BoxerB

Sort of said but more actions. Walking my boy the other day, coming in our direction a young couple with a small fluffy. I move to one side of the path, and put Duke on the other side of me so he's not next to their dog when we pass. They then move their dog to the same side. Still coming, i move him to the other side. He's cruising no probs, when they get close the small fluffy goes ballistic. Duke gets excited, jumps around a bit, all by my side, min 1-2m from their dog. They struggle to control the small dog. Icing on the cake - The lady starts with soft panicked screams to her OH "OMG OMG look at that thing, did you see it, AAAGH, move" Pushing the OH so she can get further than the 3m she already is from my boy, who's still by my side. Dogs laws need to allow owners to slap another owner in these situations

Due to circumstances that were unavoidable, my pup stayed with the breeder also to around 13/14 weeks. Best decision ever!!! I got a very well adjusted pup who knows how to get on with other animals and people. Just my 2c. But i think that extra few weeks with his litter mates and mum, really taught him what is and isn't acceptable behavior. Being also with a professional breeder who cares and took the time to start his socialisating/training was invaluable. As it was closer to home i picked him up from a show that the breeder was attending, which was now his second one. He was confident walking around on a lead, not fussed by all the other dogs, and had also had a few car trips by then, so the drive home was nice and relaxed :) (2+ hrs) I wouldn't do anything differently next time around if given the choice.

Hi Guys, Did a search but get a lot of results about Pet Resorts Australia This place is a different group altogether, and looking at their website they run a boarding kennel where they pretty much let dogs free roam throughout the day. I know a lot of alarm bells may ring for some, but the reviews i can find are nothing but glowing. They also have some specific guidelines on which dogs can stay and seem to want to check out the dog before committing to taking a dog. I know this might drive a discussion on the pros and cons and i probably know most of them, so am asking if anyone has specific first hand experience with this place they would care to share. There's some really good things that few other kennels do such as no extra charge picture and video updates direct to your phone throughout the stay They also seem very very involved in helping rescues when needed, eg put out an open call to pick up any dogs that may need moving during the recent fires. It's points like this that say to me they are a very caring bunch, but before today, haven't come across them. website is - http://sydneypetresort.com.au/ facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SydneyPetResort

My Dog has taught me that if i lie down on the carpet and cover my head as much as possible, he will still find a way to get in there and slobber all over my face :)

Great read, in a bad way. All those saying they get told their dog is too skinny. Try owning a Boxer :)

Thanks for all the suggestions folks. And sorry should have clarified. I am in Sydney and will be travelling down to Berry. Frustrating part is i have a place down just part Nowra which will be used by family who wouldn't mind looking after the boy, however its an unfenced yard which means they would have to have him with them 100% of the time. Ok for me when down there, but can't put that burden on others. Will def look into a few of those, and thanks Flippy for the PM.

Thankyou, I might look into them. Its not far at all as was going to drive that distance in the opposite direction before leaving Sydney for the kennels i was interested in.

I've seen reviews on a place in South Nowra called Pet Ranch? Is that it?

Hey Guys, I've done some searching without too much info coming up. Does anyone have any recommendations for boarding kennels around the NSW South coast, Berry/Nowra area? There's a few that have come up in searches, but trying to get first hand reviews before i look into them any further. Cheers

Have had several different breeds and cross breeds, but did ALOT of research (close to 2 years) prior to going with a Boxer, and am now absolutely in love with the breed. Not anywhere near planning my next dog as he's only just turned 1, but as at now, cannot imagine owning another breed.

Why would you hate that phrase? It sounds like your assuming that everyone who says that wants to buy a pet and then ignore it. Pretty big bow you're drawing! As others have said people work. Not every dog owner across the world spends 24hrs, 7 days a week with their pet. The people you mentioned above may acknowledge that and put added stress on themselves by taking on more than 1 puppy at a time, so they don't have a lone pet by itself. I like that phrase!

I don't get it? If the article is correct and is highlighting a problem, why does it matter where it came from? Or are you guys saying that the article is wrong?

