Her Majesty Dogmad

A great story, it really does take 2 months for things to settle and providing noone is in physical danger, it would be great if everyone was so patient. Far too many rehomed dogs get returned within the first few days for reasons that would iron out over time. Last week's best one I heard was that the dog had arrived and cocked it's leg on the fridge. He just HAD TO GO, RIGHT NOW. Hear this regularly. This was not one of my dogs and I counsel people what to expect so that hopefully, this scenario can be prevented but you can't always predict human nature unfortunately.

I've just looked up info about the Alaunt (large hunting mastiff type dog) - one question - why would you try and recreate this particular breed - I cannot understand it. Doesn't sound like there is a place or great need for that type of dog, we already have enough troubles in society without reintroducing another potential one.

I don't agree with the deliberate crossbreeding of dogs. I despise back yard breeders experimenting with cross breeding for the base reason of making money from stupid people who don't know any better and think they are getting a purebred "Moodle" or a dog with great value as it is a "designer" breed. A friend rang me last week and told me that she'd been looking after someone's Basenji/Maltese cross, purchased from a petshop. Dog came on heat whilst in her care and she spoke to the owners about why they should desex and guess what? No, they said, we want to breed from her and make some money. Made me feel physically sick. My friend said the dog was very weird looking - as you'd expect from such a cross. I love all my dogs very much, all 5 are crossbreeds and all 5 were rescued from the pound. Then I have 2 fosters, both crossbreeds, both bred from, one continuously over her 8 or so years according to my vet and the state of her. I don't agree with labradoodles, spoodles and so on, as cute as they may be. Whenever crossbreeding, you can rehome puppies with get predominant characteristics from a breed that may not suit the buyer but it won't show up until later.

I'd say Maltese/JRT and as cute as he is, I do wish people would stop making money from cross breeding dogs! Many good reasons for it but people can get dogs that are predominantly breeds that don't suit them - thanks to Pet Shops and Back Yard Breeders. As an example, I've got a rescue dog here which is most likely a Papillon/JRT cross, looks cute like the Papillon but acts like a JRT! I've got to be very careful when placing her, needs to be a home that can cope with a JRT.

This made me very angry today because it may impact on rehoming perfectly fantastic dogs. These people SHOULD NOT own dogs really if they are not prepared to constantly supervise. I found it peculiar that a toddler was able to beat off a "savage" dog - what crap. Not possible if the dog really meant business and also, where did a child that age get the idea to hit and kick a dog? Really I have to wonder what sort of home this was. I'm sorry the child was bitten and sorry that the dog died but it's like anything, you should not generalise and that's what is happening here. I just hope it doesn't impact on rehoming decent dogs.

Don't do it is my advice. Having a bitch in season is pretty challenging for your average owner - I've been through it unintentionally as I rescue dogs and would not willingly go through it again. You just want a pet, not a breeding bitch or a showdog. Find another breeder! You want to own your pet outright and are going to pay someone for that privilege.

My Council has a different opinion to yours - it is not acceptable any more (or legal I thought) to have cats roaming at night. I had similar problems to yours and was about to get a trap from the Council when my neighbours moved. The cat it fought with, belonging to other idiots, got killed on the road one night. So unnecessary. I had spoken to one set of neighbours and they were completely dismissive, cat did what it wanted and was a prolific wildlife killer which the neighbours were really thrilled about (yes, really!). THey thought it was great that he killed several birds a day, initially in my yard until I got my second dog, a ferocious terrier where cats were concerned and he didn't come back after that. I bought dog repellent to keep my dogs off certain flower beds - it didn't work. Don't know if any cat repellent actually works, and those things are never permanent solutions because they wear off.

You have been given very sound advice previously - can you please tell us what you have done since your last post asking for advice? Have you done anything at all?

