Working Dog Lover

I have it on good authority that the dog was rehomed with informed consent and this is a media beat up - "don't let the truth stand in the way of a good story" type of thing. If the vets did the wrong thing then they should get in strife but if the Courier Mail is stretching the truth then it's unfair to condemn then based on a newspaper story. I wonder if they'll print the outcome of the police investigation.

Be very interested in seminar notes if they were available for purchase.

We've stayed several times at Glen Robin in Stanthorpe. Dogs welcome inside, lovely cosy place and you can walk on the property to the NSW border. Lovely hosts too. http://www.takeabreak.com.au/Stanthorpe-QLD/SouthEastQueensland/Glen-Robin.htm

We run with our dogs but don't do ET's, instead we enter fun runs with them. We're doing another half marathon with them towards the end of this month and a 10k trail run not long after that. Frooze's advice is good. These are some notes from a seminar by Robert Gillette, a sports vet in the US. * Endurance dogs, or breeds that are more aerobic will benefit from a higher fat % in the base diet -26+ fat %; 27+ protein; and ~40 % CHO * There have been preliminary studies that suggest that a diet with a higher fat % may reduce the increase in body temperature associated with work. * He recommends glucose within the half hour prior to exercise, then glucose and water during endurance exercise, followed by a protein/carb meal within the hour after exercise. We give our dogs gummy bears or similar during long runs, when we take a gel.

We had a gentleman drive from Sydney to Tweed Heads to pick up his rescue puppy. When he paid for her by internet transfer, he included extra for fuel so I could drive from Brisbane to Tweed Heads to meet him with her.

From the AVA website: "Non-core vaccines are required by only those animals whose geographic location, local environment or lifestyle places them at risk of contracting specific infections." http://www.ava.com.au/policy/67-vaccination-dogs-and-cats Nothing said about not recommending it at all. I think she'll have to go the private trainer route, all the clubs I know in my area require kennel cough vaccination. Perhaps she could contact Maureen and Alex at Teamwork Dog Training on the northside - http://www.petpages.com.au/company/teamworkdogs/1574 (their website is down right now). They offer rally-o and may have an instructor who could work with this lady. Good luck.

It's easier and more fun with company, see if you can rope a friend in to do it with you. That way you're both accountable and less likely to skip a session :-)

Awww... thank you! :) We're having a lot of fun with Pooch to 5k, and seeing some fantastic results from both dogs and owners. We based the program on Couch to 5k but made it a little longer and a little easier around week 5, for the dogs' sake. If we can encourage more people and their dogs to get out and get active, we're happy.

I'm not sure why this makes your vet the bad guy? They may have offered your OH the injection as an alternative to what you're currently using and he agreed, there's always a first time for a heartworm injection..

LOL Yet another reason why my two are home schooled - they wouldn't need to disturb the pets :-)

Possibly a little more unusual than some of the other brag posts, but our Australian Cattle Dog and Australian Working Kelpie recently ran the Twilight Half Marathon with us in Brisbane. We took 2 hours 26 and a few seconds for 21.1km. They had a ball, and were really popular with all the spectators and aid station volunteers. It was a ton of fun.

We had a great time at the awards night, thanks so much to Julie and her team for all their hard work. We were thrilled to receive the award for best website, and it has motivated us to keep developing new ideas to support people in getting fit and losing weight with their dog.

Thanks to both of you for the replies. I'll look into both of those suggestions.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with pet business insurance, specifically dog walker insurance. Looking for a company that's competitively priced and good to deal with. Thanks :-) Audrey

My hubby and I run with our dogs a lot. We're planning on doing an ET this year with both of them. My working kelpie already runs half marathons with me and I don't expect he'll have any trouble. My hubby's cattle dog is a candidate too, as he is very capable of a fast 15km run. Looking at either Nanango in QLD, or Grafton, if they're still on in 2011. Should be fun!

Our local animal shelter has been put in lock down twice this year because of parvo outbreaks (Redcliffe, QLD).

Hiya all I have a friend in the US who is writing a book on crate training for dogs - why crates are useful, how to train a dog to use a crate, how to make the crate fun for a dog. She's looking for stories of people's experience of using crates with their dogs. If you're interested in sharing your experience and possibly being mentioned in the book, please pm me. If your story is included, you'll receive a complimentary copy of the book. Thanks :-) Audrey

In my experience, most dog clubs ask for a C5. If you've had a C4, just have the fifth component separately. You can then have a parainfluenza/bordetella booster each year in between 3 yearly C5 boosters. Haven't heard anything about Border Collies needing done yearly, many years ago there was some talk about Rottweilers not responding to vaccinations as well as other breeds. It was thought perhaps to be because their maternal antibodies declined at a slower rate than other breeds, which affected their response to their puppy vaccinations. I've also heard that the vaccines that are used now are more able to overcome maternal antibodies so it's not as significant an issue. My vet vaccinates Rottweilers the same as any other breeds.

I know someone who was planning on having this treatment in Brisbane last year. I haven't seen them since to find out how it went, but they didn't expect any change from $5000.

I think there is a piece missing... on the last photo, there is a separate piece that fits into the recessed part, and it has a screw that goes into the bottom of your camera. That way you can leave the piece on your camera, and either slip it onto the tripod or remove it without screwing and unscrewing all the time. Here are some pictures of what I mean... http://www.tripodquickrelease.com/Vivitar_Quick_Releases.htm Don't quote me on it, it's hard to tell for sure from photographs. Why not take it into your local camera store to make sure? They could order the part for you too.

I run with my dog and there are always loose dogs rushing at us, some are particularly nasty. I average two loose dogs on a 5km run around our estate. I don't want to find somewhere else to run because it would involve getting in the car and driving there, and I don't have that much time. I don't kick them - my hubby booted an aggressive rottie as it lunged at our whippet, and injured his foot. I've also got no intention of putting my hands near the head or collar of an aggressive dog, my hands are my livelihood. Injured hands = no income. So, I carry a stick when I run. Fortunately,I haven't had to use it yet but if an aggressive dog was seriously going to hurt my dogs, he'd be on the ground with concussion. No hesitation. My bad? Maybe. Don't care.

What a neat thread!! This epitomises what I really enjoy about this forum. Someone has a problem and asks for help, there are many different replies, but all thoughtfully and considerately given, and the outcome is that there may be another family who are all going to enjoy the pleasure a dog can bring. For some reason, this thread really gave me a buzz. Or, maybe it's the Shiraz Well done, all, and Rob, I hope things continue to go well for you. Audrey

I regularly feed my dog a spoonful of spag bol, or curry and rice, or whatever else we have on the go. Around 15-30g of onion per kilo bodyweight is needed to poison your dog, so a spoonful of onion in leftovers is unlikely to cause any dramas. Audrey

I believe there are some people in Pine Rivers Dog Obedience Club who dance with their dogs. I don't think they do formal classes, but it may be a starting point for you. Audrey

I now walk with a stick because I have two dogs and two young children and I take a variety of combinations of them on my walks. In the last two months we've been attacked by a loose sharpei, a rottweiler that escaped its yard, a golden retriever (!) and a fox terrier who got out when the front gate was left open, and we have a loose staffy looking mix and a loose blue cattle dog and a loose black kelpie mix who stroll around our neighbourhood. I'm totally over it and the next dog that attacks us on our walk will end up sore.