Boronia

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2017/feb/03/fennec-fox-cub-noses-around-taronga-zoo-enclosure-for-first-time-video

Westies are waaaaay down the list ...sigh Here are the 'smartest' dog breeds, according to a canine psychologist Gus Lubin Jan 27, 2017, 5:19 AM Dan Kitwood / Getty There’s no easy way to rate dog intelligence. As canine psychologist Stanley Coren wrote back in the 90s, there’s adaptive intelligence (i.e., figuring stuff out), working intelligence (i.e., following orders), and instinctive intelligence (i.e., innate talent) — not to mention spatial intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and more. Indeed, as animal behaviorist Frans de Waal has argued, humans tend to judge animal intelligence in limited and unfair terms and often bungle the experiment. While labs at Yale, Duke, and around the world are studying this question, for now we do at least have data on one metric: working intelligence. Coren, in his book, “The Intelligence of Dogs,” featured the results of a lengthy survey of 199 dog obedience judges. The responses, he said, were remarkably consistent; however, he noted that many judges pointed out that there are exceptions in every breed and that a lot comes down to training. Here’s what he found: TOP TIER — the brightest working dogs, who tend to learn a new command in less than five seconds and obey at least 95% of the time. Dan KitwoodA border collie shows how it’s done. 1. Border collie 2. Poodle 3. German shepherd 4. Golden retriever 5. Doberman pinscher 6. Shetland sheepdog 7. Labrador retriever 8. Papillon 9. Rottweiler 10. Australian cattle dog SECOND TIER — excellent working dogs, who tend to learn a new command in 5 — 15 exposures and obey at least 85% of the time. Pmuths1956 on Wikimedia CommonsDon’t underestimate the small Pembroke Welsh corgi. 11. Pembroke Welsh corgi 12. Miniature schnauzer 13. English springer spaniel 14. Belgian Tervuren 15. Schipperke, Belgian sheepdog 16. Collie Keeshond 17. German short-haired pointer 18. Flat-coated retriever, English cocker spaniel, Standard schnauzer 19. Brittany spaniel 20. Cocker spaniel, Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever 21. Weimaraner 22. Belgian Malinois, Bernese mountain dog 23. Pomeranian 24. Irish water spaniel 25. Vizsla 26. Cardigan Welsh corgi THIRD TIER — above-average working dogs, who tend to learn a new trick in 15 — 25 repetitions and obey at least 70% of the time. 27. Chesapeake Bay retriever, Puli, Yorkshire terrier 28. Giant schnauzer, Portuguese water dog 29. Airedale, Bouvier des FLandres 30. Border terrier, Briard 31. Welsh springer spaniel 32. Manchester terrier 33. Samoyed 34. Field spaniel, Newfoundland, Australian terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Gordon setter, Bearded collie 35. American Eskimo dog, Cairn terrier, Kerry blue terrier, Irish setter 36. Norwegian elkhound 37. Affenpinscher, Silky terrier, Miniature pinscher, English setter, Pharaoh hound, Clumber spaniel 38. Norwich terrier 39. Dalmatian FOURTH TIER — average working dogs, who tend to learn a new trick in 25 — 40 repetitions and obey at least 50% of the time. ShutterstockThe soft-coated wheater terrier is about average at following orders. 40. Soft-coated wheaten terrier, Bedlington terrier, Smooth-haired fox terrier 41. Curly-coated retriever, Irish wolfhound 42. Kuvasz, Australian shepherd 43. Saluki, Finnish Spitz, Pointer 44. Cavalier King Charles spaniel, German wirehaired pointer, Black-and-tan coonhound, American water spaniel 45. Siberian husky, Bichon frise, English toy spaniel 46. Tibetan spaniel, English foxhound, Otterhound, American foxhound, Greyhound, Harrier, Parson Russel terrier, Wirehaired pointing griffon 47. West Highland white terrier, Havanese, Scottish deerhound 48. Boxer, Great Dane 49. Dachschund, Staffordshire bull terrier, Shiba Inu 50. Malamute 51. Whippet, Chinese shar-pei, Wirehaired fox terrier 52. Rhodesian ridgeback 53. Ibizan hound, Welsh terrier, Irish terrier 54. Boston terrier, Akita FIFTH TIER — fair working dogs, who tend to learn a new trick in 40 — 80 repetitions and respond about 40% of the time. Stephanie Keith / GettyIt’s not easy to win an obedience trial with a Skye terrier. 55. Skye terrier 56. Norfolk terrier, Sealyham terrier 57. Pug 58. French bulldog 59. Brussels griffon, Maltese terrier 60. Italian greyhound 61. Chinese crested 62. Dandie Dinmont terrier, Vendeen, Tibetan terrier, Japanese chin, Lakeland terrier 63. Old English sheepdog 64. Great Pyrenees 65. Scottish terrier, Saint Bernard 66. Bull terrier, Petite Basset Griffon, Vendeen 67. Chihuahua 68. Lhasa apso 69. Bullmastiff SIXTH TIER — the least effective working dogs, who may learn a new trick after more than 100 repetitions and obey around 30% of the time. ShutterstockThe Afghan hound doesn’t care what you want. 70. Shuh Tzu 71. Basset hound 72. Mastiff, beagle 73. Pekingese 74. Bloodhound 75. Borzoi 76. Chow chow 77. Bulldog 78. Basenji 79. Afghan hound There are, again, exceptions. Coren talks in his book about a trainer who managed to win obedience competitions with multiple Staffordshire bull terriers (#49). There are also, again, other ways of measuring intelligence. Coren tells us about a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (#20) he owned that was in some ways too smart for competitions. “He was so bright and attentive that he read my every motion, head turn, and even the direction that I was looking with my eyes, as a command,” he writes by email. “That made him very difficult to compete with in obedience trials, since, for instance, a glance with my eyes in the direction of the high jump might be interpreted by him as a command and that would send him off, taking the jump beautifully of course, but nonetheless disqualifying us from that round of competition.” De Waal, in “Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?” spoke in defence of the Afghan hound (#79), noting that they may not be unintelligent but rather independent-mined, stubborn, and unwilling to follow orders. “Afghans,” he wrote, “are perhaps more like cats, which are not beholden to anyone.”

