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Awww..dear little woolly ones ...

Thank you !! Love Big Brother - all the wisdom of years in that face - gazing down ... She is a pup with all her stars in alignment ...just beautiful, and happy and willing ..and SUCH a good photographic model

Yesterday, we went for a "sunday drive".. several hours driving thru mallee scrub etc ..places I'd not seen before . Some deserted houses, decommissioned stock watering equipment ..and this -

https://www.roverpetproducts.com.au/collections/dogtoys Oh- and the TUFFY toys are great - strong & safe .

Mini poodles ? fantastic , when they are treated as d o g s An older couple living on the land had one - she would go to work with her 'dad' ..would happily ride on the motor bike /run in yards with sheep/cattle ..then retire indoors to her cushions /the fire /her biscuits /guard duty LOL .

Standard poodles are amazing I met my first one many many years ago , when we stayed at the Norwood motel , in Adelaide (have a photo somewhere ) back in the early 60's ?he was there with his very proud lady owner , and I was besotted . fast forward, and for some time I was involved in the training of one as a prospective guide dog ..he was such a clever clogs!!

I would presume a different father , rather than a better quality diet ....

Midge!! there's upright , and there's magnificent !! She is just gorgeous ...... What an absolute little star

Female desexing is basically a hysterectomy . There are higher risks of things going wrong because of the fact that internal organs have been removed /stitched ..and then several layers of tissue have also been stitched . ..and the wound is underneath, with weight pushing down on it . jumping/stretching etc also stretches the area ..and can tear tissue . male dog desexing is only skin deep , really ...often there is a large fluid build up in the now-empty scrotum,and irritation from the shaving .. but in normal and healthy young dogs , they seem to just carry on .

Thistle's suggestion may be an interesting thing to try, JWT ?

Ahhh... Ok . From what you wrote I thought pound . apologies. I still will say the same thing . Families of children who behave a bit differently /are NOT what a new dog is used to usually do best with a TRAINED dog ..and help of professionals .

"trying" dogs , if you have a child who can sometimes be rough /uncertain in behaviour is unwise . Getting advice on a dog's way of behaving from someone at a pound ? if that is what you did - well that probably is unwise as well. Sadly, dogs are not like shoes , they FEEL . trying them , and giving them back is unkind .

The people here have answered your questions . Mostly in detail . On D O L We get angry when it seems that someone : Is doing things to dogs which are unkind , which upset and confuse the dogs FOR NO REASON which would benefit the dogs. Gets lots of advice , which they ignore , although they tell us they do not know anything about dog health/training/behaviour. Does NOT approach the professional organisations who could help them ...even when they are given links, or ph: numbers etc tries to scam someone by requesting money or help with a dog or situation which doesn't exist, or seems to be asking questions just to get a reaction from us .

jwt. Anything is possible . We can remove teeth without any painkillers ! We can live without having any trained teachers or doctors. BUT WE DON'T . I am not saying a dog is exactly like a child . A dog DOES feel fear/anxiety/pain/terror/confusion...all those things . IMAGINE this . A child, each time it sees a black cat , goes and hits the cat hard. The child does not know any other way to communicate . The mother puts handcuffs on the child , as where they walk , there are many black cats , and their walk takes SO long , what with the child hitting cats all the time . The child does not do well . with hands in handcuffs it cannot communicate with anyone ..it cannot defend itself against bullies , it cannot balance, and it feels trapped , but cannot escape . the child becomes very scared of going on walks ...then scared of its mother ..finally it kicks its mother and hurts her, badly . A bit of a strange story - Put a muzzle on a dog YOU DO NOT KNOW , put a muzzle on a dog WHO HAS NOT BEEN TRAINED over a period of time to accept this way of behaving around a certain person ... and you are being cruel to the dog. simple. JWT. PLEASE seek help with an organisation who select/train and place dogs with children who NEED them if you think a dog will benefit your child. Your wanting to desperately get a dog for your child needs input from professionals who do this all the time . I used to be one such ..it takes a LONG time to find one dog to suit one person ..if it is a good idea in the first place . Please , do not muzzle a dog you are 'borrowing' ..that treatment is NOT 'better than the pound'

