RuralPug

A quick google tells me that indeed, it used to be over a thousand per year. Since the Port Moresby General Hospital began to treat snakebite victims with anti venom, the annual death toll has dropped to only a couple of hundred a year. The taipan is endemic throughout PNG. It's amazing what you learn on DOL!

Wow!

Once the hair has been lost from colour dilution alopecia, it almost never returns although some have claimed that dietary supplements of fatty acids (specifically Omega 3 & 6 & 9) together with certain hormonal supplements have produced a fine "puppy fluff" covering in the hairless areas. This would need to be overseen by a veterinary specialist so I wouldn't consider it a home remedy. Really the best action to take is to ensure that no skin infections occur and in really severe cases that the bald patches are kept sufficiently moisturised and supple. The severity of the condition will vary from case to case, but if you ensure that no skin irritations, plugged hair follicles etc. occur then CDA, although unsightly, is not a major health problem for the dog. Unfortunately, there have been some immune system problems also found in some breeds where both parents are dilute (blue or fawn etc.) and this can complicate things enormously. This is a separate issue to CDA, and a very sad one.

You can buy these online. Here is one FB site that specialises in bling ones. I'm sure there are others. But why not check with Poodle exhibitors in WA and you might find someone local that makes them? I know that you are handy with a sewing machine so quite probably if you buy one set you could use that for a pattern to add to her wardrobe LOL!

Sad that these items have not been followed up by the authorities in charge of vetting charities. Really their charitable status should be revoked.

Staffies DO get attached to their people and can get destructive or escapist if left alone often, but there are plenty of not so high energy staffies out there. I know nothing much about the Aussie Bulldog as there are too many breeders producing them by quite different methods so I'm not sure that you could firmly establish a temperament. If you have met one that you really like, then find out where that dog came from and try to acquire one from the same source. If you want the actual breed in development you could contact the Australian Bosdog Society who do ensure breed protection. They do say, however, that the breed also craves human attention so I would think that you have the same problem as with the staffy, except that the breed don 't have many high energy types among them. If you like the look of a staffy but need a dog that is content to potter around the house and yard when you are not home, perhaps look at the Bull Terrier? Read about them here.

Part of the reason for the price put on a returned dog is to ensure the dedication of purchasers. Same principle as never offer a pet Free to Good Home - it attracts the wrong kind of people. I personally know many breeders who will rehome an older dog for simply the price of desexing to someone they know and trust but would charge a higher fee to a stranger.

Leather leashes with brass fittings are easy enough to buy but I'm guessing the leather isn't going to survive too many salt water dips without a lot of frequent treatment, No one in Australia sells haltis or any other type of head collar with brass fittings to my knowledge. You will either need to shop online in overseas stores or get a saddler near you to sew one up with brass fittings. Either option will not be cheap. But before you go that route - think twice. You may not be able to cope without a halti, but do you really need it for seaside excursions? If you are choosing a halti to stop pulling, there are other ways to achieve calm walking (admittedly they take more effort), or you could use the halti on daily walks out of the water and switch to your ordinary leash when walking at the water's edge or in it. If you choose to use the halti to avoid the neck restriction of a collar then I would suggest a harness instead. These are available in Australia with brass fittings, although you will find them very expensive compared with nickel fitted harnesses. There is another option - buy equipment with nickel fittings and each day before entering the ocean, spray the nickel fittings with fish oil or WD-40, then after they have been exposed to sea water, rinse the fittings with plain water and dry with a hair dryer.

@gillybob it is high. Just got my renewal notice for this coming year. I need to pay $21.80 for each dog I have here (I am a DogsVic member, and a pensioner, and of course the fosters are all desexed but my showdogs are entire) so looks like the basic rate has increased again this year. Even so, my Shire is a very long way off having one of the most expensive registration fees in Victoria! City of Casey (just South of Melbourne) is $190 annually. There may be higher fees elsewhere of which I don't know.)

