Diva

If it said average age at time of death I would take it to mean average lifespan. But it doesn't say that, it just says average age. I don't think you can draw any conclusion about lifespan at all from the way that is written. You'd just have to rely on the assertion that most dogs don't live to their full age potential. Surely she has some raw data behind that.

Really? You are not even sure if your dog snapped at you but you believe you could easily have been badly bitten? Sorry to sound harsh but it sounds like you may be creating a problem where none existed before and she's telling you she is sick of being hassled while she eats. The triangle of temptation exercise linked to in an earlier reply is a very good one to teach deference around food and other resources. But really she should be able to eat in peace without being physically handled at the same time. As for the toys, you need to teach her a reliable 'give' command but it sounds like you have inadvertently taught her the opposite. You can do an object exchange - give me that and I'll swap it for another toy or treat, which is what I do with young pups - or teach her that the tug game only happens after she gives up the toy on cue, that the act of giving it up is what causes the good game. If you aren't taking her to an obedience class or trainer, I think that would help you both.

Kids' balls over the fence are kind of part of suburban life. It will probably calm down after school holidays end, but if you can't wait you'll have to have a polite word to whoever the resident adults are or the kids themselves. Maybe tell them you'll return the balls but not one by one, everything can get chucked back at the end of the day. I used to get it a lot but the parents were pretty responsible and tried to minimise it. It reduced a lot when I got a new puppy - she got to the balls first a few times and there was nothing much to return after that, the kids soon learnt from losing a few balls.

Flying Borzoi tooshie

Only if it's a rural area, not I think if this is a suburban backyard chook pen situation - pretty sure the police would be more concerned by someone discharging a firearm in a built-up area than by the fate of the chickens. Poor man, not a nice thing to find.

I sympathise, from what I recall from the other attack I live not too far from your grandmother's area and we have had a few run-ins with off lead aggressive dogs too. Would there be a walking group she could join through the community center, who might let a little corgi tag along? It's all I can think of really, walking with someone else would seem to be the safest bet. Somedays I dread walking mine, and they are big enough to look after themselves against most comers.

I understand all the arguments about this being a prey driven attack. But to me, the fact that the dogs stalked and attacked in that manner a dog that was being walked on lead with a person is still very disturbing - if the smaller dog had been loose I would have no trouble understanding the prey side, but I expect even high prey dogs to respect people enough not to 'hunt' a dog on lead. The owners may not be responsible for the dogs getting out, but something is seriously astray in how those dogs regard people imho.

To this casual observer, most of the training threads about GSDs seem to go that way. It's rather funny to watch. Kind of like bad reality TV. But not at all constructive.

You can find the weight and packed dimensions of all the models on the oztrail website, just google. I have a compact because I like a lighter model for ease of handling. It's not as strong as the deluxe but that's the trade-off.

Of course, some are more special than others, lol.

LOL, they'd love that. But they are brothers and it could get a bit competitive! I'd rather do it myself if I can, I think it would be very rewarding. But the option of handing off for one leg is a good one.

As someone who frequently runs into large groups of elderly lycra-clad cyclists at my local cafes, I can tell you - They're not! But good on them anyway

That sounds promising, I could even get someone else to do the middle leg while I have a rest, LOL.

Well considering I have never ridden a bike in my life, didn't even have one as a kid, I would have to jog this. Which would be a huge training effort to get to from my current state of serious unfitness but it would give me something to aim for which is a positive. (and I could avoid the whole lycra thing, which would be a blessing!) If I didn't get fit enough, can different people take the dog for the run vs the willingness test? I have a couple of young relatives who are triathletes and who could run or bike it easily, but the dogs might not do the obedience bit for them.

I've watched that one before - great dog and brilliant trainer. I used to have a training mentor whose view was that as soon as you say 'x breed can't do that', you'll find that someone somewhere in the world has already trained it.

My dogs were the same when I shared a house T, no one was allowed in unless I was awake. I have a few protection stories but my favourite has nothing to do with a human aggressor. I had a Borzoi who really disliked water, never swam, loved the beach for the sand and space but wouldn't even get his toes wet without a major drama. I'd take him to the beach with a friend and her dog and we'd take turns going in the water vs minding the dogs on the beach. One very rough surf day, rough enough that someone drowned off the neighbouring beach, I was out swimming about 30m offshore and suddenly there he was, grabbing at my arm. He had never entered water of his own choice before and never did again, but that day he got restless and worried enough on the beach to overcome his own dislike and fear of water and came to get me back to shore. I thought that was kind of brave really. Not a herding breed, not a guardian breed, just a 'pet'. Same dog stopped a bunch of drunken teenagers busting into my house a few years later, and later again took hold of a misguided plumber who had ignored the instruction not to enter the yard unaccompanied. I don't think it would have mattered except that he came by at 7am before I was up. The housemate couldn't get the dog to let go, but as soon as I got there and spoke to him he dropped the guys arm and trotted off with me. No injury, no barking or growling, just a firm hold until he knew the guy was approved for entry. I thought we'd be in trouble for that one, but the tradie just tried to buy him, lol.

I'd been toying with showing a bit in Sydney this year but I think this thead has convinced me to stay local. Sth NSW shows are lovely generally, I don't think I need to experience the 'cats' bum' expressions, as someone put it

I think there is a huge difference between an honest mistake by an exhibitor or cataloguer and someone being willing to deliberately deceive by entering a desexed bitch in an entire class. I feel the same way about the people who show their desexed bitches as entires as I do about those who have tail carriage surgically fixed - dishonest in one area, so quite possibly dishonest in many. It may not be a major 'crime', but it is revealing of character

I'd be trying to get a second vet opinion. In the meantime a probiotic added to his food and smaller more frequent meals won't do any harm and may help.

Travel safe

Just tell him to mind his own business.

Only found in a museum? Abyssinia no longers exits and the breed doesn't exist either? The British made it up? Sheer fugliness?

You'd better go, I have to dash off again! edited to add: machine gun hauler would be a pretty bad job, esp for a relatively lightly-built herding breed!

Well the first bit is easy - Groenendael, Tervueren, Malinois and Laekenois. I'll have another guess at the second bit - messenger dog, guard dog, and maybe mascot (don't think they had bomb dogs then did they? ) - and I remember a photo of one wearing a first aid symbol, not sure what war, but maybe ambulance dog? and another guess for today - explosives detection, drug detection, guard dog, police dog, herder, customs/border protection, search and rescue, cadaver, companion, show and all around handsome dog, efs

I know one Japanese Chin yep Not greyhound I don't think, although the breed standard says moderate length I don't think they are classed as hare (happy to be corrected though!) Yep - the two best breeds!! You're right, they do. So do Italian Greyhounds