Alkhe

I got yelled at for my Toy Poodle walking in the general direction of a woman with a pet duck, that she had brought to the park (which has a pond in it). The duck, which was actually a drake, was much bigger than Maggie and the woman had brought it to the park to play with the resident ducks.. My Maggie hadn't even noticed her duck and would've been sh*t scared of it, had she seen it! But apparently it's ok to take a duck to a park. Weird. I mean, .. yeah. Whatever. :laugh: More on point though, I think the line would have to be whether we are talking about a pet rabbit or rodent, that your dog had killed, and whose property it was on. I've got 2 pet rats who live in a cage in my room, and if they got out, they wouldn't survive 2 seconds with one of my dogs. And if they did get out, that's my own fault, and of course I wouldn't hold any of the dogs to blame at all.

ARGH I can't believe I missed it!! Bah.

It may seem like bad news, but the fact that this has made it into the local paper is SUCH a great thing. It's a really good article - I hope it all gets resolved. And yes, well done MUP for all your hard work at Cootamundra :thumbsup:

Mimi - will be 12 in August The most persistent foot licker in the world, ESPECIALLY when we're in bed and she's positioned herself particularly annoyingly. Oh, and laptop-crawler, when my fiance is sitting on the couch. She's like a cat, who MUST get onto the keyboard. ETA - oops, sorry about the size. That pic is almost true-to-size scale :laugh:

Wow, he is adorable!! He looks a bit Leonberger-y to me, am I imagining it? He's stunning, whatever he is :D

Ohhhh my god, they are ADORABLE! And their stares are so intense - I love them! :love:

Yes, unforutnately facebook is a tool that can be as beneficial and productive as the people using it. The group I foster for uses it really well I think - it's a communication tool to provide information and updates about the dogs we have in care to our followers, who are very loyal and get very attached to our dogs. The way that our group's page is used reflects the general philosophy and modus operandi of the group, though, which aims to be professional, accountable and protect its well earned reputation. In general, I think that rescues' facebooks reflect their approach to operating more broadly - so yes, some will be more like a communication tool, others will be all over the place and give the impression (which is often accurate, in my experience) that things are chaotic, last minute and it's just a constant race to get dogs out from under the needle and ferry them off into any home that someone makes available. I also find it bizarre that some rescue organisations will actually call out for foster carers on their facebook page, and then drop a dog off to some random person who comments. If I ran a group, there is no way that I would take a dog from a pound and drop it off to someone who responded to a facebook post, who I have no knowledge or background with. I just.. the mind boggles. You can run a rescue like a reputable organisation, or you can run a shoddy operatleads you all day :laugh: Over 'n out!

Yes, I can definitely believe tha the brightened up right before the appointment! It's always the way, specially if it's the emergency vet late at night.. I immediately thought that it sounded like a neck or back issue too - but I'm glad that he seems to have brightened up. Do you think your vets would be amenable to you bringing him in there every week or so, without him actually seeing a vet? Just in the interests of more counter conditioning type thing? My vets actually suggest this for dogs that are really fearful, and are happy for people to bring their dogs in just for a pat and some liver treats to create positive associations with the place :)

I have no advice or useful tips, but I just wanted to echo what others have said and say thank you so much for taking Chester on. Your love and dedication is so inspirational, and I wholeheartedly support everything that you and LLDR do. :heart:

I've got a bit of a different opinion, actually. I actually find the jump from 2 to 3 dogs quite significant, much more than 1 to 2, or 3 or 4. It is very much dependent on the individual dogs in question, but a third dog changes the dynamic completely. It can be brilliant, but it can also be a nightmare, and unfortunately it's kind of hard to tell until you're in the midst of it! :D We have 2 dogs of our own and also foster, so usually have 3 dogs (sometimes 4). I'm quite ok with having 3 dogs around, but it does mean that everything requires more planning. How you manage it and how 3 dogs fits in with your life and lifestyle will of course be different to me, and to everyone else. But in my experience, 2 dogs are just much easier to handle. You can walk 2 at a time, and in my case take them up the street and grab a coffee, then walk back home with the dogs in one hand and coffee in the other. It's easier to stick two dogs in the car than 3. It's easier to find someone to look after them if you need to go away. In a nutshell, I think the more dogs, the more actual management. But of course, it all depends.

Show them the listings of dogs available at every. single. pound. in. Australia. Ask them if they really think the world needs more staffy types.

