Maddy

I actually have a "dead" foster greyhound at the moment and it's a been a huge headache. I wasn't aware that the dog in question was "dead", we actually pulled her from the RSPCA and on adoption, they gave us some paperwork. Paperwork included an incomplete DIER retirement form with names blacked out. Another trainer recognised some small details and we were able to track the registered trainer. On contacting them, we found out that they had dropped the dog off to be PTS, the vet surrendered the dog to the RSPCA who were aware the dog was basically stolen. Instead of contacting the registered trainer, they rehomed the dog twice (two failed placements) before we got her out. The trainer has agreed to her being rehomed, thankfully. I can't help but think this kind of thing is very common and it's one reason I'd never drop off and leave a failed dog at the vet.

I'm a member of NARGA (I assume, anyway. They sent me a laminated bit of paper a while ago) but I have no idea of who runs it and that's one reason I don't involve myself in the association. I filled out that rescuer rating thing out of curiosity and as far as I know, they didn't check any part of it. I know I'm not dodgy but there was at least one other rescue there that is questionable at best. I suppose I don't see any value in such a system when it relies entirely on participant honesty. All it takes is one group to lie and the integrity of the whole thing comes into question which negatively impacts on the ethical groups. But anyway, pet finder service.. They just don't have the reach or the reputation to drive adoptions.

To make it comfy for the monger dog, his 48" crate contains- Waterproof bottom mat Thick foam crate mat with fleece cover Dishlicker crate mat Crate bumper mat On top of that, he also has a vetbed crate mat (from Great Rugs) for winter and if he has to be in there for any length of time, I put in a blanket for him to scratch around. Up the back, he has his teddy and the cushion from his first ever bed. For toys, the chipmunk thing, the sqirrel thing and a Rogz rubber bone. He also has a piece of deer antler and a pig's ear. We actually downsized a lot on the toys. Back when he had his soft crate (which was a bit bigger), there were piles of toys in there. We ended up buying him a doggy toy box (like a kid's toy box but shaped like a bone) and moved most of his junk to that so that he'd have more room to stretch out. The crate really only gets used once or twice a week, the rest of the time, he sleeps in our bedroom on one of his beds. Edited for oh-god-bad typo

Just wondering if anyone knew if there was any particular format for donation receipts for the purposes of tax? I've had a look on the ATO's website but can't seem to find what information is required for donors to be able to include the donation for their tax return. What I'm currently using includes: Donor's name and address, the date of the donation, the amount donated, GHT's ABN, association number and my signature. Is there anything I'm missing from that?

That was.. Greylvr or her husband, I think. He's going to be disappointed. With so many sites (most of them free), he's trying to compete in a market that is already covered. Why would anyone pay to list their dogs on a new site when they can list on Gumtree for free? You'd think some very basic market research would have told him that but..

I don't know why he'd think any reputable rescue would want to list their dogs beside the BYB moodles when there's a legit site like PetRescue that actually gets traffic.

Can't post the proper link from my phone but if you go here- http://www.greyhoundhaven.com and then select Sighthounds from the greyhound articles menu, there are pics of some of the more obscure sighthound breeds. It could also be some sort of native type, rather than an actual breed.

I don't know if fostering any breed is a good idea. When you take on a foster dog, it's probably more work than just adopting. Part of the point of fostering is to help iron out any behavioural issues and that involves time and commitment. Greys do make amazing pets but.. personalities and energy levels vary a lot. I recently rehomed a gorgeous little girl who seemed to think she was some sort of working dog- miss a training session and she'd put her energy into other projects: digging like a maniac, chewing anything that wasn't bolted down (but also chewing things that were bolted down) and driving the other greyhounds batty by trying to annoy them into chasing her. Even the more sedate greys can get up to mischief if they get bored/lonely enough.

