~Anne~

Agree. Your first statement goes back to our earlier conversation around dogs being humanised. Dogs are animals and humans misjudge them greatly, preferring to think of them as little humans in fur suits.

Congrats! Photos please. My daughter is about to take possession of a cocker puppy. I’m almost as excited as I was when she gave me my first grandchild.

His ear tattoo doesn’t stand out much either given he is dark, but it can be seen.

Thanks. It’s certainly another option. I think ear tattooing would be far more suitable on a cat. There’s too much hair on the abdomen to see a tattoo easily. Here’s my boy and he’s a short haired cat.

That’s a pretty good idea. I’d never heard of it but it makes sense for female dogs anyway. Male cats, and cats in general, would be a different matter.

And a lot of them are very bloody cute! I'm a fan of buying specific breeds for specific reasons but I think the world has moved on when it comes to what many consider to be the ultimate - the purebred dog. The average every day person just wants a dog that meets their idea of a good dog. They don't care about bloodlines or genetics - and why should they? Its pretty obvious that genetic issues are there in every breed, pure or not. We shouldn't think of the oodle as competition or the total demise of purebreds. Its just another choice for dog owners. Cat purchasers have had unfettered access to moggies forever and no-one raises an eyebrow. The moggie is not thought of as lacking value nor are they considered to be a poor choice compared to a purebred cat. Purists will continue to look for pure and the specific characteristics and looks they want regardless of oodles.

Be careful about assuming the breed sandgrubber. Media articles always claim they're 'pitbulls' when they rarely are. The description reported in the article is: The two dogs, one black and the other brown and white, were described as short and stocky with a medium build and coarse hair. It seems most of these 'writers' (note, they're not journalists in the sense of the word) would rather go for the sensationalism and attention grabbing language of 'pitbull' instead of accurately reporting the incident.

This behaviour is completely normal for a dog. The puppy is being taught boundaries and respect about the older dog’s possession - in this instance, food. Some dogs have tighter boundaries than others when it comes to food or toys. Had the older dog actually used its teeth to bite or attack the puppy, then I’d be concerned. Dogs discipline their young differently to us. It seems harsh and aggressive but it’s normal canine behaviour. You’ve learnt a lesson too, along with the pup. Your older dog highly valued his treats and food. Keep the pup away when there is food involved. Feed them separately.

Wow, good luck with their cleaning routine. There is a very elaborate and thorough cleaning regime with these trains between services. After each cleaner bows to the train, then enters, they run through a very precise process. I've sat and watched them on the platform, waiting to board the freshly cleaned train.

As an added thought - how do you know it’s demodectic? There are two mange mites - demodectic and sarcoptic. If you live in an area where there might be foxes, wombats or if your dog has come into contact with other dogs, it could be sarcoptic mange which is highly contagious.

Demodectic mange definitely has an hereditary link in chronic/severe cases. The mite, as stated above, lives on all dogs and the immune system normally deals with them and keeps them under control. In dogs with compromised immune systems, the mites run riot. To ensure that is what you’re dealing with, you need a skin scraping done at the vet. The drug of choice to deal with mites is ivermectin, but it’s use is regulated because it’s toxic. If you do a search in this forum for demodex or demodectic mange, you’ll find oodles of info and discussion. I once took in a rescue who had almost no hair left on her body and was one massive skin infection, due to demodex.

My cats eat grass and vomit it up on my rugs with great regularity! I was also under the perception, I think told to me as a young child, that cats and dogs eat grass to aid with digestion and digestive upsets. My cats don't seem to know this though... they just do it. I could stop it by removing the grass I planted in their cat run, but I figure it must hold some value to them and their instinctual ways, so I leave it growing and cleanup after them. More fool me I guess.

Clothier holds great perspective into the matter. Great opinion piece. Thanks for posting the link up.

A survey and only 2000 dogs actually tested - I call this an article not to take too seriously. I confess to only reading the first paragraph or two because of this. It’s logical to assume that breed characteristics do indeed play a role in behaviour. We purpose breed canines for character as well as looks. It can’t be claimed it doesn’t hold any weight in aggression, affection or any other behaviour. The really poorly perceived behaviour is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding on the part of dog owners but breed characteristics play the biggest part in this behaviour.

Interesting, although I’m sure it backs up the anecdotal evidence we all carry in our minds regarding terriers, brachys and other breeds. I was surprised though at how poorly the Frenchie did overall in comparison to the Pug. Thanks for sharing.

Its always has amazed me how willing people are to hand money over for an animal they've never met in the flesh.

It’s probably very unlikely you’ll get a response. Looking at the OP’s profile - they haven’t visited DOL since 2018. You could try to message them to see if it triggers an email notification.

Amen to that!

That's interesting, thanks for posting! What I also find interesting is this quote: This should help put to bed the argument which has caused a huge divide in the dog world regarding feeding grains to dogs. The modern dog's diet should not be based on the diets of wolves or Dingoes.

How’d you go with the injection? I’m sure you’ll be fine. As as former vet nurse I know the more you do, the more comfortable you become with it. From memory, insulin is injected subcute and the needle is very short so the risks are minimal. I can remember many years ago working with a trainee vet nurse. She raced greyhounds and wanted to treat her own dogs under the guidance of our vet. Can’t recall what she was injecting - maybe antibiotics or something and it was an adolescent litter - but it had to be given intramuscular. We usually always gave it in the hind leg. There’s also a nerve which runs down near the common injection site. She hit it on at least 3 of her hounds. It resulted in temporary paralysis. Thankfully it was only temporary!

Lilo is so pretty!

Tracey, you’re smart enough to lead your own party. You know animal welfare from the ground up and you’re smart, pragmatic and highly intelligent. I know we all don’t want to lead, but people like you are the bones of political movements. When the time is right, you’ll be there making a difference. This one is definitely not right for you.

Another question comes to mind - it is not clarified anywhere on their website, that I can see, if they’re intending on registering at the Federal or State level. It’s way, way too late to be considered for the upcoming Fed election - that ship has long sailed. If they’re looking at State, then it’s pointless for anyone outside Victoria to support them if that’s the case. They’re registered as a company in Vic. They can’t run for NSW.

Not sure PETA would pay much attention to them at this point. The group or company appears to lack any real substance. But then more absurd things have happened in the political arena in recent years so nothing should surprise me anymore.

You’d have to be crazy to support an anonymous group running a political party in my opinion. Who is behind it? Who would you be supporting? When they say ‘your right to breed’ are they meaning the rights of anyone who wants to breed including Joe Bloggs up the road who thinks his little fluffy will make a good match for the Kelpie cross next door? It’s a registered company, limited by shares, which is based in Langwarrin Vic. Who are the Directors who own those shares? Can’t see much else about it at this point.