mita

You've described exactly the 'pet' trap with so many units. When there's one bunch of residents where the majority approve of dogs & cats, all is fine. But with major change in who are residents....it can swing over to anti-pet majority. And you're right that reasons for opposing cat & dog ownership can be irrational & bizarre. Some new unit complexes in Brisbane, have pet friendliness written into their covenant (is that the correct terminology?) So that people can move there, with a pet, & have confidence the policy will not change. Apparently these complexes were based on a need that was uncovered. Many people who wanted to scale down to living in a unit, were not making the move because they feared for the future of their pet. Best wishes with the mediation.

Thank you for all these suggestions. Thanks, too, for bringing up things I hadn't thought of.....like the bigger buttons & maybe anti-shake technology. I'm pleased to hear that virtually all the compacts from major players have 'set it & forget it' mode.....because that's what I'd see as essential for this lady. Off to start working thro' the list.

Any recommendations for an easy to use 1st digital camera for an older lady? Mainly for sending pics by email around her geographically spread out family. Someone has suggested one of the Samsung digital cameras as being very good for a not high-tech person because it's easy to use but results in good pics. But I can't remember the model number.

I thought your post was excellent. I like the way the folk who breed the military dogs at Amberley Air Force Base, emphasise socialisation from the time the puppies are born. Being handled by people & starting life in a specially designed area....where they've even included steps. Apparently, they've discovered, when they used to source dogs from 'outside', many were nervous of steps & stairs.....because they'd not been part of their kennel environment. Unitl the puppies go out for further socialisation with foster families from 4 months of age, they are given exposure to life around the RAAF base & general area. Living a typically happy puppy life. The officer in charge of puppy raising tells how he often has to remove a puppy that's hanging on to a passing woman's skirt. Flapping skirt hems are very tempting for a game! From 4 months, the puppies live with foster families in ordinary homes who treat them just like much loved pets....going to the beach or the football, wherever the family goes. When they return from fostering, they start their actual training in earnest. Given differences in temperament etc, some dogs may not prove suitable to continue. So they get adopted into pet homes.....for which they've already been given a great start in life. (Midol might like to know that these puppies do become familiar with helicopters & jets from an early age .)

Actually you weren't too bad the way you were. Great to see you back.

Pups shouldn't be out of their home yard until 12 weeks anyway. Agree. The U of Q research report says that the critical socialisation period for puppies, is between 5 & 14 weeks.

It's brilliant for dogs. Shows what people can achieve by lobbying & persistent hard work.

I had a 19 yr old little dog who had a GA for teeth surgery. Needless to say, I was worried. But the specialist vet dentist who was to do the operation told me that he'd become very interested in anaesthetics used for tiny human babies. (Apparently he & his wife had a baby who needed a lot of major surgery). And he'd incorporated some of that into his procedures on older dogs. Our little dog came thro' the operation fine. But she had a bad night of distress after it....as if it was hard for her elderly body. She recovered & lived for another 3 years. In recent months, this same vet did dental surgery on friends' 16 yr old cat.....who also came thro' the op & recovered.

Me, too. And I liked his courage in questioning a party line, without any personal malice... (even when I agreed with that line myself :rolleyes: )

I'm so sorry you've been put in this situation. I've always thought any place with a body corporate that makes decisions which affect everyone else, is to be avoided. Easier said than done, tho'...because it's increasingly the only choice to live in a unit or townhouse. I could be very wrong, but I thought that even if a Body Corporate originally said OK to pets....when there's a change in residents & a change in the BC membership, they can come out with a No to pets. If this is so, it's appalling. I wish you the best with the mediation. If the worst comes to the worst.....& I sincerely hope not.....don't return your lovely Lhasa to the pound. There are other alternatives for finding a good home.

Thanks for that info, ellz. I'll pass it on to the person enquiring. Jed, the odd thing is that the female tibbie girl is now starting to show the same symptoms. No way of knowing if the dogs have a genetic link....but it could point to something 'catchable'. Puggy-puggy, no teeth removed during the dentals. Curlygirl, good thought about the Aquadent. I actually bought some in the past to put in my dogs' water. Sugclasco, it makes sense that a dog....as well as a cat....could be allergic to bacterial plaque. I'll pass all suggestions on. DOL at its best!

Thanks, S & T and chuckie. I'll pass your thoughts on to the owner. Both are well worth investigating.

No, zayda. No other symptoms, even subtle. Just the red gums, horrible smell & much drooling. But I agree the best bet is some kind of allergy-type thingy. Friends today reminded me that their tibbie boy had an auto-immune condition which was treated with steroids. It involved some reaction in the blood & would be accompanied by a horrible smell. So I'm thinking vet should check the allergy/auto-immune track.

My first thought was allergy. Your idea about food or water bowl would explain why both would have it. Easy to try out, too.....by changing bowls. I'd also wondered about some deep-seated parasite thingy....like ear mites that's set up an allergic reaction.

