Red Fox

If the dog has been allowed to roam and/or the road is directly in front of its house it may well see the road as part of its property.

I just realised I read it wrong and the delivery man was NOT the owner of the dog? If this is the case then perhaps the dog escaped it's yard somehow (gate accidently left unlocked etc) and the owners are not irresposible at all? Some dogs are territorial or simply don't like kids. Has the dog been seen roaming before or was it a once off? Just a thought..

Shaar, How would you feel about a buyer that emailed you, introduced themselves, told you a little about their lifestyle and what they were looking for and then ended by asking if you did have/when you would next have puppies available and how much they would cost. Would you still put them to the bottom of the list? efs

Agreed. If you've no idea on the average price then you need to ask. Someone may have $1500 saved up only to find out (once they are already excited) that puppy cost $2500 and they simply can't afford it. A breeder shouldn't be offended because somebody asks "how much?". If this was the only question I'd be wary though..

Price is always going to play a part, particularly for pet puppies - if the buyer can't afford the puppy then they can't buy it and if it is overpriced then why should they? Personally I'd pay whatever I thought was reasonable for the right dog. If the right dog happened to be $10,000 and I could afford it then why not? If I've chosen wisely, the breeder has done all the right things and the dog is all I've ever wanted then surely it would be worth every cent. However, if one breeder was charging double (or half) the price of others for their puppies, and the pups were all of similar quality, then I'd have to question why.

The dog doesn't need to be PTS, the owner does. The dog was more than likely defending what he saw as "his property". Why is that the dogs fault? The owner obviously knows his dog roams, chases cars, bails up strangers aggressively and allows it. With no-one telling the dog otherwise he is simply doing what he sees as his job so to speak. Wrong? Of course it is. But still not the dogs fault. 100% agree with this though. Allowing your dog to roam is bad enough, but letting a large and potentially agressive dog roam around near a school is just plain stupid. Next time it may be two young children crossing the road and God knows what would happen then! Hopefully both the school and council adress this issue pronto.

I think it depends on what people want - and if they actually know what they want. Someone who just wants a dog, any dog, and wants it now, is going to go to the easiest source - being the pet store, choose a cute puppy and take it straight home. If the pet store has nothing perhaps they will check out the local paper or the pound. Someone who knows exactly what breed they want, particularly if it's not a common "pet shop breed" and is willing to wait for the right dog as opposed to the first available puppy is going to have to do a bit more work. When it came to buying a dog we decided on a few breeds that we both liked, researched them, decided on a Ridgeback, Googled breeders, came up with the RRCSA and DOL, then began to contact breeders, research lines... It wasn't rocket science, it just seemed like the most logical way to find a pup in the breed of my choice Though when I was a kid and Mum promised me a puppy on my birthday we went right down to the pet shop and bought the cutest one -a kelpie cross Didn't know any better, didn't have a breed, size or colour in mind or really care, I had been pestering for years and just wanted a DOG any dog and thats what we got. I'm sure that had I known exactly what breed I wanted and pestered for long enough then mum would have had to of looked to a breeder instead.

Walking a 7 week old puppy who has not had all her vaccs yet is not a good idea. By all means take her out and about and expose her to lots of different things - but don't walk her in public areas yet or you could be putting her at risk of parvo. Carrying her is fine though

Just to give you an idea of how hard a dog can pull into a harness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J1yDO0O7jM Whatever you use you are going to have to teach the puppy loose leash walking (heaps of threads on it here if you do a search). No particular tool is going to magically do it for you and some dogs take more work than others. As far as harnesses go there are lots of different options from standard to front attaching to no pull. Don't go out and spend a fortune on a puppy harness though as she'll grow out of it very quickly, perhaps a nice light nylon harness if you really want to use one. Otherwise train her with a flat collar now and buy a harness once she's a little older and walking nicely

I have those tags too We have on them: "dogs name" Ph: (my mobile no) Mob: (husbands mobile/work no) Vet: (vets phone no) Microchipped/Reg I can't see the point in having a home/landline number on there as if my dog was lost I'd be out looking for him, not sitting at home waiting.

Also, when looking at pet insurance you should consider what your average vet bill might be before deciding on your excess. Do you want to cover most unexpected out of pocket expenses or just the big things? You will find that most vet visits for common ailments (like tummy bugs, blood tests, etc) are going to be around the $150-$300 mark. If your excess is $250 you will not be able to claim much for things like this. A $100 excess will be more suitable here. However an accident, emergency (eg snakebite) or severe illness could run into the thousands so a $500 excess is fine if that is all you are concerned about and can cover any smaller vet bills along the way. I personally dont consider the $250/$300 excess to be viable when you consider what you pay per month vs what you may need to claim for in the case of a vet visit for a common illness. Either go for the lowest excess you can find and know you are covered for everything or choose a higher excess for the big expenses and put the difference into an account for the unexpected little things.

Highly recommend PIA: http://www.petinsuranceaustralia.com.au/ht...are-covers.html Choice of $100, $250 or $500 excess, 100% cover (-excess), $15,000 Annual limit. Make sure you request and read a copy of the policy booklet before signing up with any insurance company.

