Little Gifts

There were 96 litters of staffy puppies listed on DOL last month or maybe the month before. That is just one breed of dog and only here on DOL. Surely that is plenty when you add it to the total of dogs needlessly pts each year as well? If people have to plan and wait for a dog rather than impulse buy then that is a good thing in my book given how many years that dog will be needing care for. My question then is why is it that the registered breeders need to take a hit and not produce puppies but that BYBs and puppyfarmers are given a free pass? Yes, there are bad eggs in registered breeders, particularly those who export to MacDougall, but an ethical puppyfarmer is an oxymoron. I was going to expand on what I said but felt I was already going OT and didn't want to lose the overal theme of the thread. In my perfect little world you would only be able to buy puppies from registered breeders or desexed puppies and desexed adult dogs from shelters or desexed adult dogs from private citizens needing to legitimaly rehome them. Losing puppy farms and BYB's and minimising the number of unexpected litters happening in general through desexing would open up more opportunities for registered breeders to do what they do well. It would make dogs a little harder to get and hopefully more planned and valued and certainly healthier. How new owners care for and treat their pets might also improve if registered breeders are able to assess who they sell to as well. The area I am greyer on is cross breeds that are bred for a specific purpose. Do we police the issue to the point that only pure bred dogs can be bred because that then restricts people's freedom of choice. I'm unsure on this but I am clear that I think overall numbers need to reduce and the best number to reduce is the ones who are most at risk - puppy farm and BYB bred ones.

There were 96 litters of staffy puppies listed on DOL last month or maybe the month before. That is just one breed of dog and only here on DOL. Surely that is plenty when you add it to the total of dogs needlessly pts each year as well? If people have to plan and wait for a dog rather than impulse buy then that is a good thing in my book given how many years that dog will be needing care for.

There are no national laws applying to animal welfare, but all states and territories regulate animal welfare in their jurisdiction. The legislation in each State and Territory is in a table through the following link and when I get time I will have a look. It certainly makes things a lot harder when the legislation is state based. My sister works on constitutional law issues so I might ask her if there is anything about animals in it as constitutional law gazumps state and local laws. http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-Austral...elfare_264.html

OK so is this more about getting back to the basics of defining what a companion animal is - that would then determine what purpose it can be used for (which may not include it's sole purpose in their possession as making money for the owner). Then we could identify what the basic needs of a companion animal are (vaccinations, exercise, socialisation) which gives you a basic rights position to work from. This could also link back to legislation (is the Act the RSCPA work under the same across each state?). If a puppy farmer does not breach those basic rights then they could be considered within the law. I know this might get me slapped but when I saw 96 litters of staffy puppies for sale on DOL a while back I started to think that registered breeder or not when is the market already saturated with enough dogs however they are bred? How do you identify and establish manageable breeding numbers given a percentage will always be abandoned or removed for mistreatment? If we woke up tomorrow what would our perfect world look like? How do we work backwards and attain that? I have always felt that if it was legal to breed and sell children in this country then there would be loads of pregnant woman out there with loads of other people making a buck from them, in a very similar keep the overheads down fashion. Difference is dogs don't get to decide whether to participate or when to stop. Not good enough.

A puppy farmer is someone who increases the number of companion animals available nationally, with a focus on making an income, but without consideration for: 1. the overall health and wellbeing of animals currently in their care 2. the future health and wellbeing of the animals they produce and on sell 3. the establishment of of a 'code of practice' to maintain a level of industry standards 4. the impact of their current business practices on the abandonment and neglect of companion animals nationwide 5. the financial cost of abandonment and neglect on society and local governments 6. the physical and emotional cost of abandonment and neglect on rescue organisations and the companion animals themselves. PS Julie - I am still working on that grants stuff - haven't forgotten!

My sister has used maremmas on her farm near Cowra for the sheep and boar goats they farm for around 8 years now, as well as protection for her when hubby is away as they bond very closely with their flock (human or animal). She also gave her daughter one to watch over her young children as they live on a very remote property outside of Walgett and there are water bores and things on the property. So if the children wander the dog follows and remains on guard.

I know a lot of people use those kids clam shells for water or sand for their doggies and they are in the current KMart catalogue for $20. Starts Thurs 1 July.

Had to add that travelling with dogs will limit your entry to national parks so you will also need to factor in where you leave the dogs in the summer heat if you all go to an event together that wont allow entry for the dogs. I desperately wanted to take my dog with us and threw many tanties before and on the first quarter of the trip about it but for the places we went it wouldn't have been suitable for any of us. And the idea of carrying some tents for the kids to sleep out some nights is a great idea (suggested above) as everyone needs some space from each other at times.

