Leelaa17

Congrats to k9 company and of course dogzonline for their wins.

What I hate is NORMALLY the people who say 'i'll bring my rotty over' are the kind of people I wish didnt have dogs. I have two GSD and I don't sit there and go 'oh im so tough because I have two massive dogs that are known for their apparent violence'.... i have them because my partner loves GSD and desperately wanted one and now I have fallen in love with the breed. It's people like this who arent responsible owners and ultimately give a bad name to the 'tough' breeds because they want an effing ego boost.

Also mumtoshelley............... if I KNEW I was a safe driver and have never had an accident in my car before... does that give me the right to drive 50k over the speed limit?.... because, I mean... I've never had a crash before and I KNOW I am a safe driver... therefore I am adove the law... right???

This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. I don't know where you live but there would be SOME sort of off-lead dog area near you... and if there isn't only within 10km or you... then DRIVE to the nearest one - there was a dog park that was 5min away from me.. but if there hadnt been I would've driven the 40k to take my dogs to the dog park - they LOVE it there because they can socialise with other dogs and you don't have to worry about them running onto a road or running off and never coming back.. as that other person said about the dog that didn't listen ONCE and ended up dying because of it (RIP) - that once day could be shelley... one day she just might not listen and that could be the last time you see her... YOU DON'T KNOW - this is the thing... I said in a previous post that I had no idea my dog would go psycho... I thought she was getting better because we are taking her to training and I have changed my behaviour etc... YOU. JUST. DON'T. KNOW. this is what everyone on here is trying to say. its not about giving your dog freedom... they have freedom - by you treating them well, with affection, feeding them regularly and walking them (ON LEAD) - IS FREEDOM!!! letting them run around off lead... is irresponsible.

I recently posted a thread about my 7month old GSD female who got quite aggressive when any dog used to come near me and people told me not to sit on the ground etc at dog parks (that's where she would get aggressive - at dog parks)... I took everyones advice and stopped sitting down - whenever she would come near me I would walk away so she didnt feel she needed to protect me - and it started to work... then two days ago I took her to the dog park and she went absolutely MENTAL at another dog that came about 3 metres away from me... If I hadnt have been holding her collar she would've taken a chunk out of the dog that was 3x bigger than her... it scared the hell out of me and she is not going back to a dog park until she gets assessed by Steve from k9 pro... MY POINT IS..... I was absolutely SHOCKED at this behaviour - she has NEVER acted like that before... it always used to be just growls - that was it.. she was actually snapping her jaws and barking crazily... I was completely shocked - If I hadnt of had her restrained it wouldve been disastrous. This is the same kind of situation with off-lead dogs... you just never know...

Not just large dogs It tends to be the smaller ones that have the attitude problems & owners that encourage the bad behaviour. I agree with this. There have been many times when my dogs have looked on in confusion as small dogs run up to them, barking, ignoring their owners calls to go back. If you are going to make training compulsory, it should apply to all shapes and sizes. I also agree with everything said above. Its commonly called by pet-owners 'Little Dog Syndrome'... where little dogs think they are tougher than any dog larger than them (not all little dogs have this but the majority I have come into contact with do have it). Hoever, in saying this, there is no 'large dog syndrome'..... little dogs in my opinion have more attitude problems because their owners (NOT ALL OWNERS JUST SOME) treat them as lap dogs and therefore coddle them and make them the pack leader instead of the human being the pack leader... If they want to bring in compulsary training - that's fine.. but it should be for every dog - NOT based on their size, breed, colour, sex or whatever else they want to discriminate against.

No worries at all. At the moment there are 125 signatures (last time I checked which was about an hour ago) - majority are from people in different countries though - we desperately need more australian supporters. It is nice however to know that people in other countries are supporting NSW petition's because I am sure in thinking that if one country starts changing then the rest will eventually get on board as well you know? I will keep everyone updated - please tell your friends about it. It was also really horrible having to research all the abuse cases in the news - I have been doing it most of the day and pretty much can't stop crying so it is really hard for me. Thank you everyone for your support.

Wow really? That's awful to hear! When I would volunteer, the volunteers there (some not all) would spend no time with the animals - I do know that's what volunteers are there for but they seem to not care at all. I wish there was some way they could change.

I volunteered for the RSPCA quite a while ago and I stopped going because I didn't agree with their euthanasia of dogs. (my opinion). I am simply curious to know why others don't like the RSPCA? Sign The Petition!!!! -------> http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/harsher-p...animals-in-nsw/

I know what you mean Gavin, however I work in the media and I do have friends in high places. So I'm not going to stop until something gets done about it.

you are all amazing - I am taking this extremely seriously. If anyone would like to write a letter for me to compile with my documentation I would be happy to send it through with other info I have gathered. I am also finding all the relevant news articles on abuse and what penalties the people have got for them and putting them altogether to send them through with the petition as well. we're going to do this guys!!

