I don't know if anyone here has read any Desmond Morris (he of "The Naked Ape" fame), but he was required reading when I studied animal behaviour at Uni, many millenia ago )

Anyway, he states his opinion that there is nothing which makes people feel good as much as having someone else to feel superior to. In situations like this,perhaps it's a case of being unable to find anything "inferior" about the person, some will use the dog as a sign of inferiority, as in: "Aha! Mr (or Mrs) Bloggs has one of those terrible dogs, so he/she must be inferior to me!" The breed of dog is immaterial, it's the feeling of superiority to its owner that matters, and that is just plain silly (childish, even).

The KC annoys me in that it took until 1974 to recognise Border Collies as a breed (despite the fact that they have been around, breeding true, for hundreds of years) - even then, the KC only recognises pedigreed BCs as BCs - tykes like mine are classed as "Working Sheep Dogs". This strikes me as simple snobbery (and giving a false basis for calling them "inferior").

I bought my first BC (Kali) because he was exactly what I wanted - a bog-standard Orkney Border Collie. His brother Snorri-dog was taken on because we fell in love with him (largely because he looked so much like Kali!). Why I wanted a Border Collie is another story altogether (and has been told before). I have no sheep for them to work, but for me, they do a job (and do it well) - they are my friends and companions, which is the "job description" they were given when they were picked.

One thing I'll never forget - when I picked Kali, I said to the farmer that some of my neighbours would think that having a BC as a pet would be "a waste of a good dog". His reply - "If he gives you pleasure, it could never be a waste!". So right.

So, you've got the dog you love. To hell with what anyone else thinks.

Snorri

joedee i think your rude and arrogant and that you love the sound of your own voice.i find what you say about the breeders of northern inuits very insulting, i would like to see the evidence of these northern inuits with hd [are they registerd northern inuits with the northern inuit society,paperwork to match]i think you should either put up or shut up.
my mother has had three cavaliers all from different breeders [but all top show lines] and all three had bad heart complaints.

Joe Dee I am still rather puzzled - I am beginning to wonder whether the bitch in question is actually registered with the Northern Inuit Society. As you quite rightly say, there are a lot of unscrupulous breeders out there that will breed anything to make a fast buck and I wonder if your friend's one is an unregistered dog. You see, nowhere on our Reg. Cert. does it mention the breed of dog generations behind the lines, so you have no way of knowing what breed a certain dog was and you will have to go back many generations to find the original dogs, since everything in recent years have been pure Northern Inuit - all it quotes is the Registered name. For you to make the statements that you have I believe you have seen a privately written 'pedigree', nothing to do with the Society, possibly even a Utonagan since they were sold as Northern Inuits to begin with and I do know of a couple of Utonagan breeders who quote on their pedigrees what the dogs are crossed with. I really hope your friend gets in touch with me because I would like to get to the bottom of this.

I love my dogs for being "dogs" and not for their breed - you only have to read the threads that I put up about Money (or look at my username to see that!) Breed is not important to me - yes I have a fear of one particular breed simply because of one dog with poor owners. However, should a dog of that breed need a home I would still take it.

The only thing that my dogs have in common is - the are all rescue, they all woof, they have a leg on every corner (sorry they should have a leg on every corner but one of my previous ones only had three legs!), a head at one end and a tail at the other! They could eat me out of house and home - and their cuddles are to die for

Personally I would ignore / block anyone that is breedist.

joedee, it seems to me that you, knowing 1 owner of a supposedly Northern Inuit with problems, are pretty quick to condemn the breed as a whole, can you honestly say, hand on heart, that ther are no unscrupulous people in your breed, i have seen ads from known puppy farmers, selling your breed, all kc registered, do you think these people have shelled out for full health checks, i think not. there are a few bad apples in all breeds, but you seem tohave it in for the N.I big time. we have a good society and are all concerned with keeping our lines pure and , big and, above all healthy, so stop looking down your nose at us and the utes. as for them not being bred for a purpose, is not being a faithful companion a purpose.

I can't argue with you there Sutty

I may sound really ignorant hear but as I've never heard of this breed could someone that actually knows what they are talking about put up or PM a link so that I could get some more info on this breed please, as I personally have not heard of them.

Which one Karen? Northern Inuits or Utonagans

Both would be nice please

I've PM'd you Karen