Flye

He looks great, puggerup. I think you're just used to him being fat. Dogs are meant to have a waist and a tuck up, not be barrels on legs. Even pugs. You should be able to feel the last couple of ribs at least. On shorter coats you might even be able to see them. But that's just a sign of a dog in good condition (so long as it is muscular etc.)

Our landlord is really flexible (says he doesn't mind what breed or size of dog, loves them all!) so we're lucky in that regard. We'll probably be buying a house after we leave this rental. The Dogs Home is happy to adopt to us, but I do understand why a lot of rescues would be cautious. The number of dogs on Gumtree, who are being given away by people who are moving, is terrible. If we did have to move into another rental, I would never give up my dog. We'd find one that allowed it.

Glad to know I'm not alone. It seems like they might miss out on a fair number of good homes, if they take this approach. I know I won't be going back. I agree about the Dogs Home. I've walked through there several times and applied for a couple of dogs who didn't work out. They're always happy to discuss our needs and be realistic about their dogs. I look forward to volunteering there one day, they do great work.

I turned up during their opening hours (checked on the website). They had about 5-6 large dogs out in the yard in front of their office, carrying on as I walked up. I talked to a lady for a while, explaining what sort of dog we were looking for etc. Then she told me that because we are renting, we had to get written approval from our landlord and present it to their committee... Wouldn't let me come in to see the dogs they had, to see if we even wanted to apply for one? The other shelters I've been to were happy to let me come in and meet some dogs, before vetting our living situation.

Has anyone been to/heard anything about the Swan Animal Haven? I had a really weird experience there the other day, and I don't know whether it's typical.

I would hope that the $3000 per pup helps to cover the costs of health testing the parents, and making sure that the pups are from the best possible stock. As long as the breeder provided proof of this, I would be satisfied with paying that price.

She is so adorable!