Salukifan

By your average pet owner? Hardly. Many struggle to handle the leash properly at first. Half can't even fit a check chain correctly. Many have issues with the timing of corrections and rewards. What most folk with dogs that pull need is TRAINING. Training on how to prevent and to cure the problem. An e-collar without appropriate training is a total waste of money IMO and severe overkill for an issue that most half way decent dog trainers can resolve quite quickly.

First point of call - the dog's breeder. They may be able to help. Second point of call - the State GSD club. Most have some kind of rescue/rehoming contacts. A 7 year old GSD with a known history, some manners and desexed shouldn't be hard to find a good new home for. As for all those saying "I'd never rehome my dog".. no one's asking you to!! This dog is not being dumped and clearly the owner has not come to this decision lightly. Perhaps some assistance and less judging might be the way to go.

I think this is the key. This child needs to meet gentle, non-reactive, almost disinterested dogs to build his confidence. My guess is that an older sighthound (Whippets are the smallest) could be perfect. "Friendly" dogs won't help at all. I agree that some professional help might be warranted. What should never happen is that the child be forced to interact with dogs or that anyone make light of his fears. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Not signed. The dog's owner needs a lawyer and a reality check. A petition certainly won't help save the dog.

I don't have any issues with this diet - never tried it but plenty of dogs seem to do well on it. I do however, have issues with this assertion: How would we know what wolves do and don't suffer from? Nature eliminates the unhealthy or the weak. Wild wolves live for 6-8 years on average. Wolves don't come in anywhere near the array of sizes and shapes dogs do. Some of those sizes and shapes can lead to the issues the quoted statement alleges can be prevented by a 'natural raw diet'. Sorry, but it sadly isn't that simple. I expect Dr Syme knows and acknowledges it isn't that simple. Feeding VAN, a raw diet (or any other diet for that matter) will not guarantee you a dog free of any of the conditions listed. No diet is a magic bullet that cures all ills. Lets all acknowledge that as we strive to do the best for our dogs that we can. I've heard BARFers suggest that a 'natural diet' prevents PRA and HD and they've found out the hard way that it won't. I'm all for folk being passionate about what they feed being the best for their dogs. But lets be realistic about it. No need for zealotry in any of the food camps.

I completely disagree. I think fitted around the neck of the handler, an e-collar would quickly sharpen up appropriate correction and reward giving. :) Without effective demonstraton of what's desired behaviour to a dog being taught on lead, I see little value in an e-collar. I'm sure it could be used but I'd defy your average pet owner to use one more effectively than other methods.

A clicker won't make your dog 'listen' - that's a focus that needs to be developed with practice and reward. Clickers work well with marking behaviour when the dog is close, and when you want to make a particular 'instant' that you get the behaviour you want. Personally I don't think they work well at a distance, nor for behaviours of longer duration like recalls and stays. No reason why you can't use a clicker for some things and not for others IMO. I"d be far more inclined to use my voice to encourage and reward the dog during the recall and then treat or play when she gets to you. A lot of folk swear by the "Really Reliable Recall" DVD and method - something you might want to look into.

I'd be calling the rangers first. They have some powers of entry.

I think it matters that the OP didn't get what she paid for - a sound, healthy Golden Retriever. And the person that sold it to her gets to laugh all the way to the bank.

OP: Beezneez, I would caution you that if you want to work on your dog's behaviour around other dogs, you'll find it difficult to achieve this outcome in an offlead dog park because other dog owners are unlikely to control their dogs. Your girl may be confronted by strange dogs whose behaviour she won't enjoy and this may escalate the responses you don't want. Stick with the dog club, make some friends with dogs your girl likes and let her socialise with them. As you've got a BC, have a good think about doing obedience or agility. Both build your dog's relationship with you and both will give your dog a job which she needs.

That's possibly some of the silliest advice from a so called "dog expert" that I've read in quite some time. No dog owner will have a hope of saving their dog is the 'advice' taken is to stand still and turn their back on a dog attacking theirs while tossing cabanossi and remaining quiet so as not to spook their own dog. All I can say is that I hope the person was misquoted and that she was referring to a dog posturing aggressively, not attacking.

Doesn't mean he hadn't done it before; and you also can't believe everything you read in the papers. The public NEVER gets the full story. Government departments are very wary about confirming anything to do with the killing of dogs for human consumption in this country, so as not to provoke a backlash against certain groups in society who think eating dogs is acceptable. If this was a dog abattoir, why were there so many LIVE dogs on the property?? Dog eating is not widespread in most "groups" you refer to. Animal cruelty is a big issue in this country and my guess is that you are a member of a "group" that's as guilty of it as any other. Rest assured, if the media can find an angle that taps into common prejudices and ignorance, they'll use it. Nothing like shocking the public to sell column inches in the paper. Dog fighting is a bigger issue for dogs than consumption. So is neglect and ignorance.

Steve: Joke about Bosdogs all you want folks but all I can say is that I hope you are advising people that there IS a way of protecting their dogs, even if you think its just a money spinner for DOGSVIC Steve. Because it will work while the MDBA tries again for recognition and if the MDBA fails, then your members will need to serve minimum membership times with DOGSVIC before they can get ANKC prefixes. Where was Don Burke's pet breeders group left in all of this.. out in the cold?

