megan_

Yes - and they shouldn't see/smell/hear the dog either. They might be physically safe but constantly stressed because a predator is stalking them (they don't know the dog can't get over the fence etc).

There's just no end to the money grabbing behaviour now. Bequests are a great idea. Not everyone has relatives to leave money to and, even if they do, they might want to support a charitable cause. More rescues should do this.

I just googled "rescue dog" and "dog adoption" (terms I'd use to find a dog to adopt if I didn't know any specific rescues) and PetRescue is waaay down the list of results.

That's why I suggested contacting Great Dane Rescue - because they can give her honest advice and can at least recommend the right behaviourist if the owner wants to go down that path.

Be prepared for them not to take her back. I'd be contacting Great Dane Rescue on follow their advice to the letter - heads need to rule over hearts in these cases. In the meantime, just give her space. Don't try to get her to socialise with the bulldog or the children. Let her be. It is hard when you have a fearful dog because you feel so sorry for them and they are often beautiful dogs underneath. I had a rescue mini schnauzer who had fear aggression - she was a beautiful dog who I loved very much but never, ever again would I take on a fearful dog. I should have returned her the day I got her - for her sake and mine.

Rascalmyshadow, if you went to the person I think you went to, she is a proper, qualified physio with a Masters in small animal physio (ie she went to uni to become a human physio and then did her masters). I have taken my boy to her and have been very impressed. She works with lots and lots of dogs post op. The actual massage at the first session didn't take to long, as she was focused on diagnosing what was wrong and drawing up a treatment plan. My vet - who has greyhounds - recommended her. I could be way off the mark though, but there aren't that many qualified small animal physios around (apparently they tend to specialise in either cats/dogs or horses, and not both). I think I paid $180 for that first session. If you're getting $ back from insurance then I'd personally stick with officially qualified people otherwise you might void your claim. There is someone in Vic who a lot of the agility people use who is meant to be brilliant. Don't know how many post-op dogs she sees though.

Important to note that there are a few rounds - we need to vote for Em Sal now, and then in the finals.

But then getting from a rescue is right for you? They aren't saying "don't go to a rescue, only go to the pound", they're just promoting the pound system as an option. After all, most of the dogs on PR are from rescues, so they are getting the most exposure there. Some pounds temp test, and some rescues do a really bad job of temp testing (sometimes a nervy temp means a dog is classified as soft, rather than bite risks for example) There are a number of good places to get a new dog depending on your situation and your level of flexibility: an ethical breeder, an ethical rescuer, or the pound. There are pros and cons for each option.

If I have to engage a trainer or radically change how I live and how my family lives I want to know BEFORE I decide to take the dog and I dont want to take a dog in that needs thousands in health bills or nursing .Sounds terrible I know but that the way it is for me and I dont think Im in the minority. There could be enough good rescuers with good resources its just that this is the focus on how to fix the problem there are other alternatives including the one that Mita just referenced. This entire program came about because it has been decided that private rescue cant double what their contribution is.I think they can if they get the right kind of support and help. Maybe that can happen, but the dogs are in pounds now. I agree that if some radical investment is needed then people should know upfront. However, unless a rescuer does everything like you would, and unless the dog has stayed with them for a significant period of time, how a dog acts in one home can be totally different from how a dog acts in your home. That is always going to be the case, regardless of how good a rescuer is. I'm sure my fearful rescue girl would have turned into a different dog in a more experienced home. That said, from all the trainers I know, the vast majority of dogs out there don't have serious behavioural problems that require significant investment of money, treatment plans, drugs etc. They need help learning basic manners and how to walk on a leash. Again, great if a rescuer can get these down pat, but chances are the dog is going to have to relearn these things with you anyway.

If people only adopted dogs from good rescuers there would be a lot of dead dogs, because there aren't enough good rescuers with resources to take on every sound pound dog. If the dog has an issue, the adopter can engage a trainer, just like the rest of us do? If there is a health issue, they can go to a vet.

yip. Whether or not the pup was sold for breeding is also beside the point. If the bite is so bad that the teeth piece the roof of the mouth then then the pup was not fit for sale.

Fergus has had his Chilly Dog coat for about 8 years and it is still going strong and in great condition. I love that it is waterproof too. I find it gets very roasty-toasty.

Depends what vaccine you're talking about too. Kennel Cough is still a yearly protocol?

positive punishment is a technical dog term that means "actively" punishing the dog - eg giving a physical correction. Negative punishment is passive punishment eg not giving a treat.

The anti-positive training brigade have loved this incident. If you have a human aggressive dog and the issue can't be sorted out by a professional trainer in a short period of time then advising euthanasia *is* the responsible thing to do.