Leelaa17

I completely agree with you oakway on the 'expect the unexpected' - the thing I don't agree with you about was that going to a dog park is eventually going to lead to seeing dogs fight... as some of us have said on here - some of us have NEVER seen a dog fight that has been serious, as in leading to blood shed (not that other dog fights AREN'T serious). And I think everyone who goes to a dog park would be stupid to think that all dogs want to play nicely. Again, we are just saying from experience that dog fights aren't as common as people think. And I think people have every right to come on here and talk about a fight they've seen - plus, the OP was actually asking for advice on whether or not she should report the owners etc, not just to bitch about the dog fight. I give up!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have already said "I" was not referring to the the OP. I said stop complaining, not stop reporting. Most of us are just plain sick and tired of these reports (I know I am) of what happens at Dog Parks. What we are saying is, that if you frequent Dog Parks these incidents MAY happen and be aware of it. What some of us are trying to tell people reading this out there that dog fights happen and they appear to be more frequent at Dog Parks. NOBODY said that they were the norm. hahahahah oh im sorry oakway. I dont like being one of those people that make others repeat themselves over and over again. I am in a completely different headspace atm as I am extremely sick and im just completely loopy! lol im sorry for making u feel like u needed to keep backing up what you were saying! I know what it is like to have to repeat yourself a million times to make people understand what you are trying to say!!!

I know - I am extremely paranoid as well!!! And I am terrified of bloat - I didn't realise feeding too much also gave them bloat? I thought it was more about exercising excessively right before or after they eat because of the large intakes of breath they take? Just to note, neither jenna nor max scoffs their food - they are incredibly slow eaters! but thank you for your advice! Ok, there are a 100's of myths of what 'causes Bloat. I have deep chested breed so I've heard them all as well. You're not feeding TOO MUCH if your dog is not fat. Deep chested breeds should be fed twice a day and eat slowly, if they don't then you provide their feed in an interactive toy or BrakeBowl to slow them them down. Exercising after meals is actually GOOD i.e. walking helps with digestions. Running around and high intensity exercise is not reccomend for 30-60 minutes before or after meals for deep chested breeds. Don't be extremely paranoid about Bloat, that's not the way to live. Kow the signs, have Degas pills on hand and know how to get to your Emergency Vet. Thanks MEH - what are degas pills? im assuming they 'de-gas' lol.. sorry I must sound so stupid!

OMFG!!!!! I CANT STOP LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is the FUNNIEST shit I have heard all week. brilliant. i love it. LOLOLOLOL

Ok so here is another question. Max and Jenna are inside from around 10pm - 6.30am... we have tried feeding them really early (around 5.30pm), but she still poos inside... we have also tried around 8.30pm and she still poos inside... what is the best time to feed her so it is less likely she goes to the toil;et inside... its really weird because normally she's very good... but just this past week she hasn't been able to (or wanted to!) hold it.

ok, what is BARF? and where could I get it? and I am going to see if my dad can go and get her some lamb bones today as I am at work, and if he cant ill get some at the local butcher on my way home and see how she goes. I dont want her to be sick shes my little munchkin. I just cant believe it didnt register to me that it might be a bad thing My dad was the one who kept worrying about it and I was like 'she's fine, she's happy'... but now I feel like an idiot.

From what everyone has said I would get a copy of the Act and take it into council and just ask them why they have a two dog policy if all of NSW is unrestricted? also - I just went onto maitland council website and I didnt see anything about only have two dogs?

hahaha sorry! it was the only place I could think of to get quick answers. she hasn't been vet checked because In didn't think it was worthy of a vet check?? Should I take her? because I will if it is a seriously problem. I'm actually really worried now. Shes been acting so normal that I didn't think it was a problem!! And she does get bones but not very often, the only reason that is is because I forget to get them!! lol There could well be a digestion problem because she definitely is very lean, not overweight in the slightest.

I completely agree with you oakway on the 'expect the unexpected' - the thing I don't agree with you about was that going to a dog park is eventually going to lead to seeing dogs fight... as some of us have said on here - some of us have NEVER seen a dog fight that has been serious, as in leading to blood shed (not that other dog fights ARENT serious). And I think everyone who goes to a dog park would be stupid to think that all dogs want to play nicely. Again, we are just saying from experience that dog fights aren't as common as people think. And I think people have every right to come on here and talk about a fight they've seen - plus, the OP was actually asking for advice on whether or not she should report the owners etc, not just to bitch about the dog fight.

I might try her on a more meaty diet as well and see how that goes. Thanks persephone

Haha! You did make it harder but that's ok - the more choices the better I guess!! Thank you for your advice!

