Dxenion

Please count me in. Always glad to be able to add more training tools to the toolbox incase I ever need it.

How do you purchase more than one ticket?

One of our dogs gets car sick but only when subjected to mild G force eg a really humpy or winding road. If we know we may encounter this sort of road on a highway where we can't slow down, we feed him crystallised ginger about 15 minutes before and then a piece every 5 or so minutes during. Getting him as close to the front of the car as possible also helps. If we are in a built up area or on a multilane road where we can go slower, we put up a sign in the rear window saying "Car sick dog, please pass". Other drivers seem to appreciate that we are going slow for a reason, not to annoy them.

I was the one on the receiving end. I've met a few 'anti dog in food mall' type people but after taking the time to talk to them about the assistance dogs, guidelines on appropriate public hygiene and behaviour and the rights and responsibilities of the handler and service providers, their attitutes change and more often and not want to know how to get involved as a puppy carer. This time, the woman with toddler in mid tantrum wasn't interested in anything I said - she seemed totally blinkered on the fact that the dog was a German Shepherd and therefore a vicious breed (her words not mine). This is despite the fact the dog was lying down quietly next to me while her child was throwing a red faced fruity because she wouldn't let him 'pat the doggie'. Towards the end of the lecture I even started to feel guilty for making what this woman felt was a discraceful decision to buy milk when there could be children around. After she stormed off saying she was going to report my presence to the manager, other members of the public who witnessed the tirade came forward to offer support but it certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. Pitbull type dogs are the main centre of attention but already we are seeing staffies, rottweilers and now german shepherds being caught up in the dangerous dog hysteria. It is a worrying sign of the times that frightened members of the public will even publically turn on assistance dogs who by the very nature of their job cannot show any signs of aggression.

The hysteria is spreading to other breeds including German Shepherds, even one that was clearly identified as an assistance dog. The handler was verbally abused for bringing a 'vicious breed' into a shopping centre where there were innocent children that could be attacked.

Thank you. He was an incredible dog that helped change a few lives. It was months after his passing before I could talk about him at all and even two years later, I still get sappy talking about his antics and his wonderful nature. The pain has eased slightly because his spirit now lives on in our 10 month old pup.

Well done SM, an awesome interview giving a level headed and well articulated view of the other side of these new DD laws. I didn't realise the powers that be only have to use a visual ID package to determine if the dog is a 'pitbull type'. That is truly scary as it really is open to the ranger's interpretation. What happened to DNA testing to determine the breed? Surely instead of seizing suspect dogs, they could do a swab test and then submit the sample. Based on the results of the DNA breed ID test, enforce the restricted breed management rules if applicable. My heart breaks at the thought of a beloved staffy or a pitbull type dog being forcebly removed from it's home until it's breed is scientifically determined which could take weeks or longer. I wish people would stop blaming the breed in general and start looking at enforcing responsible ownership. The 'if it quacks like a duck' comment belongs in the dark ages. Surely we have progressed in our thinking on this topic by now, kiddies. :rolleyes:

Another data indicator for your study would be if the dog was desexed and if so, at what age. In our case, he was never desexed. It also might be interesting to collect data on whether the dog was a pedigree or not. In our case, he was. a) Breed: German Shepherd b) Age: Assisted pass over the bridge at 14 yrs 8 months c) Diet: Early years Pal, Eukanuba. Later years Royal Canin, Eagle Pack. Also included a wide range of fresh meat, eggs, olive oil, fish, dairy treats, bones and dried treats (eg schmackos). d) Supplements: From age 10 - Rimadyl plus Sasha's Blend or Joint Guard. Also had two courses of cartophen injections. e) Exercise regime: Last 4 years - short walks, short free play sessions. Last 12 months - house exercise and purpose designed rides in the car with short meanders. f) Temperament: Gentle, calm, confident. g) Prior/current health concerns: Age related arthritis in hips, aged related cataracts, tumor below anal gland which resulted in assistance over the bridge. h) Living arrangements: Inside dog, memory foam mattress bed. Raised food bowl platform in later years. Also wore a coat in winter when we went out in his later years to help keep hips warm. i) Pictures! Banjo at 8 weeks, 6 years and 14 years . Banjo's 14th birthday (far left)

With four dogs darting about, sometimes I trip over my tongue trying to get out the right name in a hurry so it becomes a combination mash of all their names eg OdinRakimTlaloc, RakimTlalocOdin, JavaTlalocRakim or sometimes even OiYouWithTheFur. These mashups are all multiple syllables but they do respond when I eventually get their name out! Then again they also respond to Monster, Furball, Excuse Me and my favourite DontEvenThinkAboutIt.

LOL This thread needs to come with a warning not to open it if you happen to be munching on vegemite saladas so as to prevent a choking hazard from uncontrolled laughing with a mouthful of dry biscuit. Here's hoping you feel better soon.

