Her Majesty Dogmad

A behaviouralist is the answer but that's only if your mum and dad would cooperate. No matter what, leave your Whippet at home until things have improved - if they ever do.

You could foster for Doggie Rescue if you are in Sydney, they have taken a lot of Staffy crosses lately - I visited recently. There was a very friendly brindle girl running around with other dogs that I patted, she was very sweet but most of them are in kennels on their own as they are not dog social.

No surprise to me at all, I've never smoked but have lung problems (which have become much worse with age) and scarring. I lived with 4 heavy smokers (inc 1 of unfiltered cigarettes who died of lung cancer later and my father on cigars) until I was 7, then mum and dad bought a house so I lived with 2 smokers until I was 12 when dad died. Mum continued to smoke for many more years and I lived with her until I was in my mid 20s. I always found it unbearable - this was in the UK where it's so cold that you don't open windows - I used to say "this can't be good for me" but none of them worried. Naturally, in the teens/20s we also used to go out a lot and many times you were in a pub or club full of smoke ... Why can't people wake up to themselves and either give up or stop enforcing it on the innocents?

She was pretty stupid for having him around if she had to ask him to be gentle with her little dog. No punishment will be suitable to deal with someone like this, they need serious help.

I spent a few years volunteering at a shelter and fostering some of their dogs before I felt I knew enough to set up my own rescue operation. You definitely want to start off with the right group so that it is a positive experience. Think carefully about how much you are prepared to offer to a foster dog so that you don't end up in an uncomfortable situation. Do you know how to housetrain a dog/do other training? If the dog stays with you for a while, can you afford flea treatment, food, grooming costs (if applicable) or do you need a rescue group to do all or any of that. It is definitely something that saves lives but rescue groups also vary in what they offer and also in how they rehome. Check their rehoming methods before joining - if you foster a dog and grow fond of it, you don't want to be with a group that will just hand the dog to the first seemingly nice applicant without making a very considered match and conducting checks. No matter what anyone tells you, yard checks are VITAL. They are not the only check but they are really important. I do them all the time for my own and other groups, the people I've spoken to have seemed quite lovely but then I've done the yard check and discovered all sorts of things that wouldn't have come out during a phone conversation. Spoke to an applicant for my foster dog last night - they'd said they had very secure fencing but were then telling me a story about their dog loving to swim in the lake - he just went outside and went for a swim. I said "so you have one side of the garden on the water?" "No, he got through a hole in the fence". After I said those holes would need to be fixed up before the yard check and definitely before adoption of any of my dogs, the applicant who had seemed so lovely suggested they might go somewhere who "didn't ask quite so many questions".

I couldn't agree more and I haven't finished with the former owner or the vet quite yet. I was at Renbury a couple of years ago and saw a truly horrific case there. I was so shocked - a small dog aged 4 with hair like a woolly mammoth and a sign on the door that he shouldn't be approached. I spoke to this little fellow who couldn't see at all due to the mass of hair hanging down over his eyes and he approached me and appeared friendly, I went in and spent some time with him and decided I would not leave him. His owners had surrendered him for being aggressive. I was delighted to see the RSPCA were there, I thought they'd come to see him but no, they'd come to assess some dogs to take back to their shelter for rehoming. They were not interested in him although they did physically examine him with me - they told me they never prosecute owners if they surrender their dog. Personally I don't believe anyone should get away with it, no matter what. I drove him to the PAWS vet who waited for me - I had to go via Londonderry to drop other pound dogs and then another hour south. It turned out that this dog's ears were actually matted to his head so he probably couldn't hear much either, it was so horrific.

This little girl is putting on some weight, she's had a couple of very short walks on the lead. She's currently a bit food aggressive but it is getting better and it's not unusual in a dog who obviously hasn't been fed properly for a long time. She's learning the dog door and holds on for a long time, going outside when I take her. She's also been sitting on my lap - she's very tentative about everything but again this is not unusual given the situation. She has a lot of large skin flakes and scabby bits that are coming loose - she'll take a while to look like she should. I'm pleased with her progress! Thanks for all the support. My heart breaks because there are so many in need out there and I just can't help any more right now. So many bad owners.

One of my foster carers rescued two cats back in January, she's had all vet work done and we've advertised them but have not had any good enquiries. This enquiry does sound promising but it would be great if someone could just visit first, it would be even better if you are familiar with cats but no problem if not! Thanks in advance

You need to do something about your fence to stop the fighting from happening - what if you aren't around and it escalates? Best if any dogs can't see through a fence where there are comings and goings, it can cause barking and draw neighbour complaints but if it causes fighting between 2 dogs then it's important to fix it.

Thanks Teebs - will do!

So beautiful, RIP sweetie

Could anyone please help with a homecheck in Orange for SOS? THank you in advance

It works really well for me so I tried the dog's powder but my dogs wouldn't eat their dinner with it in at all ...

