Moselle

The way I see it, anyone wanting to purchase a pet dog would do so in their very own country! I would never sell a pup to someone from overseas as I can never be sure that they are genuine and that they can indeed provide a loving home. Anyone that sells dogs overseas needs a good backhander! Unless they are wanting to sell to a genuine registered breeder that is wanting to expand her/his genepool.

Once again, the irresponsibility of people with problem dogs raises its ugly head. You did what you could....worse could have happened. I hope everything will be okay with Penny. Good luck. Please let us know what the vet says.

Good one, westielover

A friend of mine has two westies, they are littermates. They look so identical that I struggle to guess which is which, in fact I simply cannot! I think I would have a hard time being able to know which was which if they were mine. I would have started with a different coloured collar on each one and after naming them, relying on the fact that they would respond to their own name and that is how I would tell them apart. I will post a photo of my friend's westies later as I am about to visit and will take piccies of them then.

It is impossible for a bitch to have 3 litters in the space of one year, lol. Bitches come into season twice a year, most of the time it is spaced 7-8 mths apart! I've owned a bitch who came in season every 3 months, it is perfectly possible. Some bitches may come into season quarterly but they are not fertile when this is the case, sorry but I have never heard of a bitch producing 3 litters in a year. No can do, lol

I honestly cannot see how breeding one bitch would hardly suffice to keep the bills paid. It all sounds too strange to me somehow .

It is impossible for a bitch to have 3 litters in the space of one year, lol. Bitches come into season twice a year, most of the time it is spaced 7-8 mths apart!

I would say that he would be much better off in a kennel, surely. I know that is a breed of dog that can tolerate the cold more so than other breeds but I would have had a kennel for him to sleep in. If he does not make a point of destroying his towel there is every chance that he would not be destroying everything in sight.

Yes, I agree. Its marketing and they have done a bloody good job! I do not agree with any of it....but the need is obviously there. Imo there are so many people in our society today that want to be different and stand out that it doesn't suprise me that these cross breeds have taken off and as soon as they are tired of it they get rid of it and get something else thats the "new"in thing. Surely people don't dump their pet only then to replace it with the next "in" thing? If that was indeed the case then I guess the same would apply to purebred dogs? When Burke's Backyard was screening, every week he would "road test" a breed of dog and most dogs were purebred, were they not? I know that whenever a particular breed appeared it was the norm for breeders of that breed to be inundated with phone calls from people wanting that breed. How is it that people from the purebred fraternity were not jumping up and down in relation to this? LOL. I just loathe puppy farmers and by that I mean those that are opting to send their kids to university (amongst other things) on the backs of those poor dogs that are kept prisoners in small cells for as long as they are of use and then discarded like shit paper, god only knows how many reg. breeders are just as guilty of this as the bastards that breed and then provide pet shops with stock week in, week out. I know that I am talking outside the square here but it is mostly in response to some of your comments such as that one above, lol. I bought my dog, he has since passed away, a purebred cavalier king charles, from a pet shop. He was sold to the pet shop for a mere $50. I paid $700 for him 12 years ago. I was told that this was not the first time this breeder had done this. In fact I know of other breeders supposedly bound the "code of ethics" who make this a regular occurance much to my disappointment and not only that but also take delight in supplying puppies for the asian market! One word from me "Damn them."

Question: How would you define a "puppy farm" in such a ban? Souff That question is the crux of it. I have answered though in the thread that Julie raised about the definition. The definition will be something that needs careful consideration becuase of the ramifications. What defines a "puppy farmer" ?????? anyone, be it registered or not....who breeds large scale and has dozens upon dozens of dogs in cages, this should not be allowed, dogs should be allowed to roam free and not kept in small cells as prisoners for the duration of their breeding life!

I am not so sure that the public at large would be very pleased if breeders of DD were banned. There appears to be a fair bit of demand for crossbred dogs, it seems......

What makes you think that if banning was put in place there would be alot of stolen purebred dogs? and who would be behind the stealing of them? I would think that most purebred pet dogs would be desexed, right? and as for registered breeders I would think that their breeding dogs would not be so easily accessible to thieves.

