Diva

If I could find a private trainer locally that offered what I wanted I would choose them over a club purely for convenience. Cost isn't an issue, but time is very important to me. My work life doesn't allow regular club attendance really and I am also not interested in some of the curriculum. My dogs already do all the manners stuff to extent I want it and it is a feature of many local club lessons, whereas I would train to trial or address a particular issue only. Timing of lessons is the reason I stopped teaching at the local club, I can't guarantee I will not be travelling or staying late at work. I do find club courses good exposure for young dogs, and that is when I go back - when I have a young pup.

I'd desex a male before maturity for a retained testicle but not much else. Not sure why prostate issues would be seen as a reason to do so - according to a lecture I attended in the US recently given by a university-based reproductive specialist malignant prostate cancer is twice as common in desexed dogs than entire.

Retained testicles have a very high chance of becoming cancerous, if it doesn't drop by six months I would be arranging for the desexing. You could probably leave it a few months longer, but not too long.

I don't think we live in the same world, if you think the Police here are interested in dogs attacking dogs in the street. I can't imagine them even taking a report unless a person is seriously injured. Nor could any of my reports make a difference to a fine, unless I had concrete evidence of the identity of the dog, and even with an address that can be disputed. I would like to see a return to the old days of rangers patrolling the streets and impounding every loose dog they see - I can dream.

Every time my on lead dogs have been atttacked on a walk I have reported it. 3 out of 4 times I didn't know where the dogs lived as they had no owner with them or the owner ran off, and I was told there was nothing they could do, they were not even interested. The worst occurred on a Sunday and they laughed at my suggestion a ranger try and find the two dogs running loose. The fourth time the dog burst out if its front door to run across the road and attack my dog walking past on the opposite footpath. They said for that one they would send a letter reminding the owner of the importance of keeping their dog on their property, as I had an address. The only reason we were not injured in that one was the kindness of a passing tradie who pulled over and got the dog off, it was a vicious unprovoked attack. Hardly worth reporting the loose dogs that don't attack when even serious incidents are of little interest.

That sounds horrific spikey. I have been lucky, on two occasions people driving by have stopped to help, and chased the attacking dogs off. I have been so grateful, but it should never come to that, not in an ordinary suburban street.

I have found from experience that standing tall and ordering a dog attacking yours off works a lot of the time, but that time it doesn't often involves more than one dog, and I am simply not strong enough, or quick enough, or have good enough balance to grab their hindlegs or beat them off or punch them hard under the chin or any of the other advice. I have tried, it was useless. I think there are a whole lot of people walking dogs who are no stronger or more athletic than I am. Fortunately my dogs are big, and except when very young or very old they can defend themselves and each other when it gets really serious. But I believe a lot more effort needs to be put into policing leash laws, and penalties for people who have dogs behind inadequate fencing or let their dogs run the streets need to be severe, and widely publicised.

I have Borzoi, happy to share experiences by pm if you want another view. I am up to number seven now, got my first in the eighties and have had at least one ever since. Always mostly pets although I have shown too. Obviously, having stuck with them for so long, I am a fan.

Sorry to hear this. You have done well to get him this far, my boy was gone within 3 days of showing symptoms, but his tumour was on the heart and only found on necropsy. No advice from me, just best wishes.

If it is the area I am thinking of it isn't a fenced dedicated off lead area, although we have those too. It is probably one of the multi use ovals. I walk my dogs alongside such an oval because that is where the footpath goes, but we don't often actually go out onto the oval. The footpath is not part of the offlead area but there is no physical barrier. I have had people literally run aross the oval with their off lead dogs to interact with mine even though we are obviously just walking past, and even when their dogs are clearly not comfortable with mine, which are quite large. I find it weird, although all the people are generally very pleasant, lol. No flying fists

Of course not, no one is suggesting it was OK.

