Alkhe

I don't think so I was sent photos of the poodles pages of one, because it's not readily available, as far as I know.

I can't say for sure, but I was there and walked all around and through the dog pavilion a number of times and definitely didn't seen any Maremmas. I also didn't see any Xolos or Anatolian Shepherds, or Ibizian Hounds.. I definitely would have noticed all 3 of those! There were surprisingly few entries of a couple of breeds that were on today actually. Not that I'm into showing and/or know anything about it.. I just would have expected more entries of certain breeds, considering the number of entries for others. :)

Oh, damn. Though I completely understand the rationale for that. I'm guessing then that being in a foster home require that the person looking after the dog is a fosterer on that rescues books? Because Geoffrey's practically in a foster home right now, just.. not with an official rescue.. ? I would guess so. I keep meaning to ask them but I figure they would be so busy just getting the new site up and running. It will make it hard for me as I am a small rescue and sometimes there are dogs that I can help re-home but I don't have room or funds to bring them into my rescue. No problem, I'll see whether I can find out and will let you know if/when I do :) Thanks anyway!

Oh, damn. Though I completely understand the rationale for that. I'm guessing then that being in a foster home require that the person looking after the dog is a fosterer on that rescues books? Because Geoffrey's practically in a foster home right now, just.. not with an official rescue.. ?

Thanks so much Kayla, I've never actually heard of them before - what a great service!

I wish online petitions were successful! But no, as with petitions in general, my opinion is that they are not very valuable as tools for changing anything. They may indicate that something is an issue to the community, but don't have any practical effect. Particularly for dog related things, they're not vote winning or vote changing, so don't mean anything.

I just found out that what I thought were the owners of a dog at my park, were actually meant to be looking after him for a few months. His owner has now decided to stay overseas and these people are now trying to find a permanent home for him. I don't know more detail than that the people looking after him are friends of friends (of friends?) of the dog's owner, and are justifiably upset at this turn of events. He's a great dog, but they didn't sign up for taking him on permanently. The girl was directed to me, being the weird dog obsessed park goer, and I said I'd see whether I could put her in touch with anyone able to assist or get him listed on Pet Rescue or something. They have been looking after him for a few months (maybe 5?) and are happy to look after him until a good home is found, but just can't have him permanently. I've just sent her an email asking for some good photos of him, so will update this thread with those as soon as possible. I actually thought he as a GSP x Lab or something, he has a lovely chocolate coat and the softest ears in the world. He's really just a beautifully natured, happy, friendly dog. Geoffrey is a 6 year old brown Lab x Beagle - he's a really lovely dog, but hasn't had any training. I've seen him at the park many times and he is well socialised with other dogs, just pulls like a freight train on the lead a lot and doesn't really have manners with people. As we were talking I was running through my head that I should just take him myself and train him in basic obedience and manners, and contact some rescues to get him listed on Pet Rescue. But I'm really allergic to dogs and it would just be a nightmare for me. Plus, I'm getting a foster dog from another group in a few weeks anyway. I am in Brunswick, Melbourne. Does anybody have any suggestions as to who I could contact to assist with a private re-homing? I guess that is what this situation is. I'm aware that most rescues won't take on dogs for private rehoming, but what about assisting with listing on Pet Rescue, if the dog is essentially being fostered already? Any suggestions would be appreciated - thanks in advance!

What about swimming? Would that help with strength?

That crossed my mind too Something I've pondered though, are dog allergies different to say, bee sting allergies in that there aren't the injections that you can get to help you become less allergic? You can, but they're not always effective. I had them for years, but they didn't make a discernable difference.

I agree, minimax - even I was trying to work out exactly what the issues supposedly being covered were, because a lot of things were being bundled up into one massive, confused mess. And I'm someone who is really concerned about all these issues and rleatively well informed (IMO). I've watched Insight many times before and there is usually much more clarity around the issues being discussed, and understanding of how they fit together and which ones are to be discussed on the night. Ie, SCOPING. There didn't seem to be much scoping. Im sure the journalists working on the story would have had a hard time sorting through the issues too though, as even the guests were bundling things together. Rescued with Love posted a very good status update on facebook earlier today, which is also on their blog. I'm going to take the liberty of linking it here, because I think it accuratley sums up that many issues were canvassed, but none adequately explained. Link to the post here And an excerpt

I don't know much about where allergies come from, but if it's any help, I'm allergic to dogs (it was MUCH worse when I was a child, I was hospitalised numerous times a year for many years with asthma) and neither of my parents have any kind of allergies or asthma. Nobody on my mother's side does either, and the family I do know from my father's side don't either. So unfortunately, the fact that neither you nor your husband have any allergies doesn't guarantee that any of your children won't As to what you would do if that situation arose - you can only speculate. I don't think you yourself could even know, it's one of those things that you can talk about and think through til the cows come home, but until you actually go through it.. you just can't say.

I am with you on your last point. I actually think that it may have done more harm than good - I think the first half hour of the show was like watching a train wreck, and that the rescue people came across as spouting 'no kill' without having any understanding of "the reality". To your average uninterested and unaware person, the RSPCA would surely have come across as a calm, legitimate organisation fighting on both fronts, both against rescue adn then against masses of animals. Some of that may be to do with editing, too. Regardless, it's SO improtant that issues are able to be synthesised in a way that will clearly explain to people who aren't aware of them already, EXACTLY what rescue does, why it's important and why the RSPCA/LDH/etc need to up their game. I think pushing No Kill was the wrong tact for this audience.