Right - unaware her dog attacked or bit anyone? Ummm, that suggests she had NO FREAKING CONTROL over the dog if she wasn't close enough to see what it did. Glad to see you have as many idiots in SA as we do over here! I would still question whether that dog & owner should be allowed to continue at the club. Glad that Max is recovering well, and that you will at least have your vet bills paid. She may be very well aware that the attack had taken place but may be too embarrased to admit it; the important thing here is that she has stepped forwards and offered to pay the necessary costs.

I have never heard of this breeder so I cannot comment on their breeding practices and although you may have a point in saying that you do not feel sorry for them in the least but what about the poor pups? They are too young to be removed from their mum, don't you think?

Am I correct in saying that if you get a dog de-barked and you are in victoria (once you've jumped through all the hurdles), you cant show it? I have no idea how all the breeders in Vic with 'talkative' breeds cope. No you can show it if you have jumped through all of the hoops. But even if you try to dodge it and cut across a border where regs are not as tough - if the dog has ever lived in Victoria before the op you cant show it. How would the judges know if the dog was debarked ??? The judges dont care.Its the state law not anything to do with Vic Dogs - The RSPCA investigate and raid you. The charge is cruelty to animals. Amazing. You alter your dog, under anaesthetic, in order to give it and everyone around you a good life and you're done for animal cruelty....report animal cruelty (real animal cruelty) to the RSPCA and you'd be lucky to even get anyone round there to have a look. Think they need to get their priorities sorted out Cant blame the RSPCA the government is responsible for introducing the laws and then the RSPCA are able to police it - Its stupid but you have to change the law not the policeman. Steve, wasn't the RSPCA's responsible for bringing the issue to the attention of the government in the very first place? The RSPCA should get their priorities right. I remember reporting a dog that was kept tied up to its kennel, only about a one metre long chain. They turned up at the place and came back with the report that there was nothing they could do given that the dog had water and shelter! So how was that dog better off living such a life in comparrison to a dog that has had its vocal chords cut and has all the freedom in the world? No sense of justice.

So sorry that Lucy has this illness. It has been 9 months since she has been diagnosed and I was just wondering if the vet recommended radio therapy? I personally would not be putting my pet through radiotherapy unless I was absolutely certain that it had not spread to other parts of the body and even then I would be a little sceptical as I would not want to subject my pet to pain. A diet that is often recommended for both people and pets alike is a diet LOW in carbohydrates. I have researched the subject of cancer and have stumbled across this information on quite a few occasions. I would opt for a BARF diet, namely raw chicken mince, raw chicken frames, chicken necks....basically any kind of raw meat. Pentavite (a vitamin supplement used for human toddlers and found in pharmacies) is very good and also acts as an appetite stimulant; there is a Pentavite with iron available. All the very best, LM.

Further investigation this morning reveals that the owner and dog have had 2 previous warnings at the club and the agility instructor has banned her from agility training sessions. How frustrating and NO you are not overreacting. I find it completely despicable that noboby approached you after the incident esp the owner of the dog and the instructor ! I am surprised that the owner, after having been previously warned at the club, actually had the hide to make an appearance, what does it take for her to get the message? She obviously has a DA dog and should not be exposing other people's pets to this situation! Follow through with your complaint, the owner should be held accountable for your expenses at the vet. So sorry for the injuries you and your poor dog have sustained .

Fantastic ;)

Totally abhorrent! I agree with Se7en; If only I could have my way such so-called 'Human beings" would not be alive another day!

