tdierikx

So @asal, would you be willing to have your ACDs destroyed because one of their breed was identified as being a part of an attack that caused the death of a toddler in Cowra recently? https://www.9news.com.au/national/cowra-dog-attack-victim-toddler-identified/0a0b8161-f0ef-4124-9c9f-be403cf6da80 I will concede that some breeds of dog definitely have the capacity to do immense damage to humans and other animals, but as with human-on-human violence, isn't it more likely to be an individual animal issue, rather than all animals of a particular breed being prone to that level of violence? T.

With the rates of violent crime in South Africa, as noted at the end of the story, many people have certain breeds of dog for protection... and also as noted at the end of the story, removing one breed of dog will only see an increase in other breeds owned for the same reason. So the problem is not necessarily going to be resolved by banning a particular breed of dog... they will simply be replaced by other breeds primarily bred/owned for protection as noted in the article. Until the crime rate problem is addressed effectively, they won't see the dog attack rate dropping significantly, it will just be perpetrated by other breeds instead. Do we simply ban any breed of dog that may inflict damage on a child simply because of its size/breed and possible potential given the "right" circumstance? @coneye, would you have given up your Rottweiler to be destroyed because someone else's Rottweiler attacked a child, and there was a call to ban all Rottweilers? T.

@~Anne~, I agree with your point that this is a news forum, however, with the Victorian elections being quite prominent in the news, one could forgive @asalher posting of a link to material that is only meant to be a guide as to the various political parties' specific leanings when it comes to animal related legislation (and any changes to same). As for further comment relating to pushing for a particular party... maybe not actually news... so your summation of the further commentary may be perfectly valid and reasonable in this case. As I pointed out above though, ACA itself is NOT affiliated with, nor pushing FOR any particular party in this or any other election - past, present or future. The aim of the exercise is purely informational, and simply urges people to try to be more aware of what their preferred party's stance is on the area of our purview - animal welfare legislation. You may note that it does also state that people should be looking at their preferred party's other policies, and to then vote according to their overall preference in that regard. T.

To be fair @~Anne~, the original post was a link to a guide as to who in the Victorian Parliament has a record (gleaned from reading 3 years of Hansard relating to animal matters) of speaking for, against, or is neutral towards matters related to the keeping or use of animals by humans. Yes, I am a member of ACA, and I can categorically state that we do not actively endorse any particular party... we simply wanted to give people a guide to their options if they were inclined to vote primarily on matters relating to the keeping or use of animals. In all honesty, the information presented there could just as easily give the animal rights types a decent guide as to who represents their interests, yes? Dog knows, there have already been a few such groups that have "borrowed" that information and used it to openly push their followers towards the parties that they prefer... I can understand where @asalis coming from here... as a breeder of registered pedigreed dogs, she will be directly impacted by certain changes being put forward in our state parliament... changes that will certainly have direct negative impact on anyone who breeds registered pedigreed companion animals (primarily dogs and cats, but leaves scope for regulation changes that may include other animal types in the future). She may not have communicated that as effectively as she (or others here) would have liked, but still, she should be able to voice her concerns, yes? T.

This is the same government that has pretty much rebuilt ALL of the buildings on the RSPCA site in Yagoona - at a cost of around $25+ million all up over at least 3 rounds of funding that I'm aware of in recent years... and extended the peppercorn lease on the 5 acre block it all sits on for some ridiculous time in the future too. Yet a pound facility that is run by a charity organisation gets a measly $500k to go towards expenses that will pretty much only see them stay afloat for around 6-12 months if they don't get the new site built - they are currently renting kennels from a boarding facility so that they are operating at around the same capacity as the old site in Carlton. In all honesty, they may have bitten off more than they can chew, but time will tell once the state election is done, as to whether they get funding to build the new facility or not... it definitely won't be happening before then... T.

