kayla1

Me too. I was driving one day and passed someone walking a Brittany...I was so tempted to stop the car and say hello! But there was nowhere to pull over. :laugh: Main ones here are bull breeds and crosses, heelers, kelpies, swfs, JRTs, BCs, oodles, and smaller numbers of other types.

If the attacking dog means business then of course its size and strength makes a difference to the outcome. In those cases I will do anything to protect my dogs, and that includes picking up my smaller dogs as a means of protection (getting smaller dogs changed my perspective on that pretty quickly). For the more friendly off lead dogs, I will use change of direction as a first method of avoidance regardless of the size of the approaching dog. But what I have found though is that I have more problems with the off lead friendly types when I walk Annie and Maxie, than when I walk Kayla. The same people that seem happy to let their off lead dogs approach Annie and Maxie (who are small), will call their dogs away pretty quickly when I have Kayla (who is a medium sized black cross breed). Presumably Kayla is seen to be more of a threat. So when I'm walking Kayla I seem to have fewer off lead dogs approaching.

Has she had blood tests? That will tell you if it is renal failure.

oops double post

Perhaps for those people it's the area they live in, fewer off lead dogs and so fewer issues. I now walk in open areas only where I can see approaching dogs and have the opportunity to change direction if needed. Most of the time I can avoid the friendly or curious off lead dogs by doing this, but I've still had a few bad experiences where a dog has charged from a distance. One time I had Annie and Maxie, I saw an off lead staffy at a distance start running towards us, and it was moving so fast it was only seconds before it hit us - I had just picked up Annie in one arm when it landed on top of Maxie at full force. I was yelling at the owner (who was doing nothing) to get his dog, and trying to get the dog off Maxie whilst holding Annie in my other arm, and every time I managed to get it off it went for Maxie again. I finally managed to get the staffy off and held it back by the collar long enough for the owner to grab it. There were other people around but nobody did anything to help. Other times I have used fences as barriers when I have seen a dog charge from a distance. I did this once with Kayla when a staffy cross went for her - I went though a gate and quickly shut it behind me, and the dog hit the fence instead of her. Another time with Annie and Maxie, I saw two staffy crosses charging from a distance and just had time to get into a small fenced area and shut the gate. The two dogs were in prey drive and continued to circle until the owner finally got them away. So I think walking in open areas does help (most of the time) because it can give you a few seconds leeway. And for the doubters...a lot of people in this thread, who have said they have issues with off lead dogs, are pretty experienced dog people and would be fully aware of the difference between a friendly and not so friendly approaching dog.

Protecting a small dog is not as simple as you think. Picking up a small dog when a loose dog comes trotting over in your direction is one thing, but try doing that when a dog that truly means business comes out of nowhere with such speed and force that you don't even have time to blink before it's on top of your dog...

I'm sorry to hear you are leaving Corvus. I enjoyed reading your posts and learnt a lot from them. It's a shame but I understand why. And I see from the other posts in here that you have finished your PhD...congratulations!!

Ok, no she hasn't had that. Not sure why it wasn't done. I'll ask the vet about that next time I'm there. Thanks Rappie.

So sorry for your loss Jules. Run free Joey.

Jules, I hope you and Joey have some special time together today. Thinking of you.

Fingers crossed the cortisone helps Joey. Take care of yourself.

Don't feel bad Jules. :) Thanks for asking, and thanks Anne and Rappie for your replies. Kayla is doing pretty well. She's about 90% recovered, still a slight head tilt and some staggering/stumbling. It's been a very gradual improvement, but I'm happy she's recovered this much. Rappie, I'm not sure what is involved with a neurological exam? She's seen several vets who have examined her but she hasn't had any scans. The vets said the next step would be MRI if she had more of the shorter vestibular episodes. Fortunately she hasn't had any recently, and I'd prefer to avoid a GA unless absolutely necessary. Also the vets said it may not change the treatment she's currently on - she was already on dexamethasone for a spinal problem, and will most likely be staying on it now since the vestibular episodes, and she also started on vivitonin after the idiopathic episode. Anne, yes I remember reading about Monte's sad decline. I don't think it's the same with Kayla, but I'm not familiar with seizures so can't be sure. Jules, sorry to read about Joey's problems.

These people with reactive dogs are doing the RESPONSIBLE thing by not walking their dogs OFF-lead. Yes, and you only have to read the reactive dog thread to see the enormous amount of training put in by owners of reactive dogs, only to have it all go pear shaped because of an off lead dog. Whether it's off lead in an on lead area or wandering about in an unfenced front yard, the attitude of 'my dog never goes anywhere' seems to be quite common. Until one day the dog does go somewhere, like underneath a car.

I don't walk the local streets either - too many bad experiences with roaming dogs. There are also certain parks that I avoid, again because of bad experiences with others not in control of their dogs. I drive to places that I know well, like the local oval and golf course, and always walk early in the morning. As I walk my older dog separately to the other two, it means two trips. It's a bit more work, but it means we can all enjoy the walk. Off lead is on private property only, no dog parks.

Lucky boy that his final years were filled with love. Run free Navey.

Annie's anal sacs leak when she is very relaxed, usually when she is on my lap. Happens nearly everyday. She has been checked and there is no problem. I just make sure to cover my lap with an old towel if I have good clothes on. :laugh:

I completed the survey but some of my responses are meaningless unfortunately, due to the six point scale and lack of a neutral option.

There are dermatologists at Melbourne Vet Specialist Centre in Glen Waverley here. You need a referral to see them. I don't know of any closer to Frankston.

Last year in Tootgarook there was a staffy found mauled with a bag tied around it's head. The police were investigating possible dog fighting in the area. I'm not sure if this is the same incident you are referring to, or whether it's happened again since - I hope not.

Do you know where I could get more info about this? I've heard of dog fighting on the Peninsula before but haven't heard anything recently.

I can imagine people using a buyback as an excuse to get rid of their unwanted dogs, regardless of whether the dogs have actually shown aggression or not. This article reminds me of the discussion on the mix 101.1 facebook page now, but Chrissie Swan has taken it even further by questioning the need for any large breed dog. Chrissie's comments in the past indicate she's not an animal lover anyway, but she's another one that really needs to do a bit of research before she speaks.

Perhaps it depends on the type of AB given too...maybe some are more effective than others with anal gland infections.

That sounds awful, it must have been very painful for him. It's great that the surgery worked though. That's interesting, I haven't heard of only one being removed. Actually I don't know which one of Maxie's was infected, or whether it was both. I must ask the vet about that next time I'm there.

I don't like to vaccinate my older dogs, especially if they have health issues. Kayla hasn't been vaccinated for a few years now and she won't be vaccinated again. Not sure about heartguard, whether it affects the kidneys. Personally I wouldn't because I'd be worried about adding further stress to a dog that's already unwell, but then in my area heartworm is very rarely seen so not a high risk. How is his disc problem, is he still on meloxicam?

Thanks for your thoughts CHA. Kayla is doing pretty good at the moment. She still has some problems with balance after the vestibular episode and has slowed down but she is happy enough, and she seems to have reverted back to her puppyhood! So considering her age, I'm happy with how she is going.