Her Majesty Dogmad

exactly. and there you have it And you wouldn't happen to have your own agenda would you? I don't believe a breeder should give anyone two litter mates, it's commonly a recipe for disaster. With my own rescue we currently have a problem where a breeder sold two littermates to someone who had 4 kids and a busy life. They are a highly strung breed and haven't improved in the last few months. These dogs lived in the bushes at the owner's house, no one could get near them. They haven't improved much and the problem is that with their current behaviour, they won't make a good pet for anyone. They are not aggressive in any way, just living in their own world.

Hardly but this is the response i'd expect from you, you seem to have a problem working out the issue here, you'd probably rather i'd refrained from mentioning the breed. Sorry, I can't help but be honest, i'm not going to be doing anyone any favours by telling lies and if you can't see any issues beyond the words Am Staff, then I am not going to define it all for you :) And Staffyluv - sorry, the person was in a state when they rang me and told me what had been going on. They weren't lying about anything. I was shocked when I heard the outcome later but this was definitely someone who shouldn't have two littermates of any breed, let alone a large breed that needed proper management. I'm only glad that no one outside the property was hurt or their pets.

I was recently at a friend's house when a relative arrived and happily told me that she had recently purchased 2 puppies - both male Am Staffs from a "breeder". I was told that the last dog had been able to get out and wander. I was very concerned and I gave the new owner, a very inexperienced person, some advice to get the dogs desexed around 5 months, to reinforce the fencing, to get the puppies to proper obedience training so that they could be walked on the lead etc etc. This person had young children and a cat that the dogs wanted "to eat" and a busy life of course ... 3 months on - last week I got a phone call to say that things were going badly wrong - the dogs were now 6 months of age - basically all the advice I'd given had been ignored. The dogs had been fighting, getting out of the yard and a family member had their hand badly bitten trying to intervene and ended up in hospital having surgery. That morning the dogs had been out and knocked someone over trying to get at their small dog. The dogs' owner had called the police and the council, trying to find out if the older aged person was OK? The fence hadn't been fixed and no one could come and fix it there and then. The dogs weren't yet desexed and had not received any training, they were out of control. The owner had been ringing rescue groups to see if someone would take them. I suggested calling the breeder as they should never have allowed an inexperienced person to take two siblings. Good registered breeders don't do that with any breed, let alone Am Staffs and the breeder should take some responsibility. I said to ring AWL and the RSPCA as they'd be able to assess and perhaps train them. I didn't hear back, I was at work and couldn't do any more but I have now found out that the most aggressive dog was euthanased. The breeder was a back yard breeder of course and not interested as they'd had their money. The RSPCA would not guarantee that they would take the dogs - apparently they assess them and can turn you down - I haven't heard that before but I don't blame them, they must be sick and tired of cleaning up people's messes. They are trying to make a go of it with the other dog. I hope it works. Sadly I could have put money on this outcome.

That's a wonderful offer! I'm sure someone out there will need help!

Good thought Persephone!

Chinese herbs as prescribed by the All Natural Vet at Russell Lea - I've seen most of the vets there at one time or another (including Barbara Fougere and Joanne Rhigetti) for dogs with different ailments and illnesses - some that were only given weeks to live by other vets but lived on for a long time after treatment there. My friend's dog had anxiety and my Italian had dementia causing anxiety. I've also referred people there with dogs with sep anx. For sep anx I would always recommend this vet. For some reason I had thought the OP was in VIC or I would have immediately suggested they go to the ANV at R.Lea.

One more thing, not every dog will go over her wee/poo. Some will but I've had more than one rescued dog here that has been absolutely bullet proof in that regard. I've just lost my old Maltese, in the last couple of months, due to having dementia, he was having some accidents inside at night. My old Westie cross has always been a bit unreliable and has always been happy to mark whenever I got a foster dog and was in the process of housetraining but 2 of my dogs are the cleanest on the planet, I've had one of them for 7 years, he's a male Foxy and would never dream of having any sort of accident inside.

My housetraining method involves no punishment - it's only about reward and praise. That's only part of the issue though, the separation anxiety will still cause her to wee/poo no matter what. As you've already found the drugs weren't great, I would seriously recommend that you try Chinese herbs. I've had fantastic results with them and there is a vet in Melbourne that can help. They do work for Sep Anx. I tried them as a last resort for my old Iggy who'd been keeping me up all night for months - he wanted food. At first I'd feed him and then 5 mins later he wanted more food. Obviously it was nothing to do with being hungry, he had dementia. Nothing would settle him at night. He had been a cruelty case, he'd been starved and beaten so always had a major focus on food. One day I fell asleep at the wheel on the way to work and decided I would have to put him to sleep, I couldn't go on. A friend said her mother had experienced something similar with a young dog that she had and she'd tried Chinese herbs and that worked a treat. I went to the 1 vet in Sydney that prescribes them and within 2 days of starting them, my dog was back to sleeping all night. I had him for another 8 months, we were both so much happier. Perhaps your little dog was one of those dogs left outside 24/7 because the owners couldn't housetrain and punished her severely and it became a problem, leading to an anxious state. Poor little dog. It's great that you've persisted and tried a few things but I'd at least try the Chinese herbs. She needs to feel better than she does, it's very sad. I've copied my housetraining tips here as it could be useful anyway - it won't stop the anxious wee/poo: 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.

I've had an email from the owner, she's only 3.5 kilos apparently, very tiny so probably not an agility dog. Anyhow, they've asked me to put rehoming on hold, I am not sure what's going on ...

