~Anne~

Make sure you look at matching temperaments. Pugs, even though they are laid back, can still be mismatched and the fights can be stressful for everyone. I'd opt to only buy from someone who allows a trial period with a full refund.

In my experience people have a pair of dogs like this for one reason and that's intimidation factor which usually comes with allowing the flexing of some muscle being signs in the dog they appreciate, then one day sadly this happens. It's not a breed bash I am speaking, it's a genetic configuration in dogs like this that people throw together to create a tough factor not unlike they did years ago with GSD's and Doberman and the breeders of these type of dogs are responsible for the tightening and targeting of Bull breeds within the BSL structure as too many are purposely bred for aggression where the aggression is in the wrong place in the dog's character for usability and stability necessary in a family pet. Are you serious with this comment! Surely not. :laugh: I'm trying very hard to look at it seriously but it's impossible. Do you honestly believe that people who own multiple dogs, which might be considered strong or large, only own the dogs to intimidate? Who or what are they intimidating and what kinds of dogs do you think they might have to accomplish this intimidation? Unfortunately, not everyone has the same vision of dogs and their uses as the people who participate in pet dog forum discussions, sad but true. In fact it reached a point in the GSD breed where breeders would actually advertise unsuitability as guard dogs to deter the clowns calling up wanting tough dogs for the wrong reasons and if you have ever bred and sold powerful breeds, GSD's Rotties, Dobes particularly, as most breeders of these would confirm that the amount of clowns seeking dogs for guarding, protection and intimidation are most definitely out there. We can be thankful that the majority of breeders of the more iconic working/protection breeds are careful in breeding A:Sound temperament and character B: Refusing to sell their dogs to clowns who intend to use them for the wrong reasons so what happens is the clowns move on to breed and supply from other breeds of strength which the American Bulldog is part of that group along with Bull breeds, Mastiff's and the like bred on unstable characters and temperament in a BYB fashion to supply the type of dog the clowns admire. The fact is that good stable dogs regardless of breed don't bite kids full stop unless they are severely tormented or abused by the kid in question. Sadly people owning dogs who have bitten kids tend to make excuses for why the dog reacted and dogs who bite randomly without torment generally do so out of fear, good stable dogs don't bite because they don't fear and don't care. Like it or not and sugar coat reactivity into something normal in a dog caused by anything other than unstable temperament and character and you have a dog likely to bite kids or anyone for that matter. Your ability to generalise and drop the populace all into one basket is quite remarkable. Sure, there are people who own large strong breeds who shouldn't. That is far different from your blanket statement of: In my experience people have a pair of dogs like this for one reason and that's intimidation factor which usually comes with allowing the flexing of some muscle being signs in the dog they appreciate, then one day sadly this happens.

I've owned 7 pugs over my life, and shared my home with many, many more temporarily. Out of the 7 I have owned, 3 were from a very young age and the others mature aged when they came to me. They all have that lovely pug temperament, look and they've all been fawn. To the outsider they might all be the same dog, but they're very, very different each and every one to me.

Monte always watched tv. He loved it. People, animals, cars, he didn't care. I have so many videos of him sitting in front of the tv watching it. He didn't rush up to it or jump at it, he just sat a reasonable distance away and watched it like a human would. He usually always barked and made snuffling sounds at it. My other pugs Boof and Olivia, completely ignore it and I can't recall a single time they ever took notice of it.

If the dog doesn't lick, don't put it on. I'd only use the collar if it is needed. I've desexed dozens of dogs and none of them licked their stitches.

My sentiments exactly. It needs professional medical help, not Internet advice.

Please ensure you tell her that Benadryl will do nothing unless the dog is coughing. Also, if the dog isn't in pain, she is taking a risk of a bleed by giving it aspirin, and for nothing.

Triple post!

Double post.

Agree. When I ran my rescue, a good number of the dogs that came into my care were private surrenders. My service was called Pug Rescue Sydney. I suppose, looking back, I could have called it rescue and rehoming. Adopters were informed of the dogs background and how it was acquired however. There was never any doubt about the dog and it's history unless it came from a pound. I used the term for all of them, however, for want of a better word. The same with the word 'adoption' re a thread here recently. Sure, the dog is being bought and sold but adoption is the common term and I used it just as easily. There was no intention to mislead or cause an emotional response.

