Sail_Away

Here we go HW actually from Neighbourhood watch page.. official police statement: http://nhwq.org/2013/05/dogs-targeted-by-thieves/

In today's news… http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/east/bayside-dog-owners-are-on-high-alert-following-spate-of-attempted-abductions-by-thieves-posing-as-council-workers/story-fn8m0sve-1226644614305

This is disgusting! Look at the scale of it I feel like phoning Ray White and putting in a massive complaint… how can the agent even contemplate advertising the property as he did and using those words "Easy to learn and operate, this has been both an income stream and hobby for a long time" Grrrrrr.

Beautiful collars! I have been contemplating getting a leather collar for my Vizsla… She swims down the beach everyday though so I thought this may ruin it… any thoughts how leather holds up in these conditions? Also because she has a single coat I find the nylon webbing used on most collars is rubbing against her neck a lot and creating a bit of a bold area around her throat.. she pulls on the lead a bit when we first get out… still a young dog so obedience is still in progress :) I thought maybe the leather would be better for her…

I never claimed these stories to be true… I said in my OP that I have 'heard' of… I'm sure this forum is not the first time people will be hearing about this as I said it is on Facebook on various pages. I think it is better for people to be 'aware' rather than ignorant to something like this, true or false. A vet in my area recently posted a notice about a blue stuffy that was stolen from a park by a man who pulled up in a car, picked up the dog and drove off. This park is only a few hundred metres up the road from where I live and I witnessed '1st hand' the advertisements around my area about this incident. So please don't put down my post and say I am going to make everyone paranoid, everyone will react differently and it is more about awareness and whether anyone can provide more information on these events.

In Sydney… http://www.news.com.au/national-news/dogs-stolen-from-backyards-for-illegal-fights/story-fncynjr2-1226631151977

I do not intentionally want to worry people.. It is more to see if others have heard of this too. I think people should be aware and the reports I've heard say the police and council are aware. Below is a newspaper article from March this year stating dogs are being stolen. http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/logan/family-pets-feared-lost-to-dog-fighting/story-fn8m0u8i-1226591049631

Yes please do. It is starting to circulate around Facebook now.. it was first brought to my attention through my dog obedience club and also a group I'm apart of on FB for my particular dog breed. There are lots of people coming forward with similar experiences on this now - for example this is a post by someone (I don't know them) onto my dog obedience FB page: "Some people where approached on a Gold Coast beach by 2 guys posing as council workers - some thing - neon vests and clipboards - and wanted to impound their dog for being off lead. They were not from council but were collecting dogs. Disgusting."

Hi DOLers Just wanted to share some sickening news I've heard is happening recently. Apparently in Brisbane and the Gold Coast fake council workers are going around to homes and asking owners what breeds of dogs they have, how many there are and if they can inspect the backyard to ensure adequate living conditions, they do NOT have any ID…. police and council's are aware of this according to others… I have also heard someone walking a labrador at Broadbeach was approached and told the dog must be on a 1.2m leash or it will be taken and euthanised! Someone else said similar things have been happening at the Spit on Gold Coast…. Other things have included placing coloured tape on fences/gates to highlight the different size dogs living there… the latter story was assumed to be a hoax but no proof if it is. Either way, I'm sure this is happening and dogs are being stolen from homes and used in fights or for breeding! This just makes me sick to my stomach and I wanted to share to bring awareness so we can keep a close eye on what's happening in our neighbourhood.

This is my point about preferences. Some of us want to live with a dog that doesn't shed. I don't mind mud, leaves, etc... but hair around the house makes MY hair stand on end. What's so wrong about knowing what you want, why should we justify it? The leaves and dirt are easy to clean up and certainly no where near as prolific as pug hair. I can manage the eye gunk wiped on furniture, the occasional passing of wind, the sneezing in my face and on furniture, the odd leaf, twig or wet foot prints but I am over the hair. It is exactly that - a preference. I prefer non-shedding in my future. I can't see why that makes people get so up in arms either. Short haired breeds will still bring sticks/leaves inside too… just not on their coat but in their mouth Well maybe that's just a gundog thing? hahaha. The amount of stuff my dog brings inside is ridiculous!

