Dobermanic

Sorry just re read what I have posted and need to add that our dogs had been attacked twice not several times. Thinking several may mean 7?

Hi Scottsmum I'm not sure what area you live in but I can tell you where i'm from in NZ it is not common practice to chain dogs up. In Christchurch dogs are allowed off lead at most beaches except around the surf life saving buildings. Dogs are allowed off lead at most parks but must be under effective controll. When I visit my family we take their dogs to a cafe that allows the dogs in the cafe and they have special treats for them. It is a really dog friendy city compare to where I live in Sydney. I can't let my dog off lead anywhere here except designated dog parks and a few beaches. NZ does have a big problem with people just letting their dogs roam. My JRT was attacked several times while we were out walking and our pet cat was killed in our yard by roaming dogs. But these things do happen in Australia as well. Microchipping is usually free through the council and desexing is fairly cheap.

I can't stress that it's just my initial view of the dog culture. *My incredibly varied and extensive 5 months worth of experience* AND while I wasn't always an inner westie - I call myself a country girl - I have most recently spent 4 years living in Sydney's inner west. BUT yes - I am finding the dog culture here in my region VERY differnt. We have whole parts of town where dogs are restricted, lots of markets and "CBDs" of towns of all sizes, cafes too (link) I can count 10-14 dogs on my street and I'm sure only one (other than Scott) is walked often - I see it out every 3-4 days. Someone casually mentioned to hubby at work the other day that they thought it was odd he walked his dog so much... and so on. But I do want to stress - this is one persons view of one area - and I think my suburb is a bit different again. It would be remiss of me to say that the whole country is like my little 'burb. The flip side to that is I can count at least 3 independent pet food shops, a few groomers, a petbarn (its animates here) + a tonne of feed shops in town and a huge number of vets in a town of 90,000- the animal industry is very well serviced - so maybe I'm just missing something. Annual rego is compulsory here - not sure if that weighs in to your comments but - just FYI. I see what you're saying. However, I think in this case it's more of a a knee-jerk reaction - there's been a few really horrific attacks here in the few months I've been here - and the most recent ones have both been "pitty types". I've thought about this a lot - and often thought I'd put my flack jacket on and ask. Maybe today's the day.... If its OK to select a breed based on it's type or traits why is it not OK to also base legislation or controls on them for the same reasons? I own fox terrier types because I like what they offer - in terms of temperament and looks. I think malinois and weimaraners are incredibly handsome dogs but I would never own a Mal based on their breed specific traits - and a good mal breeder would NOT sell one to me. One day I might have another Weim in my life - but I'd have to think long and hard about it I'd never own a Maremma either - based entirely on their breed specific characteristics Greyhounds / sight hounds are muzzled in some cases. Yes- I know that's pretty old fashioned and we've moved away from it I get this is a huge over simplification - but why is one kind of breed selection or discrimination OK but BSL is not? Why is it not OK to ask for Greys to be in muzzles or ...

I use the combination of interceptor for all worms and Nexgaurd for fleas and ticks. I was using Advantix but my dog swims a lot.

Have you treated the environment as well? Most of the flea population live in the house and yard. So wash all bedding and do a flea bomb in the house to kill the eggs.

Hi Advantix can be used every two weeks. It only kills ticks for two weeks so should be used fortnightly in tick areas.

I have a Dobermann and I think they are the best dogs. I probably wouldn't get another breed i'm addicted now lol. They are intelligent and very trainable and are extremely loyal. My girl always sits at my feet leaning on me in the evenings. They are clean and don't drool. They really are inside dogs and don't like to be left alone out in the yard. They love long walks and playing. They do take a bit of time to mature and as puppy's and teenagers are not very calm. But they do calm down around 2-3 years.

I was just saying what works for me. I have no problem with Royal Canine or other foods as long as they agree with the dog.

I feed my dog Holistic Select and am very happy with it. It's natural and doesn't contain wheat/fillers or meat byproducts. But like the others said if you change food do it gradually to avoide tummy upsets. I also feed raw it's not that hard to prepare once you are used to it.

You could try putting Advantix on him it keeps flys alway as well as fleas and ticks. You can get cream for the ears cetrigene or septicide they are antiseptic plus repellent. Repel x is a good spray to use to keep the flys away but you can't use it with Advantix as they contain some of the same ingredients and you can over do it with both. You can get the sprays and cream at Petbarn or horse land.

The Petlife play system ones you can get at most pet supply stores. I had a look on the Nina Ottosson web site and it says they ship world wide. The busy buddy toys are really good. I think Petstock have them. I find the kong toys are great if you get creative. My dog loves them filled with chicken necks and mince and then frozen. If I don't freeze them she has any treats out in a few seconds. The Aussie dog toys are very strong and interactive. They have a home alone range. You can hang it up in a tree and the dog pulls on a bungee and treats come out of a ball. I hope some of my suggestions help. Good luck.

Looks like the Chillybuddy is the most popular. How do the Chamios ones work? Sorry for all the questions. I wanted to get one last summer but was so confused by all the options. I won't be getting a swamp cooler now thanks for the advice against that one. My dog really hates the heat. She slows down a lot in the summer.

Hi Denila. Do you mean the swamp cooler? How long will it stay cool for? I may have to try a cool mat I saw some cheap ones on groupon not long ago.

Thanks for the info it sounds like they work exactly the same as the expensive ones.

Do you know how it works? I had a look on the web page but couldn't work it out. Most of the cool coats I have looked at work by evaporation. You wet them and they draw the heat away from the dog. They are a great price. Please let me know if they work well I may have to get one. I was looking at the swamp cooler by ruffwear but it is $99 so a bit expensive.