tdierikx

Have you introduced her to the new neighbours? Maybe that will stop her curiosity about the new sounds and smells coming from over there... T.

Some excellent advice so far... a qualified behaviourist is the best step at this point... and until you have a better solution, keep the girls separated completely. I have 2 girls of my own (a Lab and a Rotti/Pittie cross) - and it ain't the bull breed that will start the fights, nor will she finish them... but she won't back off either. I have kept them separate for the past few of years with no dramas - and also have 2 other dogs and foster for rescue, all of them have no issues with either of the dogs that have issues with each other, so the swapsies routine is only for those two. It works just fine even though it's fiddly, but once you get the routine happening it's all in the course of a normal day. One thing I never do though, is to feed any of my dogs in close proximity to another - separate rooms is the go at my place. T.

Pounds are still working with them because it makes the pound kill statistics look better... after all, that's what they (the pounds) get slammed for on a regular basis - and PR taking copious numbers of dogs lowers the numbers that the pounds have to euth. The fact that a good number of these animals are badly placed and have ended up being euthed elsewhere, or shuffled off to "holding pattern" kennels, is of no consequence apparently... as far as the pounds' powers that be see lowered kill statistics, they really don't care what happens to the animals once they aren't their responsibility any more. May I note that the wonderful pound staff and volunteers who actually deal with the animals are not the ones making the decisions to allow PR to take the animals that they do - it's much higher up the food chain than that. T.

A different camera angle or some bling can do wonders for a "plain" dog... *grin* I'll agree with dogmad about beauty being in the eye of the beholder though... T.

I think you'll find that there are more dogs in pounds that come from BYB than pet shops... and they don't check for owner suitability either... T.

Seriously - one doesn't HAVE to throw water at a whining dog if one has a different way of handling the undesirable behaviour. That looks like only a suggestion to me... I think you are possibly wanting to help this one particular trainer that you keep mentioning move her dogs on, and want to create your rescue based on that premise - if so, why not just come straight out and say that's what you are aiming to do? The reason that so many people are suggesting fostering for GAP or GSN is that these 2 groups have pretty darned great reputations for placing Greyhounds out into society extremely well. They have done the hard yards with the industry and with the public. They have very successful methods for helping ex-racing Greyhounds acclimatise to being family pets - and that's nothing to be sneezed at. Reading some of your "history" (read HSUS references and mentioning Pit Bull rescue) suggests that you have spent some time in the USA - would that be a correct assumption? If so, have you considered that what may work in the US with regards to rescuing and rehoming of dogs, may not work as well here in Australia? May I also ask what is so "inhumane" about using water as a deterrent to undesirable behaviour? And why that particular snippet of some suggestions for foster carers of one group has you deciding that they are going to enforce that sort of training method if you foster care for them? Im not bagging you or your aspirations - I am just suggesting that fostering for an already estalished group BEFORE deciding to go off on your own may give you a much better insight into the plight of ex-racing Greyhounds in Australia... T.

Renbury Farm at Austral... the staff there are great! Don't be put off that they are also a pound - the boarders are never in contact with them, and the staff don't cross kennel blocks. www.renbury.com.au T.

... besides - fostering for one of the big organised Greyhound groups may give you a really great understanding of how it all works... and then if you still want to start up your own rescue, then you will have some excellent groundwork already done. Win-win I say... lol! T.

The above is your reason for not contacting 2 of the premier rescues that specialise in the breed of your current choice? That have extremely well written and thought out policies in relation to their foster carers best interests? I think it might be good idea to actually contact them and ask all of the relevant questions about how they operate before tarring them with the same brush as the dodgy rescues you've fostered for in the past... who knows, they might actually be a dream rescue to foster with... T.

See... it's snippets like the one I've bolded that tends to set some of our teeth on edge. And, yes, I own a Rottie/Pittie cross and an AmStaff cross myself. When I'm out with them people don't seem to notice that the well behaved doggy on the end of the lead is of a particular breed mix - they seem to notice the wagging tail and acceptance of any and all pats though... *grin* I've also been involved in the rescue and rehoming of a good number of bull breed types - but not one dog that has shown aggression to the point of trying to kill another animal has been rehomed by my group (of any breed) - and I've had the job of holding some extremely lovely dogs as they were given their wings due to the fact that it would not be viable to rehome them. Rescue isn't all about warm fuzzies and "saving" animals - it's a dirty and heartbreaking game at times. The funny thing about rescue is that many of us believe that the more perfectly socially appropriate dogs we rehome, the more the public will realise that rescue dogs aren't all discards due to "issues"... just something to think about, OK? May I ask why you don't want to join any of the established Greyhound rescue groups? T.

