poodlefan

Some folk find that providing a ready source of water OUTSIDE the yard gives the snakes a source they will use. Water is a significant attraction for snakes and dog bowls will attract them. Snake mesh around your yard might also be useful. Most dogs need to be socialised with cats or horses to prevent chasing - you may have been lucky up to now. Horses kill and injure dogs all the time - threads here attest to it. Now, back to the purpose of the thread. If I was looking for low prey drive, human focus and a good sized dog for a child I'd be looking hard at a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, provided it was inside with the family to sleep and socialise. If a dog has killed 6 feral cats in its own yard, I dont' see that as "negligent". Once again, look to the purpose for which a breed was developed. Most terriers are vermin hunters and killers. You'd expect high prey drive and if a dog had not been socialised to teach it that cats are NOT prey, then the result would be fairly predictable. Your Aussie watched and learned and he learned that killing cats was rewarding. Damn hard to unteach that lesson. Plenty of country folk have a terrier around to keep the snakes busy. Better the dog than a child I'm afraid to say. If a terrier pup was carefully socialised with cats, the cats would be pretty safe I reckon. An acquaintance of mine sold a Fox Terrier to a family on a cattle feed lot. They were up front about wanting one to protect the kids from snakes and so far its Foxie 6 vs snakes 0. The owner was gardening in his veggie patch one day and had the Foxie fly up and seemingly attack his hand. What he couldn't see was the brown snake just about where he was about to pull a carrot. Friends of mine have Aussie Terriers and cats. You could do a lot worse than taking one of these guys back to NZ.

Kelpiekaye: If the OP is going to give the dog some regular outlet for its intelligence and energy, I'd not disagree. However working breed dogs left to their own devices in the country and not effectively fenced often die of lead poisoning. If I were looking for a breed unlikely to chase animals if left to its own devices, I'd not be putting working dogs high up the list. OP has just rehomed one.

If you want to avoid chasing behaviours, then a breed selectively bred for low prey drive is probably your best answer. Alternately you need to socialise the pup very heavily with cats and permanently physically separate any pup from the horses. Personally, given that any breed still retains some level of prey drive, I'd recommend you do both. What sort of life will this dog lead? Will it be an inside/outside dog or just outside? Many dogs selectively bred for lower prey drive are companion breeds that do better with a high degree of contact with the family and that means inside access. Will it receive any form of training? Are there allergy issues in the family? How much grooming are you willing to do? Yes, there are plenty of dog shows you can check out!

Absolutely - I can even get us a local guide to the best places.

Greytmate: Has anyone/everyone seen the new Petcare Advisory Service (who are these guys because they've been around a looong time) Pets in the City Website? It looks to have some really great information on it. I'd never heard of it before reading about it on the November Dogs NSW Journal.

Steve the thing that hits me about these threads is that these are discussions that need to be held more widely. I know that there is an Urban Animal Management conference held periodically but I think that there would be very great value in someone?? providing an opportunity for dog owners, breeders, rescuers, pound managers, councils, vets, trainers, legislators, animal welfare bodies AND researchers etc to get together to determine issues within the dog owning community and to discuss ways of resolving them. The only thing I can say for certain is that if the answers were easy, we'd have implemented them by now. IMO this is a dialogue that needs to be broadened and held OFTEN.

That would be lovely, but I doubt it would affect dumpage rate. There are plenty of cities around the world with a low dumpage rate where there is very little open space. I think it encourages the myth that all dogs need open space to be happy. They don't all need it, many dogs can be exercised on lead, they can be mentally stimulated and trained in a small area. Besides that, many people are happy to drive their dog to a park the same as they are happy to drive to the shop to get a bottle of milk. It isn't a big disincentive. I would rather the council put more money into educating people on right choice of dog for various lifestyles than purchase more space as a strategy against dumping. I tend to agree. Most areas don't lack places you can walk a dog, even if its just footpaths. Perhaps the question to ask is why don't people walk their dogs more often. Time is one - but perhaps if you don't have time to exercise a dog, you really shouldn't own most breeds. Training is a BIG one - a dog that pulls like a train on lead is not likely to be walked as far or as often as one that doesn't. Behaviour of other dog owners, the need to pick up after your dog, availability of bins etc - all play a part.

Easiest way would probably be to feed a concentrated supplement. Failing that, the ones in jars of oil might be the go.

