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Different clinic setups will have different running costs. A clinic with all the latest diagnostic equipment and multiple vets and nurses will have much higher upkeep costs than a smaller one man clinic with only an xray machine, a basic blood testing machine, and only one or two nurses. Something as basic as rent in whatever area the clinic is situated in can make a difference in what prices must be charged to cover the outlay also. I do support making it known if a clinic is part of a big chain company though, as those clinics are generally much more profit driven than a smaller one man operation. I don't think that the problem is actually so much about the costs of treating our pet... it's that expectations from owners can sometimes be unrealistic if wanting gold class service/treatment options for bargain basement prices (which may be all they can afford). For anyone who may still be confused about the realities of working in the veterinary industry, I suggest you read some of the submissions made to the 2023 NSW Inquiry into the veterinary workforce shortage... https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2964#tab-submissions WARNING: Some of the submissions in the link above may be confronting and distressing to read. T.

She had no other bloodlines accessible once the ANKC had deregistered all other ASTCD breeder's She made it worse by never selling any on main registration's to anyone else so nothing available save what she kept. .the two types have always been very different, square v longer than tall, lighter Kelpie type v heavier Even with a full tail a stumpy is obvious

A friend bought a pup from me, was about ten months later he rang me voice shaking in shock. "I think Jesse just saved my life" He had been walking along the path beside the Nepean river, which he and Jessie do every day. She loved meeting people for a pat, especially the children. But this day to his surprise she stopped walking at heel and dropping back behind him began growling. He turned to see what she was growling at and to his shock staring at a man holding a knife, the second Jessie knew he saw the man was threatening him she leapt to attack, he caught her and as she struggled to attack the idiot with the knife finally realised Jessie would attack the second she could break free and turned and ran. They can read people's body language as surely as stock.. First thing I impressed on Mick he must train her properly as cattledog's like all herding breeds were bred for initiative . If he didn't, she would train him.

The ACD was always dual purpose, working dog on stock and guardian of their owner and family as well as possessions. I was never allowed to go anywhere unless my dad's dog Blue was with me, no one could approach me unless Blue recognised them as family or friend. when Hilton gave my daughter Berrilyn Blur debutant, even when baby and puppy were ten months old Debbie guarded my daughter's nappy when she dropped it. Hilton had given my daughter's eldest brother a puppy 16 years earlier, Debbie was a grandaughter of that pup . . We gave her brother one of Debbie's pups and when he married and brought his daughter home Bennie and his daughter Rosie assumed guard duty soon as he introduced them to his baby daughter. He rang me 3 days later to apologise for never believing my story that when I was sent to the corner shop with blue as escort, people would cross the road, rather than come within 15 foot of blue and me. He said sue wanted to go for a walk and Benny and Rosie instead of staying at heel went straight to the front either side of the pram despite him telling them to return to heel. As they walked he realised people coming the other way were crossing the street. To see why he went to the other side and level with the dogs. To his amazement as a person walked towards sue and the pram, soon as they began to come less than 20 feet both dogs lifted their lips to show teeth, the person crossed the road. Which was what I had as a child realised Blue had done so many decades before protecting me. When there aren't stock to work a good cattledog will curl up at the door and guard you, your family, your home and anything it associates as yours, put your scent on something, to your dog, that's yours now. Before cars your dog guarded your horse, swag and goods. Good car n ute guards Many a tradie has his ACD to ensure no tools go missing Why you don't see cattledog's in a backyard trying to round up birds like u see Kelpies and border collie's that aren't dual purpose and don't have a herding off button .

