Maddy

The boerwindhond looks (from all the pictures I've found) to be nothing more than a regular greyhound, backyard bred for a purpose. Supposedly they're larger but from the photos I've seen, either they breed their people equally big over there or the dogs are the same size as the ones here. That said, breeding bigger greyhounds is no amazing feat of secret-sqirrel dedication and work anyway. Breed big to big, rinse, repeat- get dogs larger than the standard. Or just crossbreed to deerhounds- bit tricky getting your wire coat type without that in there, I suppose. Getting endurance out of the dog is the same deal. Breed me back a coated greyhound (without cheating and using any other breed in there) and then I'll be impressed. The mystical "proper deerhound" is just crossbred dogs being bred together over several generations to make more crossbred dogs. A crossbred doesn't become a purebred just by banging out a few generations worth (otherwise Australian Cattle Staffies (the pound favourite) and Labradoodles would be well on their way to becoming proper breeds).

Ditto. I've spent hundreds of hours developing a good, thorough website, doing my own photos, writing my own articles and caring for a pack of foster dogs. I do regular behavioural assessments (because behaviour can and often does change while in care) and keep records so I can find any trends that need addressing. Surely PoundRounds could spare a few hours a week to take some photos, do some testing and write up their own notes? It's not exactly taxing and if they're planning on adopting dogs out, it has to be done. You just can't rely on other peoples' notes when you haven't even seen the dog yourself.

I found it didn't smell to much, the only rule is not to put the compost on any food trees. why is that. what could happen? Presumably because of the risk of parasites such as tapeworms although I thought this only applied to root vegetables By the time it's been digested by a regular worm, you'd think it'd be safe to use. For regular composting, depending on what else is going into the bin, temperatures can get up to 70o, not sure if parasites could survive this but if you were planning on using the compost for vegetables, probably worth checking. I compost poo using one of the vented compost bins and worms (between each layer of poo, there's a layer of lawn clippings) and I haven't noticed any smell from it besides the smell of decomposing grass. We have one bin for five dogs but our dogs are raw fed so there's not actually that much waste and it tends to break down very quickly anyway. Once we have enough, I plan to use the new soil to fill in some of the excavations in the backyard so parasites aren't a concern (and my dogs are wormed regularly- which doesn't seemed to have bothered the earthworms at all, by the way).

Ah.. presumably the "PoundList" watermarked onto each photo is actually just dust or some lens flare then..

Seems so. If they have the time to be drawing on moustaches and writing introductions in accents, you'd think they'd also have the time to take their own photos, hey?

Article was interesting but I couldn't get passed those horrible cropped ears in the photos section. shudder For photos of extreme dogs, I recommend: dogshowpoop.blogspot.com Personally, I'm more grossed out by coiffure than ears that have been tampered with. But then, I'm not into cosmetics and I would never own a long haired dog. You're probably more desensitised to cropped ears Sandgrubber, given your location. But at least hair can be changed and grow to what the owner likes. Those ears aren't growing back. To be honest, I like the look of cropped ears on a Dobe Not the huge, batty ears but the small, neat erect ears that make them look more alert (like this). I honestly don't see much difference between ear cropping and tail docking. After all, that tail isn't going to grow back either. As for the dogs on the other site linked.. while I'm not a fan of fluffy, girly-looking dogs, I can appreciate the enormous level of skill that's obviously gone into some of those clips. While I will agree your example it is far nicer and less extreme....I still believe if you want a dog with erect ears, then get a dog with erect ears. There are plenty to choose from. It's not rocket science. Not a fan of docked tails either I'm afraid, but each to their own when it comes to fashion (and lets face in this day and age practicality doesn't come into it) it's ALL about fashion. Easier said than done if you're after a dog of a certain type and temperament (things that really do matter when considering breeds). The cosmetic things.. while some of them are obviously just about aesthetics, others do have more practical backgrounds and reasoning behind them. And then there are other cosmetic traits (bred in, rather than altered after birth) that can potentially shorten a dog's life and cause them considerable discomfort so I have to admit I find it odd that people (not meaning you, speaking generally) can be so anti-tail docking (for example) but be okay with dogs that suffer skin conditions because of the desirable skin wrinkling. typo

