Greytmate

No, Sandra 777 is right. Your interpretation is to assume the dogs are thinking like little people. They don't! They think like dogs. Please take resource guarding seriously. Any aggression in dogs needs to be understood properly before it can be modified. Sandra's post was good advice.

Skunk, it is good you are researching before buying. The two breeds you mention though are very different. We can help suggest dog breeds that might suit you, if you tell us some more information about what you want in a dog. Do you want a dog to guard or watch? How much exercise do you want to do each day? How much training each day? What dogs have you had before, and what did you like and dislike about them? The two kennels you have mentioned so far really emphasise the courage, drive and toughness of their dogs. Von Listen have working lines. Working line dogs may be very unsuitable for many people, they can be hard work, so if you can give us some more idea of what you expect the dog to be able to do and how you expect it to act, we can give you much better advice tailored to you specifically.

I have heard that the Hilton hotels are supposed to be dog friendly. (owners love dogs) However health restrictions do mean that dogs cannot be in areas where food is served. No idea if the Hilton is suitable for you, or to what extent they really are dog-friendly, give them a call. I would have thought an outdoor venue with catering would be ok with dogs, and that may give you many more options.

the question was watch dog, not guard. Mine have excellent temperaments and are excellent watch dogs. Anybody can pat them but they bark if someone comes to the house. The question was "What are they like as watch dogs?" Generally they are not good watch dogs compared to most other breeds. One of the main reason why greyhounds are attractive to people in urban areas is that most of them don't tend to bark when people approach the property. Their defence drive isn't strong. Defensive barking can sometimes be a sign of a nervous or unstable temperament. A good watch dog is alert, and most greyhounds don't spend a lot of time on alert. But it is very common for greyhounds to join in barking with other dogs on the property just out of excitement, and they learn the behaviour.

That link should come with a warning. Not safe for sane minds. I couldn't even get to the end. Now, now. Obviously somebody has put a lot of work into that website. Visiting it was an experience I am glad I didn't miss. Have a look at the photos of new owners. The expressions on their faces say it all. *Warning to those offended by photos of rooms decorated in pine panelling.*

Vale Magnus So sorry Jed.

Same in QLD. I think what people don't realise about council investigations and dangerous dog declarations is that there is no opportunity to appeal for mitigation or a second chance. There is no chance to put your side forward and give an argument explaining how your dog was provoked. No opportunity for the full story to come out, and nobody wants to know anyway. It isn't like a human court in any way at all. Vets evidence is accepted without any question. There is no innocent until proven guilty for dogs. No, what happens is that if there is a council complaint from somebody that an unrestrained dog bit theirs, and it can be verified by more than one person that it was your dog, the dog will be declared dangerous. End of story. It goes to show how important it is to prevent your dog having access to strange dogs that it may fight with.

Some greyhounds will guard, but for me it is not a desirable trait in a greyhound. They are not really supposed to show signs of aggression or anxiety towards strange people. A normal greyhound can be approached and patted by anyone. Not to say that greyhounds that guard are not good, but it is not correct temperament for the breed.

As a general rule for dogs living with cats... The more prey driven your dog is, the less playful you ideally want the cat to be. In some dogs there is a very fine line between play and prey. Dogs and cats living together probably communicate with each other a lot better than they do with their owners. You wouldn't want a naturally playful cat to become withdrawn because it learns to avoid doing things that raise the dog's arousal level. You want a good match of cat for the dog's size, drive and temperament. Playing together can be a really good thing for some dogs and cats. But I would totally discourage any sort of play between a large adult dog and a newly introduced cat.

I just had a look at the Andonas Kennels website. Everyone should have a listen to the Andonas Kennels Rap. Andonas Kennels Click on the link and scroll to the right and play the track. Classic!

Thanks for explaining. It sounds very complicated. Who should pay the bill might depend on the circumstances of the fight. If your auntie feels that her dog was completely to blame for the other dogs injuries, I would suggest that you offer them $750, taking into account that other surgery was done at the same time. You may just have to accept that the other dog's injuries are genuine. They do look normal for a dog fight. It isn't the sort of thing that can be easily faked, and the vet's word would stand up in court anyway. Desexing incisions are tiny and very cleanly cut with a scalpel. Where as dog's teeth cause jagged tears that can really make a big mess under the skin. The real danger here is that your auntie's dog will probably be declared dangerous if it is reported, so it might just be easier to pay the bill to keep the other owner happy, and put it down to a bad learning experience. If you try to fight it, the costs may be a lot higher than $800.

Greyhounds are not large. You can fit one in your handbag.

Best you talk to the vet then, not 'rescue people.' Yes, small puncture wounds are better flushed than stitched. Large puncture wounds sometimes need to be stitched. It is a pretty big accusation to make that your vet has done extensive surgery for no reason. Give him the benefit of the doubt and ask him to explain again because your auntie is confused. Talk to the vet about the 'wart'. What was in the lump? Was a biopsy done? In all of my experience, lumps are either surgically removed or just left. Never seen one frozen off. That would be painful for a dog. Like I said before, the vet has saved you money by removing the lump during this surgery. He could have told you to come back and have it done later and he would have made more money. Is there more to this? Is the owner of the dog that bit this dog this trying to dispute the cost? The price and surgery sound quite normal to me, exactly what you would expect from a dog fight.