Blue mesh beds from Great Rugs They are almost like vinyl foam covered gym mats. You can have it made in whatever size you want in either single or double thickness. They will make you a cover for it too if you need

Legal (except in Vic) Nothing like a choke chain - more like a martingale if anything.. Prong collars don't have "spikes" Safer than a head collar Gentler and safer than a choke chain Excellent tool in the right hands when used correctly I see no reason why prong collars should not be allowed in Australia.

Pop it in the training forum If it were my dogs I just wouldn't give them toys when they are in the same area at all and problem solved. Perhaps try only bringing the toys out when they are in seperate rooms, crated, or one inside/one outside, etc. or when you can directly supervise and then if Charlie whinges for Emmy's toy correct him immediately and remove him from the situation (in his crate with his own toy?).

No specific recommendations? I would like the one I buy to be of good quality & prices aren't always the best indicative of that. Thanks Do you want a warm waterproof coat or just a light raincoat? Waterproof coats: Weatherbeeta coats http://www.weatherbeeta.com.au/range/dog-rugs.html Landa and Kennel coats are waterproof Ruffwear cloud chaser http://waggle.com.au/ruff-wear-b1/cloud-ch...ell-jacket-p193 lighter rain coats: Chilly Dogs rain slicker http://www.twosmallpuppies.com.au/index.ph...products_id=173 Ruffwear sun-shower coat http://waggle.com.au/ruff-wear-b1/sun-shower-rain-coat-p406

http://leerburg.com/bottlefeeding.htm I buy the long life goats milk from Woolies. It's about $4.50 for a 1L carton

Sometimes I'm glad my dog is a bit of a princess, the only gross thing he likes is cats bum

Yep, I was only reading a website this afternoon that talked about how DDs ONLY inherit traits from the "strongest" and "healthiest" parent so will therefore inherit the BEST of both breeds. And how do we determine what the best of those breeds are? Well, according to this website it goes something like this: Nature relies on survival of the fittest. When two different pure bread dogs are mated together, the hybrid puppy that results takes on the best physical characteristics from the stronger parent. As a result we end up with a much stronger and healthier puppy genetically. For example: The cavalier King Charles is prone to hernias which form as a small lump on the dogs stomach, some of which need to be operated on. However because this is not a health issue in the beagle breed, Sherlock has taken on the characteristic of the beagle, because in this case it is the stronger dog. Hmmmm so let me get this right, according to this information the puppies will take on the best physical characteristics of the healthiest breed? But what is to say that the healthiest breed will be the most asthetically pleasing or have the most desirable features There is just as much chance that the puppies will inherit the worst traits of their parent breeds. Beagle with a Cav coat and hernias anyone? Oh gee, and what about the OTHER health issues that exist in both breeds...? Doesn't quite add up does it? But the website is flashy and professional and the dogs look healthy so they must know what they are talking about. Right. Right?? Getting back on topic; If the Labradoodle is to go ahead and be recognised as a legitimate breed under it's current name without the ALA getting out there and raising public awareness of what their breed is about (and that it is NOT a DD F1 cross breed) then what is the likelyhood that it's going to give even more credibility (in the eye of the general public) to unsavoury DD breeders? I'd say pretty darn high

Have a look at the links above. There are some boarding kennels around that provide more then outside runs. I'm pretty sure that Adelaide Hills pet resort provides inside "suites" for pampered pets 'Barossa Bed & Biscuit' might be another one to try

They are probably safer in a good bording kennel than they are in a strangers home. Why is it that you don't want to kennel them? Are they inside dogs, are you wanting for them to have more attention? If these are your concerns then there are places that can cater to this eta here: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...amp;hl=Adelaide http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...amp;hl=Adelaide http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...&hl=kennels

A shedding coat is a big inconvenience for a lot of people, believe me having a husky some people actually notice dog hair, obviously I don't until it's pointed out that I have hair all over my back from sitting in the same chair as the dog Still, whether I agree with it or not the fact is that some people can't cope with a lot of shed hair and it doesn't mean that they wont love their dog just because they don't want to develop an intense relationship with their vacuum cleaner If they can't cope with the amount of hair a particular breed is going to shed they should look at a different breed. Not a magic crossbreeding cure for the perfect non-shedding coat. I'm willing to bet that most owners don't like being covered in dog hair 24/7, but it's the sacrifice you make to own the breed you desire No dog is going to be 100% "convenient" regardless of breed or coat type I should also add that yes I do think that the Labradoodle will eventually become a recognised breed. But I still think it's a long way off and that too many people choose this "breed" for the wrong reasons.

SC, if you really want him and have the time, ability and money to take him on then go for it. You'll give the dog a good home and just because it's not the "ideal" way to aquire a pup you shouldn't have to feel guilty. Just some thoughts, is the breeder registered and are they local? Are they willing to take the puppy back? The owners may not be aware that this is an option.

Not sure I agree with this. Often (in the buyers mind) the 'non shedding' coat is a matter of convenience rather than necessity. If they are wanting a lab without the coat then they are obviously not wanting a lab after all and should look for a more suitable breed. Chances are that if they do buy a labradoodle then not only will it still shed but the coat will be a LOT more work for them. Think about it, if something as minor as a shedding coat is going to be an inconvenience for someone what's the rest of the dog going to be? If the non shedding coat is a genuine necessity (due to owner suffering severe allergies, asthma, etc.) then you would think they would be spending a great deal of time looking into suitable breeds that are guaranteed not to shed - it is their health after all.

Here: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...;hl=temperature http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=203044