Greyt

I have a question. What is the nutritional value of the chicken frame itself? If it does have value and weighs say 600gm with the fat cut off, what proportion of a dog's meal should the frame make up? (assume the dog is 30kg).

Dog Nazi's. It is strange how morons get to us emotionally isn't it?...even though we know intellectually that their behavior is less than ordinary. At least you don't have to put up with her antics anymore but I feel very, very sorry for her OH, lol.

And they most certainly do not put a dollar figure on their time. Even minimum wage is about $15.50 per hour. For phone bills, you really should be looking at these.... Live Connected Rates Amaysim Rates Both are Optus Re-sellers and offer unlimited/as good as unlimited calls and SMS for around $40 per month. If you need Telstra because of your location, even their pre-paid rates are good value for money these days. Telstra Rates

Well, if you incorporated as a not for profit, you would have a board and a treasurer and your accounts would have to be audited. Legally, you probably can't take donations unless you are incorporated. If not, your approach is solid as is Keetamouse's. As Dogmad implies, you will always be out many $$$. For accounting purposes, you should put a $ amount on a home check, drive to the pound, foster carer's, every phone call you make and take, putting up ads, food and equipment you buy etc.

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas? Great photos and I hope your car is covered by insurance:-)

You may well be underestimating the number of morons out there... the streets are crawling with them.

I feel for you and your pup. I hope he can live a normal life after what he has been through. I would definitely only take this pup to areas I knew to be safe from now on and at times that reduced the likelihood of another attack... by now, other dogs are picking up on the pup's fear and this will only increase the likelihood of another attack.. FWIW, If I need to protect a dog, I step out well in front, well before the advancing dog gets within range and meet their advance head on, swiftly and confidently. I have picked up other people's small dogs too from time to time but again, well in advance of the approaching dog and have then challenged the rogue dog. On leash or off in controlled areas doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as dogs that are territorial eg, behind fences or guarding park benches or guarding babies at beaches etc. My experience is that challenging the dog BEFORE it gets into your space is the key.

Sounds cheap to me. Your boy will also need more recovery time as it is now a major abdominal operation for him.

What a great way to see out your remaining years Ryan. Thank goodness for people like Griff. RIP.

My last forever dog was a Border Collie x Kelpie and I certainly did not know what I was getting myself in for around her non-stop energy levels. She lived to the ripe old age of 1 month shy of 15 before sadly passing. I recall thinking at about age 5, "When is this dog going to slow down". Her energy levels did not start to decline until she was 8 and even then, it was a very slow process until she was about 12 and then things became noticeable. At what age is typical for your breed to start to slow down?

I had a foster grey that seemed aloof and some people she met thought that she didn't have a personality. But that dog grew on me in so many little ways, I was absolutely crushed when she was re-homed. I wonder if Saluki's are similar?

I brought 2 Fosters home on the same evening. The first night, they both barked at anybody who walked by the front fence so I thought I hit the jackpot. But after they settled, they stopped barking. The boy rotects his pack in the dog park though, challenging any big dogs that show the slightest sign of aggression to the smaller grey or whippet. I suspect he would do the same to a human who challenged me.

Very Nicely put Megan.

A friend of mine starts with the premise that all humans are morons. That way, if he encounters intelligent behavior, it is an unexpected bonus. I was playing poker once and the dealer was especially rude to a man to my right. Unexpectedly, he started laughing after the dealer was again rude to him. I asked him what he was laughing about and he told me that he felt very happy that the dealer was not his wife and he was laughing about the poor bastard who was unlucky enough to be married to the dealer. He was very happy that he only had to put up with her for half an hour. A different way of looking at a similar problem.....

Step 1, learn to spot the difference between over exuberance and aggression as they are not the same.

Ha, Ha... I had a foster Grey (re-homed yesterday:-( that cut off my other foster Grey and Whippet....she was a successful racer and I could see why immediately I saw her run... she always looked for the best angles:-) When Greys play with other dogs, they tend to be in 2nd gear..... when they are ears down and in full flight, they are something to watch.

One warning bite from a GSD resulting in a wound that refused to heal so I took the option to have him stitched. Expensive but worth it as all his fur has grown back now and he is a glamour hound again:-)

My Whippet would play with anything if I let him too but I don't because the thing he likes to do more than anything is chase small dogs....it is when he becomes intensely focused on a small running thing that his otherwise almost perfect recall goes out the window. I have had the experience of a Greyhound who was on the wrong end of a single "warning - stay away away from me while I am chasing a ball" bite from a GSD. Because of the Greys thin skin, lack of thick fur and a wound that would not heal = vet bills for surgery... the same bite would not have broken the skin of a lab, GSD or Staffordshire, or Corgi etc.

As a former youth worker, the first rule of thumb is not to own other people's problems or the consequences of the decisions they make because if you do, you will end up an emotional wreck. It is admirable that you care so much so please give yourself a pat on the back. You *could* ask her to do some research before she buys eg, by reading The Whippet Thread and ask her what is the worst that could happen, what kind of environment would a responsible Whippet owner provide, what kind of care does a Whippet need, what kind of exercise regimen does a Whippet need, how does she feel about not being able to take the dog off-lead etc (or what would she do/how could she pay for the liability she would have if her off lead Whippet chased down and injured or killed a little dog, what would be the most she could afford to pay in the event of an accident etc. The general rule is to lead the recipient to the information they can use to draw their own conclusions and then let them own and be responsible for those decisions, no matter what they are. As others, have said, the best you can be is to be supportive and non-judgmental along the way.

Fair enough... my bad. The rest of this lady's experience is to the best of my recollection, her factual experience ie, Strict licensing, regulation and enforcement of rules around breeding, no pounds, financial and fit to be a pet owner vetting. The community (cultural, social, economic, regulatory) expectations are completely different vs Australia. ...and so are the outcomes.

I am sorry, I can't provide references. I met a dog owner at a park who described her process of buying a pet in her native Scandinavian country. When she arrived here, our problems with PTS were completely foreign to her experience - she volunteered in an Aussie shelter and has since adopted a number of dogs, some of whom were scheduled to be PTS on the day she adopted them.

Or should we provide, say, 2 BILLION dollars on pink batts instead? This issue is being handled piecemeal by regulators hence we are getting the result we deserve.

It doesn't of itself make your housemate a monster as they may simply have a different belief system. What was the dog chewing? If it was a sock, most people would not get too upset but if it was an expensive item or something that might ruin a set eg a dining chair, different story about the level of anger. When discussing minding a Staffie, did the discussion move to having a reasonable chance that some of out items may be chewed (given the dog's breed/history/being in a new environment etc). If not, it is probably irrational to be judgmental. In any case, if the discussion only revolves around, "I am right, they are wrong", there is no chance of resolving any differences.Sometimes that is not bad if you feel strongly enough about a situation but it is also a wasy of isolating yourself from anyone who does not share your world view, ie, the vast majority of people.

It is the price we pay for the system we have. In a Scandi country (I think Norway), you have to have a license to breed dogs and there is mandatory de-sexing of non-breeders dogs. Consequently, there is a shortage of dogs and to get one you have to go on a waiting list (usually long, say ~3 years), then have an interview, similar to a job interview to prove that you are fit to own a dog. The breeder will also ask you to bring verification of your income to prove that you have the financial capability to care for a dog. There are no pounds over there. Obviously, another result is that unless you are middle class and have stable employment, you are prevented from having a dog. I worry that the Gen Yers coming through - and how we cater to them, à la handbag dogs - will only make the problem worse in Australia.

Ha,ha. I lol'd