aussielover

Agree totally with this. If a rescue is knocking back all fulltime workers as being unsuitable to adopt from them I would assume it is because they are adopting out dogs prone to separation anxiety and have no idea how to avoid it other than putting dogs in homes where people are usually home. A good rescue should be able to match a well- adjusted dog with people that work full time, and to know what sort of homes would suit their different dogs. Unless it is a breed where demand outstrips supply in which case the dog will go to the family that most impresses the rescue. Good homes may miss out and that is no reflection on them. I don't think dogs with true "separation anxiety" or any dogs that are showing signs of being likely to be affected by it, are suitable candidates for adoption. I know of dog affected by severe SA that was rehomed to a family where the parents worked from home. Sounds good in theory but now the poor family has to organise their lives around the dog, who cannot even be left on its own for 15 mins without self-harming and extremely destructive behaviour Surely it sounds better to say something like "even though we know you could offer an excellent home, xxx family was able to offer company to the dog all day so we felt the dog would be better suited to them" rather than "you cant have this dog because you work full time"

I would not feed anything that had sharp edges. My dog nearly died from having a bone perforate through her intestine. It was a freak accident- just the way she had chewed that one piece but she no longer gets bones. Although it is quite rare for this to happen, it does happen frequently enough for vets to be aware of it and recognize the signs (luckily for us). There is no way I'd be feeding dried/smoked bones especially if the were already visible sharp edges.

I find creams like neocort and apex antibiotic lotion effective for when Mindy has an acute flare up of rash and/or itchiness. Early application of these has helped us avoid the need for antibiotics and pred. Unfortunately antihistamines don't work well for all dogs, but they can be useful as well.

I would like Mindy to get some novice agility titles. She has started working very well towards the end of this year and we have one Q in each of novice agility, jumping, snooker and gamblers and 2 in strategic pairs. So hopefully this is a realistic goal for us, I guess a lot will depend on my work and how much time I have to train her. I think agility will be our focus, but I'd also really like to start retrieving and perhaps do some retrieving ability trials. I'd also like to do some tracking.

I also think that it would perhaps be a good idea to foster first for one of the more established rescues, if not only to get contacts and see exactly where the need is... I don't know much about GAP or GSN because greyhounds are not a suitable breed for me so I haven't one alot of research into them, however GAP in particular has a very good reputation nationwide and is seen to have done a lot for racing greyhounds in Australia. I can understand your reasons for not wanting to be part of a larger org, but surely fostering 1 or 2 dogs for them initially wouldn't be too stressful for you? especially whilst you are organising the paperwork for your own group. It would be great to be able to have the support of people who have many years of experience in the industry and with the breed. I'm not sure about GAP and GSN, but in many rescue groups in Australia the foster carer has a big say in who can adopt their foster dog. If you were to run your own rescue group would you allow your foster carers a say in who gets to adopt the dog? Whatever you decide to do, I think it is great that you are so passionate about saving greyhounds I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour to start a new rescue group.

I hate hearing the working dog excuse- that the dog would be better of on a farm or property. Like they automatically assume that the dog would instantly make a good worker. I'm sure some of the dogs would do quite well with the right training (and clearly be better off than with their current useless owner) however what people don't seem to understand is that most farmers don't want city dogs from uncertain breeding and with no training. Many a working breed would be better of in a home with company, training and stimulation than on a farm where they would probably be chained up or at least restricted to a smaller area (what responsible property owner would let their dog roam around at will and possibly get onto other people's property?). My cousins rehomed a dog to a farm and it ended up being shot a short time after I also hate the "my dog doesn't like the chickens/cat/bird etc". Have they not heard of separation? Especially with chickens, surely it is simple to build them an enclosure or keep the dog away from them? There's a lovely kelpie/lab cross in lab resuce at the moment who i have been seriously considering, who was surrendered for this reason. But seeing as I don't know where i'll be working next year, I've decided to wait. I often think that the reason given for surrender is actually only a tiny part of the decision that has been contemplated for quite some time.

Puglvr are you saying that a pugs body condition should be judged by a different standard to all other dogs?

