tdierikx

Well then - back to the original topic... I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to allow someone to adopt/buy 2 siblings from the same litter - as long as the people adopting are responsible owners and will work on ensuring that any issues that may arise are minimised. There are plenty of people who own littermates and don't have issues - possibly many more than those who do have issues arise. ANY 2 dogs in any multi dog household - regardless of age or relation status - can develop issues with each other. I'll concede that this seems to happen more with 2 females than with 2 males... I've got 2 females here that are 6 years apart in age and totally different breed mixes that I have to keep separate. Sometimes it just happens that 2 dogs just decide not to get on any more... When I had Rotties, I had 3 females and 2 males - never had an issue - even when one of the females were in season and the males were intact... blind luck, good management, good temperaments? I must say that when I had at least one calm tempered male dog in my pack, the females seemed to be more even tempered with each other... has anyone else had a similar experience? T.

The thing is dogmad - for each of your anecdotes or experiences regarding bull breed type dogs, there are many other people who will happily share their anecdotes and experiences about other breeds. Unless there is actual independent recorded data indicating a problem with any particular breed or mix thereof it is actually going to be very hard to declare a "winner" in this debate. You will stick by your experiences, and others will stick by theirs... and we'll keep going around in circles... Personally, I don't think that there is a "bull breed" problem - but will concede that there are some owners of larger breed dogs that really shouldn't own any dog... but I don't think those owners are in majority numbers in this country. Banning particular breeds or their mixes from being owned is not going to achieve anything... but prosecuting to the full extent of the law those who do not show any regard for others by letting their dogs (of ANY breed) become a menace might bring about changes more effectively. T.

I'm trying to be really patient while waiting for photos... but it's not working... T.

I don't have human children myself, but if any of my dogs bit anyone unprovoked, I'd give them their wings... even my heart dog. I hope your little boy is OK - and that any scarring (emotional as well as physical) is minimal. It's never an easy decision to PTS - even when we know in our hearts it's the right thing to do. You have my deepest sympathies... T.

Doesn't help that the media will only report an attack if they can claim the dog is of a certain "heritage". As for the dumpage rate of certain "types" of dog... ummm... SWF's and other terriers are just as numerous in pounds as the "staffy" types - and many for exactly the same reasons as the "staffy" types, lack of socialisation, etc... No owner of any large breed dog is completely unaware of the level of damage their dog could do if it decides to bite anyone or anything - something which some owners of smaller breeds that have a tendency to bite don't seem to think may be a problem... the "oh, he's only small, so the damage won't be that bad if he bites" attitude is not appropriate either. Regardless of size or ability to cause harm, NO dog should be allowed to be snappy or aggressive in public. Before I became involved in rescue and met many really nice small breed dogs, I had a complete fear of them - due to way too many of them actually having a go at me. I have never had that level of apprehension for larger breeds of dog because my experiences with them had all been good. Now that I've had a good deal of training and hands on experience with a good cross section of numerous breeds and their mixes, I'm also MUCH more aware of a dog's body language, etc, but am still much more leery of a strange small breed dog than of the larger ones. Personally I don't condone ANY dog biting, and would be completely mortified if one of mine had that propensity - I'd give it wings rather than have the possibility of it hurting anyone... and I'm sure that most large breed dog owners would feel the same. T.

I'd look at both Canon and Nikon - and go for the models one level above the entry level ones. That will give you plenty of room for growth and give you great photos straight off the bat. T.

Oh yes! Photos are a MUST now Cheryl... *grin* So they are 6 weeks old on Friday? Wow... time has really flown, hasn't it? T.

dogmad... when I walk my large bull breed puppy, I have a similar experience to you - except the dogs that tend to rush out of yards to have a go at her are small breeds... Should I correlate those experiences to mean that small breed dogs are more likely to be aggressive, or that small breed dog owners are lax in the training/socialisation of their chosen breed of dogs? Or would that be an unfair assumption to make? On the very few occasions we do meet another bull breed dog when out and about, without exception they have all been more interested in playing with my dog or me, and are lovely wiggly bum cuddle magnets. I live in an area where the number of bull breeds owned far outweighs ownership of the smaller breeds - and yes, many of those bull breeds are described by their owners as "pitties"... *sigh* The one and only time I saw a large bull breed dog (AmStaff) loose in the street, I stopped and approached her and asked her to show me her home... she took me into a yard with an open side gate and I knocked on the door to let her owner know she was out. She and he were lovely, and I got lots of bully breed loving from her and their other bull breed girl... lol! T.

