BDJ

I have read this thread and was hoping that it might give someone who was the owner (or decision maker) of a sick and/or elderly dog some food for thought Unfortunately it has ended up being (or at least sounding like) a slanging match about rescues To try and bring it back to what I read in the original question - it is sad for people who are outside and looking in to see any animal suffer. Euthanasia should never be an easy decision. Some times it can be very clear cut, but never easy. Unfortunately some people don't make that decision when it is in the best interest of the animal. And sometimes the 'best interest of the animal' is very hard to determine, and is extremely subjective. Personally I don't care if someone (or a group of people) want to spend $$$$$$ on a particular animal - their choice, their $$$$$$. I feel for the animal when the people making the decision don't do what is best for the animal WHEN IT IS ABSOLUTELY OBVIOUS. Having a vet who has honest conversations, looking at the whole existence of the animal - how much of their last week was comfortable and without pain? Is it short term pain for long term quality of life? And if so, how much pain, for how long will they have it and how long will they be pain free? All of these questions are hard, and subjective.

thanks for the quick response Like the carpet square idea - simple (and kicking myself for not thinking of it :-))

I have a question re belly bands - hope it is ok to add to this thread. I have a 7yo male (swf). He is 'housetrained' in as much as he will ask to go outside if he needs to go to the loo. However, on occasion he will 'mark'. Never in the main living room areas of the house, only in the bedrooms. Never seen him do it, just sometimes the quilt cover has a stain. The easy fix is to close the bedroom doors - but I would prefer not to go down that road (2 reasons. the bedrooms are the only rooms in the house with carpet and all the animals (including him) like to lay on/roll on/walk on carpet some times. The other reason is that I prefer not to have to open and close doors all the time). It has nothing to do with 'holding on' - he is rarely inside more than an hour or so without either going in and out, or the door being open for him to go where he wants. And any stain is small - not the emptying of a bladder, just a 'pee on a post' thing. I see my options as being : - living in a world of closed doors - putting up with it - belly band (working on the theory that it would be a different sensation, as well as saving the quilt/carpet (when he misses) Am I understanding belly bands correctly? Appreciate any other ideas. No health issues, no other 'dominance' issues - it really is a case of a boy who has a bad habit that only happens occasionally

QUOTE : would you have bought him if the breeder would have told you that there are some issues with this pup as he was born without balls?...or do you think this would be a defect compromising the value of the dog? Do you also consider to crop his ears and dock his tail because there are 'some pros and cons' in it? Why do you think de-sexing would improve the value of your dog?...if you want a de-sexed dog, why not getting one from the pounds? ------------------------------------------------ WOW Willem - interesting way to engage with a Newbee (6 posts) who is asking a question about how best look after their pet (otherwise known as responsible pet ownership). I have owned both desexed and undesexed males, and thankfully have not had any issues either way, so not going to make a suggestion except that I always leave both males and females entire until they are around 12m minimum so they develop with natural hormones (never had giant breeds so 12m was reasonable) OP - great that you are asking and researching, where possible try to get past the 'passion' (otherwise known as deriding those who dare to question) of both sides (pro and con desexing) and make the decision you think is best for your boy

If the goats have already been eradicated once - how did they get back on the island again?

thanks everyone He is going back to the vets tomorrow for a check up He is getting better each day. I am quite sure he is not in pain, but he is still a little quiet (but that could be because he is not allowed on the bed at the moment :-) Will look at a chiro next week

