dee lee

This is why I love dog parks. So much goes on in them that is below the notice of most people, but it's really interesting when you start watching. Kivi has left me picking my jaw up off the ground several times because he handles tense social situations in quite complex ways with such success sometimes. I learn a lot from him. I enjoy watching dogs interact too. It's just unfortunate that it's the people who should be watching their dogs, often don't. Or have no idea that their dogs are being rude. I have an ongoing situation with a regular at the dog park Honey & I run through. It's a BC cross who feels it needs to forcibly round up and dominate Honey. I have had to have words with the owner on several occasions. This dog is so rude & pushy & it really disturbs Honey to the point of her snapping at it as it circles us both. Of course, the fool owner says "don't worry she won't bite". To which I have responded (more than once) "my dog doesn't like it & if she gets frightened enough, she might" Usually that frightens the idiot enough to avoid us for a couple of months. But then she does it again... Maybe I should print out that article & hand it to her. ;)

Yes, I've had that experience. In conjunction with a trainer, we initially used aversive methods on my DA staffy cross. This had the flow on effect of causing her to redirect her aggression towards me. Luckily she was only 17kgs and I was able to prevent her reaching me- I doubt I'd be so fortunate with a larger dog. My dog was crossed with something high in drive and energy (possibly kelpie). My OH would take her for a hard run onlead for 45 mins and she would beg for more. She would have loved to have a run offlead. Too bad. Her aggression meant she was not safe to be let offlead, so she was never allowed to be. I feel its highly irresponsible, not to mention unethical, to place a DA dog's preference to run offlead as a higher priority over another dog's safety.

Really? There was a thread in here a couple of weeks ago about Gordon Setters and the general consensus was that they were a very full-on, headstrong breed. The owner was really struggling & got a few "should have done your research" comments. I had been told that English were the calmest when I was looking for breeds. Not that I am an expert- I've only ever known Irish setters (GORGEOUS!!), seen one Gordon in passing & never met an English.

My Goldie sheds like nothing else, but she is almost entirely an inside dog (we only have a small courtyard), I imagine that if more time was spent outside, the fur might not be as noticeable. Grooming wise, I don't find mine needs much, she'd be fine with just a good brush once a week minimum, to make sure she doesnt matt. Couldn't agree more. My Goldie gets a 5-6km run most mornings, and about a 45 min session of fetch on the days we don't go. Plus an additional incidental walking with me and the kids to do stuff. She is very fit. Judging by the other gun breeds owned by people I know, this would be more than suitable for any of those I mentioned earlier. Bossyboo, it sounds like you have more than enough space and time to play fetch, it's a great way to wear an active dog out if you have limited time, so I wouldn't rule out any breeds on exercise requirements. Kids love helping with it too. :D Hi thanks yes we spend a fair bit of time in the back yard, playing footy, trampoline and in the fort, so fetch everyday for 30 mins would be fine and running with the kids. I probably do two 6 k walks everyweek and then 2 little walks just down to the nature park which isn't that far..How old is your retriever? My Goldie is 4 and a half. She is divine and wonderful with my children. We adopted her at 2 years old from a Golden Retriever breed rescue organisation, always another option if you'd rather not have to start out with a puppy. We were matched with a dog that suited our family requirements. We could not be happier. *(just noticed Clyde has suggested something similar )

My Goldie sheds like nothing else, but she is almost entirely an inside dog (we only have a small courtyard), I imagine that if more time was spent outside, the fur might not be as noticeable. Grooming wise, I don't find mine needs much, she'd be fine with just a good brush once a week minimum, to make sure she doesnt matt. Couldn't agree more. My Goldie gets a 5-6km run most mornings, and about a 45 min session of fetch on the days we don't go. Plus an additional incidental walking with me and the kids to do stuff. She is very fit. Judging by the other gun breeds owned by people I know, this would be more than suitable for any of those I mentioned earlier. Bossyboo, it sounds like you have more than enough space and time to play fetch, it's a great way to wear an active dog out if you have limited time, so I wouldn't rule out any breeds on exercise requirements. Kids love helping with it too. :D

The all-year round shedding is the only draw back to owning my Goldie. It is relentless & does my head in! But she is worth it for her amazing temperament. I talk about our next dog being short coated because of this, but I cant guarantee I wouldnt change my mind because I adore Goldies so much! IF I did change to a short coated breed though, I'd like it to be a gun dog breed. I prefer their softer, more people focused personalities. In which case it would be a toss up between a vizsla and a Pointer.... Or a Weimaraner and a GSP. Have you considered any of these breeds? The shorter coats would suit a tick area better I would think.

