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That's great! Sadly, there seem to be a lack of them round these here parts.

I completely agree, Luke. I would love there to be classes for people who don't want to compete in obedience. Who want to have a dog that is well behaved, but don't care about being able to do a "correct" left hand heel with a close turn etc. Somewhere that acknowledges pet owners rather than competitors & teaches appropriate skills for dogs to be good social citizens. I'd go. :D And I'm pretty sure that the large amount of dog owners who aren't "crazy dog people" (like we all are :laugh: ), would be more likely to go too. Which would be a hugely positive thing. Oh and one more complaint- 45 minutes of constant training was way too long for my dog. And 90% of the other dogs in the classes I did. Especially in the middle of summer.

No time, my dog is well behaved & I don't want to pursue training as a hobby. I possibly would consider going back if it was more convenient, had smaller classes & opportunity for extra curricular one-on-one trouble shooting. But then, once my dog & I got to a standard I was happy with I probably would leave again.

If I was looking for a second dog to match my Goldie, I'd like a cocker. Very similar in my opinion- from the ones I know. My daughter says she would prefer a Tibetan spaniel or a Poodle though. Both those would also suit the soft GR temperament, I'd think. My Goldie is a big softie though & I doubt she'd like living with a more dominant breed. In fact, I'm pretty sure she prefers being the only dog. Perhaps your dog is different? You should choose an individual dog that suits your dog's personality.

I really don't understand why people get offended if others cross the road when they see them. Why take it personally? And to be honest, I don't give a crap how offended the other owner is, if I see anyone walking towards me that looks like it could come within bite range of my dog, I don't care what breed of dog it is, I'm crossing the road. How can a complete stranger know that your dog is safe? It makes sense not to take risks with that. And as Haredown Whippets said, I'm extra careful of bullbreeds (& most large dogs) because of the increased potential for damage IF the dog decides to have a go at mine. Yours might be a delightful dog, but I can't know that & I've come across way too many dogs that are not (AND have also owned a bullbreed cross that was DA). So I'm keeping my dog out of range just in case.

That first one sounds terrific, if you get a link/details for it can you post them here, Toshman?

Cost has nothing to do with mourning. $500 or $70 is not going to make any difference to the pet at that point, but it most definitely can to the owner, especially if they are struggling financially. Dealing with a situation with reality & pragmatism do not mean a person doesnt care. I'm a realist, I chose each time what I could afford and and what best suited each circumstance. The above prices are all from the same vet. And there was a 6th, a 7 day old puppy I had put down at home, $95. I wasn't on here whinging about the cost for any of them or expecting free disposal of my pets. My pets, my responsibilty in sickness and in health. I can't see that your choices are any better or worse than those you are criticizing? We all take our responsibilities seriously. All of us deal with this very difficult situation differently. Personally, it's the last moments I care about, nothing more. I am not interested in keepsakes, but that's how I deal with it. I still mourn for lost pets & I understand others feel much differently. Pet burial is big business, & I actually find the upselling of it often amounts to manipulation of owners at a very vulnerable time. The vet who tried to do this to me was crossed off my list immediately. I don't care how emotional I am (I was crying while asking the price), that is morally repugnant. Having had it happen once, I was a lot more suspicious the next call I made.

Cost has nothing to do with mourning. $500 or $70 is not going to make any difference to the pet at that point, but it most definitely can to the owner, especially if they are struggling financially. Dealing with a situation with reality & pragmatism do not mean a person doesnt care.

I am not ashamed to say that I phoned 3 vets for price comparisons when I euthanased my 15kg dog several years ago. We had very little money & a young family. The first was the vet I'd used for 2 years & I suspected they'd been overcharging me all along. They quoted over $300 for basic group cremation & tried to upsell a full package. The second quoted $130 & gave me a break down of costs. The last told me he would only charge me for the cost of the euthanasia- $75. I went with the last one, not only because I had little money, but because I felt he was more interested in the welfare of his patients than making a buck. I was not wrong. He was kind & lovely and supportive at a time when I was a heartbroken mess. I still go to him.

So you are using playing with other dogs as a reward for a sit behaviour..........releasing the dog in drive to go play?? I wouldn't be doing that to train reliable obedience because as it puts a value into the behaviour of dog play, but that's just my opinion as I prefer dogs to be neutral to other dogs. The OP has already said she does not want her dog to be neutral to other dogs. The dog gets no play until well behaved. I wish everyone at the park trained their dogs to do this.

I think it sounds like you are headed in the right direction, CM! You are aware of issues & taking steps to improve things. Good work & good luck. :)

Oh Teebs, such heartbreaking news. I'm so terribly terribly sorry. D x

Personally I would remove my dog if another dog started snapping at her. Its my job to protect her- even from SWFs. I take my dog to the offlead park for exercise, not to be terrorised. Your dog is maturing & you need to start watching him & reading his body language. If he shows signs of not tolerating another dog's bad behaviour, then remove him. Or even better, avoid rude dogs. His response might have been appropriate, but you don't want it to become a default response through regular practice.

I find my whole family scratches the floor just as much as the dog. Wear and tear, part of daily living. Every few years it just needs to be redone.