I use it on our elderly GSD who has quite severe issues with thunder. At the first sign of her alerting to thunder (she hears it waaaaay before I do), I put the Thundershirt on her and the difference is like night and day. Without it she's a quivering mess, with it she initiates play with our pup or sleeps or whatever she'd normally be doing at that time of day. We do put it on as tight as we can get it and she does resemble a sausage gone wrong but it most definitely works for her. In , it was leading up to a thunderstorm and there had already been some decent rumbles. Without the thundershirt, the black GSD would be shaking herself to pieces under our bed. With it on, she's happily trotting around the yard keeping the other three under control.

What camera, lens and settings are you using to get these seriously amazing shots?

Years ago one of ours freaked out at a Guide Dog collection box so one day we set up a takeout lunch next to it and 'cough' fed the statue and made a fuss of it. Earned some very strange looks from passers-by but it sorted the real dog's issues.

Perhaps you could submit an Intention to Purchase form to local council which will set off a chain of checks, including Dog Owner Licence, property inspection and offence history. Similar process to that required for the purchase of a firearm. No matter what the size of the dog, it's temperament or it's training, they all have 42 teeth and can bite. Yes, together with something that proves you do actually live at the nominated address (perhaps 2 forms of ID that list your address). Yes - I think that both the dog and owner need to be licenced. AKA NSW statewide register. Not sure about this as not all show dogs will be used for breeding but do need to be entire to show. Perhaps dogs can only be entire if registered with the ANKC. This raises further questions as there is at least one other club which has it's own registration system that is not recognised by the ANKC. Would dogs registered with these sorts of organisations be allowed to be entire as they do participate in their own non-ANKC shows? No comment on this - not a breeder.

Four dogs at the moment, only one has never developed any fears that needed working on. Rain - I took the other dogs out and had a huge play session with them, leaving the pup to his own devices and ignoring him until he joined us out in the rain. I did this over a few sessions. The pup is now so comfortable in the that I have to encourage him to come in out of it. Shower - I sat in shower and played water flicking games with other water loving dogs, ignoring the pup. If the pup came close, I held out my hand so he could sniff/ lick it. Gradually progressed to gentle water games. Pup is evidently over it now because he opened the shower door when I wasn't looking and joined me under the water. Dog pool - Played with other dogs, ignoring the pup until he joined in of his own accord because he can't stand missing out on fun. Nail clippers - First I got rid of his excess puppy energy and set up the clipping station in the nice warm afternoon sun (just right to induce snoozing). I then let the pup sniff the clippers and gave him a treat. I put the treat bag right near his head, did one small clip and gave a jackpot treat from the bag. Lots of small clippings, lots of treats, varying the treat and the quantity (ie one or two and then a jackpot). The pup quickly associated the sound of the clip with a treat. He's had a few sessions now and the frequency of treats is being reduced. I think we did particularly well this one (pardon the pun). Gas heater with fan - Fed the other dogs near the heater. The pup's hunger overcame his concern and he was well rewarded for each step he took closer to the heater. Repeated this over a one week period. The pup now sleeps in front of the heater. Thunder - Ignored the behaviour (no comforting pats). I also bought a thundershirt and put it on the dog at the first signs of rapid panting (she hears it well before I do). Instant transformation from rapid panting and trying to wrap herself around my legs to a calm elderly dog sleeping peacefully on her bed or even initiating play with the pup during the storm. Vacuum - I got the pup and other dogs to down/ stay on their lounge while I vacuumed around it. I reinforced the stay with treats and a quiet happy voice. The pup's behaviour was also reinforced by the behaviour of other dogs (unconcerned, sleeping). I gradually got closer over a 3 week period, adding higher value treats. Now the pup does not move and I can even vacuum him. Two with a fear of strange dogs (after being on the receiving end of dog attacks)- Look at that Game (a work in progress) Still working with the pup on water out of the hose and learning to love the bath rather than just tolerate it.

Four large shedding dogs deciding to moult at the same time .......furbunnies multiplying at a scary rate........me armed only with a vacuum in a desperate (and possibly losing) battle to rediscover the tiled floor. Solution - cut out the middle man and vacuum the dogs. Furminator plus vacuum hose equals happy dogs, happy human and happy neighbours (because I've captured the hair in the vacuum rather than it escaping on a sudden wind gust over the fence and attaching itself to the neighbour's washing ).

