sandgrubber

This suggests a great form of civil disobedience. Everyone, call in a Labrador, call in a greyhound, call in a JRT, call in a boxer, call in a papered SBT or two, call in anything that can't possibly be identified as a pit bull. Keep them flooded with calls and make it clear that the 'standard' is a farce.

Juvenile behaviour seems to be a hallmark of Australian govetnment as a whole. Unlike the US, where we have fully mature raving loonies carrying guns.

The document Steve refers to states: "In reality, unenforceable ordinances unite responsible pet owners, irresponsible pet owners and non pet owners in their opposi- tion to animal control." Unfortunately, I don't think this is true. I live in a California county that has breeder registration (which requires an annual letter from the vet and $70 for each dog) and mandatory spey/neuter for dogs not covered by non-neutered certificates. The program has been in place for a few decades. It includes very generous subsidies for spay/neuter for those with lower incomes. (It'll cost me $40 to do either a spay or neuter). The document is correct about some things . . . most people just don't bother to register their dogs, and there's little money for enforcement. [Also no upsurgence in rabies]. People are so upset about other things (like high unemployment, high foreclosure rates, vicious humans, drugs . . . and on and on) that there's no, underline no, visible opposition to animal control. We have the usual problems with dogs that bark all night, occasional vicious dogs attacking other dogs or people, and wandering dogs that get killed by cars and/or become a nuisance. These dogs tend to end up in shelters, which make an effort to return them to their families or rehome them, but many/most get pts. Sure, people are upset when they get a $200 fine for not registering their animals. But they are alone in their upset, not part of any organised resistance.

So teach them to stop at a distance from you to get their fist full of treats. Or gradually substitute a clicker for the treats :D

For those who say X-breeds are not bred for a purpose, there are some X-breeds that are purpose bred. For example, a segment of the protection dog business is working to beef up the mastiff. Do some web search on bandog or bandogge and you'll come up with some breeders who do lots of genetic testing, select their dogs carefully, and some are making heaps of money doing so. This outfit, for example, is a multinational kennel that does testing up the yin-yang, charges high prices, and exports all over the world: http://www.oldbulldo...outbulldogs.php http://www.oldbulldo...-guarantee1.php I don't think Ken and Barbie will be getting one of these, though. Btw, does anyone know what an Australian bandog mastiff is? Are they already capitalising on creating dogs that will pass the Vic regulations and have even greater macho appeal than the APBT?

It's more complicated than that. Several US states still permit very large, extremely capitalistic puppy farms, some of whom breed AKC registered dogs. They are working to regulate, but recent measures don't go much further than requiring veterinary care, modest standards of care, and not keeping dogs in stacked wire cages with wire bottoms. The level of abuse is clear in that recent advances have outlawed practices such as DIY ceasarian sections and debarking operations. Recent laws in PA only apply to establishments with 50+ dogs. There are other states that forbid selling live animals in petstores and some counties in California have mandatory desexing for all except breeders who have registered (and paid) to keep unaltered animals . . . so it's not uniform.

"Q – Who is pursuing this Pit Bull witch - hunt with such gusto? What is there to gain from this by those wanting to restrict and potentially eradicate Pit Bulls in Australia? A - Private contractors who supply rangers to seize the dogs and pounds to hold them while owners fight in the courts." Any indication this is true? The figures that follow are all from the UK. As someone who has thoughts of returning to Oz, I find it distressing that the DOL community is paying little attention to this issue with less than a week to go before the 30 Sept. deadline.

Guilt trips are not a good way to change behaviour. I'd say building a link between grumpy and pain, based on human analogies, might lead to people owning the notion that their dog is in pain, rather than reacting to it as an unwanted obligation someone was trying to foist off on them.

