aussielover

No I don't think so tdierkx. There are no cliffs at the park i was at. I will call the council and see what they have to say. I'm pretty sure it is a company, they also just open the back of the van, the dogs aren't even in separate crate or anything.

Just saw one at the park i was walking through that had at least 7 off leash dogs with her. None of them appeared to be under control. They were harassing other people and dogs, but because the walker had so many, while they were dealing with one situation, another would be happening behind her back. a further group of dogs had run off into the bush (tick infested imo) which is meant to be a regeneration area. To make things worse, the person had a coffee and was clearly texting away or surfing the net on her phone i have to say that if those were my dogs i would not be happy with the service at all, i don't want my dog to go running wild in a dog park with a pack of out of control dogs and running into tick infested areas. when a dog owner approached her and told her she had too many dogs, she just shrugged and glared at the poor lady. Are there any rules and regulations for professional dog walkers?

Maybe if you do a search I think there was a fairly recent topic in general asking the same thing. I have no idea what a dugite is but it sounds really scary! here i've found it for you: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...44&hl=snake

No idea - ring and ask, I guess? Not sure if they'd let you? Apparently I have to spend a week in an abattoir as part of my vet course later this year (learning how to inspect meat to ensure it's fit for human consumption - ew), so if they don't swear me to secrecy, I can report back if you like. Though from what I've seen of the pig industry, I'd be more concerned about how the piggies are treated during life - free range bacon is so much fairer to the sows than cage pork! I've already had to do that and it is not good I got a sheep one though which was bad enough, but apparently the cattle and pig ones are way worse.

Some dogs can do it due to lack of variety in their diet.

Megan....guess what? people don't need to be directly involved in the slaughtering of animals to realise that the meat they purchase from the supermarket was, once upon a time, walking and breathing. well, frankly, they should. Perhaps they would then reconsider the amount and frequency of meat they ate. Are rabbits a natural prey item for the ferrets? I imagine they would be capable of killing a rabbit?

Do you know any nice purebred cavvies or poodles? perhaps you could introduce them to her? Or some really naughty cavoodles I have actually found a lot of them to be hyperactive and well, not the brightest. sadly tthe owners seem to think because they are little, it doesn't really matter. You can only give someone the information and let them decide for themselves though... This whole DD is out of control now though , I swear my suburb has been overrun by them. First it was the labx poodle, then spanielx poodle and now the cavx poodle. Also spaniel x lab and GR x poodle is becoming very popular around here. I have actuallybeen asked whether my dog was a purebred lab (how bad is that!! Though she is not show qaulity, it is obvious she is a lab) only to be told what a shame it is when i reply yes she is a full lab

I agree If you go ahead and breed this untested (and possibly not even breed standard) dog, that is of course your choice. However it will make you in my eyes at least what we call a backyard breeder (BYB), someone who does not breed for the benefits of dogs or the community. Look i understand that you love your little dog and want the best for her. There is a myth that female dogs should be allwoed to have one litter as it is good for them. This is simply untrue and as others have said can lead to serious complications. You also keep saying that you are not going to post on this thread again yet you do.... Please respond to some of the concerns raised by others here who are only trying to help you.

You find find there is a lot of debate around that question But it is commonly accepted that it is ideal for large and giant breed dogs to be castrated at around 18 months in order for them to fully develop and for females to be desexed after the first season. By desexing at 6 months, or before maturity you can affect bone and muscle development, as hormones that are involved in regulating this are removed. Ultimately, it is your decision and many dogs are desexed at 8 weeks to 6 months with no problems.

You could try putting bonnie on puppy food as it is more energy dense.

I don't like it because it can be dangerous for the owner. If the dog recognises the handlers body language that leads to a alpha roll they may react then instead of when actually in the process of the alpha roll. It could react to body language which the dog thinks may lead to an alpha roll, if the handler doesn't realise this they could be caught unaware and not ready to protect themself. The same could happen to someone else handling them. When trainers say that it is a dogs way of disciplining each other that isn't correct. When dogs perfom an "alpha roll" on each other, you will see that the losing dog always CHOOSES to submit, the alpha dog will very rarely grab the others dogs neck or scruff and throw it/ wrestle it to the floor. I have noticed that with some dogs, my dog will only have to receive a look and she will be on her back, belly up :D I also think that by rolling onto their back, the dog is only indicating they want to avoid a conflict in that particular situation. It doesn't necessarily mean they will have more respect for you forever. Respect is gained by trust and consistency. sadly i know of at least one person who has been advised to alpha roll a dog for something as minor as rough play, where imo, simply removing the dog from the situation is all that is necessary.

