Pepper21

Although I can't comment on whether Aus breeders are doing it, I can tell you that the breeders in the U.S do it to get a much softer smooth coat or a thinner long coat in the puppies. I'm living in California right now with a 14 year old female, red, smooth, mini Doxie with the softest coat I've ever felt (she was from a long coat x short coat breeding). I'll be getting another puppy in the next few weeks from a similar breeding :)

Being a terrier, animal and/or dog aggression is fairly common. If you were set on getting either an English Staffy or Amstaff, ask the breeder about parents and siblings temperaments towards other dogs. It seems to be largely a genetic component, and there may be some breeders breeding against aggression. Or get an adult dog who has been thoroughly temperament tested.

Genetics absolutely have a part to play and a lot of aggression can be based in genetics, but current environment and management can modify that, too. You only have to look at the fight bust dogs rescued in the USA and then rehomed into homes often with other dogs and pets. You can't get more game than dogs bred, trained and used in dog fighting, yet so many of them go on to socialise with other dogs beautifully with a bit of training and guidance. The 'many' game bred pits that go on to pet homes are the exception, not the rule. They were the exception ten years ago when it was commonplace for all dogs rescued from fight busts to be euthanasied without assessment as it was assumed that they would not be safe for rehoming. The Michael Vick case paved the way for dogs to actually be assessed as individuals and the majority of the dogs from big busts these days are given that opportunity and a huge amount of them are suitable for rehoming. Sadly there are still many States and counties that do not give the dogs the opportunity for assessment as individuals. One of the biggest busts in the last few years was the #367 dogs: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/25/367-dogs-rescued-where-are-they-now-update_n_6213876.html I had the pleasure of meeting some of these dogs when I was in the States last year. A friend of mine that runs a foster/playgroup program at a shelter in Sacramento has had about 18 of these dogs in care since they were seized while the owner waits for a conviction. She runs playgroups with them. I also met some of Michael Vick's lovely dogs, too. The euthanasia cases are typically the exception to the rule when the dogs are given the chance to be assessed as individuals. I do agree with you though that there's a difference in skill level needed in controlling a 20kg APBT with issues compared to a 50kg Mastiff with issues. I don't want to get too off topic here. I agree that dogs should be assessed individually and given a chance at training. Whether the majority of them are capable of being re-homed into multiple dog households is something I have to see to believe. If you would like to discuss further, maybe start another thread. It's an interesting topic worthy of debate but I just don't really want to hijack the thread any more than it has been. This will be my last comment here unless we're talking about the Corso breed.

If it's anything like the the U.S Nosework scene, the ACSW won't be able to keep up with the demand for trials. There can be waiting lists of over 100 people to get into a trial here through the NACSW. To their credit, they could increase trials but only really at the expense of quality and expertise. The UKC has started it's own version which should hopefully reduce pressure on the NACSW. Nosework will for sure take off at an exponential rate in Aus. You could always start up a club and host ACSW sanctioned trials.

Genetics absolutely have a part to play and a lot of aggression can be based in genetics, but current environment and management can modify that, too. You only have to look at the fight bust dogs rescued in the USA and then rehomed into homes often with other dogs and pets. You can't get more game than dogs bred, trained and used in dog fighting, yet so many of them go on to socialise with other dogs beautifully with a bit of training and guidance. Aggression is certainly modifiable, regardless of whether it's innate or learned, or both. But having to modify and manage aggression in a 50kg Mastiff is quite a task, whether it's directed at other dogs, animals or people. I'm not a small, weak or inexperienced dog person and I would never want to do it again, nor wish it on anybody else. The 'many' game bred pits that go on to pet homes are the exception, not the rule. The VAST majority are put to sleep. Especially the ones from notifiable fighting rings and lines, who have been selected for a high pain threshold and extreme aggression towards any creature. Talk to any breeder of ADBA registered Pits (not the watered down, bully versions from the UKC) and they will tell you the same thing. This is pretty off topic, and I apologise to the OP for hijacking the thread. The point I'm trying to make is; if you're going to get a Corso, get it from a good breeder (Itacor are FANTASTIC), train and neutralize the crap out of it, which may mean hiring the services of a good trainer like Steve Courtney. Set up a solid foundation (Through excellent genetics, training, socialisation/neutralization etc) and you will avoid the EPIC problem that is a large, powerful dog who knows its own size and strength and thoroughly enjoyed using that against anything that tested it. Large dogs bring with them a great amount of responsibility. In my experience with the breed, I have seen just as many unstable (both in structure and temperament) dogs than I have stable ones. I've met Presa's and Dogos that are the same, and many other smaller breeds, but their size and strength make them a liability if they do have a temperament flaw.

It depends what's motivating the aggression. For a lot of game bred pits they want to fight because it's fun. For my boy that was his motivator too, as is the desire for terriers to kill vermin. For all those dogs, with each rep of that experience the behaviour gets reinforced and therefore stronger. I never said that aggression was solely genetic, but there certainly is a genetic component whether it's motivated by fear or fun. Rottweilers are similar in many ways, temperament and health-wise. Whatever your decision, choose your breeder and lines carefully.