Just heard a fascinating and moving radio interview with the author of a book about Rin-Tin-Tin. Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/09/24/140746523/rin-tin-tin-from-battlefield-to-hollywood-a-story-of-friendship Here's a short extract from the web page. The full interview can be downloaded from the above link Author Susan Orlean's new book, Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend, traces the history of Duncan and "Rinty," as Duncan called him, exploring both the career of a very famous dog and the relationship he shared with the owner who both adored him as a pet and turned him into a very profitable business. On Weekend Edition Saturday, Orlean talks to Scott Simon about some of what she discovered in researching this unusual partnership between a man and his dog. It wasn't a coincidence, she says, that Duncan was the one to rescue a pup who had no one; he had spent five years in an orphanage himself as a child. Even when the same mother who had left him there came back to get him, she took him to live with her parents on an isolated property with no other kids around. He did, however, get a dog. So perhaps it's no surprise that later, on the field of battle, surrounded by the death of the war, Duncan once again got a dog. [He found Rin-Tin-Tin as a pup, coming from a destroyed kennel, wandering on a WWI battlefield]. The original Rin Tin Tin was born in 1918 and died in 1932. And not just any dog, Orlean argues, but an actor — one who, in the silent era where no one could speak, was on par with human actors. She uses Clash Of The Wolves — the film Scott Simon calls "his Hamlet" — to point out that in addition to being a fine action star and athlete, Rin Tin Tin had a face that was "immensely expressive." The film required Rinty to play scenes in which his character, if it can be called that, believes himself to be leaving his pack to die. "You're really affected by the look on his face and his performance," she says.

I've never owned a dog that didn't know 'dinnertime' and most are pretty cluey on 'time to get up' when you live by a regular schedule. They have a diurnal clock. I don't think the sense of time extends to understanding weeks or years. Eg, when you leave a dog in a kennel, I don't think they count the days you've been gone, and I think a two day separation is pretty much as traumatic as a two month separation for most dogs. Of course, if they like the kennel you take them, it's you feeling the separation anxiety, not them.

"Of greatest concern, Dr Webster said, are owners' perceptions of what happens to their pets as they age. The survey found 57 per cent of dog owners and just under half of cat owners thought their pets became grumpier as they aged." I'm getting grumpier as I age . . . and part of it is cause I hurt. I think the owners got it right. The surveyor just didn't ask the right question.

Additionally, some of us, like me, are tactless. Sorry about that. I think people are kinda saying the same things in different ways, with different emphasis, and you are headed in the right direction. Advance Puppy is fine. lk;;kl Calcium in whole foods is good and safe because the dog will just pass it if she gets to much (hence the hard white turds of dogs on BARF diets) . . . while calcium supplements at the last minute can cause problems. I don't think anyone would object to the sorts of things you're thinking about . . . and most would agree that you're better off with meat than includes bone. Many dogs are lactose intolerant, so milk can upset tummies . . . but yoghurt, cottage cheese, etc. are fine. I've heard that goat milk is better tolerated than cow milk. I used to make yoghurt from powdered milk by the liter rather than buying the expensive stuff from the supermarket. Best to build up reserves gradually . . . by feeding a healthy diet, whatever that is, in the months leading into the pregnancy. And don't be surprised if she starts having trouble eating toward the end. Sometimes puppies don't leave much room for food in the stomach. "Whenever I see someone trying to help me, I run for my life" (Mark Twain) . . . you're in good company if you feel like running away . . . but it's not necessary.

Guess I risk being called an animal rights-ist for posting this . . . but think it will be an informative show. The trailer suggests there are lots of interviews, including interviews with puppy farmers . . . lots of inside shots. HBO movie follows woman who rescued thousands of dogs from puppy mills August 18, 2011 by Robert Pregulman A week from today, HBO will show a movie about a woman named Laura, a New York woman who "has devoted the last several years to rescuing breeding dogs who are no longer of value to the many Amish and Mennonite puppy millers in Lancaster County, Penn." The movie, called "Madonna of the Mills", will follow Laura as she saved thousands of dogs "who otherwise would have most likely been discarded or killed when their breeding days were over." Looks like it will be a fantastic film. For more information go to the movie's Facebook page. p.s. The problem of puppy farming is much worse in the US than in Oz. I think there's some 'imitate the USA' stuff going on with the current Australian movement. It should be grounded by appreciation of how large the problem is in the US.