Part of them growing up is learning to deal with that disappointment. It's good socialization and teaches them (eventually) how to behave. It's up to you to monitor his behaviour, watch for signals that the other dog isn't interested, & act accordingly. Good work on recognizing when to say bye to the boxer.

I agree with your first point, but not your second. My dog wont tolerate a puppy bouncing all over her. She wont "attack", but she will grumble then do a loud growl if it persists. Which is why I will not let puppies near her if they are jumping around and over excited (as most pups are). Its not hard to prevent, especially if you mention that your dog isn't very tolerant of being jumped on. Its best practice not to allow a young pup to jump on strange dogs, not all dogs like puppies. Whether or not its normal is up for argument and besides the point. Safety first.

Thanks for posting this again Rebanne. I read this article in here many moons ago and its been a great help over the years. Honey is just like Cream, she dislikes pushy dogs in her face and, if they persist, will warn them off with a growl. I always try to step in and shoo away any pushy dogs before it gets to this point, I don't give a crap what the other owners say.

Betadine will help it heal if it is still open & has a fighting chance of not being licked off. Your dog may end up with a lightened scar, or not.

I see Goldies are on your list! They are great family dogs. Massive snugglers and adore their kids. :D My dog isn't much of a rough player (she is a rescue & apparently wasn't socialised as a pup) but most other young goldies I have met (and I have met a lot) are pretty robust & terrific with other dogs. Grooming isn't so much of a problem, they can get by with just a regular brushing once a week, or when necessary, but the shedding is pretty intense. If you cant handle daily golden tumbleweeds, probably not the breed for you. ETA: I forgot to say, most female GRs are not as big as the males, my GR is fairly small and she is only 26kgs.

What a sad story Nekhbet. It reaffirms to me that I made the right decision with my poor troubled dog 2 years ago. It's tragic how a split second lapse in management can be so disastrous. Generally speaking, to those who are making the assumption that DA dogs are all the result of negligent owners who refuse to train them. It's not that simple. Once a dog, for whatever reason, develops aggression, it's a hard problem to address, with the majority only being able to be managed, not "fixed". Most people I know who have had to deal with this DO take on extra training, spend a lot of money & take huge precautions to prevent any future attacks.

Sorry for highjacking your thread, Teela. Offlead aggressive dogs just are a sore point with me. I didnt confuse you with Deejay, & I doubt the other posters did either. From your post it sounds like you are being responsible with your dog. It is extremely tough to own an agressive dog- my sympathies to you. I hope your dog improves with help.

Actually it's called management. Its total bullshit that a city dog needs to be offlead. My previous dog was DA and NEVER let offlead after she developed the aggression. We live in terrace house in the inner city and she was kept in a tiny courtyard when we weren't walking or running her ONlead. We committed to at least an hour fast walk or run each day on the streets, gave her kongs, bones, obedience/tricks training etc. That is management. It is extremely irresponsible to put the lives of other dogs at risk purely to satisfy the human desire to "let the dog run free". It is avoidance to not see that. I am currently dealing with Council over a moron who, like you, thinks letting his territorial/aggressive dog roam offlead is more important than the safety of me and my dog. After 2 attacks we have suffered, I am incensed that he has this attitude & feel this dog is a ticking time bomb. WTF is wrong with you people who think your dogs' freedom is more important than the lives of others??!!!

I love it. I love running with my dog. :D

Not enough posts. ;)

My family and I had been through a very rough time with our previous dog which left us all, especially one of my daughters, traumatised. I approached a breed rescue (Golden Retriever Rescue) & explained our situation & that we needed a calm dog as my daughter had become very fearful. They called me not long after & said they had the perfect dog for me. When I met Honey, it was love at first sight. She came home and healed our family with her constant sweetness, affection & love. That was two years ago & she is everything to me. It took a while but now, thanks entirely to Honey, my daughter is no longer afraid of dogs. Previously she would panic & run onto a road rather than pass one on a footpath! BIG win there!