I have not managed to catch up with my friend but tomorrow I will go round to her new place (not quite finished being built yet) to try to catch her. I will update as soon as I find out what she is wanting. eta...woops, meant to add that hopefully she will want Cleo She's proved to be a dear little girl, housetraining is going very well - she's very clean and she worked out the doggie door by herself. I was told she was never allowed in the house but perhaps she was at some point as she holds on for hours and only goes outside. Her stitches will come out this weekend and i'll be able to start regular bathing, she's putting on a bit of weight so I'm happy with her progress!

I received a call last weekend from someone who was about to euthanase their dog, unless I agreed to take it due to current circumstances. The dog in question had been kept as an outside dog all it's life after being "rescued from a pet shop". Of course I understand that people have changes in circumstances and I do take surrendered dogs and let the old owner know how they are and when I rehome them etc. This little dog was left in a vet cage for a few days until I could arrange collection. The owner then texted me daily wanting updates. On this occasion, I'm not happy to do it - the owner was a vet nurse so imagine my surprise/horror to find the dog (an elderly terrier cross) was: 1. not desexed (had puppies at some point) 2. had mammary tumours 3. had bad teeth with roots exposed 4. had long term severe flea infestation and consequently very smelly skin (even after 2 baths as she was filthy dirty) 5. overgrown nails 6. very underweight, ie you can feel all her bones She'd never been to a vet - go figure. Owner didn't know the age of their own dog except that she was "over 10". I've taken her on and will find her a really nice home for the rest of her days, she's safe now. The owner doesn't think they did anything wrong, when I challenged them they said "they are not cruel to animals". Total neglect constitutes cruelty in my opinion and how you could do it to such a dear little dog I have no idea.

Ah, an expert - I know where i'll be bringing the Chinese Crested to LOL!

Very very sad for you, Lace was taken far too young.

I've just rescued a little Tibby cross Silky who is adorable, she's about 10-11 yrs old and has had a terrible life - I will do a separate post about it. I'm just in the process of housetraining her but she's been very clean so far and has also worked out the doggie door - quite amazing! She's had a huge amount of vet work to get her into a ready to rehome state and will be ready to go in a couple of weeks. Her name is "Cleo".

This is good advice, check with the breeder please. I'm fed up of correcting people whose vet has told them that their dog should eat a particular brand of dry food - and only that - for the rest of their lives as it is a complete meal. It's nice and easy, a quick solution but I always say to owners it's dry, it's repetitive and I think dogs deserve variety. Even if they are on a prescription diet you can always add veggies usually, to moisten the dinner.

Why would you take her jumpers off - I'm confused, wearing jumpers has nothing to do with housetraining and you are in Victoria, she's tiny - it's not a good thing to do. If you buy a cat sized crate, you can have a comfy bed in there and also a heated disk - they are like Frisbee size, you heat them in the microwave for 4 mins and they last for hours. You could put that within a blanket so she could sleep on that. I've housetrained hundreds of dogs, literally and only some of them were Italian Greyhounds, I have plenty of experience with other dogs and this is why I'm offering help - if you'd like it.

She might just be one of those dogs who can't go through the night, Italian Greyhounds commonly need to get up during the night for some reason. I've just taken two Italian Greyhounds (at separate times) aged 11 and 13 who had been living in kennels/runs for years so were used to toileting in their environment. IGs are notoriously hard to housetrain, similar to Chihuahuas and can still refuse to go out, even in bad weather. You have to be very vigilant, the 11 yr old was OK to go to a new home after 3 weeks, I'm still working on the 13 yr old after 3 weeks BUT I'm getting there. I think apart from housetraining thoroughly - I can share my method with you, if you pm me your phone no I'm happy to have a chat (I've housetrained puppy farm dogs as well as dogs who've been kennelled for years) - you may need to change what you are feeding and when. Most dogs don't need to poo during the night. If she's not doing it every night, look at what you fed her that evening - is it very commercial food (tinned etc) or raw food? That can go straight through them. My friend feeds her dogs their main meal in the morning so that they eliminate during the day. They get a snack when she gets home but that doesn't stop some of them having a poop during the night but it does reduce the likelihood. Walking dogs will generally bring on the need to poop - can you walk her before bedtime? Do you take her out last thing at night before you go to bed? Some things seem obvious but not everyone thinks of them and this is why housetraining can prove challenging.

I love them in spite of being bitten by a purebred red one at the shelter I was working at, I was just walking her at the time and there was no reason to bite ... I wouldn't put them with small children, they are territorial but they are fantastic dogs in the the right home.

Could someone please help with a yard check in South Penrith for Tania @ PAWS please - would be great if this could be done within the next few days if possible. Thanks in advance.

Was a few years ago and the vet doesn't exactly give you the recipe because it costs heaps! There are places online and on Facebook - Herbal Hound - where you can buy online, I'm sure there would be a vet in Melbourne that could help. I've just found a 2nd vet in Sydney, nearer to me and hopefully a bit cheaper and am going next week with one of my littlies with a liver issue.

OMG, those Iggies panic once they get out - it's why at Iggy Rescue we constantly tell people not to let them off the lead in unfenced places, once they take off no one can catch them. People don't believe that an elderly dog will still do it. Glad this distinguished old fellow got home safely.