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has released a plan calling for reforms to the veterinary sector, to prevent pet owners being surprised by unexpected bills. i have mixed feelings about this, and the possibility of similar reforms here in Australia. Vet bills can quickly add up to thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars, which could be financially devastating… or emotionally devastating, if the alternative Is euthanasia. On the other hands, I don’t think most vet practices are making large profits, so imposing additional regulations might force some practices out of business. https://www.vettimes.com/news/business/practice-developments/cma-unveils-plan-for-major-reforms-of-veterinary-sector

Thanks for sharing that poem and your thoughts, they were a good read and I get where you’re coming from. What I’d like to add before closing this discussion is that today the official stance from dog societies is to treat the Australian Cattle Dog and the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog as two separate breeds. From my research and what I’ve seen in the field, they both carry the same genetic foundation. I recognise two strains within the breed, but I don’t accept the ASTCD as truly separate. Iris Heal, despite her place in history, achieved her result through heavy inbreeding between Bagust stock, not from the OG stumpy type. The Bentley or Queensland strain carries distinct features that set it apart from the Bagust and Kaleski lines, and people need to understand that this old nineteenth century patrimony was never meant to be a pet. Without work and purpose, those dogs lose themselves.

Last comment 2020 Wonder how many available Australia wide now

Stumbled on this and the poem, change for changes sake isn't always a good thing... "On a recent poke around the 2nd hand bookstore in Corryong, I found a little treasure written by Neil Hulm. "Where the Snow Grass Grows". His family has had a strong connection and presence in the mountains since before it became a park. I wanted to share one of his poems. A MOUNTAIN HERITAGE LOST Could I be told what a heritage is, Surely it's something we see, Is it to hold, or give away? That's not the way it strikes me. We must have parks, reserves and such, essential, I would think we all agree, But without any votes, a handful of blokes Can close land, from the Plains to the Sea. A fair control is a different role, But the grazing stopped, shut down. Have you ever known of country men For heritage, close down a town? PACK HORSES, PACK SADDLES, GREEN HIDE ROPES, HUTS, SALT LOGS AND HORSE PADDOCK RAILS, STOCKYARDS, DOGS, SHEEP AND CATTLE, AND LONELY STEEP STOCK TRAILS!! Bush fires now burn red hot and turn to black dust, that was thick grass and sticks. Controlled burn was slow on lease years ago, The snow grass remained firm and thick. One heritage strongly guarded, While another one thrown away. In the same place, on the mountain face One banished, the other will stay. Swarms of bees in the Snow Gum trees, Honey birds hover and sing, The beautiful scent from the heather And the herbage that flowers in Spring. 'HUTS, SALT LOGS, HORSE PADDOCK RAILS, STOCK TRAILS, LONELY AND STEEP!!' SURELY, AN AUSTRALIAN HERITAGE LOST, WE FOUGHT FOR, BUT FAILED TO KEEP. Neil Hulm Cochran Horse Treks Peter on Sparkie at the Man from Snowy River Festival Reenactment 2019. National parks so badly managed we watched them burn from Victoria to Sydney, billions of native animals died along with rfs volunteers and families, all land once managed by locals until seized by Govt and given to idiots to mismanage.. Same is happening to all pet owners, govt micromanagement to the point PETA spokesperson boasted "legislation passed to date has been so successful l we anticipate domestic dogs and cats will be extinct within this generation " Sadly you may be documenting the end days of pet ownership if pet owners and blindsided pollies don't wake up in time, or is it too late already?

When I was a kid in the 1950's any cattle dog that didn't have any eye patches was called a Merle. (Absolutely nothing to do with the coat colour of other breeds) Has been so until fairly recently, until people have began calling them clear faced... Bit like the changes in describing a horse's height. 14 hands is 14 X 4 inches. 14.2 hh is 14x 4 inches and 2 inches above that high. Now we see idiots putting 14.5 hh. Hands is not a metric measurement. how on earth can you metric 14.2 1/2 hands high??? It's 2 1/2 inches higher than 14 hands. My stallion Nea was measured at Sydney Royal 14.3 3/4 hands high. iE one quarter of an inch under 15 hands high... Query the advertiser who put metric after . They have a hissy fit. Say Merle today and the clear faced brigade argue that gene isn't in the breed. It isn't.. the word for over a hundred years meant no patches not even a small black dot. Perhaps the question is, tradition or rewriting the past for new political correctness? .