thanks Rebanne and Papilion Kisses. Some good ideas to follow up

Hi I am looking for suggestions/recommendations on the best vet in Adelaide for a strange issue my brothers whippet has had. He is 5 years old and never had an health/skeletal issues until the last 2 months. About 8 weeks ago he was 'sore' - nothing concrete in his symptoms except very sooky and 'tight' (muscles tensed etc). My brother took him to a good chiropractor/manipulator. He massaged him and made some light manipulations which appeared to resolve the issue. All good for about 8 weeks and then on Sunday all hell broke loose. He was inside and started screaming like someone was attacking him with an axe. The closest person was 10 foot away when it happened, but no one was actually looking at him - so he may have slipped, but we know he was not running around etc (and no other animals were near him). He was as stiff as a board, and had no control of his hind legs. I cant explain how he was sitting as I have never seen a dog sit like that - he was 'sitting' on the middle of his back (the part of his back that was on the ground was between his hip bones). His fronts were on the ground and he was so contorted his hind legs were sticking straight up and his feet were higher than his head. Rushed him straight to our vet who kept him over night. He was able to start walking the next morning (prior to that he could not support himself.) Xrays were inconclusive and he came home 36 hours later with pain relief and anti-inflams etc. An MRI/CATscan has not been done ($2200 and don't want to spend that unless we have to). He is getting better and I would now classify him as 90% right - but he is still very quite (not sure if he is still a little sore, or if he is just still getting over what happened - he is very 'soft' so any sort of a scare or pain puts him back in his box mentally for a while). He is eating and going to the toilet as per normal. Hopefully we wont need to use the advice - but would love suggestions on which vets in Adelaide are recommended for this type of issue. Its very frustrating as we have no idea what is the trigger - it is obviously very painful and frightening for him, but checks after the event don't show anything All help/suggestions appreciated (and apologies for the long post :-))

sounds wonderful I saw a Swedish Vallhund at the dog park the other day - the owners were very surprised that I recognised her :-) A lovely, lively dog

I am comfortable with having enough places to take my dog - but also live in Adelaide and we have amazing access to dog friendly beaches - miles of suburban beaches are off leash till 10am and on leash friendly all day. But (flame suit firmly on), it seems to me that Australians (and our dogs) are not ready to allow dogs in more places. I was in California last year, and spend many hours down by the beach - where there was a path that went for miles along the foreshore - about 5 metres wide, two way, shared by walkers, skateboarders and cyclists - and around half the people (all modes of transport) with dogs - and it was a busy, busy path What I noticed was - dogs were non reactive, several had pinch collars on, owners were very aware of what their dogs were doing, and the dogs around them. I didn't see a single pinch collar 'used' - loose leads everywhere. But, they were there so if a dog did decide to pull/take off/become a nuisance, then the owner would have had a lot more 'instant' control than a flat collar. The only time I did see a situation where there may have been a bit of 'something' was a guy who was skateboarding and had a dog trotting next to him. Dog decided that another dog was 'interesting'. Skateboarder immediately got off his skateboard and moved a few metres away to a quieter area. No fan fare, no yelling/correction or anything else. He simply stood still for about 5 mins. Dog became bored - when all was back to calm, he simply moved off. I could just imagine it in Australia - reactive dogs every where, people being tripped up etc - all because unfortunately there are a lot of people here who have dogs and don't believe/understand that dogs need work and training, and that a dog should have boundaries - they can still be outgoing and have a happy and healthy life without annoying others. On a different topic (but same theory) as children - it is not mean if I don't want to 'enjoy' interacting with your child (or dog) :-)

I wonder if the sheer number of dogs reduces the fights - ie : there are too many to allow the normal creation of a pack hierarchy, so each animal realises that they cant fight dog X and 'go a rung up the ladder', and no one is 'top dog' so nothing to defend. Just thinking it may be the case. Many years ago I was at a horse show and the first horse in the 'stallion 4 years and over' came in the ring - and he thought he was it and a bit. Stallion 2 came in and stallion 1 was very clear in his belief that he was the biggest and the best. Nothing inappropriate, but you could almost see the waves of testosterone :-). By the time the 20th stallion came in the ring, no 1 had well and truly shut up, and everyone was happy to share the space - it was a case of 'cant take on everyone, so best not start something I cant finish' :-) Perhaps that, as well as not taking in anything that was very DA would be enough. Either way, seems to be a heck of a lot of happy, healthy animals, nice story

