KJJ

whilst I have every sympathy for 'Pig', I think humane euthanasia sooner rather than later would be the best outcome. Also (and this is something of a personal bugbear), how many other (healthy, boring but unwanted) dogs could be kept alive with the resources devoted to 'rescuing' this one dog?

pet barn stocks k9 Natural which apart from the raw meat products also includes bags of frozen green tripe if that is of any help to those who are having trouble finding other sources :)

I thought I might add my perspective, as I have a very similar family situation (although my kids are older). My first BC was from working dogs and was well and truly a mature dog when we added human babies to our family, there were no issues with nipping or chasing once the kids were at the running stage, and if she had enough of boisterous children she would just remove herself to under a chair or bed and the kids would be told to leave her alone and not bug her. She sadly passed on when my kids were about the age yours are now. Our current BC is a xbreed from the pound, again no problems with the kids (who are now 9 & 12). I think that it is as important to train children how to behave around and treat dogs as it is for the dog to be trained. My experience has been that while they are certainly an active breed, mental stimulation and spending time (in my case most waking and sleeping hours :p ) with you and your family is more important. One thing I found with both of my BC's is that they tended more towards being focused on one person (ie. me) and whilst happy enough with the rest of the family did not tend to share the love around as much as our bull breeds. Good luck with your search for a puppy - and I hope to see plenty of cute pics posted once you get it :)

sorry for your loss, RIP handsome boy - you were obviously a much loved family member

I feel sick knowing that there has been more than one attack , I have family not far from the area in the news report - but even without worrying for them it is a horrible thing for all dog owners. I hope the perpetrators are caught soon.

how awful for the family, RIP Sheeba. I hope the scum who did this are caught. http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/perth-burglars-break-dogs-legs/story-e6frfku9-1226878781561

one of my dogs is a BC x corgi and has a relatively long body with short legs. I'm afraid to say it never really occurred to me that his build might mean that he might have to avoid or use caution with some activities (it was only when I read a post about a similar dog that it became apparent). What sort of precautions are suggested? We live in a two storey house and he happily races up and down the stairs during zoomies with our other dog, he is also as agile as would be expected for a BC - should I be trying to limit some of his activities?

the first dog that was 'mine' was a FTGH bully x ex pig hunting dog called Salty when I was about 16. I had been desperately wanting (and saving) for a pup - but my mother would only agree to having an adult dog join the household, not a puppy. His owner brought him over to 'let us meet him', but left him with us on that first meeting (I guess he just wanted to find him a loving home and didn't want to leave him with just anyone). Darwin being a relatively small town after a year or two I found that I knew people that were extended family of the original owner - this enabled me to learn the stories behind Salty's various scars (he was a heavily scarred dog) over his life he had been hit by a ute, fallen off a ute, gored by a buffalo, suffered throat injuries from a pig and (by being the one closest to shore) seen his brother taken by a croc. He was a wonderful dog, very protective of all his family (humans, dogs and cats) - but he did not approve when I first started dating my OH, he would always try to sit between us like a furry chaperone. He was a very special boy and I still miss him after all these years.

thank you for sharing that HazyWal, it made me cry - but what a powerful message

I've shared the link Kelpiecuddles posted - I'm originally from Darwin and have a fair few on my friends list up there, I've asked that they repost to their friend list so maybe it might reach a few more people. Best wishes for his safe return.

while not the age mentioned in many posts here - my old boy (a Dane x Bull Terrier) was 15 when given his wings due to osteosarcoma.

gorgeous - thanks for sharing :)

just saw this being shared on a dog group on facebook http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/animal-lovers-for-a-national-inquiry-into-the-rspca-australia.html

I'm so sorry to read about what you are going through, especially with your dog being so young. I can only second what has already been said - be kind to yourself, treasure the time left and create as many happy memories as you can. I lost my heart girl 7 years ago, at the time it hit me as hard as losing a human family member, but now (although I still miss her terribly) I can look back and smile when I think of the happy memories.

lovely photos - thanks for sharing :)

RSPCA Tasmania is calling for public assistance in this cruelty case (the photo is confronting, so please avoid if so desired) poor little staffy girl deserved better than that (link added further down) edit - it appears that the photo has now been removed, perhaps understandable given the nature of the image. For those who did not see the link - some lowlife scum had 'disposed of' a young staffy bitch by means of a brick tied to the neck and chucking her in a waterway https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=758015390893915&set=a.226175204077939.70662.130193650342762&type=1&theater

Daisy

Kids not agreeing on names is why I have a cat called 'Pixie Rose Lavender' - not bad for a little kitty found dumped in the bushes at the side of the road :p

I have found that my perspective has changed over the years - with my old dogs the Dane x Bull terrier was 'normal' and the BC was small/medium, now the Staffy is 'normal' (although I first thought of her as small) and the BCx is small/medium.

another vote for turkey necks here :) I think they are much more versatile than wings.

my BC x is a velcro dog, but is also quite anxious and needy as well as being a cuddle hound, what he has in common with my old BC is that they both behave / behaved like my shadow - I move, the dog moves like they are on an invisible lead, I like that in my dogs. My OH prefers dogs that are a little more content to 'be their own dog' and hang out with their people without the compulsion to dog their footsteps as it were, I like that too - but if I had to choose I would pick my shadows :)

for goodness sake - why is it so damn hard for some people to just do the right thing and walk their dogs on leash in areas that it is required and save 'off leash' for the areas it is allowed? It is not a matter of some people being hysterical about it, it is the law and perhaps a little empathy for others would not go astray. I also don't think it matters whether the off leash dogs are large or small - I've encountered both and neither is much fun (try controlling an on leash Dane x when a small terrier is literally hanging off it's testicles, likewise facing an aggressive Mastiff x when neither of your dogs is over 20 kg), a little sympathy and respect for other dog owners doesn't hurt and would probably help the image of all dogs and owners in our society.

even though I live in the burbs there were a few dogs at the local primary school (there was a Japanese Spitz, a BC, something large and brown of indeterminate breed and a chocolate Lab puppy) all bar the puppy were inside the school grounds but leashed at the perimeter fence - the puppy was leaving when I arrived and was being carried so I have no idea what the owners did with it while voting. When walking home after voting I also got an illustration of why walking your dog on a leash is a good idea - a small fluffy (on long leash) and a whippet (not on leash, but carrying a bread roll) started fighting when passing each other on the foot path (the whippet owner felt the fight started because her dog thought the other was going to steal the bread roll), the fight spilled out onto the road where a car narrowly missed them. Fortunately the fight stopped pretty quickly (it was over by the time I ran across the road to try and help), but I wish people would keep their dogs adequately controlled near roads

lol @ dog farts - I love the audible ones where the dog spins around to see what sneaked up behind it and made a 'paarp' noise - cracks me up every time :laugh:

but nothing quoted in the article would prove that it wasn't either for me there is just not enough information to have anything approaching an understanding of what occurred