I have owned a gorgeous white Standard Poodle who I groomed myself - IMO some people who have never owned a non-shedding dog think it will be 'blissful' not having hair around the house… to be honest, you would spend more time grooming the dog or paying ridiculous amounts for a dog groomer every 6 weeks or so than you would on vacuuming the house… I groomed my Std Poodle myself for 13 years and would have to do a bit each week rather than all at once as it would take hours upon hours to wash, dry, clip and scissor all at once (I'm sure I was slow at it). As much as I absolutely adore the Std. Poodles, when she passed away and I considered my next breed, I just couldn't bring myself to have a dog with such a high maintenance coat… I still found white hairs on some of my clothes with her too (obviously not many) and I didn't think she had much of a doggy odour. I have photos of her with mud all up her legs, tail and muzzle and a grin from ear to ear after playing in the rain… They certainly get dirty and bring all sorts of things inside on their coat (sticks/leaves etc). I now have a short haired breed with a single coat and I must say I am loving the low maintenance coat. I don't notice hair around the house at all.. unless I look really closet on the tiles, but she drops very little coat and has little-to no doggy smell at all. I can take her to the beach/park and just rinse her off when home, she is dry in 10 mins. It is lovely. But … at the end of the day, it HAS to be about the breed as a whole - their personality, attributes and if the owner can give them everything they need - exercise requirements, care etc etc. So I definitely don't feel people should choose a breed based on shedding but understand how it plays a part in their decisions. I will say that my mother does not like dogs that shed and she is considering her next breed - was thinking of going for a toy/mini poodle however, she is torn between coat maintenance … I am trying to open her eyes up to other breeds who perhaps still shed but not huge amounts.

My dog is on back seats.. the images from the Roadie website have dogs in the boot.. this is what the FAQ state: http://www.ruffrider.com/frequently-asked-questions.html

I can't use the car seat belt with my two. One girl spins so I have to put her harness on a tether & tether it behind & above her head on the cargo barrier, so that when she spins she ducks underneath the strap. The other guy loves to chew up car seatbelts, so no good for him either. With him I use a short chain to tether his harness to the cargo barrier. Not perfect, I know, but better than being distracted while driving by a dog contantly getting tangled up in the seat belt. Short clipping it to a car seat belt is for dogs that are beautifully behaved & just sit there the whole time looking out the window.....I wish :laugh: Yes this is why I tether it above their head too. On a trip recently I attached the tether of the Champion down low to the seatbelt and it wrapped around her leg 3 times and was cutting off circulation! I had to pull over. This dog is very well behaved in the car however does turn around and stand/sit a few times so can't afford getting tangled again. I think attaching the dog directly to seatbelt or having tether low works only for small breeds. This is one reason I loved the swivel on the Champion, it's just a bit heavy for my new dog who is leaner and can't really take the weight. Very very strong harness though! I would rather that then a cheap one where the stitching comes apart if you break suddenly!

That is how the roadie is designed though and it mentions it can fastened to the anchor points on the car (mine are just above the back headrests) and if I secure her in the middle it won't reach the side doors or front seats - this is how I fastened the Champion and it was safe. Because of the BSB I can't connect the seatbelt into its holder at the back hence why I was going to use anchor points. I am open to suggestions though and this is why I'm asking on here what ppl think of the Roadie and how they secure it in their cars. Obviously I want to ensure she is as safe as possible and that's one reason I prefer only to buy crash tested harnesses.

Thank you both so much for your responses. Suziwong66 - It sounds like I might have trouble putting one on my wiggle bum then.. she is such a wriggler. Similar size to a lab - she is a Vizsla so long legs.. I don't really want to buy any harness that hasn't been crash tested so it's either this one or the champion. I was thinking I would attach the tether to the child seat anchor points on the roof inside so it's above the dog and there is less chance it will get tangled in the tether when turning around - the champion had a swivel attachment so it wouldn't twist up. Just not sure if the roadie would be long enough for this but Suziwong66 is there an extension you mentioned? I have a back seat buddy (hammock) on the back seats of my car for the dog too so that is where she sits. My main worry is the dog getting tangled in that tether… sound paranoid but it's happened to this dog before using another harness and it wrapped around her leg - luckily I noticed and pulled over to untangle her but could have caused some serious damage!

Hi Everyone, I'm shopping around for a new car harness for my dog… from what I have read the only ones that have been crash tested are the 'Ruff Rider Roadie' and 'Canine Champion'. I have a Canine Champion here which I used on my previous dog however, it is a little to big and heavy for my new dog so am thinking the roadie might be better suited. I just worry about the dog getting tangled in the tether that clips into the seatbelt.. So does anyone have this harness and if so is it worth buying? Thanks :)

I have a soft K9 + crate from http://www.k9softdogcrates.com.au and it is brilliant, fantastic quality but not sure about sizes for St. Bernard.. I also have a wire crate from http://www.vebopet.com.au and the quality of this is also brilliant, sturdy and strong. All the best with your new pup, so exciting!

