Remarkabull

I think it's a nice idea. I used to work in a bakery and a customer ordered a birthday cake (sponge with jam and cream, blue icing and a message on it) for his Bull Terrier's first birthday! He even brough pics to show us a few days later!

I really struggle with this one. I do believe that there are people out there that have the knowledge and the right attitude to breeding dogs that are not registered breeders. Having a prefix doesn't make you ethical. Not having one doesn't make you unethical. I personally would love to breed dogs (Dobes) one day, however I am not as interested in showing as I once was (for a number of reasons). I would never breed unless and until I could do all the relevent health testing, be able to offer help and assistance after the purchase of the pup and also be able to take the pup back if needed. I am not interested in it for making money, but because I am passionate about Dobes and and I think that in the right home they are the best family companions and can bring so much joy and happiness to our lives. It will be many years before I would even consider doing this, however, and there is ALOT to learn and think about in the meantime.

agree with PF. take them to the pound. It's not your job to wait around for the owner to mosey on over when it suits her. Maybe if whe has to pay a fine she will try and keep them contained.

Have to say that alot of what goes on behind the scenes at a vet clinic is not for the faint hearted. I have worked at 3 different clinics, twice as a nurse (unqualified) and once as a groomer. In defence of vet clinics, they have to deal with some really difficult animals and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. 'Tapping' a dog on the head was common practice at one clinic I worked at, sometimes it helps distract the dog from what the vets are trying to do (insert catheter for example). I wouldn't say that the dogs were 'hit', it wasn't that hard, just a constant tapping to take the focus off the vet. For their own safety I've 'scruffed' dogs and cats, pinned them against their will and if they are fighting, scratching, biting while nurses or vets are trying to provide treatment then sometimes you have to be a little rough and hard to get the job done. However, at one clinic I was expected to euth the many stray kittens that AWL didn't want. The vets said they didn't have time to bother with them and the other nurse had only been there a couple of weeks longer than I and she was younger and less experienced with animals. Two of the clinics would charge for things that were not done eg. invoices given to clients after grooming services ALL stated that the dogs anal glands had been cleaned (there was an extra charge for this) and it was almost never done. There are also alot of frustrated vets out there that think it's ok to take it out on their staff. I quit one job after one of the vets had a tantrum (he literally was yelling, swearing and throwing things around the room) because I had put the paper towel on the holder the 'wrong way around'. I was definately not getting paid enough to put up with that!

I think anyone that does things like that should receive the same treatment as punishment. I bet that covering him in lighter fluid, setting him alight and hitting him with a shovel would make him think twice about doing something like that again. It would also be theraputic for me!

mine too. i think some breeds are more likely than others to do it. My old Bull Terrier used to do it, my SIL Bull Terrier did it, my old Dobermann did it and just last week while filling up the dog water my 6 month old Dobe pup started doing it. They all were obsessed with it. Good fun on a warm day!

One of mine always brings me something when we get home. Anything she can grab will do, usually a toy, stick, rock or shoe (not dog poo thank god), however she does love to eat cat poo. She is always extra affectionate after eating it too, she really tries to give us a kiss afterwards!

Yes, she is Dog Agressive. She is the sweetest, most loving sook with people (ALL people, not just us), she just hates other dogs. She always has. I think it's a genetic thing with her or something in the way she was raised as she was from a BYB, we never met her parents and she was about 4 months old when we got her. (She was purchased by my ex-husband to be a pig dog.) Lucky for her I kept her when we divorced (they probably would have shot her or given her away or bred litter after litter from her by now.) I just want to be able to walk her more often because right now she doesn't get walked much as she recently grabbed a little dog by the back and shook it. (The other dog was off lead on a public footpath and ignored it's owner when they called it.)

Thanks guys, will check out the websites. Re the Hannibal/Jason thing, that is partly why I have put it off for so long. Now though I am of the opinion that if it makes people control their dogs when they see me coming I'm all for scaring them a bit!

Hi all, Can someone tell me the best place/website to get a mesh muzzle? It's to use when walking my DA dog. She is a Ridgeback X Amstaff (with a bit of Lab maybe?) and I don't know if I have to get one made for her or do they come in a range of other sizes (not just for greyhounds). I've never had to use one before so I have no idea where to get one from, any info would be appreciated. Thanks

She's georgeous! I love orientals. I have a Oriental X rescue cat and he also has that special meow but he doesn't do it often (mostly when travelling in the car!), although he definately has the oriental shaped face and tall lean body.

