Pet Expo 2013

[furtech]

Complete Flickr Set Here

This last weekend I was at this year's 2013 Pet Expo in Orange County. I look forward to this event every year: I love running the dogs and helping them to find forever homes. There's a lot of validation when you see a dog with issues that make them not-for-everybody be adopted by someone who is absolutely perfect for that particular dog. We had some great dogs out this year and four of them went home with neat people. Considering how few adoptions seemed to be happening this year, I was really happy.

For the most part the majority of rescues were pit-mixes and chihuahua/yap-mixes. I was surprised by both the large numbers of these dogs here and that there was such a plethora of them.

I got to see a Silken Windhound for the first time in-person. Very Saluki-like in demeanor. Also saw a Japanese Ken for the first time (I think). They are bigger than Shibas and smaller than Akitas and much more out-going than either of those sister-breeds.

By Sunday I was exhausted and Apache (who was at the breed booth) was even more done.

Comments

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the photos!

The Ambullneo sounds like a stupid idea.

I'll take Shorty! He looks cute!

[martes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Ambullneo, great idea. Take 3 dogs bred specifically for fighting and put them together in one big, stupid, potentially lethal package.

[doronjosama.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with this... with the wrong owner, those dogs could be so dangerous.

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

I went and looked at their website... let's just say it's a certain type of person who is breeding these dogs.

The Ambullneo Mastiff is heavily muscled, has a large head, powerful jaws, strong, sharp, deep-set teeth and can spring into action moving all 140 pounds of muscle with the knock down power of a locomotive in seconds to overtake and apprehend its adversary.

The little I read about the dog seemed very concerned that it should be able to take someone down.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention this...the people with the booth and the very-interested attendees all seemed exactly like the type of person who are the reason pits have such a bad rap. WTF is being able to attack someone so important to a dog-owner? The reason law-enforcement doesn't use this type of dog is that they can't be easily released or called off. I can't think of a single good reason (one that is moral -or- legal) to have an animal that can "take someone down".

The -only- positive is that mastiff genes -might- make them less aggressive-- but considering their pitch, I doubt it.

[doronjosama.livejournal.com]

Great photos! I love how dogs can look so completely wildly different depending on breed. Cats are much more uniform, only a few basic body/head types.

MILLIPEDES. D: I don't get how insect-like things work as pets. I can't imagine they're very affectionate!

It amuses me that all the people from the wolf hybrid rescue look like every person I've ever met who has wolf hybrids. So much camo. So many tattoos. XD (Also having lived with wolf hybrids when I was in my 20's, those are not easy animals to have. They are way more work than a dog, and dogs are a lot of work!)

[doronjosama.livejournal.com]

Also the Japanese Ken breed is SO CUTE!

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

It is a really cute breed! I like Shibas a lot but there are things I've heard about them that made me wary of owning one.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Shibas are adorable to look at but they are the classic one-person dog. Even within a family, they will be firmly (and often jealously) attached to one person. There are exceptions to this: I've met breeders whose Shibas are very sociable, but they have been the exception. In general, the Asian breeds tend to be more aloof and stand-offish.

I have only met the two Ken dogs, but if what the booth people say is true ("They are much more in-your-face than Shibas"), they could be a neat breed to own.

[oats-a-plenty.livejournal.com]

Sweet! LA Pigeon Club's Parade of Champions!

[vulpesrex.livejournal.com]

You make mention that the weekend attendance - especially on Friday - was poor; I would attribute this to the situation in Boston, which came to a climax on Friday. April 19th is my birthday - and for the last 15 years or so, I've come to dread it because something violent always seems to happen somewhere, on or immediately around that date (Waco, Oklahoma City, and now this).

It would be interesting to see how attendance at Disneyland may heve been affected for the week, just for comparison. Disneyland would be considered a prime "terrorist" target...and something which people might decide to avoid in an unstable situation.

Regarding the dogs - the picture of the Mal pulled at my heartstrings. I miss White Fang. GSDs are also good (at least, the ones not bred for that sloped-back stance, which seems to be the current breed standard). I'm not sure if I would have enough energy for a Border Collie, however.