Regarding the Amish puppy farm discussed in Nic's link June 11, 2010 4:35 PM New Pa. Law Putting Puppy Mills out of Business By CBSNews (AP) Daniel Peachey's breeding dogs used to stand on wire flooring all day, cooped up in cages that provided no regular access to the outdoors. No more. Peachey recently spent more than $20,000 on upgrades at his Stone Mountain Kennel, outside of State College, to meet stringent new health and safety standards that state officials say have gone a long way toward ending Pennsylvania's reputation as the puppy mill capital of the East. While breeders like Peachey have found themselves shelling out tens of thousands of dollars to comply with the strictest kennel law in the nation, scores of substandard commercial kennels have opted to close instead - freeing a minimum of 14,000 dogs from bleak surroundings where they typically received little attention or care. The state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement is wagging its tail about the results, declaring Friday in its annual report to the Legislature that Pennsylvania has become a "model state" for its oversight of commercial breeders. "I think if people care about their dogs and want to remain in business, they are doing what's needed to comply with the law," Jessie Smith, the state's top dog-law enforcer, told The Associated Press this week during a tour of Peachey's kennel. Pennsylvania had long been known as a breeding ground for puppy mills when Gov. Ed Rendell signed off on an overhaul of the dog law in 2008. The legislation was a response to appalling conditions in many large commercial breeding kennels, where dogs spent most of their working lives inside cramped wire cages, stacked one atop the other, and got little grooming, veterinary care or exercise. Key provisions that went into effect in October required large-scale breeders to double cage sizes, eliminate wire flooring, and provide unfettered access to the outdoors. The new law also banned cage stacking, instituted twice-a-year vet checks, and mandated new ventilation and cleanliness standards. Many breeders have closed voluntarily rather than comply. The number of commercial kennels in Pennsylvania plummeted from 303 at the beginning of 2009 to 111 today - a reduction of almost two-thirds - although a few of them are expected to reopen after making renovations, while other kennels got rid of enough dogs so that they are no longer classified as commercial operations. Thousands of former breeding dogs have been relinquished to shelters and placed in homes as pets. Dogs have also been sold or transferred to other kennel owners in and out of state. "It's much more difficult now to run a puppy mill in Pennsylvania," said Sarah Speed, Pennsylvania state director of The Humane Society of the United States. "I think the puppy mill business in Pennsylvania is absolutely on its way out." Peachey, 43, an Amishman who lives with his wife and seven children on a three-acre spread in Belleville, said he thought long and hard about whether he wanted to remain in the business of breeding and selling Yorkshire and Boston terriers, Maltese, and "morkies" (a trendy Yorkie-Maltese mix). He had always run a clean kennel, meeting and sometimes exceeding existing standards and taking good care of his dogs, according to state dog warden Melissa Bair, who has inspected the facility for years. But even Peachey's operation required substantial upgrades to comply with the new regulations, including outdoor runs and new indoor enclosures. In the end, it was a matter of economics. Peachey, who had paid more than $50,000 for a new kennel building in 2003, thought it made more sense to spend another $20,000 to bring the kennel up to code than to abandon it and lose his original investment. "I really didn't think I had a choice," he said. There's an interesting review of US puppy mill laws at law.psu.edu/_file/aglaw/PA_Dog_Law_Noemi_Lopez.pdf The author is strongly anti-puppy mill, but her work is solidly researched and provides some interesting perspective.

I think that's a reference to the latest chocolate craze, which has produced a lot of badly bred dogs, but has also stimulated the import of some excellent chocolates and is gradually producing some lovely dogs. It also produces a lot of acrimony, because many breeders put a premium on price for chocolate dogs. Others come back with accusations of putting colour and $ above quality.. . which is sometimes true. The same thing happened with yellow Labs half a century ago (more?). Australian show circles have historically discriminated against chocolates and many breeders avoided them. The public has taken a liking to the colour. There has been a major increase in chocos taking titles in recent years . . . including BIS at the NZ Golden Jubilee specialty show. Give it another 20 years and chocolate in Australia will be just another colour, as it is in the US or UK. Many breeders will probably continue to go either the chocolate + black or the yellow + black route in effort to avoid the ugly lack of colouration you sometimes get by mixing choco and yellow. Note, if breeders were truly colour blind, the vast majority of Labradors would be black. Black is genetically dominant and there were far more blacks than yellows or chocos when the stud books closed. The fact that there are at least as many yellows as blacks is strong evidence that popular colour preferences have affected breeders colour decision for many generations. The next controversy will probably be about 'white' Labradors. There are a number of US breeders producing whites that appear to get their colour from the same colour chromosomes that produce white in the Westie. No tint of yellow, very black noses. These dogs are accepted in the ring as 'yellow' and some people seek them out.