*facepalm*

You assume much about what people do or don't know about the RSPCA and their practices my friend... you also assume much with regards to what qualifications and actual real life experience some may have that are drawn upon when dispensing advice on certain matters... just sayin'... Based on actual experience in the field, I can honestly say that a thorough vet checkup to rule in/out any physical health issues that may be causing adverse behaviours will not "cost thousands". You cling to a single unfavourable reference to yourself and seem determined to perpetuate the accuracy of that reference with your subsequent postings with particular vehemence and indignation that such a reference should have been directed at you... I stand firm in my summation by the way... *grin* This whole "debate" is moot now though, as the OP seems to have been sufficiently appalled at the vehemence of said debate, and has decided that this place is not somewhere she cares to frequent for any further help. I sincerely hope she has read and digested ALL advice given here, and takes the right steps for both the dog in question AND her family. T.

I suppose we'll never find out what the end result was for this pup... as the OP has deleted her user profile... **sigh** @coneye, just because someone may disagree with you and vigorously argues their case for same, does not actually mean that you are being bullied... it simply means that you are being disagreed with and the point is being debated. If anyone here is guilty of "bullying" behaviour, one might want to look closer to home than at those disagreeing with their opinion... just sayin'... The fact remains that in such a young pup, an underlying physical health issue may well have been the cause for her behaviour, that once rectified may have sorted the problem. At the very least that possibility should be investigated before irreversible options get enacted. At no point did anyone here forget that there was a 3 year old child involved, and at many points, the OP had been advised and reminded to keep the pup and child separated until she could see a vet to rule in or out any rectifiable health issue... she could just as easily make any long term decisions about the fate of the pup at that initial vet visit also. Last time I checked, humanely ending the life of an animal (in suburban areas anyways) has to be done by a vet, so she would have had to make an appointment anyways, yes? T.

@coneye, so you once took on a dog with issues and it was fine with you... funnily enough, we aren't seeing you stepping up to take this pup on either, are we? Pot, kettle, black there mate... There is a reality here that in the current climate of many thousands of perfectly stable dogs being homeless right now for myriad reasons, the chances of finding a rescue that will have the time, resources, or inclination to take on a dog with aggression issues are bloody slim at best. If the RSPCA take this dog as a surrender, they will not even attempt to rehabilitate or rehome it... once they have the information that it has bitten a child with no provocation, they will simply kill it at the first opportunity, most likely doing so before the OP has even left the carpark after dropping it off. Of course, if that is what the OP wants, then that is up to them... Those of us with actual experience in dealing with numerous animals with issues might actually be calling on that experience when giving advice to get the dog vet checked for any physical issues that once rectified may actually resolve this problem. While "get rid" may be an option for the OP, the reality is much less simple... for the reasons I have now outlined more than once. Reality tells me that if she can't simply offload the problem to someone else, then she's in the unenviable position of having to euthanaise this otherwise seemingly perfectly healthy and happy pup. For her peace of mind if that decision needs to be made, at least she will be in a better situation to deal with that outcome if she knows she made an effort to try to find a physical cause for the problem before enacting such a permanent "fix" for it. You may also find that most vets can and will refuse to euthanaise a perfectly healthy animal just because an owner asks for it... if the OP has done her due diligence with regards to investigating a cause for the issue, then she may have better luck convincing a vet that the dog's issues are irredeemable and that the kindest option is to stop any mental suffering the dog may be in. T.

