Red Fox

the dogs wouldn't be significantly less healthy or of the typical poor quality that the vast majority of blue breeders are pumping out, if the breeders actually thought about their goals, knew what they were doing and considered the breeding beyond colour. I'd like to hazard a guess that many of the worst affected dogs are from dilute to dilute (ie blue to blue) matings. Ok, but who is to say that the OP purchased their puppy from one of "those" matings Is there not the chance that puppy might have been the only blue in the litter and from good quality (non dilute) parents? Surely they crop up from time to time..?

That really sucks Tilly ;) If it were me then yeah I would put up a second gate. Perhaps something that is easy to unscrew/take down when you need to access the side area. I'd also whack some kind of sign on the second fence too.. Why ANYONE would allow their kids to run onto private property and stick their fingers through a gate and into a yard with 2 large GSD's barking their heads off is beyond me. Some people have no brains! As someone has already said, ring all the nearby schools, explain what has happened and have the principle chat to the kids about how dangerous this is.

Yep. Great Rugs make both canvas and blue mesh beds which are pretty much that. You can get them in either 4cm or 8cm thickness and made to any size you like. They post too http://www.greatrugs.com.au./store/index.htm eta click on "Heavy Duty Beds" to the left of the screen in the above link

No problem with starting as you mean to go on. If he is safe and warm on the deck and you can hear/see him I don't think that's an issue at all A covered (and closed) crate or even a pen around his kennel at night and popping out a few times to take him down to the grass might be the easiest way to prevent him toileting on the deck. Otherwise I guess you could try puppy pads or even a doggy toilet up there for him (then when he gets a bit older move it down onto the grass and eventually remove it). There is a recent thread here with some good advice on how to make a cheap one yourself with a tray and some fake grass.

Do you need to be in Vic to submit an objection?

Yeah but he doesn't want ANY old midget BC.. he wants Kenz Hmmm well you still have another year or two to convince me

Soon ...ish Still a few years off yet, and yep, still considering a Malinois (amoung a couple of other breeds) I just have way too much work to do with Kei first before I can even consider it And yes Kei would LOVE a puppy! We had a little lost SBT girl here last week and he thought all his Christmas' had come at once! For the moment I'm just trying to get my head around how people manage. The neighbours bitch has been in season recently and while we've had no whining or anxiety Kei has become a complete airhead of late. Training session have been interesting where even sit command gets a reaction of "Wha.. huh?... say it again?"

The only way you're going to be able to train him not to go on the deck is to not give him unsupervised access to it. You could either crate him at night or pen off a small area, then go out and take him to toilet every few hours. However if he wakes up on his own and you dont hear him he will likely go in his bed/crate which would create even bigger problem.. Is the deck next to you bedroom? Can you hear him when he wakes? If so then putting him in a covered crate out there might be an option, but it's easier to just crate them next to your bed. If you're house training him in the day (taking him outside every couple of hours to the spot here you want him to go and praising/rewarding when he does, then I guess it's possible that that may carry over to the night time.. But in al likely hood he wont leave the deck alone when it's cold and dark and will go there anyway, which could end up setting back you house training too. Any reason whey he needs to be outside during the night?

Hi I'm also looking for an indoor tray.. Is there any similar to the cheap as chips one? The website says they're sold out except in one store that's not in Vic Don't think they post them either... Thanks I've also seen them on eBay also, but the price was around $35 + postage from memory.

For those who own entire dogs of both sexes, how do you manage when your girls are in season? Boarding, seperate runs, crates..? No real reason for asking, I'm just curious

I use them too and find the same thing, so I just put them into a small stainless steel bowl in the fridge for defrosting and when it's time for dinner it all goes in anyway. I guess you could try those take-away style containers.. They wouldn't leak but it would mean that you'd have to wash them out and re-use them after (which defeats the purpose when you could just put your bag in a bowl and wash that out) or chuck them but that would work out fairly expensive. eta, why dont you just put your meat bags in the dogs bowl to defrost - then it wont matter if it leaks

If that's the case then just chuck a small waterproof tarp down on the ground and put you towels/puppy pads on top. Cheap, easy and fairly hygienic Even better

Cheap as Chips has some out for $12 http://www.cheapaschips.com.au/showproduct.asp?sk=BA7131 Otherwise you could try either puppy pads http://www.cheapaschips.com.au/showproduct.asp?sk=BA4348 (can buy these from most pet supply stores or Big W, etc.) Or bassinett mattress protectors might be good if she's trained to use towels. They have plastic inside so wont leak through and are fairly absorbant. (around $12 for 2 from Big W, Target, etc) eta, with any of these I'd be putting a tarp down underneath to protect the carpet

Won't the lady who was rushed at report the dog if she was so afraid? If not then yes, I would report it directly to the council considering that the dog is allowed to roam. Alternatively, if you are on speaking terms with your neighbours, knock on their door, tell them what happened and that you are quite sure that the woman who was rushed/nipped at is reporting the incident to the council. Then advise the neighbours that it's best if they keep their dog indoors from now on as the dog catcher is now patrolling the area looking for it

Pro-biotics, calcium.. Natural fresh yogurt is a good, healthy, nutritional food when given in moderation.

