Debyork2

We don't actually have any sheep, our place is surrounded by a huge property(my OH works for them)and they have sheep-some of the rams are worth many thousands of $'s-wouldn't want a dog upsetting them!! They have lots of working dogs-some look pure Kelpie and some a mixture-probably Border Collie mixes, being a softy I feel a bit sorry for them as they live most of their lives penned up but they seem happy enough-they are very obedient, I love the way they pile on to the back of the Quad bikes . I thought of a Springer but call me shallow and old fashioned-I just can't get used to long tails. Our actual fenced yard is burr & grass seed free, it would just be a matter of keeping an eye out for grass seeds after walks.

Thanks everyone...it really does help to have input from owners of other breeds, I think by process of elimination I'm really down to Whippet or English Setter, OH is very keen on Whippets! I am just too concerned about an Aussie with the backyard birds! I remember one of my Mum's Danes used to share her bones with the chooks but one day a particularly stupid chicken got into a panic about something and took off squawking-the Dane chased it and caught it, and would have killed it if we hadn't been there, so I don't think any dog is really 100% safe with chooks. I don't want to start off with a breed with a high prey drive and have to always be trying to keep a lid on it-I'd rather have a breed that is not naturally inclined to chase and kill things and gently discourage any signs of bird chasing. So will do further research on both breeds-might trot off to some shows and have a look around, and once again thanks everyone .

I did actually consider an Aussie as I have known a few and as you say they are great little dogs-very underrated, the only thing is the chook issue, we also have Guinea Fowl that wander around the garden...they are great early warning systems for snakes so I like to encourage them! I am definately going to keep aussies in mind tho, as in all other regards they fit the bill.

That's what I thought...I'm quite happy, in fact I am looking forward to having a dog that enjoys being taken for walks but I'm not sure I could provide the level of activity that they need...better to err on the side of caution I think!

Thanks everyone...some breeds that hadn't occured to me there! Liz T.....I had a Chi (technically he was my daughters but became mine by default when she couldn't take him when she left home) and a Yorkie, my mother always had Danes & altho' I will always love Danes they just take up too much room on the bed! None of our traditional 'family' dogs seem really suitable...had quite a few Terriers in the family when I was young but they nearly all had unwholesome thoughts about chickens and small fluffy animals , some breeds I had thought of but have absolutely no firsthand experience with are the various Setters (always lusted after an English Setter when I was a teenager), Whippets, did think of a Poodle but my husband isn't keen on them..or any of the Retrievers as he was bitten on the bum by a Golden when he was a teenager and was deeply traumatised(more by having to bare his bum to the nurse than the actual bite, I think! ) My son's ex girlfriend had a pair of Viszla's...gorgeous dogs but maybe a bit too active and full on for me, having said that hers lived in a unit and probably didn't get enough exercise or company as she worked most days.

Having lost both my very elderly dogs some months ago I am now starting to feel able to think about getting a new dog-a dogless life is not for me! Both my previous dogs were toy breeds and altho' I like little dogs I have no preference for size-tho' perhaps not a giant breed, purely for practical reasons. Have had experience with all sizes of dogs-growing up in a doggy family, so, in this case size really isn't important. I would like a breed that is tolerant of other animals-I have 3 cats and the property I live on has sheep, horses, chickens etc..., also tolerant of small children, have no resident children but small children are frequent visitors and my old dogs weren't at all tolerant even tho' the kids were well versed in 'doggy etiquette'. Long or short coated isn't important tho', if I'm honest, I would prefer a dog that doesn't shed bucketloads of hair. What can I offer a dog? I don't work so apart from rare occasions when he/she couldn't come with me it wouldn't be alone at all, limitless opportunities for walks-off and on lead, secure fenced yard, he/she would be an indoor dog, I would probably show him/her...used to show dogs many years ago and now human children have flown the coop would like to get back into it. Obviously I want to get this right so am in the 'research' phase ATM and thought DOL'ers may come up with some breeds that I haven't, as yet, given any thought. Thanks in advance for any ideas!

I think it's perfectly reasonable to dislike an individual dog-after all we aren't expected to like all members of our own species are we? I worked as a groomer for some time and some of the dogs that came in were not at all likeable. I do think it's a bit unfair to say you don't like any small dogs or terriers etc-bit like saying you don't like an entire race of people!

Many years ago when my parents lived in West Africa they unwittingly drove thru' a village that for some reason was all stirred up-the villagers were all off the planet on palm wine. The villagers completely surrounded the car and started rocking it at which point my Mums Great Dane woke up (she had been asleep on the back seat)stuck her head out the window and started giving those deep Dane barks and growls-the crowd fell back just enough to allow my Dad to get the hell out of there-my Mum was convinced that the dog saved their lives that day. Normally the Africans were very friendly but, like all drunken mobs the potential for violence was very high.

Has anyone taken cats? We are moving to Tassie and will have three cats with us-I'm thinking they may be better off in the car in their crates. Or maybe the Spirit has a separate area for cats. When we travelled over to the mainland on one of the old boats I seem to remember cats being in the kennels alongside the dogs. My cats are used to dogs but, like most cats, aren't keen on strange dogs!