As the title says... I found 2 paralysis ticks on Honey this morning. We spent last week in near freezing weather in the southern highlands. I had given her Proban (thanks god!) and was not expecting to find anything this morning, but yet... She appears 100% fine, still a guts, still full of beans and moving and breathing nromally, so I left her home and went to work. Hubby has been commanded to go home early to check on her. I'm feeling a wee bit panicky about it all though.

My dog is amazing with children but that does tend to make me worry that non dog savvy children (& adults) assume that all dogs (esp GRs) are like that. So I am always at pains to explain to patting children that yes, Honey is a very good girl, but not all dogs are as sweet as her & that they must always be very careful & gentle with any dogs they are allowed to pat. That said, in the broad spectrum of breeds, if pushed to generalize, I would definitely recommend GRs as good with children. As a breed, all the ones I have met have had a lovely gentleness to them, even as silly puppies. My dog adores children & will happily sit & be cuddled by them for hours (she is particularly happy if they have food too... :laugh: )

You don't personally know the guy or his dogs, it sounds to me that he was being very responsible. There is no need for a muzzle if other people do the right thing. Wearing earplugs is probably one tactic for avoiding people. Owning an aggressive dog is very challenging, and one of the more difficult aspects is the assumptions that strangers make as to why your dog is that way. Often negative situations have occurred at critical states on a naturally weak nerved dog, very rarely is it the direct fault of the owner. And I promise you, every (responsible) owner of an aggressive dog would give anything to change their dog's disposition. It's hell to manage. Having lived with a DA dog & nearly being bitten myself by several benign looking dogs, I go by the rule that all unknown dogs could be aggressive. Just like I teach my children & all other kids I know, that they must NEVER pat an unknown dog without first asking the owner.

WHERE!!!hahah I have never been able to find any!! someone PM me some awesome parks in this general area! please and thank you City of Sydney parks Leichhardt council brochure, including dog parks There is also centennial park & Sydney park if you care to venture a little further. I live in the inner east and am spoilt for choice in regards to offlead areas. Admittedly, none are fenced, but that's not a problem for me. I also find the local businesses are very dog friendly. My dog & I haven't ever been turned away from the outdoor area of a cafe (in fact she is a beloved regular at several), & even many pubs are welcoming to dogs- mostly ones with on street outdoor seating, but a couple even allow dogs through to their interior courtyards. Of course it's a given that your dog is well behaved and doesn't bother other patrons.

I think it sounds like your house is doggie heaven!! I wouldn't be worried about the exercise, my GR lives in a tiny house- we have a hard session of exercise every day (generally no more than 40 minutes running or fetch) & she is exhausted. Your dog sounds like she gets plenty. :) If I was you, I'd get another dog, a breed known for alert barking- there are many, staffords are generally not (my staffy x hardly ever barked at all!).

Greyhounds aren't good offlead are they? Having kids, I personally prefer a dog I can let offlead, it makes life so much more difficult otherwise. If they don't care about shedding, in my experience, Goldies make brilliant family pets.

No, but harsher punishment will make many think twice about their responsibilities as dog owners. Too many idiots get off with a slap on the wrist, don't/can't/wont contain/control their dogs. Too many victims don't bother to complain because they feel nothing will come of it. I think there needs to be a consequence to make a difference. I don't support BSL, but I do support harsher fines and consequences for serial and serious offenders - the owners, not the dogs. Absolutely! Give councils greater power to fine those who do not follow the law & keep their dogs contained. Zero tolerance, none of this warning business. I had a depressing experience last year with a dickhead who feels he is entitled to let his DA dog roam outside his place of business. 2 unprovoked attacks on my dog (no damage thank god), countless reports and warnings & fines only after I nagged council non stop for months, were they able to slap him with a 6 month nuisance notice. Now if they see the dog offlead he gets a much larger fine & they can pursue him in court. The 6 months is up. I'm betting the dog is offlead again, but I'm not keen to check it out. The guy has tried to intimidate me & has campaigned against me with passing locals (more fool him, most of them are parents at my kids school! ). He has even told council he should be given an exception and that the dogs need to "sort it out"! All so he can let his dog wander while he works. How can we believe there will be any hope of no dog attacks when people like this will not comply & simply don't care?

I'm confused now. Three days ago you start this thread about homeless peoples dogs in Sydney, now you are in China, something smells fishy to me. Whats so fishy? Sam man is a good guy, known by many of us. I presume he has just gone to China in the last couple of days for a visit. His Samoyed is in Sydney.

In my inner city burb there are a lot of homeless with dogs. I have often admired the bond they have. As someone else mentioned, these dogs are true companions, with their extremely loving owners 24 hours a day. For both person & dog, they are the world to each other. Family. What they lack in premium treatment they are more than compensated for by that IMO. Do you know the fur is due to mistreatment? I know several middle class people whose dogs have skin conditions, they look no less mangy than a homeless dog & are treated with premium care. And if its just dirty scruffiness- no baths but lots of love? I think I know what most dogs would choose. :laugh:

I seem to have "become" more blonde over the last year or 2. It occurred to me recently that I'm starting to look like my blondie GR! :laugh: I'm also a bit ditzy, very friendly & easy going... it's getting scary now!! Also, if you met me, she's probably the kind of dog you'd expect me to have.

If you are worried about the safety aspect, you could get him a breakaway collar just for home? Oh and make sure you post pics when you get your Ruthless gear! :D