I have owned a beautiful Standard Poodle who I lost suddenly to cancer at the age of 13 years. They are a beautiful breed and unfortunately get judged by their looks most of the time and people think of them in the show clips and assume they are fragile, snobs or not a 'mans dog' - I had a lot of people mention these exact things to me when I told them I owned a poodle but then those who met her, quickly changed their minds and couldn't believe what a robust, fun and solid dog she was! The only down side is the grooming and in your situation it might be a bit difficult having a breed that requires so much grooming because unless you are willing to spend hours upon hours clipping yourself (which I did) then you would need to pay for them to be clipped at least every 6 weeks… I can imagine all the dirt and sticks etc that would get caught in their coat… or any long haired breed for that matter. I now have a Hungarian Vizsla (gundog) and they only have a single coat, shed very very minimal coat (Have been known to be hypoallergenic or suitable for people with allergies), no dog odour and are drip dry. They are medium sized, quiet, clowns and FULL of energy so would love bushwalking or running around on a farm however, have high prey drive being a hunt/point/retrieve breed so may not fair well with chickens etc. I would certainly not recommend this breed for everyone though as many cannot handle their energy levels and their NEED to be with their owners whenever possible. They are called the 'Velcro Vizsla' and will follow you into the shower if you let them! Anyway, maybe a gundog would suit your situation? Whichever breed it sounds like a great lifestyle for any dog on your property! Good luck

Bundyburger you have a Vizsla?? What is his favourite toy? My girl Sailor is very inquisitive and uses her paws a lot so more complicated toys are good. I was thinking of getting either the everlasting treat ball or fire plug but most are out of stock online…

Haha gotta love those 'speshul' ones I have done a lot of the 'free' toys before such as plastic bottles with food in them - she loves plastic bottles but recently she is chewing through them so not really safe to leave with her when alone I also tried the shoebox idea with newspaper inside and some treats but she didn't get the treats out.. she had played with it cause it was in another spot.. I will go online this weekend and get some new toys

Thank you. Yes I wasn't sure if the Nina O puzzles were OK to leave with the dog unsupervised as there are quite a few small pieces in them. I have checked out her website and there are a few that look good, I have no idea which one would be best for my dog… she uses her paws a lot and would work them out pretty quickly I would imagine so harder the better. I will look at a buster cube. Would you just put dry kibble in this? She plays with her Kong Wobbler all the time when I'm home but I fill it with dry food in the morning and it's still full when I get home, so she hasn't touched it… this morning I put some peanut butter around the hole of it and that was all licked off when I got home I need to get her some new Kongs as the ones I had were 'puppy' ones and she has nearly destroyed them… I think I'll get the classic and leo.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Yes I have tried lots of the 'free' toys like bottles filled with treats and I also hide small treats around the house in different spots each day for her to go and 'find' - although being a gundog with an incredible nose it doesn't take her long to sniff them out!!! She is very smart and enjoys spending time working on her Kongs's so this is why I thought a puzzle would be good to keep her amused for longer periods… I'm just not sure which of the Nina Ottosson one's would be the most challenging for her.. I like the look of the 'Casino' and the 'Dogworker'…

Hi DOLers Just wanting some recommendations for interactive dog toys such as puzzles etc… My dog is now 8 months old and is outgrowing and becoming bored with all her 'puppy kings' and a few other treat toys I have… looking at the Nina Ottosson puzzles.. which one is the best? I think I will buy some more kongs too - again which ones are best? She has a wobbler that she loves.. thinking of the 'leo'… Would love to hear what toys your dogs spend the most time playing with, especially ones that will keep them amused when home alone

Snooza dog beds are fantastic! Australian made, great quality! I have the 'Cuddler' and the 'futon' - my Vizsla just LOVES them! They also make a 'Big Dog Bed' for dogs over 50kg and I've heard good things about these ones. Here is the link: http://www.snooza.com.au/indoor-beds/big-dog-bed

I pay $125 excess and Petplan then pay 100% of the bill - great if it is a huge amount and I always know what I am up for I think you can choose to lower the premium by paying a % of the bill also but it may not always work out cheaper this way.