♪♫LMBC♫♪

It has come to my attention recently that Pet Barn have started selling dogs and cats at some of their stores. They are supposedly all from animal shelters and sold desexed but does that make it ok? I think it is a bit disappointing, personally. I think they are encouraging impulse buying and they couldn't possibly be screening all their buyers adequately before sending the animal home. Here is the info on their website about it: http://www.petbarn.com.au/services/adoptions I'm not sure when they started doing this but I don't like it at all

You can't get in trouble if your dog bites someone who is trespassing on your property. These people are clearly idiots.

I meant to update this before but I totally forgot. I took Sam for his x-rays the other day. It was pretty much the most depressing day of my life. For one thing, he used to come running at the sound of someone picking up his collar and leash, because he loved going for walks. He's not allowed to go for walks anymore and I realised the other day that he now associates the sound of his leash with going to the vet, so when he saw me coming with it he tried to run away and hide Then when we got to the vet he couldn't even get out of the car on his own. And when they tried to lead him away to the other room he kept trying to come back to me, and after they took him away I could hear him crying He's never done that before, he's always been pretty good when he's had to stay at the vet's. Good news is that he didn't need the GA, he was ok with the sedative. We found out that the reason he is having trouble walking is because he has some growths on his spine, they don't look like they are cancerous apparently but even if they were, they are not in a place that they can be operated on and it wouldn't be worth putting him through chemo at this point. So, he's now on painkillers every day. And its just a matter of time. I'm so sad right now. But he still seems pretty happy so I am hoping we won't have to say goodbye too soon

Thanks everyone. It just shocked me a bit because it seemed so much more expensive than normal xrays but I've only ever had them done under sedation, not general. I'm still worried about putting him under due to his age so I was hoping we wouldn't have to. Thanks Rappie for the more detailed explanation.

My mum's dog is having some problems with his back. The vet has said it is likely a slipped disk but he needs to do some xrays to confirm. He gave them an estimate which seems ridiculous to me. Apparently in the quote they have included a general anesthetic and some blood tests beforehand. I have never heard of putting a dog under full general anesthetic just for an xray. I asked them why not just sedate him and they said 9 times out of 10 the dog won't lay still enough with just IV sedation. Now, I think this is BS because I have seen the worlds naughtiest border collie lie perfectly still under sedation and mum's dog is a perfectly well behaved, very placid old boy so I can't imagine him being a problem. Also, none of us is really keen to put him under as he is 13 years old and not in the best of health as it is. So can anyone tell me what they would expect to pay for xrays and would you expect the dog to be put under a general beforehand? The price we've been given is a lot more than expected and we want to make sure it is right before we do it. We might take him somewhere else for a second opinion but he doesn't like going in the car so if the price we've been given sounds right to everyone else we might just have to go with it. Ooops almost forgot to say we were quoted $669, more than what it cost to have him desexed

Nyan cat is the most irritating thing ever invented. But its also strangely addictive :laugh:

It depends what it is. One of my boyfriend's dogs (Rusty) just looks guilty whenever someone else is being naughty, even if he hasn't actually done anything. I'll hear barking up the back and I'll go out to sort it out and he's sitting there at the back door, quiet as a mouse but looking incredibly guilty because he knows SOMEONE is in trouble even if its not him :laugh: So, I can't assume he's done something just because he looks like he has. On the other hand, there are some things that ONLY Darcy does. Like going around the backyard collecting bits of dried poo and putting them in his bed So sometimes I know, sometimes not.

I'm not surprised the council won the appeal. How could they have declared the dogs dangerous when they had never attacked anyone before? The council holds no responsibility whatsoever. The responsibility lies with the owners of the dogs to ensure they were secure (they were) and the parents or whoever was caring for the girl to make sure she was supervised and not climbing into the enclosure. Its pretty clear in this situation who has neglected their responsibilities.

Possibly because the toy might be bought and taken home to a puppy that's still largely house-bound because it's not fully vaccinated? Yep, if you took a toy that had an unvaccinated dogs saliva on it you could be putting young pups at risk. Really, the toy shouldn't have been on the floor in the first place though. If you're buying a toy from a shop that allows dogs inside, you are taking that risk anyway. How many toys would have been picked up or licked by dogs without any staff even noticing? If my dog picked up a toy off the floor at a pet shop I would probably just take it off him and put it back on the shelf without even giving it a second thought. It would not occur to me that I should have to pay for it and I'm sure it would actually happen quite often. And anyway, what if I patted my dog and he licked my hand and then I picked up a dog toy off the shelf and didn't buy it? The dog hasn't touched it but it might have saliva on it. What if you walk an older dog outside of your home and he gets dirt on his feet and then he comes back into your house where your unvaccinated puppy is? There are risks everywhere, so I wouldn't expect to have to pay for a toy that my dog picked up in a shop where my dog is allowed to be.

