Keira&Phoenix

Hey Agility Dog, I just looked up Mt Glorious it seems to be on the edge of the D'Aguilar National Park, do you know of any particular trails that are dog friendly ie: not national park? If you do can you let me know which ones and best road to get to them on, PM if you prefer. Thanks heaps!

Sandgate and Redcliffe. Fairly dog friendly. Huge walking paths around the foreshores. Off-leash beaches. And tolerant side-walk cafes. Might go back one day. Thanks, Sandgate/Recliffe area does seem to be a lot more laid back relaxed then other places close to the city

Thats true, I guess in more regional areas of Queensland its probably a lot more dog friendly but Logan, Gold Coast and Brisbane are not. Most politicians don't live in Canberra. They have somewhere here to stay when parliament is in session and the rest of the time they spend in their family homes in Sydney, Brisbane, etc. It's still restrictive in terms of dog laws... it's just that there are some people out there who obviously think it's worthwhile having dog off leash areas. One thing I liked about Brisbane when I was up there was that there were heaps of fenced off leash areas. I know some people hate them, but one of my dogs has questionable recall at times so I visited a few in off peak times when we were the only ones there. He had fun rolling in the mud. Yeah and it is good to have fenced dog off leash areas, one of my dogs also has questionable recall and the other one is still too young to rely on it but you get all sorts in those places especially when the only time you can go is peak time due to being at work. But I am also the sort of person who would prefer to be taking a nice nature walk with some good scenery then to be standing in a park. Its more exercise for me and its more adventurous and interesting for the dogs. Brisbane doesn't seem too bad to me. OK, the cafe things is a bit of a pain at times, but there are places where you can sit on the footpath at the tables they provide. There are plenty of state forest areas to go and walk in (Daisy Hill, Seven Hills, Mt Glorious, Mt Mee) as well as some nice parks with long walk ways through them. There aren't any beaches really close to the city, but within an hour each way there is the Spit at the Gold Coast and Bribie Island to the north as well as a couple of other dog parks with water courses running through them. I don't expect EVERY facility to be dog friendly - the vast majority of people aren't dog nuts and I respect that. It is up to us to make the most of what is available and keep trying to chip away at improving things. I have 3 BC's and don't really struggle finding places to exercise and play with them. Hi AD, I have been to Daisy Hill and to be totally honest it isn't very special (I actually live 5 mins from it) I would prefer to go somewhere where I have some mental stimulation as well as the dogs. I don't think you can take dogs to Mount Mee anymore due to the fact that it is all classed as the De'Aguilar National Park. But I didn't know about Mount Glorious and Seven Hills will have to look into them, thanks for the suggestions. As I said in my first post was open to anyone who did know of places we can go. I love the beach but Keira has unreliable recall so being on the beach is hard because of that and sometimes I prefer to do a forest walk as well. Again I prefer to steer clear of dog parks as I am not sure what I am going to find when I get there, plus Phoenix is only 5 months old so I would prefer to keep her out of them until she is a bit bigger. I certainly don't expect every facility to be dog friendly either but we have a lot less dog friendly areas and facilities to many other countries thats all. It would be nice if we had a few more facilities specifically for dogs similar to Kepela in Melbourne and places where dogs are allowed. Again thanks for the suggestions I will look into them

Depends on where exactly it is but just above the shoulder blades sort of area (I don't really know how to explain it) they also have lymph nodes and sometimes they will swell up, just like in people when we get sick or our immune system is fighting off something.

Ooooh yay I was going to head down to have a look see hopefully I will be able to meet some of you!! I will have to look out for your dogs though haha.