God that was awful. That poor little dog. It's times like these when I really hope that Karma is real, and this guy will get a double dose of it!

To me this is just another form of cruelty. Less obvious than hitting or starving, but cruelty nevertheless.

I have a Ridgeback X Amstaff and she doesn't have a ridge. Her sister has one though, so I guess having Ridgeback doesn't always = ridge.

The puppies advertised do not come with papers. It is stated that the parents have papers and that they can be viewed, but none for pups. I am assuming that this guy/girl is a BYB. I am sure there are many people out there that do not have the best language skills (written or oral), and that has nothing to do with the amount of knoweledge that that have on a particular subject, however I would assume that if they were breeding/showing dogs that they would at least make more of an effort so that their advertising and website looked professional. I doubt that they would place an ad in Gumtree looking like the one I used as an example.

Unbelievable. What a joke, hoping this all ends soon.

I don't disagree with you, however this was only one example of many on the site. Personally I would think that an adult with such bad written skills would be aware of it and would either get someone else to write the ad for them or at least get someone to check it before posting it. I picked that ad in particular because I love Dobes, and I worry about the kind of people that will be buying these puppies. The seller doesn't sound like a bad person, just ignorant and uninformed.

I have noticed alot of references to dogs advertised on Gumtree and as I have never previously heard of it I just went and had a look. :D I am horrified by the ads on this site. There was an ad for Dobermann pups so I clicked and had a closer look and the add looked like it was typed by a 3 year old. Almost every second word was not spelled correctly, including the brand of dog food they use (Eukanuda), the sire (shire) and dam (dame). It went on to say how the parents are from excelent (exlent) bloodlines (in fact the 'shire' has champing ship pappers)! And as an added bonus every 'puppie' will be 'micro chiped' and vet 'cheeked' before going to 'thir' new homes. I would love to know where they got 'thir champing ship pappered shire and dame' from? I also have now seen 2 ads on different sites for 'Colorado Bulldogs'. I have never heard of them before, are they the new in thing?

This is all facinating and relevant to me as we will be moving to Darwin in the near future. There is no way I will be putting them in my fridge or freezer! We will definately be 'killers', most likely with a shovel or something. I must admit I am really nervous about them as my JRT bitch is a very keen hunter of anything smaller than a cat. Not sure how we will get her to leave them alone. No doubt it is going to be an 'interesting' learning period for us all!

I don't know about vets being 'sponsered' by food companies but I have worked for 3 different vet clinics and been a client of many more and more than 50% of them have all but shoved Science Diet down everyones throat. I have been given the 'talk' about how SD is so great and I should give it to my dogs if I want the best for them so many times over the years. I also know vets that wouldn't stock it if their lives depended on it. Some of them (usually the new, just finished uni ones) really do believe that it is the best food available, however others, I believe, are motivated by $$$. This also go's for many of the 'premium' brands sold at Vet Clinics. I think the best thing is to research all different types of pet food and then make a decision that works for you and your pet.

Maybe it's wrong, but I always smile when I hear about things like this. The dogs seem to enjoy it so much and I must admit a certain satisfaction in seeing the 'bad guys' with a 30+kg dog hanging off their arm! :D

Are there any particular favourite fish your dogs like or will any kind do? I am going shopping tomorrow and want to give whole raw fish a try and want to make sure I get them the yummiest kind! :D

I have to agree with you here. I am guilty of such things. My dogs are fed so much better than I am, I wish I had someone feeding me good quality food and only enough to keep me healthy and looking good! I don't feed barf but I do feed what I consider to be a 'decent' kibble and also alot of offal, grated raw veges and RMB's. I think people should feed their pets what works best for them, but I do think that doing some research (and not relying on the marketing of the pet food companies) is a good idea.

How exciting. I can definately recommend going to Kepala, I went this month for the first time and it was great. I just bought a huge deluxe soft crate (suitable for St Bernards, Great Danes etc) off ebay for $150 brand new, smaller ones are even cheaper. They have some great bargins and they have just about everything you could want for a dog!

I agree with you there. A dog is something we take responsibilty for it's entire life (most of us anyway). If it dosn't fit in with society then that's nothing to torture yourself over, it can still have a happy fulfilling life. Children are being prepared to go out on their own someday. We need to raise them in a way that prepares them for life and all it's surprises, so that they can be happy, healthy, sane, contributing members of society that are able to function on their own as individuals. I think that it is a much greater responsibility than having a puppy could ever prepare anyone for.