Jacqueline Dalziell - my hat is off to her, she's incredible. As for the fat old git from PIAA - what I have to tell you is unprintable except all of it is complete BULL---T. And for the greedy, principle-free OODLE breeder, God he made me feel physically sick. So unethical, using dogs for breeding machines, sending their puppies off to God knows who/where. A---hole. Thanks for the name, I am noting that down! I think she did a perfect job of completely obliterating everything he said, he looked like a moron after she was done with him. And she did it so neatly. Hero.

No mention of registered breeders at all the whole night Sheridan but I think it was clear what they were talking about when they discussed puppy farmers. They had the guy from Banksia Park/ACA Breeders proudly stating he has 300-400 breeding dogs on his property. I couldn't help but pipe up at that. Ooh are you the woman wiht long blondeish hair? Who talked about him not giving his breeding dogs the opportunity to live in the circumstances he was breeding puppies for?

That American girl.. I wish all the rescue people were as articulate as her. She's BRILLIANT - she needs to be wheeled out to speak on behalf of rescue!

Oh wow! Thanks for the clarification. My sister is going to seriously regret accompanying me to the show now, I'm going to have our day planned down to the MINUTE. :laugh:

Am I confusing two things here - is there a Rare Breeds Showcase stall or something, that will feature rare breeds each day? Or is that a general focus, and rare breed clubs will be having their own stalls? Either way, this is so exciting! I'm heading to the Show on Thursday (POODLE DAY ), I can't wait to see all these dogs!

Absolutely... AND what happens once they get to the facilities is also important.... AND can be drastically improved on. :thumbsup: I completely agree. Everybody is making valid points in this discussion, but they're not mutually exclusive. There are a bunch of issues and problems here, and chipping away at one doesn't mean the others must be ignored, or are not important. ALL of these issues need to be addressed. One of them is how shelters operate. The other thing that people haven't mentioned here is foster care - a great way to improve pounds' performance in adopting out adoptable animals is through utilising foster carers. The LDH apparently does this, but as far as I am aware, won't release numbers on how many animals it has in foster care at any time. The number of people who foster for rescues shows that there is willingness in teh community to do this kind of thing - pounds should tap into it more, in my opinion. It's one of the ways the new management at GAWS have improved that establishment's performance.

I think there are a few issues at play. There is definitely a problem with responsible pet ownership (or lack thereof), but there is also a mis match One of the things that angers me in particular, is that some of the organisations responsible for running council pounds receive significant amounts of money to run pounds, but the way in which they do this, and have historically done this, has been quite hidden and non-transparent. In my view, the operating model and the way they conduct their organisations is at odds with the job they are tasked with, and with what the community thinks they do. Many people that I know donate or used to donate to the Lost Dogs Home in particular, but no longer do after discovering that they actually make quite a hefty profit. It's not that they're not allowed to do that, but that people feel cheated, thinking they are helping dogs and cats, when in reality profit is being made. It doesn't add up. In a nutshell - they do a bad job at what they're meant to be doing. And it doesn't just affect stray dogs, but LOST dogs. We almost never got our lost dog back when he was taken to the LDH - I was constantly reassured that no dog matching his description and microcihp was there, but when my mum went into actually look (out of desperation), there he was. I'd love if our was an isolated incident, but I've heard of and read about this happening so many times that I consider it to be a real issue. ANd it's separate to responsible dog ownership, and the dumping of dogs and pounds mopping up the mess. Just my 2c. I can't wait to watch tonight's episode.

I'm scared of co-ownership of dog arrangements. I'd just get a dog that didn't require heaps of exercise! Actually, I'd just get a greyhound.

I have no advice about possible health problems, however I too have a dog who sounds similar. She's now 11 (Poodle x) and has ALWAYS been a very fussy eater who really just isn't into food and won't eat if there's anything else that might be more interesting going on. She has always been thin but has never had any health problems that I can recall, and is extremely sprightly - vets (and everyone else) are always amazed that she is 11 years, not 11 months. It may just be that she's not that into food. Whenever I've raised it with vets they say that she seems in perfect health, and when I raise that my other dog (purebred Poodle) is a little guts, the reaction tends to be that that's unusual for a poodle. Supposedly poodles aren't big eaters? I've now found that Mimi loves Big Dog BARF patties, so give her 2/3 of one for dinner, and give my other dog the other bit. At first she was suspicious, but she actually seems to like them. If she doesn't want to eat, I'll hand feed her a little bit so she gets the taste, and then she'll start digging in. Hopefuly that's of some consolation!

I feed big dog BARF patties, and personally consider them just as good and healthy as Dr Billinghurst. I choose them over the Vets All Natural because my dogs like them more, one patty feeds my 2 dogs perfectly, and they seem to be cheaper. If I am ever unable to get Big Dog patties I get Vets All Natural, but it's just a preference thing IMO :)

Thanks, canine dog spots and dancinbcs! I wish this had happened before, since I just paid $600 for a dental - could've got them to check then! Damn. Let's hope Mim's just belatedly discovering her sexual prowess...

Oooh, I'm going to hijack this a bit and ask for some opinions on this - My 11 year old dog has never humped anything before. Not people, not dogs, toys.. she's just never done it (that I've seen, anyway). On a few occasions in the last 6 weeks or so, she has humped women who are sitting on the ground in our living room. It's very strange, all the women she has humped have been dog people - involved in rescue and training - and have been sitting on the floor, but that's the only thing I can discern. Why would she do this! It's such a strange turn of behaviour after all these years..

I agree - great response. This is definitely a forum of special people ;) Please don't take people's responses the wrong way - just don't be angry at yourself for not having prevented something that your dog's instincts told it to do :) I don't think you're a bad or negligent owner at all!