@coneye, I assume you have read (at least partially) my responses to the OP, and will actually find that I concurred with @Powerlegsthat if the pup's issues are untreatable, that she may need to be put down. Unfortunately in this particular social climate, rehoming a 5 month old pup with issues of this nature will be difficult at best - and even moreso with no health screening to ascertain that those issues do not stem from some possibly treatable health issue. I am currently petless and do not have children or have children visiting my place, and theoretically could take on the pup in question, but I'm not in a financial position to track down any possible physical issue, nor pay for behaviourist sessions/training to rectify those sort of issues. I am also getting a new puppy myself in the near future, and would prefer to have the time and resources in hand to raise him properly - not manage a possible "problem child" and raise a new puppy at the same time. I also refuse to have to be the one responsible for having to euthanaise this pup if her issues are untreatable for the long term. My last TWO dogs had some undesirable issues that made them less than perfect canine citizens - and I have spent numerous YEARS coping with those, so I actually DO know what the hell I'm talking about in that respect. Both I got as pups (actually rescue fosters) and both lived to 10 and 11 years of age. Quite frankly, I'm tired of having to cope with a dog with issues, and am looking forward to my new pup from a wonderful breeder of dogs with great temperaments and great healthy lines. I fully agree that everyone is entitled to their opinion on this matter, but that doesn't automagically mean that YOUR opinion and "advice" is the only one that should be heard. This pup deserves at the very least to have the cause of her problems identified before being palmed off to someone else to deal with. The OP has been given some very sound advice by numerous knowledgeable people here on how to manage the situation at least in the short term while they find out if there might be a treatable physical issue with this pup that could very well sort out the problem... and if that isn't the case, then advice on talking to people even more knowledgeable about rectifying behavioural issues may be helpful. If in the end, nothing can be initiated to resolve the pup's issues, then the OP might need to suck it all up and have the pup put to sleep. There will be no adverse judgement from the people who have participated in this thread if that is the end result. I apologise to my fellow regular DOLers here for losing my rag and calling you a dick @coneye... but seriously mate, you really need to tone it down some when you choose to dole out "advice" when you (and the rest of us) only have fairly limited information about the problem at hand. T.

Years ago, my now ex took my beloved Woosie (a Rotti) for a walk up to the shops to buy us some fresh cinnamon donuts for morning tea. The silly bugger attached her lead to one of those A-frame signs out the front of the bakery shop... and she moved a little further than the reach of her lead for some reason causing the frame sign to make a noise when it moved across the concrete. Poor Woosie got a scare by that, and literally took off heading for home and her mummy to save her - home is about 1.5k from the shop, and she made it to within 200m of home dragging the noisy and scary frame sign behind her her before the ex finally caught up with her and removed it. He brought her home to me, then had to take the sign back to the store and make his apologies and pay for it to be fixed - it was a bit dinged up after it's travels... errr! To his credit, he did also get the donuts (and an extra 2 just for poor Woosie)... she kinda forgave him after that... T.

@coneye, you are entitled to your opinion, but it's not the only one that should be taken into consideration in this case, so it would be appreciated if you could desist in flooding the thread insisting that you are the only one who knows how to deal with said situation. @belinda74- there very well may only be one eventual outcome required for your pup and her issues, but I'm sure you will be much more sure of that outcome being the right one if you know that you have at least investigated any possible physical problem causing it, yes? I guarantee you that the RSPCA will most likely refuse to take on your pup, but if they do, full disclosure of her biting your child without provocation will see them putting that needle into her even before you have left the carpark after dropping her off there... and that's a cold hard fact. At 5 months of age, she will be teething, and as a result will be much more mouthy than normal... but she could also have other issues relating to her teething that could be contributing to her aggression - her mouth may be sore, she may have sore ears, etc - she is also likely to be still having growth spurts that may be making her joints sore at regular intervals... and pain in an animal that can't articulate what's upsetting them can manifest in displays of aggression with seemingly no cause. A thorough vet check will at least rule those basic health/pain issues in or out. @Deedshas given very sound advice regarding contacting K9 Pro if your pup doesn't appear to have any actual physical problem causing her behaviour - the trainers there are VERY experienced in rectifying such behaviours, and may be even more effective in rectifying hers as she's so young and still in full learning mode with regards to dealing with the world around her. It would be worth at least giving them a call and having a talk about what is happening with your pup. Personally, I worked for some good many years in special needs dog rescue, where we took in dogs with all manner of issues that required rehbilitation before they could be rehomed - and a decent number of those cases were behaviour related. I have personally had to make the hard decisions for dogs with behaviours that simply made them too dangerous to safely rehome. I can feel your anguish at possibly having to make such a decision for your young pup... but if it becomes the logical choice for her, I fully support that choice, OK? T.

