Such a wrong decision was made by friends of mine a few years back who thought it would be easy to cope with two dogs [one large, one smaller] on the top floor of a four-storey apartment block with no elevator. [Old apartment blocks four storeys or under, did not need to have an elevator.]

No communal garden apart from a very small area in the front with a fixed table and benches and on a main road, so the dogs had to be walked quite a long way before they found a [very] small park.

They thought they could manage.

Hi People make a choice on what breed and they also are responsible for training and teaching the dog boundaries,I as a dog lover (call me naive),would never blame the dog or put it on how or what breed,the dog is,the fault lies with the Owner,I think if all breeders were registered and given a charter on the requirements needed for a puppy and follow its progress for the first 6 mnths with a new owner,I know that my Breeder was concerned about Faye,but felt she was being over cautious,but as it turned out,she had a reason to worry and we picked up the pieces,we have to walk on egg shells,if we over discipline we could turn her timidness into aggression,but her behaviour changes every day,she barks continously nothing there to bark at,from the barking she gets pumped up and when my OH tried to grab her to put her in the sun room so that she could calm down,she turned on him really aggresive,we are now having tests at the vet,and once they have come back normal we hope,she will go to a behavourist recommended by our vet.Thats why I think the beginning of a dogs life is so important and lays down how that dog will be.Gemini54

Speaking as someone who does behaviour referrals via vets, do ensure the behaviourist mentioned is a member of a reputable organisation

Sometimes, even vets will refer to behaviourists who are not as good as they should be.

Good luck.

I bred dogs for over 40 years before my own health forced me to retire from it. I can't stress enough how important the early weeks/months of a pups life is. My pups are handled every day from the day they are born under the bitch's strict supervision. I talk to her while I handle the pups. I am always present for the actual birth of a litter in case she needs help or reassurance. Often the bitch will get tired and I'll break the sac and rub the pup dry with a soft washcloth then let the mother take over. I start "tipping" their nails at about 2 weeks old and continue every few weeks for as long as I have the pup to help avoid future problems. At 3 or 4 weeks I start taking an individual pup for a few hours at time. Carry it, love on it, introduce it to the other dogs and the cats. Whatever I have to do to end up with a well socialized dog. Shots and worming begin at whatever time is appropriate for the breed. It doesn't sound like much but if you want a dog to have a good chance in life you have to start young. By 4 weeks old personalities are starting to show. If I have one that's shy or fearful I try to work that out of it. If I get a bully I work on that. I don't put them up for sale until they are at least 10 weeks old. Most breeders start looking to sell at 6 weeks even though by law a pup has to be 8 weeks old before you can sell it. Yes, some basic personality traits are breed specific and there are, of course, exceptions. Pitbulls are known to be an aggressive breed. But I have met many that didn't have an aggressive bone in their body. Mostly, IMO, because they were raised by loving owners who didn't play up the aggressiveness when they were training. Also, there are so many people who just want to own that one breed they've "always wanted" never bothering to do a bit of research into the breed. I've always wanted a wolf or a wolf cross....heavy on the wolf. But I did the research not long ago when a 5 week old pup was offered to me for free. I, sadly, had to decline the offer. It is a wild animal...not a dog. I found they are very territorial and very loyal and do not tolerate other animals very well. And they require a lot of exercise and space to run. Much as I would have liked to finally have my "dream pet" I was not going to put my other dogs and cats at risk. Besides that I am physically unable to provide her with enough exercise. My thought is that people have to give much more thought into getting a dog than most do. If your choice is a lovely rescue you need to at least realize that you have to be prepared to deal with any number of horrors as you know nothing about that dog other than the fact that he probably wags his tail. If you are buying a specific breed you need to research the breed and the breeder. Any reputable breeder will be more than happy to provide you with references including former customers. Even a home breeder like I was can do that. I bred Chihuahua's for about 20 of those 40-something years as a breeder. Naturally I know more about that breed than any other. Even though I'm done breeding I still get some calls from people wanting to buy a pup and I get many calls asking for advice or help in choosing a pup as I'm very well known in the community. I have them research the breed on the internet and call back with any questions that didn't get answered in their research. Then I tell them what to look for in a breeder. Even though I know most of the local breeders I won't pass on my personal opinion, good or bad. I tell them what to look for in a "good" pup, but I will not go along and choose my idea of the best pup in the litter. This way I am absolved if things don't turn out the way they expect. I must be a little paranoid. LOL.

I know of a few behaviour therapists of reputable organisations who do nothing more than hand out 'guidance sheets'. Just because someone has vowed to work within the ethics of an organisation and done some courses doesn't mean they're actually good though. It's a hit and miss, unfortunately.
A lot of people with problem dogs will ask for help and seek out behaviourists with such and such qualifications etc. but end up with no real help. I guess if breeds that are less well known in the UK are imported here, perhaps from countries where they had very specific jobs to do, it can create problems if people AND behaviourists have no experience in them.
That said, many breeds who are native to the UK are now kept by many people in circumstances that aren't suitable to their needs. Should they not be bred anymore?

There was a time that I tried to breed Neopolitan Mastiff's well before they were a recognized breed in the US. I had done as much research as I could in the days before personal internet access was available. I went so far as to phone a breeder in England. I bought from a breeder knowing this is an aggressive breed, but that was what I wanted. A dog with some aggression that could be trained for guard work. I had the female and the breeder had the male. Thank God I only had one! She was devoted to me and my husband......no one else. When the litter was born they were snapping, growling and fighting before their eyes were open. It took a lot of work to calm them down and they never were the happy puppies you usually see. I was very careful who I sold the pups to and I kept the mother as my backyard guard dog. She would never allow herself to be bred again as even in heat she had no use for other dogs. Or any other animal for that matter. I later rescued a 17 day old litter where the bitch had died from worms. So, I would say that unless you can do enough research before you bring a new breed into your country and be ready for all the things you might not have been told.....then don't do it.

Hi I wish that all breeders could be conscientious as you are,and that instead of seeing them as a product to sell,for instance,when 101 dalmations was made,the people making the film,purchased loads of litters for the film,they were expecting a lot from these puppies,like jumping from a height,doing things that a new puppy shouldnt be expected to do seeing as there bones are not finished growing.In the end they had a vet on site to monitor,but the breeders didnt care,the film people paid a premium for those litters,.Gemini34

Yes, in many cases all the breeder wants is the money with no thought to puppy care. After 101 Dalmations the market here was flooded with dalmation pups for sale. I saw some of them as a friend of mine wanted one. I'm no expert as to what a dalmation pup should look like or act like, but I saw a lot of pups that had obvious hip problems and a few that were blind from birth. My friend decided to get a different breed and ended up with a beautiful golden lab. I hate to say it because it makes all breeder look bad, but you do have to watch out for the bad breeders and the puppy mills.

Hi Dalmations can also be born deaf,before the spots come,so really breeders of this particular dog should be extra careful,and put the dogs welfare first before all else,as they are high maintenance.

It seems that the kennel club,want to keep a seperate register for all European dogs,not sure why,but will look into it.

Gemini54

Here the American Kennel Club is susposed to set the standard for all AKC breeds. IMO, in the past 20 or so years they have gotten too big for their britches often requiring expensive DNA testing to prove the breed of a dog even when you can prove it's say an AKC Chihuahua by both parents being already AKC registered. They no longer make any sense in their rules and I chose to use a different registry that will accept AKC registered dogs as well as dogs from foreign registry's and the rare breed registry. To become a registered breeder with them you have to be referred by another registered breeder, but anyone can register their dog with them provided you can show proof of what you have. I think they also have a special section to register a cross breed as some of the crosses make for lovely dogs.