If she was seriously ill, it's quite likely she died and was then eaten when her dogs got hungry enough. Something similar actually happened in my suburb a few years ago- an elderly man died in his home, his mastiff cross was locked in the house with him. After a few days with no food, the dog did what most hungry dogs would do and started eating him. Police were called after he hadn't shown up at the Over 50s club for a week. In the end, the dog got put to sleep, a decision I've never quite understood- it's not like the dog hurt the man, it was doing only what it had to do to survive

One of my hounds catches starlings and blackbirds. She figured out the perfect, lazy way of doing it- sleep on the lawn every day, ignoring birds that are out of reach. Birds get used to her and learn not to fear her. Birds start coming closer. Bird comes close enough.. snap. Given starlings and blackbirds are a serious pest where we are, it doesn't bother me, as long as she moves the dead bird off the lawn so I don't accidentally go over it with the lawnmower

Costs really depend on how you're going to be running. For example, if you plan to board a lot of dogs, things will add up quickly. Personally, my costs look something like this- (based on having five dogs in care, I don't use boarding) Food (raw diet)- $50 per week (five dogs or less) Flea/worm treatment (worked out per week, even though it's not done every week)- $8.25 Vet work per dog- averages out around $350 Replacing toys/bedding (averaged out to a per week cost)- $37.50 Gear for each dog (coat, collar, muzzle, lead, wormers and flea treatment to take home, one week's worth of food)- $112 paperwork and other random expenses- $who the hell knows, but it seems like a lot. So.. for five dogs for one week.. $95.75 or $19.15 per dog. I keep each dog for at least 8 weeks (for a number of reasons) which means by the time the dog is ready for rehoming, my cost per dog is looking like $621.60 (including vet work and gear), assuming I manage to rehome it immediately (doesn't happen that often). My adoption fee is $250 meaning I lose roughly $371 per dog. That deficit generally comes from my own pocket, sometimes supplemented with money raised selling handmade collars and other bits and pieces. I know some rescues do break even or even make a profit but it probably depends on what you're rehoming and what the demand is. I'd imagine it's easier to rehome small, fluffy dogs (with a higher adoption fee) than to rehome things like large bully dogs or greyhounds.

I keep a blacklist but don't share it with the other greyhound rescue group in Tasmania (and honestly, I doubt they'd be interested in it anyway). My list has name/s used and the reason (as detailed as possble) for listing. Some are serial dog collectors/dumpers, some are BYBers, etc. The worst we've had was someone who adopted a dog from us (ignoring my suggestion that a different dog may have suited them better) and then returned the dog to me claiming it had killed another dog. I held onto the dog for more than a month, just in case I was missing information about what happened and then finally PTS the dog (as there was absolutely no other option, based on what they had told me). I found out a few weeks later that the couple had actually lied to me They had expressed interest (while dropping off the dog) in adopting again so after I found out that they'd been dishonest with me, they got blacklisted.

Peanut butter clogs up the mechanism pretty well :p

I get mine from a local shooter who collects them for me while he's out getting roo so they're less of a novelty for my dogs and they tend to go pretty easy on them. We've never had any broken teeth, there's no smell and they seem to last indefinitely here- my youngest hound has a big piece that has lasted him over 12 months and still looks barely touched, despite getting at least a couple of hours chewing each week. I've never bought antler online (because the local source is so good) so I couldn't comment on quality but from my experience with antlers, they're well worth getting.

I buy the PAWs chews for my old guy and they come in either 300 or 500g bottles, which works out at 60 or 100 chews.

If the dog had been shot with a hollow point round, you'd expect to see a lot more damage than the photos shows- which is virtually nothing. Not that it's a terribly important point- there's no real way of knowing (without reliable evidecne from either side) what exactly happened or if the shooting was justified but I do think the family has to take some responsibility for what happened. By law, you have to provide safe access to your front door. If the dog ran out the front door and straight at the police, it wasn't being contained appropriately. Had the dog gone on to attack someone walking past the house, there'd be zero sympathy for the owners on this forum. The dog could just have easily ran out the front door, jumped that tiny fence and been struck by a car so in my opinion it wasn't safely contained at all and it was an accident waiting to happen. Maybe the officer in question did overreact but given the current situation with extensive reporting of dog attacks (and a serious one being a mastiff cross), you can't really blame someone for panicking when they found themselves face to face with a similar dog that was allegedy charging at them aggressively.

entry wounds can be very small and easily covered by a skin fold/hair ruff....they are only the size of the projectile , usually . The exit wound would be a bit larger, and probably messier . If there was one. With a police round, its not likely. In Tasmania (and I'd assume other states) police use a 9mm handgun. A 9mm has a lot of stopping power and will generally go cleanly through, as opposed to the .38 or the .22, both of which lose a lot of force, tending to lead to a lot more internal damage as the bullet will bounce off bones after the initial hit (tearing things up on the inside) and not always leaving an exit wound. It does depend a bit on distance, of course. To hit the dog cleanly when it was running and the officer was supposedly scared, I'd have to assume the range was fairly short, so you'd expect a exit wound somewhere. That wound could be very small though, a 9mm round is smaller in diameter than a 5 cent piece. Regardless of calibre though, finding out the angle of entry would be very easy to do: take the carcase to a vet, have it opened up, question answered.

