aussielover

OMG Delta is SOOOO CUTE!!!! I want!!!

I didn't say debarking was illegal in Victoria. I said the dog had been illegally debarked. The process for lawful debarking in Victoria wasn't followed. Sorry, isn't it then the vet who did it the one who should be in trouble? They must have the proper paperwork etc before they proceed.

I'd definitely be interested. Do you have to be a member of the MDBA though?

That poor woman! Exhibiting a debarked dog is not an act of cruelty! I am glad that the magistrate was a sensible and reasonable person. Why does she have to pay the RSPCA at all? Sure, she did the wrong thing by exhibiting a debarked dog but surely a fine would suffice? not having her dogs seized... I see people everyday who treat their animals very badly (imo) but yet cannot be prosecuted by the RSPCA becuase they have food, shelter water etc. Puppy farms are an example of this. Surely the RSPCA should spend their time and effort (and our money) on prosecuting REAL cruelty cases not just trying to make a point to registered breeders

What other tests did the vet do? Constipation doesn't usually cause vomiting or retching.... I would have wanted X rays at least to confirm no obstruction. Did you work out the cause of the vomiting/retching?

I would not let her around horses or livestock AT ALL. If you are going be around them, keep her at home. You are risking her life if you do take her with you. I think you should seek professional help and get the dog assessed asap. Why would you want to "break" her? surely you mean TRAIN her??? Perhaps this is not the dog for a pet home...Personally I don't see the point of getting a working line BC unless you are going to actually "work" them whether that be on the farm or in dog sports. Also look at how much exercise and mental stimulation she is getting. A working BC would need upwards of 2hrs exercise a DAY imo, even the puppies need at least an hour. Can you get her to chase balls as this is a great way to exercise working dogs and gives them a "job" to do.

I totally agree with you but Wild might be able to convince them. She obviously doesnt agree with what they did either. If I had known last week about the dog I'm sure I would have been able to convince them to take it to the vet but I wasnt told until too late. Golden, I know this sounds tuff but most farm dogs will never ever see a vet. This is not an excuse for these people as the dogs were in town but the mentality stays the same for them. Before they took the dogs away (they were kept were I'm living for most of the year, I would slip wormers and flea treatment into them myself Im sorry but I don't really think this is true as a general rule unless they are crap working dogs. A farmer knows the value of a good working dog. And a good working dog can't quickly be replaced. I've worked in mixed practice and I would working dogs on the farm received veterinary attention when required in most cases. Sure they were not vaccinated regularly, but if there was an injury or illness medical treament was usually sought

In Urban Dog Training, I have been told that there are at least two to three trainers to about 15 dogs, and whenever fights break out, the two pups are separated before being allowed to play with the others again. And of course, there are probably new puppy owners following their dogs around like stink on a warthog who ensure that nothing bad happens to their pooch. I think it sounds like a great opportunity for socialization. I would not want my pup "socialising" with a group of 15 others! I'm sorry but fights should not be allowed to break out at all! They should be prevented by qualified and experienced people who can read dog body language and prevent these incidents from occuring. Honestly, that just sounds like a puppy free for all. Puppy school should consist of a combination of training exercises, quiet time and supervised play time, not just a massive play session. sorry but I really feel that puppy free for alls is where pups learn to bully others or become fearful of other dogs

Glad to see Miley liked it! I am surrounded by beaches and it is a bit far from me though Though it would be good to take her there. i always freak out about her getting eaten by a shark or something at the beach. i dont let her swim too far out for this reason.

frontline is rubbish for fleas but we find FL and advantix equal for ticks. Frontline spray is apparently the best topical treatment for ticks (provided you cover all areas of the dog). Permoxin spray is probably equal (maybe better?) than frontline spray but by dog occaisonally plays with cats and kittens at work so can't use permoxin.

They are in all areas of Syndey pretty much There are increased numbers of ticks in the north shore (upper and lower), the northern beaches are particularly full of ticks. Guide dogs has just sent us a letter saying they have had pups requiring treatment from ticks in ALL areas of sydney so i wouldn't say any one area is safe. we had an 8 week old Malamute pup with a tickj recently. It had only been in its own yard for toileting (due to not being fully vaccinated). The tick was found on the tip of the tail. We've even had predominantly indoor cats with ticks, so they are everywhere!!! Bush areas and areas they are wet and humid are where a lot of ticks are. They are actually carried by bandicoots. I am quite paranoid though as i work in a vet hospital where animals regularly come in very ill from ticks and some do end up dying. My own dog nearly died from one when she was only a puppy as well. I feel it is only a matter of time before my current dog gets one even though she is on frontline spray every 2 weeks. i am thinking of starting her on proban too, but she is only a pup and her coat is reasonably easy to check for ticks (though it takes me about 30 mins each day to do a thorough search)

Ok very confused now... isn't that pretty much the same thing as respecting you?

