RuralPug

So has Oscar had this problem before? Is it seasonal? Does he respond to antihistamines? What have you tried so far? What has your vet said about it?

Usually what you need is an owner trainer, not a dog trainer! (Apologies, couldn't resist!) I hope you get a good recommendation.

GSDs are wonderful dogs but need very dedicated owners. Not sure what your previous breed or mix of breeds was that chased the chooks and cats but the worry is that you were not able to train that dog not to chase them. So I think you need to look at a breed that is fairly easy to train, you might want to think about a GSD later in life after you have had success training another breed. Most large breeds are slow maturing, often that means they might not get out of the naughty teenage stage until they are 2 or 3 or more, of course the more effort you put into training (and learning how to train) the happier you and the dog will be - not to mention the chooks and cats. Weekly sessions at the local obedience club or group sessions with a private trainer, whichever suits you, plus daily sessions on your own are the best best way to learn training. Choose a breed (you might want to consider a lab or golden or a standard poodle) and find yourself a breeder who is willing to help you by picking out a puppy with the right temperament not to chase! You might need to wait six months or a year for the right pup, but it will be worth it. I second DATM's comment about thinking hard about where you will be in a few years time; in ten years time; in 15 years time etc. because getting a pup is a 15 year commitment.

Basically, yes, as others have said, a thorough vet check before you make any decisions. It is good that you are seriously considering PTS as she is obviously a very unhappy little girl to be so upset by sudden movement etc. You just need to check that there isn't a treatment option before you take that final step. I would be considering a muzzle in the meantime, if you can find one small enough.

More facts @moosmum plus a bit of opinion from me as well this time. Anyone with a cross bred or mixed breed dog may register that dog as an Associate or on the Sporting Register with the ANKC bodies and have been doing so for many, many years. Some of the most heavily titled dogs in ANKC performance are non-pedigrees. Associate dogs can and do compete in every activity except conformation and they are out there every week. Only desexed dogs are permitted to join the Associate Register but there are plenty of them. And their owners are members and are catered for by the ANKC. There are also established pathways to developing new breeds and having them accepted by the ANKC and other kennel clubs worldwide- look at the Tenterfield Terrier, for one recent example. The White Swiss Shepherd, for another. There a number of breeds in development registers with the ANKC currently - some may "make the grade" and be accepted into the pedigree world, others, without a dedicated crew of breeders who agree with each other on the type and standard to be produced, will schism and remain non pedigree. And that is not good enough for you? You want cross breeders to cross breed INSIDE an organisation dedicated to purebreds? An organisation that you ranted has totally ruined dogs? You think it will magically give cross breeders the the pride and sense of belonging so that they will suddenly breed ethically - which you claim the pedigree breeders aren't doing anyway? By joining an organisation that you have just ranted has totally ruined dogs by unethical breeding? (You see the opinions there?) You can't have it both ways. Either the pedigree system is worthy of being joined or it isn't. If it is worthy of joining then its own standards are worthy of being upheld and not diluted. You seem to think that if cross breeders are permitted to rub shoulders with pedigree breeder in that fashion they will absorb higher ethics and breed better dogs - but what if the opposite should happen and the ethical pedigree breeders sink to the level of the non-health testing non puppy culture cross breeders? Consider that. The fact is that there is absolutely nothing to stop those who wish to crossbreed from breeding ethically NOW - the science is readily available to all. Whether or not the vast majority of cross breeders do so is their own choice. They don't need to join the pedigree world in order to become ethical. If they want to breed pedigree dogs they are welcome to join. Those who prefer to cross breed or breed unpapered purebreds have a choice of several organisations to join. In my opinion it is the role of those organisations to inculcate ethics in their members. The ANKC accepts non pedigrees in all of its areas except conformation showing and pedigree breeding for the simple reason that those two areas require standards - but breeding is the area that you want the standards NOT to be in? We will definitely have to agree to disagree on that.