You may be right about the pointer identification @asal... but pretty sure there aren't too many of those around suburban Sydney... so I'd say it's more likely that the dog is a pigging mix. It's also probably reasonably young, which also may be why it's a little leaner than most bull-breed mixes? T.

Popantel all-wormer tablets are cheap and work well for internal parasites... and as @Powerlegsadvises, plain Simparica works well for fleas, ticks, and mites - combined those 2 products may end up cheaper than an all-in-one treatment. You could also look into the flea and tick collars, as they are relatively good value based on price and length of time they are effective for. If you are in a tick prone area, it is imperative that you at least have your dog on a tick preventative, as there is currently a major tick antitoxin shortage in Australia, so if your dog gets a tick and needs treatment, you may find it difficult to get that done effectively, OK? T.

That is why you need to take her to a vet to rule out (or in) any medical issues that can be treated to make her more comfortable and stable. If there is no obvious physical problem, then seeing a behaviourist specialist will ascertain whether her issues are reasonably treatable to be safe around your child and other pets. Playing "what if" and looking to offload the problem to others is a cop-out. Please at least try to find out what the issue actually is with her, and then you will have all the information you need to work out any next moves as far as the pup is concerned. If her problems are beyond your ability to control safely, then you may even need to make a really hard decision to give her her wings... sometimes mental issues can be worse than physical ones, and a dignified and humane passing is not actually a bad outcome for the dog in question. If that becomes the case, you will NOT get any condemnation from anyone here, OK? You may find that trying to get a rescue to take her is going to be quite difficult, as they are all pretty swamped with animals right now... a result of post covid return to work, rental issues, and recent legislation changes meaning pounds must try to send animals to rescue before they can consider putting any down. There is a rumour that RSPCA are refusing to take surrenders, and Animal Welfare League has up to an 18 month waiting list to take in surrenders, so they won't be any help, but even if you did take her the RSPCA, they would most likely euthanaise her simply due to your admission that she has bitten your child... cold hard fact there. I know that you are in a really hard position here, and the safety of your child needs to be paramount. I personally know what it's like to have a dog with unpredictable temperamental behaviour, and it's no walk in the park. PLEASE at least take her to a vet for a thorough check-up to find out if she might just have a simple issue that can be fixed up and make her happier within herself... and if she's deemed to have a more mental issue, at least you can explore what coping mechanisms may be required to manage that. If after you've at least found the root cause of her behaviour and it's not going to be manageable for your family, you will then be better armed with information to take the next step of either finding her a new home that can manage her issues, or sending her to god with the dignity she deserves... T.

OK - then pup and child need to be separated at all times until the cause of her aggression is found and addressed. Please take her to a vet asap and have a full checkup to rule out (or in) any health related issues that may be affecting her behaviour - particularly check eyesight, hearing, and joints/spine/neck - and if she's fine physically, then I'd be asking for a referral to a behaviourist specialist vet. Yes, it's going to be expensive, and may take some time to get the results you want... but what would be the "cost" of your child literally being scarred for life after a sufficiently well-placed bite to the face? Meanwhile, you might want to start giving pup time-outs when she's getting aroused to the point of rough play with other pets/child or outright aggression displays. Maybe you can get a puppy playpen from a petbarn or the like (VeboPet has great heavy duty ones at a good price), and she can go into the playpen for time-outs. Set it up with a bed and a couple of toys, and a water bowl (of course)... she may learn that is her safe place where no-one else can bother her too, and learn to settle better. Do not allow your child of the other pets to annoy her when she's in her time-out pen... Oh... what is pup's name? And can you post a photo of her here... we love cute puppy photos... *grin* T.