Whilst sitting in traffic the other day, I watched a woman strolling down the road with an off leash Border COllie, it went ahead of her around a bend. I could see what was on the other side - a man walking up the road with a large black staffy. The border collie went up to the staffy and the man was shouting and hanging on to his dog, he got his dog into an armlock around it's head so my guess was it wasn't friendly with other dogs. As much as I dislike staffies, the BC owner was completely at fault. It just shouldn't happen, no dogs should be offleash along a busy road, no matter what.

With all that I see at the pound, I'd have to add that a responsible owner would keep a dog clean and groomed, utilise flea, heartworm and full worm prevention apart from what others have already written. I guess this comes under animal husbandry but I think for many, it really needs to be spelt out. I fell out with a friend who insisted on looking after one of my dogs for a couple of weeks rather than my other alternative (kennels). The dog had a very sensitive skin and required special diet and medication. Due to her dementia, I told my friend she could not go to the offleash park but just needed to walk down the road for 5 mins. I got her back INFESTED with fleas. She had a skin infection that required antibiotics to clear it up and she'd been taken to the dog park. I was very upset indeed with this particular person who considers herself to be a responsible owner but is far from it in some ways.

Disturbing - this moron is probably out there having children too. A blight on society and someone who does not deserve to have a pet.

Whatever you want to call this person and I believe mental illness is used far too often as an excuse by those who operate on a very base level or are just pure evil, I'd like to take this f----- somewhere and do the same to him. It might be the only thing he could relate to, in fact it probably is. Perhaps he had a bad childhood, or a recent divorce?? Morons use anything as an excuse and sadly society allows them to get away with evil acts when what we should do is deal with them properly because they are just a waste of space, oxygen thieves. If you are capable of this type of behaviour, you are really never going to be any use in society.

Don't overdo whatever you do, particularly in this weather. You need to build up gradually. Have you tried giving your dog just protein and vegetables? I had to get my cattle cross's weight down quite quickly due to a health issue and my vet told me just to feed her a handful of protein and make the rest vegetables. It certainly worked for me. She weighs around 20 kilos so you would need to take your vet's advice on how much to give. It's very easy to overfeed dogs, I find the guides on some of the dog good are over-generous and the minute I start following the guides is when my dogs start porking it on.

She's been with you for a huge part of your life, it's a loss that would be very hard to bear. Hugs to you.

There's a load of beautiful dogs that will all be put to sleep at Hawkesbury Pound tomorrow morning - there is simply no room to hold them over. They deserve so much more.

What a beautiful boy, sending you hugs.

So sorry, she looks like a lovely little girl.

Has been happening in pounds across Sydney from about a month before Christmas and will continue for some time to come. VERY distressing for those who work there and those of us who rescue, we are all overwhelmed.

I would take on an 11 year old dog in a heartbeat by the way - I rescue dogs and have rescued them right up to 14 year of age. They are so amazing, adaptable and often still have so much love to give. They are sometimes hard of hearing, a bit arthritic but I'm not 100% either and I adore them. Sometimes with some tlc, they start running round the oval again! I've even managed to find a very special home for a dog aged around 13 or so who is very treasured. However, in some cases, it simply isn't fair and it is best to let them go rather than put them through all the stress and confusion of a new environment, new people and new rules.

If he wakes up confused, could he have the beginnings of dementia? Dementia is an awful curse, I've now had 3 dogs with dementia and one of them in particular was very difficult to live with. I hung on for many months until something else took her, but it wasn't easy - I was seriously sleep deprived. She was a foster dog and I couldn't get permission to put her to sleep, if she'd been my own dog, I would have done it.

How about buying a house? I was paying a mortgage on a pet friendly apartment when I adopted a rescue Italian Greyhound. To say it was a disaster was an understatement. I went through the emotional wringer, initially I tried to return him to the shelter within the trial period and they refused to take him back. I tried to rehome him but he was so abused, noone wanted him. And so, I moved 40 mins away from my life of 10 years or so and all my friends, and bought the smallest house in an outer suburb. My friends called him the $300,000 dog ..... And finally, he was happy!

