BlackJaq

Don't know anything about Labs or RATG sorry If you are interested in getting him retrieving real game for you, maybe "Working Gun Dogs" by Martin Deeley might be helpful. He trains a lot of Spaniels and Labs in the UK and his book is pretty detailed (he might have written more, not sure, I only have the one) I'm sure TSD will be able to tell you about RATG and stuff. but I don't see why the dog can't learn field work as well as obedience? He will need obedience to work anyway (including heel work, stay eyc)

http://bawp.org.au/victorian-labor-opposition-move-parliamentary-review-breed-specific-legislation/

Looks like we might finally be heading in the right direction: http://bawp.org.au/victorian-labor-opposition-move-parliamentary-review-breed-specific-legislation/

I have noticed in the past that they like to "improve" breeds of various domestic animals in the US by adding colour variations that are not accepted in the country of origin....

Just obedience I guess? When and if I give a command it needs to be followed until I say otherwise. So if I lie them down in a certain spot they have to stay there until released. We teach this to all dogs upon arrival, first starting off teaching them to lie down on their beds and go there when told, not leaving the bed unless we release them (I use "off you go" as release phrase). A leash helps a great deal when first teaching the dog obedience since you can control them directly without having to catch them. Every time they make a move to get up, they are corrected. They become reliable enough to lie on the mat even while I am having my own shower, they stay on their bed in the house even while I'm cooking dinner etc. I don't let any of the dogs run or play inside the house either because chances of running into stuff and breaking things are too great with the size house and number of dogs we have. All playing and running is done outside (the dogs spend most of the time outside anyway, only really come inside to watch TV and then go to bed).

Mine all walk in the shower when told. We have a hose instead of a fixed shower head so that helps. When I'm done washing I get out and shut the door, then give the shake-off command, that way the whole room doesn't get covered in water and hair.. Then I open the door and ambush them with the towel (they tend to try and head straight for the door). After towel-drying they all get blow-dried (on the cool setting so they don't accidentally overheat) then have to stay lying down on their towel in the bathroom, or on their bed near the fire if it's cold, until they are dry. No running around inside. Oh well this is how it goes for everyone but the Maremma.. He hasn't had a bath yet and does not come inside. Everyone else got used to the routine quickly. Only my Weimaraner really gets washed regularly because she gets dirty when we go hunting, everyone else only really gets a bath if they roll in something really potent (like fresh horse poo!)

My Weimaraner was pretty mouthy when she was younger. At some point she actually ran up behind me and grabbed me right on the butt, which my OH found hilarious... Mot helpful in any way I'm trying to remember exactly how we combated the issue... Does your dog know what "NO" means? What do you do to discourage him from other things you don't want him to do? I think that if you are going to disengage in that situation you might be better off turning your back, folding your arms (to keep your hands out of reach) and simply ignoring him, rather than trying to walk away (which he seems to think is part of the game!). This is easier when they are small, because then they cannot reach your butt (yet) :laugh: If you know you can provoke the situation, I would leash him and when he goes to mouth you put your foot on the leash (leash must be short enough so he pretty much has to sit or lie down and he is thereby limited in what he can do/reach). Say "No" in a calm but firm voice and simply keep your foot on the leash whilst ignoring him until he stops trying to grab you. As soon as he relents, take your foot off, praise and reward and go back to playing or whatever you were doing. I don't think it came to this for us as we had "No" pretty firmly installed by a young age and "No" meant "cease whatever you are doing right now" basically. So I think standing still with hands tucked away and a firm "No" was enough for us in the end.. This was a few years ago now though, so maybe someone else will be able to offer alternatives :)

Yea I was wondering this..... I'm just imagining rangers running around, trying to shoot ferals with dart guns to sterilize them... You can imagine the canine or human type of feral, it is up to you :laugh:

That might work actually! Maybe drop in the word "debarked" while you're there!

