Little Gifts

What is it with puppies and chicken? Or even bland old boiled chicken and boiled rice glug? You can lose a finger!

My old SBT girl used to love grooming my parent's old cat. The cat would be practically dripping with her saliva after it's entire head (including inside the ears, eyes, teeth and lips) had received a thorough licking. I have no idea why you would want to eat someone else's ear wax and eye goobers but clearly some dogs are into it and some cats like it!

Practice for fighting sounds instinctual and right because I am starting to feel that there is more purpose to some of the things our dogs do than to simply amuse us! Based on how rough and noisy this game can get there is rarely any accidental damage so they show amazing self control. Sneezes are also common here during bitey face and it nearly always occurs on the lounge furniture when people are trying to sit there too watching tv. Maybe they like us watching their fighting practice? I'd prefer them to be sweaty gladiators if they're going to be that close! I also have a game with my dogs where I lie on the floor and play dead - they try to lick and nose me back to life!

My shar pei foster pup must've played bitey face with my staffy girl for about an hour tonight. On the basis of canine behaviour does this game actually serve a learning purpose for the pup? Or even if the dogs are older does it reinforce some kind of acceptable social behaviour or interaction or acknowledgement of pack order? I just started wondering about this type of play after comments on the thread about how older dogs know how to treat pups differently. I know not all dogs are into bitey face either so it started me thinking if it serves a developmental purpose or is simply fun?

Yes a special physio was part of my recovery. I've had to change how I do number 1s and 2s, cough, sit up in bed, all kinds of stuff really which is probably why I am yet to experience any real issues. I have learnt bronchitis and a full bladder do not work well together! As things change I will go back for more checks and to learn any new holding it all in techniques I need. Regardless, it could've been much worse given it was located at the base of my spine. I wish they had've operated before it started leaking but such is life.

Brookestar that was really interesting to know as the adult dogs we own are both very different breeds, as are the dogs we foster, so ears and tails all do very different things on all of them. I remember one young foster boy we had here was a pushy thing and I had to take him back to the rescuer's place after about a week to where there are loads of other dogs to be 'pushy' with. There were no rumbles upon his arrival and she said he'd learnt some manners while he'd been with me and I was so proud because he was surrendered for his dominance behaviours. Really it is our two dogs that do all the hard work there though! It makes me love them even more when I realise that!

In comparison statutory child protection workers would not be able to enter a house without the police even if they could see an injured child inside an open window. Nor would they be able to do more than knock on the front door and leave a card without the police - no wandering around the house and yard for evidence gathering. Obviously lots of pets are kept in backyards so maybe that is ok but to have more powers than child protection workers to enter a house without the police seems very wrong to me.

As a foster carer with 2 adult dogs I find if the foster is under 1 year our dogs treat them very differently. They go into monitoring and teaching mode. I've just had 2 pups here from 11 week of age and my dogs understood straight away if they were being too rough with the puppies in their play and one would always lie in guard when the pups took one of their many naps throughout the day. They have even accepted a bit of nipple nudging and tail chewing. We don't normally have foster dogs this young and our two just seemed to know and adjust themselves accordingly, even at food and treat time.

OMG ! Thats very serious stuff. Hope you are OK now. Nah the incontinence thing will worsen as I age and after menopause. It isn't really an issue yet but I'm not exactly looking forward to the day I sneeze and pee at the same time! They put some experimental piece of pig in the hole that was left so I'm hoping with medical advances they might also be able to come up with something to address any incontinence when it hits! Maybe sew up the rest of my holes? Ha! This same beautiful dog also likes to lie in a certain position across my right groin when we watch tv at night. I reckon I'm going to end up with hip problems in my old age from it but right now it seems to work perfectly for her when she hears a noise and needs a structure to push against to get the quickest speed up. I've given up worrying about all the toenail gouges on my inner left thigh from her leaving the 'starting block'. She also likes to include me in zoomies - kind of like when a swimmer hits the end of the pool and turns. Any part of my body will do as a trajectory. Too bad I bruise easily. Yes, I am caught in a cycle of abuse with the one I love!

Oh dear. Thank you for letting me know about Prinny too. I actually remembered she was named Princess/Prinny about a day after I posted but haven't been near a computer to change my post. Rest in Peace lovely girls.

I was having a really crap time with my eating disorders and was pretty much curled up in bed wanting the world to go away. My heart girl Stussy has always sensed when I am not 'well'. This particular day, when she was still only quite young, she jumped onto the bed and left her current favourite toy on my chest. I could see her trying to tell me that the toy made her happy and she hoped it would make me happy too. God I love that dog!