If by some strange quirk of fate MA gets elected to government, he's going to get a really big shock... anyone remember the last person to get up and speak with conviction on her topic, but with stuff all fact to back it up? T.

Go Bazza... you tough little man you! T.

Think how popular the "staffy" type (or their mixes) are... you don't have to go far in any direction to find one or more, yes? Then look at how many reports there have been about those types of dogs doing harm... Correlation is that the actual number of those type of dogs being a complete menace is actually a rather small percentage of the population of those types out there. The main problem is that not everyone chips or registers their dog - thus, the actual numbers of any particular breed or breed mix is actually an unknown quantity... *sigh* T.

And I call my puppy a "horse puppy"!! Russell is gorgeous! T.

I'd get one, but I think my mum would kill me... lol! T.

The vet clinic our rescue frequents specialises in Greyhounds... I get to see lots of them regularly... and I ALWAYS ask if I can have a cuddle... *grin* Just today I met 2 absolutely divine young females - and I even got kisses through the muzzles. I've definitely got Greyhounds on my "to share my life with one day" list. T.

Just like Herpes, yes? T.

Getting her desexed may make her a much more attractive offer Maree... I'm sure you've suggested it to them, yes? T.

Perse, the daycare would also take the foster, I thought. I wouldn't leave the foster alone at home. I thought they'd both go, the trainers at daycare are experienced with foster dogs as they foster themselves. Then, if things were settling down and over time it did transpire that the dogs were happy at home together I could drop from two to one days daycare. Roo x 2 days = same as 2 dogs x 1 day in terms of cost. I am working at home one day most weeks now and I can work at home for a full week if I bought a new dog into the home. I don't know - maybe it's all too complicated and I'm too inexperienced and I'm clutching at straws? Sigh. It was a suggestion earlier in the thread, I did contact Golden Retriever Rescue, filled out their questionairre and emailed it, but was rejected immediately. I guess they are popular dogs. Oh bugger! I'm sure if you give Wendy or Trish a call and tell them that Tracey from NSW Animal Rescue referred you to them, and explained Roo's story - I'm sure they might be able to work something out. Don't be disheartened. T.

OK - I've had a meet with Tess, and she's gorgeous! Takes food gently, fine with strangers - especially if they have treats... lol! I handled her all over with no issues, and even had her take a treat from my mouth to see how gentle she was - not a problem at all, once she worked out that the treat was in my mouth and not my hand... *grin* She seems to be coping just fine with being kenneled - and isn't a big barker or jump up at the cage type of girl. Apparently she has been tested with cats, and is not interested in chasing them or eating them. We passed a few dogs while she was on lead, and she wasn't reactive at all. She does need some more lead training as she does pull a bit, but she responds really well to verbal commands and treats, so it probably wouldn't take her long to work out some lead manners. She has a perfect sit. She would best be described as a large dog, and may grow a little more and fill out some, as she's still really only a young thing. I'd say she's probably around 27-28 kgs right now, and in great condition. Her adoption fee is $310. Seriously, if I didn't already have 4 large dogs and a bad back, I'd adopt her in a flash... she's lovely! T. P.S. - I think she might be more interested in chickens than she is in cats - she was very interested in some wild pigeons that came into the area we were playing in.

Royal Canin Junior kibble is yummy apparently... not had a pup that didn't love it yet... and not had one go sloppy/soft on it either. T.

Aww... look at the Roo... ain't she just gorgeous? T.

So you don't want me to wear my rescue branded T-shirt? lol! What do you want me to check with regards to temp or the like? T.

Another option that might be viable... Goldie Rescue. www.grr.org.au They are run from Sydney, but I think they have a network in Victoria too. Wendy and Trish are awesome, and they are experts in matching dogs to homes... T.

I'd be looking for a nice laid back male as a Roo-companion... less chances of "bitchiness" if you get my drift. And I'd be looking at one young enough to play with Roo, but old enough to let her know when playtime is over - maybe 4 or 5 years old? That said, the calmest and most laid back dog I've ever had was a big male Rotti... definitely a calming influence of my more "flighty" girls... he was definitely a lover, not a fighter, that's for sure! T.

I'm about 15 mins from the Yagoona shelter, and can possibly go over on Saturday morning to have a look at her if you like. What info are you looking for? T.

If the Rimadyl isn't working, I have some Metacam here if Ayman says you can give him some. His surgery has been a bit more intrusive than a regular castration, so he's going to have a little bit more discomfort. If he's still whinging later today, give Ayman a call and ask if Metacam might help him settle. T.