miles. Mines exactly the same, he'll sit on top of you and being 8 stone it's rather uncomfortable for me haha. Fab dogs, I wouldn't hesitate to get another :)

They are definitely very lazy dogs- the 2 I know used to love just lying down and sleeping all the time. However, they did enjoy their run around when taken on long walks or following you across the field to get horses in. I must admit, when I first met both of them they terrified me due to their size and the fact they were used partly as guard dogs. As soon as both of them knew you though, they were extremely loveable! My ex also had a collie with his ridgeback, and I was always more wary of her. She would lie down but would be staring straight at you constantly haha, very protective dog. However, very sweet and only ever nipped my fingers lightly as if I never gave her enough attention when I came through the gate.
 
you are assuming that you have permission from your landlord to have a dog. If not I would check before rehoming a dog.
 
I have 2 rescue border collies. One was rescued as a young puppy (around 14 weeks) and has been around horses ever since, he is as good as gold around them, at the yard never wanders off, always waits right by my side :)
The other.... well shes most definitely the opposite! She was rescued from a gypsy site where they kept her locked in a stable and bred from her well before she was a year old (she had the litter and they were weaned before she turned 1 :( ), she also had severe mange. She was very, very hard work. In fact, we havent even conquered all her issues after 2.5 years, however she has come very far! She goes up the yard, doesnt wander but cant be trusted around horses as her herding instinct is incredibly strong, this may change over time but I doubt it.

I personally would not go for a collie as a first dog, rescue or not, they are so extremely intelligent and most need far more mental stimulation than just being at a yard all day - they need interactive training and play. Just because they are highly 'trainable' means they also pick up unwanted habits very quickly (it only takes one accidental 'praise' for mine to learn that something gets you attention and to carry on doing it). They also can be quite nervous of loud noises etc so probably not ideal for a shoot.

I would go for a lab if I were in your shoes

EDIT - just re-read the post and it sounds like I'm saying dont go for a rescue, thats not how I meant it to sound! Rescue is definitely the way to go, with the current economic climate I have seen lots of dogs go into rescue who are well trained and have been well looked after all their lives, unfortunately their owners have lost job/house and just cant keep them any longer.

This would be my only problem with a rescue dog. As much as I would love to rehome one, and definitely would look at rescue centres, some of them do require a lot of time (over and beyond a 'normal' dog) to correct behaviour, habits and just generally make them feel safe and secure. I would worry that I couldn't provide this, even being with them 24/7. Obviously, as you said, a dog being with you at the yard and actually spending time with your dog are 2 totally different things. I think if I rescued a dog, it would probably be fairly young and with not too much of a traumatic past. If I had the time, any dog would be no problem. But some do require much more time than I, and most working people, can provide.
 
you are assuming that you have permission from your landlord to have a dog. If not I would check before rehoming a dog.

I have already checked this when I viewed the property. He has said he has no problem with me having a dog, as long as I realise it is my full responsibility, including any damage caused to the house or outdoors that it states in my contract I am responsible for.

EDT: I do not have permission for the house I am currently in (student house), but do have permission for the house I have mentioned in my OP that I will be moving into come May. Sorry for any confusion there
 
I do know someone training a workingline GSD to the gun and he is doing really well, from a very good reputable breeder who works and health tests her dogs, PM me if you want their details.

The GSDs from the old Brittas kennels in Ireland, who also bred Irish Water Spaniels, were used as gundogs and cattle dogs as well as competing in obedience and in the showring!

(Just thought I would throw that in there :p)

Not all rescues have traumatic pasts and there are tonnes of young and puppy labs and collies in the rescues near me.
 
Pointers types/crosses are another I had started to consider until some said they tend to run off a lot!

well so far so good with my boy, but yes my friends gsp ran off alot and needed ALOT of training! had to pay the dog warden a few times too!! They're fine if kept busy, if left to their own devices then yes they're likely to go off beating by themselves!!!! My 6 month old comes out on hacks with me loose and never runs off, he's very good because he's kept busy, I find on the yard if i keep throwing his fave toy he'll run around with it and then bring it back which again keeps him busy! Of course he's about to go through 'teenagehood' around about now, so I might be eating my words in a week or two! But so far he's been brilliant and he's a cross of 2 different pointer breeds! I also have a lab cross and certainly comparing the 2, the lab stays with me ALL the time, whether kept busy or not!! and pretty much always has!
 