I think we all agree that the dog in this instance was most likely trying to play with the child... but the fact remains that it was unleashed, unattended, and loose in a public space. The owner of this dog has let it down badly... as there may well be consequences for the dog that aren't good after this incident. The fact that it is a large bull breed type has only fueled media attention about this incident, and we all know that the media isn't usually the best source for factual information in cases like this... *sigh* T.

I second the advice of a full vet checkup... she may have hearing or sight issues that might be a reason for her unpredictable behaviour? When pup is sleeping in her crate, does she get that same startle response when woken? Just out of interest, what colour is the pup? In the meantime, you really need to keep pup and child separated... is it possible for you to do that? T.

To be perfectly honest, the entire animal industry is overworked and underpaid... I don't know of too many animal related jobs where staff don't put in copious hours of unpaid overtime, and remuneration for most of those jobs is borderline poverty line or even less... and most animal industry jobs are casual in nature, so not a lot of job/wage security, guaranteed hours of work, leave, etc... T.

Ever seen a staffy x maltese? I have... she was basically built like a regular staffy, but had wispy maltese-like hair... a pretty interesting look. We had her at the rescue I was with some years back, and we found her the best home ever... We had a lovely couple come to look for a companion... he wanted a staffy type, and she was looking for a maltese type... so I said have we got the dog for you... lol! They fell in love with her the minute they saw her, and that was that... and from all the updates we got from them over the years after, she was spoiled rotten and lived the very best life. By far the cutest pups we ever had surrendered to us were frenchie/pug/maltese... and we also saw a few litters of kelpie/corgi at one point too. Then there were the 6 mini bull terrier pups that had been dumped at a country pound... they were delightful and so cute! Back then you'd also see a lot of maltese/shihtzu crosses in pounds... usually with shocking coat conditions... supposedly surrendered/dumped due to the high coat maintenance cost/time... *sigh* T.

Maybe because they are cheap and in reasonably plentiful supply, and dogs aren't chastised for destroying them? Many also smell a bit of whatever scent the paper had on it? The added bonus is that they are pretty easily digested if the dog swallows chunks of them... I've already started the toilet roll collection ready for my new pup I'm getting next year... lol! T.

Who goes into a restaurant and leaves their dog tied up outside? Seriously, you are either going out to eat, or walking the dog... to try to do both at once is just ridiculous really. That said, the guy who stole the dog needs a slap upside the head... grrr! T.

Or now they have a "valid" excuse to use to offload dogs who are now starting to cost in senior treatments for common aging ailments... T.

@Papillon Kisses has the right point made here... the attack happened in an UNFENCED front yard. I'm not a fan of cats roaming wherever they please - especially if that means they come onto my property. I don't have cats by choice (mainly due to allergies), and really don't want to share someone else's cat. Please, if you want to get a pet, please keep your pet contained to your own yard, or have it on a lead when not on your own property at the very least. As for this particular attack, one should be asking why the dog was loose in an unfenced front yard too. Both pet owners bear some responsibility for this tragic outcome IMHO. T.

I'm of the opinion that while there may well be a number of people surrendering their pets due to the rental crisis, I really think that for a relatively equal (or possibly larger) number of surrenders, the rental crisis has become a convenient - and more palatable - excuse to use to give up an unwanted pet. Who is going to say they just don't want their pet any more when they can say they have to move house and can't find a rental that allows pets? One doesn't actually have to prove that their reason is true, do they? I'm also very suss that RSPCA NSW (specifically Sydney) are the ONLY shelter in the country that is NOT reporting high surrender numbers... there was a rumour that they simply weren't taking any, but I can't verify that, so not sure of the veracity of that rumour - but it would certainly explain why they are not swamped with surrenders like every other shelter in the country. Why the AWL has an 8-9 month waiting list to surrender a pet, but RSPCA - which is definitely going to be the FIRST place most people think of to surrender to - does not, just sounds way too suss, don't you think? T.