Animal House

I'd advise your parents not to get a dog unless they are the ones training and looking after it. Especially another puppy, two can be twice the trouble, and it looks like you have enough to do with your dog. I'd (IMHO) wait until your dog is older, probably around 2 yrs old until introducing another dog.

Nothing like a good walk DDD, I bet the boys loved it, all those trees to mark and new sniffs!

It is scary

From what I know of Mind Dog, any dog can (potentially) be an accredited one, breed/coat/age etc doesn't come into it. I've seen German Shepherds, Labs, Kelpies, etc on the Mind Dog FB page, and a member on here had her own dog accredited by them, so it's possibly the OP preference for those requirements. Good Luck in your search, I'd also be looking at an adolescent or older dogs rather than puppies, as by the time the puppy is old enough to train, it's going to take a lot longer.

Aww, he really does sound like a real little character, I'm sure he's going to make some lucky person/family very happy! Following you around so closely, clever little man not missing out on any of the action. Both he and Stevie are very lucky to have you as their foster mum.

Aww, little cuties, love Benji though

Oh gosh, isn't he just gorgeous? Definitely looks like he has the wrong head to match the body

well, that escalated quickly. I doubt personal attacks/name calling will help anybody, we can only try and educate people on puppy farms and why it isn't advisable to purchase designer dogs. We won't reach everybody, but now that the deed is done, it's best they stick around and feel welcomed enough to ask for help if it's needed with other things like training, etc.

Beautiful girls, almost seem like they are smiling for the camera!

What a great outcome, I wonder if she did live rough for 4 years or if someone had her for a while and then she got out again? LINK "She also buried her head straight into my mum's legs. Same with my aunty Cheryl about an hour later, Sammy always loved her and she got straight up and was so happy to see her." Ms Lee said Sammy was re-adjusting well to life back at home. "She's very happy and relaxed just very exhausted," she said. Sammy was reconnected with her family thanks to some detective work by Lauren, the co-ordinator of a local lost pets Facebook page. Lauren checked images against reported sightings of a "golden-coloured dog" in the area, and went back through old social media posts to find Ms Lee. No microchip could be detected, so body markings were used to confirm Sammy's identity. Photo: Sammy left seven young puppies behind when she went missing. (Supplied) "Sammy had quite a unique caesarean scar, and she also had a unique number of nipples," Lauren said. "We've also organised DNA testing just to confirm, but at this stage it's 99.9 per cent certain that it's Sammy." Pineapples believed to have kept Sammy going in the wild Sammy was in surprising good health for a domestic pet which had been living in the wild for years. But she had a gory leg wound which required surgery. "It looked like an old injury that had been left untreated, it was all infected and not a pretty sight," Lauren said. "She wasn't as thin and you might expect from a dog who has been living in the wild, and her teeth are in a really bad condition." Veterinarians believe Sammy survived on a diet of pineapples, scavenged from local farms. "Her teeth have worn in a similar way to what a wild dog's teeth would have," Lauren said. "A lot of the wild dogs in that area actually live on the pineapples from the pineapple farms, and the pineapple rots their teeth." But despite the years, Sammy instantly remembered her owners the second she was called. "She responded to her name instantly which is quite amazing. And she nuzzled straight into her legs," Lauren said. Sammy now sports a green cast on her right leg, while her wounds heal.

Forgot to say I'm really glad you are happy with your little girl Phyl, we need pics and another thread about her I think.

Just to clarify, I have no problem or bias against mixed breeds dogs, mutts, mongrels etc, I have owned them my whole life with the exceptions of a Rottie and a Bull Terrier. My current dog is a Staffy x from ARF rescue here on Dol. The only problem I have is with the puppy farms and backyard breeders who breed designer dogs, who are at best shonky, and at worst, well, we've all seen the results of those places, they are in it for the money, they don't care about their dogs, they don't health test and they are happy to provide pet shops and any body with the cash a puppy. I have nothing against the dogs themselves whatsover, I'd much rather rescue a mixed breed than pay thousands for one with a made up name though.

They can call it whatever they like, Maltipoo or Moodle or whatever, but it isn't a breed, it's a cross bred dog. Don't mean to spoil your happy day, but.... These so called "designer dogs" are bred by puppy farms in cramped (and sometimes so much worse) conditions or backyard breeders with no health testing (you are getting the potential genetic problems of both breeds) and I think you will find that most people on here will say the same thing. Puppy farms are in it for the money, they over breed dogs, keep them in tiny cages....I could go on, but I don't think this is the time or place. You have a crossbred dog, a poodle cross or a maltese cross, and I do hope she doesn't have any of the common health problems most of them come with. I'd be getting a vet check asap, and I really hope she is the right dog for you.