There have been a few come into this country as family pets over the years, but I'm not aware of any breeding program. They are not currently recognised by the ANKC and their working style is apparently not really suited to Australian conditions (or because they are too big for quad? who knows). A few years back I remember there was a breeder in NZ, DogsNZ does recognise them, I'm not sure if they are still being bred there, but you could contact DogsNZ and ask if any are currently registered.

I'm not quite sure that I entirely understand your rant @moosmum but you appear to be blaming the historical kennel clubs for all the dog problems you can think of, which ,if true, strikes me as quite unfair to a group dedicated to overseeing a fancy. So let me attempt, in the interest of fair play, defend what you seem to consider indefensible. The kennel clubs have for the past century or so, had the job of overseeing pedigree dogs. These days they are all amalgamated into state bodies joined into the ANKC. Historically, in this country, pedigreed dogs have fluctuated between 15% and 5% of the dog population over the last seventy plus years. The other 85 - 95% of dogs have never been pedigreed. Some of those are certainly purebred,. the vast majority are not and never have been. The ANKC only has control over its own members who keep and/or breed pedigree dogs or desexed non-pedigree dogs that compete in various dog sports. It has no control over breeders producing racing greyhounds, or breeders producing dogs via the various working registries. It has no control over commercial breeders that are not members. It has no control over non-commercial breeders that are not members. It has no control over anyone who is not a member. Since action has become necessary to regulate dogs in the community, the kennel clubs , along with the greyhound industry and working dog registries, have convinced various governments that their members value their dogs so highly that they do not allow them to become nuisances and thus in most states they have concessions with regard to licenses, registrations etc. These concessions have only ever applied to bona fide members of the above groups. None of these groups have ever claimed to represent anyone but their members. The vast majority of dog owners in this country are not members. The vast majority of dogs bred are not produced by members. The only funds available to the ANKC are from its members, who are mostly ordinary Australians enjoying their various forms of dog sports, including conformation showing, obedience trialling, tracking, retrieving, agility etc. etc. Until very recent times, the animal welfare groups were the ones that governments turned to for advice on pet regulation. In many cases large sums of money have been given by governments to those animal welfare groups with the aim of community education. If any kennel clubs or the other groups that have gained concessions for their members have managed to snag any grants for community education it would comparatively be minuscule amounts. In recent decades, the huge marketing expenditures by Animal Rights organisations who aim to completely eradicate animal/human interactions of any kind, and raise donations (in the name of animal welfare) to decry all breeders have definitely affected public perception. And yet @moosmum you appear to blame the kennel clubs for the lack of understanding on the part of puppy buyers who purchase from puppy farms or BYBs. It's a bit like blaming the cat fancy for all the feral and stray cats in the country. Or blaming AFL or Rugby Union for all the overweight children in the country. If the ANKC can be said to have failed anyone, that would be its own members, not the country as a whole. I get that you don't like the dog fancy - that comes across very clearly. You are entitled to your opinion (although it is actually a bit odd on a forum which is actually dedicated to and all about the dog fancy LOL). Had your rant been on a private forum, I would just have ignored it. However, it is on a public forum, and therefore the public deserve a few facts to consider.

