Little Gifts

Still allowed to breed. Gosbsmacked.

My issue is the price people are charging for what are simply cross-bred dogs is not reflective of the quality of the puppy they are selling OR of the quality of care the parents or the puppies have received. We don't need more of these kinds of dogs and we don't need more money to be going into this industry. I know several well respected registered breeders and they all have other jobs to make ends meet. Yet there are puppy farmers and back yard breeders making a pretty coin while their bitches do all the work. It's because they maximise their product and minimise their outgoings to make that product. What other product with no guarantee do consumers happily part thousands of dollars for just because it looks cute? You wouldn't pay $3000 for a Gucci handbag without knowing it was what it professed to be but you will buy a living thing that someone tells you is made up breed name? It's all kinds of stupid. So if puppy farmers and backyard breeders charged a cost that reflected the quality of what they were selling I doubt it would hold as much interest for either side. I think it is at the detriment of all dogs to encourage or further legitimise this kind of 'industry'. If it smells like dog shit, it's dog shit.

I'm sorry Moosmum but we will have to agree to disagree. All I see happening is the people already making a wad of cash puppy farming or backyard breeding will continue to do exactly what they are doing. The only reason they will join an organisation like this is to appear more legitimate. They are not interested in changing a thing about their practices unless it is to make them more money and seem less vulnerable to the fanatics. Then you will have the newbies who want to learn how to make money from breeding puppies and we will end up with even more puppies, puppy farmers and backyard breeders than we have now, all patting themselves on the back for a job well done. Not one existing, money generating business is going to become more educated about their poor practices through this organisation. If they were in it for the dogs they would already have educated themselves. In this article Mr Guthrie was quoted several times regarding providing education for appropriate breeding practices. Isn't part of that related to genetics and health and isn't this very issue already a problem within some breeds in the purebred community? How will you improve it by boutiquing it? Pure bred (but not papered) dogs end up in rescue all the time and the only way to change that is reduce the numbers that exist in the first place, not legitimise, support and increase it. And representing owners who have not registered their dogs due to cost and an unwillingness to desex is saying a lot to me too. If you can't afford to register your undesexed dog then what else can't you afford for your dog? Desexing is a personal issue but if you want to keep animals it costs money and there are requirements to be met. Maybe if these people took the same responsibility everyone's registration fees would be less and we would have more dog friendly places because it would be clearer to council how many dogs they had in their catchment area? If these same people are not willing to pay council registration or desexinng fees (because some people do claim they don't desex due to cost) then I doubt they'd pay a registration fee to this organisation either unless they wanted specific help. More puppies on the market equals a bigger burden on pounds, shelters and rescue organisations both from new animals that will be dumped down the track (for various reasons) and also due to an increase in purchasing a pet shop puppy over adopting a rescue. Education is definately needed at the buyer level so they don't continue to feed the negative side of this market. I am all for people choosing whatever breed of dog they desire but I am not for flooding the market with poorly bred, unsocialised dogs to increase their poor choices and I sure as hell will never support breeding bitches kept in kennels simply to pump out as many puppies as she can. This is all about money and people - people wanting to make more money breeding and people wanting to pay less money for owning. At no point is there indications here that any of that money will improve the lives of any existing or new dogs. Sorry, but same same from where I sit unfortunately. It sort of looks good but it feels like rewarding bad behaviour.

"Don certainly knows what he's talking about when it comes to dogs and the values of crossbreeding and boutique dogs, in other words dogs that aren't a pedigree," Mr Guthrie said. This is the crux of it. Just because 80% of dogs in that state are not purebred doesn't mean we need to be encouraging more mass breeding of said dogs. How many dogs do we need in this bloody country anyway? I just can't support any encouragement for any en masse breeding of genetically poor puppies when so many perfectly good dogs are currently being put to sleep day in and day out around this country. How about we make a place for all of those first and reduce an unnesseccary death toll on living creatures if we love dogs as much as we claim? If we get those numbers down and keep them down then maybe there is a place to educate better breeding standards for the boutique fluffy. Because the people who breed and sell these puppies and the people who buy these puppies are all part of the current problem. How about a stat on that Mr Guthrie?

Exactly dogbesotted! This is not about anything other than making money. What a joke.

The more I hear the more sickened I feel for all the poor animals that might pass through this hellhole if it gets approved. Greedy, lying, money grubbing sacks of shit! What is wrong with people that they can't see how badly they are being ripped off by these businesses? How can they not tell the difference between quality and support from a good registered breeder and selling simply for profit? If people got wise, businesses like this would die a natural death. I want to bang my head until it bleeds right now.

