Odin-Genie

I'll confess that I and my dogs get out of the dog park the moment an unknown bull breed dog comes in. We usually get out with any big unknown dog, but bull breeds in particular. Not because I dislike them. It's because all bull breed dogs I have met have a very rough play style which my dogs wouldn't tolerate in an unknown dog. Saying that, the two dogs my elkhound likes playing with is a staffy cross and a bull terrier cross. And they have a great time together.

So if you get a dog from a rescue, you won't insure it, but if you get it from a breeder, you would? Both my dogs are insured with RSPCA insurance.

Seconded. I would pay for it too. However, when my dogs come with me to pet stores, they are not allowed to touch anything. Not even things on the floor. I keep a very close eye on them at all times, and if I feel I can't do that then I don't take them along.

Great post Really? I don't find the highlighted sentence 'great' in any way. I do. A lot of people tend to forget how much dogs can mean to some dog owners. If someone killed a member of your family in self-defence, you would grieve for them, but still accept it. However, if they not only killed in self-defence but also mocked you with their bodies, you would want to retaliate!!! I don't understand why some people can't see that for some of us dogs are part of the family and losing them can hurt as much as losing a human family member. To have someone mock that loss is inhuman. Yep, I might well want to retaliate. But I wouldn't victimise a second set of innocent animals, his dogs, as the instruments of revenge. I might punch his lights out. But harm more animals? No. To 'disappear' dogs just to get at their owner? That's just as despicable as what he did. And btw, some people feel about their chickens just as we do about our dogs. Dog-owner, I am very sorry for your loss and how you and your dogs were treated. You are right. I misread the above quote as "If he treated my dogs with such disrespect his he would disappear also". I definitely would not want to harm someone's else's animals. I would want the person responsible to suffer.

Great post Really? I don't find the highlighted sentence 'great' in any way. I do. A lot of people tend to forget how much dogs can mean to some dog owners. If someone killed a member of your family in self-defence, you would grieve for them, but still accept it. However, if they not only killed in self-defence but also mocked you with their bodies, you would want to retaliate!!! I don't understand why some people can't see that for some of us dogs are part of the family and losing them can hurt as much as losing a human family member. To have someone mock that loss is inhuman.

Dow-owner, I am so sorry about your loss. While the law permits a farmer to shoot dogs that attack livestock, it does not diminish the pain one feels when one loses a dog in such a devastating manner. I think the manner of the shooting and the message was an extremely cruel and uncalled for behaviour by the farmer.

There are also some spray collars which spray water instead of citronella. If your dog doesn't like water sprayed in his face, those might be a safer option. I have a citronella collar which I used once in a while while I was home to see if it works. Once my dog saw a cat and started barking a lot. The citronella collar sprayed a few bursts and then continued to spray even though he had stopped barking. I immediately took it off. But it continued to spray till the container was empty. Since then I have never used it.

Totally agree, particularly with the bolded part. A puppy is going to spend its entire life with me. I will not just accept a breeder's pick. A breeder knows their puppies best but I know my requirements and my situation best. I expect to have a discussion about it including my preferences for temperament, colour, attitude. I don't expect to be given the first pick. That is always the breeder's prerogative, but I expect to be able to select from a few that match my requirements. I am very lucky that both the breeders I got my dogs from allowed me to do this and were very nice about it. I understand why breeders would feel protective of their puppies. After all they are the ones who have put in the time and effort and want to do the best for their puppies. But I also think that it pays to see it from a puppy buyers' perspective as well who want to welcome a new member to their family. It's a big decision and a big responsibility. They should be active participants in the decision making.

If it helps, I did not bond with my GR for almost that long when she arrived home as a puppy. Which was really surprising since I bonded with my elkhound from the moment I saw him. But I never thought of rehoming my GR. We continued the trainings, one to one sessions. Now she is my little princess and I can't think of being without her. Sometimes it just takes longer.

And yet another response with illogical comments such as "rubbish". I love my dogs more than I love any stranger. It's as simple as that. If you love strangers more that's your prerogative. But don't try and force your values on others. I am not asking anyone to have the same values that I have. But resorting to insults and name calling when someone has a different opinion or value system is immature. Yes, I am very serious about what I say, and that's my last word on this subject. I agree to disagree.

Ok, let me ask a simple question. What is tha basis for the statement that a human life is more valuable than an animal's? If it is based on religion, I don't consider that logic. Parents will always want their children saved, over anyone!! But that is not my priority. My priority is based on ethics which dictate that if I have taken the responsibility for a life then it is my duty to save it. I will do all I can to save anyone. But only after I save my partner, my family (including my dogs). To those who disagree, I'd be most interested if you have a logical response. But please don't try and tell me what's right if you don't have logic to back it up. Statements like "human life is more valuable" or "kids are more important than dogs" isn't logic. That's an emotional response. And calling my preference psychopathic will be amusing if it didn't demonstrate a lack of logical reasoning to back up your emotional response.

