Lhok

While I like this change I can just feel the non compliance already. --Lhok

Seeing how quick they move when they want to chase something, I don't think I could agree to removing the mandatory leash rules. After seeing them chase down a horse, you would have no chance to recall them and they are gone before you ever have a hope of catching them. Much safer for everyone to keep them on lead. --Lhok

Oh yes that temperament test, I once saw a young kelpie fail that test. They put him in a yard with a 1.5m fence. They then brought out another dog and started playing with it in the next door yard. The kelpie cleared it no sweat to go play with them and then was deemed a fence jumper and put down. Oh and on the same day I was told if I volunteered there I might hear dark humour about euth'ing animals and they sometimes did it because if they didn't find it funny they would break. Due to other reasons which compounded the issue, that was the day I lost faith in the Rspca, I walked out of the local branch and never returned. --Lhok

The attack on horse and rider at our local beach happened on one of the only off lead beaches we have, but it is also the only beach you can ride a horse on or go 4wdriving on so its no wonder an attack happened as it was only when not if it would occur. Both events of horses and 4wdrivers on the beach is a regular thing so no reason the owners couldn't have kept the dogs away from the horse. I don't know about wollongong beaches though. Having said that if you have your dog off lead you are required to have it under effective control. --Lhok

whoa that dog attack on the rider was similar to the one I saw on my local beach not too long ago. It also had a unmuzzled greyhound too which unlike this attack was the primary instigator of the attack on the horse and rider at our beach. We also have had a spate of dog attacks on our beaches here, one lady lost her dog after an unleashed german shep attacked it. Something is going on it seems and its wide scale too. --Lhok

Plants are incredible, some can even tell other plants about their experiences. Not to mention they can and have warned animals of incoming danger like earthquakes, scientists have been trying to figure it out so that they can get a similar early warning/detection system in place. I remember reading a book called bats sing mice giggle, which had an experiment in it (a couple in fact) about how they got a person to rip the leaves off a plant and then leave the room. Then more people entered but it wasn't until the leaf ripper came into the room that the plant got stressed and then that plant sent out stressor signals to the other plants in the room and they got stressed as well. The leaf ripper left the room and the plants started to de stress. Plants also don't want to be eaten either in most cases, its why they have evolved natural pesticides and poisons and things like thorns. --Lhok

A couple of things that could also have been in play is that your pup is a Spitz breed, so they generally can be read wrong by other dogs based soley on their appearance than other types. Their upright posture, chest puffed out, curly tail and front pointing ears, and they stand often on their toes can be read by other dogs as confrontational. Having owned a couple of Spitz breeds and non Spitz breeds some dogs were just generally wary of my Spitz breeds upon meeting that with other types of dog. Another thing with Spitz's (I might be corrected for saying this) but I have noticed their play style is very paw driven they will boop things with their paws and that to other dogs is quite rude. So mix that in with a generally happy go lucky pup that hasn't really been corrected and you get what you saw. Another dog that wasn't willing to interact with what they saw as a rude/confrontational dog. I don't think it is an attack more a learning experience for your pup that not every dog they will meet will want to play and that is fine. The thing is that you need to learn how to read the other dogs reactions and step in so both dogs can relax and have fun. --Lhok

So has this case set the precendant for rescues then? That if a rescue rehomes a dog that the owner is wants back the owner has no claim on the dog at all? --Lhok

I forgot to mention this particular RSPCA branch runs a boarding kennel as well. I wonder if they re purpose the other runs to add to their boarding kennels? This particular branch didn't do low cost desexing or any real community stuff as far as I could tell, They used to but it got less and less over the years. They also had odd hours to opening too which made it hard for people working to claim back pets. I'm also not sure why the council can't have the land the pound is currently on. From my understanding the RSPCA was given the land to use for the pound. I might be wrong about that though. --Lhok