As others have said, just give her time :) She will come around in her own time, and sometimes trying to force it can just make things worse. I would also make sure that your fiance does all the good and fun things in the house - get him to feed her, walk her, etc. Get him to feed her lovely treats like cheese, ham, sausage etc.. just hold his hand out and let her take them and run away. She'll eventually become more settled and happy around him. In hindsight, I think it took our Toy Poodle over a year to truly settle in. She came to us at the age of 3, and it's only now that I look back and think yeah, the first year or so she was really not herself, in the way that we know her now. You'll get there :)

I think there's a difference between legislation that actually bans breeds being bred and sold (and in theory, existing) in Australia - which is the case with Tosa, Dogo Argentino etc, and the BSL that we have in Victoria. In Vic, dogs are being euthanised, despite not having done anything. That's different to the law that means that Dogo Argentinos etc are banned in Australia. One actually has an impact on dogs that exist. .. I don't think I've explained that well, sorry..

If I were you, I'd be worrying about ensuring that the pup gets better, and doing everything you can to ensure that. Money would be the last of my concerns, But money is a concern for most people, including me. Sorry, I mean.. responsibility for it, I suppose. Of course money's a concern, it would be for me too - but my immediate priority would be ensuring that within reason, the pup is treated. And not whether I'm going to be able to recoup the money.

What would you do to the puppy if she was returned to you - would you fix her up or PTS?? I understand where you are coming from but it's hard to seperate emotions- what if she is healed with no more probs?? Our older staffy has had an infection in the same area years ago and she is fine and still kicking. That's why it's a problem at this stage - it's unclear exactly what the problem is and therefore what the treatment and prognosis is.

If I were you, I'd be worrying about ensuring that the pup gets better, and doing everything you can to ensure that. Money would be the last of my concerns, I'd be concentrating on getting the pup everything she needs, and down the track, working out if - a) it's worth seeking to recoup veterinary costs (if we are talking a few thousand dollars, I would personally just suck it up.), and b) if there is clearly somebody at fault. Eg, if the pup contracted parvo from the plane, or somehting that can clearly be attributed to somebody or some entity. In my opinion, if you buy a pup from a breeder that has serious genetic issues, and that the breeder did, or ought to have known about, then it's a separate issue. My primary concern there would be the breeder withholding information and hoping you don't know, and my issue with that is the dishonesty. This doesn't sound like that situation at all.

I agree and completely understand ruthless, you don't want the profile to just SELL him as the perfect dog, the main aim is for him to go to the right home. Maybe that is someone dog savvy; you don't want someone being sucked into the profile or photos, or the fact that he's been waiting for ages. It's such a hard balance :/

83K visitors already - phwoar! Well done, can't wait to read!

Yep.

It's strange, isn't it - my first foster dog, we had in care for 6 months. Another one that I looked after for a few weeks while her foster carer was away has been in foster care since November last year - she's a gorgeous little 8 year old scruffy terrier. No behavioural or health issues, great with dogs, loves people, nothing "wrong" at all - she's perfect. But .. nobody wants her! I just don't understand.

I didn't read it as the RSPCA *said* they wouldn't do anything, but the OP's friend had been TOLD that they couldn't. I recommend contacting the RSPCA anyway. A year or so ago it was found that people had been tormenting and abusing birds at a park in Melbourne, and from memory a swan was killed. It was found that some.. teens I think? had done it, and it received huge media attention and public outcry. From memory the swan's mate was also injured and subsequently died, again to much public outcry.

Weird - I actaully saw some in Domayne furniture in QV a few weeks ago, and then saw an ad for them in belle magazine last night! There are a few different styles, in black and white. http://www.domayneonline.com.au/greyhound-laying-white.html

I've got a Toy Poodle who's pretty vocal, but I actually think she'd be much quieter if she lived on the 3rd floor of an apartment building - Maggie goes outside and barks and people walking past, the dog next door, .. outdoor sounds really. I know that some dogs will bark from boredom, but I do think that environmental factors and things that some dogs bark out would be largely eliminated in a 3rd storey apartment? Does that seem right? Just thinking aloud. Presumably as long as the dog is given enough mental stimulation and things to do while you're out, it might be ok with otherwise vocal breeds?

Lovely, thank you!

Is there any more information about what will be covered in the session/s? I may be interested but I have a take home exam and really should be bunkered down in my study.. but hey, if there's something else I should be doing.. :)