Adnil444

Hi, just wondering if you have introduced your neighbour to your dogs? I know that my old mini used to bark and carry on with the neighbours, but after meeting each other (several times) she was ok with them. It is worth a try - get your dogs used to the neighbours - some interaction if possible. I also agree with the other posters, inside during the day, with lots of interactive toys and try changing your walk to the morning instead - a really long walk!!

It looks great and certainly improves your outdoor area 100%. I hope you have better luck than I did.

Agree with this, we have the same one - great well functioning dog door, but the door space is reduced somewhat.

I asked a lady late last year at my obedience class in Sydney that has a dobermann with a docked tail (the pup was about 4 mths old). I asked her how, why etc and she said her breeder got around it by registering the pups in WA - but reading another on this thread, that his loophole has possibly now been closed. I have seen quite a few dobermanns around (young dogs) with docked tails, though all the rotties have their tails intact.

Hi Lovemesideways, Rosie has done the same thing, but with a mouse once - I tried to get her to drop it by offering her a lovely treat, but she swallowed the mouse to get the treat. I have now taught her to "leave" which she is pretty good. Rocky of course couldn't care less about other creatures - possums, cats etc could be doing the tango in front of him, but he couldn't care!!

Hi, I did get them out several times to fix it, and they did, without any cost, but it got to a stage where they couldn't fix it, it was shredded and ripped, unless they dug it up again completely and started from scratch. They were in my opinion very good about it, but they now realise that it can be dug up and ripped etc, even though it comes with a 20yr warranty. I put it down to bad luck/experience. Perhaps if the dogs were older and more settled. I still love the product and think it looks great and was easy to look after - for those first 6 months anyway.

I hope your sister is ok and her dogs. Thankfully people stopped to assist her - don't want to image what would have happened if they didn't. All the best to your sister.

And I forgot again to add, that I had it professionally laid, like others in this thread. The amount of work that goes into preparing the surface before they lay the product is amazing. Crushed granite and sand, then compact it down, and this was done several times. They also spread several tonnes of sand and rubber granules over the product (which is raked in) to keep the grass standing up and also to hold it down (as well as the glue and huge nails that they use at the edges). I'm amazed that my dogs could dig it up as it is really heavy (I have a rottiexdobe and a dobexkelpie). There is still one small section that is ok and I lovingly look at it and just wish .....

Oh I forgot to add, I paid for the top of the range product as well - it looked like a golf course, just wonderful - oh well it was nice while it lasted.

Hi, I "had" artificial grass - yes the advertising said they can't dig it up, can't chew through it - it was all fine for 6 months, then one day, when I got home from work, there it was, shredded, dragged across the yard etc etc. I nearly cried. Thankfully I only had it laid in one section of my yard where the grass didn't grow. I think the product is great and I was thinking of having it put down over the whole yard. I'm so pleased I didn't go to that expense and have it all ripped up. As it is, it cost me $2600 and it is now worthless. The installers have changed their advertising to not guarantee that it can't be ripped up!! If you have a digger (like I do) then I would really think about this.

Hi Jen, sorry to hear about that, hope Riddick is ok with it all. That's why Rosie isn't going much to FF anymore - I'm going for really long leash walks (and she has improved out of sight) and I take them to St Ives and use the fenced off pens for their playtime - controlled and the dog owners seem to be much more responsible. Hope to see you soon. Linda.

No, that's right, because the owners of these small dogs are relying on the owners of the big dogs to have them under control, unlike their own dogs. Sooner or later, at the park I sometimes go to, there will be a disaster. The more you see and learn about dogs and behaviour, the more you see what can happen and the totally ignorant/irresponsible people out there.

Oh sounds like the perfect pet dog - Not!! How can people allow their dog(s) to get like this. The dog surely can't enjoy it's life living like that, nor can the owner.

Hi Emm, glad to read that you don't fit the bill of swf owners - I wish all of them could be like you!! :D

I hear you totally and I'm over it. These owners are relying on the good natures of the bigger dogs to excuse their dogs intolerable behaviour. There is no separate rule for small dogs and bigger dogs in my opinion. Imagine if the big dogs behaved that way - there would be a complete uproar. I know of lots of big dog owners who now cannot let their dogs offleash around these swfs anymore because of their behaviour and the swfs get let off scott free. Dog parks should be segregated and swf owners should be made to understand that they must control their dogs just as they are relying on the owners of the big dogs to control their dogs. It's the same rule for all.

I do agree, however when I see unruly kids in the park, I ask them not to behave that way, will talk to the parents about proper behaviour around dogs and in most cases, the parents have no idea. They think that because their dog is ok with the kids, that all dogs will be. So many of the dogs are living in households with no kids, kids that are grown up etc etc. Not every dog is or has been exposed to kids and some parents just don't have any idea. I'm always amazed at the amount of toddlers/young kids that will run and hug my dogs (rottiexdobe and dobexkelpie) without asking me first, parents just watching without asking - and parents wonder why kids get bitten!! Thankfully my dogs love all people, however no dog owner can ever guarantee that their dog won't bite. I always nicely tell these kids and parents that doing this is wrong and to always ask the owner first if they can pat the dog. Hopefully they listen and take on board these comments. My son would never and has never approached a strange dog without first asking the owner if it is ok - he has been around dogs since birth and has a healthy respect and love of dogs.