IT IS being called "Australia's new live export scandal". Australian puppy farmers are making thousands of dollars selling dogs to pet shops in Singapore, where they are forced to live in squalor and confinement, a CLEO Magazine investigation has found. Animal welfare group Oscar's Law recently travelled to Singapore to witness the shocking treatment of Australian puppies, some of which are just eight weeks old. Debra Tranter, the group's founder, explained how the lucrative puppy trade works. "The puppies sitting in Singapore pet shops have started their lives in a puppy factory in Australia," Ms Tranter said. "At a very young age they are taken from their mother and transported for hours, sometimes days, and when they're finally removed from their transport crate they are put on display in a glass box or cage and their price tag is $4000-$8000." Singaporeans are told the puppies are from "top bloodlines in Australia". The dogs can sit in these cages for months, and if they aren't sold, they are eventually placed in Singaporean puppy factories where conditions, Ms Tranter says, are "simply atrocious". "We caught glimpses inside these factories - wire floor cages stacked on top of one another where the sound of dogs is deafening - dogs spinning in circles as a cage, either in Australia or Singapore, is all they have ever known," she said. Australian puppy factories are often no better. CLEO writer Rosie Squires investigated the puppy trade in Australia, visiting a housing commission property in western Sydney with the Animal Welfare League. "We arrived at a house overrun with dogs," Ms Squires said. "The woman told us she was going to sell at least 10 puppies online for $650 each." The Australian puppy trade is woefully underregulated. As long as a breeder offers dogs access to food, water and shelter, they fit regulation, Animal Welfare League officer Ian Hughes told CLEO. Local breeders, like the woman in western Sydney, are selling puppies to members of the Australian public on websites like Gumtree and pups4sale. "The problem is, more and more people are looking to make money selling dogs online," Ms Squires said. "An unsuspecting customer has no idea what conditions the cute puppy from the website is actually living in." Whether puppies are being sold to Australians or Singaporeans, the customers don't realise where they have come from, Ms Tranter argues. "The industry relies on the cute appearance of puppies to make a sale and they don't want the public to see the reality of how they are bred," Ms Tranter said. "The entire trade is based on consumer fraud, cruelty and lies, from the Australian puppy factories, the broker, the pet shops, the online trading sites, the transport companies who send puppies in bulk weekly around Australia or to overseas pet shops," she said. "A blind eye is turned every step of the way, the trade in puppies is business and there's plenty of money to be made." Read the full story in the October issue of CLEO Magazine, hitting stands today. Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national-news/australian-puppy-farmers-making-thousands-selling-puppies-to-squalid-pet-shops-in-singapore/story-fncynjr2-1226719828869#ixzz2f15J2xlN

Yeah and it is the leashed dog that is in the pound, not the unleashed dog?? Go figure! this needs re-quoting!!

My thought exactly after reading the first couple of sentences. Sorry if its been answered later on in the thread, but any actual science to support the notion that cross breeds are unstable?

Poor lady, so sad! Agreed, I would go so far as saying I would have no issue with all dog owners having to have spring loaded self closing gates with heavy magnet catches. So simple to do, and piece of mind as an owner. Our gate is locked at all time, and only opened by key, by myself, but will be doing the above hopefully this weekend.

completely agree! My eldest, grew up as a baby around my sisters dog, and had no issues at all. Out of nowhere, after we had moved into our own place, he all of a sudden became petrified of dogs. (2 yrs old, only thing i can think of is one night he woke up screaming after a very loud german shepard next door, was barking like mad at 2am, could have freaked him out) From my end i never made a big deal out of it. Anytime we saw a dog i would ask if he wanted a pat, and left it if he said no. This slowly became a yes if i or the owner would distract a dog while he calmly patted it on the back for example. (started with just a little touch) Fast forward to when he was around 5, and through all of the above, he came back to loving dogs. Especially boxers. Regardless of how big a Boxer is, he'll ask me if he can speak to the owner if we see one, and if i say yes, will walk over, chat with the owner and ask for a pat :) He is sensational with our boy as well, as well as with my sisters Am Staff, any dog really. The key to me is, it all comes down to the parents. I have family members who have a 5yr old who is scared of our boy. When they come over, they make fun of him "Here he comes", "where going to let him in". Its like a joke to them and i lose my sh!t at them each time. With me though, he will give him a pat when i calm him down, and move the dogs face away from him. Kids are kids. Like a puppy, they only know what you teach them, and will only behave the way they have been taught is acceptable (to a certain age, after that, well not all apples are sweet ;) )

Isn't it funny that comments are never open for topics such as this, but are there when these pieces of sh!t are asking "is blue the new black" Sadly this is what happens when you create an environment where reporters can't exist and every news story is now an opinion piece. And we all know what opinions are like! The Telecrap is renowned for its sensationalist drivel. I mean what other news agency has front page headlines with words like "WTF and OMG"

Thanks again guys, will definitely look into those. Megan have been in contact with Steve in the past, unfortunately I'm on the other side of Sydney, so ti make it a little more difficult. Is there anyone people would recommend more around the Liverpool area of Sydney? I don't mind travelling a bit.

