Chipps

Hi The Ark. Sounds like a messy situation & I have little to offer in the way of help. When I worked at the pound, the dogs were containd in their pens all night. It was always a lottery the next morning. Most would poo on the concrete, but some would poo on the beds, often resulting in a sticky mess in the pen & on the dog/s. Some would wait till their turn at the grass run (Poor little things just kept hanging on for ages, we always tried to let them out first, but was not always possible). Perhaps the following might give some clues. What sex are they? When did it start & what did you change before this? How long has it been happening? Do they urinate on the bed? Are they marking surroundings with urine? Are both dogs doing it? Are the stools normal, or very moist? Have you considered adding the third dog into the mix......Perhaps it can help guide their habits? Changing the feeding time does seem a very good start. I recommend separating & see how it goes. Good luck Chipps

Hi again. I missed the bit about "without using commercial snail bait" I'm pretty sure EDTA can still kill cats and dogs so I'm not prepared to risk it. Our Vegie patch will be fully fenced soon(ish) but I'd still worry to be honest. Thanks for the links Chipps :D Hi again. You said......Our vegie patch is raised which may help a little. How high? Reason I ask is have you thought of using natural predators? They may not be able to climb up high wall. I am planning to revert to this method. The idea is is to encourage lizards, birds etc into the patch with bowls of water, birdbath etc & places to hide. It worked a treat at my old place. Sections of terracotta pipe & besser blocks for the lizards & frogs to hide in. Needs to be fenced off for dogs though, otherwise they won't survive long. For fencing, Gal mesh panels are cheap & easy to install. They allow natural light and wind, just throw a few star pickets where they join. Plus you can grow vine crops on them. Try to avoid chemical fertilisers in granules like tropic etc. A diluted homebrew from a variety of manures seem the safest for these little guys. Can remember my kids squeeling with delight, they'd found 2 blue tongues sided by side under a zuchini bush. I had a closer look and realized it was actually partially hidden carpet python having a snooze Cheers Chipps PS: Don't waste beer Edited to add photo of gal fence panels......Cows versus my passionfruit :p

Had good results with this product: http://www.multicrop.com.au/mguard.htm MSDA: http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol...lSlugKiller.pdf These pellets are smaller than the original green coloured brands, they do tend to go crumbly & tend to dissappear pretty fast. But hey, my dogs wander all over the vegie patches & just ignore them. Cheers Chipps

PS: Hope it's a goodie Chipps

Ok folks, thanks for all the advice. looks like my questions are sorted So in a nutshell, here's what I should be doing...... My Cairn Don't clip coats short. Thin out his undercoat on a regular basis. This should make him more comfortable with the heat & easier to maintain his own natural cooling. The Maltese's OK to clip single coat short. Do as often as needed. Be aware of sun exposure. My Cattle X Lab (note avatar) :D Ahhh......perfect as is. Just a good brush & she's happy. I have learnt stacks. so a huge thanks. Out come the clippers & sedatives :D (joking) Chipps

Interesting feedback aussielover. Hadn't considered it can ruin their coat or alter its thickness. Other than that, you feel it does help with the heat problem. I agree that ticks, burrs etc are easier to find. I have only ever clipped once a year as it seems adequate for grooming & maintenance on these little guys. Ours are simply companion animals, not for breeding or show btw. Ta for the reply Chipps

Thats an excellent idea! It is probably just me but i felt the instructions on the pet registry website is not very clear. By default, when you microchip your dog and register with the council, which register does it go into? If you don't register with the other pet registers and if you lose your dog (knock on wood) and say 1) someone takes it to a vet, would the vet be able to track down the microchip if it is just registered with the council 2) if someone takes it to the pound, could they track it down if it is just registered with the council If both the above is yes, then what are the other pet registries for? Don't know about other states, but in NSW, councils enter the details into the statewide NSW CAR NSW Companion Animal Registry. It only lists NSW animals. Interstate animals that get impounded or taken to vets for ID in NSW will need to be identified by contacting the relevant state site if possible. A national system would be the ducks guts.