Thanks so much for the people who have signed it - there has been 72 views of this topic - please - everyone who reads this, just take 1 minute and sign the petition - please guys!!!!

Thanks guys so much - I really really appreciate it. If I can get this done I hope to get it done in all states as well! Thank you thank you!

Hi guys, I have created a petition for harsher penalties towards animal cruelty in NSW (please, even if you aren't in NSW - help us out). At the moment penalties can be seen at a 6 month jail term or a small fine. For aggravated cruelty to animals it is a 2 year jail sentence and a larger fine. This isn't acceptable. A lot of the time there are loop holes and it is rare that people will go to jail, if they do - they get out early. They 'aren't allowed to own a dog' - yet what is stopping them from going to a backyard breeder? Please help me by signing the petition. I need 10,000 signatures before September 30 and with whatever I have I will be sending it to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. And because QLD have just tripled their punishment from 2yrs to 7yrs - I don't think it will take much for NSW to get on board. We can do this guys. Please help. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/harsher-p...animals-in-nsw/

I know this is a reasonably old post but I am going to reply here anyway. I think this is appauling and would be more than furious if I came home to find my dogs taken. I think it is completely unacceptable for ANYONE (I don't give a s**t who they are) to come into your backyard regardless of whether you are home or not and take your dogs without evidence. They say the dogs allegedly attacked or something around those lines... what a crock. So someone can turn around and say 'oh yeah my neighbours dog attacked me' and thats that. your dogs are gone...? And we cant forget that 'attacking' doesnt just mean biting etc... re the quote above - 'rushes' (it has been said that a dog attack can not only be biting etc but can also be a dog barking at someone, a dog 'rushing' - or more correctly put - running towards someone)... So therefore - in saying this.. if someone walked part my back fence (which backs onto a nunnery and horse paddock) and my dogs 'rushed' towards the fence - which they most certainly would as to protect their property and to find out who the person was - then they could be classified as attacking that person. what. a. crock. of. shit.

hahaahhha i love it! very very cute!! one of myu dogs has a thing for pillows - he humps them, then rips them to shreds... therefore - no more pillows for him. lol

I agree with that too. You made a fair point - I do believe it depends on the dog as much as it depends on the owner and what theyre willing to do. My GSDs would HATE to be only inside dogs - I mean don't get me wrong - they LOVE coming inside and just being in my company etc but when you see them running up and down the backyard and playing and rolling and having fun - I just couldn't take that away from them as the house - although quite a large house, cant give them the space they need (and I am not saying in any way shape of form that people living in apartments are taking that away from their dogs - this is just my persoanl situation).

I personally have no problem with it as I think if a person is dedicated and walks the dog every day and exercises it and plays with it etc then it will be fine. I have heard (on ABC radio about 2 months ago) that one of the best LARGE dogs to have in an apartment is actually a great dane because unlike other large dogs they are actually aware of their size. For example - my two GSD would be hopeless in an apartment because they're both completely uncoordinated and hhave no idea how big they actually are. lol

Hi there. I am just curious to know what people think about dogs being in apartments? I am writing an article on it and just generally wanted to get peoples opinions on it?

I hope to hell that pup got more help than a tablet once a day. Medication is no substitute for owner education and dog training. Once again I agree. When my GSD was a pup he cried every single night for three weeks and we tried everything - ignoring him, hot water bottle, clock etc and nothing worked - I went to the vet and asked what they thought - they gave me sedatives and I used them for a little while and then as soon as we put him outside he stopped crying - just like that. I wasn't entirely comfortable using sedatives but the vet said just to not use them for very long. My second puppy also had the same issue except we didnt use sedatives we just dealt with it. they're both fine now and don't cry although my little one still has some issues - and I am currently organising with K9 Pro to get some help for her. I would never ever consider putting her on anti-anxiety medication (because thats exaclty what she has - severe anxiety - she is the most active dog I have ever come into contact with) as I think there are easier ways to deal with problems that might occur. And as always, prevention is better than cure.