Glad you are looking at a rescue but just that if you are, any rescue worth its salt will want something in writing from your landlord confirming you can have a dog. You have no idea how many we see dumped in rescue where the owners didn't check with their landlord and then find they are not allowed one. Also, you would need to show your home or yard is secure to stop the new dog disappearing.

I wouldn't focus too much on the working dog aspect either. Its not often a good working dog ends up in rescue, though the rejects (gun shy) can do. Friends of mine have a wonderful springer but she was dumped for exactly that reason. Look upon it as a nice to have but with the understanding you may well end up with a dog that can't do that! There are specific breed rescues you could go to have in mind a sort of dog you want and spend some time with a smaller local rescue. You might end up preferring a smaller dog or confirming you feel comfortable with a much bigger dog around.

I like labs a lot, they are not always a complete walk in the park and certainly need training as youngsters. They can be boisterous and bouncy and some of the nastiest dog injuries I have seen were caused by a lab. I would hasten to say that I would not blame the dogs rather the fact that the owners rather took the temperament of a lab too much for granted, sadly for a close friend, with rather dire circumstances. Other friends have labs who are fab dogs but they have been highly trained.

Just to go against the grain (and not necessarily suggesting this breed for you) I have staffords, currently 3 all of suit the outdoor and yard life. While I have seen some people who have trained theirs to fetch when on a shoot, their mouths are obviously not as good as something like a lab. A big plus is I always feel safe as my lot would beat a herd of geese for the advance warning I get if anyone comes near!

Wasn't ignoring earlier posts.. this came through while I was typing my lengthy response. I would dispute the worry about retraining a rescue. Puppies take forever to train as well whereas with a properly assessed rescue, you have a dog that will have covered the basics (like house training!), you will have time to meet and see how you get on with it and a cooling off trial period plus of course rescue back up if it goes wrong.
 
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I think picking a dog is very like picking a horse to buy, certain breeds may have certain characteristics but there are always exceptions to the rule. If I were you I would look into loacl rescue centres or find breed specific rescues - once you have a few breeds in mind - as you may find you will be able to find a really perfect match. Don't rule out cross breeds/mongrels either.

We have a Boxer x Spaniel and I can say with certainty he is the most fantastic yard/horsey/active lifestyle dog you could imagine. He can run all day but doesn't need a huge amount of exercise, he goes out with me on hacks or with my OH on his bike rides and will follow alongside for miles, but equally his favourite place is flat out snoring on our sofa. He was trained in weeks and always wants to please - the spaniel side - but has a real fun, rough and tumble, independant streak. He gets dragged about every where with me, to shows, to work and never goes on a lead. He's honestly perfect.

I'd say that him being a cross certainly means we get the best of both worlds.
 
Having a dog that can beat/shoot is definitely something we are considering, as my partner beats weekly and shoots fairly often (usually only on cockdays or as pest control on farms that his friends own). It would firstly be a family pet, and secondly be a working dog (I know a lot of people say this doesn't work, but many of my friends and their families have it this way and it works perfectly. Except my friends dog giving her dad a hi5 in the middle of a shoot when he simply asked the dog to stop haha :D).

Labs are definitely a breed I am considering, as I have grown up with family owning them and I know they are extremely good shoot/ beat dogs. Pointers types/crosses are another I had started to consider until some said they tend to run off a lot!

A Lab would definitely be a good choice. Lovely natures, very biddable and perfect if you want a pet/working dog combination. All our family dogs have fulfilled both roles very happily - you just need to be very clear and consistent about ground rules and obedience in the home as well as out and about. My current (choccie) is a rescue and had never encountered horses in the first two years of her life but was immediately happy around them. A great breed :)
 
We have a Beauceron (intelligent, devoted, obedient but HUGE and tends to be jealous and clingy), a black Lab (lovely dogs!) and an Englsih Springer Spaniel (obedient, boundless energy, joyful and incredibly waggy!) Now I'd always choose a spaniel for us - they are a manageable size, they don't dribble (luckily the Lab always has a soft toy in his mouth to soak it up, but the Beauceron's dribble sticks like glue to the floor and furnishings....), they are sociable, easily controlled from horseback (all three are, but the Beauceron gets excited and runs round the horse barking when I mount, and the Lab is so food driven that he needs constant checking to make sure that he's not raiding bird tables and dustbins), and is actually a very pretty dog (handsome, 'cos he's a boy).
 