In Victoria, registration is renewed yearly. Different councils and shires have different fees. but State law requires that there is to be a 50% discount (minimum) for desexed dogs and cats and for pets owned by members of Approved Organistions (such as DogsVic and some Cat registries.) There has been legislation passed recently that foster carers registered with council will have low short term rates for dogs in care, which will help the rescues immensely as there have been occasions where council registration has been held by State courts to be proof of ownership and animals have been more or less stolen from rescues by there foster carers. It is great to have the new system where it will be obvious to a judge which pets are being fostered and which are fully owned. In my rural shire, the basic annual fees for last year were: Group 1 Fee: $123.00  Any dog or cat not described under Group 2  Any Dangerous, Menacing, or Restricted breed dog Group 2 Fee: $42.00  Dogs used for working stock  Any animal over the age of 10 years  Any animal which has been desexed (Proof required)  Any animal approved with an approved organization such as VCA, FCC, CFA, etc  Animals kept for commercial breeding Dogs who have completed obedience training with an Approved Obedience Training Organisation below (Proof required):  Australian Association of Professional Dog Trainers Inc.  The Gentle Dog Trainers Association Inc.  Dogs Victoria Four Paws K9 Training A discount of 50% is available to eligible persons on presentation of a Pensioner Concession Card, Veteran’s Affairs Card or Veteran’s Affairs War Widow Card. Health Care Cards are not accepted. My shire will give the 50% pensioner discount after the fee. so for instance a desexed dog will cost a pensioner $21 per year. Edited to add that councils are not permitted, by law, to newly register a dog that has not been microchipped, Since by law, all dogs and cats must be registered microchipping is compulsory. There may be a very few elderly dogs that may have been registered before this law came in (2001) that were registered before then and have continued to be registered in the same council for all those years, but I wouldn't think there would be too many.

They don't have to be apart, just safely separated except for those times you can active;y supervise them together. An indoor puppy pen with a crate attached, as Tassie suggested, is a fantastic way, to let them share their people without getting on each other's last nerve while the puppy is in training. While he finds annoying another dog to be more rewarding than coming when called he isn't yet really trained. I agree that scolding or yelling will not encourage the bond you really need so that your pup consistently comes when called. Coming to you when called should be a great thing for him, always to be praised and rewarded. Some dogs prefer treats, others thing 30 seconds of tug with their person is the best thing in the world.' Time out' is fine, especially if the humans involved are really frustrated but first you have to teach him that his safe place is a comfy secure place so that time out is not a punishment but just a chance to calm down - it is important that time out ends once puppy is calm or sooner. The "BAH" in my opinion does not need to be yelled it should be muttered in a tone of disgust with hammed up body language to show that you disapprove of what he is doing right at the moment. It gets their attention, so that they stop, which gives you the chance to praise them for stopping and to step in, for instance, to trade the forbidden chew item for one of his toys. Tassie is exactly correct in explaining that you need to set him up for success. Five minutes training and five minutes playing a couple of times a day plus daily walks where he can watch (on leash) all sorts of things and in a month or two he will be a completely different pup.

They are certainly not going to become best buddies overnight. Best thing is to keep them separated unless you are CLOSELY supervising. The old dog is not teaching aggression but the pup is not backing off when he should, it's up to you to teach him. You need to actively socialise the staffy pup in all sorts of situations and at the same time, give him some basic training so that you can recall him away from dogs that find him annoying. It's not fair on any dog to be annoyed by another, but especially for a senior. It's up to you to work with the pup, give him plenty of toys, and more importantly, train him NOT to pester other dogs who don't appreciate his play style. He hasn't learned that, so you must train him to come when called before you let him loose on any other dog. Some dogs will like his play style but others will not so unless you have good recall things can escalate if he doesn't back off when another dog doesn't want to play, You can see that problems have arisen because the older dog wasn't socialised properly - you need to make every effort to socialise the pup. This will involve taking him out on a daily basis where he can watch people and other dogs plus a few minutes basic training on sit.stay.come every day and a play session (tug or fetch, whatever you both enjoy) at the end

Mostly I will oil the blades while they are attached to the running clipper so the oil is distributed properly - nothing worse than an over-oiled blade making the coat greasy!

Ecoworx (available online, not through stores) is safe for hardwood floors and is an enzyme cleaner that is great for cleaning up puppy accidents. You can also use it to clean almost anything - including ovens!

