Dame Aussie

Aussie Shepherd!!!

I witness this on a daily basis when Lili slams Mosley, who is twice her size, right out of the way It is interesting though, when it comes to playing with other dogs Lili isn't really interested, though she did once have an awesome game of chasey with a Whippet at the park, and would prefer to be with humans or chase her ball. Mosley loves to play, but is not as rough with unknown dogs as he is with Lili. They are very rough with each other

Lili sometimes humps Mosley and he is twice her size! It's always when they're wrestling/playing though.

I don't have factual figures, but I was the one releasing the dogs so I know how many people didn't bother coming in, it may not be the majority but it was more than most people would think. In fact when I tell people about my experiences working there they are shocked.

I agree with this. I want my dogs to be happy, but they are given the things they value on my terms (well most of the time *cough*ninjabeagle*cough*).

Exactly. We would have people complaining about $22 fees and then driving away in a $50k car.

I agree Bubitty, my dogs mean everything to me, they aren't with us for long so I want to give them everything they want. Obviously there's a line, my dogs will ask for things, for example Lilli will drop the ball at my feet, and most times I'll play fetch with her, if I don't have time, I put the ball away and that's the end of it. They will ask for food, but if I say no, they won't push it. My dogs are very spoilt and get what they want most of the time, but there is no bad behaviour that occurs alongside this so I don't see a problem. If I'm wrapped round their paws, then good for them, cause I'm happy :D

I agree Christine, if it's not broke, why try and fix it?

I agree with most of what you said Aphra, but in my experience a lot of people don't bother to come and look for their pet. We were open 7 days a week including some late nights and would be calling owners over and over with no response, I mean if I lost my dogs I'd be out scouring every pound possible. It's fine to say pounds should be open longer but that doesn't change the fact a lot, of course not all, but a lot of people still don't bother to look.

Maybe so but I wouldn't change things, I like my dogs to want to be close to me.

Awwww look at her!! Gorgeous smile! I have to agree, Mosley is a leaner, he will flop himself all over you aswell, but it's just to get close, he needs to have contact with us and will often just lean against us and lie over our laps, he sometimes sleeps on the bed too but when it comes to obeying commands, no problem. Lilli is the most submissive little munchkin ever so no issues there, yet she also does some of those behaviours. I think a lot the talk around on dominance is just making people worry about nothing.

I've been wondering what these are..This One Comes with "pedigree papers" & was bred by REGISTERED BREEDERS OF THE AUSTRALASIAN SNOW SHEPHERD SOCIETY AND THE INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER CANINE REGISTRY And is just in time for Christmas So now we have an "International Designer Canine Registry" This is where the problem is Unfortunately people are greedy and thoughtless and I don't think this will ever change.

Yeah I'd get them done. When I was nursing we had some people come in twice a year to do "wellness" bloods, just a basic check up, more often with elderly dogs but I see nothing wrong with it. Don't worry what the vet thinks, you know your dog better than them. Good luck, hopefully it's nothing.

*goes off to google this wonderful sounding thing*

So I noticed some redness in Mosley's ear which I'm about 99% sure is a yeast infection. He doesn't seem uncomfortable, and it only seems to be the one ear. It basically looks like dermatitis, kind of dry, red skin, like a rash. He has big floppy ears so I'm assuming it's due to the muggy weather we've had in Melbourne lately :rolleyes: Will be heading into the vet to make sure that's all it is, but as usual I just wanted to see if the DOL brains trust knew of any home remedies I could use so that he isn't too uncomfortable, or that can help? Thanks guys!

For me, the issue of the destruction of native animals has never been addressed by the catch, neuter and release advocates. Often research comes from the US, where native animals have a lot of natural predators anyway. I understand that some people love cats, but they can be ruthless killers. No one would ever suggest letting stray, nuetered dogs roam around suburbia... I'd have to agree, I don't think it's teaching people to be responsible if it's ok for them to just feed random strays, isn't this what we're trying to stop?

If it is going on more than normal I would take her to the vet just to check. Has she been wormed recently? Anal glands aren't a huge issue, the vet can just squeeze them, beware of the smell though!

Some breeds are bred to bark to do their jobs. Many Livestock Guardian breeds for example are bred to bark as a warning to predators that they are on duty. It is a trait that helps it do its job and is very typical of these types of breeds. This behaviour is perfectly normal and acceptable in a working or rural situation, but in a suburban situation is often 'misunderstood'. I have also found that in suburban situations where there is a lot more moving around 'out there' a LGD may bark a bit more than they would with a bit more space around them, because as far as they are concerned, there are a lot more 'potential predators' moving around their environment. Some dogs do bark more than others, and it can depend a lot on environmenal management, but I wouldn't 'mark down' an LGD because it barked a lot. I would be more likely to 'mark down' (from a potential breeding perspective) one that wasnt interested in barking and would be looking closer at its natural working ability (or possible lack of one). Other breeds are also known for their barking. The Pumi for instance specifically states in its breed standard that it is 'rather noisy' Agree, My Anatolian is a bit of a loud mouth but it isn't incessant and he is kept inside at night. I would be worried if he didn't bark every now and then

I don't have any advice, sorry lilli, but I hope it all goes well.

What would you call an unresolvable behavioural issue? Anything that is impacting negatively on the owners or the community and that the owners feel may be unresolvable. I would agree, only problem is a lot of owners think a dog barking or escaping is an unresolvable issue so dump the dog at the pound. I've seen it too many times. I just feel that this is making excuses. I don't mean you personally lavendergirl but owners who just can't be bothered working on behavioural issues. These people need to get it through their heads that when you get a dog you are making a commitment, for the dogs life, to training that dog and dealing with any behavioural issues. If you dont have the time, inclination or funds to do so you shouldn't get a dog. This should be done before they bring home the pet though. I started with a puppy, and it was only ever a case of teaching the right things and maintaining that. That's much easier than repairing problems. But it's also easier because if you are training your dog from day 1, you have a much stronger bond. When people say they don't have time to address the needs/issues of their dogs, often they are saying, I don't care enough about this to invest time/money. They didn't understand the dog to begin with, and so they have a limited bond/relationship with the animal. First sign of trouble shows up, well, where's the incentive? Yeah, that's what I was saying.

This.

What would you call an unresolvable behavioural issue? Anything that is impacting negatively on the owners or the community and that the owners feel may be unresolvable. I would agree, only problem is a lot of owners think a dog barking or escaping is an unresolvable issue so dump the dog at the pound. I've seen it too many times. I just feel that this is making excuses. I don't mean you personally lavendergirl but owners who just can't be bothered working on behavioural issues. These people need to get it through their heads that when you get a dog you are making a commitment, for the dogs life, to training that dog and dealing with any behavioural issues. If you dont have the time, inclination or funds to do so you shouldn't get a dog.

What would you call an unresolvable behavioural issue?