Editorial: Punishing pit bulls or people? Friday, Jan 21 2011, 5:36 pm A Star editorial Government has a knack for using tragedy to justify tyranny. Deranged gunmen open fire on innocent victims and lawmakers restrict responsible citizens’ Second Amendment rights. Would-be terrorists smuggle explosives onto commercial air flights, so travelers endure body scans and patdowns. In Shelby, the City Council might consider placing restrictions on pit bull owners in response to the tragic mauling in Waxhaw last week that took the life of a 5-year-old girl. Councilman Joel Shores has recommended that the board examine pit bull-specific animal ordinances that he believes would help protect children from aggressive dogs. Shores said some North Carolina cities require pit bull owners to muzzle the dogs when walking them on a leash, set rules for the size and type of cage they must be kept in and even make residents buy liability insurance in order to own pit bulls. While these rules stop short of an outright ban on the breed, they still interfere with private property rights and penalize responsible dog owners for others’ failings. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study on human deaths from dog bites in 2000 and concluded that the data didn’t support increased regulation of specific breeds. “Because of difficulties inherent in determining a dog’s breed with certainty, enforcement of breed-specific ordinances raises constitutional and practical issues,” concludes a CDC report on the study. “Fatal attacks represent a small proportion of dog bite injuries to humans and, therefore, should not be the primary factor driving public policy concerning dangerous dogs.” Prince George’s County, Md., spends more than a quarter-million dollars each year to enforce its pit bull ban, but a 2003 county study showed that “public safety is not improved” and “there is no transgression committed by owner or animal that is not covered by another, non-breed-specific portion of the Animal Control Code,” according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The ASPCA opposes breed-specific legislation because the laws “have a tendency to compromise rather than enhance public safety.” The restrictions shift animal control officers’ focus away from behavior and enforcement of leash, licensing and anti-tethering laws and onto the arbitrary breed-specific rules, the group says on its website. While pit bulls, Rottweilers and other large-breed dogs have a protective nature and can be prone to aggression, nearly any domestic animal is capable of attack. Responsible owners can raise the dogs to be loving and affectionate, and it’s not fair to burden them with more restrictions because other dog owners elsewhere have trained their pets to be vicious. Perhaps the best dog bite deterrent would be criminal negligence laws and severe penalties for dog owners who fail to prevent unprovoked attacks on other people. Instead of placing a burden on all pet owners, these laws would target only the irresponsible ones. If an owner knows he could go to jail when his dog mauls a small child, he’ll be more likely to take preventative measures. Not one of the new laws mentioned as a possible solution is palatable. Forcing people to buy insurance and special cages violates their rights as property owners and their freedom of choice as American citizens. Making pit bull owners muzzle their pets without saddling owners of other large dogs with the same wrongheaded restriction is simply discriminatory. It’s understandable that Shelby city leaders would be concerned by the recent dog attack in Waxhaw. But feelings of sorrow and anger and confusion just aren’t good enough reasons to pass new laws — especially when all available evidence shows that such laws would do more harm than good. http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/citizen...edy-people.html Must say I felt a small tinge of excitement to actually see the media portraying the truth that dogs are not to blame it is their irresponsible owners. I know its a long way from anything big but it only takes a spark to start a fire.

Thats true, I guess in more regional areas of Queensland its probably a lot more dog friendly but Logan, Gold Coast and Brisbane are not. Most politicians don't live in Canberra. They have somewhere here to stay when parliament is in session and the rest of the time they spend in their family homes in Sydney, Brisbane, etc. It's still restrictive in terms of dog laws... it's just that there are some people out there who obviously think it's worthwhile having dog off leash areas. One thing I liked about Brisbane when I was up there was that there were heaps of fenced off leash areas. I know some people hate them, but one of my dogs has questionable recall at times so I visited a few in off peak times when we were the only ones there. He had fun rolling in the mud. Yeah and it is good to have fenced dog off leash areas, one of my dogs also has questionable recall and the other one is still too young to rely on it but you get all sorts in those places especially when the only time you can go is peak time due to being at work. But I am also the sort of person who would prefer to be taking a nice nature walk with some good scenery then to be standing in a park. Its more exercise for me and its more adventurous and interesting for the dogs.

I agree Showdog that many irresponsible owners ruin it for those of us who ARE responsible and just want to be able to take our dogs places with us. But as you have just said in the UK there are clearly irresponsible owners but it hasn't seemed to caused the same issues as here in Australia, we are SO up tight about some things. I just feel the Government doesn't put any effort into educating people about responsible pet ownership. They can spend millions on all sorts of wasteful advertising but have done nothing about pet ownership instead they just make this law and that law to the point where our dogs won't be able to leave our backyards in 20 years time. Governments love to have parking inspectors so why not slacken up the laws and allow dogs in more public places but have people that go around and can fine you if you aren't being responsible about having your dog in public, more revenue and the Government LURVES revenue. I didn't realise NSW was so bad. Yes from what I have heard ACT is probably the least dog restrictive place in Australia and I have heard it said its probably because it is where all the Pollos are, seems like a fair conclusion. I have also heard Melbourne is much better then Brisbane etc. It just makes me sad that for a country that prides itself on our laid back relaxed culture we really are quite uptight when it comes to certain things. And every year life gets a bit most restricted due to all sorts of new laws being put into place.