My youngest greyhound went to puppy training classes, basic obedience classes and was socialised as thoroughly as I could manage but if you saw us together in the front yard, you might be inclined to think that I beat the little monster on a daily basis. In the house, he's fine- he'll come when called, follow me around, engage with visitors, no worries. But in the front yard.. nope. In the front yard, if I try to approach or touch him, he bolts away, he won't approach me (not even for treats) and basically behaves like a little feral. There's no reason for it that I can see, either. From when we brought him home, I've played in the front yard with him, taken him out there to toilet and experiences have all been positive- he's just a bit of an odd dog. He also doesn't like to drink water out of a bowl and I'm 90% sure his water bowl hasn't abused him.

This was my concern, also- the risk of creating a new market for purposely crossbred dogs. I'm sure it was all done with the best of intentions but.. the road to hell is paved with those. I think you can convey how unique each dog is without doing what they did, it just takes a bit more effort than coming up with cringe-worthy oodly names.

I'd second this. PETA's kill rates make the RSSPCA look like a bunch of slackers.

My eldest hound is prone to lipomas and a graze that breaks the skin seems to trigger them. We've had a couple removed but they were in areas where they were likely to be knocked about a bit so cut off just to be safe. If it's small, mobile and firm, I wouldn't be too worried. Watch it for rapid growth or changes and if it's still there a week later, we go to the vet to have them biopsied.

Thank goodness for that. Same goes for things like prey drive- I tested one dog this week who couldn't even be brought into the testing area because he saw the small dog through the gate and reacted with the most intense drive I have ever seen. There is no way the average owner could control a dog like that yet some groups insist on rehoming them :/ Temperament is a lot like prey drive- you can manage issues but you can't change what the dog is. When it comes to selling dogs (be it adults or pups from a breeder), selling dogs that will require lifelong management just to get by is not fair on either the dog or the new owner. Owning a dog involves certain responsibilities but it shouldn't be a life-altering burden.

Oh, I agree there entirely. It's just human selfishness and pride that makes it so hard. Having to admit you cannot help the dog is difficult enough, let alone when you've become attached to the dog, adding that extra bit of guilt in that you've failed a dog you cared about. I imagine the same would apply to breeders, they put so much time and energy into the litter that letting go of one for those reasons would be very hard.

As racing greyhounds generally aren't bred for temperament, I sometimes get to see the results of such dogs and frankly, if I were a breeder, I'd probably cull. Some of the dogs we've had here have been very unhappy dogs- unable to cope with being around other dogs, unfamiliar sights/sounds/smells, open spaces, food aggressive, etc. Some of those problems can be fixed (although it's a lot of work and often one step forward, several steps back) but for others, they will never be able to live normal lives. We actually have one at the moment and it's heartbreaking to see. When loose with the other dogs, she spent her time hiding from them so she was separated to see if that would make her feel a bit safer and hopefully bring her out of her shell. The outcome was even worse- she began to show serious fear aggression whenever she was able to see them and if they tred to approach her, she would lunge, snarling at them. She lacks any confidence around people, usually only approaching from behind and even then, just jumping up and then bolting away again. Attempts at counter-conditioning and building positive associations have failed. I'm sure the eventual outcome will be that she needs to be PTS (could never rehome her) but that's easier said than done, I guess

There was actually some discussion about Spottybox on one of the FB dog groups I'm in and people were pretty disappointed. One person actually worked out the retail (not wholesale) value on the items in her box and it came to only $30.86. Personally, I think these are just companies jumping on the monthly-boxes-of-shit bandwagon without any real clue of what they're doing. I tried Pawbag (which asks you to include your dog's breed) and for my very large dogs, they sent tiny toys that a greyhound could easily swallow whole- and most of it was cheap rubbish. Some of the toys I recognised from Ebay, available in bulk from a Chinese wholesaler. Given the amount of crap you'll get but not want or use, I think most people would be better off just buying the treats or toys their dog actually likes.