My first Italian Greyhound had the same problem - I walked him 3 times a day, went home every lunchtime religiously, from work. The MINUTE I disappeared from his sight - going into the bathroom and closing the door for instance - he would immediately wee and poo. He was a cruelty case. I went through this with him for a few months until I got him a companion, problems stopped right away. Do you leave the radio or TV on? Do you leave something with your scent on in the dog's bed? Best thing is a companion dog. Alternatively, get some Chinese herbs - there are vets that prescribe them and they could work, but maybe not. This poor little dog is very unhappy, it's your job as the owner to do the very best to fix it and I don't agree with the heavy drugs, they are often expensive and not really dealing with the loneliness issue. Some dogs simply are no good as only dogs, full stop.

Not sure who told you this but it's incorrect. The ETT has been a recognised breed for longer than the Whippet and was originally the smaller size and weight type of Manchester Terrier before the breed was divided by size. Given that the Whippet is larger than both breeds, I doubt there is much Whippet in the ETT, if any. I'd say it is possible there is ETT in the Whippet! Thank you HD - got the information from Wikipedia or one of those pages. When I discovered this girl was 3.5 kilos, I did wonder!!

Yes they are a vocal breed, a bit like Iggies! Don't do well being left alone and so on. I would not rehome as an only dog or to someone who won't exercise as they can become badly behaved apparently!

Yes, it might be an idea for me to contact the local agility clubs!

I'm trying to help an English Toy Terrier find a home. She's going to need a specific kind of home. Poor little thing had a very bad start in life with a cruel home and is of a nervous disposition because of this so no children or homes with lots of visitors. She was returned to her breeder who is no longer operating. The current owner was unable to find rented for either her or her friend. I have found rescue for her companion (Min Pin) but will be trying to rehome them both until the deadline which is in a couple of weeks. English Toy Terriers are a rare breed, created by mixing a Manchester Terrier (like a mini Dobermann) with a Whippet. This little girl was debarked either by the breeder or her last home, not sure. She's never seen a cat as far as I know but I wouldn't mix this breed with cats or any other small animals (non canine). She's housetrained, loving and plays with toys etc, they are an active breed that needs daily exercise. This breed does apparently make for good agility dogs. I will only rehome as a second dog. She weighs about 5 kilos and has all vet work done.

Calming paste is good. The best thing I've found is Chinese herbs. There are vets down in Melbourne that prescribe them. I've recommended them to a no. of owners with this type of problem and they have all had good results. Are you leaving music on when you leave and a piece of clothing that you have worn in his bed? His routine has changed drastically so you just need to take some measures to help him get over this.

Fantastic - I found some incredible homes through a German Shepherd Facebook page set up to help GSDs in need. I managed to rehome someone's beautiful 8 yr old female GSD in Canberra. I am sure Kobi will be equally as lucky, he's a gorgeous looking dog!

Sighthounds tend to be a bit aloof for a while and then once they warm to you - lookout! Love the pics!

A Maremma would not be suitable for them, they need experienced breed owners. Anyhow, the good news is they've adopted Tyson from Koolie Rescue - thanks to Perry's Mum! All good

Maybe he has lumps that need investigation and/or in major need of a dental. Most of my dogs' dentals have cost me $600 and they haven't had teeth that were that bad as I've regularly done dentals etc. Perhaps it is because they know many people wouldn't be up for all of that. If interested, I'd ring and check why this is the situation.

If you are looking at taking a pound dog, you would need to take your own dog up there to meet them. There are cats at HP and they can see if there's an initial reaction. HP are open at weekends if you are keen but only 9.30-11.30 on a Sat morning. The volunteers would be happy to help you by at least doing some initial testing to see if he was any good with other dogs so you didn't waste a trip,

Sorry to hear this, what a difficult situation.

As a rescuer, I have rehomed many dogs, one of the things I used to do was counsel potential new owners - especially when they hadn't had dogs for a long time - was that they would go through a period of adjustment, as would the dog. You have had a massive change to your life, your routines and so on. It's an adjustment period. I had sleepless nights for a week when I decided to adopt a dog at 40 - hadn't had a dog for over 15 years due to living in rented accomm. I'd been desperate to have one but then when I found one and adopted him, I was terrified instead of overjoyed and was shocked at what I felt. It's normal though, I was the same when I decided to buy a unit and with a number of other huge decisions. Give yourself a bit of time to adjust and bond with him. I recommend just allowing him to settle, don't overwhelm him with lots of visitors or attention, even from you. Just establish normal walking routines around the area for a couple of weeks and relax ... Get some Rescue Remedy - one or two drops for him, one or two drops for you - every few hours! :)

Good news! I'd recommend getting some very secure containers so she can't have any more accidents. I have a dog here with digestive issues and have to keep the bin on top of the kitchen cupboards so she can't raid it and end up on a drip. The biscuits are all kept locked away because she would raid them if she could. Sometimes we just have to adjust our habits and the way we live to keep them safe.

Lovely pics!

There's a dear old girl "Sally", a 13 yr old Staffy cross who is looking for a home through PAWS and gets on with other animals OK. Her owner died and the family are rehoming her - I will pm you the phone no. QUOTE Sally is the sweetest old thing with loads of character and is wonderful company. She is intelligent and very well behaved, likes living inside and loves company and attention. Sally never barks or howls, has a wonderful temperament and is in good health apart from the usual case of arthritis that is to be expected in an older dog. She is not very active but is still alert and playful, never wanders but is happy to take herself for short walks and to be taken for short walks. Sally has lived with her current carer's great aunt for the past several years but unfortunately she has passed away and, even though they adore Sally, they are unable to keep her long term. Sally gets on with other animals on a 'mutual indifference' basis! She's had all her vet work done.