Staffyluv

Obviously those in their right mind can ascertain that there is absolutely no correlation between reputable breeders and the amount of dogs in pounds... If it was a PETA group, you are better off without them.. They are all crackpots.

I am so sorry Anne.. RIP Monte - plenty of DOL doggies to meet you at the bridge mate.

Yep, I have had Zig the whole time I have had fosters - we picked him up 3 days after our first foster dog. I must admit I am a bit nervous - Pip was always going to be a big girl and Zig is so submissive with other dogs (I would hate to see him get hurt if she didn't like him anymore). They loved each other when she was here but we had her from 3 to 6 months old and that was about 12 months ago now. She always had an issue with eating around him but that is OK - I just fed him inside and her outside and then removed all food. If they had bones, I sat between them. He never has an issue with other dogs taking his food but she would growl if he even looked at her and even as a pup she had a couple of snipes at him (nothing serious and when told off she was fine). But I certainly wouldn't allow them alone with food. From memory that is the only issue we ever had with her.

Looks like the girl is coming back to us. Good news for us, not so good for her adopted family, sadly they have to move and can't take her with them.

Sardines in oil to perk up dull coat and dry flaky skin.. I wouldn't shampoo him at all while his coat is iffy.. Give him a week or two on the sardines and I bet he comes good. Zig gets sardines in oil once a week and we are always complimented on how great his coat is. When we first got him he got them every second day over a bit of kibble or with a chicken wing at breakfast. When he was 6 months old he got half the tin but now he is grown he gets a whole tin in one serve. Cute little guy - I have no idea on breed, I will leave that to the more experienced.

I have one here that I used to use with Ollie (stafford) but wouldn't consider using it on Ziggy. Ollie wasn't a puller and was happy to have extra lead and be wound in when it was needed. Zig would be a nightmare (although I am confident that the lead would hold and not break as it was expensive and has a 50kg limit). There are crap ones out there but it is the same as anything - they will be OK and work for some and not others.

Totally agree with LBD. Boxers do have a unique play style and some dogs seem quite put off by it, poor babies. We have one in our obedience class and most of the other dogs avoid him and he really is the sweetest boy. Zig plays nicely with him but Zig is a social butterfly and loves to play with any dog that is up for a play. Good luck, I am sure you will have a great time - it should be exciting for your dog being the first time at the beach.

Agree.. My old stafford was more than content in his life with the human family, his daily walks and meals. He wasn't fond of other dogs in his space, so that is how he lived. I think Zig would be devastated if he didn't get a chance to have a play now and again. I used to let him (before I knew better) have a big run at the dog park with any dog. Now, we socialise with a few dogs that he plays well with - they mostly have the same play style (but he does change the way he plays, depending on other dogs that turn up). I will pull him out and take him home if other dogs turn up and he gets overly excited. He also loves the bit of play he gets before obedience class for about 10 minutes. Sadly there will always be people with dogs who either don't care or don't know any better - it is up to us to look after our dogs as best we can. I tend to walk Zig (and did with Ollie as well) early in the morning - we don't see many dogs out and about around 6am - 7am.

My boy adjusts his play style to the dog he is playing with. Today he had a full on rumble with a lab (their play style suits each other very well and they will play and run with each other as long as we let them). Then he had a play with two 6 month old stafford pups - he laid on the ground for most of the play and the pups jumped all over him. He also had a very gentle meeting with a baby cocker (so incredibly cute - I just fell in love with her, she was so soft).. She spent most of the time sitting under his chin while we watched the advanced obedience demonstration. I hope you find a suitable match for your home.. I think well socialised dogs learn what is acceptable play and what is not but that is not to say that a dog can't learn to be gentle if need be.

Great advice. This is the same advice I was given with fosters when they come into my home. It does take a bit of time for the new kids on the block to learn their place. I wouldn't feed them anywhere near each other either (food is just another resource).. One wrong look from one dog to another can cause all manner of problems. Maybe feed one inside and one outside (or both in crates)?? Good luck.

I am another who only has awesome things to say about our vet.. I put my dogs first and lucky for me, so does my vet

I have shared him on my FB wall as well. I am in Canberra but have quite a lot of family from Townsville to the Byron Bay - hopefully some of them will share him as well. The more people that do, the quicker he will be home.

I don't yet as she doesn't have rescue and the pound won't desex her - she will have to wait until she has rescue (the sooner the better if she is pregnant).. Nina will let us know in the thread if and when she has rescue (and then we donate to that rescue).. Fingers crossed for the lovely girl - so young.

They are adorable.. Looking forward to the updates

Since this was such a huge issue for everyone, can somebody maybe find some room for this girl so she can get the snip? The pound will not just spay any females that come in for funsies, they are kept on as long as possible but if they do not get rescue or local adoption (which is not exactly an option we relish with a potentially pregnant bitch) then the last option is for Nina and Rhonda to take them on, or they can be put down. Any help with this girl would be appreciated and if somebody wants to just cover her spay (as I have done in the past but cannot afford to at present, nor can I afford to do that for every single bitch in general) then monies can be paid to the vet directly without the need to commit to rescue the dog. As I said, any help will be greatly appreciated. Can anyone else help? Any of those so against pound pups having litters - can you help out with her desexing to avoid another possible unwanted litter? I am happy to donate $50 towards her 'early' desexing (to avoid another unwanted litter) but I am not in a position to take on another foster are present. The sooner it is done the better, I would assume.