I think the issue here donatella, is that you are trying to push YOUR opinion as the only one that is valid... and that can irk some people... *grin* T.

Oh wow somehow I missed this part. I have never placed an aggressive dog ever in my life I had them put down. This was a precaution we took above and beyond all the testing we did. I am not sure where you got that we were re homing aggro dogs. In all fairness here, dogmad does have a little bit of bias against bull breeds that may chase/attack small animals. Some experiences she's had along the way haven't painted certain types of dogs in a great light. (Note to self: need to introduce her to my Rottie/Pittie cross girl for some positive experiences with a bull breed dog) Seriously though, if you have to place so many restrictions on potential adopters of a dog, then maybe that dog shouldn't be rehomed at all? Especially in Victoria... err! T.

It's not a case of hown MANY we can save/rehome... but of how WELL we can do it... It only takes one wrong placement of a dog from rescue for the public perception to be tarnished against ALL rescues. Is there a specific reason that you can't affiliate with one of the established and well respected groups already doing what you want to do? T.

I agree with Jetpoint GSP - my dogs certainly aren't worried about eating their dry every day... they go mental for it! My adults are on Nutro, and the pup is on Royal Canin. All are very healthy and happy. T.

When I buy a pup or dog from any source, I expect only to get what I'm paying for... a healthy pet that I can share my life with. I don't expect for someone else to pick up after me if my life circumstances change - I still have choices there when it comes to my pets. I have moved into accommodation that wasn't pristine in order to live somewhere that allowed pets... and would have no qualms about living in my car if it meant keeping them with me. I don't want anyone dictating to me how I raise my pets, and I don't want anyone dictating where I get them from either. If I want to adopt a registered purebreed, I will most likely do a bit of research into breeds and breeders of same... and them taking the dog back at any time no matter what is definitely NOT high on the list of things I'm going to be looking for. Same goes for adopting from rescue or the pound, or from the other myriad sources out there. What I would expect from the source of any pet I was looking to buy/adopt is some assurance that said pet will be suitable for me and my lifestyle. I do not expect a 100% guarantee that my pet will be "perfect", but I do expect it to be healthy and free from any congenital defect that can be prevented by testing and selective breeding to reduce the possibility of same. How the pet grows and develops along the way is as much MY responsibility as that of the breeder. T.

Zed gets Zeddy Bubba - not much of a bubba now at 13 though... Trouble gets Chubba-lubba-dubba-trubba-bubba, Chubbaloo, or just Chubbs - she was a chubby pup once... lol! Pickles get called Spastic Camp Dog, Camp Dog, or Pickie Poo - you have to know her to understand the Spastic bit... she's mobility challenged, but that doesn't stop her at all... Harper hasn't got a nickname yet, but I reckon she thinks it's "No!"... *grin*... can't wait until she actually starts teething... aarrgghh! T.

Noice!!! Love the shot of the gorgeous creature coming through the gate... T.

Can anyone find an ABN or the like for "Sanctuary Tails Animal Rescue"? I can't... I noticed also that they have a PetRescue listing... T.

Happy Birthday Ruges and Charlotte! Hey Caz - we gotta catch up sometime soon... I need my fix of huge doggie cuddles... *grin* T.

OMG... now I think I've seen it all... *sigh* One good way to completely stuff up someone's Christmas would be to lump them with an unsuitable dog... grrr! T.

Very good points there Steve... and I agree wholeheartedly. Puppy/dog buyers have different ideas about what they want from a breeder - and who is really to say that one is less ethical then the next based on a shifting goalpost set of "rules"? Some people expect way too much from their pup's breeder, and others expect way too little. T.

We had one once where the owner said he'd kept peeing on her new expensive carpet... turns out that he had 2 of the worst patellas we had ever seen. Somehow I think the peeing on the carpet was not the real reason he was surrendered... I'm not a big fan of the "we've just had a baby" brigade - but it is one of the most used reasons for surrendering. That and "we have to move and the new place won't allow dogs". The worst is when you (as a rescuer) cop abuse for not being willing to take on a dog that the owners come straight out and say is aggressive in some way... ie. has attacked another dog or a human with little provocation. T.

OK - dumb question time... How close do you have to get with the 100mm macro lens to get those awesome insect/spider face shots? What would be a good macro lens for my Canon 60D? T.

My Lab would probably eat the sheep... Great photo though! T.

The serial offenders will just dump them at the pound instead... or drop them off in a distant suburb to be picked up by the ranger - that's the cheap way of doing it apparently, no surrender fee... Doesn't work as well if the dog is chipped though, but owners can cry poor and not cough up the impound fee, and effectively get rid of the dog for free. Since becoming involved in rescue, nothing at all surprises me any more. Sad, ian't it? T.