This would be my only problem with a rescue dog. As much as I would love to rehome one, and definitely would look at rescue centres, some of them do require a lot of time (over and beyond a 'normal' dog) to correct behaviour, habits and just generally make them feel safe and secure. I would worry that I couldn't provide this, even being with them 24/7. Obviously, as you said, a dog being with you at the yard and actually spending time with your dog are 2 totally different things. I think if I rescued a dog, it would probably be fairly young and with not too much of a traumatic past. If I had the time, any dog would be no problem. But some do require much more time than I, and most working people, can provide.

I think you should look at the dog on an individual basis, there will be some rescue dogs that need a lot of work, others that settle in relatively quickly and are already reasonably well trained.

There wont be any guarantees with a puppy from a breeder, obviously you will have more control over that 12-20wk window, but thats not to say it still wont be a difficult or easy dog - at least with an adult/young adult rescue you get what you see if you catch my drift.

If you do decide to buy from a breeder (esp lab/gsd/ridgeback etc) please please make sure the breeder is legit, the animals are hip scored/health tested :)

EDIT - how about a golden retriever? bit bigger than a lab, a bit rarer but absolutely lovely dogs and would still be perfect for shoots etc
 
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My first dog was a border collie, she was gorgeous and the smartest by far. Then a lab ... The dimmest and a GSD the most loyal followed by a JRT, the noisiest and most stubborn now we have a beardie, bonkers but the bees knees as a family dog. My friend has 2x Hungarian visla's and they are stunning dogs, definatley a breed I would go for.
 
Glad you are looking at a rescue but just that if you are, any rescue worth its salt will want something in writing from your landlord confirming you can have a dog. You have no idea how many we see dumped in rescue where the owners didn't check with their landlord and then find they are not allowed one. Also, you would need to show your home or yard is secure to stop the new dog disappearing.

I wouldn't focus too much on the working dog aspect either. Its not often a good working dog ends up in rescue, though the rejects (gun shy) can do. Friends of mine have a wonderful springer but she was dumped for exactly that reason. Look upon it as a nice to have but with the understanding you may well end up with a dog that can't do that! There are specific breed rescues you could go to have in mind a sort of dog you want and spend some time with a smaller local rescue. You might end up preferring a smaller dog or confirming you feel comfortable with a much bigger dog around.

I like labs a lot, they are not always a complete walk in the park and certainly need training as youngsters. They can be boisterous and bouncy and some of the nastiest dog injuries I have seen were caused by a lab. I would hasten to say that I would not blame the dogs rather the fact that the owners rather took the temperament of a lab too much for granted, sadly for a close friend, with rather dire circumstances. Other friends have labs who are fab dogs but they have been highly trained.

Just to go against the grain (and not necessarily suggesting this breed for you) I have staffords, currently 3 all of suit the outdoor and yard life. While I have seen some people who have trained theirs to fetch when on a shoot, their mouths are obviously not as good as something like a lab. A big plus is I always feel safe as my lot would beat a herd of geese for the advance warning I get if anyone comes near!

Wasn't ignoring earlier posts.. this came through while I was typing my lengthy response. I would dispute the worry about retraining a rescue. Puppies take forever to train as well whereas with a properly assessed rescue, you have a dog that will have covered the basics (like house training!), you will have time to meet and see how you get on with it and a cooling off trial period plus of course rescue back up if it goes wrong.

Totally agree with all of what you have said, and I most definitely would be asking my landlord (when moved in and settled myself) for written conformation that a dog is allowed on the property. I would never put a dog in the position of settling and then having to be given back/ given to a rescue.

I also definitely prefer having a larger or medium sized dog around, as these are the types I have grown up with and have the most experience with. I also feel far more confident with a larger dog than I do with smaller dogs. So far, my experiences with smaller dogs have been quite negative, as I have found them quite snappy and unpredictable. The only exception to this, from my experience, is my friends Jack Russell, who has only ever snapped once in his life so far (he's only about 1.5 years old though). He's a very cuddly dog and actually quite stupid for his breed. I also do really like staffs, and have never had a bad experience of one (all been family dogs, and 1 was a help dog for a friends autistic brother).

If I'm honest, apart from the few I have mentioned (smaller dogs-although not all terriers, greyhounds, saluki, lurcher types) there is no breed that I wouldn't consider. I do have my favourites (GSD, rottie, staffs, ridgebacks, husky, spaniels) but any breed or cross breed I would consider if it was the right dog. I'd just want to ensure the dog is suited to my lifestyle and could possibly be suited to my partners lifestyle too
 
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I think you should look at the dog on an individual basis, there will be some rescue dogs that need a lot of work, others that settle in relatively quickly and are already reasonably well trained.

