Simply Grand

Sorry, I wasn't clear on what you meant, hence asking the question

Do you mean a dog that is docked (whatever the circumstances) can't compete in ANKC dog sports? Just curious

Riley's whole life is doing dumb stuff, he's a weirdo! here he is grooming a blanket: Here he is cleaning inside Quinn's mouth: Here he is ummmm: He also spins in frantic circles whenever he gets excited, tries to jump into my arms when I'm clearly holding something so he bounces off and falls back on the ground, randomly freaks out at a cupboard or blind that has been in the house the whole time...

That is one long lived toy!!

It's dispersable coz it's actually a human drug - not that I'd want it dispersed, agree gross!

Agree, check with the prescribing vet (and I'd suggest talking directly if you haven't - I'm sure the rescue group you are working with is reputable but the group I fostered for illegally gave me Lovan for the dog I was fostering, I was told it was prescribed by a vet but that turned out not be true and the person who provided it to me did not have proper knowledge of dosages, side effects etc, which I found out after the fact and after the dog had displayed significantly increased aggression and increasingly unsettled behaviour once the Lovan kicked in). From what I've found out since it seems vets often recommend the dog not be taken out in public for the first 4 weeks of treatment ( @Papillon KissesKisses is that what you were told with Malcolm?)until they have properly adjusted to the meds. And a behaviour modification plan in conjunction is essential so excellent that you are consulting with a behaviourist Re the giving the tablets whole, that's how I did it and it was still effective, I saw changes within the first week.

He's six months old and has normal six month old puppy issues, not "naughty behaviours" and I doubt he's in control of the household. Caitlin is a first time dog owner who's learning as much the puppy is.

Yes, he may have found it stressful and not had much to eat or drink while he was there, poor bub. And he could have picked up conjunctivitis but it could just be irritation from something in the new environment. He may need a few days to settle back in but try and keep things as normal as possible and he should bounce back quickly. And keep an eye on his eyes (oops that was not intentional!) to make sure they are getting better not worse. I wipe the eye goobers away from my poodle x's eyes with warm damp cotton pads to stop it from drying and matting his fur - if you haven't already been doing that it's a good thing to get him used to accepting without a fuss. He may do better staying at the home of a pet sitter next time, especially if it is going to be for more than one night, there are some really good ones out there on Pawshake and other pet sitting sites

Zena's mum, we have a (weird) chicken toy too, he's a bit worse for wear and I had to be very careful to call him Chook not "chicken" because they know very well what "chicken" means - ie a delicious treat, not a stupid plastic toy! - and look at me with great disappointment if I ever mention the word when there isn't any around for them

Aww, good Comet waiting patiently for lion to be thrown. Also, I'm glad I'm not the only one who creatively names the dog toys - along with Pink Pig and Bunny we have also had Tigey the tiger, Polar Bear the polar bear, Monkey the monkey, Slippy the toy slipper, Kong the Kong Wubber, Froggy the frog. Sax could pick them out by name back when he was an only dog and I was less of a lazy trainer

Speaking of noise making toys, I just remembered Bunny, who was also a popular toy with the three of them (although no Pink Pig) She's a kid's toy who used to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star when you pressed her belly and the three of them would just sit and watch in fascination while she sang to them Her music died when she got washed though so she's not as interesting now, poor Bunny (worth a sniff though says Quinn)

@Papillon Kisses that is cutest story, and can just picture Mal loving his monkey, and being so disappointed at that evil impersonator!

@Scottsmum that photo is soooo cute! I love how they have favourites, I suspect when one toy is the favourite of all the dogs there is an element of "well if they want it then I want it" doggo stubbornness

I'm sure this has been done before but I'm bringing it up because this always makes me chuckle... This is Pink Pig Pink Pig is by far and away the favourite toy of all 3 of my dogs. They have pleeeenty of toys, ranging from proper Kong branded things and other pet store toys to rope toys and cheap stuffed toys from the $2 shops, and I regularly throw out dead ones and supply new ones (although not that often now they are aged between 5.5 and nearly 8) and they'll occasionally have a play with some of them but they never tire of playing with Pink Pig and when he comes out they will literally tackle each other out of the way to get him Pink Pig is an old McDonalds Happy Meal toy who I got as a teenager so he must be at least 20 years old, my mum found him in the house and gave him to Saxon when he was a puppy. Almost 8 years and another two dogs later (fosters don't get to play with him) and Pink Pig is still alive (although a bit worse for wear) and still the most favourite, best toy ever! What do your weirdos treasure?

