mr.mister

I have nothing against dogs with human names, each to their own. That being said though, I did have a little bit of a giggle when I found out the dog living in the house opposite mine is called Dave. :laugh: Scout is the name I have planned for if I ever have a baby girl. I think it's lovely!

Great post!

Oh god. 'Blooding' - that word sends shivers down my spine.

Yes, as Rebanne has said. I think any instinct seems to be exacerbated when a dog is in a pack situation. I can't remember who it was, but someone posted quite a while back about their dogs, who had been fine with the family cat for years, one day got too aroused in play and killed it. And these dogs had been previously trusted with the cat. I would say that is an issue you would need to address before considering a second dog. Even then, I would always keep the dogs and cat separate when I went out, etc.

If you want to get your cat going they've also got cat fight sounds: http://www.soundboard.com/sb/cat_fight_catfights_clip.aspx Dali looked slightly concerned, staring and ears twitching, but Mister just wandered in looking for food. :laugh:

If he's dumped the dog on his parents then I really doubt he has that much of a leg to stand on. Talk to your parents about getting him desexed - after all, he's their responsibility now, not your brothers. Unless the dog's only been placed with them with a clear mention of temporary minding, then I feel your parents have every right to get him desexed. From what you've said, it doesn't seem like he'll give that much of a crud anyway.

About a year ago, the new neighbours came home with a little fluffy oodle. All was well until about the 8 month mark. Dog became un-cute or whatever, and started getting left out, all day everyday. I never, ever, see this dog get walked. It barks at everything and anything. If I go out into the garden to pull some weeds etc, the damned thing doesn't shut up until about 15 minutes after I walk back into the house. I even set it off barking if I have a shower. I feel sorry for it, it must be bored out of its brains. Someone must have complained, because the dog seems to be let in sometimes now, and the barking has reduced a bit (not stopped though). I am normally quite tolerant of urban noises but the constant, monotonous yapping seems to get to me easily. I would never, ever consider harming a dog in any way but even I have got to the point where I feel a little murderous toward it (well, the owners more like!) now and again. :laugh: There are so many things wrong with the whole issue. People need to stop buying dogs that they don't have time for, people need to investigate ways to stimulate their dog, and de-barking needs to be looked at again. As I think Souff mentioned, if you don't need to jump through legislative hoops to get your dog desexed etc, why on earth should you have to do it for debarking? The world has gone mad.

This makes not a single lick of sense. You're basing this opinion purely off emotion, nothing else. My two cats are 100% happy and healthy indoors. They have access to an annexe where they can have sunlight and breeze. They are safe from the dozens of cats that roam the streets, they are safe from those who like to do damage to wandering animals, they are safe from cars, dogs, and diseases spread from cat to cat by fighting. They are also not a menace to the local wildlife (including lizards) and neighbours. How do I know this? Because they are inside. You can't possibly imagine what your cat might get up to while it's roaming. Don't bother trying to justify why you do it, because in all honesty it makes no sense whatsoever.

I am sure you shot them in a humane manner, and I am quite sure you did not enjoy it. Look at what tarope wrote: "but two won't be coming back thanks to my dogs. :D " To me they are conveying delight in the fact that their dogs killed some cats. I stand by my remarks. Are you sure she didn't just mean that the dogs had chased the cats off? Maybe I'm wrong though. Hopefully Tarope can come back and clarify.

The lady next door to where I used to live owns a Basenji. She took him on when a family down the road, who had purchased him from a pet shop with no prior knowledge of the breed, couldn't handle him. Before she took him on, he roamed around the country side with a pack of other dogs on various hunting missions. She did wonders with him, but he was a very difficult dog to own from what I can remember. Fencing was always an issue until they installed the stuff where you put flags around the perimeter and a special collar on the dog which gives it a small zap if it tries to cross the boundary. And he kind of wasn't really a 'dog' if you know what I mean. :laugh: More like a cat in a dog's body! Incredibly clean, but everything was on his terms. He liked to yodel when he was bored, or when he wasn't getting his way. :laugh: Interacting with him, when he wasn't being aloof, he was incredibly sweet and gentle. His owner operated a creche and he was just amazing with the children (never left alone with them though obviously). He was unwaveringly gentle and patient, and if he did happen to get a bit overwhelmed he would simply wander off elsewhere. He was very good with their 16 year old, tottering blind poodle, but was very aggressive and confrontational with any other dog. I don't know an awful lot about Basenjis but presume this trait was more from his lack of socialisation when he was younger, rather than anything else.