That was it, what the cocker folk talked about! Lip fold dermatitis. You're right, they didn't mention red gums. Only the horrible smell. I'll pass on the tip about the apple cider vinegar. Thanks, Toohey. It really is a puzzle....especially as the girl tibbie is now also getting it. Has anyone else had dogs with something like this?

Help please with ideas/experiences. I think cocker spaniel owners once talked about something like this, on DOL. They talked about something that needed cleaning out in the gum or inner lip area. Request from an owner of 2 tibbies. Boy (Ben), girl (Molly) both adopted from a shelter, so no history. Not even if they're related like brother sister. Owner says: "Ben ges a drooling mouth & red gums. This happens often & the smell is terrible. Molly got it for the first time recently. Both have had full dentals, so it's not that. The vet is puzzled....they're treated with antibiotics which clears it up. But it returns. I can't find anything in the garden which might cause it. Has anything had tibbies (or other dogs) with the same thing?'

I was given a tip by a man who runs a produce/pets supply store, which has stocks of all the usual anti-flea stuff. He told me he'd always owned blue heelers & took them for a swim in the salt water at a beach, every few days. His dogs never had a flea on them. And he never had to use any products. As I don't live near a beach, I've never been able to try this out. In the meantime, I use Capstar....then the regular Advantix. But it's tough trying to stay ahead of the flea invasion.

The shock of an unexpected death whlle a young dog is being desexed, is awful for the owner. Man at the back adopted a young greyhound... a failed racer. He prepared all the neighbours for it, as no one had experience of a greyhound as a pet. Within 3 weeks, the gorgeous natured greyhound had everyone in love with him. Our small dogs adored him. He died under anaesthesia during the desexing. His loss just broke people's hearts. His owner was devastated & started to blame himself. Saying thing like, he should have taken him to a greyhound-specialist vet, instead of a local vet.

Yes, combine the twin problems of old age....cognitive decline (dottiness or canine dementia) & physical decline....& the result is decline in behaviours. Such as loss of previous housetraining. That decline is distressing for her....as the poor dogs, at this time, are in a state of confusion which they can't help & physical discomfort, too. Have a straight-talking discussion with your vet.

I think Clear Dog Training covers all of Brisbane in relation to support for dog problems. I think their training/ obedience classes are in an eastern bayside suburb. But as your Goldie's problem is about Standing for Exam (when in an unfamiliar territory), I wonder if someone with experience in training dogs for shows might be better able to help you? Would the Qld Canine Control Council know of any such person?

I heard somewhere that temporarily laying bubble-wrap on the sofa deters dogs. Also make his own comfortable bed spot. And it's only on this bed that he gets all the things he likes....toys, treats, hugs etc. So he gets the message that the best place to be is on his bed spot because it makes good things happen.

Not a vet.....but for dog problems , I like Oliver Beverly from Clear Dog Training, in Brisbane. Have a look at the Owners' Comments on his website (& vets' comments at the bottom). http://www.cleardogtraining.com/ I wasn't too impressed with the vet behavioral approach to a recent deep-seated problem with a dog recently. It may have been just for this specific case.....but I found it to be trial & error (& therefore, costly).

I'm no expert. But I've always first removed temptation. Screen off the passing parade of people & dogs, so the doggie can't see them to bark at. So keep the dog away from front fenceline, looking thro' a window or gate. Then do the Hell of a Bang treatment as soon as barking starts....like when she runs out & starts barking at nothing. I think some people use a can of stones which they throw on the ground. Though another one is to bang 2 metal pans together (once only). Must be done as soon as the dog starts barking....so it eventually gets the message that its bark stirs the scarey noise.....which stops when it's quiet. Apparently, there's a variety of anti-bark collars, including the citronella one. Maybe other DOLers who've used them can advise you about the kinds & if there's any problems with using them in your state.

I have a lot of respect for the person who runs C.L.E.A.R. Dog training. I think the approach taken in both training & solving problem behaviours are excellent.

$253 to desex my adult Tibbie girl yesterday. I didn't go price-shopping.....tempting tho' it would be....because I wanted a vet that I knew, from the past, would be good at surgery. That's not saying a vet who'd be willing to do it cheaper would be less competent. It's just that peace of mind counted. Given that the last adult Tibbie I had desexed, suffered a massive allergic reaction to internal sutures when desexed. And the treating vet was dismissive of her pain & the swelling on her wound. I then had to find another vet who diagnosed & treated her. Given that my present Tibbie is her grand-daughter, I was cautious in picking the vet who'd desex her. And it paid off....this vet said she'd check her ears, too, while under the anaesthetic (because there appeared to be yeast). She discovered that it had caused the ear-drum to disintegrate in one ear.....so flushed it out & recommended ongoing treatment.