Rebanne

Shade is most important, most use some type of gazebo. Try and find someone to sit with for your first few shows. They will be a great help to you to learn what's going on. Then you can get the feel for the game without forking out a lot of money first. Though there is always a market for 2nd hand gazebo's. You need some sort of confinement for your dog for times you need to go to the loo etc. Whether that is a crate or a trolley is up to you. I use a trolley to transport my gear not for my dogs. I had a $50 old trolley for about 7 years and recently brought a new one for $650. And the best chair you can afford. I can't sit in those cheapy ones, does my back in. What breed of dog will you be showing?

Frozen Moments Iceberg Fire And Ice Ice Maiden Cold As Ice

First, I speak to you courteously. And I expect you to do the same to me. Note that I've said I want these matters to be thrashed out with evidence & expert opinion in an enquiry. And have made it clear I do not represent 'expert' opinion. Just what I've tried to make out of discussions on this issue. That's fair comment that it's likely I could over-generalize from my experience of living next door to greys raised & kept in a particular way. I don't care what you expect. You are talking rubbish. There is no way to tell if any dog has been blooded, no way. Even if it is the ravishing beast you expect it to be does not mean it has been blooded. I refuse to get myself banned over you, you are so not worth it. End of conversation

Rebanne, we need evidence which is why I support the idea of an enquiry before we can say that greys who've passed thro' GAP have been blooded... or not. And advice from experts in dog behaviour. The evidence is in that there's a cross-over between dogs' prey drive leading to killing of small animals & the most commonly bitten group... small children. Not to mention small dogs. This needs to be thrashed out, according to rigorous evidence, not just what any of us (including me) think. And deep down, it applies to any dog, not just greys. Maybe it comes down to rigorous testing of individual greys ... I don't know. You're talking rubbish, do you know how many greyhounds have been adopted out by the various ethical adoption groups? many, many hundreds and there was bound to be some in there blooded. Whether the humans did it to them or they caught their own bird or rabbit in the backyard, paddock, run. Do you think all those dogs have not been individually tested? My biggest killer of birds was my medium size crossbred, she was deadly but she never even looked like biting a child. Her prey drive was higher then my GSD's and most of my Greyhounds. Seems like you think the only good greyhound came out of your neighbours yard and and all the rest are killers just waiting to happen. I bet some of your neighbours dogs would have killed a bird or two in their lifetimes and maybe a few bunnies as well depending where they were adopted out to.

Dogs are dogs and IMO most working dogs have great prey drive but it's been refocused by humans. Really why would a Lab run out and retrieve a dead bird if there wasn't something in it for him? Originally the breed probably got to share the bird. The cast away by a herding dog is something wolf packs would do. It's just been honed for centuries.

How ridiculous! Might as well put them down now if their only life is to be kept behind bars for the rest of their lives. My 8 month old showbred greyhound is showing great promise as a bird dog! Any bird flies low over my backyard is fair game! No doubt she would be pretty keen on a rabbit if she saw one. Maybe I should look her up in a cage for the next 12 years in case she confuses a child dancing around as a bird. The brother of my 3 1/2 yo male is very keen, must tell his owner to lock him up when her granddaughter comes to visit.

I'd say it's only half the message. Sure they're not being trained to attack grown humans. But those greys are being trained to see small squealing creatures as prey to be killed. Out in everyday society, there's tiny children and small companion pets. The largest human group attacked by dogs (& other than greys) are small children. One of the reasons being they behave like the small creatures which can attract the prey drive. I am not saying that all greys will attack small children & small dogs. I saw at first hand the well-raised greys coming thro' GAP who passed the tests of being safe with children & small dogs , with flying colours. Best guess they hadn't been trained to kill small, squealing creatures. To be honest, I don't know the answer what to do with the greys seized. Maybe it's ruling that they'll never be released as pets in open society. People more expert in dog behaviour could advise. I actually think a lot of greyhounds that have gone through GAP and other rescues have been trained with rabbits even if they were already dead, they are encouraged to bite onto the arm and you can use squeakers that sound very much like an animal dying. I fostered dogs straight from the trainer, I had 4 cats. I would bet money that they had all at least had a "bite on" as it was legal then. It is a testimony to their wonderful temperament that they all passed GAP. There would be no way of knowing which dog was blooded and which wasn't. Super keen doesn't mean they have killed, just that they are super keen. I know of quite a few GAP dogs that have gone out to rural properties that kill rabbits. They don't then try to kill small dogs or children when around them. In fact one was a "school" dog. One that went into schools to teach small children how to interact with dogs.