Yes, members of our community now. And they will find no shortage of different types of meat to eat in this community; meat that has been legally butchered in proper conditions and to proper standards. What happens in their country of origin STAYS in their country of origin - when it comes to eating dogs. Dogs are not an animal that are bred in this country as a source of nutrition for humans or other animals, and this needs to be clearly communicated to any newcomers. I am all for enjoying the benefits of multiculturism - but not the barbarism, thank you. Souff My thoughts too. This is the most sickening article I have seen in a long time - I can't believe this is happening in Australia If you read later reports carefully, there was no evidencefound to confirm that any dog was slaughtered for meat on the property. Another beautiful example of a reporter not letting the facts get in the way of a good story.

Knock yourself out Tihis is probably the best link on the subject and the conclusion for male dogs goes against popular dogma as perpetuated by vets and others. Of course health issues are not the only reason to desex a dog.

So your pup was put in a confined space with an over the top pup and couldn't get away. Other than aggression, what options did she have to get the unwanted behaviour to stop?? The trainer didn't do right by your pup IMO. What do you describe as a "friendly" dog. One who rushes up to yours with its tail madly wagging and who wants to be sniff yours all over? Are they bigger than your girl? You might find the article "He just wants to say hi" at this link useful. Some dogs lack social confidence. Some dogs have quite large personal spaces and Border Collies often seem to be like that. They simply aren't that interested in being friends with every dog they meet. I would suggest you listen to what your pup is trying to tell you and give her space from other dogs. No amount of socialisation will convince some dogs to be friendly with strangers. On the other hand, it can train them to react more and more strongly to get their message across about keeping other dogs away.

Doesn't really engender much respect. So, the ticket to be a puppy farmer and breed many more muttlies awaits in Victoria - just pay up and you are sweet! I don't really think this is what canine councils should be about, but then again, it is probably just me.There is money to be made after all, and that is what makes the world go round. Souff is going back to turtle watching - much more ethical. Neither do I. Nor, do I suspect this is what the CCs want to be. However there are opportunities to be explored if people stop protesting about the sky falling and seek solutions to the problem as they now exist. The facts are that there IS method by which any dog breeder can put their dogs within the aegis of the VICDOGs protections under the legislation. So sending dogs out of state simply isn't necessary for many breeders. I'm not going to condemn VICDOGs for negotiating a win for their members either. They aren't funded to represent the interests of anyone BUT their members. Numbers matter when it comes to political lobbying. You need numbers for a voice. Lots of small breed registries and breeder associations don't have those numbers. Perhaps in the light of this legislation its time for a rethink about how best to protect the interests of members/dogs. I'd be talking to VICDOGs as a matter of priority. I'd be joining even faster.

Mumof4girls: Cryptorchidism is quite common but massaging the testicle into the scrotum will not assist it to descend if the cord isn't long enough. Leave your boys bits alone and see what happens. If he's only to be a pet it's just a more invasive desexing op when the time comes if the second testicle hasn't dropped. The risk of testicular torsion in a retained testicle is probably more serious than cancer in a younger dog but there's no reason IMO it HAS to come out before the dog is fully mature.

Reasons to trim your dogs nails every week from puppyhood? See some posts above. You want the procedure to be a regular, "no big deal" part of the dog's life. Ditto grooming generally. Nail clipping is an important part of dog husbandry that should be attended to regularly. The less often nails are clipped, the longer the quick grows and the longer nails have to remain as a result. I'm with others here. The dog isn't going to like it but they do have to tolerate it. Reward that tolerance but don't take 'no' for an answer in a pup and you will pretty quicky have a dog that handles its nails being clipped with minimal fuss. Even if you do have to dig them out from under the bed when the Dremel comes out. ;) For a mouthing dog, I'd probably seek the help of an additional person and offer treats while the nails are done. Having someone to keep the foot steady and treat the dog will help. You don't have to do 20 nails per session.. even one or two then release and treat or play. You also don't have to take all excess off - even a teeny bit is good if you lack confidence with clippers (get a good set or a Dremel and it's way easier btw) Buy some quick stop or have cornflour on hand for any quick that is cut. The idea that a dog will only allow its feet to be handled by a stranger isn't a good one. What happens if it picks up a thorn? A desensitisation process would be good for dogs showing resistance or aggression. Start with just handling feet and rewarding and progress from there. It might be a good thing to do just before the dog's meal time.

Lets not condemn Dogs Vic for lobbying for its members. Expand the membership and they can lobby for that too. Has anyone approached Dogsvic to see if they will open the Working Register to entire dogs? To open a register for "breeds in development" or FCI recognised breeds not yet recognised in their country of origin. The ANKC is not the bad guy here. I've offered one way breeders of non-ANKC recognised dogs can bring them in from the cold if they choose to. What happens after that is up to those involved. As usual, only responsible dog owners will be troubled by this. Those that don't bother with registration etc will continue to breed dogs as they have always done.

You can still use a prefix... just not the ANKC registered one. People want to know how to breed dogs and protect their breeding dogs within the existing legislation. I've offered a solution. They can take it or leave it.

Yes, you can only use the prefix for registered litters.. where does it say that you can't breed other non ANKC registered dogs dogs WITHOUT using the prefix?? No, ANKC is not the only dog registry. However its the only one that's succeeded in lobbying for its members to be recognised in legislation at this point in time. Given the choice between joining the poncy show mob for at least the shorter term or shooting my dogs, I'd say the choice is fairly simple. Wouldn't you? And as for submitting one' self to the "big stick" of a CC's control. All I can say is What control?

Steve: They should join Vicdogs to receive protection under the laws. There are no restrictions on what Vicdog members breed beyond not crossing registered purebreds. Technically a VICDOGs member could breed as many working Kelpies or crossbred dogs etc as they want without breaching the code of ethics. Pretty quick fix IMO. And not wildly expensive.

Has this pup had a thyroid test?