nawnim

I agree with this post but I think a lot of smaller dog owners make the mistake of not only picking a dog up but comforting it which reinforces and encourages its fearful behaviour. Little dogs can be reactive too. They may have witnessed a dog attack or been attacked themselves previously. Also the dog is taking on board the fear of the owner, and some think their owner is in need of protection. It can be a very scary situation for any owner and any little dog.

As someone who is elderly and who owns two smaller dogs (10-12 kgs) I cannot watch that video. I know I would be too terrified to ever walk my dogs again. I once owned big dogs (30 kgs) and I love big dogs but I acknowledge that I am now too old to be able to manage one if a difficult situation arose, so like many other small dog owners I made a responsible decision. Big dog owners need to accept that they have an extra responsibility to keep people and smaller dogs safe because their dogs can do more damage. I want to be able to walk my dogs and feel safe. Is that too much to ask? My dogs are trained and walked on a leash.

I also saw the dogs who are supposed to have attacked the boy's dog. They looked to my untrained eye like Amstaffs or APBTs. I'm not sure of the difference. They were ginger and very powerful. The police were at their home with their guns drawn and pointing at the dogs. The owner was ordered to leash his dogs which he did.

FWIW I saw this on an earlier news. The boy was being lifted into the ambulance with his head all bandaged and there was a dog there with him which I assume was his. It looked like a staffy cross black and white with border collie type markings. It looked okay.

Thankyou Dogmad and Snook and the earlier posters. I did delete my recent post because no-one seemed interested. My grieving girl has had an epileptic seizure (her second) and I am so worried about her. I keep watching her for signs of another. She has a vet's appointment on Friday. I love her so much. Also her pathetic owner is facing her own medical crisis and is doing the rounds of brain MRIs etc because the benign brain tumour that was removed ten years ago looks as if it is growing again. I find DOL so stressful and I will be trying very hard not to post again. So thankyou to those who have shown interest and given support. nawnim (formerly padraic)

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Just for the record and I know it is a different test but my dog that I mentioned in an earlier post was classified as an orange dog and before I was allowed to adopt it was explained exactly what it meant and I had to sign an indemnity form absolving the RSPCA of any responsibility.

Actually, yes I can, although my evidence is anecdotal, based on our rescue group and the other groups we know and work with. We take dogs from pounds, we rarely get to meet them before we take them, the pounds themselves don't do anything other than the most basic of temperament assessments (i.e. does it show obvious human aggression/serious dog aggression), but 90% of the dogs we get are nice, well tempered, normal dogs. The most usual behavioural issues they exhibit are those which the general population of dogs exhibit, such as jumping up, pulling on the lead and a general lack of manners. But visit any park and you'll see non-rescue dogs showing pretty much the same behaviours. Dogs end up in pounds for lots of reasons which don't always have anything to do with the dogs themselves. Marriage break-downs, housing issues, other kinds of changes in circumstance, country dogs chasing stock, people having children, farmers and hunters breeding litters and then not being able to rehome all the puppies, backyard breeders dumping unwanted puppies or breeding stock, and yes, some dogs with behaviours which owners can't, or more often, won't be bothered fixing. One reason why dogs stay in pounds is the inability of their owners to pay the pound fines to recover their dogs. We know that a percentage of the dogs we take had homes who would have taken them back, but couldn't come up with several hundred dollars to pay a find and spring their dog. You might characterise them as irresponsible for the dog ending up in the pound, but quite a number of dogs did have homes who wanted them back, but didn't have the resources to do so. I'm not convinced that killing a dog because the owner wasn't as good as they might have been is a useful outcome. We've had a handful of challenging dogs, we've euthed a handful of dogs for health or temperament, but on the whole the 300 plus dogs we've rehomed in the last couple of years have all been nice, sane, healthy dogs who have gone on to make good companions. Our experience is not because we're really good at picking dogs or because we get to cherry pick a wide range of dogs, it's just because the general pound population are basically nice dogs. All kinds of dogs get unlucky and end up in the pound. See bolded paragraph This means that somewhere someone, perhaps a single mother with a few kids, has to choose between paying her power bill or getting the dog out of the pound. Perhaps one of the children didn't close the gate properly, or maybe a careless tradesman, or a nasty neighbour. Perhaps also some pound employee has to hold a dog to be euthanised knowing that the owner has been in contact and can't afford the fees to release the dog from the pound. Is this the way our society now treats 'man's best friend'? Also some of the dogs that try to escape during their temperament test might just be trying to go home.

One of my dogs found herself at 4 months old at the RSPCA here in Canberra with two of her littermates. My dog was the runt. She failed the temperament test because they decided she was a resource guarder because she threatened them when they tried to take a pig's ear off her. Her littermates both passed and were rehomed very quickly. Originally my dog was marked as a pts but then it was decided to give her a go and she was given a month's training, and then was put up for adoption as an orange dog which means she was only suitable for someone with prior experience with training. She has never displayed any sign of resource guarding since I have had her although I am always careful giving her something special when I take away something she values. She had her first obedience title within 12 months and is a wonderful dog, competing at the Open level before she was two. I am grateful to the RSPCA for giving her a second chance.

Boxer cross possibly Jack Russell or beagle. Not enough wrinkles for a purebred. It's got big feet so going to be big. Super cute :)

Boxers - the power and the muscle and the sheer athleticism. Fantastic

There are free PDF converters available, I can't look right now as all software sites are blocked on my work computer, but you should be able to google for a decent free one. CutePDF springs to mind? Thanks I will try to find something.