Many years ago my mum had to have the rabies vaccination-my parents lived in West Africa at the time & the little dog they had developed rabies symptoms-terrified of water etc (hence its other common name 'hydrophobia'), the dog was put to sleep and her brain sent for analysis. After an anxious wait the telegram came back that the dog did indeed have rabies, my mum was about 6 months pregnant and had to have daily injections into her abdomen-think it was for about a week, the Dr. used to give her a stiff shot of brandy! My dad wasn't as lucky and just had to tough it out. The little dog must have been nipped by something, she was a 'Canary Island Dog', something like a Maltese. Not a pleasant experience, this took place in the fifties so treatment may be better now!

Attitudes have changed enormously over the years, 30 or more years ago my mother had a Silky X Pom-a gorgeous dog and really close to the 'perfect' dog, perfect temperament, very intelligent and robust & healthy. Every year she had an 'appointment' with the Aussie Terrier down the road and had a litter of equally gorgeous puppies, these pups were raised with much love and attention and then went off to their new homes-my Mum had a huge waiting list for them and lots of people never got one-mum was fussy about who adopted the 'kids'. If memory serves mum's girl had about four litters and lived a long and happy life, much adored by the whole family. Now, no one thought there was anything wrong with this in those days, and I, like other posters don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with crossbreeds even tho' I have only had purebreds for the last 30 or so years. I worked in the grooming industry for some time and a large proportion of the dogs that came in were the ubiquitous fluffy crossbred and quite honestly they weren't any better or worse health & temperament wise than the purebreds that came in. When it all boils down it's the owners that are the problem-it doesn't matter how much or how little people pay for a puppy, there will always be people that neglect & discard dogs-irrespective of them being crossbreds or purebreds, there will always be people who breed litters of pups for all the wrong reasons (not just the BYB's either!), I know I am going to be extremely unpopular for saying this but I think the way puppies are raised is more important than if they are purebred or crossbred-I would rather have a crossbred that was from a much loved family pet, from a litter that was showered with attention than purebred that was raised in a more 'clinical' way. I have had dogs from very well respected breeders that, quite frankly, your average pet owner just wouldn't be able to live with. I am in no way advocating the breeding of crossbred dogs-or condoning the selling of very young puppies-I just don't think it is quite fair to label everyone who breeds a litter of crossbreds as an unscrupulous, money hungry, ignoramous.

I lost both my elderly dogs (one 15 and the other 16) within 3 weeks of each other ....they had been together all their adult lives and after the old girl died the old boy obviously missed her dreadfully-he was deaf and blind and she was his 'rock', he took to howling at night-something he had never done in his life but they had always slept together, we did our best to comfort him & took him in bed with us but he just lost the will to live I think, very sad. House seems very strange without them and I am still coming to terms with it-first time in 43 years that I have lived in a house with no dogs. Best of luck and thoughts to everyone with old dogs... and those comforting a grieving dog...hopefully there's a doggy heaven up there!

My thoughts exactly!! My first husband wasn't an animal lover-consequently he didn't last long . Husband number two( coming up to 24th wedding anniversary) is as the quoted poster said 'on the same page'. I don't get the whole 'not allowed' thing either.....being 'not allowed' to do something should stop when we reach adulthood! My OH recently buried my beloved old 15 year old dog with much tenderness & care.........good ones are worth waiting for! No two people can be exactly alike Debyork; as so far as not getting the "not allowed" factor.....well, is that to say that one should consider oneself a "free agent" when in a relationship and go about doing what one wants irrespective of how the other feels? Showing a little consideration goes a long way, being selfish and expecting to have one's way in all facets of a relationship is definitely not the way to go....Yes, I do wish I was allowed to have more than 2-3 dogs in the house, ideally I would love to have 4 dogs at any one time.....not any more than that at one time though, my OH prefers I stick to the 2-3 dog margin, this does not mean that our marriage is dysfunctional, far from it. There is one thing or two about him that I wasn't too happy about and he was obliging so it isn't a one way street here at all. :D I didn't mean to imply that if you are in a relationship that your partners feelings should be totally disregarded-I just don't think that men (or women, for that matter) should have the right to tell their partner that they are not 'allowed' to do something-especially something as harmless as letting a dog inside, fine to discuss something & come to a mutual compromise-but not just a summary 'you can't do that', it's all a bit Victorian isn't it?

My thoughts exactly!! My first husband wasn't an animal lover-consequently he didn't last long . Husband number two( coming up to 24th wedding anniversary) is as the quoted poster said 'on the same page'. I don't get the whole 'not allowed' thing either.....being 'not allowed' to do something should stop when we reach adulthood! My OH recently buried my beloved old 15 year old dog with much tenderness & care.........good ones are worth waiting for!

Panadol, if not taken at the correct dosage causes liver damage in humans too-doesn't mean it isn't perfectly safe at the correct dosage, I would be cautious in the use of Panadol for dogs or humans & altho' willing to concede that vets aren't necessarily always right I would presume they would be knowledgable enough to dispense advice via the phone.