Polecatty

Whippets don't enjoy or do well with certain training methods. I use a clicker for trick training and learning is a big hit in this house. :)

I too will vote for whippets and greyhounds. They are generally quiet, easy going, tend to not have a strong doggy odour and they really, really enjoy their couch time! An added benefit with greyhounds is that there are heaps of adults available in rescue that are in foster care, so their carers know what they are like around the house. Easy to find something that suits your needs.

I like to mix it up with my whippet...bit of road work, bit of flirt pole, some springpole, tug, free running, hiking, biking, swimming. She's very fit. :)

If it was an island with plenty of ground dwelling mammals a purebred JRT for bushing/flushing and a midsized, purpose bred herding breed/sighthound mix would be my choice. As far as pure efficiency goes that combination is very succesful at putting meat on the table.

Ummm hello, the standard calls for the following Same dog but obviously younger and less mature than his Westminster photo. A dog can stand and cover a lot of ground without excessive rear angulation, though that is quite separate to the fact that I wasn't commenting on the dog's adherence to the standard- I was suggesting that he was over stacked in that particular image. I personally think it isn't presenting well in the first picture; your mileage may vary. And, ummm hello, you can ditch the 'tude. Edit: I do like the look of his feet. They look nice and tight.

Can't say I'm impressed by the grey...fat, undermuscled and that flat front foot...oh man. Maybe it's just the picture. The whippy looks ok even with his legs stacked out in the next country over. :laugh:

Then you should have specified that there are other 'rescues' rehoming foxes without desexing instead of making a blanket statement. You are entitled to your opinion, however you are not entitled to make factually incorrect accusations.

No, it is quite nasty and your tone is making you come across as being quite petty and unpleasant. There is no evidence that the activities of this rescue group have impacted negatively upon landowners or native animals which are the key issues of the fox population in Australia, and no evidence that they are not doing their very best to ensure that the foxes are placed responsibly. You have made unfounded accusations regarding the operation of this rescue by claiming that they do no vet work prior to sale- a clearly baseless and unjust accusation given that they state clearly on their website that they do indeed have their animals vetted. Very common mudslinging behaviour. They shouldn't be "placing" a feral animal full stop. They are not a "pet" , they are a wild animal and a pest at that. There is no legislation in place for the keeping of a Fox, they do not fall under the Companion Animals Act, it's pretty much a free for all, there is nothing in place to ensure they are properly cared for or managed. I'm still shaking my head that some tree hugging hippies think that it's acceptable to "rescue" and rehome a pest. I have honestly never been called a tree hugging hippie in my entire life- thanks for the good laugh. Chances are I have, er, dispatched more pest animals than most posters in this thread. If the issue of legislation regarding their care and management is your beef then steps could be taken to address that specifically. But no- let's just call for it to be banned altogether.

No, it is quite nasty and your tone is making you come across as being quite petty and unpleasant. There is no evidence that the activities of this rescue group have impacted negatively upon landowners or native animals which are the key issues of the fox population in Australia, and no evidence that they are not doing their very best to ensure that the foxes are placed responsibly. No, wreckit has been very reasonable. She has explained her objections and is willing to act on them. She doesn't deserve to be attacked personally for this. There is no evidence that selling foxes as pets in suburbia will not lead to problems. Many have been spoken about here. Who cares how hard they try to do their best, they really do sound very misguided to me. Let them prove that they have the credentials to do this and that they understand the bigger picture. They need to provide the evidence that what they are doing is worthwhile, they should not expect the public to blindly accept whatever they say, and they should expect some opposition from those who are unconvinced. No, Wreckit has not been very reasonable about this. Wreckit made incorrect assumptions about the manner in which the rescue operates and then made statements without taking the time to ensure they were actually factual. Neither reasonable, logical or decent behaviour. If people wish to oppose what they are doing then that is fine, however making incorrect statements without checking facts is intellectually dishonest at best. As is talking about doing all that one can to get them shut down with little opposition- the issue deserves a full and honest examination, not people whinging to The Shooters and Fishers Party.

Maybe it's your tone that people are taking exception to? I'll fluff it up a bit for those that are easily offended then. I don't think people are offended- I certainly am not.

No, it is quite nasty and your tone is making you come across as being quite petty and unpleasant. There is no evidence that the activities of this rescue group have impacted negatively upon landowners or native animals which are the key issues of the fox population in Australia, and no evidence that they are not doing their very best to ensure that the foxes are placed responsibly. You have made unfounded accusations regarding the operation of this rescue by claiming that they do no vet work prior to sale- a clearly baseless and unjust accusation given that they state clearly on their website that they do indeed have their animals vetted. Very common mudslinging behaviour.

It isn't up to you to police what people discuss in a thread, WreckitWhippet. :) Thread discussions often evolve and go in various directions- you do not need to participate in such sub-conversations if you do not wish. If Troy has a problem with people talking about ferrets in this thread I'm sure he will step in. You seem to have an unfortunate attitude.

Sure is! We go out ferreting every week from April to October. It's a great way of filling the fridge with good lean meat. I've never seen a feral ferret either and I spend a lot of time in the bush. I did find a lost worker once-he was down a rabbit warren and popped his head up when I started to set my nets. He was very hungry and VERY happy to see people. :)

Why? Ferrets are notoriously terrible at forming feral populations in Australian conditions. They are illegal to own in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

See and that annoys me. Why should you care? Nobody is forcing you to own one. Why can't people mind their own business! If it doesn't affect you, leave it be!! Because anyone that encourages people not to euth a pest, should be shot in my opinion. These animals are rehomed without any vet work being carried out. They are not suitable pets and keeping one should not be encouraged. I will be writing to the DPI this week and I will request that they take action to shut these people down. Further to that I will push for the local member and the DPI to make it illegal to release one back into the wild or to keep one as a pet. How can these foxes be pests if they are not doing any of the things that make them detrimental to our environment and livestock, though? And I do believe they have vet work carried out before being sold. From their site: 'All foxes are desexed and vaccinated prior to rehoming' 'An adoption fee of $250-350 applies per fox. This is to cover the cost of desexing, vaccinations, worming and flee treatments, it may also include mange treatment and a course of antibiotics if necessary.' They aren't suitable for all or even most people, however they are suitable for some. There sure are some miserable people in this world. :laugh: Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill!