On New Year's Eve I made the tough decision to say goodbye to my little crippled rescue girl, Bebe. Bebe had 9 years in her first home but unfortunately she was never allowed outside (in case she got a flea) and was fed on whatever her owners were eating so she had rickets/arthritis. Someone on DOL posted about a dog in need in 2007, said she would be put to sleep unless she found a new home. Her owners had died suddenly and the person "looking after her" just had no idea. It took me 3 months to get her away from this person who was collecting her teeth in a jar. The first time I saw her it made me cry for her nails had grown under her paws and she could barely stand. I wanted to take her straight to a vet but this person prevented me from doing so, to report them to the RSPCA would have ended in Bebe's death for sure and I was determined that she would spend whatever time she had left with me, pottering around the garden in the sun and enjoying some canine company - she'd never met another dog of course as she'd never been out. When I finally got her, the vets said that with care, she would be able to get some pleasure out of life. Her teeth were removed as necessary and her claws cut under anaesthetic. She was on medication for her arthritis and she was finally happy. She fell in love with my Italian Greyhound, Luigi, and thought I was the best thing in the world - she was my greatest fan and would scream with delight when I returned from work etc. She didn't like other people generally and had to be locked away when anyone visited or she would race across the room on her little crippled legs to bite them. She enjoyed a meander down the road or in the park every day. She was very smart, she mastered the doggie door within minutes and learned the household routine. She had stairs to get on the sofa and would manage to flip a blanket so only her little head poked out. She slept on my bed every night and would wake me, should she need a pee in the middle of the night. Every month, due to her bad beginnings and disability, she would go and have her anal glands and claws done - she eventually managed without the muzzle ... Bebe's most hilarious habit was her love of drinking tea. You couldn't sit on the sofa with her without a major performance happening - she'd start screaming and rocking on her haunches, tapping you on the arm until you poured some into a saucer for her. I even got a friend to record it for Funniest Home Videos, it was such a funny thing. Sadly she had deteriorated in the last few weeks to the point where life was getting to be too much of a struggle. RIP Bebe, you were the biggest little character I've ever met in this life. Until we meet again my darling girl, I will miss you every day. We had 2 years together which I never expected and will always be grateful for.

Took Matilda to my vet with the xrays etc and turns out she does require specialist treatment. The estimate for this (after paying initial $1000 last night) is between $3500 and $4000 .... This lovely and distraught owner has paid this money, not because it's easy for her to do so but because she loves her dog. I knew it was a great home but I honestly wouldn't have blamed her for not going ahead with this, Matilda's an old dog but she's beautiful. While we were there, the vet said "look it could be worse, last week we were unable to save a maltese that was attacked by a staffy in an off leash park, kidney/liver was ripped ..."

I just had a call from an elderly lady who adopted an old shihtzu x from me 2 years ago. Poor little thing and the owner were walking along last night when a man with a dog on an extender lead came close. His dog suddenly attacked little Matilda and the lady fell in the gutter trying to help her. She is 3 kilos and has sustained fractures and is facing euthanasia this morning. I'm taking a day off work to take the lady and Matilda to my vet. The initial bill at the specialist after hours vet last night was $1,000 and to operate will be another $3,000. Lady happy to pay but I have told her the other owner must pay - he took off of course but I'm also taking her to the Council this morning to report the attack. I am very nervous walking my dogs as they've been attacked before, it's hard to know what to do but personally I would try and injure the attacking dog. If it's bin day, my plans would be to quickly put my dogs in the bins and grab the attacking dog, I would probably lose one of my dogs in a vicious attack because they are so small. They've mostly been attacked by off leash Border Collies and Kelpies and crosses thereof. It's a scary old world out there when so many owners are a---holes.

My heart goes out to you, such a young boy. I lost one of my oldies last week but it is far worse when they have hardly begun living. Hugs to you.