ACS is quite difficult to take care due to shedding and long floppy ears but they are very adorable but i finally settled for a miniature schnauzer - i just luve the tough look and the serious face - also very inteligent and low maintenance hehe

american cocker spaniel have long droppy ears, you need to take care of it as it gets soiled very easily when he/she is eating/drinking/sniffing the floor etc. the fur tangle quite easily therefore daily brushing also look out for skin problem. they also shed alot. but ofcos they are adorable - oh you need to trim it's coat 2-3mths to maintain the look.

ms are not very noisy. what i like is ms very easy to live with as they are completely friendly to all my family members. ofcos problem in maintaining the janggut

pugs - need to take care of the eyes cos they jutts out of the face

shih tzu - too femiline and furry for me hehe. also they are bit blur

also the acs is very adorable so you might fall in lurve when you see them and bam you're caught ........ joking

just take into consideration the required time for getting the acs - they are not like gr. if you think you can manage - then by all means take it ....... all dogs deserve a loving owner

wei dun frighten m2k2land ....... nah it dun take that long - just make sure you bath them in the morning when there is sun and after that just tie the leash to gate in the sun for awhile and let the doggy do the job - then only proceed to dry with hair dryer

for ms - 10-15min to clean her, dry with towel dry and then hairdryer. last time acs, 10-15min to clean, towel dry, 10-15min in sun.

no problem - happy the acs found a new home.

ham7 - there's alot of places you can help like "paws" or check with wwf malaysia for any nature activity

the west highland terrier is really nice - i actually considered getting one last time but like you said it is rather rare in malaysia.

jrt is one energetic fella ....... get one if you dun mind your pet scrambling all over the place non-stop hehe

you've got to train your dog - start by simple "no". say it sternly. don't fool around with the dog when you are angry - the dog can sense it when you are unhappy with him/her. it takes time. i too train my dog like realitydreamer - always leash your dog when going for walk. eg dog like to rush out and pull you along on the leash. just stop and say "no". after that wait for dog to calm down and settle down. ask the dog to sit, then when you are ready to walk give command like "go"/"heel". when dog pull ahead again stop. overtime he/she will understand to heel.

This post has been edited by kitman: Dec 26 2006, 02:17 PM

just go to mph/popular and read up on dog training - foc haha.

it's impt to show the dog who is the dominant. you see your pet will treat you as part of the pack (dogs live in pack in the wild so it's the same with our domesticated doggy). therefore you must show you are the dominant pack leader - then they will fall inline and behave. remember you are the owner not the doggy control you

hi ahyap ....... welcome. pls feel free to contribute and share-share

on the part of doggy bully - remember the dog will see us as part of his/her pack so make sure you are the pack leader

it is absolutely true you got to show your dog who is the boss. so if the misbehave - make sure you scold. eg pee on the carpet - hold the dog by the collar and point the head towards the pee and say no sternly over and over again ... then leash it and leave it alone for an hour. it will get the message.

when you feed the dog - pls follow the recommended amount - dun over feed. after feeding, give it some water and then remove the dog bowl - dun leave it on the floor. after awhile try to teach it not to eat anything unless you command to do so. first don't put down the dog bowl until he/she sit. after mastering that, command dog to sit, then place the dog bowl a few feet away from the dog, don't allow the dog to get up towards the food and repeat saying "stay". when you want him/her to eat, say "ok" and release him/her to eat. this take time so be patient and repeat this every meal.

pls note - don't use complicated words as command - simple 2 syllable words max - like sit, stay, come, no, ok, fetch, heel, poo, take etc

for naming your doggy - also same - simple name - 2 syllable max.

if you do not have space for play pen then keeping your dog on leash is better than cage. i never keep my dog in the cage except when it's time for bed. it is not advisable to keep you dog in cage for long period of time as the space is too small. my house also no place for play pen so no choice but to cage it at night - but i only put her in around 11.30pm and she'll be out first thing in the morning.

This post has been edited by kitman: Jan 8 2007, 12:47 AM

umm peeing and pooing - isn't it part and parcel in owning a pet? so be patient and slowly train your dog - it doesn't happen overnight and if are really stuck you can consider taking casper to a professional dog trainer. having a dog as a pet is a big responsibility, so for those considering getting a dog - pls note that with all the fun there's also the pee and poo but for me it's well worth it cos dogs are such loving creatures and they love you no matter what.

redbox is correct - be firm and stern ... dogs can feel when the owner is angry I have no idea on the prof trainers but i think that will be the last option when you really cannot handle the doggy.

alot of people just buy the doggy without choosing properly. i know we all have preference for certain dogs but you must know the character of the bred and it's requirement before you get it. when choosing a pup - you need to spend sometime with it - take note how confident he/she is with the brot/sis, dominant? alert? fight back when bully? shy? etc. dog ownership is long term

most of us here are not pro - just learn from experience and research. i would recommend reading up abit on dog training etc and find out more on your westie. of cos take note of the expert advise we give hehe.