This article is definitely worth sharing - for all those who let their dogs run loose and yell "It's ok - he's friendly!" when they run up, uncontrolled to a stranger. http://blog.theanimalrescuesite.com/huskies-hatch/?utm_source=ars-share&utm_medium=social-fb&utm_campaign=huskies-hatch&utm_content=share Article content reads: My dad lives in downtown Vancouver and he owns one of “those” dogs. You know, the kind you fear passing as a dog owner. The kind that looks like it’s about to snap at any moment and lunge out to try to bite your dog. For our stories sake, it could be any number of breeds, all of whom have a bad rep, but just to make matters worse, she IS a pitbull… not just “kind of looks like a pitbull” and gets lumped in with them, is one. Her name is Isla and she’s a rescue. Now, there’s a million stories out there where pitbull are lovely, warm, affectionate pets who get along well with other dogs. This isn’t one of them. Isla hates dogs. And being that she’s a rescue, it’s impossible to know exactly where that came from. It’s a good thing my dad’s stubborn. He’s gone above and beyond to rehabilitate her: he takes her to training twice a week, dog therapy, swimming therapy. He works hard, harder than most dog owners at putting measures in place to make sure she stays safe. That other dogs are safe FROM her. She’s NEVER off leash, she’s always under control and he’s learned countless ways to shift negative behaviors and refocus her when she’s walked to avoid conflict. And just so you don’t think we’re completely biased, we haven’t always been supportive of his bizarre decision to get a high maintenance dog at 55. We (his children) owned 6 dogs between us that all played well in a group without a lot of supervision, so the addition of this wildcard wasn’t a popular choice. She STILL can’t be around a lot of those dogs, which creates all sorts of challenging situations at family functions. BUT, here’s the thing… meet this dog for 5 minutes and you know she really does deserve another chance, a real chance, a – pardon the pun – fighting chance. And that’s what he’s fought to give her. And then there’s you. Cesar Milan. I get that you’re really proud of the fact that you got your dog as a puppy, trained it to “sit”, maybe even “stay”, and (loosely) “come” and now you feel like the dog whisperer reincarnate. You must consider yourself quite the success given ALL the obstacles you’ve had to overcome. And oh, what an animal lover. But I just don’t GET you. I really don’t. If you really loved animals, your animal, the way you claim to by training them to “sort of” heel, you’d respect it enough to have it on leash. You’d respect my dad’s dog enough to not put it in a situation where IT might hurt your dog and be put to sleep. Now, I’m not talking about dog-designated beaches, or off leash dog parks, my dad wouldn’t DREAM of taking Isla there (that’s ALL your domain), I’m talking about the downtown core, where tight sidewalks already demand a certain amount of respect for pedestrians and other dogs alike. But, not you. There YOU are weaving your way through busy sidewalks with your dog several meters ahead of you, completely free to do as it will. And to add insult to injury, when it approaches my dad and Isla and he asks you to get your dog under control, you try to justify your position and then pick a fight with him. MY DAD?! The only person who is actually concerned about your dogs safety at the moment? YOU and the so many people LIKE you are the reason that dogs get put to sleep. And you’re not in short supply. “Mine’s friendly.” That comment, the absolution and stupidity of it makes me want to slap people. I own three dogs who DO like other dogs, and when someone yells that at me while their dog charges at mine who are on leash, I seriously question whether they should own pets. Con-grat-u-f$&#-ing-lations. You sort of respect animals… …just not enough to respect the fact that not all had great upbringings and socialization and that you’re putting both yours and theirs at risk by wanting to prove what a hero you are. “Why is it my fault that you can’t control your dog?!” So what you’re saying is that all dogs that show any kind of adverse behavior should be rounded up and put to sleep?! They shouldn’t be allowed to walk down a street or path, where the rules are that dogs be ON leash without having you break the rules and claim it’s their fault?! I can’t believe that all the dog lovers out there actually think that way, especially when they plaster their Facebook with all the sad cases of the dogs the want your help to find homes for. My dad TOOK one of those dogs. And he fights for her daily. So I’ll just say this… I’ll never meet you Cesar, but to all the people LIKE you, who go home with tales of the obnoxious dogs that tried to hurt their babies who were “off leash minding their own business,” you are NOT the good guys. And to all the people like my dad, who are just trying to give dogs like Isla a second chance… I know it’s a struggle, but it’s worth it. (This goes without saying, but the reverse of this scenario is also true. Aggressive dogs should ALWAYS be leashed.)

There is an agreement that all microchip registries have to avoid fraud. Whenever details are being added to a registry for the first time they can only be added by a registered implanter - almost all vets are registered to do this and in some states, private individuals can undertake a course and be registered too. Once the chip is on the registry , then the owner can alter details etc.