Ta, Mita. I am glad that there is a way to have the dog debarked without having to rely on the complaint of neighbours! I am not so sure whether to agree that the system is indeed 'well balanced.' As Lucy's mama said.... I guess I'm sitting on the fence here between Moselle's oppinion and Possum Corner's. It shouldn't be a first resort, but making someone do EVERYTHING else first is cost prohibitive - especially when you KNOW some thing won't work ( eg, expensive screening for a dog who is barking at noises not sights) By the time the average dog owner has spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars, lost countless hours of sleep and had relations with their neighbours ruined, they are DONE with the dog and off it goes to the pound before it can cause any more stress and expense. It is most definitely cost prohibitive for a lot of people not to mention that alot of people simply do not have the required patience to exhaust every avenue first and then still consider having the dog debarked after having spent x number of $$$$$ and problems not to mention problems with the neighbours. I have lost count of the costs associated with having to try and eradicate my dog's persistant barking. Training for 2 years which did not work, a citronella collar which cost around $200, replacing of the batteries and the citronella spray....and that only worked for the duration of a couple of months, she then became accustomed to the spray and barked to her heart's delight, a shock collar was next in line, another $220....once again, after 2 months she decided that she would sooner put up with the jolt than shut her mouth....to the point that she sustained "burns" to her neck and required veterinary treatment. She now resides in a garage that has been noise proofed and temperature controlled as it would otherwise get too hot in the summer months. This would have been one dog that would have been pts had she belonged elsewhere! How many other dogs met their fate in such a grim way simply because of a few do-gooders who simply have no idea what they are talking about!

How lovable! Looks as though they are clearly enjoying being blow dried, lol. How cute...the cavalier sitting there and enjoying the warm air and the pug coming back for seconds, sooo cute!

So true. Personally, I believe that if one chooses to own dogs then one would want them to look like their own species. I have nothing against this providing the animal is not under duress and is not stressing; it would take an enormous amount of patience on the part of the dog to have this done as it would be quite time consuming I would imagine but hey, if the animal is content so be it. I don't believe in subjecting a dog to this on a frequent basis though. It is one thing to brush a dog daily (which probably requires 10-15 mins) and the occasional necessary bathing and perhaps clipping but to have it sit there for however long in order to have it look like another animal is kinda silly.

If the dog has ever lived in Victoria before you can get it debarked anywhere you have to go through the process. You have go via the council usually because the neighbours are upset but theoretically you could speak with them and explain the dog is driving your family nuts and ask for them to put through the paperwork. Without this you cannot get the dog debarked. Then a vet that does them and is happy about it is the president of the local RSPCA in Wodonga. Are there other vets that perform this operation? Bloody hell, Wodonga is miles and miles up the road!

If the dog has ever lived in Victoria before you can get it debarked anywhere you have to go through the process. You have go via the council usually because the neighbours are upset but theoretically you could speak with them and explain the dog is driving your family nuts and ask for them to put through the paperwork. Without this you cannot get the dog debarked. Then a vet that does them and is happy about it is the president of the local RSPCA in Wodonga. Thank you Steve. It is amazing how many steps one has to take before having one's pet debarked, it is pretty ludicrous. The most absurd is the requirement to have a written complaint from the neighbours; this isn't always the darn case as I do take steps in making sure that the problem does not escalate to this besides which I happen to live at least 600 metres away from the neighbours and the maremma is kept in an insulated (noise proofed and air conditioned) garage when a reason presents itself that results in her incessant barking. How I would love to kick the very individuals responsible for making the debarking issue more difficult up the backside whilst wearing my steel capped boots! Bloody useless, idiotic morons! As you said, I could speak to the neighbours in having them put in the necessary paper work but I wish these steps were not necessary. FFS, how did things escalate to this? Why the heck does one need to prove that a dog is a barker via complaints from the neighbours?? The mere fact that the owner of a dog/s is prepared to take steps to have it debarked is not proof enough that the dog needs to be quietened down? I think that the only questions that should be posed is whether sufficient training has taken place, whether a citronella collar has been used....and if these steps have been adopted and the dog is still barking endlessly then it should be a candidate for a debarking op! What is a better option ???? To have the dog destroyed??!! How many dogs have already been discarded or destroyed because of their incessant barking???!!! I am feeling a little hot under the collar right now, okay time for a little breather, perhaps I should take a walk outside and enjoy the cold air.

Whoever drew up the animal cruelty laws in Victoria, had a vocabulary problem. Debarking is labelled a prohibited procedure in that legislation. But the same legislation describes the circumstances/conditions/process for when it is permitted in Victoria. Which means it's a regulated procedure....& here's the exacting process set out: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfa.nsf/c...rinter+Friendly The Q'ld law just describes debarking as a regulated procedure....& sets out the conditions and process which apply here. Thank you so much, mita.