Her Majesty Dogmad

I think puppy pads create a great deal of confusion for a dog. The best thing owners can do is toilet train (I have a method below) and provide easy access for the dog to get in and out when it needs to, ie install a doggie door. It's not good to have a dog locked in a house for 10-12 hrs whilst we are at work and expect it to go on puppy pads and then understand that when we are home, they have to go outside and can no longer go inside. Petshops sell people these pads, it all adds to revenue for them as they are expensive - I have bought them for an elderly dog that couldn't move far and the dog still didn't use them - preferred to go in the gaps ... but that's another story! I have always found females to be a little more challenging than males. Young dogs usually take longer and you also have to bear in mind where they've come from - ie a breeder who has kept them penned or a petshop where they've sat for 2-3 months sometimes, having to wee where they were. With rescue dogs that I've had, most of them have never been inside, quite obviously, most were never desexed either - BUT they were all trainable apart from the odd one or two. Sometimes my method has required a bit of fine tuning for individual dogs but it is normally easily achieved with dedication for a few days and with a great deal of thought about why accidents may be happening. Here's the method I've used with 100s of dogs - my own and those fostered/adopted out by rescue groups as I do follow ups for people experiencing problems: HOUSETRAINING TIPS Ok - first thing to do is decide on the command (I call it “do wees”) you will repeat over and over. You have to really focus on the dog for about 2-3 days to be successful. You have a pocketful of special treats on hand all the time for the first 2-3 days. Walk the dog several times a day and every time the dog wees, you get very excited and keep saying “Good boy/girl, do wees, do wees” – give the dog treats every time. First thing in the morning, last thing at night and every time you see the dog eat or drink (both precursors to weeing) whisk the dog into the garden and repeat the command “do wees”. Get very excited and present treats every time dog goes. The dog’s aim in life is to please you. If the dog should have an accident inside the house – say NOTHING at all. The dog soon gets the idea that when he/she goes outside you are really, really pleased and he/she gets rewarded. NB: Please note that the smell of urine must be properly removed for any housetraining to be successful. There are products on the market such as “Urine Off” but they are very expensive. A mix of white vinegar and water is a much cheaper alternative and should work for tiles and other surfaces although you should always take care with wood etc. For carpet/rugs, I use either a mixture of Napisan/water or bicarb of soda and water. I completely soak the stain using a dab on technique with a cloth. When it is very wet, I use an old towel to soak up the excess moisture. Again, be careful on any expensive carpet/rug, I have never had any problems but I cannot guarantee any method here.

Some dogs are born aggressive and I have seen this in a young puppy. It was some sort of pitbull cross, a neighbour was looking after this young girl aged about 10 weeks for some friends - I asked him where she had been purchased from and he said he didn't know. She was very aggressive towards my old dogs, all of whom she was bigger than. They were perplexed, they weren't anywhere near her and I said to him that i hoped she def wasn't going to be a dog park visitor as that level of aggression was completely unacceptable and would be dangerous once she was bigger. He had the dog a few weeks and then moved house so I've no idea where she went but I found it frightening, it certainly wasn't normal behaviour.

I'm glad these dogs were put to sleep, personally I find it completely unacceptable when dogs do this. I know it isn't a person but my own dogs are extremely precious to me and if another dog was on the loose and attacked mine, I would like to see that dog put to sleep. People know when they have nasty dogs - ffs why can't they keep them locked up. It is not as if this is an isolated and rare incident, it's constantly happening and it's about time it stopped. Far too many morons owning dogs they can't control.

Bless you all for finding Jake and giving him a wonderful 5 years. RIP Jake ...

There was a Pharoah breeder in NSW who was having a "fire sale" last year, moving all their dogs on asap. 2 of those dogs are the dogs that Fiona now has but before they got there, they experienced a most hideous life, having been rehomed to a back yard breeder. They ended up in the pound at one point but then bred with Afghans before being put up for a quick sale together with their puppies. I had contacted a couple of Pharoah breeders at the time to try and track down the breeder when the poor girls ended up in the pound. i spoke to the actual breeder and found out what was happening. i also had a response from another breeder and they were helpful. They just told me that they have been contacted by others who had adopted Pharoahs and weren't coping, needing to rehome, also from the same breeder. Sighthounds don't normally warm up to new people that quickly - it was 2 mths for my rescued Italian Greyhound to get used to me. you probably need to give this dog time to trust you. The best thing I can suggest is to leave the dog in peace and wait for him to come to you. I'd recommend trying the All Natural Vets at Russell Lea, they have behaviouralists and also prescribe Chinese Herbs, they can have amazing results but the vets would be the best people to talk to about your foster dog's behaviours etc.