I owned a Corso and never will again. I've met some nice ones, and there was a period where a tonne of them were turning up in rescue but I don't think that's the case now. There was a very dodgy breeder in Western Sydney that was pumping dysplastic pups out - I think he's shut down now. While every dog is an individual, I've found Corso's to be super smart and very easily trainable. However they have a very high pain tolerance and tend to be able to ignore corrections, especially when they're in drive. They are commonly dog aggressive, and make great guard dogs (simply because of their size and formidable bark). My own Corso male was a rescue at 15 months, and I was his 7th home. He was very dog and animal aggressive. Tolerant of strangers and affectionate with me and my family. He thrived with regular clicker/marker training and a strict management regime. Super, super smart dog. He had a crazy high prey drive, which I don't think is typical of the breed or of Mastiffs in general. When he wanted to get to another dog or animal, there was no correction under the sun that could get to him. He went from 1 to 10 in a split second and had a bad habit of redirecting onto me. He could have been a phenomenal dog with the right upbringing and a great dog sport candidate. Although I've met more laid back ones, they're still not a dog for everyone and I would strongly recommend you hire a trainer. I agree re. early desexing. If you're a competent dog owner then you can manage an intact dog. It's not worth the developmental risk, in my opinion, to desex before 3 years.

I would recommend Pet Resorts Australia in Dural (http://www.petresortsaustralia.com/locations/pet-resorts-dural-location/). It's an old facility but the staff are lovely and kind to the dogs, and it's kept clean and hygienic. They'll let your two board together.

I worked with Steve with my Corso. He's not cheap - but then again, nothing good ever is. Call/email him and get the ball rolling ASAP :)

Ha ha ha, Pepper21. I was going to post that a beautiful boy lived near me and here you are. When do you move ? Saw you out on the footpath doing work with Sarge a few weeks ago, but as I had several dogs in tow, one of whom would have gone off her rocker, I didn't walk down the cul de sac. Well how about that, such a small world :) Have we ever spoken? We have no set dates yet, but I expect it will be around August. So I assume we have had a conversation! I doubt Sarge would have tolerated such an outburst from another dog

Yes they're 100% legal in Australia. There are about 20 odd breeders here, and that's growing quite quickly. Itacor is the best known, seeing as they import a lot of dogs. There is an increasing number of them ending up in shelters and pounds in Sydney, which is where I got mine from (Big Dog Rescue). There are also many Corso Mixes around now too. Not good, they're not easy dogs. I hope I attached the picture correctly, but this is my boy, Sarge.

Hi all, I have a friend who is going to Europe for 3 months in September. She has a beautiful male GSD that she needs taken care of in that time. She does not want him put in kennels for such a long period, and I don't really think she could afford it either. He's good with other dogs, has not shown any signs of aggression, and has had some basic training. He has not been around a lot of children, but is very friendly and confident with people. Is there anyone who would be willing to offer this guy a home for a few months? Food would be provided, and carers would be paid. Location is in the Sydney area, but they are willing to travel.

I've knocked on their door a few times but no one home, so will drop them a letter tomorrow. I don't think they've done any major damage, but I'm concerned that they're getting worse quite quickly. They went from a bit of 'bark, bark' to that screeching, screaming terrier-typical fight. Right now I'm sure it's all noise, but I don't know how long that would last. I don't think noise interruption is cruel, but I would not resort to it as a first choice. It's a handy little idea to have. I would get quite cross if someone did it to my dogs, but then again I don't let my dogs bark and they're not even outside anyways.

Wandering Jew is a massive issue in my area. Or it was... until some resident brush turkeys cleared the bushland behind my house. There is literally none of it anymore. Quite incredible. Prior to that though, the council advised us to pull all the weed up by hand, lay some black tarp over the ground and cover it in sugar mulch. This is supposed to heat up the ground and kill any plants underneath. This was not even remotely feasible for my area, but it could be of use elsewhere.

Sorry I should have made it more clear. They are a few doors down from me, not next door neighbours. My god I would go insane if they were that close! The saucepan lid is a good idea though if I ever share a fence with an annoying dog ;)

This is true too :)

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think it's really feasible to carry around saucepan lids, and I'd probably just piss the other neighbours off even more. But I'll remember it anyways. I might head over there tomorrow afternoon to talk to the owners. They seem reasonable enough and obviously willing to do something about the problem so I may just be over thinking it. If I don't manage to catch them I'll leave a note as everyone suggested. I don't think they're doing serious damage to each other yet, but they are getting much worse very quickly.

I did that once before to another neighbours dog, and gave my details in case they had any questions (their little dog kept escaping and bailing up people). The owner called me and accused me of reporting her dog to council which resulted in a fine. Which I didn't. She was very rude and very angry. Would it be rude of me to not leave any details?

