RuralPug

Possibly it is hormonal and the behaviour will stop once she has been spayed. It sounds like she will be much happier once desexed.

I simply would not place a dog in such a home, the risk of accident is far too high. You need to increase the height of the balustrade first, with lattice or fencing, then look for a dog.

What do they mean "articulated hind limb dewclaw"? Does this mean a dew claw that is connected? Vet advice I have had with rescues (all adult) is that unconnected (aka "loose') rear dew claws should be removed. Presumably breeds where rear dew claws are part of the standard have connected dew claws.

Puppy is being taught about Chloe's personal space.. Puppies in general are a bit dim about that and if puppy won't listen to Chloe's warnings. they will eventually escalate past moving away and glares and growls and snaps to a bite. Make sure that Chloe has her space by separating the puppy when you can't actively supervise them together. Puppy will eventually learn but in order to survive the learning experience it is best that you supervise the process..

A quick google search shows a lot of plans for DIY automatic ball throwers (that the dog can use by themselves) when I changed the search terms to include "see saw" I got a whole heap of designs for launching ping pong balls but nothing for tennis balls! My final try led me to pinterest - use the search term "DIY tennis ball trebuchet" and you will be inundated with plans. People like to make scale size medieval siege weapons apparently - who knew? Perfect for a foot pedal dog ball thrower!

I would dump the rice milk if I were you. Dogs don't fully digest grain anyway it just bulks up the stools. Stool bulking, if needed, is better done with pumpkin or other veges. Just my opinion, the rice milk is not poisonous or anything LOL! Male sure that the chicken mince is the type with minced bone included - so not human quality chicken mince. I would feed an 8wk 3 times a day and taper down to twice a day at about 12 weeks. The worming chews for puppies and small dogs will probably be wasted as she is more likely past the maximum weight for them already, but check the weight instructions on the package. Your breeder should have given you information about when to worm her again - if they didn't, then worm her now, then again at 10 weeks, again one month later then every three months afterwards. If the breeder hasn't given you all that diet, worming and care info then do make sure that your vet gives her a THOROUGH health check when you take her for her next vacc in a few weeks. Enjoy your puppy! We expect photos to squeal over!

I find that Moorholme pet transport is best if you are going to fly (for a small dog or cat flights are not as expensive as you might think. Large and giant breeds are of course much more expensive.) For road transport in the eastern states I recommend Dogmovers - have a peek at their website to check out the regular routes and when they are scheduled. They are quite prompt with quotes.

This product is readily available. You might want to do a bit of price comparison to get best value. https://www.petstock.com.au/product/dog/nerf-dog-10-stomper-red/56875

Gremlins, sorry.

@PANDI-GIRL it really depends on the dog. I have several dogs that I have fostered (some for quite long terms) return to me regularly for grooming and only one of them ever made a fuss about going home with their new owner after a groom- I asked that another groomer be found for her, but I did also get a savvy friend to do a post adoption check on that dog to make she she was not unsettled or unhappy in her new home (she wasn't!!). Some dogs get over-clingy and she was one of them! I imagine that Rascal knows Hugo well enough to decide if the occasional return would fret him.

Just wondering if you have chosen a course of action yet @MillieMar

I'm a fan of Moorholme for airport to airport!

Yes please for Found Hearts!!

Glad you found your contacts. For the benefit of anyone else seeking a puppy. Dogzonline breed pages and the breed club in your state are the best place to start.

Have you asked the rescue for suggestions? Did you adopt from a rescue that specialises in greyhounds? Greyhounds are bred to chase. If this is happening only outdoors then training your cavalier NOT to run when outdoors with the grey will solve the problem. However if the greyhound now sees the cavalier as a prey animal, indoors or out, sitting or running, then returning the grey to the rescue might be needed.

Yes there are quite a few reputable rescues in Vic - let us know what general area you are in and we can recommend some. One that springs straight to mind as a good ethical rescue that covers most of Vic and is careful in rehabilitating dogs and then matching them to adoptive homes is Victorian Dog Rescue - they have a web page and a facebook page. The reason that I don't recommend a pound or shelter in your instance is due to you needing a low activity dog that is content to spend several hours a day alone. What you don't need is a dog that is going to need a lot of man hours of rehabilitation because it is bored and destructive or constantly escaping or howling etc. Pounds and shelters are simply not in a position to assess dogs to see if they match criteria - the dogs are all kennelled with other dogs and people nearby during the day. Pounds in particular very rarely try to match dogs with homes and simply sell to who ever is first in line and willing to pay. That is fine for those who can accept the work that might be required if the dog doesn't match their criteria. Some shelters are a bit more discriminating but again cannot assess due to kenneling.