The short version is: give her her own spot where she is allowed to dig. Praise her for digging there. Each time you see her digging elsewhere, go to her (don't call her to you) and then take her to her own digging spot and encourage her to dig there. Burying treats in her own digging spot is a good way to encourage her to use her own spot.

I agree that teething is a time when ears can go haywire. Most times they revert to pre-teething shape, but sometimes they don't. The best way to learn to tape is to take your pup to a breeder/exhibitor near you and learn from them the first time. If that is not possible, there are a heap of videos on you tube. LOL get some else to hold a treat for the pup to chew or lick while you are taping his ears - if he tears the tape off afterwards it is probably because it is too tight. Tape should be on firmly but not tightly. Leave tape on for a few days, then off for a few days.

OK I wrote a whole essay which disappeared somehow into the ether when a cat walked across my keyboard!! So instead of explaining (again! )why I don't think that any of the breeds you listed are the very best match I'll just state the breed that seemed to me to your best match. Tibetan Spaniel. Do a bit of research on this breed. You can start right here on Dogzonline by reading the entry on Tibbies in Breeds 101 and then look at the breed profiles and breeder pages. Then you can google for independent reviews of the breed. I see you are in Victoria where there is a very strong breed club. There is also a quite strong online Tibbie group Australia wide of which I am sure forum member @mita can give you all the details (plus worldwide groups I'm sure LOL) if you wish to find out more about this delightful cat monkey breed. I suspect that you may well join the ranks of Tibbie tragics as fans call themselves. .

Yes. Their goal is to commercially breed dogs without having to get a Domestic Animal Business permit from councils which will mean inspections and rules etc. which they don't want. They whinge because Applicable Organisation members (e.g.DogsVic and the Working Dog Council, the various Cat Councils etc.) are currently allowed up to 10 entire animals before they need a DAB and those who are not members of an AO can only have 3 entires before needing to register. as a DAB (if I have that correct). Their other whinge was that those councils who enforce compulsory desexing UNLESS the dog is registered with an AO would stamp out BYB and small time designer dog breeders. Oh! Woe! they cry. (The big ones - commercial puppy farms - already have DABs). Thus they are trying to set up their very own AO so they can continue to "supply pets to the public." . This could be good because IF they are held to similar Codes of Ethics as the existing AOs they will have to take responsibility for the health testing of parents and to support puppy buyers and to socialise puppies properly etc. I really don't think that the people behind it are going to convince The Minister that they will enforce a Code of Ethics though as the existing AOs had to fight very hard to keep theirs in Victoria (in cats, dogs and cage birds). But it would be good for puppy buyers if the organisation would enforce a code of ethics so that all "pet puppies" from BYBs were ethically bred.

I have had many fosters here, plus cats. Even some of my own dogs will chase new cats that run, they think it is part of a game. My house is divided by gates into areas where the dogs can't go and the cats can, so those cats that don't mind dogs have the run of the whole house, and the cats who are timid and allow themselves to be chased stay out of the dog zones. Thus it is easy for me to see if a new rescue needs to go into a cat-free foster home or can be fostered with a cat. My advice to you would be to avoid young pups and adolescents, as these will always want to join in your cat's game, which will terrify the cat due to her bad experience. Choose a dog that is three or four years old at least, and wait for one that is good with timid cats - they are out there, often having been surrendered from a home where they lived with cats. Only consider rescues where the dogs are fostered out, as obviously dogs in pounds, shelters or kennels can rarely, if ever, display their ability to live calmly with cats. Contact as many groups as you can that foster (you can find groups on PetRescue in your area) and email them telling them all you have above plus the state of your fences, where the dog would live (indoors or outdoors) etc. and ask them if they have a suitable candidate for you to trial. Do keep a record of each one, so that you can advice them when you have a dog to trial and later, when you have found the perfect match, that you are no longer looking.