"A statement of environmental effects [SoEE] lodged as part of the development application says it would include 15 kennels; a building containing 20 whelping (birthing) kennels; eight mating kennels; a grooming shed; and a number of dogs runs, outdoor fenced areas and dog socialisation areas." Yes and they will only employ 3 people to do all of that probably so we know it's all bullshit just like all the other puppy farms. Some very telling information here. If they need 20 whelping kennels you can imagine how many bitches they are planning on keeping and how many puppies they are hoping to pump out. Also it said they were breeding to supply to one specific pet shop. Bloody hell that means that pet shop must be some kind of puppy warehouse. Or they will also be selling online. It's all just smoke and mirrors. You can't use farming practices to raise a healthy and well socialised companion animal regardless of how much money you put into it, especially if you don't have a suitable staff to animal ratio. I just imagine the stress on the dogs of living in what equates to a flashy pound environment - cages, lots of barking from other stressed dogs in a non-home like environment and random human interaction.

Just checked out the news report "believed to be a pit bull." Why do they have to do that. They have so little information about what seems to be a horrific incident I doubt they have the breed of the dog confirmed.

Heartbreaking really. I remember a rescue dog, young male who became unpredictably aggressive. I think his owners were also expecting and surrendered him with a very heavy heart. At first it was thought to be behavioural and fixable, lack of training with a teenager kind of thing. I remember taking him out on leash to toilet and for walks and he seemed ok with me - no issues at all. He seemed fear aggressive if cornered in like say his crate so we avoided triggering that. But one day I was working up the hall and he jumped his enclosure and confronted me at the end of the hall with his teeth bared like a rabid animal. No-one else was there and I was shitting myself. I had not done anything to cause him to come after me like that. I yelled aggressively at him to get back to his area and pointed back up the hall. He softened, turned around and jumped back into his enclosure. There was definately something broken in that poor, beautiful boy. He didn't make it. My only advise to owners with dogs with behavioural issues is to not only go to one behaviouralist (or vet) - try several if you need to before making that truly final decision. Same way that sometimes we need to find the right Dr for ourselves and Dr shop or if we have chronic conditions we might change specialists because that particular specialist has exhausted options for us. If you truly love your pets give them your best shot, not just try once and think you are done. Don't give up unless you are at the actual end.

Interesting stuff Shel.

I can see why this might be useful information to a potential adopter but it sort of makes it sound like some groups are unnecessarily bureaucratic and will take much longer (which many people say they don't have). From the other side of the fence I know that stricter adoption policies are totally necessary for some dogs and some breeds of dogs to ensure the adoption is a long term and successful one. Groups that have stricter policies tend to take on the harder to rehome cases too. I wish there was a way Pet Rescue could reflect this, helping people make the link to it being about the dogs needs rather than the groups needs. They seem to be upselling the flexible policy too, like why would you choose an organisation with strict policies when you can get all of this in an instant! Not sure it's on the mark.

It's all about ears and wrinkles at our place!

I suck! I only got 11! I spend everyday watching both my dogs body language to ensure we have no issues but I still only got 11! I blame some of the poor photographs and lack of history about each and every dog and their breed and the inferior context provided around each scenario presented!

My little take on this is there are so few off leash sections of beach where you can legally take your dog (well on the Gold Coast anyway) that I am dumbfounded people without dogs even want to go there. There is miles and miles of beach that dogs aren't allowed to set foot on up here so I have little sympathy for people who carry on about dogs being dogs in the small sections of beach they can use. People are idiots (dog owners and non-dog owners). Dogs don't know council or police laws. They pee and poop and run and jump and stick their noses where they shouldn't and hump and shake sand and water over all your stuff and, well, the list goes on. There are risks being in an off leash dog area surrounded by dogs cutting loose. You shouldn't (and hopefully wouldn't) put your baby on the ground in an off leash park so a measly section of beach dedicated for such use should be just the same. Use your common sense because by the time a law has been broken it could be too late.