Sorry? Do you mean between fox terrier sized (small) and Labrador sized (large? ) Do you mean in between, meaning only a medium sized breed or any size bigger than a toy breed and smaller than a giant breed? I agree an adult as a first dog is ideal. So either a fostered adult from a rescue (NOT from a shelter or pound) or an adult from a breeder. You want a dog with a fairly low activity level, so that is important to know. A dog that will be comfortable being alone for the working day and will welcome you in the evenings and on weekends. I wouldn't worry too much about your occasional visitors with mild allergies, to cater to allergies you will need a poodle-coated type dog which will need much more grooming than just a brush over which doesn''t fit with your needs - and you are the one who will be living with the dog 7 days a week. You are looking for a smooth coated breed, or a single coated medium to long hair breed (think cavalier king charles spaniel type coat). I would avoid all the toy breeds, as they are companion dogs first and foremost and often don't adapt well to being alone for large parts of the day (although there are exceptions and you might get lucky and strike one who knows?) I would also avoid all of the terriers and working breeds as are they are high activity in most cases. Of the top of my head, smaller breeds that might suit are Dachshund (standard size smooth or long), Whippet; some medium breeds that might suit are Basset Hound, Xolo (standard or intermediate size coated version); larger breeds include Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever (NOT from working lines though). There are no doubt heaps of mixed breed dog currently in rescue that would also suit you.

Staghounds can be rough coated or smooth coated. Both 'bullarab' and 'staghound' are types rather than individual breeds. Both these types tend to feature various type of mastiff ancestry together with sighthound ancestry as well as other breed groups. From the photo, I can only say that I can see both sighthound and mastiff influence - it could go either way. Wait until he is adult, if he is shaped much like a giant greyhound, call him a staghound, other wise call him a bull arab. In either case - it is really important that he learns recall and basic manners NOW so that you will end up with a dog to be truly proud of over the next 10 - 15 years! It's worth finding an obedience class in your area to attend weekly.

I agree with dogsfevr except that I would be tempted to put the visiting kids in the pen rather than the dog. I'm serious - I quite often put my toddlers in a playpen to keep the dogs safe.

Agree with all that has been said. Most important things in toilet training are (1) IMMEDIATE HEAPS OF PRAISE when pups toilets where you want them to and (2) don't set them up for mistakes. To achieve (1) above it is important that you accompany them outside and be prepared to give heaps of excited parise and/or a treat immediately they have emptied their bowels or bladder. To achieve (2) don't leave pup unsupervised inside (hence the puppy pen or crate when you cannot actively supervise) and be sure to clean up any mistakes with an enzyme cleaner (e.g. Urine Off) which will remove all trace to their sensitive noses and not tempt them to repeat. A soft breed like the cocker will want to be always with their people, which is why remaining outside with them until they have emptied out is so important. It won't be too much longer, if you are consistent, when outside will be the habitual place, and they will go out on their own. But for baby puppies, you need to go out with them until they are reliable.

Before you choose your baby puppy PLEASE learn all you can about socialisation (this does NOT mean letting them roam dog parks), canine enrichment, brainwork and early training. This is setting yourself up to have a wonderful companion for life to be proud of. CHECK that the breeder of the pup has used parents that have passed all the health tests for conditions common to the breed or breeds involved - this is setting yourself up to decrease the likelihood of huge vet bills and a pup with a short life. Eyes, hearts, patellas especially with your choices. All of the breeds you are looking at have brachiocephalic features (short noses, relatively large heads) so PLEASE learn all about the extra care that needs to be taken with these for their lifetimes. Please choose to educate yourself. And you ARE getting a pup from a breeder,(be it a puppy farmer or a BYB) unless you are going interstate to buy from a pet shop, as Victoria has made puppy and kitten sales in pet shops illegal. Your job, for your own benefit, is to make sure that the breeder is a reputable one who understands and can explain the needs of the breed and has carefully selected the parents and health tested those parents. Take a deep breath, research, (asking here is a GREAT START ) and do not rush into a 15 year commitment. Please don't be the type who researches more carefully a new car or new washing machine that will last fewer years than they research a new living member of the family!

Sorry for the ambiguity @BDJ I agree with what you said and think that it it is sad.

OOPS gremlins, sorry

@Rascalmyshadow Are there breeders that you know and trust that you could approach to see if they perhaps have someone on their waiting list looking for a adult pet dog? The advantage there is that you will have other experienced heads helping with the vetting out of potential homes. Also you can contact TARS (The Animal Rehoming Service) in Melbourne, I think that they still handle private rehomes. Find them on FB and they also have a web page.

Interesting thread. Kudos to all who tried to decide what was in the dog's best interest. which can be difficult when we are only hearing one side of the story (not that I am saying there is any deception at all, just that we don't know how deeply the original owner felt). Thank you for giving back the dog. The previous owner might sound flaky but how much of that was anxiety or panic over her dog's welfare? And you have done a good deed and most of your financial investment will be ready for a new dog when you find the right one!