With puncture wounds, it isn't until the dog is on the table that vets sometimes discover muscle damage underneath that has to be repaired. By the look of that photo, I wouldn't really describe the injury as just a couple of puncture wounds. Possibly there was a bit of ripping and tearing going on as well. Very typical dog bite injury. On dogs' skin, the thick outer layer of skin can be split apart from the inner layer and muscle. It can just sit there though, and you don't know the extent of damage until the vet examines. Sometimes you can feel or hear the extent of damage, it can make a crackly sound. A small hole can have a lot of damage underneath, or a very large gash can have no underlying damage at all. If small areas of poorly attached skin are left on the dog, the skin can go necrotic. So it looks like the vet may have cleaned up a larger area to get a nice clean closure with good blood supply. You would expect if there are two small holes near each other, the skin will have been pulled up in that area, and the skin between the holes needs to be cut away. The repair on the ear looks normal, for that type of surgery, and it is good when vets think to do small cosmetic jobs like that when the dog is under anaesthetic for another reason. Why do you ask? Is it your dog? Are you unhappy with the vet? If you had shown us a 'before' photo, I could have given you some more unqualified opinion.

That chase/run cycle is really dangerous, and it why it is important to get expert help with some dogs. There will be an element of risk regardless. It is possible to reliably assess prey drive in adult dogs, and to introduce a cat while minimising risks. It would be very sad if adult animals were not adopted because of generalisations like that. It is good that the OP has come here to ask about what to do, and she has a fair chance of success with the right cat.

It would all depend on the current level of prey drive your dog has towards cats or kittens. Somebody would have to assess this, and you would go from there. Training is about desensitising, so it is really important that any training is customised to suit the particular dog. Sometimes it is very easy, but sometimes it can be really difficult and you may have to rethink the cat idea. Hopefully your dog will be easy.

I would say it is an individual cat thing more than a breed thing. Your dog will have to be taught that cats are not prey, and a super active breed of cat may make that harder for you, although any kitten is going to be active. I have found that the best cats to teach dogs about respect are confident and solid cats that know how dogs operate, are not fearful, and are experienced in spotting prey drive and not inciting it. In your situation, I would do some work with the sibe before you get the cat. And when you do get a cat, get a rescue adult cat that has been proven to be non-reactive, sensible and has the "You don't mess with me Dog!" attitude. Good cat rescuers get to know their cats and will know which individuals will cope best. It is somewhat instinctive for cats, even tiny kittens, to be aware of an animal showing prey drive towards it. But cats will react in different ways to this.

If people are serious about causing you trouble, they will simply bait the dog. Better to put good surveillance equipment in, and make it physically very hard for people to break in to the premises. And train staff about handling troublemakers before you get to the point where anyone needs protection.

I don't think it is a good idea to let the neighbour know who has a grievance towards them. This isn't and should not be a negotiation or dispute between neighbours like you would have about overhanging trees, or fences causing grievance. The woman is breaking the law. Inform the council and let them sort it, it's their job. If you get involved with this you might find that the neighbour develops a grievance towards you.

I can't really offer any advice, but I do know how you feel. Hope your little dog recovers and you can sort this out.

I wouldn't waste time talking to her again. You have told her once and she hasn't fixed the problem. I would either pick up the little dog and take it to the pound, or call the ranger every time the dog is out. Councils are paid to sort of these problems, don't make it your own problem.

It may be that out of a litter, or out of a number of adult dogs available, some of those dogs are obviously more suited to being left on their own for longer than others. And this information can be only be really known by people that spend a fair amount of time with the dogs that they are selling. People that do care about the temperament they are producing. That is why I always asked potential adopters how many hours a week on average the dog will be left alone. It may have nothing to do with the quality of the dog and everything to do with ensuring the dog will be happy in its home. So by refusing to disclose important information about the way the dog will be kept, you basically exclude all the ethical breeders and rehomers. And you will have to get a dog either from people that already know you, or people that don't care how their dogs will be kept. I would be seriously concerned about the quality of dogs coming from a source that didn't care how long the dog would be left alone for. You can take a stand on your right to privacy all you like, but it will severely restrict the choice of good dogs available to you. Nothing puts ethical dog sellers off than evasive buyers, it really is a red flag. Unless you have an embarrassing job, or maybe you work for Asio, why would you want to hide what you do? You have told the whole internet that you work, why not a dog breeder? I am really having trouble understanding why anyone would be so evasive when buying a dog.

You could be asked to leave, or even removed by security if you refused, because shopping centres are private property and you would expect the management to look after their tenant. On street shops it would depend on what local laws say about pamphlet distribution. But it isn't illegal to put forward your views about pet shops to people if you do it in a polite way.

Maybe a pekingese would be a good choice. They can be quiet. But honestly, if you need a quiet dog, why are you concentrating only on small breeds? You can tell where the small breeds are at a dog show, most of the noisiest dogs are the small dogs. My dogs are extremely quiet, one barked once, yesterday morning for some reason, but aside from that, silent for the last week or so. All the little dogs I know tend to bark much more often than that.

Closest discount desexing to you is AWL Coombabah JJ.