Sometimes it is hard when you adopt an older dog, if only because you don't always know what they are saying :-) Many years ago we heard about an older (8 or 9 yo) sheltie that the son was looking to place out as her elderly owner had passed away and no one in the family could take her. She settled in beautifully and we had her for 7 years. But, we never did understand what we were supposed to do with her right front paw. She would come and sit in front of us and lift it up and out as if she was offering it to us. But if we tried to touch it she would snatch it back and walk off (and give us a look of 'yikes you are stupid, why do you think I wanted you to touch it' :-)). We never did work it out, and I always felt I was being dumb as she really, really wanted us to understand something (it wasn't playful, it was really like a message or special think she used to do)

thanks Snook Any suggestion on how I can increase the contrast? - I would love them to have a bit more detail/contrast. Would it be with changing the settings on the camera, or through tweaking in photoshop? (I haven't done any processing on it at all yet) ta

Hi all - here is my first pic Firstly - I am loving what I am seeing from everyone - so many great pics I took it out of the window on a Sydney to Adelaide flight yesterday - the clouds were amazing. I really wanted one which had a bit of the window in the foreground, but every one I took had window reflection. I could not see it on my computer preview, but as soon as I looked at them on the computer I could see it. I have another flight next week, so will try again. More than happy for all feedback - I want to learn, so please feel free for all comments (FYI - I am using an Olympus Mark II mirrorless camera - I know the purists believe that mirrorless is not as good as a 'full' Canon/Nikon DSLR, but I love that it fits in my handbag (so I use it more) and at my standard I am happy with the pictures.

excellent - can't wait (and you are right - it will encourage/force me to take photos each week :-)

thanks Trifecta for the breakdown of weeks (and that it is one photo per week, that was going to be a question :) ) I do have one question - does the photo have to be taken that week? or can I 'cheat' a bit and (for example) take 2 photos on the same day and use one the first week and one the second? (I realise it is a bit of fun, and that (hopefully) I wont be taken out the back and shot if I do something 'wrong' - but I want to stay within the guidelines :laugh: - at least where I can )

Hi Trifecta - yes please thanks for the encouragement Snook - it should be fun

would I be able to be involved? My photos are no where near the quality of some of the amazing ones that appear here - but I am an enthusiastic learner (who occasionally flukes a nice one), and would love to share them (and would be over the moon with any feedback/tips etc from those who know lots :-))

some great thoughts from Christina and Roova I believe there is a huge difference between 'demand' and 'suitable homes' - in some breeds 'suitable homes' are easy to find, in others not so much - just because you can sell 10 (or 20) pups a year does not mean you should breed that many. Whilst I understand the sentiment, I do think that the mantra of 'if they really want a XYZ from a reputable breeder, then they will be happy to wait 2 years for a puppy to be available' is limiting to the extreme, and does mean that some fantastic homes don't have an XYZ in their lives (with the resultant loss of great ambassadors for the breed being in the public domain). There are a lot of people who want a dog in their life at quite short notice (current dog passed away for whatever reason etc) and it is not always possible to start the search in advance. I don't think that anyone on this forum believes that having a bitch pop out puppies every 6/8/12 months just 'cos she can is a great idea. However, if someone has a well bred/great temperament/sound/health bitch and takes the time (and money) to match her with the right dog, raises the litter well, and finds SUITABLE homes (with after sale support etc) - and that litter is for the pet market to meet the 'demand', then I struggle to see why that is wrong. I often read 'a responsible breeder should only has a litter when they need a pup themselves' - given many pedigreed dog breeders only have a small number of dogs themselves (if they show etc and the dogs are both 'pets' and 'showdogs', they usually have 4-10 dogs) using that theory they may only have a litter every 2 or 3 years. Again, I am not promoting the 'have uterus - have babies' philosophy, but how can we expect 'Joe Public' to buy well-bred, health tested puppies if the 'demand' is not met?

Whatever her state of mind, or reason for wanting to return to her house - throwing a bag of manure at someone and hitting them in the face WILL get a reaction - and most people who are not as trained as police officers would probably have reacted with a blow. I thought the police handled it well - yes she was dropped to the ground heavily, but she was not 'set upon by 4 police', the second cop took the leads to make sure the dogs were under control, and 2 other cops arrived in case they were needed. No way to know how long she had been there, and how many times they asked her to move away. One of the cops was suggesting alternatives (don't know what he was saying, but his hand gestures were referring her to another street etc). If she has no mental issues - then she demonstrated a complete lack of respect to another human being. If there were mental/emotional health issues - then remedial action is required (support, supervision or whatever is suitable) as it is not acceptable for anyone (emergency services or Joe Public) to be put in a position where she would go off and assault someone. Being unable to return to your house due to the street being blocked off can be a pain, and may result in significant inconvenience - but when was the last time a street was blocked off for no reason - the local residents may not have known exactly what occurred - but guaranteed someone (through accident, assault, murder, illness) is having a MUCH worse day than the person who cant return to their house. Heaven forbid what would happen if someone else 'got in her way' during the day, must be charming to interact with that attitude on a regular basis In my view - Not acceptable

