Monah

inside aircon. luckily we dont get such hot weather here. In Darwin however... many dogs were outside theree though and slept the heat away. I'm sure if dogs have shade, plenty of water, somewhere cool to go, they would be OK, unless they are a brachy breed or have lots of coat.. we only need the aircon for about 2 weeks of the whole year, my spin feels the heat so she needs the aircon... viz feels the cold and in summer if we have the aircon on, she needs a blankie

Just going on our area here. We are meant to microchip, many don't. Fines etc. seem to be irrelevent, most just 'dont care'... we have no dog parks at all, and I would not use one if we did. There are only a couple of dog beaches available at certain times. If they were available more often many more people would use them and they would not be crowded during available times which leads to problems.. People who are more likely to not care are more motivated by what's in it for them. some sort of reward system is a better way to go than fines which are very difficult to address and if the person does not care, they just dont pay, the dog pays I agree with BINS , like the sticker ideas too and several other things. stickers (inc bumper stickers re desexing, toileting, barking etc., ranger ph numbers.. no one here knows HOW to even get tthe rangers...) heavy media assistance in local and free papers, maybe a weekly story written by a vet, trainer, club, breeder etc with clear and simple information re animal care. the paper might be glad of a 'filler'. I also feel that education for those involved with dogs be better, re breeds etc. Its not hard to ID breeds these days with so much info internet, ex books around yet here at least, rangers have not got a clue. this then impacts on what the 'public' perceive through the media and what the council records as dangerous or menacing breeds...

They are gorgeous! Not much to add really, some great advice already! try not to stress too much, don't rush it or expect them to be 'best friends' so quickly. It may take them a long time to bond, .take it nice and slowly. Mainly, keep the puppy safe, make sure the older dog has quiet and me time and is not hassled too much. Be patient with the crying etc. and be very aware, ie. dont get sucked into, Oh they've been great today' scenario as tomorrow IS another day. always supervise. Eventually they will get used to each other and it may take several months for them to be good friends, or only several days. Every dog is different. They appear to be behaving pretty normally to me for first days.. I've also found that often an older dog will be 'fine' with a pup until the dog realises this thing is now STAYING here!! not 'visiting'!!

re rentals, is there any avenue for a separate style of contract for animal owners like not just an extra bond but some sort of insurance? we have insurance for everything else..... I mean not owner/house insurance but insurance for the renter that coverrs damage to the house they are renting, so if they have a 'clean slate' the insurance is less than if they don't etc so those who never do any damage are not up for a large amount. It could be available though real estate agents when you rent and may make more people open to allowing pets. When we were thinking of renting our house out I said i didn't mind what they had, cow, horse, dogs etc. It's very sad that so many cannot find a home with animals..

Allerzeit, gorgeous!!! Mollies chair looks like my chewed furniture!!! Rotties ;)

Nup... no cushion here?? It's here somewhere... I'm right and left pawed.. FROGS!!!! my favourite.... backseat drivers... It's mine... honest... CAUGHT! foot in mouth... just kiss me!! SWIM!!!! incoming bassett

tch. tch. Humans!! very odd.... watching the road Mine,, NO mine... snorkling whissper whisper.... HIDE, the spin can't see us... Let's PLAY!!!!

slug. Hmm.,. who's on DOL today? Big deal, pink lamby PJs, wanna make something of it???? Did you see the fish??? I is flexible Just give me a taste!!! No, i'm not bored, just putting off my final uni assignment....

Which way??? I'm definitely taller....... BOO! FIND THE VIZ.... MMM, Bobble, my favourite....

I may not LOOK like a dog, but I is one!!! The KID did it.... the embarassment.... who said I wouldn't fit?????

SAS I'm getting depressed in the dumping etc threads, need a laugh. Mud??? what mud?? I'll dig, you catch..... READ MY LIPS.. i HAZ ZE BONE.. Look. no head.. like I was saying... fishing...

I'd like to know some stats too. One thing I will guarantee. In our area there WILL a massive spike in dumpings from christmas to february.