Agree with the mismanagement. If the handler was controlling the dog then the attack would not be occurring. Would be interested in their definition of "mismanagement in the past"

I think your dog is entitled to a place where she feels safe at all times. It is your job to keep that guy away from her "safe place" by any means necessary. Whether that place be a certain room or a crate or a bed somewhere doesn't matter as long as your dog knows that going there will make her safe from everybody and everything and you must ensure that this is true. I understand that this might put you in an uncomfortable position regarding dealing with the neighbor, but what happens if he corners her one day and she freaks out and snaps at him? If you are extremely unfortunate she might accidentally injure him, rather than just scaring him. I know many people believe their dogs are not capable but dogs who are fearful seem to be the first ones to bite to defend themselves, especially if their handler is not doing it for them. I honestly find it a little difficult to believe that you would put the neighbor's feelings above the feelings of your dog. She is your dog and you are responsible for her and her wellbeing. Obviously she is not feeling well with that guy around. Make him bugger of in any way that becomes necessary if he will not participate in training on your terms. Having a safe place is important for any dog, but especially so for a generally fearful dog. Your dog sounds completely terrified, and it might not just stay confined to your parents house either. As others have said,m she will begin looking for him everywhere (especially if she has already seen him elsewhere) and if she is being given no chance to recover then things will only spiral out of control from here. Personally, I would teach her that her crate is her castle and she is safe from everybody in there if she chooses to enter it and then enforce it as a complete no-go zone for everybody. Lock the room if the guy won't take a hint (though it may be too late for this if she is already scared of his voice and you may want to keep him completely out of earshot) and strictly enforce the crate as her safe zone, not letting anyone approach her there. If she wants to come out and interact, great, but if she doesn't she should be able to withdraw somewhere she feels comfortable and safe. I can't believe she has to run away from that guy in her own home! What a nutter!

Maybe it's not as big a factor as the big vs little factions would have us believe?

So why is the press so reluctant to run this story? And why did the RSPCA drop the charges in the end? I have also heard several sides of this story and cannot make heads or tails of it. The fb pages both for and against Kim all seem to be overflowing with a degree of crazy that is unfathomable to me and frankly a little scary. It really undermined their position for me and their accusations were ridiculous, especially if there was solid proof to be had against her.. Some of the accusations were that horses were not rugged and had no toys.. I kid you not, the boredom that these horses supposedly suffer was brought as a major point against her... You'd think that would pale in comparison with the starvation and medical issues.... It was also alleged that all of her horses are cribbing... Presumably if they are starved they are eating anything they can reach, including fences and trees, but the sheer lack of knowledge some of the people on the "anti" bandwagon displayed was also not lending much credibility. Either way, I definitely can't make my mind up about this just from what I have seen on the internet and frankly I have stopped trying to make any kind of sense of either side

From what I understand it is a rescue covering the costs for this pup (if that is incorrect, please clarify), so in my opinion it is unethical to spend a fortune on this one pup, which will probably need aftercare for the rest of its life, if an adopter can even be found, instead of using those funds to help the x number of animals who are perfectly fine and just need a chance for some training and some time to find an appropriate home, that those funds could have helped. If the breeder decided to foot the bill I guess that would be their decision. I still agree that the issues the dog has and the surgery and recovery time probably would be more than I would put a baby puppy through, especially if it is obvious from the beginning that it has major disabilities. I guess at least all this publicity might be able to reach somebody willing to offer this dog a home at least, though another in the same situation but minus publicity might forever be stuck at the rescue, since I cannot imagine there are too many people out there looking to adopt a severely disable dog)

I have noticed a pronounced lack of media coverage. Why is that? Are the media unwilling to touch this for some reason? I would have thought they'd be all over it, what with their gleeful references to her a "former prostitute" and the ever present re-hashing of her past in every article about her.. I would have thought they'd have a field day

I think they need extra skin care, just like hairless dogs? Somebody who actually owns them and has experience with them might be able to answer in more detail ETA: Oops, there you go!

Ok then, I was "Clerk of Course"-ing..... Of course they aren't all ugly, but many have a head that people just don't find attractive. I'm glad your experiences are good and fortunately you are here to present a counter point of view. I was trying to explain some of the reasons why they may not be popular, based on what happens to many of them. Because I have not met many STBs who would not make a great saddle horse, just based on themselves (i.e. their temperament of their conformation or even their gaits). Most of them are very sweet, and often extremely docile and beginner friendly. So anyway. I still don't agree with the wastage, in STBs, TBs or greyhounds, regardless of how well "some" are treated or not.

