Gayle.

yeah, Shae is our rescue dog. She's 5 years old and she's so tiny and has such a little baby face, she looks just like a puppy. In fact I took her to our obedience club a few weeks ago and about ten people asked about "the new puppy". They were all a bit doubtful when I said she's five, but she definitely has the teeth of a five year old dog. She's a beautiful little muppet and she's a proper Aussie, so proof that they do come in small sizes with a proper pedigree.

With breed specific rescue organisations, I think they vet the new owners very carefully before placing the dog. I know that my name went right to the top of quite a long list of possible homes because I already owned three dogs of that breed and am involved in a breed club and have access to all the knowledge and help I could need if it comes to that.

My dogs all love pigs ears, they don't bolt them down fast and they are a great occasional treat.....usually at a dog show when they are crated. Dried roo tails gave Benson the worst diarrhoea I have ever seen. It was gross, it went right through his hairy pants and made the most sickening mess. I hate to think what his poor tummy felt like.

My most recent addition was a rescue, after saying for ages I'd never get a rescue dog. However mine is a pedigree Australian Shepherd and I've been told of her background and she came to me from her original breeder (to whom she'd been returned twice). She is a delightful girl, we are all in love with her, and in two weeks she's gone from being a bit unsure of herself and hovering around the edge of the pack, to nosing on for pats and treats, greeting us all with banana-bend wiggles and confidence in play. It's fabulous to watch her now, it's like she knows she's home for good.

The ones advertised on the home page most definitely are safe, they are with various rescue groups and are up for adoption.

Are you a member of your local breed club (if there is one)? Yep, I'm a cap and jacket wearing member of the Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria. If you are a member, what kinds of activities take place that you are involved in? The club has loads of activities....an annual speciality champ show, an open show, a members comp, restricted to breed obedience, agility and herding comps, fun days etc. The club also hosts a bi-annual MVA (most versatile Aussie) comp, the only club of it's kind in the country to do so. it's the "pinnacle" trophy for an Australian Shepherd owner....the comp consists of conformation (not the regular spec show, but a separate section just for the MVA participants, where the dogs are judged against the standard by a specialist judge); herding (the breeds original purpose), and obedience or agility. The participants have to compete in conformation, herding and one of the others to qualify. They are awarded scores....and the higher the level of obedience, agility or herding, the higher their scores, then they are added together to decide the winner. Last years winner was DOL member Leopuppy and her boy Leo. I try and get involved in the shows and also whatever else I can (fun days etc) but I'm 2 hours away so probably less involved than I'd like to be. The club also has a Facebook page and an email group. The email group isn't limited to club members although most of them are part of it. What kinds of activities would you like to see more of in your local breed club? None really, they do a great job of encouraging pet owners to join and then giving them a reason to be there. And they get out in public and have stands and displays at expos and events to promote this fantastic breed of dog. Is your breed club involved in Breed rescue? Yes, very much so. Not many Aussies come up in rescue although recently theres been a few and the club are actively involved in identifying them as being in need, rehoming them to the right home and providing ongoing support to the new owners. Their rescue activities are not restricted to the state either. This club seems to be one of the better breed clubs. They exist to promote the breed and do a very fine job of it. Not just for people interested in showing but in all activities and aspects of Aussie ownership. And they are a great resource of knowledge and help for anything to do with the breed. They hold an annual photo competition where members submit pics of their dogs and then 12 are chosen for a calender which is then sold through the club. Oh, and they also have a really good shop where you can buy breed related items.

That's not always possible, or sensible. Shae flew from Perth to Melbourne mid-summer. To drive there and back would have taken us over a week in searing heat for the most part, and she was much much safer coming on a 3 1/2 hour flight where there was minimal risk of her dehydrating or even getting overheated. That may not be the case in a drive across the Nullabor. I was contacted as soon as she was booked in, so I knew she was on the way, and we were there in plenty of time to meet her.

It was Melbourne airport I picked my dogs up from. I collected Shae from the Toll freight terminal, and it was all very casual, although I was asked for a signature on an electronic pad.

I don't think the one in Traralgon is called Fish and Feather, I can't actually remember what it was called. It's very big though and at first glance they had a lot of pet supplies.....food, accessories, toys, beds etc. But out front they have advertised what types of puppies they currently have in stock.

I would be furious. I've now had two dogs flown to me....an 8 wk old puppy and a 5yo rescue dog. I was a bit surprised at the casual-ness of the freight company both times I went to collect the dogs. Neither time was I asked for ID, and when I picked up the puppy, I don't even remember having to sign anything. I just said I was there to collect an Australian Shepherd puppy, we waited in the car for a while, then the guy let us know he had her there and he already had her out of the crate and just handed her to me. When I picked up Shae, it was after hours and I collected her from the freight depot, not the pet transport company, I just told them I was there to collect a dog. There were two dogs, Shae in one crate and a black and tan Doberman in another and the guy asked which one. I pointed to Shae, but I could just as easily have walked off with the Doberman!