Most breeders these days wouldn't even sell to someone who doesn't keep their cats inside.

I cannot stand the general public's approach to keeping cats. 'Oh, cats should be allowed to be free' and 'Oh, it's cruel to keep a cat inside' and of course, 'Oh, I can't be shagged having a litter tray'. It makes my blood boil. Owned pets, regardless of whether they are a dog, a cat, a budgerigar or a bloody horse should be kept under control and not roaming. I simply cannot understand how people think it is okay for cats to roam. They are just as much a nuisance as a roaming dog. There are at least three cats in my area that constantly roam. One takes the liberty of pissing on my front door every couple of weeks, so the front of my house smells disgusting. They also like to have fun tormenting my cats through the back screen door (there is no proper door there) and causing my responsibly kept indoor cats to stress and sometimes even turn on each other. I have had to scrape dead and dying cats off roads, some with horrific injuries like their faces half missing, all because of this 'cats should be allowed to roam' mantra. I love my cats and couldn't imagine ever letting them outside to be subjected to all these dangers. I am positive that if my younger cat, Dali, ever got out, she wouldn't even have a chance to get to the road because she'd be ripped to shreds by the local roaming cats. I understand how this man feels, though he's unfortunately taken it to the extreme. The thing is though, there are a lot of people in society who hate cats, and a lot of people who wouldn't hesitate killing or injuring a wandering cat. I keep my cats inside, amongst countless other reasons, to keep them safe from nut jobs like this. End rant.

Congrats on your new dog Jase It sounds like you really care bout your animals. So glad to hear that your new rescue has recovered! As far as I know (I could be wrong) but only 'proper' rescues are allowed to be posted in those forums, as opposed to giveaways etc.

Okay, so because the OP is misinformed about byb, she's automatically a troll? Come on, guys. Not everyone knows all there is to know about the ethics of where to get a dog from, and many think that as long as it isn't a 'puppy farm', it's okay. Give her a break and use the opportunity to attempt to educate, not chastise. That won't get anyone anywhere.

I remember being told by a rescue once, 'sorry, we don't do 'mercy buys''. I'm sorry, but what is rescuing a dog if not a mercy buy of some sort? Some rescues seem to have this strange way of looking at things, but there are also a lot that are really nice and do the right thing. I'm sure there are plenty of people on here who could recommend a really nice rescue operation. Working Dog Rescue may be a good place to start.

1. Borzoi 2. Karelian Bear Dog 3. West Siberian Laika 4. Siberian Husky 5. Saluki A couple of those aren't recognised in Aus I don't think..

I can't remember any dreams I've had about MY dogs, per se, but I once dreamt I gave birth to a litter of puppies. That was a weird one.

That's fabulous to hear

With that kind of cross, I would be saying that he could get in serious trouble breeding dogs that might end up looking like 'pit bulls'. Maniac.

I also suggest looking into an older dog (that has been appropriately matched to you and your situation). Young dogs are exuberant, and it takes constant training and attention to keep undesirable excitement-related behaviour under control. Getting a smaller dog won't solve your problem. It would probably be a bit easier for you if you waited until your kids were a bit older, maybe around 5 or 6.

They didn't give me any options for extras, $60 was the flat price I was offered. I have no idea whether IV/pain relief was included and didn't think to ask at the time, but he was back to his old self by the end of that evening.

That beggars belief. I certainly hope that mother's stupidity doesn't get her son bitten someday. :rolleyes:

Sorry to continue going OT, but when I got my male cat desexed they charged me $60! I had to pick myself up the floor. I was expecting it to be around the $100 mark. He recovered very quickly too.

Fabulous! :D

+1 Yep, this is really the crux of the issue. It's all well and good to have more dog-friendly places become available in Australia, but the majority of dog owners need some serious lessons in public canine etiquette first. I think why it is so successful in Europe is because their view of dog ownership is so different, and is largely very responsible.