Hmm..this is one of those tricky things you could test your cat today and have the blood test show negative(yes a special blood test can be done) . In a short time, it may show positive , depending on whether ONE flea , carrying the bacteria has been in contact with the cat . It would be best to NOT experiment ..as blood tests are expensive ..but to speak with a veterinarian ? I think cat Scratch fever is only a big problem if a human has a poor immune system - so check with your child's doctor about that ? I have been scratched/bitten by all sorts of cats over 50 years or so, and never had a problem . Cat teeth are known to be a great way of getting bacteria into whatever they bite - but good and quick first aid ..and perhaps a visit to a doctor , should stop anything drastic happening . Children and the elderly, and those with poor immune systems do need to be careful.

Yes, he's still around ... and very fluffy in his Winter coat! Smoke ! aka Ewok aka DropBear aka Spewbucket aka "thats-not-a-dog" he is showing some wear & tear .. sometimes he gets TOO annoying & the others really need to , ermmm, make a point . One day he may learn . may.

Wise decision . Selecting a dog for a child who may not yet know the best way to touch animals is best done by experienced people. best of luck in the future .

That sounds like a great day !! @Thistle the dog ... (I put a laugh emoticon as there's no LOVE one ) ;)

Ohhhbaby George ......That face !!! Thanks, @Scottsmum

I gather the separation of a dog is to keep dog and child safe, while parent cannot give full attention to interactions between the two. For a first-time dog owner, having a new dog and a child who needs close supervision around animals, it obviously seemed a solution. As none of us know how the child acts generally ..maybe baby gates aren't suitable /maybe a dog which lies on someones'feet would indeed be in the wrong place , and who knows what else ? It is a situation with lots of things to consider - none of them easy!

Not a tank ..... we had 17.5 mm RAIN 2 days ago

@Roova wow! Not something usually seen outside a restauarant

I didn't comment ...I was too stunned by the lovely photo ............. how caaaalllmmmmm ;)

Dogs don't think that way ..so it doesn't worry them . They live in the moment .Being given a needle at the pound is not the worst thing ever to happen to a dog , believe me . the other thing about a dog from the pound , if you insist is that they are a TOTAL UNKNOWN !!! things which would worry me ( and why I would never take a dog direct from a pound to my home ) is it in the early stages of a disease which might kill it ? is it in the pound because it is an escape artist? Has it climbed high fences , or dug under fences ? Did it chew through a wooden fence ? is the dog here because people just got sick of it ? Why ? Maybe it barks a lot . Perhaps it jumps and is too active ..or perhaps it attacks other dogs when out walking . So many things which I would worry about ... Gee, this makes me so sad . having to constantly supervise . having to lock a dog away having to limit all sorts of activities to avoid situations which might get too much excitement happening.. A thought . Could you maybe take your child along to a dog park , or a dog obedience school ..watch from a distance for a while ..perhaps talk to an owner with a nice dog ..baby steps ..and gradually work up to having a dog at home , if that is what your child wants ? if you think animal contact would be useful..what about RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ? Kids learn SO much from being around the horses & little ponies ... and it is very good for physical and emotional development

JWT as people who train/breed/work with /share lives with dogs we all care very much about the quality of dogs'lives . Not one of us would choose a dog from a pound to go straight into a home situation like yours . It would be unfair on all concerned . There are great rescue groups who have their dogs in foster homes , so that dogs are used to all sorts of things . The rescue groups then check out the new home/yard/owners ..and only place a dog if all looks to be good it's a wonderful way for everyone to feel secure in what they're doing ...no little surprises . Your situation is unique . IF you were to get a dog ..as someone who has not owned/trained a dog before , I would advise you to contact someone who places dogs WITH special needs kids ...they can talk with you , answer all your questions http://www.dkd.org.au/ https://www.guidedogs.org.au/autism-assistance-dogs for ideas. IF, though, as it seems, your child is,as yet, not quite ready to live with a dog ... consider a lovely ragdoll cat ..a stress reliever , if ever there was one .