PossumCorner

Thanks Tempus. Paywall yes but google overcame that. So unspeakably angry. Best vet I have ever ever attended, bar none. And totally appalled at their endless vindictive mean spirited vendetta that still goes on through jealousy and spite.

There's probably an element of that in the numbers of oldies surrendered, but I think @Powerlegs words "hardship, social and economic issues." is biting harder than we would like (comment mostly deleted as political).

She sure is stellnme. Keep the photos coming LFF.

Agreed, plus grooming cost becomes an issue for older people with rising medical etc cost of their own. The other biggie for me would be weight - preferably a smooth coat and well under 10 kg - because comes the day the dog has to be assisted with standing or getting up steps or into a car. it's not possible for a maybe slightly fitness-challenged owner to lift a 15kg++ dog. Dol dog Justice for example. Big dogs can be suitably kind and gentle, but fact has to be faced they are difficult for aged/infirm owners when a small light dog is more than manageable to care for. I'm over 80 and like the idea of a Dally or a Dobe again. But commonsense tells me a Jack Russel or Basenji would be better choices.

@WanaHavaneseit's not the yodel it's the temperament. Lovely for many, bloody minded to the max for others, some strains super destructive. Ancient breed, less developed obedience genes, more problem-solving and decision making, agile climbers, great hunters. My favourite dog but sometimes not for the slowing down owner.

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Bush areas not totally safe for wild life either. https://www.goldfieldsguide.com.au/blog/30/dangers-of-mine-shafts-in-the-victorian-goldfields

He looks so sweet there, deceptive little mind waiting for the moment.

Doesn't matter about the horse's colour, journalist probably just asked for a handful of photos and picked the ones that fitted the alloted page/column space best. Just an example of you can never believe what you read in the papers (or news internet). Edit/delete.

Yes, just thought we haven't had a Clive fix for a while.

Oooh, bit wary on the darkening for cream. I know it did give a liver chestnut horse a really rich iridescent sort of shine, but he was dark-coated already. I'd be more worried about marbling on a cream coat - like feeding a lot of pumpkin to creamy/palomino ponies. Yes it's good feed value for coats, gives them a richer gold, but also dark 'smutty' patches so that's a warning bell. (I still give my current palomino pony lots of pumpkin, but I don't show or breed, and she is dappled anyway).

I thought 'teaspoon' and this must go back to when I used it for ponies, and gave some to the dogs because it was there, and that was the amount they got - must have been a reason but can't recall. Must be over 20 years ago, so product may also have changed - you'd think they would be more accurate with the tables. Why are you considering it Kirislin - recommendation or trying it out for general coat/health benefits?

Lovely! Yes, photos and puppy news welcome @denali. No advice, - only obedience club if any near you, and accept it can all to go to pot if a bird flies across your path. Same Anne - two new dolpups to compare notes and progress! Is good.

Back in 1940s-50s many owners never vaccinated or wormed their dogs, even lucky to get to a vet if injured. General belief was that dogs and cats eat grass as a natural wormer, and that it is a sign they have worms. (Think that has been disproved, and the only true reason is that they like it).

What Sandy said.

Oh yeah, 'shock/shocked' used to mean in real trauma shock or total horror. Now it just means very mild surprise. How did that happen? 'Things' get hijacked also, and given meanings that take away their normal place - rainbows, daffodils, our flag, black dogs. Symbol hijacking can be as bad as word-theft. I'm okay with doctor for some vets - anyone who has earned a doctorate has the right, doctor of philosophy or whatever. Station break, fellow on ABC just criticising taxpayers' money being spent on dog parks - took his dog for a run this morning at no cost. There will be a cost if it get attacked by some mindless owner's semi-stray dog aggressive animals. Dog parks with good add-on facilities - including gated fields where little dogs can run in safety and then big dogs can run without owner stressing about a small fluffy initiating LD/BD outcomes - these are not a waste of money they are as much a community social need as footy fields and tennis courts. (I still reserve the right to call Rheneas what I like without fear of making him into something other than the wonderful dog he is).

