Freshstart16

Daisy - I have never thought of them, but I hear they arn't great with cats...I have 2 Lyndsay - wouldnt everyone love good recall hahaha kidding, the offlead thing doesnt bother me, If I was out of the yard they would be always be on the lead. only off lead at home. Im open to rough coated breed Yard has secure and approx 1.7 m fences.

Hi, I have been researching breeds for about 6 months now and am stumped as to what dog breed would suit me. I have alot of favourites but when I do eventually get my own dog (the ones we have are my OH and my SIL) I want to pick the best possible breed for me and I want to be the best dog owner I can. I would consider myself inexperienced, I have owned one dog on my own and that was quite a challenge (he was Kelpie X) and I was young and had no idea what I was getting myself into. http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...p;hl=confession Theres the link with my issues of last dog. Anyhow, Im looking for preferably a medium to large dog,I had decided on a Boston Terrier but the wait is SOOOO long. I have researched about Great Danes (I feel I should be more experienced to own one due to bloat etc, its very scary) Bullmastiff(would love one but wondering if maybe I am not experienced enough with maybe dominance or asserting pack leadership) Rottweiler (sp?) again they seem quite dominant for a novice and I am worried about the dog getting out of hand. There is other large breeds I like as well and alot of medium ones, I just about love every single breed, but when I get my next dog I do want a big one I guess what I am trying to get at is what kind of large dog is good for a first time owner, I know I have had a dog before but this feels like the first proper go at it, I just want the perfect fit for me and of course the dog. The qualities I would like is very human orientated (loves to be with you and likes snuggles and cuddles etc), laid back and not too energectic (im scared of a dog being go,go,go like my kelpie x) The dog would be walked every day for 20 mins or so, but wouldnt mind if I missed a day or two, I would make up for it by playing in the yard. I prefer short haired dogs, I feel as though they look better but I dont mind the shedding, I would bath once a week if I had to, dont mind brushing etc, I find it alot of fun I would like the dog to be inside when Im home and sleep inside at night. I am currently not working but will eventually work full time. I feel as though im not writing this very well today so i apologise for the ramble, I hope It makes sense. Here is a official list of dogs, I would like to own, one at a time though Alaskan Malamute American Staffordshire Terrier (I worry about BSL though seeing as the supreme court in QLD thinks that this breed is same at a APBT) Who knows? Beagle (i worry about there scent drive, is that what you call it? eg escaping) Boston Terrier Boxer Bullmastiff Dobermann Great Dane White GSD Mastiff Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottweiler Siberian Husky Staffordshire Bull Terrier Ok so lots to choose from.....So i guess my question is which one would be suited to a novice???

My dad came to visit this morning and I was holding our Chi x as it is windy outside and he was cold and I said "oh I don't want to put him on the ground" and my dad replies with "It's just a dog, put him on the floor" and I thought of that poem. Some people may not get it, but I dont care what anyone else says, a dog will never be "just a dog to me" :D

I found this lovely piece of writing on the internet and thought I would share it with fellow Dog lovers. Just A Dog From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a dog", I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog", but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or woman." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile... because they "just don't understand!

Yeah, I have been a member of DOL for a few months and my partner thinks I may love DOL more than I do her :D Im hoping she is joking She plays poker on FB and I read DOL, whats the problem. Whats that hun? the house is on fire.....oh hang on I just need to finish reading this thread, then I'll get some stuff together LMAO Seriously It rocks!!! I love reading all the great stuff on here, wait until you reach 150 posts and Off Topic opens up You will be sucked in forever!!!! Good Luck and Welcome to DOL.

Im sorry I can't offer any advice, but I just wanted to say I hope the babies get better sending you healing vibes!!! Maybe when they are better we could see some pics ? Good luck!!

Same goes here....Posted on FB!!

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dads dog does this and I thought he was the only one!!!, god its so gross!!!

Sorry to hijack - are these furminators any good??

OMG that is horrible!!! i always thought water isnt meant to get in there ears....and that scary as!!

CW, OMG your ex sounds like an absolute wanker!!! I cant believe he would ask you for money after all this time and clearly he knows you care so much for your dogs, so basiclly he sounds like hes trying to take advantage of your caring nature. Grrr oh this has made me so mad!! why are some men such pricks?? cuz they have some skankette whispering crap in the ear. YOU make sure you enjoy snowboarding in NZ!!! YOU deserve so much better than that horrible horrible ex of yours!!! Like you said he may be an idiot but he does love his dogs so hopefully he will do the right thing Good Luck with everything!!!