Centitout, that's so disappointing, I'm so sorry, I've always had huge admiration for you, and your lovely dogs I'd love one and investigated many years ago, visited the breeder, yes from me, no from OH as there were ceilings covered in hanging drool (they did have MANY dogs) I was fine with it, being quite a pig... OH was not. so that was it as I do not believe in 'forcing' the issue, if one does not agree it WILL end in tears..... GM, yes I know I should say more but I dont seem to have the skills to do so without sounding horrible... I am in the midst of my 3rd letter to the editor this week in which I DO say exactly what I think.. Screening is very important, one rescue group here has had another dog returned, useless, I now have to educate some of them on screening, thought it would be common sense, cat hating dog...put in a home with a cat.. Then people like Cenitout cover all possibilities and STILL doesnt prevent rehoming. My breeders were terrific (are) communicators and I saw the 'bad' with my own eyes (giant craters, eaten doors, HAIR..., excitability, leaping over the furniture, etc). ALthough we all like others to see our dogs behaving, I don't think it hurts to see the absolute worse either. IE, meet and greet in black clothes COVERED in hair? It's like when people see revolting kids and KNOW that their angel will never do that... dog buyers have a puppy blind spot and when their perfect puppy is a 9 month old monster..... Still cant think of any answers....my brain hurts.

agree GM, I am 'politically incorrect' so try and steer clear of most of these. I believe most problems are manageable and common sense Owning a dog is taken far too lightly, and DOES mean some life changes. We are a 'live for today and dont worry about next year' type of society now and this has impacted on pet ownership too. Still wondering how to prevent the dumping... local news here last night... about 50 baby birds thrown in a bin and died and another litter of 14 mastiff x pups floating around.

I like the idea someone (sorry, lost who...) put up about Wyong doing cheaper desexing and rego instead of release fines etc. and it 's cheaper than the fine. This is the kind of thing that would work here. I'ts a small thing in the scheme of things but a start as that is one less 'breeder' in the community (byb or accidental). In this area (and Soufs Bundaberg article most dumpage etc is in this area) anythiing that is less money than the alternative is a better option. The little things will eventually bring about greater things. WHen microchipping 'days' are on here, many people turn up for $25 micro, so they obviously have NOT had it done previously......laws or no laws... but at least these special days do encourage them out of the woodwork. Our local paper here has also helped greatly by putting in pet stories, both rescues and horror several times a week and it IS making everyone much more aware about how bad the situation is. Hundreds of people have offered help, so not all is lost. If we can only work out how to stop animals being in this predicament in the first place. It's NORMAL here for people to move and leave a couple of cats or a dog behind... Media (great post Anne) and marketing is the base work, but is very expensive so 'begging' local and free newpapers etc. can go far in getting the information out to the public via educated people. Crikey, up here, put on a sausage sizzle and 'they will come'...

I dont know about the Brisbane shows but there is a dol SHOW section that has all aussie shows pinned and links so you can see dates, places etc. , Click on QLD and see what is on in Nov Dec I would also suggest waiting until you are settled in NZ (well, I guess that's because that's what I'd do) saves on the stress and expense of another dog to travel etc. RE pug, just also check on travel arrangements if you think of getting one as I have heard that some airlines do not like taking brac. breeds, As you have had so many different breeds I suppose you realise that all dogs are very capable of chasing. It really comes down to management and training.I had a cattle dog who I got aged 7 (dog not me!) and she loathed cats but after 12 months of training with our 4 cats she was terrific, ended up sleeping with them all in her dotage!! Is there any chance or re wiring you aussie if his rehoming does not work out? It is so upsetting for you to have to rehome him, must be awful. If a dog IS that way inclined, dont give them the opportunity. I feel the other person who's dog has killed 6 cats is really negligent. I'm a cruel owner who keeps her dogs shut in if i'm not here ;) ;) for several reasons. I dont think you can JRT proof 82 acres either ;) but I've lived on properties too and always kept my dogs contained. Is your daughter able to spend time with your remaining aussie? the ones I've met are fantastic kids dogs and it may help alleviate the dogs lonliness

Espinay, good ideas. We go round in circles, laws re dogs get tougher, you cant take them anywhere, dogs become more isolated, more prone to problems, then get dumped and the cycle starts again. My day runs around what and where I can take my dogs at what times. I realise that some of this is to filter out those who do the 'wrong thing', but there are also many of us who do the right thing. I guess that's another thread...