Puppies can take quite a bit longer. I've had some mistreated dogs take longer too.

Here's my method that I've used to train dogs of all ages, inc my 14 yr old rescue in March, she'd never been in a house before: HOUSETRAINING TIPS Ok - first thing to do is decide on the command (I call it “do wees”) you will repeat over and over. You have to really focus on the dog for about 2-3 days to be successful. You have a pocketful of special treats on hand all the time for the first 2-3 days. Walk the dog several times a day and every time the dog wees, you get very excited and keep saying “Good boy/girl, do wees, do wees” – give the dog treats every time. First thing in the morning, last thing at night and every time you see the dog eat or drink (both precursors to weeing) whisk the dog into the garden and repeat the command “do wees”. Get very excited and present treats every time dog goes. The dog’s aim in life is to please you. If the dog should have an accident inside the house – say NOTHING at all. The dog soon gets the idea that when he/she goes outside you are really, really pleased and he/she gets rewarded. NB: Please note that the smell of urine must be properly removed for any housetraining to be successful. There are products on the market such as “Urine Off” but they are very expensive. A mix of white vinegar and water is a much cheaper alternative and should work for tiles and other surfaces although you should always take care with wood etc. For carpet/rugs, I use either a mixture of Napisan/water or bicarb of soda and water. I completely soak the stain using a dab on technique with a cloth. When it is very wet, I use an old towel to soak up the excess moisture. Again, be careful on any expensive carpet/rug, I have never had any problems but I cannot guarantee any method here.

Hugs to you Suzanne, so sorry.

Hugs to you, Emma was a very special dog and you had 3.5 amazing years together. You did so much for her and gave her a very happy and fulfilled life. What a hole they leave in our hearts when they go. RIP Emma.

Hills Ultra ZD is probably the way to go, my old Italian Greyhound couldn't have any protein and lived on that. There are biscuits and canned version. You could also try things like tuna perhaps, i gave my old boy lots of sweet potato and other veggies and he was reasonably happy ...

Mine are enjoying it, they don't like Eukanuba at all but I will be switching back to a cheaper brand from an economic point of view. Got the Canidae on sale.

I'm from a village nr Egham - not far from Ascot, Windsor and historic Runnymede by the River Thames

I'd do a documentary on a month at the pound. People just have no idea what really goes on. I'd probably try one of the big pounds - Blacktown would be a good one. I'd cover everything including rescuers, adopters, people surrendering dogs, rangers, staff behind the desk and the killing shed. It's about time people got a good dose of reality.

So sad for you, RIP Hamish. I love adopting old dogs but our time together is sweet but oh so short sometimes. He was loved, he had the best years of his life with you. Gone too soon. Hugs to you.

Atanquin's right, I never felt safe over there either. I'm from what is thought to be a very nice village in Surrey. After I moved to Australia and went back, whenever I was leaving mum's house and walking a few feet to my car, she would watch out the window until I got in and safely drove away. Far too many incidents of violence there - even in the street outside mum's house. Some other neighbours were going out with a child in the car when a mob from the pub (just a few doors away) attacked them in their car, turned it over and then beat them. For no reason whatsoever, the parties were not known to each other. That's just one example and in a nice area. I would never go back. I found the documentary very disturbing on many levels.