I have to say I don't agree with this at all. (Dogs being seized) There are some very valid points made in that article One of the things that has been pointed out, on FB by a foster carer, is how not a single greyhound that was shown being blooded has even looked like trying to aggress on the person pulling them off the "kill". They all were happy to go off with the person, wagging their tail, allowed people to pull the fur out of their mouth. Yet they are being seized as if they are a huge danger to society and must be locked away. Not the right message to be sending to the public.

from FB: "URGENT: FOSTER CARERS NEEDED!!! Not only do we need carers for the dogs we currently have on our waiting list, but we also have this girl to come into care urgently!!! This beautiful fawn girls name is Skye. She is 5 1/2yrs old & has been retired from racing for approx. 5 months. Her owner was going to keep her for a pet, but after this weeks media coverage, it seems his real estate is not feeling very generous towards greyhounds and has told him that she needs to go!! Skye is still living in a kennel situation at the moment, but her family has cats, guinea pigs and Chihuahuas. Skye's owner said that she does not show any prey drive towards these at all & they come right up to her kennel, without her even getting up!!! This girl is located in Tamworth and needs to be moved urgently... Even if you can offer her a home for a little, it while will be greatly appreciated!" Skye is now safe but there are other report's of large amounts of greyhounds being off loaded onto rescue. One groups says they have 50 from one property.

Thankyou Mackiemad, I couldn't be bothered answering someone like DDD

just make sure to enjoy her time left with you, it's never easy knowing that the end is approaching

Just anecdotal, Rebanne, or can you back this up with hard evidence? Unless you can and are just relying on fifth hand reports, you shouldn't be adding fuel to a fire, small, nonexistent or otherwise. I could back it up but not for you. You are basically calling me a liar and a stir monger. It's not your breed having it's heart torn out. So back off!

I have. And people walking greyhounds have been abused.

I don't think so Gapvic, I believe all the negative concern in the thread and elsewhere about how this will affect public opinion of the dogs is way over-stated, people are not stupid (no matter what the dol fraternity's general attitude to the non-dog/dol fraternity). There is a strong minority of less interested and less thinking people, and as tdx said, they are not the homes you seek for the greys, as they simply wouldn't have been in the first place. There is just as likely to be a backlash in support of the dogs, because more thought will be given to the overall issues - not just the issues specific to the dogs as in the coverage a couple of years ago. I'm with Gapvic, there has been huge damage done to the reputation of greyhounds. I truly fear the possibility of the laws being reversed on muzzling. All those countless hours people and their dogs have done over many years promoting greyhounds as pets pretty well down the drain. I feel sick.

Pretty sure there are walks scheduled for this coming weekend in Melbourne, whether they go ahead or not is a different matter.

This has been my point all day yet only one person actually had the guts to say "I don't know" It's all well and good to throw your hands in the air screaming BAN IT NOW yet those hands would be straight under their arses if someone turned up on their doorstep tomorrow with a couple of homeless greys. Exactly. I have wondered how that side of things was handled (if at all) in the US when racing was banned in the various states. Was there an influx into rescues/pounds and therefore dogs not getting the attention they need before being responsibly rehomed? Were dogs killed by the hundreds, either humanely or otherwise? Was there an increase in neglect cases? I can only imagine that it was the latter options that happened, though obviously I have no idea. If after banning greyhound racing, how long did it take for the issue of "excess" greyhounds to rectify, or is it still an ongoing issue. As much as I wish that all animals weren't used for human entertainment for gambling purposes, I completely understand that a ban isn't the best option straight out. There would be too much of a fall out for the dogs, there just needs to be some serious overhauling of the industry and some independent regulatory bodies governing over it. Perhaps one day the "sport" could be phased out somehow, but getting up and just going 'right, it's banned', is never going to be a viable option. I'd assume the majority were probably transferred to states that still allow it and any remaining dogs were simply destroyed. No real reason to keep a heap of dogs that are now a financial drain. Greyhound rescue is huge in the States, much bigger then here. Though quite a few seem to have the same save them at all costs mentality that exists in some groups here.

http://www.grv.org.au/news/2015/02/17/get-all-the-latest-news/ Tuesday 17 February GRV moves to suspend greyhounds On the advice of the Racing Integrity Commissioner, the board of Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) has resolved to suspend any greyhound trained and/or owned by the ten persons suspended by the board, on Friday 13 February, in relation to live baiting. This suspension will continue until the Racing Integrity Commissioner and GRV have concluded their investigations into these serious allegations.

seems there is more to come on the ABC news at 7pm

except plenty of innocent people will own those dogs and their progeny.

One would hope that the low life supplying the bait will be caught as well. No doubt pig dogs are being blooded as well and yes I can see greyhound adoption dropping right off for some time.

It's turned me from neutral, even pro, to anti in a big way.

Appalling Really appalling. I'm speechless. Hardly surprising. Don't worry Wreckit only dabbled in racegreys for a couple of minutes with a few freebies she was given. Hardly the font of all knowledge of racing practices.

I feel a bit tainted. All of us with greys are going to be getting funny looks tomorrow.

I'll be quite happy for them all to spend time in jail.