Since my mother passed on, I've been waiting for an Australian Terrier which was her first ever breed. One litter just didn't happen, I was referred to another breeder who didn't know me and was reluctant, so I decided to wait on the first breeder. In the meantime I lucked into a litter of a breed my mother almost went into, but there weren't any in Australia at that time, and she was looking into import from NZ which fell though and she turned to another breed. Now that I have an English Toy Terrier (Black and Tan) I am hooked - they are the naughtiest, cleverest and most adorable small dogs I have ever had! I still want an Australian Terrier, as a memorial to my late Mum, but I will never ever regret the diversion and choosing a different memorial in the mean time, so I am content to wait a few more years.

It is not rude to ask for more information, (as long as you don't email daily!!)however if the breeder is not online, it might require a family member to visit the breeder's home and take photos to be uploaded, which might take some organising. Perhaps you could resolve a lot of your worries if you had the breeder's phone number and could speak with them directly? Sire being from another breeder is not at all unusual, put the stud owners rarely have direct contact with puppy buyers and may not know what you want to find out.

Swampy has grown into the most stunning Staghound type!

They had waited far too long and with too many incidents, there very probably was no alternative by that time. I suspect that if the owners had not had a pregnancy they would just have continued on until a far worse event happened. I do agree with multiple vet, vet behaviourist etc consults when such behavior first starts. At the end, they still didn't know why, which is possibly the saddest thing of all.

I use nappy bags as well, but choose biodegradable ones (don't ask me why they make biodegradable bags for nappies that are not biodegradable!). They are much stronger than poop bags and only a few cents dearer. I buy them only on special which makes them good value.

I agree with the other posters - your boy is not going to enjoy random dog parks. If there are off leash areas where there is heaps of room to avoid other dogs, then use those. Or visit like minded friends with a large yard where your boy and their dog can safely run free, together or ignoring each other as they wish. But most days I would stick to your on leash walks.

It does seem a different way to go about things. I'm presuming that the rescue does actually pull dogs from the pound before it finalises the adoption otherwise the would be adopter could go straight to the pound. I've no idea if that rescue gives support to new adopters or takes the dog back if needed - those things would be an improvement on a direct pound/shelter adoption.

That just sounds weird. EDITED TO ADD: Okay on the rescue's page at PetRescue they state: " was founded in 2016 to help promote dogs currently in Hawkesbury Companion Animal Shelter." So it looks to me like they pull from the pound when a firm adoption query is made but not before. And comparing their adoption fee with the pound itself, they are actually slightly cheaper than adopting straight from the pound plus you get to meet the pet with your current pets before adoption (I don't know if the pound does that). My personal preference is to have pound dogs fostered for at least a few weeks in a family home before being adopted out as I think you can match dogs and homes better, but there is no law saying it has to be that way. It is all upfront as long as you read the rescue's page.

Ah ok, so they are not pretending that the dog is anywhere else, but what you are saying is that you have knowledge of the pound's adoption procedures and they are not strict at all?

OK so you are confident with the breeder (I probably wouldn't be, but I'm not you). You do need to know that sometimes flat faced, drop eared dogs can have problems with other dogs being unable to read their expressions. The mere fact that eyes are placed facing forward in a brachy breed can be interpreted as a hostile stare to a dog that has eyes on either side of the head. You quite probably have noticed some dogs appearing to take offence at the mere existence of your partner's dog. The good news is that you are getting your staffy pup at an age when she is still learning to interpret dog stances and facial expressions. So if you take the time to carefully socialise your pup with many different dog types (NOT at a random dog park but in carefully monitored situations with your friends and neighbours dogs) then you won't have any problems with your staffy not getting on with other dogs. In a nutshell, if you take the time to train her correctly, you shouldn't have any problems.

That seems particularly shoddy - listing a dog that is not in their care. I have no problems with a rescue sharing a dog that is in a pound, it might get that dog adopted even though they have no space for it; or sometimes rescues will list an impounded dog in the hope of attracting a foster home, so that they can take it from the pound. In either case it should be made quite clear that the dog is in the pound, and not safe with the rescue.