You don't know that, the dog could be active/nervy/fast metab/digestion issues/underlaying problem. If the dog is fat then yes it's too much food. thanks for your advice MEH. jenna is excrutiatingly active!! she never ever stops - and she is DEFINITELY not fat... I am thinking of whether or not I have a photo of her I can post... as I said earlier, I am constantly paranoid that she is UNDERWEIGHT because of her body shape! But my vet has constantly told me she is a good weight... She isn't a large dog, she is 8 months and she absolutely wouldn't be over 25kg... shes quite small. Thanks, once again, for everyones advice - I will definitely stop feeding her so much and see if that helps with her poos!

I know - I am extremely paranoid as well!!! And I am terrified of bloat - I didn't realise feeding too much also gave them bloat? I thought it was more about exercising excessively right before or after they eat because of the large intakes of breath they take? Just to note, neither jenna nor max scoffs their food - they are incredibly slow eaters! but thank you for your advice!

If it is Maitland NSW then you are covered by the NSW Companion animals act. This means that council can not enforce a dog limit because it is against state law. I am sure others will come on and clarify. My NSW council has a two dog limit, and they have let me register 5 dogs and haven't batted an eyelid (except when they thought they could get a 6th lot of fees out of me!) My dogs are not barkers, are kept inside and my care for them meets the other requirements of the NSW companion act and while this is the case they can't do anything about the number of dogs I own or you could listen to woofen and just forget everything I said!!!!!!!! lol

I think there is another thread under 'general dog discussion' called 'council laws' or something similar - its not an old thread either so it should be on the first couple of pages - someone else was having issues with having three dogs in a 2 dog area (or something similar) and they went through council and asked questions and filled out a form to apply to have the third dog with them... you might need to do something similar - there are always exceptions to the rule... I would maybe go to the area (if that is all possible) and ask around about what the residents thinks - just ask them how many dogs they have and if they have more than 2 then ask how they went about getting permission (you can pretend you are a student writing a uni paper or a news reporter etc) - people are more inclined to talk to u if they think you are researching for something you don't have to do this - it is just an idea... if council said to you that its normally not a problem then I would assume you would get similar answers from residents... residents are more likely to tell u the truth than council! it is risky though, as paganman said - 9 is very different from 2... I would either talk to residents, or GO IN to council (dont talk over the phone) and chat to them about it.. ask if you need to apply or if they really dont care... if they really dont care then I would get someone to write that down so u have proof that council said that in case someone complains and council asks you to remove your dogs - at least then you will have proof that council said you were allowed to have them... or you could voice record them either way - get evidence if they say you are allowed to have the 9 dogs. good luck.

oh really? goodness, well I am feeding her say about 3 cups of food, twice a day? *cringe* oh s**t you're going to tell me Im feeding her too much arent you?? I have a growing lab and I've never fed him 6 cups a day - he's at around 3 cups at 11mths. I use Eukanuba so possibly amounts can differ but I'd suggest 6 is quite a bit too much. The most he's ever been fed is 4 cups a day. We were told by quite a few people to not use Supercoat - but then we were new at it and took their word for it. Fair enough, I will definitely lessen the amount I feed her. I've heard mixed things about supercoat - I've heard that it USED to be really good but then they changed the ingredients and it went to s**t... but I have also heard that it is still a good dog food?? So I don't know.. The thing is, I am not rich, I can't afford $100 a week on dog food alone... I mean, I will if I have to but I would prefer not to have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on something that will do the same, or a similar job than something much cheaper, if that makes sense!

Yet, I go to dog parks and dog beaches nearly every day and have for the past 3 years, and I could count the fights I've seen without bloodshed on one hand. I couldn't count the dog fights I've seen with bloodshed because I haven't seen any. I've seen one dog with a leg wound after a fight, but never saw the fight. I don't expect fights to happen at dog parks, and rarely see them happen. I think some dog parks have a higher incidence of aggressive altercations than others, but for the most part I have not found fights to be very common. I am always aware that they can happen, and I take steps to calm everyone down if I think we are inching from "unlikely" to "moderately likely" to occur. Incidentally, I've been warned a few times by dog park regulars that have had trouble with a particular dog. It is always a dog and owner new to the park, and they never seem to stick around, even if they seem to think there's nothing wrong with their dog's behaviour. I suspect they know there's something wrong with their dog's behaviour deep down and stop going to the dog park. I know one dog that got into a few harmless arguments in the dog park and is now walked past it on the streets instead. Most people don't like dealing with fighting dogs. completely agree. I go to dog parks ALL. THE. TIME. and max has been attacked once - I am not naming the breed because I think that is irrelevant - and he got a bad puncture wound in his leg that went down to the bone... other than that I have seen maybe 1 actual dog fight? And I have NEVER seen blood shed in any dog fight before. I went to the dog park on the weekend and there was a staffy there that was entire and he was extraordinarly dominant towards this lab that was playing with a frisbee near his owners... the staffy would come over and stand over the owners infront of the lab and lab hated it so they got into a bit of rough and tumble - none were hurt - as max was trying to play with the lab at the time max stood back and barked while they 'fought'... I immediately went over and grabbed max and put him on lead and gave him a time out... I didn't want him to get involved... also, while the owners of lab were sitting on the floor, the lab was chasing the frisbee while Max was chasing the lab and making growling noises (that to anyone else would sound aggressive) and chasing the lab and trying to get him around the neck (thats how he plays - I don't care what anyone else says, he is extremely gentle whilst playing) and when I saw them I immediately started calling max but the owners said to me 'don't worry he's fine hes fine' and I said to them, 'ok well as soon as u want max away from your lab you let me know' and I stood near them the entire time max was chasing the lab... I immediately made sure the owners of the lab knew I was ready to get max if they wanted him gone from their lab but they were fine - but I know other people wouldnt have been comfortable and that is absolutely fine with me - I would've gotten max and taken him away straight away. back to the topic... I think that dog parks are fine, as long as you have effective control over your dog, you wont have any problems... if a dog came barrelling into max he would turn around and start playing with that dog - he loves rough and tumble. if it happened to jenna I think she would've put her ears back and run away. lol... some dogs react differently. I think it is ridiculous to think you should EXPECT dogs to have dog fights at dog parks... max has NEVER been aggressive towards a dog at a dog park... and if another dog (such as the dogs that attacked him) were to attack him he completely submits and tries to get away. I just try and faith in some other owners that they have effective control over their dogs... if it seems to me that they dont then I stay away from them or leave.