Kirsten, is she going in the same place each time? How are you cleaning it up? Maybe she can still smell a faint odour and thinks that indoors IS the toilet. Poor Pia, she's so beautiful and so gentle.

He would be OK for short rides to start with, gradually building up to longer rides. You need to train them not to pull, not to stop suddenly and to stay beside you. I use the heel command, "get back" "no pulling" and "slow down". It takes time, my first one took a few weeks to get the hang of it but then I was re-learning to ride a bike and it took me a few weeks too. My girl got it straight away, and so did my younger boy. If they look like they are pulling over to sniff, I just ride faster. The older boy is the worst for this because he wants to pee on everything, but I just ride faster past trees, fence posts etc and don't give him the chance.

Yeah, Traralgon got one of those too, a few months ago. It does have a lot of other stuff but I walked in, saw the puppies and walked out. I don't see it lasting though, it's in a stupid location, right at the top of the highway on the way to Sale.

My newest addition os a 5yo rescue, and she has spoilt me forever more for new dogs. I doubt I'll ever get another puppy, she has been so easy to slot into the family and an absolute delight to live with. No piddly puddles, no night time whining, she came with lovely manners (way better than my other dogs have). And no chewed up shoes! We are still discovering new things about her, and that is lovely as she was a bit of an unknown quantity, like a puppy would be, but she's been SO easy, and it's been very easy to bond with her.

I tried it when we moved last year, but in the end I couldn't do it. Dusty has always slept in our room, and Benson varied between our room and outside. He never cared where he slept, as long as he was cool and comfortable so when we moved he was happy enough with the rumpus room as he had a leather couch to lie on or tiles. Dusty, on the other hand, hated the rumpus room despite having a nice comfy bed in there, or another couch. She'd look at me like I was killing her when I shut her in there each night. It lasted 2 weeks, then I caved and she came back into our room, so did Benson, and we all slept happily ever after. Now we have 4 Aussies and they all sleep in our room, sprawled out on the floor, lucky we've got a big bedroom. I am much happier when they are with me, even during the night.

I reckon know what Benson was thinking....... "Mum is screaming because there's a mouse in the bucket, I'll take the mouse out of the bucket, there ya go, aren't I a good boy? No more mouse in mums bucket!" I wish his soft mouth extended to the chickens....he's not quite so gentle with them.

Awwwww. another lucky dog. Lovely story too. I think we are the lucky ones, we get all that love and loyalty they have to give and in every way, a thousand times a day we get repaid with a wiggly bum (mine doesn't have a tail), a lick on the hand, a nose nudging my knee, a chin resting on my lap and that sigh of contentment when they know they are safe, loved and cherished.

Lagottos tick the boxes. The lady who bred my first Aussie also breeds Lagottos and when we picked him up her first Lagotto was 5 months old and a total delight. She looked poodly but not like a poodle......more square in the head/muzzle and more of a casual coat clip. She was bouncy, outgoing and friendly and I believe this is pretty much their temperament. A really lovely breed, and they'd be a great family dog.

He looks more relaxed and happier. Isn't it just lovely to see them come out of their shell when they realise they are home and home is a wonderful place to be? Our little rescue had an eventful few weeks, she was flown from Sydney to Perth and handed back to her breeder, she was kennelled for a week or so then put on a plane and flown to us in Vic, then driven 2 hours to home and she arrived here very overwhelmed and unsure of herself. She'd hang back from the other dogs and not join in, she chased the ball on her own and growled nervously when the other dogs came near her food. Two weeks down the track and she is one of the gang, she noses in for pats and treats with the others, flops down comfortably with them when she's tired and trots around the place with a tennis ball stuffed in her gob most of the day. She makes me laugh, she is such a little muppet and I have no idea how anyone could give this truly beautiful little girl up.

We had a mouse run across the dining room floor once. Right in front of two Burmese cats and one extremely large Maine Coon. They didn't lift a whisker! useless buggers.

Benson just looked completely puzzled when the mouse took off. I think he was hoping it might stick around for a play. The other two dogs just stood there with vacant looks on their faces. Maybe 7.15 am is too early for mouse eradication.

Interesting start to the day here. I went to pour the bag of chook pellets into a bucket so I could feed the chooks. Out fell a mouse, into the bucket. I stood there and screamed, no idea why as it was just a little mouse. Then I realised I had three dogs with me and they could deal with the mouse. So I put the bucket on the ground, Benson put his face in it, picked up the mouse very gently between his teeth and placed it on the ground and let the damn thing go! That wasn't what I meant by "deal with it!"

My neutered boy started lifting his leg to pee at 10 months, my entire boy is now 10 months and has just started to lift his leg too.

Oh live dangerously. Bugger the pillow, get her a king size feather doona. She'll love it!

It appears to be a "proposal" and there is nothing about it on the ASCA website, which is unusual as the proposal talks about removing certain dogs from the AS stud books and relocating them. Now I think that would be a VERY big deal to the ASCA and worthy of discussion.