I have to admit.. I was wondering about that. I guess maybe it'd make sense on the profile of a French breed of dog (like a poodle or a Frenchie) but for a staffy x Australian cattle dog.. erm.. no. Personally I wouldn't do it anyway because it looks pretty unprofessional. Also, "no" entirely to badly drawn paintbrush additions to photos. Photoshop can be valuable in cleaning up images to remove distractions, other dogs/people/whatever but drawing stuff on images, in my opinion, is not doing their profile any favours. Adopters want to see the dog- not the dog, obscured behind a silly moustache.

Article was interesting but I couldn't get passed those horrible cropped ears in the photos section. shudder For photos of extreme dogs, I recommend: dogshowpoop.blogspot.com Personally, I'm more grossed out by coiffure than ears that have been tampered with. But then, I'm not into cosmetics and I would never own a long haired dog. You're probably more desensitised to cropped ears Sandgrubber, given your location. But at least hair can be changed and grow to what the owner likes. Those ears aren't growing back. To be honest, I like the look of cropped ears on a Dobe Not the huge, batty ears but the small, neat erect ears that make them look more alert (like this). I honestly don't see much difference between ear cropping and tail docking. After all, that tail isn't going to grow back either. As for the dogs on the other site linked.. while I'm not a fan of fluffy, girly-looking dogs, I can appreciate the enormous level of skill that's obviously gone into some of those clips.

Agree - in my old neighbourhood I got sick to death of neighbourhood cats roaming in my back yard stirring up (and beating up) my dog, coming through the dog door into my house, mating loudly in front of my bedroom window in the middle of the night and just causing a disturbance in general. If you love your cat, keep it on your property away from cars, violent sickos and dogs and spare a thought for the people whose quiet enjoyment your cats are disturbing. If you want your cat to be outside but stay in your yard perhaps you can put these up http://www.oscillot.com.au/ This. I have dogs that could easily catch and kill a cat so I have to constantly worry about the risk of someone's cat wandering into our yard and then having to return someone's cat to them, dead (it's almost happened once, friendly little kitten who was sitting right at our back door- if I'd let Kiff out to toilet, that would've been the end of him). My dogs are safely contained, my fences are very good and I take steps to ensure my dogs don't disturb the neighbours, why should I live in constant fear of the sound of screaming cats? (Which can be hard to distinguish from fighting cats- something they like to do on our garage roof late at night, which works the dogs up and gets them barking ) With all the options now for cat containment (the oscillot system looks awesome) and heaps of places manufacturing proper cat runs, there's no excuse for wandering cats. If it were a dog, people would be up in arms about the "irresponsible" owners, this is no different.

Have you tried making the watermark more prominent and perhaps changing the wording of it? For example.. "© Poundlist 2012" and then below that (but positioned in such a way as to make cropping it off impossible) "If you viewing this image anywhere other than [Dol, wherever], it has been STOLEN" It certainly won't stop them from copy/pasting but at least other people will be aware that the images are being used without permission of Poundlist.

Unless I'm reading something different, it looks like the "attacking" of the page was done by someone from PR and done actually on the page itself, not here. People here have done nothing more than ask questions and express opinions about the concept of such a page.

Can I ask why you consider an inside dog as a huge plus? My 2 dogs are outside only dogs and are still VERY well loved; as much (if not more so) as inside dogs. I'd be very disappointed if I wasn't given a puppy based on the fact that he/she would live outside. Especially since it's a parental rule as I'd be more than happy to let the dogs inside on occasion. This is just my own opinion but it really depends on a few things- How much interaction the dog is going to get. If it's a family that spends all their time indoors, the dog is going to get bored and lonely and then there's the worry of problem behaviours stemming from that. If they're outdoorsy people who'd be putting in at least one or two hours a day of interaction (play/training/walking/whatever), it'd be less of an issue. Whether or not the dog was suited to living outdoors. This depends not just on breed but on the individual dog. An IG just wouldn't cope as an outside only dog in somewhere like Tasmania without coats and shelter built/bought with the dog's needs in mind and even then, it wouldn't be the most comfortable existence. That said, some dogs prefer to sleep outside so it's really an individual thing.

