Burkes

I had the same problem with my neighbours kids, fortunately no crazy dad. They were banging on the fence, throwing things over and constantly shouting at and teasing my dogs. My own two dogs didn't get all too fussed by it but as I foster I was very concerned about the potential reactions of new foster dogs. I started filming and taking photos of them very obviously. In fact, I even caught on film a large rock (tennis ball sized) being thrown over the fence and hitting my poor 10yr old Rotty on the head. I built a chicken wire internal fence so the dogs couldn't get near the fence. I had shouted at them a few times but it wasn't till I spoke to them like normal people and told them they were really frightening the dogs that they finally stopped. Can you extend the fence in anyway so they can't hang over it?

Perhaps try a rescue organisation that uses foster carers rather than a shelter. That way, you can get a dog that has lived in a home with cats and can talk to the carer about what sort of dog you are after. Please don't judge all rescues on this one experience. Just like anything, there are good and bad involved.

Yep, my foster dog Gracie is wookie all the way. When she stretches and yawns especially Not only that, but she looks like a wookie too!!

Go higher than you think you will need. It is a lot easier to get it done first than to try and extend it later.

I use a police duty belt with a carabiner placed around the belt itself. They are pretty strong. A bit like this

Bugger digging and making a mess. If your pup is anything like my dogs it's the kitty nuggets he will be going for!! Can you put the litter up higher, like on a bench, with some way for kitten to climb up? Or build a small barricade around it?

Note the significant qualifier. Hence why I pile all three dogs and two cats in the bed with me. Never had an allergy in my life :D

Allergies need no dog gone solution BY PETER JEAN, HEALTH REPORTER 14 Jun, 2011 04:00 AM My link Animal welfare agencies regularly receive calls from worried expectant parents who are considering surrendering a pet before their baby is born. But keeping a cat or dog at home during the first year of an infant's life may reduce the chances of them developing an allergy to pets. The results of a study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy, concluded that keeping pets in the home did not increase children's chances of becoming allergic. Blood samples taken from 565 18-year-olds in the United States showed that young men whose families had an indoor dog during their first year of life had a 50 per cent lower risk than other men of becoming sensitised to dogs. Men and women were about half as likely to be sensitised to cats if they lived with a cat during the first 12 months of life. ''The first year of life is the critical period during childhood when indoor exposure to dogs or cats influences sensitisation to these animals,'' the authors concluded. The findings were no surprise to RSPCA staff member Maarit Maher, who gave birth to her first child Elli six weeks ago. Ms Maher, who owns two cats and two dogs, began searching for information about health and safety for babies in families with pets after she fell pregnant. The information was used as the basis for an RSPCA brochure on introducing pets to new babies. Ms Maher said many pregnant women assumed that they would have to get rid of their pets and others had trouble with their animals' behaviour after a baby was born. ''By the time the RSPCA see people, they're ready to surrender their animals,'' she said. Ms Maher added a screen door to Elli's room to keep the cats out but ensured the curious pets were able to thoroughly inspect the new baby furniture after it was set up. The RSPCA's advice about pets and new babies can be found online here.

Didn't you tell them the dog wasn't yours ... because you have disowned it ... ;) Hahaha, funnily enough I did disown her. She was a foster dog

Yes, I say thanks. I also say a lot of 'thanks but no thanks' to my very licky Rotty.

Mmm, mine was covered under my home and contents insurance while in the home.......or so I thought. Apparently you are only covered if someone else's dog eats your camera, not your own