Sometimes, for whatever reason, you just don't bond with one dog as well as another. It happens. My dog was definitely mine from the first day he came home. I love him to bits. I have moved in with my boyfriend now and he has two dogs already. I have known these dogs for years, since they were pups, but since they were never 'mine' I never bonded to them. Now that I see them every day, play with them, spend time with them, I feel more bonded to them so maybe that's what this family needs to do. But even though I feel more bonded to my boyfriend's dogs now that I did before, I am still a lot more keen on one of them than the other. One is always happy to see me, the other coulnd't care less. One gets sooky if he's not getting enough attention, the other couldn't care less :p you get the idea. She's very independent and that doesn't appeal to me much in a dog. But just because you don't have the same close bond with one dog as you do with another, doesn't mean that you should rehome. I assume they like the dog, even if they haven't bonded as much. The dog is being looked after and is happy, so what's the problem, really?

Yes, it wouldn't have been the parents of the child who were at fault . It is his right as a child to go into other's yards and steal. I totally agree! However in the eyes of the law and the anti-dog doogooders if a dog attacked a child in this situation you can get your bottom dollar it would be the dog and the owner who are at fault with the dog being PTS Nope. Read the law. A dog that attacks in its own backyard is not generally held to be at fault. Just did a quick check on this and from what I could see the law in Tasmania doesn't differentiate between a dog bite in public or a dog bite on private property specifically. It does however say that a dog is not considered to be "rushing or chasing" if confined securely behind a fence but the laws given for actual bites don't seem to make any distinction between public or private property. Kind of ambiguous really... We had a similar issue with a child approaching the side of my yard and wanting to pat my two (security) dogs who were barking loudly at him. Dogs where securely confined to my back yard and the child came in through my unfenced front yard and then down the side of my house about 2 or 3 metres and was about to put his hand in a small gap to pat the dogs ... while mum stood on the front footpath waiting for him. Thankfully I was home at the time (normally I would be at work) and was heading out the front door when I heard them barking - as I came out the front door when I saw the child heading down the side of the house and mum stated "its ok, he just wants to pat the dogs". I don't know any idiots that would want to pat two large dogs who are going mental ... but obviously mum through it was ok Lets say they where told in no uncertain terms what I thought of the child entering my yard and approaching my dogs (was firm with child but my anger was directed at the mother) ... and then to back it up I contacted the childs school (he was in uniform) and explained the situation and suggested it might be a good idea to contact the RSPCA Education Program ... they got back to me and were very concerned. They apparently regularly have the RSPCA out at the school and would ask them to reinforce no patting unknown dogs without asking, they were going to add a reminder in their newsletter and were going to mention it on their school parade (which I thought was fantastic). We have extensive warnings on the gates and while the gates are padlocked and the yard is secure for the dogs ... there was a smallish gap between the gate post and the gate to allow for the swing of the hinges. A hand through that gap would most likely have resulted in a bite ... and my dogs would could have been declared "dangerous" and even potentially destroyed. We have now restricted the dogs access to that side of the yard and have placed shadecloth on the inside of the gate which blocks the gap without restricting the swing on the gate. After numerous discussions with council - basically if anyone enters my yard (invited or otherwise) and is bitten or if my dogs are on the loose and someone is bitten - the dog would be treated the same. The fact they are secured in my back yard doesn't offer them any protection. You can not be charged if your dog attacks someone while they are on their own property: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/A/AnimalManA08.pdf (1) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against section 194 or 195 for the defendant to prove— (a) the dog attacked, or acted in a way that caused fear to, the other person (the complainant) or the animal— (i) as a result of the dog being attacked, mistreated, provoked or teased by the complainant or the animal; or (ii) to protect the defendant, or a person accompanying the defendant (the accompanying person), or the defendant’s or accompanying person’s property; or Its worded differently to the NSW one but it means the same thing.

+1 Harsh. The person had a situation with the dogs & did the wrong thing. Not everyone is perfect & knows everything & the right & wrong way to handle it is variable according to whose opinion is given. Even trainers & behaviourists vary in their methods. One thing is obvious these dogs have to be living seperately. This is possible. When done with common sense lots of animals live apart in homes. Cats & birds, dogs & rabbits, dogs & chickens, cats & fish etc. Not all animals are good with each other & these 2 dogs are not either. It does sound like he will work something out so both dogs are safe & kept alive. He came on here for some support & advice & he sure has got some that makes me go you get my vote. heaps of good sense here hope the OP hasnt given up. and not comming back. how dare so many presume to judge this man. he asked for help not character assination A person who has such an anger issue that he flies of the handle completely and has a violent tantrum all over his dogs exhibiting natural behaviours, is not someone IMO who should be responsible for caring for anything. Sounded to me like he was stressed about the fighting between the dogs and lost it. A mistake yes, but hardly something we aren't all capable of, unless you never get angry and make mistakes? Of course I get angry, and make mistakes. But I can't say I've ever been angry enough that I've had to deal with it by kicking and punching things and screaming. But I have had the displeasure of witnessing that kind of rage before by someone else and it was pretty scary so I can only imagine how the poor dogs must feel.