Hi Jacqui, hope your dog is ok and that you are too. I would report this dog - it should not be in an off-leash park. Off-leash parks are for well socialised, not DA, not HA dogs - end of story. Any dog that would do that should never be allowed in an area where it could again attack another dog - imagine if it had been a smaller male dog that was younger than his dog - it wouldn't have had a chance. Report it to the council. The owner needs to take responsibility and ensure that this does not happen again.

+1

I voted no to both. It is not worth the risk to the dog and/or people.

Hi Rover and Riddick, We would have loved to go along today, but we had to go to Jack's rugby union do-or-die finals. We had a great time out cheering on Jack and his team. Rocky & Rosie

Today being Sunday and nice and sunny, we have already had 1.5 hrs at the "controlled" dog park early this morning, which was very nice, and I'm about to take one of mine to my son's rugby match, and we will do some training and mixing with the other people and dogs, then I will take my other one out this afternoon for a 1-2 hr hike on lead, which we both love. Then it is back home to finish off the housework/laundry and a sleep on the lounge sounds very nice indeed!!

I hear you!!! I have worked very hard with my rottiexdobe to ensure that she won't go back at these swfs - she is getting much much better, but the owners have absolutely no idea (I suppose ignorance is bliss) and they let these little dogs do whatever they like - but if we big dog owners took the same attitude, there would be an enormous outcry. I am all for private membership only dog parks and dog parks that are segregated into small dog areas and big dog areas. This should be mandatory. The US has lots of members only dog parks and they look great and sound great - responsible owners doing the right thing. We can only hope.

Hi, I had fake turf put down in a section of my yard that was always muddy and in the shade (I think from memory it was 32 square metres) and it cost $2600. It was great for 6 months, the dogs never showed any interest in it, then one day I got home from work and there it was, the majority of it dug up and torn. I nearly cried!! The company that laid it stated that it couldn't be dug up (was the first question I asked them before having it laid), and they came back several times to repair it, at no charge, but gave up as there was no way they could guarantee that it couldn't be dug up!! I believe they have now deleted that section in their advertising that it cannot be dug up. I hope you have better luck than I did, the product is great and parts of it are still in my yard, and every few days I go out and drag the turf back into the spots where they have dug it up from - while it was down, it was fantastic and I was even thinking of having my whole lawn done.

Hi, I wish I could and maybe it will be a phase for your dog. One of my dogs is a digger and didn't start until he was about 2 yrs old (he is 3 now) and he will dig for pleasure and loves it. I have given him a garden bed to dig away in, but unfortunately he keeps digging elsewhere. I have several holes in the yard which are quite large. I did lay chicken wire all over the lawn and the grass has now grown through and holds the wire down firmly in place and it does work well (except in small pockets of the yard where I didn't put the wire down). He just loves dirt and unfortunately the previous owners of my house, were extremely proud gardeners (I'm not!!) and they had garden beds within garden beds - I would really like to concrete the whole yard in a nice way with huge pots/urns in the corners of the yard with hardy succulent plants and have climbers around lattice work on the fence line to soften it. Try the chicken wire, as it has worked for me, just looks ugly until your lawn grows through it, and you have to make sure that when you mow, that you raise the blade!!

IME the street is more risky. It might be that there are fewer dogs, but they are at their homes. They are highly likely to be territorial. A territorial dog that challenges or attacks a strange dog trespassing on their turf isn't a weird dog to me. It's a pretty normal dog. A dog that attacks strange dogs at a dog park is a weird dog to me. I have had too many scary moments with a territorial dog on the streets to count. I've been in our local dog park when there has been close to 30 dogs there. I find it's actually less worrisome when there are so many. They tend to keep to their own pack more. It's very easy to walk away and the dogs are easily distracted. I can walk the perimeter of our park when there's 30 dogs there without attracting any attention from any of them. They are too busy playing ball or whatever. If there's just one or two dogs it's almost inevitable that they will come over. Not that I mind, but there's no dilution effect and the dogs are much more focused. The member's only dog parks overseas are only as good as the management. Some are brilliant, undercover areas with agility equipment. I would so love to have a facility like that. I'd sell a kidney for membership to such a place. I keep thinking about putting it to council. Maybe I could get a petition together. Maybe if I become rich I can build my own. LOL - I have thought about the same thing - when I win Lotto!! I know Warringah Council is looking at setting up another dog park(s) at the old Belrose tip area - the land is being returned to the residents - large open spaces etc. I have asked the council to look at having segregated dog areas, to which they have at least responded stating they will look into it. This is some time away though still.