Kelpiegal

Oh how I loathe the F&F in Kilsyth!! I can't count the amount of times I have heard their staff telling some person that the little scruffy (crossed with about 3 breeds) doesn't need much maintenance (grooming wise.) Oh & when they were trying to sell a border collie x lab, they were telling the potential buyer that it's exercise levels were low coz labs are very laid back!! I think I nearly spat my drink all over hubby that day!! I have to admit my local store knows me by sight as I continuously go in there to check how state of their poor animals. I shudder to think how many dead birds I've seen lying in the bottom of their avaries & not to mention the floating fish, just let to be picked away & fester in their water. I can't wait to see the day these sort of places go out of business. Sadly though I still think it'll be a long time coming.

Wow - a whole lot went on in here whilst I was gone!! I'm so sorry for not responding earlier, we had a death in the family so I haven't been around much. I have managed to get another pic of the lil cutie in discussion, so we'll see if this more front on pic can give us any more to go on. Ned:

Hubby & I have finally managed to get the time off to go to the Kelpie Muster up in Casterton, Vic this year. Apart from just a good chance to socialise with heaps of other people & their working dogs we are hoping it will be a fun filled weekend. I have booked our accommodation, which is thankfully dog friendly & now am counting down the months!! So is anyone else going this year? Have you been in years gone by? Would love to hear of other's experiences with this event.

I'll try & get another front on pic later today & post it up. From my understanding he is under the 18 month range in age. Not sure of exact age but definitely under that. The couple who have purchased him got him at a shelter in rural Victoria, so he hasn't come from Melbourne area. Definitely country area (Shepparton to be precise.) So far I believe he is fitting in extremely well & with some training should become a lovely forever pet for this couple.

My hubby is sure there is a bit of corgi in there but I'm not seeing it.... We figured ACD was a definite just not sure what else is in the mix.

Just wondering if anyone wants to give some thoughts on what breed (or breeds) this young man might be? My gf & her hubby have just taken him home from their local shelter but the shelter didn't give much info on what breed he was.

Thanks everyone. I popped around & had a quick visit this afternoon & although she is very gingerly moving about she's held up remarkably well for her age. Now I just have nurse gf through the vet bill!! Although in all honesty she would have paid whatever it took but quite a few free meals at my place will be taken up I think.....

Sorry guys couldn't get on the computer earlier much to update. She is now home & recovering ok. Once in surgery they found a knuckle type bone obstructing the bowel. Luckily it was removed with no major drama & hasn't seemed to have left any damage. They stitched her up & my gf got a quiet visit last night as she was slowing coming around. It was decided today that if she kept quiet & was eating the food offered by the vets that she may be allowed to go home. She apparently gobbled everything they gave her & drank a good healthy amount of water & was very content to sleep & not try & be active. She got picked up earlier this evening & has gone home. I didn't stop in & see her tonight as I think excitement from a visitor was the last thing she's need. My gf has said she is mainly just lying about & snoozing. She is moving very gingerly but has a big zipper of stitches up her belly so no surprise there. Overall the vet said they thought she was in good condition & will just see her in a week or two just to check & see that her recovery is coming along as expected. So she's been a very lucky girl I think. Gf has told her work that she'll work from home for the rest of the week to keep an eye on her, so that won't hurt either. Thanks everyone for the advice & well wishes. Gf & I both slept better last night knowing her girl was on her way to recovery.

I honestly think you would adapt to a wagon fairly quickly, they are easy enough to drive I find. It really is personal preference when it comes to a model so I would get out & look at all models in your budget & get a good look at their roominess & comfort to drive etc. Also if going for a 6 cylinder see if you can find something on LPG or can be converted. A lot of places offer conversions at reasonable prices these days & overall they do save on your fuel budgets. Not sure of your dog's age but I know my gf had a custom made ramp built for her older dog to walk up to access her car. Being a 35kg+ dog she can no longer lift her easily on her own. She paid around $200 for the ramp & for dogs that need more help with access to cars the ramp seems ideal. It easily slides down behind her seats too. Good luck with your search for your new wheels.

Addorable looking puppy & I hope he fits in well with your current family.

Jeez I'm not a nervous person by nature but that would have me on edge a bit. Not knowing the GSD at all & having it approach with no idea of how it'd react would have been very unnerving for you. Luckily in this case he sounds like a young possibly naughty GSD whose finding someway out of his yard. Luckily also he was well behaved & didn't show signs of aggression towards you & your dog. It's an assumption but if he has had some basic training I'd assume maybe his owners care about him (why bother to train him otherwise) rather than just letting him roam coz they don't care. I know I'd appreciate knowing if one of my girls was out wandering the streets. As for the young guy - well I'm a bit jaded these days. Sadly it often seems people are happy to give smart remarks & sneer at you but not lift a finger to help anyone. Try & forget him, he obviously isn't worth your time stressing over.

My sentiments exactly. I've been around horses all my life & know that a lot of that behaviour will not be tolerated by a horse/pony. This dog needs to learn boundaries when it comes to herding. Otherwise it is likely this won't be the last accident.