+1 Harsh. The person had a situation with the dogs & did the wrong thing. Not everyone is perfect & knows everything & the right & wrong way to handle it is variable according to whose opinion is given. Even trainers & behaviourists vary in their methods. One thing is obvious these dogs have to be living seperately. This is possible. When done with common sense lots of animals live apart in homes. Cats & birds, dogs & rabbits, dogs & chickens, cats & fish etc. Not all animals are good with each other & these 2 dogs are not either. It does sound like he will work something out so both dogs are safe & kept alive. He came on here for some support & advice & he sure has got some that makes me go you get my vote. heaps of good sense here hope the OP hasnt given up. and not comming back. how dare so many presume to judge this man. he asked for help not character assination A person who has such an anger issue that he flies of the handle completely and has a violent tantrum all over his dogs exhibiting natural behaviours, is not someone IMO who should be responsible for caring for anything.

Wonder why the OP was removed? We have trampoline beds, which get regularly destroyed because a certain border collie can't just get into them slowly, he has to take a running leap and jump into them, doing a little skid as he lands :rolleyes: every few months they get holes, which get gradually bigger. We will probably just put a hessian bag over it next time :laugh: we also have an outdoor kennel which has a soft bed inside.

Most I've been away from Darcy was probably almost 2 weeks in 2010 when I went to Tassie, and I'll be leaving him again in a few days for a 10 day cruise. He stays with my parents, he's been going to their place since he was a bub, he had his first overnight stay there when he was about 6 months old and I was so worried even though I knew he'd be fine...it was only one night too Mum loves him to bits and spoils him rotten, and he has a playmate there too, our old boy who pretends he doesn't like him but will secretly have a tug of war when he thinks we're not watching :laugh: Mum sends me regular updates on how he is, usually, but this cruise coming up will be my first time overseas and I will have no phone so I'm a bit nervous about that, but really I know he will be fine. Apparently he usually forgets that I've even left once I'm gone :laugh:

My advice? Rehome both dogs. If they are not able to be safely rehomed, pts. Then don't get another dog again, ever. And get some help for your anger management problem before you hurt someone.

If the shop you got your pup from allows it, I suggest you take it back immediately. As others have said, 3-4 walks a week is not enough stimulation for a border collie. You didn't say how old your boy was when you got him but assuming you got him as a pup, he is still very young for a BC and he needs a lot more than what he is getting. If you don't have time to put any more effort into caring for the dog you have why on Earth would you think that the solution is getting another one? And another working breed at that. You can't just purchase any random puppy and expect it to 'learn to be submissive'. Dogs are not robots. You say you want the best for both dogs. The best thing for them is that the new pup be rehomed or taken back to the pet shop and you work on the issues you have with your first dog. You said you don't want to rehome her when she has done nothing wrong, but trust me she is not going to even remember once she is in a new home where she is happy. If you keep her where she is, in an unsuitable situation she will not be happy and neither will your other dog.

Darcy used to lick my toes when he was a puppy, but he doesn't anymore. I think he may have been put off by my squealing every time he did it (I have very ticklish toes)

Borrow someone else's :p

You only have this dog because you didn't want to lose your deposit. You now want to get rid of the dog because it...um...is a dog? You have apparently made no effort to train or socialise or stimulate this dog in any way and don't even allow it adequate exercise. You don't seem to understand why it is YOUR fault that the dog is behaving badly. And yet you also claim to be a breeder. A breeder with a total lack of understanding of how to appropriately care for a dog. Its not about the money. Its about the fact that you even put the poor dog in this situation in the first place. The right thing to do would be to give the dog back to the breeder. You don't deserve to get your money back. You should have thought this through better. Why should the breeder have to be out of pocket for YOUR mistake?

Speaking as a previous owner of an aggressive dog, no I would not. I'd feel furious that the other owner's negligence had probably put back my dog's training and rehabilitation by weeks if not months. my point was that the case did not involve owner's negligence not much point me arguing the case though when you view the world as you do I don't see how the owner is not negligent in the examples you gave. Unless the owner wasn't there and someone else is looking after the dog but its still the fault of the person who is responsible for the dog, and not anyone else who might be walking their dog.

Oh, well if you were in an offlead area that is completely different. The way you wrote your first post it sounded like you were walking your dogs somewhere where they shouldn't be offlead. In that case, they should have been there at all, supervised or not. Off-lead parks are not the place for aggressive dogs.

My friend is looking for temporary accommodation for her dog. She is moving him from Coffs Harbour to Sydney and she did have a place lined up for him but it has fallen through. She would probably need somewhere for him to stay for around a week, he is a 1.5 year old beagle cross. If anyone might be able to take him for a while PM me and I will pass on all the info. Thanks

I would have thought it would depends on the uni. I'm studying at Macquarie and I have seen people walking their dogs on campus, so I'm guessing its not against the rules there. But I have also studied on another campus which kept a lot of livestock and other animals so understandably, they were not happy with having people bring dogs on campus.

No, actually, they should be able to walk their dog without it being approached by other off lead dogs. You may have had your dogs under control but no dog is 100% predictable and you were breaking the law. However, I do agree with you about young kids walking dogs. Kids should always be supervised when walking dogs, even if they are not aggressive.