I had some new neighbours move in a few months back with 2 mini foxies. They were very excited little dogs that barked and escaped regularly. Someone clearly complained about it because the owners fixed their fences and did a letter drop to apologise to the neighbourhood and inform everyone that they had hired a trainer. Their chain-link fences are about 4 metres away from the path that I walk my dog on, and they used to just bark at us. I used them as a training aid for my reactive boy (with much success). More recently, they have started to fight. It started out as a snap or two but now they roll around on the ground and slam each other into the fence and adjacent wall. In an absolute frenzy. Even when we get past that bit of fencing, they run in the garage to follow us and fight in there too - despite the fact that they can't see us. I'm sure they're doing damage to one another, and they do this every time ANY dog walks past. There's no way to sneak past them. I don't know if the owners are aware of what's happening. They walk both dogs regularly, and I saw them both with citronella collars on recently (puffing away uselessly as they barked the damn things empty). When the owners are home, the dogs are inside and not barking. But, they work 9-5 on weekdays. This isn't really affecting me directly. It's actually quite beneficial to teaching my boy to ignore such a high degree of arousal in other dogs. But, the owners are renting and I don't want them to be kicked out if someone complains. I also (obviously) don't want the dogs hurt or stressed anymore. It's very hard to watch/hear them trying to kill each other on a regular basis. I hear them about 12 times a day, and get an adrenalin kick every time. What can I do? I don't want to give unsolicited advice, and I'm not even sure what I could say anyway.

I also tend not to agree with the alpha theory, but that doesn't mean that dominance doesn't exist. I much prefer Roger Abrantes blog post about the subject - http://rogerabrantes.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/dominance-making-sense-of-the-nonsense/

All very interesting responses. I tend to think that headphones are a really bad idea when out walking anywhere, let alone a busy dog park. While it's largely irrelevant, I do know that the Rotty is very well trained, and from what I've seen of the Lab he appeared OK training-wise too. I don't think there are any control/training issues with either dog in this instance, I think it's more inattention by the owners. While I doubt that either would have had time to give a recall command, they could have shouted something at them to interrupt their path/behaviour or reduce the impact. While I agree that blaming anyone for this incident is pointless, I just thought it would make for an interesting conversation. Most of the people I talked to about it think the injured woman was at fault for being inattentive in an off-leash dog park. A while after that accident, I got bowled over by a mixed breed dog at an off-leash park. I fell back onto the dog with all my weight, and he bit my wrist as I went down. I took that as a bit of Karma that I didn't pass on the details of the Rottie to the woman ;)

This happened a few years ago, but I had a discussion with someone today that reminded me of it. A lady was walking around an off-leash, unfenced dog park/sports oval. She did this regularly and had a little dog. That day she was wearing some headphones. A Lab and a Rottie were playing quite loudly and roughly nearby. As she walked passed these two dogs (her back to them by this stage), happened to run in her direction and both collided with her legs. I was the only one who saw the whole thing, and the dogs were completely unaware that this woman was there (and vice versa). The lady was lying on the ground and obviously quite hurt. Myself and both dog owners went to see if she was OK. She said she'd hurt her ankle but managed to get up and hobble off. She declined further assistance and appeared to be in shock or quite embarrassed. About 2 months later, I saw this lady again. I asked how she was going and she said she'd broken several bones in her foot, and wanted my help to identify the dogs/owners involved because she wanted to report them and get them to cover costs. She only remembered the Labrador (which I had only seen a few times) and not the Rott (who was there as I was talking to her, and was there daily). I was in a bit of a moral dilemma. I told the injured lady that if I saw the Lab's owner I'd ask for her details and pass them on. I ended up talking to the Rott's owner who appeared quite sorry for what happened, but he didn't think he was responsible. I left the decision with him. I never saw the Lab again. Who do you think is responsible for what happened? Do you think the woman should have been paying more attention? Or that the dogs should have had more observant owners? Should I have been more honest with the lady? I'd heard of a similar situation at the same park where a lady had to have a complete knee reconstruction. She didn't want compensation and said she should have been paying more attention to playing dogs.

I wish the Taramuke website didn't make me shudder. Slick, very well set up but still a volume breeder IMO. 6 litters of pups due for rehoming in the next 2 months. Early desexer and overseas shipper. Has a USA dog breeding business too. Did business with Rutland Manor. Only breeder in the world of "paddy melon labradoodles"? No thanks. I don't care how many stories of dogs saving people and helping autistic kids they post although I note that to date Taloodles have placed only one dog with an autistic child. Yes I agree with your thoughts on the breeder. Taloodles have placed two dogs so far, but they've only been up and running for just over a year.

I haven't read the other comments so ignore me if this has already been mentioned. Taloodles therapy and assistance dogs is an organisation specifically for autistic children. They're well bred labradoodles of the smaller variety from Tamaruke Labradoodles. The vet clinic I work at supports them, and they're having a big Dogs Day out in Carlingford, NSW mid year if the family wanted to check them out. I'm personally not a fan of the 'oodle' dogs but it's hard to deny the effect they have on these kids. FB page: https://www.facebook.com/taloodles Website: http://taloodles.com/

Agreed. I think we need to start getting more international dog trainers over here to promote the sport and support working dog breeders. The more people become familiar with bite sports, the more backing we have to get some sense into the Vic government.