mackie

She cannot take YOU to the Victorian Ombudsman. That is not its purpose. She can complain to the Ombudsman about the actions of the council.

Thank you to all providing input and advice without making assumptions :)

No not bitten and aussie shepherd. I defer to your experience but I am just trying to understand whether the dog coming in was acting on perceived weakness, or whether mine gave a signal to invite the approach in the first place. OR Apart from avoiding the entire situation with this dog, in other circumstances should I only put the dog on lead after taking him some distance away and calming any excitement?

I agree with both comments. Please understand however that unlike many, I do not let the dog run amok as soon as we reach the park and that every off lead experience is assessed - possibly too much. Dog parks have their place for most dogs - just not every/all the time. And we (and our dogs) ony improve through challenges and experiences. :) EDIT: Although I concede I failed this time

This question stems from instances at the dog park. My boy is a nearly 2 year old desexed aussie. I would describe him as quite dominant - meeting larger males invariably results in a stare down contest that occasionally gets him into trouble (nearly always while on lead) or results in unwanted bahaviour. This is managed through various methods including assessment of other dogs and when he is off lead or on lead, correction, distraction, avoidance, etc. There are occasions when in the presence of dogs that he has dispayed an "issue" with, putting him back on lead has resulted in an escalation of aggression. That is, the other dog runs in with aggression and my boy retaliates. Tonight he was playing with another dog, with the 'nemesis' approaching and barking. Not unusual as they both do this to each other from time to time. Mine was compeletely ignoring the other dog. When he had had enough he returned to me and when I was putting his lead on, bad things happened, So to my question: Am I empowering him by being near me, or is it a sign of weakness to the other dog, or can it be both?

double post - sorry

I wouldn't assume he needs more food. Some dogs will just find and eat what you make availabe - in bins, benches, etc. Chicken stock with whatever he likes.

I worked full time with an 8 week old but had the luxury of lunch time visits for about a month for toilet (mainly this), food, play and training. A young puppy is such a rewarding experience in the longer term and if you do decide to commit to puppy and take leave/holidays for that initial few weeks, make sure you routinely leave the house for extended periods - almost as if you were working with visits. EDIT: That said, my boy was a lifestyle changer. I knew this before I started and couldn't be happier

I'm one too. Sometimes it seems like you are getting nowhere and then the penny just drops. Edit: And I think you're too stressed

If I may add another discussion prompt: Do we expect too much from 8-16 week old pups? Along the same lines as mentioned on the availability of information, does access to stories of other people's early training success, raise expectations too high, too soon?

He will never forgive you :D