IS there an article or a source or something to go with this photo?

I think this also. A lot of people think that purring (for cats) and wagging (for dogs) always means happiness. Alas, it does not. Cats have been found to purr when in extreme pain and about to pass away, after car accidents and such.... Of course this prompts some people to take extreme measures to keep that animal alive because it is "happy" and has "a will to live" and such

Yea I was pretty surprised they would not only breed the bitch but also share this photo in their puppy ad... Regardless of how great the bitch is, I would not subject any of my dogs to lugging around a baby belly and caring for a litter with this disability. I would probably PTS to be honest, regardless of wheelchairs and other things... With a very active breed especially, I would seriously doubt the quality of life from this point on... I also would have PTS the puppy in the OP video.. But the "save anything that breathes" mentality is pretty far spread and people are prone to copping a lot of flack for even considering PTS if the dog is not practically about to die on its own ETA: Not to mention the cannon fodder this kind of thing gives to breeder hate pages like the one in this article.. Seriously.. Could they possibly have included more links and references to that fb poage? Some pretty vile and ignorant things are being slung around on that page... And the "don't breed or buy while shelter dogs die" slogan makes me heave

I never said they were professionals, just that these things are common around here. I cannot speak for other places I have not seen and neither can you. I believe that things are just dandy over your way, I never said they were not. On our track we always have mounted outriders to pony horses that are being difficult or to hold them just before the race starts so the drivers can make last minute adjustments to their gear. The Gallopers around here have them also. Not sure how they do things in Vic. I am also not sure how your photos (from Vic, presumably) are going to disprove what I have said.. Just because your horses are well cared for and don't have bucket heads does not mean this is true for everywhere else and the numbers of pacers produced around here are pretty large, so even if you don't contribute a single horse to the number of horses being dogged after their racing career, then that still leaves plenty from other "hobby" trainers who might not be your neighbors, but they exist none-the-less. Not sure what you are trying to prove? That these things do not exist in the racing world? Because they do, with STBs just like with TBs. I know some good TB trainers who take good care of their horses and teach them under saddle manners and prepare them for life after racing, but I also know plenty who jog their horses behind a vehicle to get them in racing condition and apart from being broken in, those horses only ever go under saddle on race days.. Not ideal if they are to move onto a riding horse career obviously... So your point being? That no race horse is ever bucket-headed or mistreated just because yours aren't?

I'm a little curious why cats seem to need baths? I guess a white show cat or maybe a hairless cat I can understand but I've never had a need to wash any of my cats? Obviously diarrhea all over them would be a valid reason, maybe a flea bath.. But just an average healthy pet cat? Can somebody please clear this up for me?

I'm in rural NSW and a lot of the trainers around here are the owners themselves. Most of them raise several foals a year and buy stock in as well. Many live on the edge of town and have small acreages, no way they could keep all their "failed" racers, even if they wanted to. They are sometimes being given away (if somebody will have them) and I have had several offered to me right there at the track, after who knows how many failed attempts to get the time required to go on to race. Just because your experiences are different from mine doesn't make mine untrue.

Well the trainers you are working with must be better than the majority of what is floating about here.. I am not sucking this stuff out of my fingers, these are all things I witnessed quite regularly at the trainers' stables as well as at the trials when I used to do outriding. Have never heard or seen one of the locals ride their racing STBs. Like.. ever

Thank You everyone! I'm pretty sure my vet said she spoke with the uni in Wagga, who apparently have specialists? I would have to clarify, I did not think to worry about it when talking about this previously as I was pretty much hearing the doom's days bells ringing.. And yes, this is the hermaphrodite puppy, who may potentially need surgery on that in the future.. I am also thinking along the lines of "what's next" seeing as she seems to have got the crap end of the stick in several areas.... I am honestly pretty concerned that I will end up spending a mountain of money on her, only to have another issue come along, and another.. Until we can't help her anymore... In which case I will have spent a lot of money and puppy will still have terrible quality of life or worst case scenario die under GA :(