Certainly, the only difficulty is in creating enough situations where she will do it naturally so you can click/ treat. I have one pup here that play bowed naturally but when I C/Ted, it broke his initiation of that behaviour and he then focussed his attention on me instead (why play with other dogs when the human has treats - even low value ones!). It wasn't easy to recreate the stimulus for the bow so he would naturally offer it again, I had to wait until the next time he did it. It's a much slower method and one problem that can develop is if down the track, you do manage to attach a cue and later she forgets, you may have difficulty reshaping the behaviour as it wasn't something you shaped in the first place (ie the behaviour occured from a stimulus not created by you and may be difficult for you to replicate). In the method I mentioned, I shaped the downward head movement but instead of a C/T (my hands were full) I replaced the click with a word that I'd previously charged. Same effect. Slight head down (W/T), next repetition head further down (W/T) and so on. It only took 2 days over numerous 2-3 minute sessions and I had a bow behaviour on a hand cue that he was able to perform at a public event just a few days later. I tried the capture method on one dog and the lure shaping on another at the same time to compare the two methods. Lure shaping was definitely faster. I did discover that by getting the lure shaped dog to bow, the capture method dog would bow in response and I could W/T that. Down the track, I noticed that the capture method dog would bow when given the same hand signal I used for the lure shaped one, even though I hadn't taught the hand signal to the capture method dog. I believe this is known as a precusor signal ie pup watches another dog bow (so he bows in response) and both get a treat, pup starts noticing the hand signal leads to the bow and treat, pup starts reacting to the hand signal which leads to the bow and treat, pup sees hand signal - bows and gets a treat.

I imagine there are many ways to teach it but this is the method I used: Have the dog stand side on in front of you. Place one hand lightly under their belly back towards the groin. Your belly hand is only there to stop the back end of the dog from laying down. Using a high value treat in the other hand, lure the dog's nose down towards the ground between it's front legs. The dog's front end will collapse into the bow position as it follows the treat. For the first repetition, reward the slightest front end downward move. With further repetitions, reward more exagerated downward moves until the front end is bowing under support. Repeat the process, slowly taking away the belly hand until the dog is bowing at the front and the back end is standing without support. Once the dog is doing this reliably, then you can add a cue. You might find that by this stage the dog may have already associated the downward motion of the treat hand as a hand signal.

In the email, did they provide a link or reference to the particular legislation? If they didn't, would you mind PMing me the name of the person who provided this information and I'll see if I can get a legal reference from them on Monday. If we get pulled over about our dogs, I'd like to know where I legally stand and have a black and white reference to back it up.

I just had a look at the NSW Road Rules and can't find any reference to this. Do you have any further details I can chase up? This is the link to the legislation. I did a search for 'dog' and 'animal' and no other relevant references came up. This is a link to the NSW Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and there is only one section I can find that relates to the carriage of animals and it only mentions not carrying a dog on the open back of a moving vehicle on a public street. If anyone knows of any other references, please list them here.

NSW Legislation Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 No 200 7 Carriage and conveyance of animals (2A) Without limiting subsection (1), a person must not carry or convey a dog (other than a dog being used to work livestock), on the open back of a moving vehicle on a public street unless the dog is restrained or enclosed in such a way as to prevent the dog falling from the vehicle. Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both. Road Rules 2008 297 Driver to have proper control of a vehicle etc (1A) A driver must not drive a vehicle if a person or an animal is in the drivers lap. Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units. As far as I'm aware, there is no specific reference in the legislation covering the restraint of dogs inside the vehicle but the police can use Rule 297 if they feel that the dog is distracting the driver (which means that the driver does not have proper control of the vehicle). I'm not aware of any other NSW laws that cover this situation. Oakway, when you say you became aware, were you given any reference to specific legislation?

Akita: Kyojin Border Collie: Roy Cane Corso: Ali Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Bree, Ingrid, Jersey, Lacey Chihuahua: Chelsea and Pansy Finnish Lapphund: Halo, Vienna, Jaana German Coolie: FlashBazil, Latte German Shepherd: Java, Odin, Tlaloc Golden Retriever: Onslow, Matilda-Rose Great Dane: Sparkles Griffon Bruxellois: Mocha Labrador Retriever: Lestat Samoyed: Mistral, Alchemy, Yngvie, Dante Siberian Husky: Akira Rescue Bitsa: Keely, Fred and Ginger White Swiss Shepherd: Rakim

Akita: Kyojin Border Collie: Roy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Bree, Ingrid, Jersey, Lacey Finnish Lapphund: Halo, Vienna German Coolie: FlashBazil, Latte German Shepherd: Java, Odin, Tlaloc Golden Retriever: Onslow, Matilda-Rose Griffon Bruxellois: Mocha Labrador Retriever: Lestat Samoyed: Mistral, Alchemy, Yngvie, Dante Siberian Husky: Akira Rescue Bitsa: Keely White Swiss Shepherd: Rakim

It depends entirely on the two males involved. Years ago, I was living in share accommodation with two intact males. We had to be so careful to keep them apart because one particular dog would exploit any opportunity to tell the other exactly where to go and how to get there! The instigator mellowed slightly in his old age but could never be trusted. I've also had 3 intact males (14 yrs, 4 years, 2 years) and they were the best of friends. The 14 year old was the the same dog that received all the instigator's attention in the first paragraph. When the oldest passed away, the 4 year old was inconsolable for a good couple of months. The right combination of intact males can work well, the wrong can be hell.

Try petexpertise.com - that's where I last bought mine from. Thanks for the referral. The pouch was a fraction cheaper and postage was only $19.50.