She was absolutely beautiful Kirty. Love the pic of her playing with the cat and the one of you and her. It must have been very hard to lose her.

Last time I was at the vet she wouldn't stop going on about how lovely and healthy my Aussies coat was. We feed same as you pretty much. I do think their coats look better with a raw diet but every dog is different I guess. I'm really happy with my girl's coat...it is slick and shiny and odourless...and I was majorly chuffed when one of the vets told the vet science student who was sitting in on our consult that my dog had the healthiest mouth that she had ever seen. I am a bit bonkers about oral health so that just about made my year. :laugh: I'm glad your Aussie is doing well...it is so satisfying to find a diet that suits them well isn't it?

Haredown Whippets- I don't know much about the Shiba breed...are they very similar to foxes in temperament and behaviour? I don't recognise the other breed, but they are rather cute. :) Some general thoughts on exotics...Australians keep many animals that are considered 'exotic' as pets. Large parrots, herps, many species of fish- many animals which require specialised care to provide for. Large intelligent parrots are particularly difficult to care for adequately...they are intensely social and are extremely long lived. Most people could not meet their needs, I know I certainly couldn't. But for those who can and do...*shrug*. It is all very well to say 'why not just get a cat or dog', but for many people that would not be satisfying, just like how not all people are satisfied by the same breed of dog. I wouldn't be satisfied by a dog that didn't have prey drive- I would find it boring and frustrating. People who are hooked on guardy, sharp, handler focused high drive breeds would probably find my dogs very unsatisfying! Ferrets , despite being domesticated, are not suitable for all households by a long shot but I will never be without them- everything else [including many dogs!] pales in comparison. A guinea pig just wouldn't cut it after having ferrets. Perhaps some people feel the same way about foxes. :) Foxes are intelligent and extremely adaptable and I have no trouble believing that a fox could have an excellent quality of life in certain captive environments- the fellow I mentioned in my first post said that Basil the fox genuinely liked interacting with him and would initiate playful interactions without any food bribery. Life in the wild is certainly no picnic after all...foxes suffer horribly from sarcoptic mange and all sorts of nasty afflictions. This group is not like certain domestic animal rescue networks that 'must save at any cost'. It is very apparent that they consider the suitability of each individual fox...and if not suitable euthanise. There is absolutely nothing wrong with destroying foxes- they have no place in our rural and native environments- but nor do I see an issue with preserving a life if the circumstances permit to do so. Kirty, I am very sorry that you lost your girl. What was her name?

Dogs were originally in the wild too If only responsible people who care solely for the animal and not for status symbols adopt a fox, there probably isn't a problem. However, see the thread "Red Dog Driving Kelpie Dumping" . Yup, the onus is on the rescue group to ensure that their foxes go to responsible people, just like the onus was on kelpie breeders to ensure that their animals weren't being purchased due to a movie driven fad. I don't think there is any evidence that the fox rescue are rehoming in an irresponsible fashion at this point so I am not going to condemn them out of hand. :)

Fair call. I still don't like it though. Being rural and breeding chickens, foxes make my life a living hell. The only fox I like to see is a dead one. I know I'll be flamed but whenever I see a road kill fox I do a silent cheer. They are just such a pest around here. They pretty much rule my day to day routine. I totally understand- foxes in those situations should definitely be removed one way or another. I have a fox body count to my name also, and seeing them on the road or on fences is not an unwelcome sight. The impact of feral cats is also dreadful...but as long as people keep their cats contained and prevent them from impacting upon people and other animals I would not begrudge them. :) From what I can tell this fox rescue group is infinitely more responsible [in regards to the impact upon wildlife, stock and people]than the vast majority of cat owners who allow their animals to wander and do as they please.

There are heaps of legitimate and healthy ways to feed dogs. :) I personally feed a very simple raw diet that involves minimal preparation. Mostly lamb necks, lamb hearts, cow hearts, offcuts, bones, lamb flaps, chicken quarters, chicken liver, chicken frames...whatever is cheap and fresh! Tinned sardines or mackeral with a raw egg once a week. And whatever left over steamed veggies we have for dinner. I don't grind or puree anything and buy food once a week. I've found it to be super easy. :) It has been cost effective and I have had three different vets tell me to keep on doing what we're doing- all were very impressed with her condition and commented on the health of her mouth and coat.

I know a fellow who had a fox for years and he reckoned it was an interesting, affectionate pet and that it would follow him around like a dog as he worked on his property. He got it as a young cub. If what this rescue is doing is legal and they are meeting the needs of their foxes and rehoming responsibly -which they seem to be doing as indicated by their admittance that not all foxes are appropriate for a home environment- then I really don't understand why anyone would take exception to this. Yes, foxes are pests when they kill native wildlife and stock and they do need to be controlled- however these foxes are doing neither and nor will they contribute to the wild population. I don't see the problem.

If she has prey drive a flirt pole can be very useful. I use a horse lunge whip and it is excellent- just tie her favourite toy to the end and away you go.

Any decent person in that situation would have interacted with the victims of the attack to exchange contact details so that any vet bills could be directed to them, at the very least. I highly doubt that he dashed off to euthanise his dog.

I worm for Heartworm once a month and Hydatids every six weeks. I don't want to take chances with either!