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast: 26/05/2011 Reporter: Tracy Bowden Link Dog trainer Steve Austen has just returned from possibly his biggest training challenge yet - delivering a team of canine detectives to the sub-Antarctic. Transcript LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Steve Austin has been working with dogs for more than 20 years, from search and rescue to quarantine. He's just returned from possibly his biggest training challenge yet: delivering a team of canine detectives to the sub-Antarctic. Tracy Bowden reports. TRACY BOWDEN, REPORTER: As his precious cargo is offloaded on its way from ship to shore, Steve Austin is tense. Hanging in the balance is the culmination of two years' hard work. STEVE AUSTIN, DOG TRAINER: You see this happening and you know that if I hit the water, they're gone. TRACY BOWDEN: After a 1,500 kilometre journey, 12 specially trained dogs from Australia and New Zealand are arriving at their new home in the sub-Antarctic: stark, wind-blown Macquarie Island. STEVE AUSTIN: This has taken a lot of dogs to get here. I mean, what you see now is the end result of probably 40 or 50 or 60 dogs. These dogs are the cream of the crop. TRACY BOWDEN: For veteran dog trainer Steve Austin, it was an unusual request: find and train a group of dogs and their handlers to take part in the final phase of a rabbit eradication program on an isolated island that's a breeding ground for several species of penguin. STEVE AUSTIN: We did a lotta non-target work yesterday, we took 'em up the far end of the beach here and did some king penguin work and some seal work, put the got the dogs right up near them and that was great. And now we're just running them up on the hills trying to find a few bunnies. TRACY BOWDEN: The Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service is carrying out an aerial baiting program in a bid to rid the island of rabbits and rodents. The job of the dogs is to scour the island looking for any rabbits which survived the baiting. Even on the long voyage south, the dogs' training program is maintained. Now why have you chosen these particular dogs and what characteristics do they need? STEVE AUSTIN, DOG HANDLER: We didn't pick any showline dogs at all. We picked all working line labs and all working line springers. And you can probably see the physicality are very different than the normal show dogs. A lot of drive, a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm. TRACY BOWDEN: Dog handler and rabbitter Gary Bocock has already developed a soft spot for the smallest member of the team, Tum. GARY BOCOCK, DOG HANDLER: It's a close bond and there's nothing better to come home to a dog at the end of the night and have a cuddle and a pat. TRACY BOWDEN: This project is just the latest in a long line of requests for Steve Austin. He's been in the industry for more than two decades and has trained Australia's quarantine inspection dogs, police dogs and search and rescue dogs. It's clear that the training has paid off. The dogs show no interest in the native wildlife. STEVE AUSTIN: We used a lot of chickens at home and a lot of geese and a lot of ducks and we took 'em down to the beach with the seagulls and the chips, you know, and did all that sort of stuff. So I'm 100 per cent now after today's work, to make sure that they won't hurt any wildlife here. TRACY BOWDEN: Do you think the dogs enjoy it? STEVE AUSTIN: Just look at him. Yep, very much so, yep. That's their reward. That's what they want to do. And, yes, nah, he's enjoying it very much so. TRACY BOWDEN: When they're at the Macquarie Island base, the dogs will be housed here in these specially built enclosures. STEVE AUSTIN: I would suggest three years absolute minimum the dogs will be on the island and the handlers are changed over every 12 months. TRACY BOWDEN: How about the cold, will they mind the cold? STEVE AUSTIN: No, they'll love the cold. They're good dogs. They come from really cold climates. They've got beautiful little beds to sleep in. TRACY BOWDEN: As well as the cold, windy conditions, the dogs and their handlers will be dealing with some rugged terrain. STEVE AUSTIN: Particularly on the west coast, it's very rugged and very rocky, very high, very windy and quite hard work. TRACY BOWDEN: Why did you feel attracted to this job? It looks like it could be long, hard hours, cold. What interested you? MELISSA HOUGHTON, DOG HANDLER: Oh, well, I'm really looking forward to it. It's gonna be fantastic. We're really, really lucky to be here. And there's people - maybe there's people we couldn't imagine being here, but there's plenty of people, once they see the wildlife and see how beautiful it is, would just crave to be here and spend time here. NANCYE WILLIAMS, DOG HANDLER: I work Katy up there three days ago and watching her go out in front and search for the rabbits and then you get to the top and you sit down and you have a rest and you just look over this amazing scenery and out to the ocean which extends further and further. It's just absolutely magnificent. TRACY BOWDEN: How do you feel about how it's going so far? STEVE AUSTIN: I'm very happy with everything that's been achieved so far with the dogs and the handlers. There's a lot of difficult times ahead, obviously. It's not over yet, 'cause the word is eradication and it's not control. But certainly on the right step, Trace. So, so far: 10 out of 10. TRACY BOWDEN: The dogs will now remain on the island, ready to start work as soon as the baiting program is finished. But for Steve Austin, it's time to head home and move on to other projects. STEVE AUSTIN: The handlers, I'll miss them a little, but the dogs I'll miss a lot. And the sunglasses were kept on when I went and said goodbye to them. LEIGH SALES: Tracy Bowden reporting.