Hilton Sinclair of Berrilyn kennels told me nearly 50 years ago, at the time he was one of the oldest ACD prefixes . he said the spot had been passed down by a very popular dog named Bentley, pretty remarkable really. But some genes can pass like that if only one copy is needed to express it.

A statistical look at wide ranging health problems in German French Bulldogs based on survey of 574 owners. I found it shocking. Not just BOAS. https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40575-025-00149-8?utm_source=bmc_etoc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CONR_40575_AWA1_GL_DTEC_054CI_TOC-251101

It seems to be not showing on this specimen, this is just an example. A lot of them have that white marking on the top of the head indeed, I would say a majority from my observations. However, would please be able to give us more instructions about what you know about the Bentley's mark? I'm just a tradesman and not a dog specialist, just got a bluey with me, that's all, I'm basically nobody against the dog society. That said I don't even socialise with dog owners when we got to the park as usually I get depressed if I extend our visit that way... so I just keep walking around like it says clearly on the park rules (to avoid the dogs to get territorial with one area of the park) I know that Bentley didn't actually draw a mark on his dogs, but here again, you can't pretend to be putting together an ACD breed chart without mentioning the Bentley's mark or can ye I believe It’s part of the story whether it’s genetics or just legend.

If this is your view I can only respect it. And listen, have a wonderful day.

Bentley mark is on the forehead of all cattledog's It's neither a type or breed

Re experience, I once read "Do they have twenty years' experience or one years' experience repeated twenty times?".

If you are not formally employed and receive any sort of government pension, the courses through TAFE are free or have a very small nominal fee under Smart & Skilled. Many courses are also free if you are over a certain age. The only course I paid full fees for was my Vet Nursing course, as I was employed at the time I did it, but I also got RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) for a few subjects that I'd already completed when I did my other quals. For my Cert III Animal Care, I got RPL for all but 2 units, and it was free due to my age regardless. Not all campuses set a prerequisite for a practical placement either - Bankstown TAFE had no placement prerequisites for the Cert II or Cert III Animal Care courses when I did them. I would hope that any proposed legislation aimed to regulate the rescue industry would have some sort of grandfathering to accredit rescues with a long term proven track record of successful rehoming without the need for demanding completion of courses. I would expect new entrants into the industry to have some sort of animal care qualification however. Regardless if they decide to include formal quals as a prerequisite to start up a rescue or not, I would expect that regulatory legislation to focus on setting certain standards of care and the keeping of appropriate records confirming same. All rescues should be held accountable somehow, so I would also push for all rescues to be on the OLG approved rehoming organisations list (in NSW), and report their outcomes annually - none of this optional joining, it should be mandatory, and it should also be auditable. Did you know that rescues taking in pregnant or recently whelped dogs and pups are not subject to any of the regulatory codes of practice for breeding/whelping/raising that breeders are? Also not held to any codes of practice for boarding, which is essentially what foster carers and shelters/kennels are actually doing. When I have mums and bubs in my care, I meticulously follow the breeders code of practice and keep all appropriate records listed... many other rescues/carers don't. I have weight/growth charts, parasite control records, milestone logs, etc. Yes, it's a lot of fiddly paperwork, but I can prove that the tiny souls in my care are getting every opportunity to grow and thrive and become great canine citizens to be rehomed to their own forever families in due course. They are no less worthy of those standards than pedigreed pups are they? Have no doubt, the rescue industry will be subject to regulation of some sort at some point in the not too distant future... especially as the voices are getting louder to provide rescues with government funding. Funding comes with accountability, and that means legislation/regulation that sets the standards for that accountability. T.

Got only the image export clean - that'll do. You will find the commands to navigate the work at your leisure within the window - enjoy! < Preview Origins of ACD 6.0 >

I would hope that those with longtime experience could be grandfathered in, both for rescue and for the traditional boarding kennels. I know people with a lifelong interest in dogs combined with decades of experience in providing quality care, which surely outweighs a six month online course. If they drop out of the industry because of onerous new requirements, then that is likely to exacerbate the strain on over-stretched rescue and the lack of access to boarding facilities, particularly in country areas and/or during holidays.