I wonder why we don't have a vaccination against snake bites? Apparently they do in the US against Rattle Snakes - or is someone just having a lend of me We've had three dogs bitten in the past 18 months, sadly losing one of them who was only 15 months old. We have done absolutely everything possible to eradicate the snakes' need to come into our dog yards and we are stumped as to what to do next. My lovely neighbour on the adjoining property just came and told me that he saw a brown go across our driveway this morning and into the paddock towards the dog shed/yards. I'm on tender hooks already and it's not even summer time! Yup. There's a rattlesnake vaccine http://rattlesnakevaccinefordogs.com/ But rattlesnakes aren't THAT poisonous. (Remember the interesting Christian groups that use them in religious rites, often get bitten, but rarely die. I don't think faith would do as well protecting people from tiger snakes). They've long known that dogs that survive the first bite develop a degree of immunity by developing antibodies. The vaccine stimulates an immune response. It isn't 100% effective, but generally leaves dogs better prepared to overcome the toxin. I think most Australian poisonous snakes are too toxic for this strategy to work well.

Found it hard to reply. I basically don't care about colour, but in Labs the bb/ee cannot be shown. So, as a small breeder with a choco bitch, I would not get a yellow dog. There are so many dogs to choose from, it's good, in some ways, to use colour to narrow the field.

I try to invest no more in the answer than the sender invested in the question. I'd reply to this one with something like "call for more info" or "not unless you tell me more about yourself and what you want in a dog".

I didn't mean to advocate supplementing calcium, but pasta, lean mince and veggies in equal parts plus adult biscuits is not building up calcium reserves. I once had a nanny goat die of milk fever cause her diet was too low in calcium and have felt guilty about it for 40 years. 'Raw' alone doesn't do it. You need raw that contains bones or other good source of calcium. If the girl is going overboard stealing eggs, there may be a message. If there has been a history of low calcium and it is close to whelping, it's good to have some Troy/Sandoz or equivalent on hand. . . . but veterinarian advice on this is a good idea. I don't have THE answer, but there is a possible concern.

If these kind of tactics are acceptable perhpas its time some rescue orgs were raided and if we find one thats crook use it to push for laws for all rescue. Ive a couple of photos right now taken legitimately which should kick it off. But it's OK Steve, those doing the right thing, will have nothing to fear. Wrong! There are people out there who regard it as sinful for anyone to breed pups when there are so many pups in rescue. Many of this group are young, idealistic, and inclined to militant action. I think all breeders have reason to fear such people. They will work hard to get the ugliest pictures they can. If someone looking for dirt broke in and took photos the morning after a long, troublesome whelping, even with an excellent breeder, they'd find some unclean greenish placenta junk around the place and get some shots that would look like horrid care to anyone who has never bred dogs. The breeder who helped on the whelping probably hasn't slept for 24+ hours and may take a few hours to clean up . . . especially if they think another pup may be on its way. And when a large litter hits 8 weeks, they produce a lot of pooh . . . so it's not hard to find a disgusting scene or two if that's what you're looking for.