We used hanrob for our aussie shepherd at it always seemed fine- she always came back happy and healthy. They did put her in with another dog though. At the time we thought this was good- she would have company, but now can see how unsafe it was. I don't know if they've changed since then though- this was probably around 7-10 years ago I have heard Petresorts is pretty good.

Whilst I understand where people are coming from with compromising, it is this that makes me say. Stuff it your house your rules. Why did he say OUR house? Does he part own it or something?

Whether a house has a dog smell depends on the breed of dog. I have been in dozens of homes with BCs and JS and never found one with a dog smell, even if they were really messy with dog hair lying around. On the other hand I have been to homes with Goldies, Labs and Cavs and immediately notice the dog smell even if the house is immaculate. GSDs usually do have a doggy smell so the OP would probably have that to deal with. If it was me I would offer to wash the dog and keep him in part of the house with baby gates and if they aren't happy with that tell them to find somewhere else to stay. I think it depends on more than breed. How often the dog is bathed, how often it goes outside and actually gets dirty/smelly, the type of house it lives in, how often the house itself is cleaned are all factors into whether the house will have a doggy smell or not. I have been to friends home with border collies, poodles and sibes and some of them have a doggy smell. I admit than some breeds do have more of a tendency to have a doggy smell- labs, cockers, GRs and GSDs in particular but I think its incorrect in saying that breed is the only factor involved in whether a house will smell! My house doesn't smell (its very open plan and airy) but yeah, my car smells like dog! addressing the OP: I would compromise to some degree eg. the dog will only stay in a few rooms, but is they want the dog outside or gone entirely- they can find somewhere else to stay! It is your house right?

Can't recommend a vet but I have heard Newcastle All Breeds is quite good. newcastle all breeds website They do agility as well.

Not had any experience with alternative methods but overseas they use lime-sulfur dips and amitraz rinses daily to treat demodex. Not sure if this is available in australia and obviously it is quite time consuming.

I don't know why people were so keen for their dogs to attack. Barking- yes but I don't want the hassle of my dog biting another person and I don't really want her deciding when it is appropriate or not to attack someone. I would be seriously worried if I thought she'd attack someone, even an intruder and I'd probably seek help. This is a pet dog living in suburbia though.

I don't think many intruders would be game to take on the barking rottie at the start. You would have to be supremely confident to enter that dogs home and the average crim couldn't tell if the rottie was serious or not. It looked threatening enough from the window and I think the opportunistic intruder would have just given that house a miss, when presented with the sight for a 100 pound rottweiler barking its head off. In fact the mere presence of all of the larger dogs would probably be enough to put off the opportunistic criminal. If you think your house is at risk of a considered and determined burglary attempt, you should probably install better security measures than just a dog, even a trained one. We have had people reluctant to enter our home because our dog barks ferociously, not knowing she is really a big sook.

I think another lab, but a shepherd could also work. They are both easily trainable and biddable breeds. Lovemesideways on DOL has a shepherd and a Lab so maybe ask her how it works. Sibes are beautiful but quite different from labs or shepherds.

One word: Labrador! But yeah I usually have less of an appetite so it's no surprise that some dogs do as well

Mindy accompanies me to the toilet sometimes She also sleeps pressed up against me (unless its really hot) She follows me from room to room, but at the moment she is downstairs on her dog bed by herself as its much cooler down there. She also puts herself to bed when I am not there which is cute :) I would only try to change the behaviour is she started showing signs of separation anxiety. I dont really mind if she follows me everywhere.

Doesn't the ANKC have guidelines for when an event should be cancelled? This is the dogs NSW one: No show/trial is to commence until such time as the temperature is below 40° Celsius During the day, should the temperature reach 40° Celsius then the show/trial is to cease forthwith Yes the HDAC agility trial has been cancelled this sat evening as it is predicted to reach over 40 degrees in that area during the day. I personally don't think it would have been too bad in the evening but I am very heat tolerant and my dog runs fine in the heat as long as she can be cooled off after with a wet towel or similar. But I totally understand the decision as I think a lot of dogs don't know when to stop themselves and sometimes we have to step in and do whats best for them. I know my dog will keep chasing a ball until near collapse and I have seen other dogs do it as well.

