tdierikx

Don't underestimate the quality a "cheap" Tamron lens can give you... they make VERY nice lenses indeed! T.

I just posted the following to the Save Hugo Facebook page... dog, I hope they pay heed if they get him back... Whilst I completely understand the heartache you are feeling about the position Hugo is now in - and I feel strongly for HIM... I'm a little less than impressed with some of the justifications you have put forward for not being able to contain Hugo after you were served with a "Menacing Dog" Order some time ago. As an owner of 4 dogs myself - and having been involved with dog rescue for a number of years - I can't understand why you didn't make an enclosed run for him in the yard, or contain him in the house when you were unable to supervise him and stop him from roaming the streets and scaring the general public by running up to them (be it in a "friendly way" or not). The Menacing Dog order would have come with strict instructions as to how Hugo should have been contained, yet it appears that the family were unable to comply with that containment - and now Hugo will inevitably pay the ultimate price for that non-compliance. It is impossible (and possibly illegal) to simply rehome Hugo to another family who may be able to cater to his needs in a way his current family obviously cannot - as he comes with a Menacing Dog tag - and thusly Hugo will most probably pay for this sorry state of affairs with his life. This is a very hard lesson to learn in dog ownership... and Hugo's owners need to stop making excuses and start taking some responsibility for his predicament, as I can see us all being back at this same point if he's given back to them this time. If he is returned, then for dog's sake bloody well keep him contained or on leash at ALL times - as there will be no second chance after this, OK? Simply moving to acreage "so he can run" is not going to cut it. If he ends up on someone else's property and is upsetting them or their animals, he will simply be shot... no second chances there, and no great Facebook or media campaigns will bring him back from that fate. T.

Now that's a photo that needs printing, framing, and hanging on the wall! T.

I wonder if it could be because the pup in question is blue From the looks of the rest of the litter in the video, there were a few blue ones... I'm a cynic... reckon the whole thing is very suspect. T.

Awesome! T.

If only you were serious about that offer... lol! I'd take a boy in a shot! T.

I use Flickr for my photos... www.flickr.com T.

It doesn't say anything else was stolen - and in the background of the reporter there are a lot of nice coloured pups... why would you take just one? Something sounds suss... T.

You only need that voice for the girls I've found... most of the boys are big sooky la-la's. My last boy (Connor) would actually wee if you raised your voice at him... but we never had to really, as he was such a sweet natured thing... T.

So - if/when I've got room for another Rotti... how the hell do I choose between the wonderful breeders' showing off their scrummy babies here? Do I have to apply for one from each of you? T.

Who steals a 4 day old pup? Bizarre... T.

If I didn't already have 4 dogs... I so miss having a Rotti... *sigh* Zeddy (who will be 15 this Thursday) is half Rotti... so I'm sorta kinda still living with one... lol! If you look really hard, you CAN see some Rotti in there... T.

You'd be amazed at how little exercise some of them want... most of mine were all lazy buggers who preferred snuggling with me on the couch or the bed... Warning though... you won't be able to stop at just one... errr! T.

But puppies over 8 weeks of age. Or at least they adjust the DOB to make it appear that the pups are 8 weeks or older... *sigh* How are you going to prove otherwise? T.

Those eyes get me every time... he just loves you so much perse... T.

4 is my magic number... T.

I hope the wife is the one in charge of toilet training the kids... T.

Oh - and you REALLY need to buy and read this book... http://www.fostermanual.com/ Worth so much more than the asking price... and written by someone who has many years of experience in the field of rescue. T.

Seriously, I can't recommend Steve's MDBA Foster Carer course highly enough... should be mandatory for ALL prospective carers... it covers EVERYTHING you really need to know! As for rescuing Staffy types... have you ever seen one in fight mode? Are you able to separate all dogs if the worst case happens and you end up with a dog that simply will NOT get on with YOUR dogs? Quite frankly, I wouldn't take a pound Staffy into MY home straight from the pound... and I have extensive dog handling skills, and a number of years of actual foster caring under my belt. Can you effectively quarantine a dog coming straight from the pound? It's not as simple as making sure your own dogs are vaccinated - there are some diseases that can come to your home with a pound dog that you really don't want to have to deal with... Parvo is the main one, and is a complete nightmare to get rid of effectively. Kennel Cough is scary for new carers, and it's also highly contagious. And there are many more really fun illnesses, infections, and parasites to contend with too... you REALLY want to know you have great backup if you end up with a dog with ANY of those, as vet bills can get out of hand really quickly. There is a very large presence/group operating via Facebook who you REALLY need to steer clear of if you are looking at taking in the Staffies they advertise... there have been a number of horror stories about them. May I suggest you contact either Staffy rescue or the Animal Welfare League, and offer to volunteer with them for a while - both have shelters where you can get a feel for the dogs in care, and can then maybe move into foster caring as you gain more experience... win-win for everyone IMHO... T.

Cowards like this fellow probably wouldn't have even attempted to attack a larger dog that might have been able to defend itself. T.

What a "hero" - pummelling a 3kg Papillon nearly to death just because it shat on the carpet... T.

So great to read this tdierikx - I bet that guy needed to change his pants after that hey?? Good little man - I bet you hugged him close after that. Woosie was her name... and she was my one true soulmate... She chased my 6'4" Maori flatmate out of my room once when she was a wee pup too... poor bloke was just letting me know there was a phonecall for me. She took her guarding mummy while she sleeps job VERY seriously... lol! She stood between me and another crazy flatmate who was waving a knife about one night too... T.

Moved into a new rental in a less than salubrious neighbourhood - and the first night I heard someone trying to open a window from the outside... One 10 week old Rotti pup up on my bed and making the most amazing big dog growl soon saw the intruder off... they obviously had no idea the actual size of the dog... lol! T.

Hmmm... funny that... one of my co-workers came to me this morning wanting to offload her 10 month old Lab boy... the lady's name wasn't Thelma, was it? I advised my co-worker to contact Labradog Rescue for rehoming him. T.

Labradog Rescue are awesome! T.