Hi all, dumb questions time. Getting pretty hot & humid here, so we usually give our dogs a very short clip to get them through the heat of summer. I have a cairn terrier & a cattle x lab, my ex has 2 maltese. Questions: 1. Is it true that dogs perspire using their tongue & not through sweat glands to the skin like humans? 2. Is clipping to reduce heat stress a myth? Cheers Chipps PS: I don't clip the cattle dog

Hi Skruffy n Flea ReadySetGo is spot on. Normally both forms are completed together & then processed together. 1. You & your dog’s details are entered into the NSW Companion Animals Registry using the permanent identification form http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/DLG/DLGHome/Docu...ntification.pdf 2. Registration can then be completed using a Lifetime registration form http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/DLG/DLGHome/Docu...egistration.pdf & added to the C.A.R. NSW Companion Animal Registry You should then receive a letter indicating that registration is complete. However, be aware, not all chip implantation forms get completed within the required time frame. Admin can be bogged down with paperwork, some vets forward their implant forms on a monthly basis & a lot of forms can be incorrectly completed which also slows the process while correct details are being sourced. Yep, this is wrong, but it's a reality. Chipps Edited to fix typos & added text

In NSW, that tiny little tattoo can save a small fortune in rego fees for an impounded dog, $40 versus $150. A dog must be chipped & registered prior to release to the owner. If they can produce the desexing certificate, then great, but if no paperwork or no visible tattoo then your $110 worse off. This is so common where a change of owner form is not completed & processed. Technically the dog is still identified (if chipped) with the original owner & they are also responsible for all fees & fines. Next bit way off topic, but feel it's worth remembering........ A visit to the pound can be very expesnsive. Impound release fee $25, Chip $40, Rego $40/$150, boarding fee $16 per day etc & even vet fees when deemed necessary. Then the potential council fines, examples: Penalty notices issued under the Act Animal not permanently identified (microchipped) . . . $165 Animal not registered . . . . . . . . . . $165 Failure to notify change of address/owner . . . . . . $165 Failure to prevent dog escaping . . . . . . $220 Dog not on lead in public place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $220 Dog in prohibited place . . . . . $330 http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/dlg_...;index=302#Dogs Sorry for going off topic Chipps

Great topic Muttrus..........Makes life so much easier finding one. No offense intended idigadog, but I have been caught out with that theory (No visible wheels = No balls) Some pups and younger dogs can have retained testicles or sometimes older dogs a very small scrotum post surgery. So it can be difficult to tell without the tattoo. And yep it should be a line through a circle, can be very hard to see in some ears though, sometimes they are so faint, or the ears filthy. I'm talking all types here, pure and cross, so please don't jump on me Cheers Chipps

Definately no expert, but here goes..... Self preservation for me if it's dog versus dog. 1. Stand well back. 2. Watch each dog involved & decide if intervention is needed or safe. If you absolutely must get involved (EG: Child being attacked then hook in & give it all you have) ......... Options are.... 3. If it seems possible, then yes, grab attacking animal by hind hocks & attempt to swing it onto something solid (a fence, tree, bench, car or even into the ground). The idea is to break its spine or at least disable it long enough for rescue. 4. Consider scruffing from behind, dragging away, holding it face down on its side with your body on top while still scruffing. This is so risky with a short hair or dog with a firm bulky neck. I have done this successfully where a pole was unavailable with kelpies and shephards for example, mainly because they have plenty of grip & fur for scruffing, but never attempted it with a staffy or similar tighter nape. 5. The choke method works, but my god, has anyone actually tried it on an unknown aggressive dog? The technique is learned skill and requires a lot of dexterity and strength. For example: They use it with police belgian shepherds to release a capture, but those are trained animals being handled by professionals. 6. If second person is helping, ask them to wait till dog is removed, then hug/ protect the child/person as still & quietly as possible. there are so many variables here, so it's difficult to say if it's safe to move away, or just sit tight. Won't be pleasant waiting, but it's your best chance. Ok, I'll shoosh now & sorry for any spelling errors

Sorry double post. how do I delete?

An update from the Qld Courier Mail: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/dogs-fr...6-1225968537320 I understand it's a media article, but seems the majority of replies support this policy. Cheers

Identified. "Its vet team and senior curators all agreed it was the corpse of a badly decomposed marsupial. "The identification of the animal has been made slightly difficult because the possum appears to be a black furred brush tail variety," Taronga’s communications manager Lisa Keen said. "This type of possum, a black furred morph, is really quite rare and is only found in some parts of Northern NSW as well as Wilson’s Promontory in Victoria," she said. They said the lack of fur around the face and paws could have been caused by dermatitis or burn injuries." Source: http://www.noosanews.com.au/story/2010/11/...ter-identified/ BTW, hello all