You are allowing your male to bully your female which is not fair on her at all. Hire a reputable professional trainer who can teach you how to ramp up your leadership a little more before the problem escalates. http://www.k9pro.com.au/pages.php?pageid=100 This may help too. I agree with everything, especially the bolded part. You are the pack leader, do not accept it. You need to address this asap, while they are both still pups. Otherwise, once they are mature, there is a real risk of bloodshed.

Another solo dog owner here too. I'd love more but there are several reasons why. I'd like to blame my OH, who swears there will never be anymore pets, but even he knows its not up to him. ;) I'd love to but we just don't have room. My dog does not really like other dogs, so it's not a big deal for her.

It confounds me. With all the recent press about aggressive dogs, the proactive chasing up of innocent pitbulls etc is at complete odds with the all too common lack of action against reported aggressive dogs! It is totally back the front.

A Golden Retriever.

Aargh, I know, Chris, I thought that would be the case too. I spoke to the ranger yesterday & he is slapping a nuisance order on the dog (finally...) which will be in place for 6 months, if any infringements are recorded in that time the owner will be taken to court. I'm pretty disatisfied with that, it's not the ranger's fault, but the system. So full of crappy bureaucracy. Meantime, someone might get hurt- hope it's not me or my dog. Sandgrubber, good advice, I think I will email the mayor with my concerns.

That's exactly what I did the second time, Rachelle. I was absolutely not letting this dog anywhere near my dog. My usual tactic of assertive yelling did nothing- which is unusual and does concern me somewhat- its possible it might have bitten me too. However, my yelling alerted the owner who was able to call it off in time. I'd say luckily, except it wouldn't have been an issue if the bloody thing had been on lead like it should be. My dog is very easy going and it doesn't seem to have disturbed her. Co-incidentally, I ran past the dog this morning and it was offlead again. Fortunately it was distracted by something as we passed, so no damage done. I have called and reported it again. I will be chasing it up further later. This time around, I am practicing zero tolerance- I do not want another attack. Sujo, that is very sad about your son. I know how he feels, after I was charged by this dog, I felt traumatised and panicked if approaching the street, and kept an eye out for large sticks beforehand. I hate to say it, but I dont think its so bad he "plans" ahead like that. It may make him feel safer, and its a legitimate fear for him now. Perhaps as time goes on and nothing happens to him he will relax. Re the random checks- the ranger I have been dealing with said he was carrying out checks on the owner, but its all about luck & he wasnt able to catch the guy out. Doesnt help when the owners think they should be allowed to let their dogs offlead to roam.

Rachelle, your experience sounds very similar to mine (which I have posted about before). I love your attitude! My family/friends said the same too, but I agree, you need to stand up for whats right. I do have to say though, I find very frustrating the process to get action. The dog/owner in my situation was warned several times in the past couple of months & has copped 2 fines for being offlead (the attack on my dog was not deemed serious enough to warrant further action :rolleyes: ). Still the idiot owner kept letting it offlead. When it tried again to attack both of us, charging across a road to do so, the ranger told me he would recommend a nuisance order be placed against the dog. Recommend? FFS! He then told me that it is very difficult to get that done & subsequent court cases can be unsuccessful if the owner disputes details. Bloody annoying, not to mention dangerous! Fortunately, this past week or so the owner has finally decided to comply with the law and keep his dog chained up. Hopefully it will last or I will be upping my attack! Sujo, pursue this for all its worth, with a human attack there should be serious consequences.

I think some councils hire citronella collars out. Maybe check with yours & see if they do? My dog is inside all day if my OH and I are both working (he works different shifts). Initially it was because we had just adopted her and our neighbours were renovating, so it was to prevent her getting scared. She seemed happy, so we continued. Occasionally I will leave her out for a couple of hours if its a lovely day, but she does bark a fair bit and, to be honest, our yard is not any bigger than the house! I make sure she has had a good run before hand and supply her with a pigs/beef ear and a couple of toilet paper rolls filled with kibble. I'm pretty sure she must sleep the whole time.