Rascalmyshadow

The people that are recommending poodles if you have only lived with two maybe three in your entire life then you may not have experienced what many of them can be like. I agree the standards usually have much better temperaments but they are very high energy, they can be rough especially if they are on the bigger side and they can be overly protective of their kids making it hard to have visitors or be social out in public. If they are bred with a very high prey drive some will be fine until kids start running around making noise. Not all of them are like this but many are its the reason we did so much rescue work, people buying them as puppies not realising what they are getting themselves into. They have become so popular that it seems many breeders are not being careful with temperament they just want to make their money.

Be very careful if you decide on a lagotto, the few I have dealt with (two i still groom) are biters. One the family has done everything possible, training, behaviourist, medication etc. she has become so bad she has to be muzzled out of the house and locked away when visitors come. The other I still groom is a little better but he is still young, he is destructive, stubborn and will bite if he doesn't like a situation. His owners work from home and have been taking him to a good training school since he was about 10 weeks old but it's made no difference to the above behaviours. I turned another away a couple of years ago when I moved my business to home because she was too risky to groom without sedating and having a vet on hand.

Absolutely gorgeous! Great to see such a mix of breeds together.

If your leaning towards a poodle I suggest be very careful about your breeder and go for a black over other colours. Poodles are a highly intelligent working dog, they do best not being left alone for long periods and given plenty of mental stimulation and exercise. Many of them have high prey drive and majority I know/knew are not keen on kids. If their needs are not catered for they become a problem, I groom more poodles that bite their owners than any other breed.

While a bit different to the breeds you have listed I would also consider a keeshond. Even though they have a lot of coat a comb out weekly is all they need and when blowing coat a comb every few days. If maintained properly they shouldn't leave hair everywhere like a GSD would. All the ones I've met/groomed have been well behaved, happy go lucky dogs.

I wouldn't choose a poodle or lagotto with such young kids, neither breed are overly patient. I have owned and rescued poodles for the last 17 years, this is the first time in all those years I don't have one and it is going to stay that way mostly due to their unsuitability with children. Edited to add: I have had a few poodles (mostly toys) surrendered to me over the years for biting the family's children. All but a couple that have come through my house (all sizes) including my own have had very little tolerance for children's behaviour. The lagotto's I have/do groom are quite reactive dogs and I wouldn't trust them around young kids at all. Have you considered a bichon they are quite robust and have softer temperaments.

I'm sorry you are at this point, having to make the decision for my old girl only two months ago I know how hard it is, but no matter when it happens you will always question if it was the right time. I think better a little too soon than too late. There were quite a few dogs that the owners couldn't let go of when I worked in the vet it was a very hard thing to see. You are so lucky to be able to take such beautiful photo's to cherish. I find it very hard to look back at mine as it makes everything all too fresh, they are all put away out of sight.

My Rascal is one of these dogs, if I'm not well or feeling down even if I act normal he becomes a Velcro dog. He will follow me from room to room always having to be touching my leg, he will lay on my clothing while I have a shower and sleep on my feet while I cook dinner. If I'm working he will be watching me from the opposite side of the gate. He started this yesterday morning even begging to be picked up, not like him at all. I felt fine but exhausted, seemed he was telling me to sit and rest.

I 100% agree with Erny, we had our 10 year old dobe x pointer jump the fence and try to find me when I moved out of home, she travelled 3 suburbs and was picked up and sent to a pound we didn't even know existed, after 3 days my dad finly found her. She went from a bomb proof confident dog to a noise phobic nervous wreck in that time, if she had just been taken to one of the local vets we would have had her back that afternoon. When I was working at the vet myself and the nurses would do our best to locate an owner ASAP so the pound could be avoided but the vets prefered they go straight away because they weren't making them money, pretty disgusting IMO, especially since most people I know would try the local vets first.

Apparently beds for tails are quite booked out for the dates she needs and was was not very impressed with Mornington lodge.

Thank you for the replies, we will go and check them out in a couple of weeks, they are very close to where my mum lives and do sound quite good.

My mum has recently adopted a gorgeous bull mastiffx girl from the Aaps, she is researching boarding kennels for when they go away. So far she likes Dogs country club and kennel resort but I was wondering if anyone on here had used them and what did they think.