I think I just fell in love with you for this comment. I was gonna write that raz but decided I would probably get flamed for it.. I dont care if they flame me for it, SL. I think it's incredibly irresponsible to let a kid run through a carpark to touch a stranger's dog, and when told No, do nothing when the kid rough handles the owner. How do we know the OP isnt a tiny little woman being pushed around by an adolescent teenager. All dogs have teeth and can bite when startled. All cars have wheels that can run over an out of control kid. I think it's really stupid and irresponsible of the parent/nanny/Aunt - whoever she was, and the posters saying we're all being insensitive. If that old little dog had been startled by the aggressive kid and turned around to defend itself, who would be the worse off today? The poor damn owner who was doing her best to try to contain the situation and as an earlier poster said, this thread would be in the news subforum in a sensational article about a kid getting 'mauled'. I'm totally for the OP in this situation - not the caretaker who wasnt taking care and not the people who are having a boohoo about the comments. Very well said.

My dogs are definitely more important to me than a strange human being, and I know with 100% certainty that if my dog was in a burning house and along with a strange child, I would save my dog first beacuse immaterial of whether they have any rights by law, to me my dogs are like adopted children. And no, my dogs don't get locked away because of guests. If guests can't handle dogs, they are not invited to my house.

And that is a problem. Parents often get away without facing any consequences even when their negligence causes harm to the kids. They should be held more accountable.

Yes, I will still be as angry as in OP's situation. In both cases the anger would be directed at the parent. Why should any parent allow a blind child to walk unsupervised and expect the rest of the world to take on the carer's job? Why should a parent allow a blind child to get so close to a strange dog?

And I'm sick of people making excuses for their childrens and their own bad behaviour and lack of manners. Just because a dog is out in public does not give another person the right to touch it. None of my Samoyeds are aggressive but if I don't want someone touching them it's my right to say no and excpet people to listen. ever known or tried to control an autistic child? not that it is important whether the child was disabled or not, if your dog is so aggressive that you can't control the situation when a child comes up to it, then your dog needs to be muzzled in public. and just for the record, i'm 100% opposed to BSL, i love APBT's, i own an SBT (and i'm more than happy for anyone to come up to my dog and say hello) However difficult it may be to control a child (disability or not), it is still the parent's responsibility to control their children. Just as it is every dog owners' responsibility to control their dogs. Saying it is difficult is no excuse for bad behaviour either in kids or in dogs. I can't stand it when parents think that others should go out of their way because they can't control their kids. The same rules apply to dogs and kids. If you can't control your kid, don't take the kid to places where the kid can harm/seriously inconvenience others. My dogs are great with kids, but if an aggressive child tried to forcefully pat my dogs, I wouldn't be so polite. I will do anything to save my dogs from a situation where they might be blamed. The kid would get a serious earful.

Or bank balances. Or size dogs. Or knowledge of the Quarantine system. :rolleyes: Or priorities! This is not a case of unforeseen difficulty. It's a case of prioritising a preferred lifestyle and is no different from rehoming a dog because there is a new baby in the house. I don't think it is fair to compare the OP's situation with those who had no choice but to give up their dogs due to medical or financial reasons. I totally agree that in many situations it is better to rehome a dog. There could be a number of reasons including new babies, new lifestyle, lack of time. And the dog would definitely do better in a home where it is given a high priority. And for those who replied that because people don't give birth to dogs it is silly to claim that dogs are forever, I wonder what you will say about adopted children. To me dogs are definitely forever. They are a part of my family. I know that everyone doesn't feel that way. And to those who say that everyone who can't offer constructive advice regarding rehoming should shut up, I would advice that you read the posts. No one has been nasty. But some people do feel strongly about dogs being rehomed due to lifestyle preference.

Totally agree. Though people's attachment levels to their dogs would vary from person to person. I have refused a promotion (an executive level promotion) because it required me to move overseas which would have required a very long quarantine process if I wanted to bring my dogs back home. I have never regretted that decision.

+1 Totally agree.

That's what I do. I absolutely love the spitz breeds. But since it's not practical for me to get more dogs I go around petting all the huskies and mallies. They are sooo adorable.

I will happily spend $800 for my dogs' vet bills if ever required. But I think you should still get him to reimburse you for the vet bills if you can identify him. Owners such as this guy need to learn that there are consequences to their irresponsibility that will affect them personally.

I love it. You can meet dogs of many breeds, buy loads of dog products...and generally have a great time.

I believe the Sydney Pet Expo is at the Rosehill racecourse on 18-19 Feb. Anyone going?

That's sickening. I'm not against hunting, as long as the animals are killed quickly, with as little pain as possible. This is sadistic.

Both my dogs are loose inside the house, usually on the lounge :)