Danois

Don't always rely on cops to know the law properly! There is NO law in NSW that says dogs must be restrained in a car. If I was pulled over for having my dog unrestrained in the back of my 4WD I would contest the fine and the onus would be on the police to show that I was not in effective control of the car. I struggle to see how they would do that. I called my 'friend' who used to to defend traffic matters in court.

It can be a Real Estate issue as you have an obligation not to create a nuisance for neighbours (under standard NSW Residential Tenancy Agreement). The REA needs to tell the complainant to refer the barking issue to the council for them to address. It would be a brave REA who would breach you under your lease with complaints that have not gone to council.

Not everything - people have asked you before to refrain from using capitalised words in your posts as it is considered rude and is seen as shouting in forum speak...

There is no law that says you must restrain your dog in the car. There is only a road rule that says you must have proper control of the vehicle and this includes not allowing a dog to be on your lap when driving. Arguably, an unrestrained dog in the front passenger seat could also do this - or one who could come between the seats. It would be a very long draw of the bow to get someone for having a dog in the back of a vehicle like a wagon or 4WD. There was a recent thread here on it. Here is a post of mine: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/180275-nsw-3-demerit-points-400-fine-for-unrestrained-dogs-in-cars/page__view__findpost__p__4072534 There is fines and demerit points attached. This is NSW but they are the Aus Road Rules

I went to the Sydney one 2 years ago and would not bother again - very little there, lots of dogs and a small space. Freebies were nothing special. You've mentioned Jenna is DA before right? I would not take her especially if you're by yourself.

Exactly. If you take 2 supposed factors - feeding dry and from a raised bowl. How is it that you can feed a dog this way for say 6 years without any issues but 1 day the dog bloats. You can't say it was dry food from a raised bowl as statistically it does not stack up. I think there is a strong genetic component and have seen some lines feature with bloat cases.

That's it isn't it Crisovar - no definitive reason for bloat. My view is that if a dog is going to bloat then it is going to bloat regardless of what measures you have (or have not) put into place.

Showdog - funnily enough they now say feeding raised increases risk of bloat. I feed raised - not for reasons around bloat but because its damn uncomfortable for a dog the height of a dane to eat from floor level. Linda Arndt, the Great Dane Lady, dismisses the link between soaking dry food and bloat - commenting you're more likely to lose nutrients from the food in doing so. This is a good read: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/bloat_and_torsion_is_nutrition_a_factor.htm IMO making the food soft encourages the dog to eat more quickly as it does not have to stop and chew. If you have a dog that is a bolter when it comes to eating then look at the brake-fast type bowls or feed the meal in a treat ball or a muffin tin.

I don't have a GSD but have a very bloat prone breed (danes). This is an article I have saved as a favourite: http://www.gsdcqld.org.au/GSDV.GSD.htm Not feeding dry is not one of the recommendations that you usually see as a bloat preventative. I had not heard about air swallowing either - do you have a link about that as it sounds interesting? Most dane people don't exercise an hour either side of feeding. I am cautious about too much activity on hot days and anything which causes sudden changes of temperature e.g. giving ice cubes. There are so many theories about what causes bloat - and they're often contradictory. I had a preventative pexy performed when my boy was desexed. I know he can still bloat and torsion with it and his spleen could also go. After his surgery I fed at least 6 small meals a day for the first 4-6 weeks. I soaked his kibble in water before feeding, made a cooked mix of rice, chicken mince and pumpkin, made porridge with rice milk and mixed with kibble.

Ordered and paid for. It keeps showing up that my address is c/- [name] & [name] - it should be c/- [name] & [name].

They probably say up to 80% as in some instances your claim may be subject to a sublimit, a late submission penalty or they may reduce the amount of the vet bill if they think it is excessive for the service rendered. Read the PDS thoroughly and these are all set out in there.

NSW Road Rules makes it an offence to lead an animal while riding a bike.

That is a very basic will which may only suit some people. There is a lot more to doing a proper will than completing a questionnaire online and having a document populated. It might be free but expect the upsell of powers or attorney or once you have entered your details, to be told that you actually need to speak to one of their lawyers for x,y or z reasons. They also get their money back in the end - if you leave it with them for storage then likelihood is that they'll end up with the administration of the estate when the testator dies. Sorry but I'd question anything 'free' out of S&G...

I feed chicken wings to my 60kg dane as he is a slow gentle eater. May very much depend on the dog. I'd be more inclined to feed a chicken frame to a lab (even a 1/2 one)

DogsVic has no jurisdiction to determine disputes between parties. Fair Trading cannot do this either. You need to lodge your claim in the Small Claims Division of the Magistrates Court and have it dealt with that way. No one here can tell you who is in the wrong and who's in the right as we do not have all the information in front of us. All we have is one biased, secondhand point of view.

Our GSDs slept outside in the NZ winter (in a kennel)without coats. I only use a coat as I have a short single coated dog who does not have a lot of body fat so feels the cold (and heat) easily.

I'd disagree - I'd feed a large breed specific food to ensure the protein: fat and calcium: phosphorous ratios were where they need to be for a growing large breed pup. A BARF diet can come into it once they have finished critical growth as it is very difficult to get the right ratios in a homemade diet. You only ge one chance to grow the puppy slowly and steadily and what you do now sets the puppy up for life.

She put on 15kg in 7 weeks??

Based on username compared to email address - might be a typo?

I have to agree - I was going to respond but also wondered where the information is going to go and who is collecting it. There also appears to be a question missing - its asked re registered breeders etc whether you were happy with the pet but the same question is not asked re a pet bought in a pet store.

Re age for scoring vs breeding As it was a giant breed, then a bitch cannot be breed until it is mature and thus would be able to be scored?

What food did you feed the dog? How has the dog been exercised for the last 8 months - including running/ playing with other dogs, how much going up/ down stairs etc etc I agree with the others that OCD/ HD can be both environmental and genetic. I'd also say to contact the breeder and get a second opinion.

Is it a grain free food?

Sounds like the vet was meaning the council rego costs - don't you have to register by 6 months? And it costs more to register an entire dog.

Thanks for your inside experience Flick - invaluable and reasoned contribution to the topic.