People who want to order a particular colour or model*, as if I have greyhounds stacked up in a warehouse somewhere. *"One that looks just like my old dog"

No one was "attacking" the creator of the page in question. People asked questions, got no answer and so came to some fairly logical conclusions based on the information provided (including some of the rescues listed). This isn't about having a go at anyone else- people here at passionate about what they do and work their arses off to do the right thing. It's disconcerting that some anonymous group would step in and begin declaring who's ethical without providing any information on methods used or even who is making these decisions. As for the "An animal saved is still an animal saved" thing.. if only that were the case. Improper placement or unsuitable dogs being rehomed doesn't just hurt the individual dog and/or the family but also the reputation of rescue as a whole. Is it better to rehome one unsuitable dog, have it blow up in your face and lose ten potential homes?

It's the RSPCA Tas They're shooting themselves in the foot but for whatever reason, don't seem willing or able to understand the issues properly. I think it's very unfortunate that we have to rely on people like this to enforce our animal welfare laws and run our pounds when they're essentially backing puppy farmers and BYBs by giving crossbred dogs the thumbs up. As for the rest.. meh, I'll believe it when I see it. The PetBarn here wasn't actually selling puppies so I'd been shopping there a bit- the OH went in on Sunday to pick up some stuff for the hounds and he said they were selling puppies now back to shopping at Animal Tuckerbox..

I met a bulldog once at a kennel i ran. Horrible dog. Nasty as would would try to rip into anyone he could. The second you turned your back on him he would try to grab your leg to bite. Only management were allowed to handle him because of how dangerous he was. He was told not to come back. This IS the issue, it isnt the breed at all, it is the deed. Just because you think a dog looks cute does not mean it is. It's sort of like how people think greyhounds are elegant, graceful dogs because they're tall and skinny. Most of the accidents we've had here are because greyhounds are neither elegant or graceful. They just have extra leg length for more impressive tripping over :p We've made our backyard idiot-proof but our greyhounds still manage to trip over, walk into things (sighthounds? Pfft :rolleyes: ) and hurt themselves on objects that seem impossible to injure yourself on. I'd love to own one of those mythical "graceful" greyhounds.

They accept Paypal for their pups and bred nine litters in 2011. Never mind that they bred dogs outside the breed standard and only seem to breed for sale, not for improving the breed. I'd consider that puppy farming (of the worst kind) and posting a sappy (copied) story onto your website does not make you ethical. Edited to add.. Also, the "award" on their website for being an ethical breeder.. you get that award by filling in the form here.. http://www.trainpetdog.com/breeder-form.php You can even select to be an awarded ethical breeder of mixed breeds :rolleyes:

Because it's a well-known fact that cows can't breathe through their mouths. The point of baiting wasn't to kill the bull by suffocation, the pinning of the nose was to bring the bull down, where it is less capable of defending itself by kicking or crushing the dogs. And as someone already pointed out, that was bulldogs anyway. You'd think they'd check statements made by "experts" and edit them from the story if the "expert" turned out to be a mouth-breathing moron. Kind of makes me wonder why you never hear bulldogs being accused of attacks.. :rofl: O my ... well for starters maybe its because their legs are too short to reach past anyones ankles unless they fell first. then because if they are going to it will be a lick em to death experience???????? The name has "bull" in it though and that seems to be the word that gets everyone worried. Pit bull, bull terrier, bull mastiff, staffordshire bull terrier.. bulldog

Because it's a well-known fact that cows can't breathe through their mouths. The point of baiting wasn't to kill the bull by suffocation, the pinning of the nose was to bring the bull down, where it is less capable of defending itself by kicking or crushing the dogs. And as someone already pointed out, that was bulldogs anyway. You'd think they'd check statements made by "experts" and edit them from the story if the "expert" turned out to be a mouth-breathing moron. Kind of makes me wonder why you never hear bulldogs being accused of attacks..