I had a front tooth chipped when someone decided to fling themselves (all 20kg) into my loving arms from the stairs! By far my worst was the heart girl when she was just a cute little puppy playing a game of chase and running around and around my feet while I was carrying a basket of washing to the line. I didn't want to stand on her so fell onto the concrete and ended up with an abcess on the base of my spine that eventually started leaking, resulted in several lots of surgery and ultimately damaged about a third of my core muscles so I will become incontinent from both ends as I age! I'm sure she will still adore me if I stink of my own urine!

A close friend is a foster carer for smallies with the RSCPA in Brisbane. She has also done home checks although I don't know if they do it for all their fosters or just some. Part of their policy which is strange is that the dogs get returned to the RSCPA if there is interest in them, so rather than potential adopters getting to see them in a home style foster environment it is all done back in the shelter environment which must be hard for the dogs, particularly if they don't get matched and go back out to the foster carers again (or even worse, remain at the shelter). I suppose this is because the officers need to ensure the match is a good one and they can't logistically send a worker to a foster carer's home when the visit is happening. I hope they can get to the stage in the future of training their foster carers to provide an appraisal of how the meet and greet went rather than moving the dog around.

Yep, I jinxed things for Dimples! Her interstate move is no longer happening, which is just as well because the poor girl got a bit of a bug late last week. She's doing much better now and is growing taller everyday - she has the legs of a supermodel now! We think she is beautiful with her black snozz so hopefully somebody else will too. Roan's situation has improved. He now sleeps in his crate without screaming and it is hoped the allergies will settle. But no more puppies for me - I think I baby them too much! Give me a naughty teen or shy young adult anytime!

Dog Sense have you posted in the rescue threads? I know there is a rescue group called Little Dog Rescue and there is also the Best Friend's Rescue network, both on FB and the BFR page covers numerous groups now and has a huge membership to get the word out. If you want to protect privacy contact both orgs through their website contact details and they could get the word out without releasing your details.

I wish I'd thought of taking photos of him in it Cynthia but there was so much going on at the Pet Expo (where he found his new mum) that I forgot! He was so proud trotting along like a big dog! If his mum sends me any I'll ask her if I can share them here. Unfortunately one of Roan's human family members is experiencing rashes/possible allergy to him already so we are just endeavouring to work through that issue with them at present. Fingers and toes crossed that it is resolveable and he can stay with them. As for Dimples - well she may just be packing her bags for a new home quite soon as well......don't want to jinx it till it happens!

T - are you talking about the old JRT girl Penni passing away? The one who got sprayed with yucky stuff???

My little Dweebles left me yesterday. I knew it was the right place for him when his new mummy was holding him, I went up to make sure he was alright and he looked at me like we'd never even met before! This is from the boy who used to scream if I moved out of his eyesight and he couldn't get to me! His new name is Albert and he is already sporting the most beautiful new harness and leash which je walks on like a pro (he hated walking for me!). Dimples is feeling a little lonely but it gives me an opportunity to do better one on one training with her. Stussy is also being big sister staying close to her and Wolf let her chew on her tail for a bit last night without giving her a hard time about it!

Do a search pup - it is all about pack dynamics (going back to wolves) and it made sense to us and it was easy to make and keep the changes. It lets us still spoil the dogs but on our terms. The most important change for us was to give all our dogs a pack role and support them in that. Once they had a purpose, the fighting and competition between them stopped. It was all related to the youngest trying to find her place in the pack and all of them understanding that the Alphas control everything.

Don't give up hope. We had a similar issue in a 3 dog household when the youngest decided at 6 months to keep challenging the oldest (13 - both SBT's) and they would go at it to the death but only ever when us humans were around. We got an Amichien Bonding person in and it changed our pack's behaviour immediately. We took back control and were able to remove things that triggered the younger dog's behavior to challenge. The oldest dog passed away last year at a very old age (still having never lost a fight with the younger one!). The younger one now helps us with fostering and does a great job of providing certain skills or natural behaviours she has that we have encouraged as part of the AB process so she has an important place in the pack whilst knowing that the Alpha role is never going to be available. This worked for us but is not for everyone. If it had not worked I would've sought further advice like from a good behaviourist before pts. I could never rehome a dog I knew was DA, especially knowing professional assistance did not work.