So after doing some research over the last few weeks I have come to the realisation (I already sort of knew anyways) that QLD is really not very dog friendly. 50 percent of the State is some sort of National Park or protected forest I think they need to be protected but there are not many nice areas that cater for you to go on nice "bushwalks" with your four legged friends. Its illegal to have your dog in the outdoor areas of cafes and restaurants due to hygiene laws, And we don't really have many dog friendly activity centres etc in the State. Dog beaches seem to be becoming less and less. I feel like if they make anymore laws we won't be able to have dogs here at all. So basically I was wondering what are other State's are like? What sort of places can you take your dog? Are there good walking tracks? Are there activity centres etc? I wonder why in comparison to places like New Zealand and America we are so much more dog unfriendly here? Oh and if anyone in Queensland has any suggestions on good walking tracks you can go with your dogs please let me know! Anywhere within 2 hours of Brissie area

Ahhh bummer that Sweeney Reserve looked ok, oh well maybe down the track when it is back to its old self. Yeah I didn't think anyone would mind paying a few bucks for a venue because it means we have the place to ourselves and don't have to put up with people from the general public and their dogs (not that all of them are bad). None of the places I have found actually specifically cater to having people in so I will have to specifically talk to them about getting a group together there and see if they are ok with it but means definitely won't be other people around. Wish we had a place like that Kepela around that looks fantastic! Will let you know how I go when I get a chance to speak to the different places I shortlisted.

OKKKKKK So I have done a bit of research and there are a couple places that look sort of promising re: activity centre type thing like they do in Melbourne, but I will need to call and speak with them. A few are Southside and a few are Northside so thats good just depends on which ones might be keen. Will post a few sites a little bit later so everyone can have a look. I just had a quick question though some of these places may be more inclined to allow us to do it if we pay a small amount, so my question is what amount would you pay to do this (only once a month or something) $5/$10?? give me an idea so I know. I just thought its would be worth paying a small amount so that we actually have somewhere private away from public dog off leash areas to go Let me know. Second I have found another spot that might be good for our next meet its Sweeney Reserve in Strathpine/Lawnton area there I believe its partially fenced and has a lake/river thing for the dogs to swim in, might be good for our Feb meet if someone wants to check it out??? Here is a website with some piccies from it http://dogzrool.wetpaint.com/page/Sweeney+...Dog+Park?t=anon Also thought it might be close enough for the Sunny Coasters to attend, will post in their topic.

I am SOOOO jealous of you guys right now, that places looks AWESOME. Now to try and find something similar around Brissie or the GC.

So I was just looking at this thread http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=213816 which is a Melbourne social thing they go to this boarding Kennel in Melbourne where they have dogs runs and a pool!!! (http://www.kepala.com.au/country.htm this is where they take them) How awesome is that. Means not having to worry about going to public parks and there is somewhere to take the dogs swimming. Sounds like they make a day of it, bringing food etc to share also. I think we should look into something like this in Brisbane, I am not sure if there would be any good boarding places around that have a pool and would allow us to use their facilities but I rekon it would be worth a try....what does everyone else think? I am happy to do the leg work ie: calling possible places and going out to talk to them if anyone is keen and have any possible places to look into? Sort of wishing I lived in Melbourne right now lol. This would be great to help socialise puppies too!

Hopefully...the first 3 have been epic failures!! Yeah they have . Seems to be a few more people in the topic now though so hopefully this time it will all work out I wonder if we should post in the main forum area telling Brisbaners/Loganers/Sunny Coasters to come and have a look in these forums??? or do you think it would just get moved?