Geez I have a question for Sheridan too. My understanding is that before you get something printed it needs to be saved as a PDF. My ancient software (Word 3) won't allow me to do it. Is there anyway around this? Thanks

Thankyou Mita. Sorry about your dog, This is helpful. You are right. Lottie is younger and perhaps I can still distract her with some more training or something. I could teach her to go and sit on a chair which would be away from the door and then reward her and make a big fuss.

Thankyou for the supportive posts. Another cat is not really an option because my granddaughter is allergic. Once when I had two dogs and one died the surviving dog kept looking too and I ended up getting another dog. It is not a good reason to get a dog. If only I could stop her looking for him. It reminds me of all the dogs and cats and people I have lost, and sadly I am missing them all ATM.

Good post Snook. I am also horrified at people who take small puppies to dog parks because they have been told they need to be socialised. The sight of a young dog surrounded by several larger dogs and being left to fend for itself is something I find upsetting. Then if the owner senses that the puppy might not be safe and goes to pick it up, other owners advise to leave it because they need to learn to stand up for themselves.

I am desperately asking for help with my dog. Lottie is five and is a schnauzer /terrier /working dog mix. My cat died about a month ago and my dog is missing him and making it harder for me. The cat was eleven so I suppose she has never known life without him, other than when she was a pup. My other dog is not phased by the drama at all. Lottie constantly goes to the window where the cat door is and waits for the cat (Michael) to come home. Last night she was at the front door telling me he was out there as she used to do. The result is that I keep hearing him miaowing to be let in or I see him at the window. Last night I even woke up in the middle of the night thinking I heard him at the door. I have scrubbed and cleaned my whole house trying to remove any scents that might remind her. I don't know what else to do other than to move house. Does anyone know of any herbal remedies for a grieving dog? I once used Rescue remedy for both me and my dog (a different dog) at an obedience trial. I don't really think it made much difference. Any help appreciated. Thankyou

Some dogs are ball obsessed and it can be an asset as their owners can use balls as part of their training with ball play being the reward for good work. I often wonder what would happen at an obedience trial if in the Open class a row of dogs are lined up doing their stays with their handlers out of sight and someone threw a ball in front of them. I believe some of those highly trained dogs would break their stays. I own a ball obsessed dog and I never take a ball to dog parks because I don't want any problems. However other people take balls there and even leave them lying around afterwards so that when we go into a dog park the first thing my dog will do is to go looking for a ball that someone else has left and then bring it to me, (or anyone else she thinks looks promising), dropping the ball at my feet, and expecting me to throw it for her. The concept of ball stealing was new to me until this year. I always thought if someone threw a ball it was okay for my dog (or any dog) to join in the game and chase and retrieve it. Btw my dog doesn't steal balls she brings them back and drops them at the the thrower's feet expecting the ball to be thrown again. Sometimes when another dog has got to the ball first she will just follow it and when they lose interest and drop it she will pick the ball up and bring it back to the thrower. We don't go to dog parks any more because I don't want my ball obsessed dog to lose her enthusiasm.

Disagree. Don't allow your dog to steal other dog's balls and then run off with them and refuse to give them up. Teach your dog to "leave" and "give", or give him a ball of his own. The use of balls in dog parks is a contentious issue. I quote from my earlier post one of the rules here in the ACT taken from the DAS website. Possession – dogs can protect their toys, treats and people. Shared toys can also lead to the spread of disease. Toys and food, with the exception of discrete small training treats, should not be brought into the enclosure. I think this rule is a good one and prevents disputes erupting.

Dog parks in the ACT and in SA may be different, but here there are no picnic tables and I can't imagine why anybody would want to have a picnic surrounded by a dozen salivating dogs. I also have a concern about young children in dog parks. My dogs do not live with children and I do not know how they would react. I will not go into a dog park if there are young children there and if they should arrive while I am there I leave. Personally I would not take young children into a dog park especially if there were lots of dogs already there. Only recently I saw a woman with a GSD cross in a dog park with a child of about three months in her arms and a toddler of about two holding her hand. I don't know what she was going to do if her dog needed to be restrained. Quite frankly I think dog parks are primarily for dogs not children. Children have their own parks where dogs are not allowed.

These are some of the guidelines for use of off-leash dog parks in Canberra. It is taken from the DAS website. Key things to remember •Body language – learn to read and respond to your dog’s posture and body language. •Packs – several dogs joining together as a pack can lead to problems. Lead your dog away from the group to a neutral area. •Possession – dogs can protect their toys, treats and people. Shared toys can also lead to the spread of disease. Toys and food, with the exception of discrete small training treats, should not be brought into the enclosure. •Behaviour – if at any time your dog becomes overly anxious, annoying or aggressive leave the park and come back another time. •Control – dogs should be under the care of an owner who is at least 16 years old. They must be fully responsible for the actions of their dog at all times. •Children – children in the enclosure should be supervised closely. Children under the age of 14 should not enter without an adult. •Smoking – smoking is not allowed in the enclosure. Cigarette butts are potentially harmful if ingested by dogs. There is also a useful book Meet and Greet, an etiquette guide for off leash dog park behaviour by Gwen McArthur.

I would like my local council to enforce their own legislation and do something about illegal BYBs, roaming dogs, and the behaviour of some owners and their dogs in the off-lead dog parks. We do have off-lead dog parks in the ACT but I don't find them safe because some owners and their dogs behave inappropriately.

There was at least one with natural ears in there :) I know what you are saying though... Here Thanks Did not see that one

Sorry not for me! I hate seeing boxers with upright ears. It's a cruel practice and illegal here.

It looks lost, poor little thing