If it's any consolation, I think even trainers handle some dogs better than others. One of my study dogs was bred to be a service dog, and has been in training for the last 6 months or so. I was talking to one of his trainers on the weekend and said I found him an inconsistent dog. The trainer said almost everyone finds him an inconsistent dog. But one of the trainers seems to speak his language and they get on very well and for that trainer he is consistent. I totally agree - I watch our obedience instructor with Zig compared to the behaviourist and they both deal with him so differently. Zig is a soft dog, he is very confident around other dogs, not so much people though. He loves all other dogs. He likes our obedience trainer and looks forward to her pat when we do the basic sit and stay tests each session. He used to avoid our behaviourist. But being a bull breed, he needs really firm boundaries - I have been slack with this from day one, totally my own fault and now I am left dealing with the consequences of being soft on him all the time. As a rescue, I felt sorry for him - I will never make this mistake again. I have learned where I have gone wrong with him and it isn't his fault, it is mine. So firmer boundaries, like he no longer has access to certain areas of the house, he can't get on the bed unless I ask him to (he sleeps there with me of a night, so he is invited up each night - but no more just whenever he wants). His dinner goes down for 20 minutes and then it is removed if he doesn't eat it. All of these things together seem to be making a difference to his reactions out with other dogs - he is nowhere near like he was even 6 months ago..

Or if that isn't possible, videoing your training is the next best thing! You can pick up on so much that you miss in real-time :) -- And yes, improvement is possible, I have a success story here :) I was "lucky" in the sense that Weez is motion-reactive rather than dog-reactive so it was a million times easier to set up controlled predictable scenarios for him to train with. But now I can't even play LAT with him and bikes because he just doesn't see them as anything that needs looking at! Happy to PM anyone the video of his counter-conditioning that my trainer made if interested. Oh yes please LBD. Luka is dog reactive but much much much more so if that dog is off leash and running or moving erratically. Always interested in watching videos. :D I second that response... I would love to see it as well. Zig always seems to be on high alert when out walking. He occasionally is relaxed but most of the time he is 'looking' at everything.. He will still listen to me but it is much harder with the distraction of cars, bikes and his worst distraction, other dogs.. He is still very dog focused and still seems to prefer other dogs to people. After training the dogs get to have an on lead play with each other for a bit. Other owners will try to pat him and he dodges them, not wanting the pats. He is fine with people he knows but seems uncomfortable with people outside home that want to pat him. Corvus when I say I wish I was a professional trainer it is only because I do wish I had more time to learn more. Zig would be so much better in the hands of someone who was more comfortable and experienced dealing with his issues.. But he got stuck with me and we do the best we can. Taking him to obedience could have backfired but it didn't and I would never have known if I didn't try. Being so inexperienced with a dog with issues, I think I owed it to him to try every avenue when others were not working. Just reading everyone else's updates and when you read back, even six months ago, we have all made progress in one way or another. I am so thankful for this thread, I think I have learned more posting in here than from our behaviourist and all the videos I have watched over the last year or so.. Other owners experiences and the trainers who give their advice so freely, thanks.

Tris just because they are weaned doesn't mean they are moving them away from mum.. I suppose you could read it like that though. I see what you mean but 'a few weeks' could just be a figure of speech and not actually mean 3 weeks. I'm sure the carers will do the best for the puppies and mum :)

RIP Oakley, your handsome face will be missed by many.. Go find Ollie, I am sure he is running rainbow bridge by now.

RIP sweet girl.. There seems to be so many more snake bites than there was a few years ago..

I don't think anyone is suggesting they will ship the pups away from mum before 8 weeks? All I read was when they were weaned and ready to leave mum. She has only just had the pups, I am sure her carers will do the right thing by her and the pups. I think most of them have done it a few times before.. Edited to make more sense cause I am tired.

BC Crazy, I hear you - it is hard. Sometimes I wish I was a professional dog trainer because I am pretty sure he would be much better than he is now. But we are getting there. I just don't know enough to make it happen faster. I am lucky with Zig, as in he is not aggressive - he doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. He is just extremely excitable and that excitement can escalate to a point where he doesn't recall - that is dangerous and unfair to other dogs and their owners. So I monitor his play time very closely these days. We walk away if on lead or I recall pretty early if not. He was playing with a ball and another dog the other day - I could see he was getting excited and I called him back. He came back the first call.. Once upon a time, I would have to call a couple of times. It is all these little improvements that make it all worth while.. I know one day he will recall at the first call every time :)

I think that is what is helping us (me). The obedience shows me how to train him. The instructor is there and can see what I am doing and what he is doing - she points out things that I should notice more, when I do and react to it, the training goes so much smoother. Our walk this morning was really nice - he did pull a few times but mostly just had a nice free walk to the end of the leash. We met 3 little pugs and he said hello nicely. As soon as looked like he was getting excited, we left with his ball and he was happy to come along with me. Yesterday he pulled more than today - so it really is one step forward and a step sideways/back.

Awesome photos Huga.. The dogs look like they are having a ball.

Awe she is very cute