I don't know if there is any genetic testing available for OCD in rear legs in Australia. If there isn't, and the breeder has had no prior incidents of it, then they cannot be held responsible in my view, especially if there is an environmental component. But any good breeder would certainly want to know that this has occurred so that they can take extra steps to avoid any future occurrence in planned litters.

Isn't it unusual for a predator to hunt and eat another predator? I know that coyotes will take and eat small dogs but I thought that was because when they live near cities there is not a great deal of their natural prey about. Reading just the headlines I thought that the leopards must be just killing the dogs but the article definitely says that dogs make up 40% of their diet, which is a lot.

I can sympathise with that. Borders are a breed where prior knowledge is a HUGE plus, and I think that most Border breeders, all else being equal, would favour someone who knows the breed over someone who just likes the look of them. In fact I would go as far as to say that most Border breeders are very quick to say so if they think that the breed won't suit you. Add no prior experience to having children under 5 and you would have quite a huge undertaking to successfully integrate the pup into the family. Borders are certainly NOT the only breed to which this would apply, I'm sure that most of us can think of several others. I'm sure that it can and has been done, but it takes a great deal of effort and time where another breed could integrate much more easily. Just my opinion.

Rubbing alcohol or metho will both disinfect. I run warm water over the blades to loosen any fine hair then use the blade cleaning brush (or an old toothbrush will work). Once they are hair free I hold them in front of the dryer for a few minutes until they are completely dry, then dip them in metho and let that dry naturally.

Looks pretty much pure tibbie - I think Denise from Paws might take from Blacktown Pound? @juice would probably know for sure. Just checked the listing and it is gone so hopefully she already has him.

Kids and dogs scare us so much!!

I had a dog who kept getting myoblastomas (not sure of spelling) and they looked similar. As long as we caught them early and removed them it wasn't a problem (except for the wallet LOL). But it might be something different. Let us know how you go st the vets.

He is banging to get you to notice him if the sit doesn't get quick enough results for his liking. Maybe put a puppy pen or something around the door to break him of the habit? A nuisance because you have to open door AND puppy pen to let them in, but that could actually reinforce the sit. Take the puppy pen away after a week, if he resumes the knocking put it back. Rinse and repeat. I'm not sure what you mean about helmets, we used to paint eyes on them to stop magpies from swooping but I can't see how that would apply here!

Three widely differing breed temperaments there. I would suggest, that if you are close to Perth or another large city that you attend some of the all breed dog shows and actually meet a fair few examples of each breed before you finalise your choice of breed. If you can't do that then start looking at the Dogs 101 section of this forum where breeders and owners discuss the breeds they know well. Cocker Spaniel 101 Cavalier King Charles 101 Sorry I looked carefully but couldn't find a Dogs 101 for the Border Terrier, surprisingly. @Troy could you please start a 101 for the Border Terrier? Then I suggest you research medical conditions that may be likely to affect your chosen breed and if those conditions can be selected against by breeders using testing before breeding. Obviously then you choose breeders who actively do such testing and are quite happy to prove that.

Your boy looks very healthy. I couldn't really compare his size in the pictures as there was nothing for me to scale him against, but I do agree that many of the uninformed public seem to think that Amstaffs should be Rottweiler size (which of course they should not) and that SBTs should be labrador size (again that is far far too big for that breed). There seem to me to be a lot of so-called "Amstaffs" which have some mastiff breed mixed in and are more BullArab type and a lot of the "big" so-called staffys are really Amstaff X SBTs. It is the curse of the "staffy " name being used as a type as well as a particular breed and I can see how that can confuse the general public. So if your boy is going to end up in the correct height/weight range for an Amstaff just be proud of him and don't worry about what the uninformed say.

Oh the joy of two females vying for boss female. In the old days we would say that two alpha females cannot live together but now with positive reinforcement you can train them to be respectful of each other, although it does take time and commitment. Your newfy pup is just at the age where she is starting to assert herself and because of the size and weight difference your older girl is not as able to put the pup in her place as she would like. You can work with a competent behaviourist to train them to tolerate each other at your order, but meanwhile I would keep them separated and only them them interact when both are firmly leashed apart so that one cannot leap upon the other.