No, it is unlikely to have a dramtic effect on him. One of the boys in puppy class even started marking in the house after coming back from desexing :D

Frontline spray on

Thanks Belgian Blue! Only two more days. Actually I have started taking her on longer lead walks as I also think the more you coop them up- the more crazy energy they have and the more likely they are to harm themselves. I think i did pretty well in keeping her quiet for 5 days :D she is still not allowed to play with other dogs, but she is allowed to have off lead time if there are no other dogs around

I can hear it now "just like white Golden Retrievers'.. why don't they just get a white golden retriever? Maremma x GR is a bad mix :D :D ;)

Ahh so a freshly dispatched quick kill is disgraceful but pigs that live their whole lives in appalling conditions without even room to move is perfectly acceptable as long as it comes to you in a shrink wrapped package? You have obviously never lived in a rural area. The majority of women i know will kill their own meat, butcher it and then cook it when they need too. But i bet if you met them one on one you would never know it. I guess you would be downright horrified if you found out you were talking to one of these women you portray to be rough around the edges because they are self sufficient. It must be nice to purchase your meat from the supermarket and rate yourself above those that shock horror hunt for their meat. Your right, on the one hand you have feedlot animals that spend their life in miserable, cramped conditions then are shipped off to slaughter houses in over crowded transport, many of whom suffer horrific injuries whilst they panic at the smell of death and fear in the air all so you can receive a lovely shrink wrapped product in the supermarket. Yup they have it way better to the animal that lives free in their natural environment and is dispatched quickly, efficiently and humanely. Nekhbet id love to come with you but i work through the week. There are plenty of farmers around here though that would LOVE for you to come ferreting though if you ever hanker for a trip to the Snowy Mountains. +1 intensively farmed animals suffer every day of their usually short lives. Wild animals might suffer a moment of pain, upon death, who knows really, most hunters are pretty skilled at quickly and humanely killing them. Rabbits, as cute as they are, are pests that need to be eradicated or else they get out of control. What, more humane method do you propose to get rid of them Moselle? And frankly your statements about women are outdated at best and offensive at worst.

Since joining this forum i have heard a lot of great things about traininng in drive. Not having expereincewith this before, if I did want to do it, would the best thing be to book a consult with a trainer knowledgeable in this method? I am not intending to do this with my current puppy, even though i think she would really benefit from it as she appears to be quite drivey in some ways (well at least more so than my last dog who was the most placid thing on earth ) But with my next pet/sport dog I would like have a go. I assume it is something that an experienced person must identify if it is going to be suitable and instruct you? NOt something you can read out of a book.......

WOW! I could not cope with 4 am. I have managed to get a comfortable 1.5 more hrs out of her now. So we are up at 7/73.0 most days. I will actually have to start getting up earlier though for work soon. Hopefully i don't put her in a bad habit and she will still want to sleep in on the weekends.

Yes i agree Megan.

Megan....guess what? people don't need to be directly involved in the slaughtering of animals to realise that the meat they purchase from the supermarket was, once upon a time, walking and breathing. Now, where are those scones? You should visit an abbatoir Moselle. You might just come to realise that supermarket meat is no more or less humane than hunted, wild meat. Personally i am vego because i don't agree with the way that a lot of farm animals are raised and then handled at slaughter. If i were to have my own farm or hunt for my own food, then I would probably be willing to eat meat in that situation EAT: Nekhbet it sounds like a really interesting experience.

I have finally found some bones mindy can eat. She is fine with lamb flaps and lamb shanks, i believe they have even helped firm up her poo. I did try her on a beef brisket bone, which appeared to be quite meaty but she later threw up chunks of bone

YAY, I was so worried!!!

We have a fair amount of clients who do this. I think it is nice, if it makes you feel better go for it!

So where do you go next, Garry? The dog is now aware that you can kill him, he no longer tries to bite you (the trainer). Has he learned not to bite everyone? Has he learned not to bite children, or other dogs? What about off-leash? Does he have less motivation to try and bite others? What is it that CM isn't showing us and that you haven't explained here? I don't think a dog that has to know the handler can kill them in order for them to respect, is well suited for a pet. Most people do not want to almost kill their pet dog in order to gain respect. Many people may not even be capable of doing this. Sometimes the best option for the owner is to rehome to a working home or sadly, PTS.