Ok then WM, if that's how you feel, I suggest this one so try to top that one in crassness! LOL though it is pretty cute

Info for Paul777 http://bigdogpetfoods.com/raw-food-for-dogs/ http://barfaustralia.com/

An update from Brisbane Times PM; Search called off for muzzled dog spotted by truckies The desperate search for a dog that had been muzzled with tape in south east Queensland has been called off after a 12 day effort by the RSPCA and volunteers. Truck drivers first spotted the dog that had tape around its nose and mouth on January 9 as it ran across the Cunningham Highway, at Aratula south west of Brisbane, describing it as a skinny-looking canine believed to a German shepherd-cross. A number of truck drivers had called into the RSPCA letting them know about the muzzled dog. Photo: Sasha Woolley Concerned for the dog's welfare and ability to eat, drink and breath properly the RSPCA coordinated a search and rescue effort using baiting traps and the last confirmed sighting was on January 17, when the tape appeared to have moved down the dog's muzzle. Inspector Laurie Stageman praised the efforts of the volunteers and said the search wouldn't have been possible without their help. Related Content Truckies raise alarm over dog with mouth taped shut The RSPCA said they believed the dog either managed to remove the tape or it had passed away.

here are some more on ebay; kids trolleys http://www.ebay.com.au/bhp/kids-wagon

what about a small garden trolley (that way you won't feel like a numpty pushing a dog in a stroller) perhaps one like this but with pneumatic tyres http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Folding-Garden-Trolley-Trailer-Rust-Free-Cart-Hand-Utility-Lawn-Tard-Farm-Wagon-/122096539462?hash=item1c6d855746:g:3qEAAOSwIgNXt7iW

Hahaha WM, I didn't see your post and just posted the same story Yay for Pippin and all that Thanksgiving food!

This photo is pretty neat as well:

For some reason I can't copy and paste the article here so you'll need to click the link, here is a photo of Westie-Pippin as a 'spoiler' ' http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-22/indonesian-rescue-sends-dogs-overseas-in-quest-for-new-life/8192042

Henry gets his meals in a shallow-rimmed plate which is placed about 1m from his foam dog-bed. I go to pick up the plate and it's not there, have a hunt around for it and it's under his bed. I heard noises and went to investigate and he was busy burying his plate under his bed, he managed to push it right under. This is the forth day he has done his 'hide the plate' trick. maybe he thinks that Saffy is going to steal it, He is a funny old soul This is not much of a post but the little foibles of dogs are pretty funny so maybe you can share some of yours The definition of foibles is good: a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character.

Good one WM! your friends are going to live longer and happier with their Bart to keep them on their toes

I bought my last lot from here--> http://www.vitamingrocer.com.au/Organic-Kelp-Powder-p/77938.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=pla&utm_content=77938&gclid=CMGBuvHZhcUCFQF9vQodxZMAgA I couldn't see there was much difference when I used to give it to Penny, Mac and Daisy though when I de-scaled their teeth the scale used to come off pretty easily. I had more luck with the electric tooth brush with a few drops of Hexarinse instead of that stinkin' dogggie-toothpaste, they liked it!