Yeah, sorry guys, i may have asked this before and should have checked the training section. I just saw some dog groups on facebook that i would love to attend, but i know he would go nuts so quickly thought, i need to as DOL how do i fix this :)

Hi Guys Looking for any ideas people may have on how to get my boy to be a little calmer around other dogs. Is it purely training? Or does he need more exposure to other dogs? Being a Boxer he has the usual Boxer play style so I'm quite cautious about letting him say hi to other dogs. He's not aggressive in any way shape or form, not to people or dogs. I think part of it is that I'm over cautious about letting other dogs near him. I don't really take him to dog parks as i just don't like the stories i hear about irresponsible owners, letting dogs run a muck. Is it just his age?? I want him to be confident but not crazy excited around other dogs, so i can take him to events without getting my arm ripped off from him trying to play with every dog around. Its a similar story at the vet. He's the crazy one barking and carrying on to play, bowing, you name it, while most other dogs are calmly sitting down. Just not sure if its me that needs to get over it and start letting him say hi to more dogs, or is it training and only training. Or is it both? Any ideas would be great.

Oh I totally agree. That's why I suggested cooking the meat. Cooking it doesn't make it wrong. :) The implication though from some posters is that it is the wrong thing to do because you're removing nutrients. It's not wrong. It's an option. A very good option in my view and the nutrients lost are negligible. The argument that domestic dogs should be fed a diet resembling wild dogs is not accurate and I will say again that my pugs have no bearing on wild dogs. I'd also suggest that raw feeding causes just as many health problems and illnesses in dogs as commercial feeding. Feeding dogs makes pet owners paranoid these days. I've seen people lay heavy handed guilt trips on those who choose to feed a commercial diet or a kibble only diet while the push the argument that dogs should be fed raw. I don't feed my dogs raw. I used to. I have seen an overall improvement since I stopped feed raw meat. BoxerB, my comments are generalised. I don't care what you feed. I'm sure you think you're feeding what is best. Which no-one in this thread did until you started on wolves, and kibble and blind faith straight after i posted an answer to the questions the OP was asking. Bit of pot - kettle - black action i think. But i'm done here, like you said, I don't care what you feed. I'm sure you think you're feeding what is best.

Nowhere did i say my dog was a wolf. I said a dogs digestive system is designed for raw food, which it is like almost every other animal. And if "blind faith" to you means months if not a years worth of research and closely monitoring how my dog is looking.behaving, then yes i have blind faith!! I also specifically mentioned that not all dogs do well on raw food, and actually said KNOW YOUR DOG My disagreement with you was the fact that you're telling someone raw and cooked are the same. They're not, and that advice to someone who wants to feed raw could play havoc of the poor dog if they mix raw and cooked every day. And the OP's concerns about bacteria was around transfers to humans which i also addressed. I also said nothing about kibble or raw is better, i was simply replying to the questions the OP had! But since you've brought it up, when i eat nothing but dry biscuits my whole life, I'll feed the same to my dog. But hey, since you don't feed it to your dogs i must be wrong i guess. Exactly!

Sorry but completely disagree with this. A dogs digestive system is designed to ear raw meats. Also we 100% know that cooking foods takes away some of the nutritional value so raw and cooked meats are not the same thing. That being said, some dogs will get upset tummy's from certain raw foods. This will probably have more to do with issues with certain proteins or reactions to certain meats, or a problem the dog has with their digestive system. Nothing to do with raw v cooked. Back to the OP's questions, unfortunately if you're feeding raw, you do have to balance what they're getting. Not as hard as some make out but definitely needs some thought. You can't just feed chicken for example. Heaps on the topic is floating around, but when i started with raw, i was mixing it with Vets all Natural which my pup did great on. This was important as in the initial periods you can't just throw all different raw meats at a pup, they need time to adjust. Alot of raw feeders will start with something like just chicken for 2-3 weeks and slowly introduce other meats. which i did as well, however after a few weeks also introduced the Vets all Natural for a while as i wanted to ensure he was getting everything he needed. It is expensive though - well was for me anyway :) Now as he's grown he just gets raw foods only. At the moment, in a single week, he'll get Beef and Roo mince (nice and lean, high in protein, minced in chunks not fine blender type mince) Complete chicken mince (good because it has livers/kidneys/skin/fat etc minced in - all important) Chicken frames - bones bones bones Turkey necks (great for cleaning teeth, and calcium - bones) Wild Deer - (nice lean meat, and only non weight bearing bones eg Ribs) Sardines - fish oils Lamb necks - not much meat, more a good bony chew I rarely feed pork, more so because he's doing quite well on the above which is all readily available for me so there's no real need for it. The main thing though is know your dog. You'll become an expert on poo, and you can see the change in their mood and skin/coat condition if something is not right with foods Re kids and licking, i was quite worried about this and did a fair bit of research into it. There are not to many documented cases of raw foods leading to harmful bacteria being spread to humans. It can happen but from what i found very rare, and it was important to me, i have 2 kids under 10. Hope some of that helps :)

They could get through, but like other dog food coming from OS would be zapped with so much crap you'd be scared to feed it to any animal.