Absolutely this is affecting the dog's behaviour. The social bond between your friend and her dog is failing. I've been in a situation that wasn't dissimilar in some ways. I picked up a housemate when my friend left her husband. Her two dogs came too. As happens my friend got back into the dating scene and the dogs spent more and more time away from her and with me. I decided this wasn't fair on her dogs or me and I had the "big chat". I suggested that she either need to find the time for her dogs or think about rehoming them. It had the shock value I thought it needed and she started spending more time with them AND incorporating them into time with her boyfriend. All dogs need routine, boundaries, time and attention from their owners. She's getting the dog she's raising. The social bond your friend had with this dog is being erroded by your friend's behaviour. Either she cowboys up and reworks her priorities or she finds the dog a new home IMO. The dog is losing out big time.

Many dog clubs are adapting their programs to cater for this. I know the Canberra ones have. Why is Canberra so sensible compared to the rest of Australia You really want me to answer that? Between you, me and the gate post I think education levels (ACT has highest in Australia) have a bit to do with it but I expect the issue is more far more complex than that.

You have to tick the "what in it for me" box with handlers. Not quite sure how you do that.

Probably be cheaper to fly to Bangkok, have your measurements taken and order that way.

The market is adjusting to demand.

Baby oil works pretty well too.

People dump dogs that don't meet expectations. There will always have a high dumpage rate until we improve the way that dogs are placed in homes, and that goes back to the way dogs are marketed and sold, and the back-up service and advice offered. We can adjust expectations, add a good dose of informatoni and give people the tools to raise the dog they'd like to own. I'll give you an example - puppy preschool. A lot of folk have heard of it and attend - given that they're generally bombarded by info about it at their vet, this isn't surprising. But most of us know that baby puppies aren't the most challenging pets to own. Its adolescent dogs that are - they're bigger, they need more exercise and behaviours that might have been tolerated (or even encouraged) in baby puppies suddenly become "problems". So a new message to spread is "puppy high school". We KNOW that there are a lot of adolescent dogs dumped in pounds. Getting help out to people struggling with such dogs could save many lives.

Many dog clubs are adapting their programs to cater for this. I know the Canberra ones have.

Wagga has a dog training club - did they not remember that? It would probably be amazing what could be accomplished with some dedicated ground in regional towns and a government grant. Agree on the need for information gathering - raised it in Part 1 of these threads. I have another question to ask surrendering owners - what would have to change for you to keep this dog?

Some ideas: Mobile free desexing clinics. Taking the vets out into the community does seem to encourage people to have their dogs desexed. A cooling off period on surrender that allowed for a free visit from a dog trainer before dog can be left at pound (exception for serious aggression/safety issues). If nothing else, it would allow for good data gathering on what the real situation with the dog was. The downside would be dogs might be dumped elsewhere. Owner licensing with a compulsory education component. Think of the "stay upright" motorcycle course equivalent. A couple of hours training on an evening or a weekend on the importance of breed selection, socialisation, training, desexing etc might address some of the issues that arise from sheer ignorance.

Got mine yesterday - yours shouldn't be far away. :D

I think it just becomes automatic to give verbal praise every time. Sadly this is not that common. The number of times I have to cue handlers to verbally reward their dogs in class is legion.

In Victoria, APBT ownership is governed by the Domestic Animals Act 1994 Pitbulls are a restricted breed for the purposes of the Act. The relevant section of the Act is 41EA. It provides: The Act provided for dogs already registered in Victoria before it was enacted. There is a 2 year period of grace for those people with restricted dogs in Victoria at the time the Act was introduced to register them. The dogs must be muzzled and leashed at all times when off the owners premises and a suitable enclosure must be on the premises for them. They cannot be walked off the premises by someone under the age of 17 Homes must have warning signs. Section 17 of the Act provides that you cannot register a restricted breed of dog unless it is desexed. Basically, its now illegal to breed or buy an APBT in Victoria now.

As Australia is a federal system of laws, the answer will depend on which State or Territory you live in. Here in the ACT, there are no restrictions on the ownership of dogs based solely on their breed.

once or twice she has been scared (tail between legs), that was really early on when she first started walking, and had never been out the front of the house, when she does not want to walk she just sits solid and wont move, i dont think it is timidity i think it is stubbourness She may be 'stubborn' refusing to walk but I'd want to know why. Does she have an older dog buddy she visits or play with? Perhaps being walked with an older more confident dog may help.

Time to buy another freezer! I have two!

My boys are both neutered, and because they have access to the outside whenever they wish I don't always see where they are at all times plus there are times that I am away from the house. I have washed down the area with just plain water from the outside tap, and that's not working hence the question, "what to use". Up till now, neither boys have maked any partof the back patio area and havealways gone on the grass or used the trees. Never underestimate the attraction of a solid vertical service for marking.