Lhok

Looks very similar to the box my dad build my lab cross years ago so she wouldn't be scared in thunderstorms, although hers had a rubber flap at the front.

--Lhok

Considering Akita's are very prone to Thyroid problems and that aggressive behaviour can stem from it I would be getting a blood panel done, then I would be looking at eyes and ears as again Akita's can have PRA, especially if this is an older dog. 

As to the whole dominance theory thing, if the dog is more Akita than border collie you are essentially starting a long drawn out battle that you might never win. Akita's can be stubborn and they don't particularly learn well under an dominant handler. 

After a the vet I then would be looking at consulting a behaviourist.

--Lhok

Waited six years and it ended up in heartbreak, but I learn some very valuable things in that time. 

I have been waiting four years and from the looks of it I still need to do more waiting because everything doesn't seem to go to plan sometimes. 

--Lhok

On 18/10/2017 at 8:38 PM, Danois said:

Advance is a very low quality food for the price...to grow a large breed well look at something like Canidae. 

Many of the Akita breeders feed it though, I would be sticking to what the breeder recommends. 

--Lhok

welcome back :D

What a cutie you have! I'm glad you have managed to work through the puppy naughtyness and everything is starting to settle just in time for the teenager phase to come through! 

--Lhok 

The smell of storms coming and the change in pressure use to set my storm phobic dog off, there would be storms over the ocean (we lived near the beach)  or over the nearby town which is 10 mins drive away and we couldn't hear anything but she would be a quivering drooling mess. We would check the BoM radar and sure enough there was a storm happening, we tried everything to calm her but the only thing that would work was drugs I can't remember what they gave her though.

--Lhok

Where feral pigs are concerned the damage they do to the environment and the rate at which they repopulate not to mention once they get full sized there is really nothing that can bring them down does mean they need to be culled. The best and most efficient way is to use dogs, unless people are willing to put up with the massive killing baits do.

So yes I guess the answer would be that it is painful for the pig, and yes while it isn't their fault for being a feral animal I feel we need to look at the over arching damage done I feel the same way for many feral animals.

I know of a farmer who lost a whole harvest of potatoes and spent so much money of fencing only to have it broken down due to feral pigs.

Just in case I get flamed here, I don't actually hunt.

--Lhok

Depending on what the dog is actually for and where the dog is from some organisations do not cover the cost of the dog and the future handler does need to pay. Some require a partial payment while others go off donations. Around the 35k mark is what I have heard some dogs costing. If you have doubts you could ask where and why they are going with that particular org.

--Lhok

Yeah I got burnt badly by a registered breeder as well. I thought I had done my research and only when I had issues did I find out that pretty much everyone else in the breed knew about issues but no one bothered to say anything I had one pup die of renal failure and the pup I was given because my other pup died came down with addison's disease not to mention said breeder flew a dog with stitches in its tummy from a hernia op and went over my head  and arranged with a travel company to fly the pup when I wanted to let the pup heal before travel and all because they wanted the pup to look pretty for me..

I am now really good friends with another person who also had a pup from the same breeder who has issues with their pup. I also tracked down the new owner of a pup I had to give up and fought with the breeder to return only to find out the breeder had lied and told the new owner of said  pup  that it was a rescue also the breeder didn't disclose massive health issues to the new owner and it cost the new owner a lot of money.

Sent all this into the canine council that they are with and was told it was a civil matter and they won't do anything about it. My friend was told the same it has made us very wary of registered breeders. We both want purebred pups from breeders who care, its hard to trust anyone because we don't want to have to go through what we have ever again.

The price paid wasn't cheap either at $2000 a pup. It has since gone up to around $3000-4000 depending on the breeder.

--Lhok

from the preface of the code of practice

  This Code is designed for everyone involved in the activity of breeding dogs and cats and has been developed to protect the welfare of the animals in their care. 

From further on in the preface:

Compliance with this Code does not remove the need to abide by the requirements of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1979 and any other laws and regulations, for example; the Local Government Act, 1993;the Companion Animals Act, 1998. This Code contains both standards and guidelines for the care of dogs or cats for breeding. The standards have legal effect in three ways:
• Failure to meet a standard may result in a Penalty Infringement Notice or a prosecution under Clause 20 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (General)Regulation 2006.
• In more serious cases, failure to meet a standard may support a prosecution for an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1979.


The bit I linked about vaccination is a standard practice within the code, and so therefore I thought it was against the law to sell a puppy or kitten in nsw without vaccinations and microchipping.
--Lhok

if this pup was sold in nsw then yes you do need to vaccinate before you sell them from the breeding dogs and cats code of practice.

--Lhok

Such a cutie! :D

2 minutes ago, Thistle the dog said:

I can't wait to meet *insert breed here* !

That's a tad mean :P come on spill already!

--Lhok

I'm going to guess a pointer either way I can't wait to see puppy photos!

--Lhok

There is a Keeshond that is an assistance dog for a man in a wheelchair in my local area.

I wouldn't say any of the larger spitz breeds would be a good choice, as the PAT is very demanding and many of the larger spitz breeds can have issues around strange dogs which would be an instant fail.

--Lhok

On 12/04/2017 at 10:58 AM, Fife Dog said:

Any luck with finding Canaan Dogs here in Australia?? - I am after one myself

There was a breeder of them in Aus but she returned to the states, apart from the couple that were imported from a rescue place and the litter she bred while she was here there aren't any in Aus.

