aussielover

Sending healing vibes for you boy. It is very scary when they have an accident or are ill I hope the surgery goes well.

But if you miss a jump is that a DQ/NQ anyway? I though you needed to go completely clear to get a Q? I was always told to take the dog back and make it redo the jump, but from now on I won't, I can see it is quite demotivating for my dog and due to my mistake anyway.

Yes I find a daily swim at the beach tends to keep my allergic dogs itchiness at a minimum. Calendula tea is also meant to be good.

Personally I wouldn't risk it with a dog that eats bones like this. I am well aware of all the benefits of feeding raw bones however, I feel that it is especially risky to give greedy eaters bones. Mindy was not even a gulper- she was a good chewer and had bones without incident for almost 1.5 years. It only takes one little piece to cause a blockage or perforation and you're looking at a life threatening situation and major surgery (and a hefty vet bill). Labradors appear to be over represented in these type of incidents (at least in my experience working at a vet) The only way I would feed her bones again is very closely supervised with a meaty bone that I could take away before she started eating the actual bone and possibly some lamb flaps. You could always use ground up bones (in mince form- you could get your butcher to do this) if you're after the nutritional value, and then use other chews/dental biscuits/plaque remover/brushing teeth etc to take care of the dental aspects.

Well, sure... but an overexcited dog scratching a toddler isn't exactly a newsworthy item imo. Considering none of us were there, I don't really think we can judge whether it was a savage mauling or over enthusiastic dog, however, I personally wouldn't be relying on the media to give an accurate representation of the events. Obviously the whole thing could have been avoided if the dog was adequately contained or controlled.

Yes the term "high drive" is used loosely, lots of people have different definitions, with many mistaking high energy levels for high drive. Also I think when people say "high drive" what they are mostly refering to is high prey drive. My dog has incredibly high food drive (like a lot of labs, that is all she thinks about ), but observing her training or at home, you wouldn't call her high drive in the typical working dog way the term is used. Perhaps some of this is due to handler faults (not fully utilizing the drive she does have). Drive is genetic; but it can be developed to an extent. Seeing a truly high drive dog reach its potential is amazing

1. fun loving 2. active 3. easy care coat 4. high level of trainability 5. intelligent I actually think many breeds fit this criteria. My picks would be from the gundog, guarding and herding group. My current dog fits all these criteria, she is the perfect dog to me. Having said that I think a lot of other breeds/ mixes could also make me very happy.

Good Job Kavik! Its interesting that you say Kaos prefers food to tugging. Mindy also prefers food, but will still tug in the presence of food but I've never felt that it is an "ideal" reward for her. I guess I am scared that she'll be disappointed that she got a tug and not food and then not want to perform well next time. It is probably ridiculous on my part because I taught her to weave (sort of) with a ball and I've also taught her other things with the ball, so its not like she HAS to have food. I love the way herding breeds work so well for tugs and when their owners swing them around with the tug Its really too much effort for me to do that with a 30kg labrador though!!! Mindy is very strong with her tug and basically just rips it out of my hands then runs away. So its not overly enjoyable for me.

I think it depends on the way you're looking at them. If you're glaring at them really tensely, it is bound to put them off a little. Simply maintaining eye contact should be fine, but you should probably also practice looking away and walking away, jumping up an down like an idiot :D during stays as you'll eventually need to do out of sight stays etc

Would your husband compromise and let her sleep in a crate inside? Apart from that I can only think of a few options: - ignore her (obviously not good for neighbourly relations) - put an anti bark collar on overnight Does she bark at passing wildlife eg possums or is she just barking to come inside? If she is barking at wildlife/ other animals/ noises then you could try crating her outside so maybe she won't be as stimulated to bark?

I've actually never had anyone comment on my dog's crate and it is centrally placed in the living room. I leave the door open and she chooses to go in when she wants. It is a soft crate and looks quite comfy and attractive so I guess that helps. I think people appreciate the dog keeping out of the way especially if they are non doggy people.

I think it can work if the breeds are similar. Both my dogs haven't been the first choice of breed but have been perfect. First dog was an aussie shepherd, I really wanted a border collie. The two breeds are similar in looks anyway and I think the aussie was a better choice in the end and was more suited to our lifestyle. Then I wanted another aussie but ended up with a labrador. I've been told they have similar temperaments and my lab is easier to look after in terms of grooming etc. She's also been extremely good to train and has gotten me a lot more involved in the dog sport/training world.