Is this really as simple as numbers? One in four households in Australia owns a dog and yet on the other hand it is increasingly difficult to rent with an animal. The outcome from this would have to be more surrenders and rehomes being necessary. We could also include the fact we have an ageing population and the elderly who move to nursing homes can't take their animals with them. So two ways of addressing this is having educational programs in place educating landlords and encouraging pet bonds and programs in place for surrendering/rehoming dogs who belonged to the elderly (inc networks with hospices, nursing homes and senior citz). In other words get the word out there about alternatives to reduce pts of healthy dogs already used to home environments. The next numbers issue is related to the fact we have high pet ownership in this country which has to be feeding the breeding for profit industry (puppy farmers and byb's - I have a great deal of respect for good breeders). If pounds and large organisations are maintaining or not reducing their kill rates that has to equate to either the same number of pups or more being bred each year. So don't we need to reduce the number of pups being born each and every year too if this figure is ever to reduce? Less puppies this year become less adults with behavioural issues next year that end up in pounds. Less unwanted litters of puppies this year also mean less puppies ending up in poor condition in pounds and shelters. Obviously compulsory desexing in some council areas is not addressing the overall problem so we simply have to look at the bulk breeders and limit those (if we can't stop them altogether). Less being born has to equal less being unwanted and killed at some point in the continuum. Why can't the RSPCA get real about 'animal cruelty' and do more with their education programs? If they can make a weekly national tv show surely they could add some important messages in there or do special topic educational programs too? Network with rescue groups already running programs that help the elderly rehome their dogs or do some control group work following the life of a puppy farm puppy or even show some realistic stats comparisons about what you get for your money for a dog from rescue, a bulk breeder or a registered breeder. It seems like they don't want to offend anybody but the animals they are supposed to be protecting.

Not bad! They actually look like pei too!!!!

In the media world any attention is good attention. There were so many aspects to the issue and so many different players. It is an utapped area for other programs like Insight to tap into or for Insight to even do another show on. Things have to start somewhere and it would be great if the show last night was the catalyst. I think even for Joe Public there was some interesting information to get you thinking like Tabby talking about how they reduced kill rates, the positive changes to the Geelong facility and the details given by the ex-RSPCA behavioralist on temp testing. I think people at home would be thinking about some of those issues in relation to their own pets. As I posted on the other thread in general none of my dogs nor the 3 adults I have fostered this year would've survived if they had ever come through the RSPCA. I also hope some people were shocked at the idea that people commonly spent $1000 on a puppy from a pet shop. That is just ridiculous!

I didn't feel that Sheridan - I just felt she showed another side - someone who had done her homework on the type of dog that would suit their lifestyle. I thought they had a broad range of owners and issues, ones I agreed with or understood and ones I didn't.

Oh dog where do I start? RSPCA - we all saw your stats recently here on DOL and they were much higher than Coleman was quoting tonight. Also aren't you supposed to be our national body preventing cruelty to animals with your Australia wide legislation? Why do we also need AWL making millions of dollars each year and prosecuting? Isn't that what you are supposed to be doing? And why do we have an ex RSPCA behaviouralist saying we need a national body like an Ombudsman when we are supposed to have you? What purpose are you really serving this country anymore????? Haven't you just become an archaic and bureacratic institution that individual rescue groups have felt the need to replace? Puppy farmer - you have 300 breeding bitches and 10 staff. Say each of those bitches only has 4 puppies per litter that is a ratio of 1 staff member per 150 animals to care for and socialise at any one time. My sister and I currently have 2 adult dogs and 2 foster pups and we are struggling to keep it all under control and give them all they need so good on you for employing staff who clearly have super powers. PIAA man - hurry up and retire because you clearly have no clue about how your business contributes to the problem. Your staff spend a whole hour with a potential adopter before selling them the dog they wanted. Good for you! I'm sure you are not telling these people that they could actually buy a dog cheaper from a registered breeder who cares about their dogs and who they sell them too! And lastly back to the RSPCA. Neither mine or my sister's heart dog would've passed your tests. None of the three adult shar pei I have fostered this year would've either. That's 5 dogs who are adored by their current families because they didn't end up on your doorstep. I used to volunteer for the RSPCA and stopped because of my experiences with the staff and how the dogs were treated and how I was treated as a volunteer who wanted to do more but wasn't allowed. And I'm talking basic stuff like feeding starving puppies. If 1 in 4 homes in this country owns a dog then heaven help them if something doesn't change to reduce the number of puppies being inappropriately and unecesarily bred.