grumpette

Oh Cin I am so very sorry to read that Atlas has gone to the Bridge. He lived life to the full due to your love and care. His love of fun and food was shared with all of us through your photos and stories. Cherish those as much as we do. May your Rest in Peace Atlas Cin please look after yourself.

I was wondering if there was any news on how Ned is from WAR please?

Aggressive dogs are not just owned by bogans and they are not only bull breeds. In my neighbourhood the three most aggressive dogs are owned by three different families, two of which are peace loving free spirit types who believe their pure breed human aggrssive/dog aggressive kelpie, their dog aggressive BC x lab and their dog aggressive terrier bitsa are allowed to roam freely, should not be contained on their prperty, because they always come back, and should not be walked on a lead, including accompanying them to community events with no lead. In fact, the community minded peace loving free spirit's dog aggressive BC x lab attacked Zeph and myself in the main street outside the post office yesterday. Zeph was on his lead and sat beside me as commanded while we were standing in the main street and the local senior police officer is yelling from the police station to put your dog on a lead. The moron knows that Serious does not like dogs bigger than her, especially black dogs, so where was the bloody lead, around his shoulder. Sorry I am really pissed of by moronic dog owners who think they know it all and make walking my dogs an absolute nightmare. This guy is an absolute tool who will have another "tough dog" by the end of the week and will have learnt nothing. Good luck to his dog owning neighbours.

I have one Rotty here that will eat the cat in a heartbeat, one Rotty that will not care about the cat, and another Rotty that will run from the cat if it stands it's ground. It is not the breed you have to worry about, but the individual temperaments of the dog and cat.

OMG Chopper's expression is priceless "Don't you stick that thing near me. I know what it has been licking"

Rainy they are both gorgeous. That is an "anything you can do, I can do" photo.

Some kids just have an affinity for dogs and animals.

Kirislin that is a stunning photo. So emotive and in the moment

I would not, especially with a breed like Rotties, which required consistent leadership and boundaries. Whatever training and rules are established in the home go out the window when in the boarding kennel. Not only do you have to worry about the puppy stage, but also the teenage stage. Depending on the breed I can see this as a nightmare in the making.

I am so glad to read that all is going well with Bison. May he continue to thrive. :D

Oh crap Julie. I hope that your son is OK.

There is no guarantee that a pet dog will protect you should you both come under threat. None. The only way is to have a protection trained dog, which comes with its own set of serious responsibilities with respect to containing the dog, as the dog is in fact a declared dangerous dog according to law, especially in Victoria. It sounds like the guy and girl were known to each other, and that it was not a random abduction attempt.

.... I'm just imagining all the 'settling down' my two would do after 2 weeks of no walks :/ ..... Oh gawd yes, considering mine cannot get through two days without a good walk. Oh the destruction, the noise, the mess, the insanity

:laugh: I'll tell you if Neo ever grows a brain, if you tell me if Zeph ever does! I'm sure Nova - at 9 months - is far more mentally mature than Neo, who is about to turn 3 :laugh: She's already totally running rings around him! My poor boy, God love him! :laugh: You two have made me realise that both Rotties I have owned have been bitches. So I guess if I were to get another Rottie, I would probably be more likely to get another bitch due to familiarity, and both of them had such awesome personalities. But Minxy, both Zeph and Neo are big girls, and Mummy's boys as well Allerzeit, Zeph does occassionally engage his big brain, but he is a cocky, arrogant little shite who uses it for evil. He is very opportunistic. (insert rolly eyes man)

I prefer the girls in my breed. They are easier to train, mature sooner and tend to be the better workers. They only pee a few times on walks and poo a maximum of twice. Zeph pees on everything and takes 4-8 goes to clear his bowel each day (insert rolly eyes man) However, that being said, Zeph is probably going to be a better worker than Baylee and Dee, if he can only get over his boy brain.

Run a mile from this person very quickly. Definitely go with your gut instinct.

Allerzeit is right, they are not a breed to be stuck in the backyard and left, especially when they know that you are home. They will follow you from room to room, so if they are left in the backyard they will go from window to window and door to door in an effort to get your attention and be let in. If you do get a Rottweiler you may need to re-think your idea of only bringing them inside at night and during bad weather. Another concern that I have is that you mentioned that you would be following the Delta Dog Society training methods. A Rottweiler needs clear leadership and well defined boundaries. This means discipline and rewards/encouragement. They are a strong dog that sometimes needs correction and clear guidance about acceptable behaviour. They do not do well with the confusion of Delta training. A Rottweiler is a working breed that is extremely intelligent and is happiest when given a job to do. My dogs do competition obedience, herding, tracking, Rally-O (Gawd help us) and public relations work like the Responsible Pet Ownership program and Pets as Therapy. They are happiest after they have done some training for the day and been on a 5 km walk. Then they will settle and allow me to work. With regard the fencing, Rottweilers have a very strong prey drive and they will chase anything, including horses and rabbits. We have ring lock fencing, because three or four strand farm fencing will not hold them once in prey drive. Our dogs have run through barbed wire fences after rabbits and kangaroos without slowing or hesitating. They also can jump your standard 1.2 m high farm fencing, as I found out after the fires when our then 7 month old dog jumped the standard 1.2m high fence and tracked me down in the middle of town. We now have 2m high fences.

I believe that dogs and owners should attend classes at least until they have passed through the teenage period, especially for the bigger breeds. This is the time that owners need the most support with the behaviour and training of their dogs.

Big cuddles given T. :D Thanks Powerlegs. I think they are pretty special.

Thanks for the compliments about Zephyr. I think he has the most amazing smile :D I think that was what got him accepted into the Pets as Therapy program. I love a well behaved, well socialised, intelligent dog that has character and makes you laugh. I love a dog that I can go for long walks with (I feel naked walking without one) and a dog that I can train in many different sports like obedience, tracking, herding, rally-O, retrieving, agility. But I also like a dog with an "OFF" switch, which is capable of just chilling on the couch when required. I do prefer bigger dogs to smaller dogs and dogs from the working/utility groups, as long as they are not dogs that fit the description below. I don't like dogs that jump on people, dogs that lunge/bark/attack whenever you go near or past them, dogs that bark or whine excessively (especially high pitched), dogs that are demanding or pushy, dogs that are untrained, poorly socialised and are unaccustomed to boundaries. These types of dogs come in all shapes and sizes, and can be found in all breeds.

Yes you can :laugh: :D

Oh Melz, your poor gorgeous girl being subject to such trauma She most certainly does not look impressed.

I was watching TV whilst throwing the ball for the dogs, and all was quiet, until I heard the kitchen bin moving around. I got up and was greeted by this: Zephyr's ball had bounced into the bin and he was so proud of himeself that he was able to retrieve it. I, on the other hand, was not happy with all the rubbish strewn over the kitchen floor.

I second the Novoguard collars. It has survived 2 Rotties that are severe lickers and is still in one piece. One Rotty had cruciate surgery and the other a lump removed. Absolutely brilliant collars as the dogs can still be crated comfortably if required.

Things are looking promising for Bison, which is great :D