poodlefan

Yep! I've been known to take my tribe for a drive when the weather's been too foul to walk them. Even a change of scenery is stimulating. :D

No apology required. Shit happens. :D I think as dog owners we've all done things that might have gone badly and luck has saved many of us from being in your shoes. He's a smart mix - as GoneTroppo has suggested, some basic obedience or trick training might be a way of keeping that brain occupied. For how long must he be kept quiet? I have had two friends that needed to crate young dogs for an extensive period of time - I'll ask what they did. If he really starts to fret, there's always sedation.

In my time as a horse owner (some years back now) I saw dogs get: * picked up and tossed (result spinal injury) * bitten (lots of those) * kicked distances of some metres * stomped on (permanent damage to hind leg and another amputation) * knocked unconscious * fractured skull These were all dogs whose owners ignored the "no dogs offlead" rule. Its different when all dogs and all horses know each other but even then some mares simply will not tolerate the presence of dogs in their space. Nature provides a very logical explanation for that.

I am not seeking to ridicule you. I'm seeking to point out that when you take a predator species into a prey animal's paddock don't blame horse or its owner for what is totally natural and quite predictable defensive behaviour from a horse. Strange horse, strange puppy - neither under effective human control. As you said, you've learned from it. I hope other folk who make a habit of taking their dogs into that paddock learn from it too. The rules at every place I ever kept horses were "no offlead dogs allowed". That kept a lot of dogs safe and a lot of horses out of the fences. Was the pup x-rayed? How does the vet know he doesn't have a displaced broken rib?

The kind of people who'd lie to get what they want (at the animal's expense) are the kind of people breeders deserve to be warned about. I wouldn't hesitate to give that warning.

Leave it open. Dog pads are tough. That will be much better in just a few days.

Plomox: The first thing you should note is that there is NOTHING unusual about horses (particularly mares) attacking dogs. My personal view is that off lead dogs and loose horses are a recipe for disaster. You now know this first hand. The number of dogs seriously wounded and killed by horses is significant. I would never allow an offlead dog into horse paddock - ever. They can stay back at yards or whereever. I would start with pup on lead and horse on halter and lead and walk them some distance apart together. If your pup has learned to keep a distance from horses, I'd say that's a valuable life lesson. ETA: Was the pup x-rayed?

Of course if they'd shut up and simply paid the fine, they'd have saved 3 out of the 4 rescue dogs and not cost the tax payers $$$ in wasted court time. No dogs means no dogs. Not "small dogs OK", "rescue dogs OK" and "dogs OK if owned by people who collect poo bags and think rocks can't be part of a beach".

Some groomers actually drive out to client's homes, pick the dogs up and return them. These are salons, not mobile groomers. ETA: I think at least one of the regular posters in the poodle thread grooms dogs in Adelaide.

I don't get giant bags. you would if you had a great dane LOL Or fed really crap dog food. Having seen the steaming piles of mousse like stuff that comes out of some dog's rear ends, I can understand why their owners aren't keen on picking it up either. Dessert anyone?

Can they access your yard when you aren't there?

I don't get giant bags.

Channel 9 is about a week behind the viral email that got sent around with those images - says a lot for how they get their news stories these days. Kirty shouldn't that be "does whatever a spider goat can"????

Some groomers offer a pick up/drop off service. Or you can drop off on the way to work and pick them up afterwards. What can you usual groomer do? I'd take a day off work before I'd let a strange groomer loose on my dogs. That's probably why I now do them myself.

I cheated so I'm not saying.

Not planning any showing, trialling or long car trips then? Sometimes the options for offlead toileting simply don't exist. Same goes for staying in caravan parks - something I do regularly.

Exercise stimulates the gut - I figure seeing as I'm exercising them, its a bit unfair to ask them to hold it. I don't let the boys pee on people's gardens though - that's more marking behaviour.

I figure when a dog's gotta go its gotta go. That said, only two of my dogs tend to toilet on walks. I carry poo bags and have a special "dog walk" bag the collection goes in.

Your GSD clearly spoke "poodle".

How many poodles did it meet offlead? I'm saying that as herding breed with pricked ears, normal coat type and a low set tail, GSDs tend to interpret very upright body language, wool coat and raised tails quite differently. The result 4 times now has involved aggression towards my dogs. I think a predatory response may also be involved. My dogs have not responded aggressively. I think they'd just like to be left alone. But hey, don't take my word for it - go to talk to the Sibe people about what GSDs think of their dogs. They don't appear to care much for Spitz body language either. The fact that GSD folk seem to prefer taking their dogs to GSD only training around here doesn't help. The breed would benefit from extensive socialisation with lots of other breeds IMO.

Are you afraid of big dogs? or is it the breed? I'm not afraid of either. However GSDs and small poodles don't tend to mix all that well. Every serious incident I've had with my dogs has involved one. Most poodle and GSD folk know of the issue.

Sounds to me like the negative PR might be starting to bite. When they can provide advice on the name and address of the breeder of every pup they sell, I might believe it. In the meantime, my guess is orders to the big puppy factories in Victoria will continue apace.

DerRottweiler I am a repeat offender for Rant No. 3 I deal with it at the time but it's very cathartic to rant to a sympathetic audience. Misery loves company.

What's wrong with a well breed Shih Tzu? Lhasas are lovely too. Tell her that where she gets the dog from is just as important as the breed she picks. Tell her about BYBs and Puppy farms and why she shouldn't buy from a pet shop. Then suggest she join here and tell us about her family and ask for recommendations. Nothing DOLers like much more than a 'what breed for us' thread.

In my breed (Whippets) I see evidence of a trend that's downright rife in a few others I can think of: FAT DOGS! The Whippet breed standard calls for: I'd like to see all awarded dogs in hard working condition. We aren't yet at the stage where you can only win with a dog that looks as bulky as a Stafford or like tub of lard and I really hope that we aren't headed there. The breed isn't meant to be bulky OR fat. There are some breeds exhibited at a weight I can only describe as "unhealthy".