Yep, all paws & feathers are crossed here atm. Her vet asked her to lose a couple of kgs a few months back just to help her in the battle with aging & with some changes to her diet she has come down to an ideal weight. She has everything going for her to pull through so long as the obstruction isn't too bad. She's an older dog but she's a spirited old girl so am hoping she'll recover well if she makes it. Her fur-mum will make sure she gets well looked after if she comes out of it. She can work from home if she needs to which is ideal so she can be there to keep an eye on her.

She got a call earlier & the vets were talking of it most likely being a bowel obstruction. Nothing major showed on xrays but they are going in for surgery this afternoon & will go from there. Hopefully it will be something relatively easy to remove & she won't have to have any of her bowel removed. At her last general check up her health apart from the usual aging issues was reasonable so I am confident she can get through the surgery if it all goes to plan.

I haven't been through it personally as we don't have kids but I helped my sister & her family adapt when they got their first dog. Organisation & patience are key but you sound like you'll do fine. A gf of mine has the nuttiest lab you'd ever lay eyes on but when kids are around him he clicks & just becomes the most gentle, sweetest dog. I honestly think they do instinctively know when precious cargo is around. Personally I love watching the relationship grow when a youngster & a dog are put together, they often grow up to be the greatest of friends.

Hope your dogs are ok. My bet would be the white pages too if you know their surname, you obviously know their address!

Good on the Dr Phil show for bringing this subject to light. The more attention it gets hopefully the more people will become more aware. Harrowing to watch but worth it to see that against all the horrid people there are out there, there are others fighting for animals & their rights. The Rescue Ink guys were amazing & I will be checking out their website to hear more about them. Personally I'd love a few quiet minutes alone in an elevator with that guy they showed!! Gutless arsehole, wonder how he'd like it if I kicked the shit out of him?!

I agree that toilet training is often easier to do if the pup sleeps inside but that's irrelevant as you are choosing to have your pup sleep outside. My dogs both sleep outside at night & we found encouraging through play & walks on our grassed area before bedtime helped them to learn this is where we ideally wanted them to toilet. It does take time for them to learn but with encouragement & not punishing if messes are left in other areas you should find your pup will pick it up. On the debate of outside v inside sleeping - really whatever works for the owners is best. Not all situations are suited for all so we each need to adapt to fit our own needs. We are in a Western Red Cedar home on stilts so my dogs have a very warm "under house" area to sleep & it is well protected from the elements & any potential dangers.

This was something that came to mind for me too. The pair of us just about 2 weeks ago were watching SPCA Houston on Foxtel & they found a dog starved to death in a backyard. The autopsy revealed that the dog had eaten a full corn of cob & it got caught & obstructed the passageways. The poor dog having not being given vet attention passed away. I spose at least although nasty business a bowel obstruction is something I believe is usually treatable.

A very close gf of mine has an 11yr old female labrador. Over the last 4 to 5 days she hasn't consumed any food at all but has been drinking small amounts of water. My gf has become distressed & on Saturday took her into the vet to try & get some answers. She had tried a variety of foods at home to encourage back her dog's appetite but nothing had worked. The vets decided to do a full set of blood tests on her. The results came back saying she was a little dehydrated but apart from that no abnormalities were showing up. The vets advised she take her dog home & keep monitoring her further. At the vets they also tried to entice her with liver treats (which she normally loves) but she showed no interest in those either. She hasn't been throwing up or had any unusual bowel movements (diorrhea etc), the only signs being given of anything unusual are the loss of appetite & my gf said she has been a bit grumbly when being touched on the body. She has also been a bit more lethargic too & is basically lying around a lot with minimal activity. Today she went back to the vets again & they are performing an ultrasound so my gf is anxiously awaiting what they will find from this. We have discussed it a bit & I have been trying to keep her hopes up but she is becoming increasingly worried that her dog's end may be near. The vets also told her when she dropped her off for the ultrasound this morning that she does have to start thinking of the possibilities if the results of the ultrasound are not good. So I know there isn't much we can do but I spose I was just wanting thoughts to see if anyone had any ideas what might be going on with this dog? Obviously I am praying for a positive outcome as she is such a lovely, loyal dog & my gf will be devastated if she loses her. I know in the last 12 or so months she has faced the issues of arthritis & a few minor aging problems but the reality of how much longer her dog has left is now becoming much more real to her which is very sad to watch. Her other dog too (another labrador) is also not his usual self, he obviously is working out that something isn't right. So any thoughts would be appreciated. I know we cannot diagnose online & I don't expect that, rather I was just hoping to run out a checklist in my mind of what may be going on.

Thanks for all the replies so far. Aziah this would be early - mid 70's as I was only a toddler, probably leaning towards early 70's. Very possible that she could have been a mixed breed. We don't have many pics of her, there is one where she is out by the pool with our BC, sitting with my Nan & Pop. The pic is somewhere in Mum's storage atm as they just moved house 2 weeks ago. I may have to try & find that pic & see if it can help.