I didn't much like the finger-wagging desk-thumping or whatever in the OP's opinion piece extract. But it didn't mention terminology, just gave over-feeding and poor exercise/lack of discipline a bit of a spray. It's just as valid to criticise situations where dogs are over-worked, under-fed and poorly housed. Does happen. On the baby talk or fur baby thing, I don't. (Well maybe the sheep now and then, because so many lead a less than happy life in this country, with an unlovely end). I'm anti-PETA with their stupid beliefs along with many airy fairy AR people who say we don't own animals, we are their guardians. More slightly nutter terminology. But I don't think it's right to dictate how people should or shouldn't speak to and with and about their animals: whatever works best between the owner's and animal's personality is good.

It's clearer that it started earlier in the race when looking at the stills - a dog went through the 'fence' from its lane - so the two ended up in the same catch-patch.

So - early days yet @asal, we can only hope. @tdierikxgood work - be careful of open lines, you don't know who is a member of what as far as readership here goes. Fine line between transparency and playing your cards close.

Yes, interesting topic. Should not be much argument against it - because it is for and about the dogs. All the anti-BSL ranting a few years ago was because the ego of the owners was being challenged (whatever their claims). Massive difference.

My old vet, long since retired, fed his own dogs only Pal tinned dog food. (His surgery stocked every known dog food, all the high end kibbles and supplements). He said more or less what @tdierikxhas said above but more pointed: that high end dog food is driven by the conglomerates to entice the better heeled or the more gullible or both. He was a bit straight from the shoulder and a top vet - large and exotics as well as dogs, cats.

Not having the last word, but for absolute air-tight, trawl op-shops for some old Fowlers Vacola bottles with lid, clip and rubber ring (the lids etc can also be picked up new at most hardware stores (except Bunnings I think). I was just given some of the rarer-numbered bottles, they still have the preserved apricots in them, probably 30 years old - although I'll be de-lidding and decanting them with a mask on just a bit south of the compost heap before doing a super-sterile job on the bottles.

Rort is indeed the word. @tdierikxa local case here recently mirrored exactly the one you describe. I haven't mentioned it because I'm close to parties and don't want the searchlight to suddenly swing and focus on me. They also rule by fear. On the prevention/punishment arguments - I don't think there can be prevention without punishment being a part of it. Because you can give people all the advice and education in the world, and if they are not aware that if they do wrong there are consequences of fines they will still go ahead and do wrong because it's cheaper or easier or they don't give a damn. Education is useless without some kind of enforcement. Aside from that, I loathe they way they operate, and pretty much also the governments various that do nothing about it - because it's cheaper and easier and they don't give a damn either.

I guess every pound and council suits itself. There was a shocker case in Vic where a bull terrier was euthed on day 1, and the owner tried for a long time with legal action but was just stone-walled. Then there were the ones who went to the sales pen and new ownership then the original owner turned up and wanted their dog back (forget the details of why they didn't find dog earlier, not doing blame and finger pointing here, just how things can go pear shaped). Between council rules and social media cowboys there is probably a lot of grey area without absolute right or wrong, both can have a best and worst outcome.

Circumstances vary - 20 yrs ago I took lost dogs to the RSPCA (who were also the pound-kennels for a couple of councils). Then I found out about the short time with no advertising involved for the large square headed dogs, and unofficial policy was a reduced time before euth. (A lot of us were naive about the RS years ago). When Piper and Frodo tunneled out and did a runner they were picked up and dropped at a vet 20km away. We were called to pick them up from a different pound, the cost was something like $300 for pound fees, plus a separate $300 bill in the mail from Council for having "dogs at large". Grateful all round, but it was an expensive exercise. In country towns in Vic the facebook system works well, a photo, word of mouth by phone or fb, dogs reunited. Vet can still check for microchip without having to involve the pound and/or council. I think it's a good system, balanced against changing staff at a pound who don't know a kelpie from a staghound or what has come in before their shift, and often people ring a pound about their dog and are told it's not there when in fact it is. Not a great system in some cases.