I had a situation with an unpredictable dog. It was actually at the vets after yet another dog fight while I was trying to decide whether it would be pts or stitched up. I made the decision to pts due to the unpredictable behaviour. Two hours later I changed my mind. I just couldn't do it and decided we would try one more time. So I got in yet another behaviouralist who was highly recommended. It has been almost 2 years and we've only very recently had another issue. BUT, my relationship with both dogs is now so much stronger that I was able to stop things before they escalated into any danger. I have reviewed what prompted it and we have gone back to some of the original training again too. I know my dogs so much better now and I believe I am leader of their pack and they pay attention to what I want from them. It keeps us all safe. If you want to own a dog with behavioural issues it takes a lifelong commitment. One with human aggression needs extra special care because unlike dog aggression it still needs to interact with some humans for its food, etc. Steve Courtney at K9 Pro does amazing work with aggressive dogs but if the owners aren't committed to the dog post training then there is no point. I doubt a dog wants to be aggressive from fear or what have you and I doubt they want to be confined because of their behaviour. I've also met rescue dogs that were unpredictably aggressive due to something going on in their brains. How confusing that one minute you were getting pats and the next you were being yelled at but safety has to come first and some dogs are broken. If they love the dog they will get a professional assessment and make an informed decision. If my last behaviourist had said my dog was not manageable we would've returned to the vets straight away, but we put the work in then and continue with it today and we have a lovely, calm household. But we are always watching and we are always on hand.

So much love...too many tears....make sure you come back again Bubby....

We've got new neighbours up the street - corner block with not a skerrick of fencing and one side the road that goes to a busy school so lots of traffic. Yet it is always filled with renters with dogs, usually left to roam or confined on a line of some kind. The current neighbours have rigged up a portable fence against the side fence and initially I thought good on them for caring about their dogs. But everytime I drive by 1 large and 1 small dog are in that pen. No shade except for the 2 kennels taking up pen space and just metal bowls lying on what still is some grass. We are already getting in the high 30s here. My car is getting repaired so I walked home this morning and the larger dog was crying and barking at the house. The people were home sitting in the shade under their front verandah. I saw how little the run was for 2 dogs that seem to be permanently kept in there. How little shade those poor dogs had at only 10.30 on a moderate Spring morning. I saw how small that metal water dish was with nothing stopping it from tipping over. They were desperate to be with their humans. It made me so sad because this is just so common for so many dogs! I wish people would put themselves in the same position as their dogs and see how comfortable and comforting their set up is. Then you have people who use the opposite argument for not containing their cats - their cat wouldn't like it! But apparently it is perfectly fine for a dog?

Willow is so cute! And I always love your adoption updates. You should be so proud of yourself for what you have achieved for these dogs cause you rock!

I don't mind snakes but get frightened if they are too close to me (or my animals). I am saddened to say that many years ago I was on my hands and knees digging in my garden and came across what I thought was a baby snake. I panicked, went into a frenzy and hacked it to death with the trowel I had in my hand. It was an instant reaction because I'd touched it and expected it to attack me. When I calmed down I realised it was a legless lizard. I still feel a great deal of remorse over it. As a kid we always had deadly snakes in the bush or by the creek and a fear was instilled in us that has stayed with me. I know I have them in my yard now. I just prefer we don't see each other!

People have been posting their pei crosses on a FB page and I am now convinced a shar pei will breed with anything! Some of the crosses are hilarious! Scooty-Blues is in that category! And yes, imagine him as a moody teen - intelligent, bored, stubborn. He's going to need some challenges and a job to keep him busy!

Look how tiny she is!

Dear Dog! I can't unsee that! Almost puked!

Stussy goes straight for the brain! I only give her stuffed toys that don't look like real animals because skin mummy can't deal with all the disfigurement. She really gets crazy face the minute she sees a stuffed toy so I appreciate Sharpie's fear!

Oh Loki! You were a star on this earth and now you are a star in the night sky! Gone but never forgotten! Big hugs to you Cannibal.....

I was horrified at how animals AND humans were treated in the wake of Katrina. I think it was a demographics thing. I still remember reports of awful/criminal things happening at the stadium people were sardined into and people on the streets dead and others desperate for water. So many homes have still never been rebuilt. That just tells you how little money went back into rescue and recovery down there. I used to do disaster recovery in QLD and have seen some heartbreaking stuff involving animals that I wont go into. It's why I would choose to do a preventative evacuation under my own steam and just get the hell out of Dodge before a forced evacuation was necessary. It's why I own a station wagon and a shit load of camping and dog gear. Other family are the same and loaded their gear and animals up and evacced to higher ground a couple of years ago when a cyclone passed through and flooded their town out.