Not to mention being polite, and keeping your own dogs safe.

Do any councils actually spend anything enforcing it though? I do think cheap/free microchiping and desexing would be extremely helpful. Ipswich City Council does give you a book of discount vouchers for all sorts of things, including the vet work, with registration but they are not big enough discounts to encourage low income earners to register and desex if they wouldn't otherwise

Ipswich City Council does

Agree Steve, desexing by six months has been mandatory in the ACT for years unless both owner and dogs are registered with certain bodies, including ANKC, as I recall you can't even get a breeder licence for a non-registered dog. However two of mine were registered with the government prior to being six months old, as not desexed at the time, and no one came chasing me when they turned six months old... Impounded dogs were and I'm sure still are regularly released from the pound without any requirement they be desexed first and without any follow up, and they are never seized JUST for being entire, it just isn't practical resource wise. I do like the idea of it being compulsory (with the option of registering with additional costs to keep an entire dog/s) because I think it likely means less oops litters when dogs of those that abide by the requirement accidentally escape, and hopefully stops some people who think it might be nice to have one litter but arent committed to it, but like everything, only responsible, law abiding people are going to follow the rules anyway, and they aren't the major problem.

Most dogs thive on NILIF because it gives them a clear and consistent idea of how things work in the household, which they prefer to the way we as humans will often have different expectations on different days, depending on our moods, what else is happening etc. Although it could sound strict and "mean" on the surface it actually also gives the dog a sense of control because they learn they can get and do things they want most of the time, they just have to figure out how to earn it

That's not an answer, could you be specific?

What industries/sports are you including in your comparison?

I started the survey out of interest but I think the nature of the questions means the answers need to be too black and white. I don't think you can say that all dogs will behave the same given the same experiences, which seems to be what they asking. I think predatory aggression is more innate than that. There are plenty of ex-racing greyhounds that will run in a race but show no interest in trying to kill prey animals (or other dogs) in a real world situation. There are dogs that you can either encourage or discourage chasing of prey or a lure through training and socialisation as a puppy, and that you can probably also retrain to respond differently when older,and then there are dogs that have the drive to catch and kill prey animals, including other dogs, and it cannot be trained out because it is so strong and so intrinsically rewarding. I don't know enough to know which of the above contributes to the most successful racing dogs but I imagine dogs that are intrinsically motivated AND encouraged to chase the prey (lure or god forbid live bait) perform the best. As I alluded to above, I also think there are problems other than prey drive/ predatory aggression that are likely to occur in dogs born and raised in an isolated kennel environment where they are not exposed to other animals, other dogs, differing environments, novel surroundings and events, home environments, being left alone etc etc etc during vital development and socialisation periods and those issues may be much less visible, but just as real as predatory aggression.

Agree Maddy, the only way to stop the problem is to stop breeding and raising dogs specifically to be racing dogs. You can't breed specifically for high prey drive and determination to chase, raise dogs in an isolated kennel environment and then expect them all to retire and go on to live happy, well adjusted lives as pets. But somehow I don't think the results of the survey will be used to work towards changing that.

It will be a standard letter they send out, you'll probably get a 'Fudge is due for vaccinations' one at some point too (and just quietly it's a great business practice because many people do respond to letters like that by just saying ok and making the booking without thinking any further about it) but you aren't under any obligation, it will be something the computer system flags for the receptionist or vet nurses to send out. Going with a vet you and your pet feel comfortable with is the most important thing, you want to feel comfortable asking them questions if you feel unsure about something or want to know more, and you don't want your dog stressed at the vet. It's something to remember in all dealings with your pup and other people, as decent humans we often feel obligated to be polite above all else but really we are our dog's only protectors (especially when they are puppies and/or only small) so sometimes we have to do things other people may not love in order to stand up for our pups. I really don't think you need to worry at all in this circumstance but there may be times when you have to yell at someone else or someone else's dog to give yours space, or tell someone they can't pat, or tell a trainer or vet you aren't comfortable with something, and that's fine, that's our job as owners! We know our own pets better than anyone else does and a good vet, trainer or dog owner will understand that

I doubt they'd call, they may send a letter/text/email but they aren't likely to have the resources to chase people up on it, and they understand that people move vets for various reasons. Plus many vets understand that whether to desex and at what age depends on a whole lot of circumstances and don't chase clients to do it at any certain time. Don't stress about it