I'm not really sure what you are after but lots of Aussie rescue groups have stores on CafePress..........including ARF I know Great Dane Rescue and AWDRI do as well. The profits of the sales of items sold go to the groups. Well worth buying something from them. Our link is here: ARF Store

Can you get around at all? If so, you can hire one of those mobility scooters for around $60 p/w. I had a friend who hired one and loved it.

Could you put a dog door in so he can go outside during the night? None of mine have ever been crate trained either and they all pick it up very quickly. Getting mad and putting him outside is not managing the problem.

Ahhhhhh, number 2 is awesome. OT - but do you put all your pics on redbubble? I am looking to buy some prints for my house and would love a couple of yours.

Ohhhhh, I love those photos. What a beautiful boy. I especially love #2 cos he looks like he is riding an invisible bike and #5 with the smiley face. Thats one I would buy!

$30 - WHOA!

Yep, sadly all I can remember of the day was oodle after oodle after oodle.

Was interested to read this. One of my foster dogs went on a 2wk trial with the Explosive Detection Dog program this morning. Fingers crossed she passes. She is a dog born to work so I think this would be a great life for her.

I have the approach pack and we just bought three of them for our foster dogs. I bought the last three only about 3 weeks ago from Back Country K9. I find them fantastic. My foster dogs start out with 1kg of rice on each side then we build up from there depending on the dog and how fit they are. My own Lab carries home stuff from the shops or always carries my phone, wallet, poo bags, water, keys etc. Mine is probably a year old and is still in fantastic condition though we don't really go out in the scrub with it on.

Cuddly new police recruits on Facebook - May 4, 2011 - 12:36PM http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/...0504-1e7i8.html . The long arm of the law is showing its soft side, with police suffering a serious case of puppy love over their latest recruits. The NSW Police Force Dog Unit has welcomed the birth of seven Labrador detection puppies to its ranks and is turning to the public to sniff out some names for them. The pups, three males and four females, will one day hunt down villains who are bad to the bone, but for now they're a cute and cuddly bunch of beige and black Labradors. Born to blonde-Labrador mother Bonnie, bought from a breeder, and black-Labrador father Fanta, a seasoned detection dog with the Queensland Police Service, the pups will be named by the public via a "Police Puppy Poll" launched by the Dog Unit on Facebook. Anyone can log on to the NSW Police Force Facebook page and suggest names of one or two syllables for the pups. But the names must begin with the letter A, in keeping with the police's tradition of naming all litters alphabetically. "This is all about engaging with the community and giving the public a rare chance to determine the names," Police Dog Unit Commander Superintendent Mick Goodwin said. "I will be watching the voting with close interest." The pups, four males and three females, will stay with their mother until they are 12 weeks old before beginning training in their new line of work. They have been bred to have all the traits of a good detection dog and will one day be sworn in as canine constables. They will play catch like regular dogs but instead of balls and sticks they will retrieve drugs and explosives and track down bodies. Mr Goodwin said the Labrador pups had made history as the first litter of detection dogs born in the unit's breeding program, and he hoped there would be many new recruits to come. The pups' day-to-day progress can also be tracked online with Puppy Cam, streaming live on the NSW Police Force website. AAP, smh.com.au Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/...l#ixzz1LMhXfHbD

I have stayed at Bimblegumbie and it is really nice. I didn't take my dogs but a few friends did and they were all made very welcome. I don't think it normally snows where it is but it can. Judging by the random weather events we have had lately anything can happen.

Awesome!!

This one is in Thredbo, NSW, but is nice and is dog friendly. http://www.bimblegumbie.com.au/