raineth

It is frustrating, and you sound like you're doing a good job. It will be a hugely steep learning curve for her and I'm guessing there will be hiccups along the way. Have you managed to broach the subject that perhaps the shih tzu's original owners are looking for her? Maybe you could point out how lucky she was that someone returned her puppy to her, and how upset she'd be if they'd just assumed it had been dumped. Obviously saying it more tactfully than that. I have a family member who has taken in so many animals she has found she'll put a couple of posters up and when they don't get a response she keeps them she is convinced that they are unwanted, and I can't convince her otherwise.

this prompted me to have a search of CC's threads, and I looked at about 3 or 4 of them , and I'm really surprised she thinks she hasn't got any useful info from here. And indeed I saw you respectfully responded in all of them SG :)

I think you've given her some great advice :) and it seems like she was open to it and listening which is good also Is there a good community dog-training club she may be able to go to? Hopefully everything will turn out for the best. You did all you could by the sound of it :)

Well I never said anything rude to you in my post at all.

I just wanted to say that I think puppy has been pretty good about all this :) He has been patient, and he is communicating; the fact that he snapped and didn't actually bite means he is showing restraint. I would also like to say that just because he didn't growl before the snap, doesn't mean he went straight to snapping. I'd bet he was showing with his posture and his eyes that he wanted the cat to not come any closer. Sometimes these things are very subtle, and we can miss them, especially if we're not really looking for them or we're a bit distracted. My dogs are thankfully really good together when it comes to food and we don't have resource guarding issues. However I know this is because they both have rules of conduct. They leave a polite space around each other when they are partaking of a bone etc. If one of them leaves the bone, it is acceptable for the other to take it; they would't attempt to take it from the other one though - I'm sure that the dog approaching would get told off by the othe one for that. I didn't teach them this, they probably learned it from other dogs they grew up with (I got them as adults). They still get fed their main meals separately as it means they don't feel under any pressure to rush or be on alert during their meal. This is important as a dog that bolts its food or feels stressed during its meal is more likely to bloat.

Wonderful news! I'm so pleased she is recovering well :) give her a tummy scratch from me :)

I do agree with what Hockz said regarding the fact that the staff is10 months old, and that his adult temperament may be different to what it is now. It's just worth keeping in mind as he could be a bit more dominant etc by the time you get another dog. Good luck with your decision :) Personally I don't find it sad if breeds evolve over time. Breeds were developed in the first place to help humans with certain tasks. Human society has changed a lot over time and it makes sense to me that there will be changes to breeds because of this. My Dane hasn't hunted any wild boar lately but she sure is one of the happiest dogs around :D

I so love the idea of having a male bullmastiff called Sheridan! But I can't because its the name of my OHs ex-girlfriend, who is still a friend of the family and it would just look bad I do think its generally not the best idea to name your dog a name of someone you know. But other than that as long as you like it, that's the main thing :)

I haven't had any success feeding my two salmon heads either. However they will eat other fish once it has been rotting in the backyard for about 24 hours :)

Far out! Poor Ruby and you and your partner, such a worry The specialists will take really good care of her though, definitely sounds like the best place for her at the moment.

This sums up how I feel about the matter :)

Maybe try Craig Murray?

Happy Gotcha Day Lucy! I'm so glad there are now good things in your life :) you're a champ megan btw :)

:laugh: your bluey has the patience of a saint! Jules, love hearing about little Miah, what a cutie!

perhaps he only has drive for real animals such as rabbits and cats. While people have trained their sighthounds to have reliable recall, they are not a breed you should necessarily get if reliable recall is crucial to your enjoyment of the dog. But I think if you are really inlove with them then you can let your expectations be shaped and have a very enjoyable time with them :) he lives with cats and ive seen him with pockets pets couldnt care less. I wouldn't expect him to have prey drive for cats he lives with, they are part of his pack :) Dogs understand the difference between 'their' cats and strange cats. Anyway if he does have zero prey drive then I still wouldn't expect the pup to have zero prey drive. My Dane has very strong prey drive for cats and she grew up (until the age of 15 months) with people who bred cats! I have two giant sized dogs and they absolutely love their clicker training. One of them is very laid back, chilled out and just downright lazy really. We train tricks and obedience and they really love that. Perhaps you could have the same sort of fun with your Wolfie pup :)

perhaps he only has drive for real animals such as rabbits and cats. While people have trained their sighthounds to have reliable recall, they are not a breed you should necessarily get if reliable recall is crucial to your enjoyment of the dog. But I think if you are really inlove with them then you can let your expectations be shaped and have a very enjoyable time with them :)

Exactly. I think it's a real problem to be breeding dogs that have very low thresholds to aggression.

farewell dear Charlie, your short time here was filled to the brim with love

gosh how scary for you! I'm really glad to read that she will be o.k.

Personally I don't think breeding aggressive tendencies out of specific breeds for "the general public" is the solution at all. Some breeds aren't suitable for ownership by "the general public" and breeders should man up and take responsibility for placing pups in suitable homes instead of being ruled by the all-mighty dollar and selling to anyone. And part of the blame needs to land squarely at the feet of people who think they have the right to own whatever dog they want regardless of their ability to control and care for it properly. But in this case it does not apply at all. I don't think you could say a breeder and exhibitor could be classed as 'the general public'; as a breeder and exhibitor I really would expect her to be able to control and care for them better than almost anyone. Not referring to this specific case :) Oh

Personally I don't think breeding aggressive tendencies out of specific breeds for "the general public" is the solution at all. Some breeds aren't suitable for ownership by "the general public" and breeders should man up and take responsibility for placing pups in suitable homes instead of being ruled by the all-mighty dollar and selling to anyone. And part of the blame needs to land squarely at the feet of people who think they have the right to own whatever dog they want regardless of their ability to control and care for it properly. But in this case it does not apply at all. I don't think you could say a breeder and exhibitor could be classed as 'the general public'; as a breeder and exhibitor I really would expect her to be able to control and care for them better than almost anyone.

Yes and not just this, but thery seem to hold a special place in people's hearts as being quintessentially Australian, which seems to lead to many people getting one even though they can't provide for its needs.

I'm so sorry for your loss Pers; he was a gorgeous boy. Any feral cats over the bridge better watch out! Farewell dear Hamlet

What GM is saying above is so spot on I think. If he is just using you to whinge at then don't let him, as its an awful and stressful situation for you to be in.

This was the point of the thread, to get advise from people who know a lot more then me so i can give this person some advise and its up to him. But people who are judging and saying he should be pts with no professional assessment is silly. Have you told him to contact Steve Courtney? I know I for one recommended him in this thread long ago. I guess if you've done that then this thread has done its job.