Evidence that distressed animals are more likely to bite . . . even if they wouldn't in normal circumstances. Seems obvious, but given all the hooplah about dog bites lately, it's good to have some evidence. Interesting that these bites were mostly bites to people the animal knew (at least for dogs and cats, probably not so for snakes). *Warner, G.S., 2010. Increased Incidence of Domestic Animal Bites following a Disaster Due to Natural Hazards. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. Abstract Introduction: During deployment following Hurricane Ike in September 2008, bites from domestic animals were among the top three trauma com- plaints seen at the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) base of operations. Problem: Unlike previous reports of frightened, misplaced dogs and cats bit- ing strangers and rescue workers, there was an increase in bites associated with presumed non-rabid pets who were known to the bite victim. Methods: This was an observational sampling of all patients presenting for medical care during deployment to the AL-3 DMAT base of operations in Webster, Texas, following Hurricane Ike. Findings were compared with unof- ficial local norms and observations from the literature. Results: Of the people with animal bites presenting to the field hospital, dog bites accounted for 55%, cat bites, 40%, and snake bites, 5%. Most of the wounds required suturing and were not simple punctures. Most bites (70%) involved the hand(s). Some patients presented >24 hours after the bite, and already had developed cellulitis. One patient required transfer and inpatient admission for intravenous antibiotics and debridement of a hand injury with spread into the metacarpophalangeal space. Conclusions: Most of the bites were severe and occurred within the first 72 hours after the hurricane, and waned steadily over the following weeks to baseline levels. No animal bites caused by misplaced dogs and cats biting strangers were seen. There was an increase in bites associated with domesticat- ed pets known to the bite victim. The current NDMS cache is stocked ade- quately to care for most wounds caused by animal bites. However post-exposure rabies treatment is not part of the routine medications offered. For future dis- aster preparedness training, pet owners should be aware of the increased potential for dog and cat bites. Warner GS: Increased incidence of domestic animal bites following a disas- ter due to natural hazards. Prehosp Disaster Med 2009;25(2):188–190.

Well, huh? What are you saying? (not quite! no way! . . . or not-quite (adj) no-way (noun) . . . also: not-quite no-way what?) Wow, I'm as confused as you are! I don't even know what that was supposed to be, but I'm going with "Well, not quite, maybe". I have a very ugly but layperson-oriented website that kind of explains it here: http://www.dogoptimism.com/ Also have a Facebook page where I post all my favourite articles about detecting emotion in animals and that sort of thing:http://www.facebook....232233783467933 I think you meant to tell me there are objective, repeatable ways of characterising an emotional response . . . both for humans and other species of animal. p.s. my gut-based way of separating optimists from pessimists is based on Winnie the Pooh. . . I just ask: "Eeoyre or more like Roo"? I have an Eeyore mother and her Roo daughter.

Good breeders of popular breeds don't need to advertize. I always felt lucky that I was in Labs (in WA), cause there were always waiting lists. But I notice that breeders of English pointers, flatcoats, Afghans, and rough collies, to mention a few, have a hard time finding appropriate homes for their pups. The need to advertize proves nothing about the quality of the breeder.

I have just heard Peter Walsh say that power/authority has been granted to individual Councils to decide as to whether they want to register "these types" of dogs and if they don't they can de-register them (and therefore seize them). This was via an interview on the radio. Is this old or new news to anyone? How HORRIBLE! Put through a Law. Then say councils have permission to undermine the law by withdrawing the very flimsy protection it gives! Peter Walsh deserves public shaming! If the equivalent chain of events had taken place, say with respect to registration of some sort of vehicle everyone would be up in arms. Banned in two years unless you go on a special register, then banned in one year so hurry up and get on the special register, then a few days before the ban goes in effect . . . hey guys, even if you went on the special register, you're can still get de-registered and banned. That's NOT FAIR DINKUM!

Is she stealing eggs and eating the shell and all? I'd say the diet you describe is way low on calcium and she may be after eggs primarily for the Calcium in their shells. Yoghurt is good. You may want to talk to a vet about it and perhaps get some calcium suppleent. Calcium deficiency at whelping can cause 'milk fever' . . .which is quite serious. I agree with Sparky Tansy about the fat . . . dog milk is very very rich. If your bitch is overweight, cut down on carbs and feed less rather than reducing fat. You don't want 'good' quality dry food for a bitch in whelp. You want excellent food, and it should be either formulated for a pregnant / lactating bitch or puppy food to keep the fat and calclium high. My girls have never liked their whelping boxes . . . though once the pups are born they tolerate them.