--Lhok

He goes on to say they shouldn't be even bred and anyone who does so should be charged with animal cruelty.

--Lhok

22 hours ago, WoofnHoof said:

Trouble is an industry or hobby is not like a religion, particularly one in which animals are used for largely entertainment purposes. The public has increasing expectations that whatever group you belong to, you need to weed out the undesirables, even if they are a small minority. The problem with saying "it's just a small minority" is that it sounds like people within the industry think it's no big deal. Certainly the industry wasn't seen to be taking it seriously until they were forced to, and it's very hard to defend an industry in which the majority of the participants lack the will to enforce basic animal welfare standards. A religion has no authority to expel violent extremists beyond what is already being done (publicly denouncing them) but a sporting group has power over its participants, they can refuse registrations, refuse entries and essentially ban those who are doing the wrong thing from participating at all. We see that all the time in disciplinary action for football players etc (not super effective but at least they are doing something and are seen to be doing something). It is time sporting and hobby groups involving animals used this approach because the social license to continue is going to expire sooner rather than later, it is the wider community who are in charge of what is acceptable and it is clear that live baiting is not acceptable, no matter how small the minority participating in it. By refusing to take a hard line in enforcing standards, the industry is endorsing bad behaviour in the eyes of the wider community. Prior to the news report about live baiting how many trainers were subject to disciplinary action? How many received a life time ban? Was it tolerated because it was "only a minority"? Or because those involved were in positions of power within the organisation? I know how hard it is to try and change institutions and power structures that have been in place forever, but if it doesn't happen there is no long term survival for the sport. Apathy is what kills the sport, no point railing about the unfairness of it all, all who participate have a role to play. 

Does this mean we can ban dressage because of the practice of Rollkur? Which is used by high profile riders even though people deny that they do.

I don't think the measures they are trying to put into practice will work so it would probably be best if we just ban the whole sport of dressage.

I get that live baiting is way worse because other animals also lose their lives.

--Lhok

Publicity stunt. They are using the name of the band to get attention that's all.

--Lhok

https://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/south-grafton-worst-hit-by-parvo-virus-outbreak/3145208/

 

Thought I would put this up because there is a show on in a couple of months  there.

--Lhok

I know it's not a lab but


--Lhok

3 hours ago, Scrappi&Monty said:

Similar situation in Thailand. When our family went to Thailand we got to visit an amazing animal shelter/charity. We went to this beautiful small island in the South called Koh Lanta. It doesn't get too many tourists and it's so lovely there, but because it's a developing country and the island is quite small, a lot of the pets/strays are not desexed and don't have proper health care. There is a charity started by a European lady who saw all the animals in need when she traveled there, and she started Lanta Animal Welfare. It is a cat & dog shelter and vet hospital too. If you are interested have a look on their website, the volunteers try so hard with what they have, and one day I might go and volunteer there too. Of course it could do with a lot of improvement, but it is run entirely by volunteers and funded only by tourists to the island. People can adopt dogs from them and have them flown by flight volunteers (get a free flight!) to the new home! I also had a look at the Bangkok run shelter called something like "Soi Dogs Foundation" which does a much similar thing.  

That might be something I do in a few years, for hard work you get free accomodation and lots of experience on an AMAZING island where it costs barely anything to live in paradise. Plus if you are a flight volunteer you get to help a pup to their new home and get a flight to Europe/USA or even home to Aus. Pretty cool.  

I'll check out your link now.  

No so to Aus, due to quarantine not recognising those countries as approved countries.

I mean I guess you could do it but you would have to go to an approved country and then go through the step by step process for importing to that country and then into Aus from the approved country. Which would be pretty prohibitive cost wise.

--Lhok

On 17/01/2017 at 2:55 PM, Simply Grand said:

I have said this before on DOL and some were unaware so just posting again for info. NOT trying to defend or justify any actions, I don't know anything about any of the stories posted.

 

RSPCA is a separate organisation in each state/territory. There are differences, apparently vast, in how the different states/territories operate. SOME states/territories work together to try and operate under best practice, innovate and produce best results for thry animals. Others apparently don't. Some states are apparently very profitable, others are not and put their money back into animal care.

 

RSPCA AUSTRALIA is an administrative and lobbying body. They do not oversee the operations of each state/territory organisation. Funds ARE NOT shared between all the states/territory organisations, fund raising is individual to the state/territory and local area. One state/territory having lots of money does not share it with other state/territories.

 

I know most people here are aware that each state/territory is a separate organisation but it is important to understand just how separate they are and to not tar all state/territory organsations with the same brush.

The above is exactly the reason why I can't stand them not to mention all the other stories I have heard about how they handle cases.

It's not very clear to the public that the above is the case.

--Lhok

Feel really sorry for the family, they have gotten all sort of comments like " What was the kid doing to the dog?" "How come they weren't supervising?" "Dogs aren't born bad they are made bad" "This will hurt rescue"

Very few comments I have read have been about how awful it has been for the family or for the little boy.

--Lhok

There was a red flag before if I read it all the posts correctly before the full on face bite though and the rescue didn't want to help and/or said they hadn't observed that behaviour while in foster.

--Lhok