Really depends on your situation and why you want another dog. I also have a youngish labrador (2 years) and am considering getting another dog. I keep switching between fostering and getting another puppy. A lot will depend on where I am working next year. To be honest, I partly want another dog because I have always wanted 2 dogs (actually i've always wanted 3 but one step at a time :D) but I also think it would be nice for my dog to have company. She gets along great with other dogs and we've done dog-sitting and she seemed to cope very well and even thrive with having another doggy companion. I am 100% happy with her behaviour and level of training at the moment so in that regard I feel ready to have another dog. Personally I'm looking at getting another Labrador, but from retrieving lines. I think Labs do recognise their own and are drawn to other retrievers (labs, GRs, flatties, curlies etc), and they have their own play style which other breeds don't appreciate sometimes. Having said that, my dogs best friends are kelpies and I wouldn't rule out fostering for working dog rescue and maybe having a foster failure if all goes well. Lab or golden retrriever rescue is another option. Maybe consider fostering to see how your dog copes with having another dog in the house and what breeds suit your lifestyle. I think assistance dogs has a program where you puppy raise the pup from 8-12 weeks, so it would probably give you a good idea about how you would deal with your dog AND a puppy!

We already have Q's, it was hard enough to get those, I don't really fancy starting again :laugh: Also as RS said, there is the advantage of being able to enter retrieving trials should we want to later on. Never mind, I'm not that fussed, I don't want to go to great lengths to change her registered name. As I said its not even that bad.

Sorry to hear As other have mentioned they could try conservative management- cage rest initially, painkillers/anti inflammatories, strapping/support and then physio later on. This is usually more successful with smaller, lighter dogs though. It is unlikely to ever be completely stable without surgery. If cost is a concern, I think they could probably get it for less than what have they have been quoted if they shop around. I have seen plenty of older dogs undergo cruciate surgery and most seem to recover very quickly. Generally with the TTA and TPLO procedure they tend to get back to weight bearing on the leg quicker.

Good idea. I will try tomorrow to lure her outdoors with a toy she isn't sleeping with. She responds well to toys. Ta. You should try just standing still like a rock when she does it...my Border Terrier pup did this as a baby, I know how much it hurts! But once I stood still as soon as she tackled me, she pretty much shrugged her shoulders and walked away :D Though she still loves to grab at anything dangly that I'm holding in my hands...we're working hard on "Leave it - Get it" at the moment :laugh: Gotta love those terriers..... That didn't work for me, although she usually latched onto my pants, or shoelace. She thought it was a great game of tug!

I sort of feel a bit like JulesP. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I had been close to Mindy's breeder, or actually even met them? I've never even communicated with the kennel owner that Mindy's name is under. Her actual breeder has a different kennel name which I find a bit weird (not the name itself but the fact Mindy is under a different kennel name) but perhaps that was part of the breeding agreement? My attempts to communicate with the other kennel and ask about their other dogs have been ignored. So I don't have great feelings for that particular kennel. I don't care about what other people think of the name (I mean, Mindy is a silly enough name as it is :laugh:) , but I also agree that it sounds silly. Oh well, I guess there is nothing that can be done. I don't really care that much, I just thought if there was an easy to change it, I would.

She's cute! I would just teach an off command, also useful for if/when she starts jumping on other furniture. If you ask her to get off or lift her off enough times she should get the idea, otherwise just restrict her access from the bed (as you are doing) and hopefully she'll get the picture. I have to admit that my dog sleeps on my bed. But she doesn't get on any of the other furniture in the house and has to be invited onto the bed at night. My lab used to also bite my feet, ankles and pants when she was a puppy. She sort of just grew out of it as I don't think I actually did anything effective to stop it :laugh: As suggested, engaging in another game or behvior might be useful in preventing slipper chewing.

Can you change their registered name then? Now I want to know what your dogs name is, must be pretty embarrasing :D Its not that bad, just the kennel name with her normal name added after that, but it just sounds a bit ridiculous and pretentious, most of our agility friends are on the associate register so think mindy's registered name is a bit stoopid. I actually think the themed names sounds ok and some quite suit the dog! She's already on the main register so I doubt I'd be able to register her as an associate. I should have just done that in the first place as it would have been much easier and cheaper