I cover Saffy with RACQ insurance, it is an 'extra' as I have my house and contents with them (I think I pay an extra $50-$70 annually); only up to $750 but it'll be a help (Penny and Mac, when they were alive, were covered also; they were also covered with BWM but as accident only) I had a quick look and NRMA also covers pets, so if you have your home insured with them it may be worth thinking about it https://www.mynrma.com.au/join/membership-types/renewal-add-ons/pet-plus.htm?PageSpeed=noscript If you insure with BWM just for accident rather than accident and illness it lowers the premiums enormously (obviously) and NRMA is accident and illness and though it doesn't cover you for thousands it is still worth it

i thought the same WM but the page does appear if you wait 10 seconds or so. I have copied and pasted it anyway Gut Health Superhero | Kefir December 1, 2016 | Sacha Packer I've always been a great supporter of raw green tripe for gut health because after my Dane spent the first year of his life with an upset tummy no matter what kibble we tried (we keep giant breed puppies on a kibble vs raw due to growth challenges). We introduced raw green tripe and it was an overnight improvement, however law makers have made it impossible to obtain green tripe untreated, the most common form of treatment is washing it in 60 degrees water which effectively kills off the Lactobacillus Acidophilus bacteria, one of the bacterial 'good guys'. Since the regulation of washing tripe has been enforced I have found that it's just not cutting the mustard for my dogs so I needed something else... Along came Kefir, a fermented milk product I could make at home and if I, one of the most undomesticated people on the planet can do it, you can too! Several varieties of probiotic bacteria are found in Kefir products such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, Lactococcus lactis, and Leuconostoc species so in reality, it probably kicks Tripe's butt on some levels. A good friend had been using Kefir for a long time and gave me some Kefir grains that I would need to get the ball rolling. If you don't have a friend who can give you Kefir grains you can buy starter kits online or from your local health food shop. Apart from obtaining Kefir grains, the only other thing you will need is milk, the preference is Raw Goats Milk if you can get it but if not opt for an Organic full milk such as Paul's or Woolworth's Macro range. You'll need some glass jars, 1 for developing your Kefir and 1 for storing it in the fridge. You may like to make more than one batch at a time and if that's the case you'll need more containers. There is debate in the Kefir community about 'metal' as some believe it is detrimental to the Kefir so you'll want to obtain a wooden spoon and plastic sieve if you don't have one already. Like anything you start off with a small amount and then build up. The Kefir grains remove the lactose from the milk so you shouldn't have any digestive issues with it. The general guidelines are as follows: Small dogs or cats: 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Medium size dogs: 1-2 tablespoons Large dogs: 2-3 tablespoons My good friend who got me onto Kefir feeds her Great Dane a lunch time snack of 1 cup of Kefir, so I have followed that lead but I give 1/2 a cup with breakfast and dinner. You can also freeze your Kefir to make yummy ice blocks for your dog. The general gist To make the perfect gut health superhero, you'll want to to do the 2 step process which includes a 2nd fermentation vs the 1 step process as outlined in the video below. The 2nd fermentation period is to increase bacterial content plus added vitamins and minerals, reduced lactose content, or simply for the improvement in flavor. How to video We've made an in-depth video for you on each step of the process, .

Putting this here as it will be seen by more DOLers

I get a 14kg box of frozen turkey necks from Australian Meat & Game . the cost was $35 when I bought the last lot in October They also have boxes of roo and venison Email Jayson...he is so helpful. You need to pay cash as there are no efpos facilities you need to tell Jayson what day and approx time that you will be picking up; that way your box of goodies will be waiting for you inside the cold stores near the slide door I Kalypso Kold Store Level 1, 363 Lytton Road, Colmslie (Morningside), Queensland http://www.namag.com...ex.php/contact/ You actually have to get to it from Beverly St which is a dead-end street off Lytton Rd after you have parked you go up a set of stairs in the corner and they have an office on the 1st floor

There is a couple of very very old threads here so you may as well double the prices mentioned but at least you may save your dog so the cost is worth every penny. Get it done as soon as! http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/108997-my-girl-is-getting-an-alizin-inj-tonight/ http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/215222-alizin/

Saffy and Henry did have paper party hats but ripped them up. For Christmas they got rawhide bones. Saffy ate half of hers and buried the remainder behind the sofa cushions

Don't muck around, just buy a small packet of Advantix, well worth the cost considering the $$$ you will have to pay if she ends up at the vets with tick paralysis. Frontline doesn't seem as good as it used to be. Here is an idea of the cost (on-line) of what you will pay...keep in mind that you will have postage on top of this price so it may be just as cost-effective to buy at your vets/produce store or even Chemist Warehouse http://www.ovedshorseandpetstore.com.au/advantix-for-exta-large-dogs-over-25kg-3-pack-bayer-animal

Lovely Dog! Interview in The Guardian https://www.theguard...r-phoenix-video

When you use it with meat or liver make sure you slice the meat really thinly (if you 1/2 freeze it is easier) and do it all underneath the house if you live in a high-set house or in the shed as it stinks, I mean it REALLY STINKS (especially liver or heart) Good luck and have fun

Good bye Stella, dear girl. You will have some fine new friends over the Bridge. Hugs to you Stella's mum

Knowing what is the best thing to do doesn't help much with the heart-ache does it. What a dear little dog she is. I am sorry.

Yes, it's awful isn't it, missing them gets a little easier over time but sometimes the grief just comes back and really socks you.