Agree with jumabaar. Make sure you go to a vet who actually knows what agility is- preferably one who actually trials their dogs (or has previously) or sees a lot of agility dogs. I'd be inclined to say no to a dog with a pre existing injury if you are after a serious agility prospect.

All my dogs have had theirs with no problems. I sometimes see torn dew claws at work but it isn't a common occurrence. I'd be inclined to leave them depending on how loose they are and how much they stick out. As DancingBCs said, if you are planning on doing agility, it is thought they help with stability of the wrist. I never have to cut my dogs dew claws so she obviously uses them.

I'd report him for setting his dog on you or at least encouraging his dog's aggressive behaviour toward you. What a jerk!

There are many interpretations of a breed standard ;) In some breeds, it is very obvious that working line breeders and show breeders have very different interpretations of the breed standard. In other breeds like RV and Rebanne mentioned; the interpretations of breed standard are similar and the dogs look much the same whether bred for show or work and many of these dogs are dual field/show champions etc Most dogs bred for working purposes are not Kennel Club registered, they may be registered with a working council or equivalent but they aren't generally registered with the national kennel club. Obviously true working dogs are going to have more variation in looks because they're never bred for looks alone and working ability and attitude often over rides perfect conformation. Although the basic structure must be there otherwise the dog will quickly become unsound, but things like coat texture, colour, height etc are not as important.

I had an aussie in a townhouse. With the right dog it can be achieved if you're willing to put in the work (2 x 1 hour walks per day and a dog walker to take the dog out in the middle of the day). Before that we had a poodle cross and our aussie was MUCH easier in terms of training, exercise and general behaviour than the poodle x. Our aussie sounded a lot like Gayle's Dusty though (and was also black tri)- very laid back, gentle and calm. Clover RIP

I Ripley's left eye! Love extra photos! BTW who is the dog in the beach photo with the more pricked ears (blue merle)?

You will feel how full they are if you do a digital examination ( ie stick your finger up the rectum). It is not something I would recommend if you haven't done it before but can easily be taught to owners by a vet or vet nurse if they are willing... The only time you will see/smell anything is if they are really full and "leaking" or infected. Jacqui- most dogs don't need their anal glands attended to (thank god) Usually the pressure of the faeces causes regular emptying of the anal glands. A healthy diet and good pelvic/perineal conformation usually means that that there won't be any problems.

Actually you have to have a fellowship to be able to register as a specialist. I counted 11 veterinary derm specialists, on that website. http://www.acvsc.org.au/members/memberSearch.asp

Like every breed, obviously the aussie is not suited to everyone, I'm not quite sure what your point is In the US there are more working bred and BYB aussies that may be less suited to pet life. Here in Aus they are in my experience mainly show or performance bred with a strong focus on temperament. Aussies are (rightfully so) growing in popularity here in australia and all the owners I've met adore the breed. In terms of grooming, they are more work than a short coated breed like a lab or GSP but I wouldn't say they require a lot of attention grooming wise. They only really require grooming in certain areas (eg under ears, pants) regularly and you could probably get away with not brushing the body very often. They also shed less other double coated breeds like Labs and GSDs. I guess if you're used to short coated dogs, they would seem like more work grooming-wise but iverall I think they're fairly easily to maintain.

That is terrible AnnieK

Poor dogs! The owners really need to lay down some rules and boundaries. The dogs needs to be kept separately when no one is able to supervise, otherwise they're just waiting for a serious or fatal accident to happen imo... It sounds like they aren't properly toilet trained? Why is there newspaper? They are both old enough to go outside or hold on overnight.

Sorry, I must have somehow misunderstood "How do I know if they are friendly or not?" Isn't it better to be safe than sorry though Especially if your dog has had previous bad experiences and you think it might react? Surely people have the right to bring their dog to a park and not be annoyed by other people or dogs?

Aussies are my heart breed I get excited everytime I see one. I'd like to get another in the future but they have too much hair, I've gotten used to being completely slack with grooming I am sure I will have another aussie down the track though