Thank you very much guys. I do care very much about what's best for them, I love them both so very very much. With Jenna's weight, her sides do dip in quite nicely and i can feel her ribs but can't see them. She has a nice shape - I always thought she was too thin!!! lol And I haven't actually considered feeding her on a solely raw diet - they do get mince and all sorts of chicken quite often though! They love it! Thank you again for your help - I will let you know how she goes!!

oh really? goodness, well I am feeding her say about 3 cups of food, twice a day? *cringe* oh s**t you're going to tell me Im feeding her too much arent you??

I don't agree with this statement. It is often best especially for a large breed to switch to an adult food at 6 months to slow down their growth so they don't reach their full adult height too quickly which can cause joint problems. Leelaa17 you should speak to Jenna's breeder and see what they recommend regarding food type and when to change to adult. Most GSD breeders recommend Royal Canin GSD, Pro Plan, or Artemis. First of all, Jenna is 8 months and she is still quite small, she hasn't had her growth spurt yet and she is growing incredibly slowly... I often think she has stopped growing until I look back at photos and realise she is slightly bigger than before... also, I got her from a BYB - yes I know, I'm extremely naughty - got her before I started reading this forum so much!! so I don't know whether the breeder will be much help - he always recommended fresh meat every now and again for thre pups... but as I said before, I have started her on Royal Canin and I will see how it goes

Just an update guys - and thank you everyone for their advice! I went out and got puppy German Shepherd Royal Canin (it was on special) and the lady told me it would make her poos harder... anyway, I fed her last night and mixed a little bit in with supercoat (because I have been told not to change them to a new food straight away but to mix it for a while so they get used to it)... anyway, came down to get ready for work this morning and there were two, GIGANTIC... and I mean... MUTANT poos in the kitchen... (the dogs sleep inside, but until recently we've never had a problem with them going to the toilet inside...) - now I am convinced its Jenna because 1) the poos are still a big sloppy and 2) max has NEVER, and I mean NEVER gone to the toilet inside... ever... so I am assuming its Jenna - and of course she's not getting in trouble for it because she wouldn't have a clue why she was in trouble... anyway... I think I might be feeding her too much because I cannot describe to you guys how big both these poos were - I swear to God, if I didn't know any better I would think they came from a horse... So in light of this, do you guys think I am feeding her to much? I know you have very little info to go on, but even maybe some advice on how MUCH I should be feeding her?

what fantastic news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :happydance2: :happydance2: :happydance2: :dancingelephant: :dancingelephant: :dancingelephant: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

those photos are... I dont even have a word to describe it - magical?? After everything Indie's been through, and to see her so relaxed. its just beautiful - and to see this beautiful little puppy just adopt Indie as her big brothers - just BEAUTIFUL. I am so so hoping that Astrid gets better and that Indie doesn't get it and is not fretting. What beautiful photos. How long do you think it wil be before finding out whether Astrid is ok?

i hardly ever wash my boy, only if his coat feels rough or if we go to the beach (and he is all sandy) but im like you i love going home and walking inside and just smelling my house cause it smells like my boy oh good!! haha atleast im not the only one!!! lol

first of all - it is fantastic news about Indie eating again - clearly thats what was wrong with him so atleast you know now that it is just sheer loneliness. and second of all - I am so so so sorry to hear about Astrid, you jusrt arent getting a break are you? Excellent of you to be so proactive to disinfect everything that she went near. I am hoping Indie doesn't get it, but if she does she has a better chance of surviving. I am sending healing vibes to little Astrid and calming vibes to Indie. We are all here for you Julz and are praying/hoping for you and your family + furry family. let us know how she goes.