I completely agree with you poodlefan and of course, we don't have all the details from the news report. It makes me sad to think they were in a shelter environment for so long and I hope they find homes soon as to not stay there any longer.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news...2-1226030268790 MENTAL illness in pets is on the rise, with an increasing number of animals being prescribed anti-depressant medications. Dr Gabrielle Carter, from the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Veterinary Science, said she was seeing more animals with anxiety, depression and phobias. "We're diagnosing more animals with mental illness," Dr Carter said. "The main mental distress would be some sort of anxiety. That probably underlies about 95 per cent of the problems. "There's also many animals with separation anxiety, phobias and aggression." Dr Carter, a leading animal psychiatrist, said animals were being put on anti-depressant medication in increasing numbers as vets and owners became more aware of the signs of mental illness. "We use a lot of drugs like Prozac and other anti-depressants and Valium," Dr Carter said. "And we always prescribe behavioural treatment plans." Year-old Luna is one of Dr Carter's success stories. At just four months old, the labrador cross began displaying signs of severe mental illness. Owner Lydia Spicer said: "I was appalled and in tears when my four-month-old puppy turned vicious before my eyes. "I'd take her for a walk and if someone came past, she'd start going nuts and lunge and growl at them. "I had no idea I had to keep an eye out for mental illness in a pet. I kept thinking, what have I done?" Dr Carter said Luna showed signs of fear-aggression, caused by a major anxiety disorder. "We worked out a treatment plan for her that involves treatment with Prozac and behaviour modification therapy," Dr Carter said. "She's got quite a severe mental disorder, but she's coping well and making huge progress." Not only dogs can develop mental disorders. Dr Carter said she had treated cats, horses and even birds. "I've seen lots of compulsive disorders in horses and the way we manage them is important," she said. "Birds being kept as pets quite often display signs of mental illness. "The most common sign for birds with mental illness is plucking out their feathers. There are lots of reasons a bird might pull its feathers out, but anxiety can be a cause for it. "We need to be more aware of the needs of animals and realise their needs are not always being met by our busy lifestyles." I'm not too sure how I feel about this one.......... I thought there were other ways to tackle their behaviour without using medication?

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-au...u-1226030703940 Perth's most hapless hounds receive model treatment from award winning photographer Alex Cearns. Can you help find them a home? IT'S a sad tale that could soon have a happy ending. Overlooked time and time again, these dogs have been the long-termers at the Dogs' Refuge Home in Shenton Park. GALLERY: Check out the dogs in their before and after shots. Some of the mutts have been there for as long as three years, forlorn and forsaken as a steady stream of individuals, couples and families have walked on by picking other dogs to take home and love. But thanks to a muttly makeover these dogs could soon have their day. Refuge staff washed and groomed the pooches and organised for studio photographs to be taken by Perth-based pet photographer Alex Cearns, who has just been named National Canine Photographer of the Year. Refuge president Karen Rhodes said staff adored the dogs, but wanted them to find loving homes outside the refuge. "To me it is hard to call them unwanted because I just adore them all so much," she said. "We are desperate to find these dogs homes of their own." Ms Rhodes said the nine longest-serving residents deserved committed owners who could offer real love and a safe environment. "Some of the dogs have had a pretty bad start to life and are looking for owners who are devoted to giving them a second chance," she said. "We want people who have had experience with dogs to come in and meet them." The refuge is at full capacity, providing shelter for 140 dogs, and cannot take any more abandoned canines until the number is reduced. "The refuge is overflowing," Ms Rhodes said. "I have never seen so many dogs at the shelter before." Meanwhile, Australia's Animal Welfare League claims more abandoned dogs and cats are going without a home now than at any other time in the past 10 years. Dog adoptions are down 30 per cent compared with the average of the past decade. The Shenton Park refuge will provide two free training sessions to help build a bond between owners and their new pet. For more information on how to adopt a dog, call the refuge on 9381 8166 or visit their website at www.dogshome.org.au. Hopefully these beautiful babies will get a loving home!!

Surely year 7 and 8 kids could learn to clean it up themselves.. a good lesson to learn at their age. Even a pre-schooler can learn to use a pooper scooper. lol i agree - although maybe its some sort of OH&S issue? I dunno.

What worries me is the fact that I have two GSD and they bark sometimes... not all the time and NEVER for prolonged periods of time... but we have a horse paddock out the back of my place and they go crazy when the horses walk past, stop and stare at them (lol - it is quite funny) but other than that they're not really a bother. But one of my neighbours have a grudge against us and would easily go to the council and say my dogs are nuisence barkers and that would be that - I would get a $2,500 fine with no evidence on my behalf - i THINK. It just scares me because if these laws come in (which they wont because there would be an outcry like no other) I don't want to be at work one day and come home to find my babies gone... You know what I'd do? I would do what that guy did and went to jail for - I would break into the facility they were in and steal them back. No one takes my dogs. That's that.