Theres some lovely older fluffers on Pet Rescue in Victoria, gorgeous faces. Sparrrow Also some lovely bonded couples, like Lucy Zoolander LINK Just be aware that most of the rescue/animal aid places do require a home check, a meet and greet, and it can take weeks.... and rightly so as they are rehoming a dog they have rescued and put time and effort into, and need to make sure they have the best home possible, for both the new owner and the dogs sake. Patience is the key here, what about volunteering at your local animal shelter to get some cuddles in the meantime?

Ohhh, look at his gorgeous little face, I'd want to smoosh him all up. Thistle and him playing bitey face, seriously cute!

Having had small/medium dogs for many many years, I'd absolutely love a Newfoundland, I used to have the pleasure of dog sitting one for a few weeks and some weekends a couple of times a year when her Mum went away for work, and she was just Also love Ridgebacks....not sure if I'll ever have either breed (all boils down to the cost as I'm on a limited income) but I can dream.

So sorry to hear this SM, it's never an easy decision is it, but he had a great few years with you being spoiled and loved. Run free over the bridge now boy

Sorry for your loss of the other dog ZM. I feed mine twice a day, and now she is getting old, I also give her a small snack right before bed with her dose of Golden Paste on it. I feed a slightly smaller breakfast too. If I am having sweet potatoes myself, I just steam them, so my dog gets a little bit, probably 1/2 a tablespoon, as I read that too much can cause stomach problems (runs etc) due to the fibre content.

Good point RP and Diva, yes, a vet check up as well to rule out anything, I should have mentioned that in my post, but my brain is in Easter madness/forgetfulness mode.

That's really worrying, and is escalating, I'd be getting a behavior consult and going from there, are you in Victoria? If you can give a general location, we can recommend a behaviorist to you, this isn't something that's going to go away and is obviously getting worse. Time to get an expert opinion and strategies to manage this before a dog really gets hurt. For now though, I'd definitely keep her away from other dogs.

@Cosmolo and @Nekhbet are excellent dog trainers and also members on here who come highly recommended. Underdog Training, and Inline K9 are the websites, I'll link them below. Underdog Inline K9 I've personally used Nekhbet (Inline K9) a few years ago with my Staffy, she came and did a home visit consult and we never looked back.

So this is the one with severe hip dysplasia and you are going overseas for 9 weeks in June? I'd be letting the Rescue (is it a good rescue?) find the best possible home for him, and his issues. Seeing a dog once he's been rehomed to another family isn't fair on the dog to be honest, he will recognise you and be stressed when you go.

If you want to shove the dog with your foot, speak to the council, they will know the bylaws. No guarantee that the dog won't react badly to being shoved either, it might just be a case of having your foot in the wrong place at the right time, as in re-directed aggression. No need to get stroppy with people trying to help you, sometimes it's easier to avoid the situation if it keeps happening, like a lot of other people (me included) would either report it or quite simply find a different place to walk their dog safely, even if that means driving 5 mins from home and then walking the dog. Much more enjoyable experience for both you and the dog, even though yes, you shouldn't have to.

Whether you want to hear it or not, the correct thing to do is to report the dog/owner to the council for lunging at your dog. Take a photo or video evidence if you have to, but I'd not be putting my dog in potential danger to do it that way. Let the council know how often this has happened. They can't act on something if no one has reported it. Personally, I wouldn't walk in the area if he seems to be around all the time and doesn't seem to care about his dog lunging at yours. Do you actually talk to the owner when it happens? Tell him that it's not acceptable behaviour? Is the dog lunging at yours in an aggressive manner or just being overly playful and the owner has no control? It seems really strange that you won't change your route, or cross the road when this dog is clearly not being controlled by its owner, it makes no sense. I know it's frustrating, but report the idiot owner and as a last resort, in the meantime carry a big stick and a water squirter and if it lunges at your dog again, give it a good blast with the squirter, and have the stick as back up. Not sure of the legality but if a dog was continually lunging at my dog, it'd get a foot up it's backside and the owner would get a mouthful as well.