Sheridan

I prefer docked tails on my breeds. Love the wiggy wag tails of them but people keep bringing up the injury thing without showing how many injuries there have been in traditionally docked breeds since the ban. If there were so many of them in my breeds, I'd have heard about it, particularly since the ban in Australia is fairly recent compared to Europe so if there were loads of injuries to wheatens and kerries, it would be all over the lists and I don't recall a single case. I don't think there is a 'right' to do anything to an animal, by the way. There is commonsense but it's little applied. If it's done correctly and early, by someone who knows what they're doing, then I don't believe any harm comes to the dog.

She sounds like a grand lady. Hugs to you, Gayle.

And he said this despite the evidence to the contrary.

There's been how many litters born since tail docking?

I've asked this before and received little response. How many dogs, previously docked in their breed, have had injuries to their tails since docking has been banned? One, two, many? Without numbers to prove that large numbers of dogs previously docked now have tail injuries, the argument 'they break their tails' is meaningless to the people who count: the lawmakers. We have two litters with full tails. 1. 5 puppies - 3 have broken tips and 1 has broken tip and constant damage further down the tail - this is cut, bruised, swollen and most of the hair is permanently off that part of her tail - she will not let you touch it most of the time and it does cause her pain often. They are 7 months 2. 10 puppies - 2 have broken tips and 1 has damage further down the tail - they are 3 months. There is a register / website being put together so that there is a central point for all damage data to be collated and this will be used to lobby governments to reverse this law. But when we have people who are dead against it being changed from within the dog world we have no hope really. These people have to realise that when their breed is attacked by the RSPCA for whatever different characteristic it has (which makes it the breed in most cases) they won't have any support either because we just won't be around. And what are the numbers so far? In comparison.

Vivitonin (sp?) is an anti-dementia drug which may help. It didn't for Grumpy and given his idiosyncratic response to some drugs I'm hesitant about trying anything else.

Idea already stated. Twitter. Given how much social media has been used in the Qld floods I don't know why DOLers seem so adverse to using it.

Best way to get word out, put it over Twitter with a hashtag of #vicfloods.

No, you're not being paranoid at all. Grumpy has dementia, which means he will suddenly turn and have a go for no reason, even if it's something I've been doing for ages. He stands looking confused; he wants attention and then when he gets it, will sometimes get grumpy about it. In the main, he's become far more stubborn and set in his ways. He used to love surprises and doesn't now. His eyesight is fading, which also doesn't help. He's not at the bumping into things stage but he doesn't like having hands down near his face. He'll be 15 on Saturday and is still physically healthy.

I've asked this before and received little response. How many dogs, previously docked in their breed, have had injuries to their tails since docking has been banned? One, two, many? Without numbers to prove that large numbers of dogs previously docked now have tail injuries, the argument 'they break their tails' is meaningless to the people who count: the lawmakers.

I don't dress up my dogs. They're dogs not dolls.

He doesn't care that his dog gets out. Wish I had a copy of the letter to post and the article that accompanied it. It was jawdropping.

From the Canberra Times: Rest of the story ... There was a letter from Dingo's owner in the Canberra Times on Sunday (which I don't have a copy of and it isn't on the website) but basically, the guy slammed the reporter for taking his dog to the vet, one of those, 'She'll be right, mate, my dog's okay,' types for whom I have no sympathy. He lets his run around and doesn't care. My suggestion to anyone in the northern suburbs who comes across Dingo running free is to take him to DAS so his owner's hip pocket can learn the value of keeping his dog secure.

In Ireland, the terriers were farms animals as well but were also inside dogs. The kerry, for instance, was also a spit turner and both my kerries were fireside-sitting dogs, reflecting that heritage. I'm forever telling Mini during winter that burnt kerry isn't a nice smell.

I think mine would give me the 'look' if I said they had to stay outside. Bugger that, they'd say.

They look a bit fragile to me.

Nice and high colourbond ... Set the base in concrete. If it works for a wheaten and a kerry, it'll work for an irish terrier.

Separate them. Have a cat zone and a dog zone.

The perils of social media. She should put a msg on her phone saying the dogs are safe. I tweeted that help wasn't necessary anymore and that's been retweeted but the first one went viral so it will take a while to catch up. If anyone is on the Qld Flood animals FB site, can you post there?

Can this be confirmed? Because it's still being retweeted and it would be good to stop that so Sharon isn't bothered by the calls.

Posted on Twitter, Facebook and to Qld Flood Pet Options.

Posted on Twitter with #qldfloods hashtag

Here in Victoria we have a lure coursing area at KCC Park and it is advertised on the Dogs Victoria website. At a wheaten picnic one year we were at KCC Park and had a go at lure coursing. My boy won. He was bloody fast, too.

Wheatens and kerries, farmyards, covered in mud = conformation.

Ditto. Hereditary conditions in wheatens wouldn't show up on a vet exam. Both my wheatens pedigrees are 'littered' with pedigrees champion dogs listed on the open register of affected dogs as sire, dam, littermate of a dog that has died of a hereditary disease. A vet exam is meaningless.