On further reflection, why aspirin if he isn't in pain? I might be wrong but I suspect your friend's concern about costs is why this dog is not being properly diagnosed or treated. I suspect she has been relying on the internet for advice instead of a vet. Were X-rays really taken? Were 'syringes' really taken? I'm not so sure it's the vet that is the issue, I think it is your friend.

I'm glad to see you are receiving help. A quick comment on the bolded bit above. Why Benadryl? In Australia, Benadryl, is a cough suppressant. We do not have an antihistamine here of that name to my knowledge if that is what you meant. I have read of several people giving dogs Benadryl in Australia because of advice given on forums from people in the US.

Totally agree Nic.

In my experience people have a pair of dogs like this for one reason and that's intimidation factor which usually comes with allowing the flexing of some muscle being signs in the dog they appreciate, then one day sadly this happens. It's not a breed bash I am speaking, it's a genetic configuration in dogs like this that people throw together to create a tough factor not unlike they did years ago with GSD's and Doberman and the breeders of these type of dogs are responsible for the tightening and targeting of Bull breeds within the BSL structure as too many are purposely bred for aggression where the aggression is in the wrong place in the dog's character for usability and stability necessary in a family pet. Are you serious with this comment! Surely not. :laugh: I'm trying very hard to look at it seriously but it's impossible. Do you honestly believe that people who own multiple dogs, which might be considered strong or large, only own the dogs to intimidate? Who or what are they intimidating and what kinds of dogs do you think they might have to accomplish this intimidation?

I'd fly. Travel time is much, much shorter which means less stress.

I didn't expect discounts, I negotiated them as I would anything in business.

Personally, I think you and Dogmad have got it round the wrong way. I think DOL is a hell of a lot calmer these days. The dust ups of days gone by were memorable! I think I'm still carrying some scars. :D

I'd say the article is spot on. I agree with almost everything the writer says. Rescue has morphed into an unhealthy beast and I'm not sure that anything is on the horizon to tame this beast. I agree with much of your postal well Steve.

Your farewell sounded lovely Bindo.

I don't think I've ever purchased a puppy that didn't spend a fair whack of hours by itself. I haven't had a puppy for a long while though. Boof was my last and he is now 11. Boof spent anywhere from 6-12 hours alone on a very regular basis until we began to foster rescues when he was around 6 months old. He is a very well balanced dog. I've never experienced any problems with him. Partly I guess this is because of his breed and his temperament. I agree that this was not ideal and recognise that it could have resulted in issues. I think I'm knowledgable enough to know how to manage such a situation however. Life is rarely ideal. I worked right through bringing up my children too and managed this just as successfully. :) I have no plans to have a puppy again. I prefer older dogs as I feel they are less work and more suitable to my family and life. In having said that, if I did ever get another dog, puppy or otherwise, there will be a time when it would be home alone for up 12 hours a day. I re-homed my rescues based on many factors. There were no black and white rules. Each home and each dog were assessed on their own merits. I know of rescues and breeders who see only black or white on different issues and I think it is shortsighted. Most though seem to recognise that a balanced perspective is the wisest view.

So has NSWAR moved? Re: Rozzies comment http://www.lithgowmercury.com.au/story/1283520/giving-pets-a-helping-hand/

Lillypilly, you seem to be mentoring Rachelle or at least you were vouching for her intentions. Are you still in contact with her?

I doubt very much they could disappear overnight. In fact I'd pretty confidently say they couldn't. A simple test you can do at home to see the presence of crystals is to get him to urinate on newspaper. Place the newspaper in the sun until it dries then hold it up to the light. If there are crystals, you will see the light glittering off the dried urine. Someone has wrong or faulty test results. Could either test have been compromised? ie contaminated somehow? If your dog is having trouble urinating I'd suggest the crystals are possibly large and causing a blockage. Either way he needs a retest and he needs the issue of painful or difficult urination to be resolved. Taking a sample directly from the bladder is the most accurate way to test.

I was only looking at this thread earlier after hearing reports that she's left people with animals and gone underground. It's certainly not sounding good. Perhaps the poster that came under fire for airing her grievances against this person is not the evil person she was accused of being on here.

Thank you everyone. Your support is very comforting. It's great to hear the experiences from others too who have gone through similar or the same procedures with their dogs. Boof is booked for the 30th for the removal of the spleen and another X-ray of his lungs to ensure there is nothing else there. It was difficult it coordinate an earlier date due to various things so we have to keep him wrapped in cotton wool for a couple of weeks to ensure he doesn't have another bleed.