https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/rspca-nsw-cuts-its-links-with-council/3409272/ COFFS Harbour City Council will need to establish a new pound following news RSPCA NSW Coffs Harbour will cease to provide impound services after its contract ends in 2020. RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman recently met with the council to discuss the future of the contract, and notified the council that they will not be providing pet management services beyond September 2020. According to Mr Coleman, around 50 per cent of RSPCA NSW's intake is comprised of animals managed for councils. "These are difficult but necessary decisions,” Mr Coleman said. "Without these hard decisions, we cannot support the increase in our work under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and our welfare work. These changes are aimed at realigning our focus to our core business, which is animal welfare. "We simply don't have the means to build more shelters so we have to look at using every last kennel, cage and enclosure to support those animals that need it most.” The council will decide at tomorrow's meeting whether to seek expressions of interest from the private market for a new impounding service to meet its statutory obligations under the the Companion Animals Act 1998. Since 1994, RSPCA NSW has taken in impounded dogs and cats for the council, providing accommodation, feeding and veterinary care as well as micro-chipping and registration of the animals. A previous review undertaken by the council in 2015 identified a number of difficulties associated with the potential impact if RSPCA NSW was to withdraw its service. It found private boarding kennels would fail to provide the level of service necessary, such as micro-chipping, registration, rehousing animals, euthanasing unwanted animals, and limited access to veterinary treatment. It also found the possibility of establishing a council-owned pound would be difficult due to the costs associated with securing a suitable site, constructing and operating a facility. After 2020, the existing RSPCA NSW Coffs Harbour facility will continue to care for and support animals consistent with a focus on animal welfare, but will not act as a pound for lost pets for the council. The RSPCA is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to prevent animal cruelty by promoting their care and protection. --Lhok

The Canaan dog. Up until last year the breed was still incorporating wild dog/camp dog genes into the gene pool. One reason they aren't anymore is that the person who was doing it was forced to move out of their home/kennel in Israel. The other reason is that it is getting harder to find dogs to add to the gene pool. --Lhok

There are more Shikoku in America and Canada then here in Aus but I wouldn't say they are readily available. Many of the dogs in the US and Canada have been imported from Japan. Shikoku are a lot of dog in a very pretty package. Most of them have been bred with hunting in mind and so they are quite prey driven. If you are on Facebook, you should check out the Nihon ken facebook group, in that group are some very knowledgable people and there are even some owners of Shikoku. I also would say that spitz in general do have some problems with being off lead dogs, and yes they do tend to be more stubborn and independent thinkers than other breeds. Some of the larger Spitzen do have same sex aggression issues too. --Lhok

They look and sound similar to Canaan dogs! Thanks for showing this --Lhok

https://www.triplem.com.au/news/coffs-coast/two-year-old-attacked-by-dog-at-sawtell/?station=coffs --Lhok

The Observer understands Gladstone vets have not been paid by the RSPCA's head office for their services since last November. This above is concerning too, why haven't they paid their vet bill? Seems very odd to me. --Lhok

I worries me that in one of the photos that two dogs are on a belt walker, one having a halti on and the other has a basket muzzle. Both shouldn't be on a belt. --Lhok

Report it. Most off lead areas still require the owner to have effective control over their dog and it sounds like the guy didn't. --Lhok

Yup they are all suggestions at this point because this legislation is in draft form at the moment. There are also no exceptions so if you breed at home you will be called a breeding establishment and all those rules will apply for you too. There is a bit in the legislation that says no dog must be bred from if it has an issue with small animals, dog aggression or problematic behaviours like fence jumping etc. I know it might sound good in theory however many breeds will not pass those requirements. --Lhok

I can't believe this isn't up here yet! Looks like the NSW government is going down the same path as the Victorian one with legalizing puppy farms and making hobby breeders illegal. http://www.dogsnsw.org.au/members/noticeboard/1258-prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals.html --Lhok

This isn't because of breed standards, this is because the RSPCA would find it easier to just be able to rubber stamp large facilities. It means they don't have to do as much work if there is only a handful of breeders around. It also big business being able to come in and take control over something and industrialize it. If people care about dogs they will want to stop this. --Lhok

Looks like hobby breeders are under attack in NSW with the factory farming of dogs set to be legal and any other forms of it illegal http://www.dogsnsw.org.au/members/noticeboard/1258-prevention-of-cruelty-to-animals.html --Lhok

I believe he has bred budgies in the past and is a good friend of dr harry.. not that it helps with the topic at hand XD --Lhok

I second a Leo, beautiful dogs :D --Lhok

But do the majority of breeders who breed the oodle type dog actually want it to be a breed or is it a cash in on the popularity of it? From most of the posts I see in the local buy swap sells it is the cashing in on the popularity of it. I sit there and I try to talk about health testing and why it is beneficial to do early stimulation/senstisation of pups I ask them if they would be willing to take back pups they bred and all the hallmarks of an ethicial breeder. Are they interested in anything like that? No, they tell me if I am not interested in buying a pup to take my opinions and shove them elsewhere. --Lhok

There is/was Beau's in Vietnam as well so that might be something you could look at although I don't know anything about importing from there. As an aside, the beau's herding is more like a droving dog than a border collie or kelpie which is why it isn't considered to be as good for work here and they also would be quite large for the quad XD --Lhok