My ex partner and I spent 2 years travelling around Australia back in the 1980's. We travelled in an old torana to every nook and cranny imaginable, catching our own food (fish) a lot, sometimes camping wild and every couple of days staying in a proper camping ground to do washing (body and clothes!). We had a small tent for overnight stays and a larger one for week long stays. Obviously this kind of roughing it is not for everyone but hey I can start a fire without matches and still erect a tent when the ground is too hard to get pegs into it! Seriously though - it depends on where you want to take your vehicle. On some roads with gullies the 4wd's with trailers/caravans really struggled and we often saw trailers/caravans left on the side of the road to be picked up on the return trip. Chemical toilets were always a shock to see. Even back in those days sorting out toileting wasn't that big a problem and today it would be even easier so why not leave that at home? Likewise, anyone we met who brought a tv with them wished they hadn't wasted the space. You are doing the trip to live, not to watch tv. Other pieces of advice are that in hot climates it can get very hot inside your camper or caravan for sleeping so don't assume you will always have somewhere to plug yourself in and turn the air on. And mozzies and sand flies will drive you crazy if you leave doors and windows open. If you break down in a camper I know a family who were able to stay inside their camper inside the RACQ repair yard. But try not to plan for everything that might happen on your trip - you can buy things on your trip as you determine what works or doesn't work for you. If you have to stay in a cabin while your vehicle is repaired then that is also part of the experience. Oh and if you plan to go to remote areas then remember that a more well known vehicle make might be easier to get parts for. And things in those communities cost more because they have to be transported in - food, equipment, petrol, etc, so try to accept that and not compare to home prices. And be flexible about where you go as some of my best memories are of the detours we took. We had a map and an RACQ caravan and camping guide and at the start of every day would check out towns that were x number of miles away then look up the guide to see what fishing or camping options were in the area and what was there to see and base our travels for the day around that. And even after all these years I still have a very precious sea shell collection from that trip. It was the start of many for me. I hope it is the same for you!

YAY Pipsal!

As far as I know he is being transported to Brisbane to be adopted by a carer with BFR. That's what it says on their Facebook today. Hmm, probably tigerlily73 above even???? Hope so!

I work for Dept of Communities (previously ATSIS and previously Child Safety but not Youth Justice!) so I am also aware of animal issues in some of the remote communities in QLD and understand Pipsals desire to take the pups outside the problem. I had also heard that the health issues of the strays was impacting on the human residents, which I had never even thought of before but it makes sense - things like ring worms and intestinal worms can be passed on. I read slast year that the Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown was visiting some communities up north to treat the strays for this reason. Not sure if it went ahead or whether it included desexing but what about council's role in healthy communities and animal control? Surely they have a role to play too? And by that I don't mean rounding all the animals up and euthing them! Vicious cycle.

I wish I had known this yesterday - I have a new boss now and his eyes would pop out of his head at me bringing one of my dogs in - although it shouldn't because I am constantly doing things he's never seen before in a workplace!

FranCQ I think Pipsal would currently be in transit to Brisbane so you might have to wait to hear back from her re the pups or you could look in her original thread which I think was about what to feed the puppes. She may have explained the breed of mum in there as the thread got quite long.

Like others have said Pipsal there are pups rescued everyday that are in far worse condition than the pups you will be transporting. Two other no kill shelters have been suggested to you as well as the RSPCA. From the pics the pups look healthy and are attractive mixes. If they were carrying anything serious you would've seen signs of it already. Different vets will have different opinions but there are people on here with practical experience of doing exactly what you are doing that feel you will be ok with what yoyu have planned. And given it is Friday you will probably already be on your way down with the bundles of trouble so hope the trip goes well!

We aim for routine here. It seems to be a comfort to our pack. The one thing that they decided themselves though is that they should all be inside before dark or else there will be trouble! So we try and plan so that someone is home from work to let them all in before dark but on the one or two occassions each month when that doesn't happen the dogs go on and on and on and on about it. Mainly in the form of following us around and lecturing us. Oh and they will bark a lot more extremely and bash on the back door until we let them in the house on those nights too. The normal nights they are just sitting outside the backdoor with smiles waiting to come in, they have a bit of a chat then go off and do their own thing till dinner time. One routine that drives me insane though is my almost 16 year old girl's middle of the night routine. She needs a toilet break up to 3 times a night now after we go to bed regardless of what time we go to bed. So I usually wake up as she drops onto the floor off the bed (she's noisy). Then she has to go into the laundry for a looooooong drink. Then downstairs and outside (all lights must be turned on!) for a sniff around before deciding on whether to do onseies, twosies or both. All three have to occur in different parts of the yard you see. Then we need to sniff the outside water bowl, realising that we have already drunk inside and don't need a top up. Then we turn around and retrace our steps, turning off lights as we go, which ends up with me lifting her butt back onto the bed and not turning the beside light off until she has decided where to settle or else she just stands there in the dark all eerie. Oh and I have to talk to her encouragingly the whole time or it takes twice as long!

Ever since my youngest staffy was a pup she has had a thing for my sister's husky shephard cross - she idolises her! In her first year we took all our dogs to the Million Paws Walk and at one stage my sister was off with her dog and I had mine sitting on the ground just resting. The young staffy was going crazy trying to get to a group of huskies that were near us. Their owners called over and asked if I was ok and I had to say that I thought she was confusing their dogs with my sister's. My sister and her dog have since moved in with me and my dogs and this staffy is still the same, particularly if we are at a larger doggy event - if she spies a husky with similar wolf colours she is desperate to check them out like they are long lost relatives!