Thanks Snook, glad to know I am on the right track. The course I am doing is through the WEA - only 1 week in but it is great so far

Hi guys, I hope you don't mind me jumping in with a question (don't mean to hijack the thread, it is a similar question). I have a DSLR Nikon D3100, but I don't use it much - combination of it being quite big to carry around (so it lives in a cupboard), and I don't know how to use it so get disheartened quickly - some photos work, some dont and I could not work out why. So - I am taking an 8 week course (I learn best with face to face with a new subject, give me a book and/or You Tube without any F2F and I have no idea) - first thing sorted. This thread also told me about mirrorless cameras - so I checked them out and find them much smaller (other problem solved, it can live in my handbag). Anyway, yesterday I put a deposit/laybuy on a Olympus OMD EM5 MKII with a 14-150mm lens. Would love to know peoples thoughts on whether that is a good camera. I completely know that the output is due to the skill of the operator, not the camera. But I have a long holiday coming up that I want to use it for - so I want a camera that can take a good photo, is easy to use, and that can grow with me if/when I work it out :-) thanks

thanks everyone for your ideas and input - I will have a look at the options A house sitter would be ideal (I have birds as well - have a solution for them as they are in a huge aviary so whilst they need daily water change, they are more self sufficient and less 'hands on' than the furries :) ). But I need to investigate further as I have never used a house sitter and I really dont know how I feel about an unknown person in the house and being responsible for the animals. I have excellent fencing and double gates etc, but it is no where near as secure as the boarding place I use. I am thinking I may end up going with boarding them. It is a lot of money (in anyones language), but then again - you get what you pay for, I have total faith in the place and the staff, the few times I have used them the furries have come back happy and healthy and I have had a stress free break :D - my first reaction was but I dont go away often, and there is no way I will compromise the care that they receive Be it a house sitter or boarding them, me thinks I need to get used to vegemite on toast for the next few months

Thanks Gruflife - and yeah, I wasn't disputing the price as such, more very surprised. Even if I do go the housesetter route, I will still be boarding two of the cats. They have 'quirks' and for their security (and my peace of mind), being locked in a good, safe cattery will be whats happening :-) ta

Hi guys, Apologies if this has been done before - I have done a search and can find similar things to what I am looking for, but not exact :-) I am planning a 3 week holiday in October, and was planning on boarding my animals whilst I was away (I rarely have a need to board animals, but have done it very occassionally and am happy with the place I use). I knew it would be a chunk of money, but must say I was surprised when I rang for an idea of pricing - for a 25 day stay it works out to over $2200.00 (1 small dog, 3 cats (2 of which will be sharing an enclosure)) The prices I was quoted is $26.50 per day for the dog, single cat $18.50 per day, sharing cats $35.20 per day I am not looking for a justification of the cost - it is what it is and I know they have a lot of overheads (some I can imagine, others I have not even thought of). I dont want to get into a computer fight (although I must say, it costs me less than $70 a month to feed them and keep the cats in litter, so there is $2100.00 in overheads and margin for 3 enclosures for less than a month ) But it has got me thinking about options. I have never used a house sitter etc - would love feedback on whether they work, pros and cons etc. Also happy for feedback if there is a boarding establishment in Adelaide which is good, and less expensive (and yes - I know animals are a commitment, and there is zero chance of doing anything which is not in their best interest BUT it does sort of give an insight in to why some people dump animals when planning a holiday, or having a situation where they are unable to keep an animal at home for a period of time. Again - not condoning it, just saying it puts it in to perspective a bit)