Agree with all the suggestions here definitely double check it is absolutely not your dogs and then play nice with your neighbours make them aware you have taken it seriously and are going to look into it. Barking dogs can make people very angry. A few years ago when I was renting their were yappy dogs next to me an across the road and they would bark all hours of the day and night and it turned me into a crazy person, I love dogs but I HATED those dogs. The dog in the house right next to me, its owners were always home and they did nothing about it, I couldn't even move around my house without it going nuts.

I have two dogs, a Bullmastiff X (30kgs, 3 yo with hip displaxia) and a Amstaff X (approx 13 kgs currently, 5 months old healthy) we live on a quarter acre block approx 1000m2 (they have the run of the whole yard) they get walked 1 -2 times per week but they get to play chase in the backyard every day as well as getting to go for a 1 - 2 hour swim in a pool every day. As Keira has bad hips and Phoenix is still so young I think this is definitely enough exercise but as Phoenix gets older she will go for more walks etc. If we moved house onto a smaller block I would walk them both at least once a day and try to continue swimming although it probably wouldn't be everyday.

Awesome thanks GG! Sounds like me might have a few people this time :D. Cant believe how many of us are Loganers awesome. Cant wait to meet everyone!

hey hey im a southside girl too maybe we could carpool or follow each other up just an idea, if i can make whatever day/date and time that they pick Yeah sounds like a good idea. We could meet somewhere over this side of town and head to the meet together Not sure about places near Caboolture but im not against driving to the sunny coast anyways its nice and scenic up there

http://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/addfil...leash_areas.pdf Here is a website that lists all off leash areas on the Sunny Coast, I am not a local so not sure which ones are good or fenced but maybe a local could have a look and let us know which ones might be good I have no current plans (bar Sunday 6th Feb for a Brissie meet) at this stage so just post when everyone wants to do it and I will be there so long as nothing pops up. If we do head to like a beach off leash area anyone who isn't positive on recall could always get hold of a long lead or horse lunge reins and use those Also just for any Sunny Coasters who might be keen there is a Brisbane meet on Sunday 6th Feb and we are looking at either Nudgee or Redcliffe I think so might be close enough for you guys to come along Check out the Regular Brisbane meet thread in this section.

Yes seems odd that the owners cannot just put the dog inside the house then clearly allowing it to run around the street as it must do to frighten the post man enough to not deliver to the whole street rather than just that particular house. Strange. Little dogs still have very sharp large teeth and they HURT! Just because they are small doesn't mean the bite don't hurt.

OMG I just can't even imagine how the owners feel. That is horrible for all parties involved and absolutely heart breaking. Poor puppies. RIP I hope you only have good memories of your life and of your people

This story just makes me said in general. Poor puppy dog and poor kiddie. Sadly instead of learning from these stories the ignorant people out there just go oh what a horrible vicious dog it must have been instead of thinking that maybe they should educate themselves and their children in dog safety. It also doesn't help when the media rarely reports the true, correct version of events and instead vilifies the poor dogs who have general been purposely or accidentally provoked. Not to mention in this case left in a terrible situation by their owner. Just yesterday I witnessed two women (ages approx between 30 and 50) walk up to a fence and stick their hands through to pat a dog that was at the fence, all I could think was how stupid could you be, that is that dogs property and you don't know what it would do. I stopped and watched just in case something happened I could vouch for the dog and what happened. Gosh it makes me so angry.

Hi All, I am from Southside of Brisbane but would be keen to come to a Sunny Coast meet also. Love to meet some more Dolers/responsible dog owners . Seems like a lot of people can't make it this weekend (I wouldn't be able to either). Maybe next weekend Saturday or Sunday would be better? Just a suggestions otherwise I will try to make it to any in the future

Agree with what the other members here have said. Wanting something different isn't a great reason. There are many breeds here in Aus that you could get that are very similar. Try and Boerboel (as already suggested) or a Tibetan Mastiff first maybe. Good luck with your search.

I saw one bad comment re: bullmastiffs are aggressive, anyone who owns one is a bogan lalala and I honestly couldn't read anymore they made me so friggin angry, people with that mindset drive me insane, honestly I dare them to come and say it to my face. Clearly I am a bogan because I own a bullmastiff x and an Amstaff x Poor doggie. Silly owner and silly parents.