I didn't think she was terribly fat but I'll ask my Dad, his memory of her would be more clear than mine. She did have a very thick coat though, I do remember that much. Sadly her tail was docked. I remember this distinctly. Kelly was abused by a bunch of disabled kids (from the Kew Cottages in Melb.) They tied her up by the tail & dragged her through the park, teasing her. Someone found her & took her into the local vet who then cared for her til she was ready to be rehomed. Sadly though her tail was beyond repair though. The vet knew my Nan & Pop had lost their previous dog (an Aust. Terrier) a few months prior & offered Kelly to them as he felt she'd need a very specific home considering her traumatic past.

Firstly, sorry that the photo is in poor condition, this photo is a scanned copy & is quite an old picture. I've made it the best I could. This is Kelly, she was Nan & Pop's faithful companion throughout my childhood. I know she is a Corgi but I don't know what type? I'm quite keen to find out, for curiosity sake but also my hubby & I were talking to friends about small dogs (we have 2 kelpies atm) & I remembered Kelly. Not knowing what she is got me intrigued about her breed history. If anyone can tell me what type of Corgi she might be I would be very interested to know...... TIA.

Hey Kavik, We have tried a variety of ways to try & get it right. I have never been one to believe sending dogs away would be good I spose I've just found myself running out of ideas. When we go for our walks, which we do daily we walk together but as Shelby is a lot faster, whereas Jazz is happier to walk at an easier pace, Jazz & I often end up walking quite a bit further behind my hubby & Shelby. We then allow the dogs play time together in the park where they can run around & stretch out. Over time, hubby has often walked Shelby or Jazz & vice versa as we both want the dogs to respond to the both of us. In training for the most part I have taken Jazz as we felt the consistency with her having one handler at a time would be better. Hubby has taken other classes so we could keep the dogs away from each other & also due to Shelby advancing further than Jazz. Tbh I don't know much about clickers or how they work & I have never heard of spitting (but am open to anything) so those options haven't been explored yet. Like I said I am willing to try new methods as the old ways obviously are not working. Hey Cosmolo, Just to clarify Jazz will use avoidance outside the home as well, if she thinks she's in trouble. For the most part her recall is great, but if she thinks she is in trouble she'll avoid & I have to really coax her to get her to come back. Away from the home, she'll still try it but she just doesn't have that immediate hiding place like under the house to access. I do agree about possibly some of the issues coming back once she is back home. Again part of why I am seeking out opinions as I want to resolve this but have been a bit unsure about Alpha's methods. If you can recommend someone to us I would be happy to get someone to our home to take a look at the dogs in their environment or alternatively to take them to see someone & see what happens. I love both my dogs & just want them to be happy & to feel safe & secure.

Firstly thanks to the responses so far. My dogs are both kelpie x's - Shelby (pic in my avatar) is 6.5 yrs old desexed female & Jazz is approx 5.8 yrs desexd female. As far as training goes - both have basic training of doing sit, drop, stay etc & both are very good at off leash recall. Being kelpies Shelby especially is extremely eager to please & is very motivated by toys, moreso than food. Jazz is the one we seem to be having more problems with at the moment. I have found with her that she doesn't listen when given instruction, she follows Shelby's lead or will run straight under our house (we have a timber home so the dogs can access the under house area.) Shelby has always been the alpha dog between the 2 of them although neither shows any sign of being overly dominant. Shelby was also with us prior to us getting Jazz. The only time Jazz does show reaction to Shelby is when playing fetch she will often get right behind Shelby & bark at her & she will also now involve herself in the run of the chase for a toy but never actually goes for the toy itself, just seems to want to be in the run part of it. At obedience training I kept being told that I needed to get my dog's attention on me, but everything I tried (apart from dangling food) didn't work & Jazz would either look around at everything else or just ignore me. If I got overly exited in trying to get her attention she'd then usually break from the position she was supposed to be in. Getting her to look me in the eye, even at home, is very difficult, she really seems reluctant to do this. At home if getting in trouble she will shy her head away even if she is at a distance from us. She will then also take any opportunity to run under the house & it is nearly impossible to recall her, as she just keeps going & ignores commands she normally responds to (like recall.) She will also respond even if we address Shelby, such as if Shelby has been naughty she may be told to go to her kennel & Jazz will follow unless you hold her back physically. This can happen even when Jazz is far away on the other side of the yard, she'll still do it. We originally got Jazz from Lort Smith after seeing her as a stray, we waited & she became available for adoption & home with us she came. When we got her she would have been approx. 1 yr old. She'd been desexed & had no major health issues & still now maintains good health. The only things that did stand to notice to us were - she was quite underweight (had been on the streets a good week or so), very playful & loving, scoffed her food down in record time (still does) & we also noticed that when you went to pat her on the head you could almost see her cower down, we believe she may have been hit or possibly worse in her old home as she did show signs of fear when a hand was near the top of her head. Really now I just want Jazz to be a bit more independent of Shelby when she's told & I'd love to get her to learn to pay more attention to us. I would love to put both of my dogs through possible further adventures such as flyball &/or agility, as I think both have what it takes, but want to resolve these issues first, especially as for Jazz it seems to be holding her back. Anyway, I hope that some of this info helps explain more my problem & I would love further advice. Am I facing an uphill battle with my dog or is this sort of problem quite a normal one?