Leah82

I've noticed this before although I wonder how many of them are actually active. There are many rescues that currently don't have any animals, this is understandable for a breed specific rescue or a vet surgery but there are still quite a few generically named rescues with no animals up for adoption. While I'm not suggesting they don't do any rescue you can't just take the number of rescues and assume that 'there are enough of them out there'

I got asked if my Flat Coat was a staffy. TWICE. Sure guys. Same same...? Lol, I'm half expecting someone to have a story about the time someone thought their dog was zebra. She is. See :D that's awesome, yet totally random

So cute, having new dogs and learning all their quirks is so fun. Cross breed just adds to the mystery :laugh:

I got asked if my Flat Coat was a staffy. TWICE. Sure guys. Same same...? Lol, I'm half expecting someone to have a story about the time someone thought their dog was zebra.

Very sad story indeed. I agree that the author doesn't know the exact circumstances the dogs previous owners were in but there are plenty of other examples of owners giving up all too quickly and opting for the easiest option of surrendering their dogs. It was suggested by a few people when my OH and I were finding it difficult to find rental accommodation that we look at rehoming Collie. It was never an option for us and with a bit of extra effort we finally found the perfect place to call home for all of us. No-one has ever said life with pets is easy but as an owner you are rewarded everyday for the effort you put in.

I have included some photos below of my first attempt at dog clipping My OH told me I wasn't allowed to clip our cocker until I could prove I could do a cocker cut. So after watching many youtube videos I present to you Sarah, the Poodle x Spaniel sporting a lovely Cocker Spaniel Cut You can see the before and after in the pics, I think I might take off more from her sides in the next couple of days, she looks like she has a bit of a flat back :p

An example of an individual case. Our cocker purchased from a breeder in QLD before genetic testing has PRA. Along with that recessive strain he also got the liver colour strain and he had an undecended testicle. I wonder if getting one recessive strain increases the likely hood of further issues showing up later on, either that or he 's extra special :-)

This article is only about dogs who are outside 24/7, not in the OPs case of just when she isn't at home so it isn't really relevant. The dogs are not going to get anymore companionship being left inside alone :p

Ours are outside during the day when we're at work, our yard is about 400sqm with a couple of big trees so they spend their days sniffing and lying around or curled up in the kennel if it's cold and rainy. I also go home at lunch to check on them from time to time. If we're out for a few hours at night they are in the back area of the house where they sleep and a baby gate stops them from going in the kitchen and lounge room, mostly to keep them off the couch. They do complain a lot if they're outside and we're inside but are fine as long as they think there is no-one home. I personally think outside is much more interesting and stimulating for them but obviously if you have a dog that likes to react to those simulations then that's not always a good thing :) Have you considered one of those collars that sprays a citrus scent when the dog barks for Odie when you're not at home to stop him barking?

Just remembered that the 29th is testing day at Obedience. What time do people usually get there?

maybe the adoption people wanted it that way..."look how well behaved the greyhounds are in the face of small fluffy things" although having had rabbits myself I can't imagine the bunnies would have appreciated it, I imagine there would have been a few angry thumps

I'm at Knox most Sunday's for training. I wanted to head to the obedience trials to check it out but unfortunately I have other plans. Will definitely be there to check out the agility trials in Oct though. I usually have my oodle with me and my OH has our liver roan cocker, not too hard to pick out of a crowd :)

There's a bit of a mix in my suburban area but mostly small fluffies. I've seens oodles, poodles, cavs, border collie's, Maltese, chihuahua's... and last Friday there was a lady at the park walking a baby Pig!

Definitely the best of both worlds. Wouldn't swap them for the world, and it helps that they are so adorable together :D

I'd like a combination between our two. Collie will follow you around the house and loves his cuddles but he gets whiny as well which gets very annoying, if you tell him to be quiet it only makes him louder. We're currently practicing ignoring him when he's being annoying but it's requiring a lot of patience. Plus sometimes he'll start whining mid cuddle and you don't always realise it's happening :p. On the other side he's a very happy and confident boy, loves his ball, exploring the great outdoors and playing with other dogs which usually results in him rolling on his back with a big goofy grin. Sarah is a lot less needy, as long as she's in the same room as you she'll be happy curled up on her bed. I'll often leave her asleep in the lounge room to go to the back of the house and the next thing I know I'll see her curled up on her other bed at the back - it's very cute. And while it seems she doesn't need as many cuddles she will still fall asleep on top of me when I bring her onto the couch for cuddles. But being a product of 7 years in a puppy farm Sarah is not very confident, we're working on it and she'll warm up to new people and experiences but I think it's always going to take longer with her. Sarah's capacity to learn is incredible though and she's always willing to please. She was racing toward me down the wooden floor board hallway one day and for some reason I didn't want her down the back of the house, a quick 'UH' from me and she plants her arse on the ground and skids to a halt :laugh:

Collie just goes to sleep in the car and Sarah is too busy trying to stop herself from moving around to bother checking out what's happening in the front, often using Collie as an anchor is the process. :laugh:

I'm lucky I don't have a problem where I am (Ringwood). There is plenty of dog walking going on but the dogs are generally on the smaller side, I've seen a couple of off leash and wandering dogs as well but not causing an issue. Generally I find the closer you are to the city the better it is. I lived in Kew for many years and never saw a stray or off leash dog (besides at the park). If there is a decent amount of traffic and a smaller side walk dog owners are going to be less inclined to let their dog off leash to be potentially run over.

I would hazard a guess that if you're wandering the streets with your dog and a cattle prod it's not a far stretch for the owner of the other dog to paint you a person looking for trouble who attacked their dog "who just wanted to say hi". I'm not saying it's right but in these cases it's usually your word against theirs. I've never seen a cattle prod in person despite the fact that my parents breed Angus but surely there are better alternatives that walking the streets with one. A walking stick I understand, even pepper spray, but if you're that convinced you're going to be attacked while walking your dog then take them somewhere else or get a treadmill.

You want to use a cattle prod designed for 400kg or more cattle on a 10 to 30kg dog I'm pretty sure it's going to do more than slow the dog down and you're likely to end up with a lawsuit on your hands

That's how I do it :) It's impossible with the fluffies to visually check their weight, which is why it can creep on if you don't keep an eye on it. Our Cocker recently lost a nearly couple of kgs (from 16.1 to 14.5) but I didn't see any difference in him other than feeling for his ribs, although now he's been clipped you can see he has a waist again I just check their ribs regularly as well. With Collie I reduced his dinner amount and removed his snacks all together, lucky for me I was the one feeding him and he would go to my OH with the puppy dog eyes so no guilt trip for me. Now he's lighter and I can feel his ribs easily I've kept his dinners the same (helped by the new spaniel bowl as it's a lot smaller) and just reintroduced snacks and he's been fine. Hopefully Maple sparks up when he gets the weight off, let us know how he goes

Knox do Obedience, Agility, Rally-O and Tracking

I agree that Xolos are much better looking, I think the muscly bodies and dark skin brought lord of the rings to mind

definitely striking dogs, their hairlessness seems to add an element of detail in their muscles and their expressions. Although am I the only one that sees the resemblance

It's funny all the stories about parent's letting their kids run up to and play with strange dogs. The Kids & Dogs thread is all starting to make sense. One plus One equals........ um Two?

I go to the Knox Obedience Club with our 2 and am really enjoying it. The website has heaps of information about the different class levels and other activities you can do as well as membership fees and rules (and not too far from Glen Waverley) check it out here You may also want to show your friends the When will by Dog be trained Thread in the puppy section if they're still convinced he can be trained in a day :)