I can't argue really (and don't want to as you offer a reasonable idea, but we're on different pages) I'm just so tired of seeing cowboys. Yes, learning new things is ideal. And yes, if you think you know everything there is to know, you become stagnant and of no benefit to the animals in your care. Of course, if it becomes regulation, I'll simply have to sort TAFE to get my Certs somehow. No problem with complying except that distance and practical placements and fees (nearly $5000 even online, no idea where that will come from) aren't currently realistic for me. More training, funding and infrastructure will be needed before a blanket formal education requirement is enacted.

I hear you there @_PL_, and I fully back and respect your years of experience as giving you a very wide knowledge base that you utilise to provide the very best care for each and every one of the precious souls you take in. I wish that were also true for so many others in our industry... *sigh* I also see the rise of so many newer rescues that are caught up in the "must save them all" hype. Big hearts alone are not enough... definitely required for the "job", but not the only prerequisite... the head must also come into play to get it right, yes? Personally, I have formal qualifications that give me a greater medical understanding of animal health, but that definitely does not give me permission (legally) to medicate or otherwise treat any condition that is not minor. If I suspect that an animal in my care requires medication or other professionally prescribed treatments, my medical background simply allows me to have a much deeper conversation with a vet about any condition an animal in my care has. When it comes to behavioural rehabilitation, I know my limits in that field, and make sure that animals in my care are either seen by a professionally qualified trainer, or moved to another foster home where the carer has much more experience and a proven track record in rectifying any behaviours I cannot address in my own capacity. Paper qualifications alone aren't the be all and end all to what is required to do the very best for the animals in our care, but surely some basic understanding about animal health and welfare is better than none? Knowledge gained from many years of experience should definitely be in play too, as learning shouldn't stop once you gain a certificate. Like yourself, I've been involved in rescue for many years, and have many more formal qualifications than most, but I'm still learning something new at regular intervals... constant updating of our own knowledge is paramount, yes? I think where we both are concerned, we had exceptional mentors when we first started out in rescue, didn't we? T.

Getting close to happiness - will post latest draft later

I rely fully on Vets and those in their specialist fields. Help with training must be NDTF at least. I may have learned some first aide, basic dietary, basic allergy, basic training and a very good radar for trouble signs, but I fully believe in the term 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' i.e. a shallow understanding of a subject can lead to mistakes. While the Animal Care qualifications are a good idea, I've seen enough to warrant scepticism about those who believe their Cert qualifications allow them to act as, or assume the roll of, or make the judgement calls of a Vet.

Yes, only positive reward has been a real winner in the schools

Shameless promotion of the notion that the only way to train a dog is by positive reward only methods. Not surprised that the above came from RSPCA head vet. There actually have been some changes to legislation relating to dog walking - one person cannot be in charge of more than 4 dogs in NSW, and must be over the age of 16. Unfortunately this isn't necessarily being policed, as one can still find the "dog walking services" that load up their vans with more than 4 dogs, drives them to the nearest off-lead park, and lets them loose for an hour of mayhem without any proper supervision. Personally, I'd like to see minimum formally recognised animal related qualifications (such as a Cert II in Animal Care and Management) as a requisite for working with animals of any description. Most reputable places of business do actually ask for such qualifications when hiring staff to look after pets, which is good to see. Would anyone be surprised to know that of the list of qualifications required to be an RSPCA Inspector, formal animal related qualifications don't make the list? Dog groomers should be added to the list of professions that require some sort of formal animal related qualifications too. And don't get me started on the pet rescue industry... in all honesty, if you are going to be taking in animals with any number of issues that require rehabilitation before rehoming, surely some sort of animal related qualifications should be in play there? T.

Found that amusing, if the planned extinction is on track there will be few to none left anyway Market gone anyway