Poor Belco, we are just misunderstood! Don't know what the guy's motivation was, but we do have a problem with aggro loose dogs in this area, and nothing much gets done when you report them. I have generally found good manners on the off lead ovals though, it is the street that is riskier. Not excusing anyone, it shouldn't have happened.

Yep, I almost posted that but I wasn't game to :laugh:

Started to post and decided I was speechless. That is my pretty close to my neighbourhood.

Check for UTI and other health issues. On the floor might just be the weather, but on the bed for an otherwise clean dog warrants a health check

Good article. The ideas that what a dog looks like to others is most important, or that size and coat are the main differences between breeds, or that all dogs are equally likely to behave in one way or another, get a lot of people making mismatched choices I think. And yes, I thought of Stan too :laugh:

Interesting, not likely to get anywhere being a Greens bill at this stage of the electoral cycle, that is my guess anyway. Only had a quick look but being Commonwealth only its harmonisation role would be likely to impact on State processes I would think, and the export issue likely to take most of its effort. It is not a Dept, sounds like a very small statutory authority. Typically if Govts set up such authorities it is as a way to manage the risk around a issue, eg mitigate the political risk around the live export industry. Mirror bodies at state level for state welfare responsibilities would be an interesting development, but not likely. This probably belongs in Off Topic. Even if it got up, and I think a snowball in a hot climate would have more chance, not likely to have much to do with dogs, maybe a bit around import and export.

The way I have done it in years past, with a naturally quiet breed - catch when they bark at all, for mine that has been in play - reward that - put the bark on a verbal and/or physical cue, for me that was 'speak' and a hand signal - get the strength of bark I wanted by incrementally raising the criteria so I only rewarded the louder barks - get help from friends to come to the door, be there ready to give the bark cue after the door knock, and reward. - repeat until dog starts barking on the knock, in anticipation of the bark cue - fade bark cue - always reward a bark at a knock and made that easy by keeping a jar of goodies close by - ignore (but laugh to oneself) when smart dog learns that running at door barking earns a treat, even if no-one is there (optional step, lol) it took so long I never bothered to teach it again

so that argues calories restriction/being kept lean is positively associated with longevity, rather than a 'high quality' diet per se? I think that fits with what I am thinking - that not over-feeding is maybe the most important bit of diet thse days.

I agree genetics is number 1. But it is interesting that some people mention diet and human grade food - I used to think so but like the OP I have known some very long lived healthy dogs who had been fed low quality diets their whole lives. Really, really crappy diets for some of them. But still lived well passed average age. The only common denominator amongst them was very regular exercise, and not being allowed to get fat, which has become something I rate more highly as a result. I still feed a good diet of course, but I am not sure it is as important as exercise in helping them live longer? Not for the big dogs anyway.

Ziggy is in the best place, they will take care of him. Sausy, best wishes for your Dachie too.

Setting genetics aside, regular exercise and weight management would be my picks. Plus, as sandgrubber said, good management and care to avoid accidental death, and also to catch health issues early.

That was a lovely win HW, it is such a competitive breed!

I am not upset at all, just worried by the naivety that assumes new restrictions will have a benign effect on those currently doing the right thing. That is not often how the real world works.

Good grief, you think I haven't attended seminars on dog behaviour? And from the best in the business, the seminal thinkers, for over 30 years, here and overseas. I might learn something from an entry level seminar, but I doubt it. If a seminar is required for ALL dog owners, I'd go. But don't make any of the education requirements dog-size specific, or you just open up a slippery slope - and damage all of us who do no harm with our large dogs with a cheerfully naive 'oh you won't have any problem with our new restrictions.' of course you could make the seminars compulsory for new owners of any size dog, or those who have breaches of dogs laws on their record, and do a door to door to catch all the currently unregistered dogs too - but just 'grandfather' in all of us who have had registered dogs for decades with absolutely no breaches of regs. In fact why not give me a discount off my registrations for a 'clean record', that makes sense. :)