Have you got a tiny garden? Is your Boxer good with other dogs? Is their dog good with other dogs and/or scared of larger dogs? So many questions to be answered really, before anyone can make a decision on how best to play this scenario. I would recommend a crate, a very stress reducing device - whether for your own dog or theirs. I am currently caring for a former foster dog who didn't particularly like my dogs so had to be kept in the other half of my garden unless I was here. He's not nasty but just doesn't like or need other dogs much, loves kids though. He's a poodle cross who had an awful life before we suspect. Anyhow, my neighbours have adopted him but suddenly had to go away for an emergency today and won't be back till Tuesday. I've got him in here, in a crate for the evening/night. He'll be out for toilet breaks and back in their garden during the days. He'll walk with mine but doesn't want to be aruond them. I had said to them that I couldn't look after him for long periods now they've adopted him because he'd be on his own too much but this is an exception. It would all be much easier if I didn't have to work and was here to manage things all day. The other good thing to do is to make sure both dogs get plenty of long walks to wear them out! Perhaps they can help you with taking both dogs out to give you some space!

Horrific, that poor dog and the poor owners. I wish to God they would euthanase the moronic owner of the vile dog that did this. Hope the dog has been euthanased without question.

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I sincerely hope that the breeders only place desexed pups and take extreme care when rehoming. It may be a rare breed but last year, 2 dogs from a rare breeder ended up in the wrong hands - the hands of a back yard breeder with awful results. If they'd have been desexed then the wrong person would not have been interested in them. Breeders must take responsibility when rehoming adult dogs especially, unless it is a show home they should never go undesexed, there are far too many unscrupulous people out there.

I've lost so many dogs over the last 5 years, sometimes 3 a year. I adopt old dogs and it's heartbreaking to lose them but they still have so much to give. As a rescuer, it is hard to justify spending the money on their ashes, I go and rescue a dog in their memory for that's what they'd have wanted, being rescued dogs themselves or from cruel homes with owners who wanted them gone. I do have 3 sets of ashes but generally I console myself with my spiritual beliefs, that they will always be with me and I will see them again, when I pass. Any ashes I have will be mixed with my own and scattered. I will often plant a bush that is in flower at the time of their passing and will think of them when I see the flowers.

I got a little rescue dog whose ears had terrible and untreated infections. When the vet put her under anaesthetic, it was discovered her ear drums were blown. Over the 2.5 years I had her, she actually required 3 surgeries and daily drops which were changed regularly to keep things under control. In the first 3 months however, I had an amazing improvement - I purchased All Natural Dog Food from www.pricelesspets.com.au which is specially formulated for dogs with ear/skin problems. My vet could not believe the improvement because they thought she'd need ear ablation, thankfully I believe the food and the drop regime kept that at bay. It's not expensive food, very reasonable actually and I've had good results for dogs with skin issues too and they all enjoy it as well. I can't emphasise enough how important it is to get a dog with an ear infection to the vet straight away. It bloody hurts and can do terrible and permanent damage if left untreated. I see plenty of dogs from the pound with these issues unfortunately who've no doubt suffered for a long time for want of a few dollars on antibiotics and a vet appointment .... And my little rescue dog was a Westie cross, gone to heaven now, poor little girl.

I read a terrible story in the Daily Mail (UK) today about a bull mastiff off leash in a park that killed a Cavalier puppy before beginning to attack 2 little children. The brave mother put her hands in the dog's mouth to stop it biting the kids while some passers by grabbed the kids and ran. the mother spent 3 days in hospital have surgery, her hands were "shredded". It took several people including the owner, to get the dog off her. Terrible.

Totally agree with everyone else, you need a behaviouralist for sure. Do you need a recommendation for a vet? Where in Sydney are you?

There is a Husky/Shepherd in Renbury Pound right now, on death row. I'd like to put money on it that the attraction is the stupid name Alaskan Shepherd? Why are people so shallow and stupid?

Disgusting and irresponsible. People know what the dog is capable of and don't do anything to fix the issue. A few months ago there was a large article in our local newspaper. People's dogs and cats had been killed in their backyards over a few months in a particular suburb. Noone knew who/how it was happening and then one night someone caught 2 huskies in the act. Both dogs were either being let out or getting out and slaughtering people's pets. They were both euthanased but the distress caused to people and the awful deaths of their pets is inexcusable. Major fines need to be applied in these cases, the law isn't strong enough.

Saw it with friends last weekend, I cried but I loved it. It is a truly amazing story of a truly amazing dog! Brilliant.