I thing you either have a suffed toy destroyer or you don't. Same as how some dogs love balls and others don't give a toss (joke!). My youngest is really the first dog I have ever owned that had a thing for soft stuffed toys and fleecy tuggies and fleecy pom pom balls. I spent a fortune on kongs that you put food inside and even though she loves her snacks she has no interest in the kongs. Same with rubber toys or balls. No interest. And she has been like this from when I got her at around 12 weeks to now at 2.5 years of age. Never been a problem with any of my other dogs (even though I got them when they were older).

I buy my girl a soft toy from the op shop once a month and let her go for it. She has a system of destruction she likes to follow with each. And I always pick brightly coloured toys that don't look like real animals. Not sure if it helps but it makes the backyard colourful!

Penny - the message above was in relation to a pm from Julie and MDBA Pacers (her mailbox was full), but I am more than happy to pass on the same info to you for AWL. The next funding rounds close 31 August so there is a while to get the applications done and you wont be competing with each other for the same small pool of money so don't worry - each application is assessed on its merits and the money pool is very large (lots of people like to gamble!). Alyson

I think my feelings towards this issue have changed. I have loved every dog in my care for their uniqueness and because they have needed me I guess. Only one dog has ever been one I chose myself - the rest are rescues that never left. But just over 2 years ago a young staffy girl came into my life and I just adore her to pieces and can't even imagine leaving her for more than a couple of days, even with family. She is just a normal dog - smoochy, funny, naughty, cute. But she has come into my life at a time when I needed her as much as she needed a home. As far as dogs go her needs have been very simple - food, shelter, exercise/play. No health issues and minimal behavioural issues. Loves everyone and everything. Always grateful for whatever comes her way. But for some reason she and I have a bond that means I can't be too far from her. I'm not sure it is reciprocated but she certainly knows when I need her affection or need to be left alone. I enjoy every single minute in her company. Is she my heart dog? She certainly is for the last couple of years and hopefully well into the future but I don't know if she will be the only one during my lifetime? Maybe it is me that has changed and not the dog????

Julie/Steve - your inbox is full so here is my pm back to you re grants - I will print out and take a copy of the guidelines home with me tonight then look at your website tomorrow and give you some suggestions on what you can apply for and how it needs to be done. Does that suit? Do you have another email addy you can pm me in case your inbox is full again? Alyson

I agree with Kissindra - if AWL are incorporated (which I believe they are) then they should be applying for Jupiters and Gambling grants. I know for a fact that RSPCA are successful with obtaining grants through these funding programs which are managed by DEEDI in Qld. I used to read and assist with grants applications for another dept and have links to someone who looks after Jupiters and Gambling so would be happy to help put grant applications together to make them more successful. Grants can be used to buy vehicles, equipment, items for events and for capitol works (buildings).

What is meant by dogs have a high value? Is that like going there is all about the other dogs (for your dog) rather than what your dog is going there to learn in relation to you the owner? I guess I looked at puppy school like the start of training - getting used to being around other people and other dogs and in a different environment and me and my dog learning from that. Next phase was beginners training - my dog and I doing more structured one on one work both alone and in a group, to the point that the focus was always on me and not on what the other dogs or people were doing around us. This was in an effort to get my dog to respond to my commands each time I made them. Further training after that was also reinforcing the bond and response plus introducing more stimulating activities for the type of dog she had become. That's how I have seen the journey to date but is that wrong? One thing I am always concious of is my friend's who have single dogs that never interact with other dogs after puppy school and seem to lose the skill to interact successfully with new dogs quite quickly. Sometimes reinforced by panicky owners as well. I don't know how you fix that so I've always felt socialisation (as opposed to training and as opposed to straight out play) is important. Have I got it wrong or have I focussed on the wrong aspects of things? To me the dog/owner relationship is always a work in progress because our lives never stay the same so how can our responses to it?

My pup was one of those that all the other 'parents' were worried about! I really thought she was going to get thrown out. She was always the first one to piddle on the floor each week and she even ate the graduation cap that everyone was supposed to have their photo taken in on graduation night! She was a rescue staffy and 12 weeks when she started puppy school. She was already well socialised with other dogs who were much bigger than her and who played very roughly with her. So at puppy school if there was screaming from around the corner then it was usually my girl at the heart of it all. The funny thing was at the end of it (I was a wreck!) the other parents told me that initially they were worried but how good it had been for their pups to be with a more boisturous pup. The feedback from one was that their shy pup had learnt to stand up for itself in a controlled environment and was much more outgoing as a result. Another told me they had been treating their swf as some little fragile thing that needed spoiling/protecting and realised that it was actually a dog who needed to be treated more like a dog than a grand child. My girl wasn't aggressive (all play no fights) but you can imagine her size and enthusiasm might've been intimidating. Funny thing is there were 2 tiny guinea pig type sibling pups there and they loved playing with my girl the best. She is now 2.5 years old and still plays rough and still loves every dog regardless of their shape, size or fur growth, but recognises and respects the signs from other dogs much better now.