I agree. A small group of us from our paid puppy school organised seperate play dates with each other. I have also organised meetings with other DOLers who have nice older dogs my pup can socialise with.

The main problem I have with petshop animals is that they have not been raised in a loving family home, they are forced to sleep in their own urine and faeces, they get very limited opportunity to exercise and interact with people, all of which increases the likelihood of behaviour problems and potential "dumpage" later on. I also see a lot of people with the attitude that they "rescued" a dog from a petshop. Perhaps petshops only selling pound/rescue dogs would be the way to go BUT then would that just encourage more people to dump unwanted puppies/kittens/dogs etc at the pound???? The primary difference between a petshop/puppyfarm and a responsible breeder is that petshops and puppy farmers do it for the money, responsible breeder do it for the breed, money is a secondary concern. A petshop and puppyfarm is a BUSINESS a responsible breeder usually breeds as a hobby (though they may be regisitered as a business as well)

Megan, you raise an issue I've been musing on. I've lost track of the number of times I've heard people suggest that growing up with dogs somehow prepares them for dog ownership. IMO it doesn't. Kids don't generally deal with the responsibilities of dog ownership on a day to day basis - that's down to parents (or good ones anyway). Kids (especially young ones) don't toilet train, exercise, feed, deal with health issues etc. Memories of the family dog tend to be fairly rosy. I'd suggest that growing up with a dog no more fully prepares you to be a dog owner than growing up with a family car prepares you to be a driver. The perspective and responsiblities are quite different. That is so true! Our family dog recently passed away and although she was probably less destructive and nuaghty than a lot of puppies, i did not have the main responsibility for her so i do not remember her being that much work at all. I walked her everyday and fed her everyday but that is not the same thing as fully owning a dog. Now I have a puppy who is my responsibility completely and it is different- a lot of work physically and financially (although i only pay for toys and treats- guide dogs pays for food and vet stuff)

I had an aussie shepherd when I fostered kittens. So I would have a number of random kittens coming in and out of the house pretty regularly and running about and she never ever, "went for" any of them. If she had of i would blame myself not the dog though... Though of course I did not leave her unsupervised with them at any time. All dogs have the potential for some kind of prey drive, it would really depends on the personality and training of the dog as to whether it would become a cat killer (as you have experienced with one aussie killing them, and one not) Realistically if you want a feral cat colony and dogs- build a cat proof dog run that you can put your dogs in when they are not under your direct supervision.

Hey Corvus, I get what you're saying but I am confused? you don't demand your dog respects you? I think it would be pretty hard to live with a dog that didn't respect you?

I agree with this, BUT unfortunately, you can't actually stop someone who has their heart set on getting a dog from getting one. The best thing we can do is encourage them to see that a dog may not be suitable at this time for them BUT if they still insist point them to the best sources of getting a dog- eg responsible breeder/ rescue group who will take back the dog if all goes wrong. And to recommend a breed/adult rescue who will be most suitable for their lifestyle and most likely to fit their needs.

I've been thinking about this for a bit and I think there have been some good suggestions which they could try. However, perhaps seeing a behaviourist might also be the way to go, as this relatively minor incident (imo) has caused a major upset for the dog and family and I find it unusual the dog has taken so long to settle. A professional would be able to assess the interaction between pup and family as well. The same thing has happened to my pup (who was 6 months at the time)- she was sleeping by the screen door when two massive huskies came up to our door (from the park across the road) and gave her a bit of a fright (and us!) She intially came running to me but recovered a few mins later when the dogs had left and hasn't had any anxiety about noises, sleeping by the door etc since then. I don't know if she recovered so quickly because she has pretty solid nerves or knows that we will protect her or is just a confident dog??? The dog I am babysitting atm is quite noisy and will bark at the slightest sound and wants to sleep on top of you etc, so perhaps this is just the pups natural personality coming though? Best get a professional to assist if still concerned i reckon!

Is he crate trained? Perhaps a crate might make him feel safer?

I use half kibble, half bones as my pup doesn't do well on all kibble- it is too "rich" for her. She is actually on half advance puppy and half PAL puppy for this reason also. She also gets sardines or other oily fish 3 times a week.

I also wonder about this. I would continue with the normal routine and not fuss over him. Perhaps try a DAP diffuser or spray as well. Is he of a nervous temperament normally?

Guide dogs nsw only train guide dogs and pet therapy dogs. Assistance dogs or ASdogs might be able to help though as diabetes detection dogs are usually classed as assistance dogs

I know of a trainer in sydney who is working with a pet dog and owner to achieve exactly this. If you want to enlist the help of a professional PM me and I'll give you the details of this person. All dogs have the ability to detect this, so there is no reason why your current pet shouldn't be able to be trained

Yes, I would want want to investigate this also... It is quite abnormal for a dog to vomit that much. Can you try feeding him frequently in small aounts and see what happens?