When your rehoming practises can have big impacts (positive or negative), the rescuer/shelter is no longer just dealing with appeasing their own morals. You have other peoples' families and pets to think about when you make rehoming decisions and doing what satisfies your own morals could have horrible results for someone else's family. Yes, these two dogs will die unless this family takes them (not that you have to PTS just to make space- manage your shelter better, get community involved happening, foster carers, whatever) but you have to think of all the possible outcomes and weigh up the risk of rehoming against the benefit to not just the dogs but also the family. Two days ago, I had someone very interested in one of my dogs- the dog won't be an easy rehome because although he's a popular colour, he's a very pushy, assertive, big boy who isn't suitable for a home with cats, other dogs (unless it was a very quiet dog) or children under 12 years old. I could've offloaded him onto this unsuspecting family (several kids and two cats).. morally, I'd be happy- dog rehomed and my job is done because it left here alive, whatever happens next is not my problem. But ethically.. god, no. And I'm afraid I just can't feel warm and fuzzy about other people doing what I consider to be taking unacceptable risks with other peoples' lives. typo

My older dog really only likes two things- his bed and ham. If I used him to judge people, I'd be a very lonely person- unless more people carried ham in their pockets. What I think a lot of people are actually seeing when their dog "doesn't like" someone is more the dog reacting to body language. Someone who doesn't like dogs or is scared of them might not get a great reaction from the dog but it doesn't mean there's necessarily anything dodgy going on with them.

That's how it seems. I have to say.. I'm curious as to how some of the people in those groups find time to post as much as they do if they are rescuers. Between my family, my own dogs, my foster dogs and running a small rescue (oh, and the book I somehow started writing for new greyhound owners- so much for.. "I'll just write you up a quick list of basic first aid stuff for your new grey..") I get a bit of DOl time- which is usually while I'm procrastinating over the writing I should be doing- and enough time to quickly browse my FB newsfeed, maybe Vetnpet or Ebay if I'm out of something for the dogs and then updates for the rescue site, if I'm ahead enough with everything else. Also a bit of evening time but that's time I'm taking out of my own sleep- like right now :p It seems as if some of these people spend literally all day on FB; cross-posting, sharing, liking their friend's cross-posts and shares, posting snarks at enemies, cross-posting said snark to friend, liking friend's share of the snark, rinse, repeat, ad infinitum.

Exactly. Both these dogs are American bulldogs.. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AmericanBulldog1.JPG http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Americanbulldogs.JPG One looks staffish and the other looks more like a mastiff after a bit of a facelift. Edited to add.. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steelcity_Kascha.JPG And another that looks like a boxer They really need to do some work on defining their breed characteristics..

You are 100% correct, hence why with a lot of testing placebo's are used (that narrows down such issues) Maybe some of the issues raised earlier in this thread could have been due to a heightened awareness of potential problems. As I do not know these people, I am not in a position to comment, other than I hope for the best for there dogs. The customers that I have dealt with do not know each other, live in different states, and to my knowledge do not use this forum (all found us by Google or Yahoo search) You have to admit though that it is possible they researched the product before deciding to try it or after buying it and came across some of the dubious forums/sites that warn people of the terrible side effects. Without talking to each customer and finding out exactly what the problems were, what research they did and what sites (other than Dol) that they looked at (before and after using the product), you can't say that the reactions weren't typical reactions or even conditions completely unrelated to the product (correlation =/= causation, after all)

I'm feeding five large dogs and the average cost per day is about $2 per dog. They get a great diet- fresh lamb, roo, chicken, a bit of beef and a small amount of fish (as well as extras like untreated hides and homemade liver treats). They get Livermol for their coats, Feramo to make sure they're getting any extras they need and vitamin E to keep their skin decent. I buy everything in bulk and it works out very cheaply. The dogs love their food, it's not much work and the fosters (who are ex racers and so not always in the best condition when they arrive) pick up within two to four weeks. If you don't want to spend the money on BARF patties or VAN.. don't. As for crate training.. some dogs like them, some don't. I have one boy here who stands in front of the crate and paws at it to nag me into opening the door for him. I have another dog who wouldn't get into a crate for all the ham in the free world. Do whatever works for you but understand that other people have a lot of success with it.