My very reactive girl went to training, we went to very small classes where there was lots of one on one so people actually listened to the instructions. Everyone was told to keep well away from her and give plenty of space. It worked very well. If we did need to take her anywhere with lots of dogs she would wear a muzzle. I had other dogs run up to her a few times out walking but was always quick enough to put myself between. In the end I would take her out late at night. I never blamed anyone else for her behaviour nor did I expect anyone else to go out of their way for me.

I guess both are at fault but I think if you own an aggressive dog then more responsibility lies with you to make sure something like this never happens. I have owned one in the past and I was always very vigilant about steering clear of dogs/people and being very cautious about everything around me. I never let my guard down in public.

Hi sounds like a well thought out decision, google The Australian Cavy Sanctuary, they are a wonderful group of foster carers and I think they are now in every state. If you explain your situation I'm sure they would be more than willing to help. Best of luck.

No rescue dog should be stuck in kennels for any length of time, a week in a shelter is damaging enough. Private foster homes I don't think there is a time limit but I think they should be held for at least a month to find out all their little habits and have time to do any training necessary. My fosters always lived in my home as part of the family and got to enjoy normal day to day activities while learning any basics. And they were never handed over to an unsuitable home. I had a falling out with a long term friend mainly because she decided to call herself a rescuer but every dog she fostered was locked up in her boarding kennels (as well as her own dogs) and moved on ASAP without ever experiencing normal family life.

I don't know what to say but sending lots of good healing vibes your way. I hope the owners pay for all your vet bills and both your dogs make a full speedy recovery mentally and physically.

I would highly recommend Barry Haywood in Cranbourne, he is a greyhound chiro. My old poodle girl (no longer with us) slipped a disc in her neck he was wonderful (we had used him numerous times in the past). We had strict rest, pain killers and anti inflams but without him adjusting her she would not have healed so well. If you are interested in his details let me know.

I would go with a mini schnauzer, I have groomed a lot of them over the years and found them to have very good tolerance and are quite robust. One (when he was alive) would stay with us when his owners went away and he was wonderful with the cats and other dogs. Their new one adores my kids and is super social, loves playing fetch and enjoys being groomed. Just to add: I wouldn't recommend a poodle, they don't tend to be as patient or tolerant as a lot of other breeds around kids. I have owned them for the last 17 years and also rescued/fostered many and only 2 were great with kids the rest prefered adult company. I recently lost my old girl and as much as I adore them I won't have another until the kids have grown up.

Thank you krystal&coco my girl was from Pantone not sure if they share any background.

I was told years ago heart worm is more common in the very affluent areas mostly because the owners and dogs tend to travel more. I am on the mornington peninsula near the wetlands with heaps of mozzies, have live here since 1987 and we've never treated for it or had a problem.

He is gorgeous! Would love to know who bred him he looks a lot like my old standard Dallas.

Doesn't sound like a bad vet at least they aren't pushing a whole lot of unnecessary drugs on you. Personally I have never used a heart worm preventative and never will unless I have a dog catch it. Also Frontline is rubbish you are throwing your money away, better off using Advantage or Revolution.

Are you still going to the same groomer and is it always worse after the visit? Just a thought but no matter what shampoo gets used if the person bathing doesn't rinse properly ( saw this often over the years back when I was working fur other groomers) it will cause problems. I would be also seeing a skin specialist often works out cheaper than continuous vet visits. The poodle I rescued 12 months ago had horrific skin, we were at the vets at least every 4 weeks for months, specialist had it fixed in 2 visits. Stupid vets kept using the same antibiotics etc which created a superbug and the infection was never completely clearing even with all his treatments.

My first own dog came along when I was 16, at that stage I needed something worthwhile in my life. Taran was a Doberman bred by my mums horrible boss, mum brought her home when she was 11 weeks old, she was the most timid puppy I had ever met. She was from a litter of 11-12 pups and the mother killed all but 3, the others were abused badly. Her sister had her leg broken and Taran had been kicked in the head which was all swollen. At first we didn't bond at all but within a few days she had become my shadow and constant companion. I had left school so we spent our days together at the beach, park and trips into the city. She grew into a stunning girl but became so over protective of me even my parents couldn't get close. I did traing at home with a professional behaviourist but she started to fence jump if I left her at home, which was quite dangerous because she was so aggressive. I have never got over being made to give her up and it's been a very long time, definitely a wound that will never heal but she taught me so much and gave me a reason to live.