As soon as a wiped away the tears I knew I had to post on DOL, the great thing is though that all of you know the meaning of a "lifetime" companion - maybe we should post this outside all pet shops and make people read it before they buy a puppy because its "soooo cute." I do understand that in extreme circumstances people need to rehome there dogs and there is no other option. I dont think I am ever going to forget this.. EVER. I was so moved when I read it, I got my OH and My SIL to read it and they both cried too. In fact I think Im going to email it to everyone I know.

ha thats funny you mention it, i just caught the end of it

I have never read anything so moving and heartbreaking in my life Everyone should be made to read this before getting a dog!!!

I found a this on a breeders website from the USA. According to the website a man from Michigan posted this in the paper in a full page ad, cost him $7000. But the amount of people this would have touched is priceless and I guess thats why he did it. Its Long but VERY worth the read. HOW COULD YOU? When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub. My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?" They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?" Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty. The End

That was indeed a very moving video!!! made me teary Makes a very good point!

ANIMAL carcasses were left to rot on the ground throughout the property; ANIMALS were kept in small cages littered with faeces; DOGS were chained to wrecked cars, and SOME animals died needlessly. Animal Liberation Victoria investigator Debra Tranter said she feared for the safety of two huskies who appeared to be sick and were in a cage with a floor covered in faeces. "There were no feed bowls, there were chunks of raw meat in this filth," she said. "There was no clean water anywhere and some pens didn't have water at all. "The dogs were in very, very small pens, in cramped conditions and were living in their own filth." HOW THE F**K ON EARTH IS THIS NOT ANIMAL CRUELTY...EXCUSE THE SWEARING BUT I AM JUST STUNNED. NO WONDER PEOPLE RUN PUPPY FARMS BECAUSE THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS BULLS**T AND THINK THATS ITS OK.

According to the facebook groups, he is still locked up. Hope the link works. Link to one of the Facebook groups supporting Bruce Thankyou!! his is a amazing dog

I read these stories all the time....I just cant believe some people and they think there dog is safe not being in a fenced yard...maybe if your dog didnt leave the yard but I doubt that ever happens, and people might say ahh its ok my dog doesnt bite or attack, yeah fair enough your dog may not, but someone else with the same attitude has there dog out loose and may attack the said non aggressive dog.. then what. And there dog might not be aggressive but dogs are no match for a car. What happens if someone swerves to miss there dog thats running loose and drives up on the foot path runs someone over and seriously injures or kills the pedestrian... theres just so many things that could happen if people let there dogs run loose. ahh i hope that made sense...i was never good in writing classes

Any news on this guy???? I think about that video all the time

Driving home yesterday, a SWF maltese type dog is running around the street, i looked around to see if there was an owner walking him off leash....nope, drove up the street,turned around at the roundabout and headed back to following the dog, i clenched everything in my body as I see a car swerve to miss the dog...lucky both dog and driver are ok. The dog runs into a yard so I pull up and look if it actually lives there or is just going for s sniff in the front yard. Dog is in the yard, so I decided to go up and have a chat to the owner. and before you get all excited I didnt go and yell or anything, im too much of a scaredy cat for that I knock and out comes this 70ish year old man, i ask him if the dog is his and i just tell him that his dog almost got hit by a car and he tells that the dog has gotten out three....yes count them 1,2,3 times this morning and why.....because there gate is open!! but he says not to worry, he will close the gate now. what do you do....yeah i could have said well maybe if you had your gate shut the dog wouldnt get out..but I'm very scared of people as it is and Im the last kind of person to go and say anything like that....wish I had the guts though.....rant over

hahahaha my partners eyes do that every day, and I swear my mums do too.

DOL has taught me SO SO much about dogs and responsible dog ownership, not that I wasn't responsible just uneducated, I have only ever bought a kitten from a pet shop before finding DOL and I will never even step foot in one now and I try and educate people as to where pet shops puppies come from. Dogs online has changed my life to be honest, not a day goes by that Im not on here and I am in the middle of a Dog Obedience Course because of being on here, I have always loved animals especially dogs and my mum has always said to me that I should work with animals but I just didnt know where to start. So I put it in the background until coming here and it has re sparked my interest and now its here to stay for good. Sorry for the rabbiting on I guess what Im trying to say is Thankyou Dogz Online, This is the BEST forum ever.

Congrats on the bub on the way, yeah I can imagine it would be scary having your first child and being scared that the dog will get left out, I have read so many rescue stories about people having to rehome there dogs because of having a baby on the way - I keep telling my partner WE ARE NOT and I mean NOT going to forget about our dog(s) when we have human babies, the dog will be just like another kid or we are not having them at all dont be worried about your dog though, it seems that you love your dog very very much and Im sure that the baby and dog will get along great

Positive vibes for a quick recovery