I'm currently doing newsletters/pamphlets for a rescue/fostering org here and am really interested iin everyones ideas.

A doler and I were only saying this about ACT on the weekend. Training programs are a great idea. Unfortunately here in the Wide Bay area where we are fairly uneducated and outnumbered by ferals, even getting a person to training would be a miracle How do we change the 'throw away' society, self absorbed society, want it NOW society, not my problem etc???

YEs, the rental thing is huge! WHy is it OK OS but not here, to rent with animals?

agree with PF and JB. I dont have an answer. In this area dog and cat dumpage is massive. The area is very low socio economic and to leave animals at refuges costs about $10 which is nothing... but this is enough to cause animals being thrown in the scrub. lack of money also puts people off desexing etc. re education, it is very common here for people to believe having litters of puppies and kittens are great , disposable etc. people who train their dogs are thought of as eccentric dog people.. there are many in the community trying to clean up the messes of thousand of other people. How do we educate and cut costs like desexing? IMO animal problems are a community problem and councils need to help fund desexing programs and education programs etc. Our rates are well over $2,000 and I'd love a few dollars of that to go toward fixing the pet problems in the area. Fines and release fines definitely are not working. so many owners dont care if their dog is picked up and have no intention of paying for release. Nursing and retirement homes need to explore pet ownership policies too. I've lost count of the hundreds of pets surrendered by poor seniors entering these places or their families who refuse to take responsibility for 'nannas dog or cat'

Kirty she is incredible (so are you with all the fosters......) What a lovely girl, and so beautiful too. xxxxx

This week alone there have been several LITTERS of pupppies dumped here, and there just the ones that have made the 'news' . My GF has 3 dogs of her own and fosters for pet warriors as I told her to ring them (she is wonderful) and she has had a constant stream of several dogs at a time at her house, including 2 mothers and pups The ones in the artcile that were dumped on a road, were dumped on a MAIN road, speed limit 100ks :D Honestly, why? seems they must have hoped the whole lot were going to be run over. ' I agree with you ready set go on the policies you've set out, wish those in 'power' would get off their arses and take some sort of action

Amypie, we have 3 Manchesters here doing agility and they are WONDERFUL

Mum, pups dumped for dead Stephen O’Grady | 13th November 2010 THE CRUEL and disgusting spate of animal dumping plummeted to a new low on the Fraser Coast in the early hours of yesterday morning. A mother and her six pups were offloaded on the outskirts of Hervey Bay on the Pialba to Burrum Heads road. By 9am yesterday the mother was dead, after she was struck by a passing car. Her offspring were rescued by a Torbanlea man who was already running late for an appointment in the Bay. “He was a lovely man but he was very distressed by the experience,” Fraser Coast Pet Warriors' Marie Barnes said. “He was shaking when I met him. He dragged the mother off the road. The pups were gathered around their mum.” The pups are about six weeks old and are believed to be a German Shepherd-Retriever cross. The Torbanlea man initially took them to a nearby filling station where one of the employees knew Ms Barnes and rang her. “By the time I got there, three of the pups had been taken by members of the public who had gathered around the boot of the man's car to survey his find. “That's great but I would just like them to contact me to confirm they have been vet checked. “The three left behind were ravenous. They were vomiting grass and dirt. And they were flea riddled. “It was a very sad and distressing sight.” Ms Barnes has urged anyone getting rid of an animal to pick up the phone and call the animal pound or the Pet Warriors. “We have a great relationship with the council. “Please, call someone. Ring me, I can help. That way we won't have mums dumped in the middle of the road and such sadness.” She said the Pet Warriors had an established network of foster carers lined up for animals, and also a selection of dogs in stock which could be viewed on their website. Her number is 0407 371 538.