There wont be any guarantees with a puppy from a breeder, obviously you will have more control over that 12-20wk window, but thats not to say it still wont be a difficult or easy dog - at least with an adult/young adult rescue you get what you see if you catch my drift.

If you do decide to buy from a breeder (esp lab/gsd/ridgeback etc) please please make sure the breeder is legit, the animals are hip scored/health tested :)

EDIT - how about a golden retriever? bit bigger than a lab, a bit rarer but absolutely lovely dogs and would still be perfect for shoots etc

Like I said, a rescue is definitely not being written off, but like you said it would have to be the right rescue and one that I know I can deal with behavioural problems/ issues with. A puppy obviously would be great, but I don't necessarily need a 10 week old puppy etc. If I did buy from a breeder, they certainly would have to be reputable and recommended from a breed society (again, doesn't have to be KC registered etc). All tests being carried out is a must for me too.

I do like golden retrievers, although can't say I have had too much experience of them. I will look into the breed though
 
Hereford and Worcester Animal Rescue have a 2 year old Husky in for rehoming just now...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...15448492.65288.279209305450783&type=1&theater

I so wish I could take one in just now, and he is absolutely beautiful =(. My current landlord does not allow us to have pets indoors though, and my partner lives with his retired parents. I'm currently a student (finishing in May) and could never put a dog onto them until I am finished, I would feel so guilty and rude!
 
I always advocate rescue dogs, I've never had anything else, but I would say in your case that a rescue pup would be more in order. If you get an adult dog, you don't really know what you're getting, no matter how much work rescue charities have done with them and most rescue centres don't work to produce yard friendly dogs! When I was looking last time (my first adult dog, not with my parents choosing!) they all looked at me like I was nuts when I asked if they had any knowledge of whether they were good with livestock.

In the end we had to take a risk and see how we fared. As it turns out our dog (a scruffy mutt) is great up at the yard with cows, sheep and horses ...but not the chickens. All the yard dogs who arrived as pups and have grown up with the chickens are fine with them. We had no way of knowing until she saw and chased a chicken (oddly on the lead she shows no interest at all in them which is why we thought she'd be ok off the lead!)

She also has separation anxiety issues which she never displayed in the rescue centre, it's like she found a home and people she liked and she's terrified of losing us now. We've been able to deal with her thanks to lots of work (hiding in the garden for 3 minutes at a time and building it up!) and my retired parents having her when we're at work but if you've got a pup you can mould them to what you want and get them used to everything you need to from the start. As we all know with horses it's easier to start from scratch than to undo other people's bad jobs.

Good luck with him/her when you take the plunge!
 
Advice here from a letting agent - TELL YOUR LANDLORD FIRST, GET PERMISSION IN WRITING, DONT TRY AND PULL THE WOOL OF YOUR LANDLORD OR LETTING AGENTS EYES. You can lose your home if you do, believe me I have seen it happen a few times.

Lots of good advice here, and I do feel that finding the right dog is like finding the right horse. I have had a number of GSDs in the past and loved them. Lovely looking dogs with fantastic temperaments and great fun to be with. I thought I would never want another breed again. How wrong was I. I am now the very proud owner of a Staffie! Never in a million years would I have thought I would have had one. They are the most loving, fun little dogs you could find. Totally brilliant with children and ours is great with other dogs. He is easy to train, very sociable and very clean as well. He is a bit scared of our horses and thats a bit of a pain, but we havent had him long and he will get over himself.

Staffies can be a bit full on, extrovert dogs, which I actually dont mind in the slightest. We are lucky with ours as he will calm down if you want some peace. Their reputation really is undeserved.
 
puppies come into rescue's too, just googled and (sorry to put up link!!!) these two gorgeous boys came up!! http://www.dogsblog.com/category/age/0-1-years/

Completely agree with what's been said about getting written permission from your landlord that you can have a dog.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) that link won't work on my laptop, and their website doesn't seem to want to work either (usually an issue with my internet connection). A rescue puppy will definitely be considered first before looking into buying a puppy. Again, I will definitely be getting written permission from my landlord, regardless of if I rescue or not, as this means they wouldn't be able to tell me I can't have a dog after getting one.

Thanks everyone for your advice on this, certainly lots to consider! :)
 
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