A bit like what I saw in the supermarket the other day - little sachets of fish (mackeral, sardines, tuna, etc) that you can add to your dogs food. About half the size of a standard tin of sardines for only double the price

Moselle - It's a debate on a public forum. You can't bloody well argue and stress your point to someone whom AGREES with you. I have my view, you have yours, everyone else has theirs. You seem to be in the minority on this one hence the reason why it seems everyone is "barraging you with questions" I dunno about that. Bloody DeShonko dogs Should have known :p

Actually no maybe you're right and he shouldn't have named the mastiff, SBT or cross breed as a possibility. What he should have done is rattled off the entire list of ANKC breeds, along with every possible cross so as not to offend anyone. Hey considering it was only a snippet of a statement that was published perhaps he did *edited because I can't spell today

Ok.. He said "could have been". Definition of could: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/could v could [kud] 1 past tense of can They asked if I could drive a car; I said I couldn't; She asked if she could go. 2 used to express a possibility I could go but I'm not going to; I could do it next week if you helped me. As the verb could is an expression of a possibility he is absolutely correct - it could have been an APBT, it could have been a DDB (ie a mastiff "type"), or it could have been a staffy x lab with a red nose. He also said: "ACT Legislation requiring people to hold a licence in order to keep a dog that had been declared dangerous by the DAS registrar was better than a blanket ban on any particular breed" I agree with this. Would you prefer a blanket ban on ALL bull/mastiff breeds simply because people can't tell the difference? Or a ban on all large breeds since they can do damage? Or a ban on all DOGS simply as they have teeth? I certainly wouldn't! Sooo... should we ban APBT's? Have them all pts (because this may have been yet another involved in an attack) or should we accept that dogs are dogs, all dogs have the ability to be dangerous - ie to bite, regardless of breed? And that it really could have been any dog involved in this attack but was most likely a dog which resembled an APBT because lets face it- the chance that it was a purebred pitt is small (though of course possible) and the chance that it was a staffy, mastiff or cross breed which resembled an APBT is more likely -Not because they are a breed more likely to attack but because they are a breed which is often mistaken by the general public for a pittbull. And the chance that it was a Standard Poodle maquerading as an APBT is zilch! He said "Any dog is capable of any act, irrespective of its breed" This is correct. I'm quite sure my old Kelpie could have easily done a lot of damage if she had wanted too. As could my brothers (very docile) Amstaff, my aunts nasty old poodle x, my neighbours purebred (and adorable) staffy girl or my own Rhodesian Ridgeback. If it's a DOG and it has TEETH then it can bite - breed had nothing to do with it. He said "We are 100 per cent opposed to vicious dogs in our community..." This to me says that NO vicious dog shall be tollerated - whether it is a restricted breed (ie an APBT), a common breed (ie. a SBT or a Lab), a large breed (ie. a Mastiff), or a small breed (ie. a Maltese, Cav, Toy Poodle). You said: No type is MY word which in this case I am using to decribe a group of dogs. Ie, Anatolian Dougue De Bordeaux, Bullmastiff, Neopolitan mastiff, Boerboel etc. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastiff if you want more) for mastiff "types" Or Bull Terrier, SBT, AmStaff, APBT, etc for staffy "types" What Michael Linke said was not a throw away "it could have been anything" comment. It was a rational "lets not all jump on the pittbull wagon and presume without knowing the facts" comment. And I really can't see what your problem is sorry. eta, what PF said

my dog breathes, i breathe therefore i must be my dog Sorry haven't read the thread but that is soooo deep dude :p Jaxx'sBuddy you crack me up. However you type, your dog does not type, therefore you cannot be your dog.. or perhaps when you breath you become your dog.. On a more serious note I have not read the entire thread but I found no problem with the initial comment (made by Michael Link). All he is saying is that the dogs could have been anything and that a more common mastiff type, staffy type or cross breed dog could have easily been mistaken for an APBT by a member of the general public. Given that true, purebred APBT's are pretty rare the likelyhood that it actually was one is pretty damn low. Thats a fact. Perhaps it was, perhaps it was even a cross bred pitt or perhaps it was a red nosed staffy/mastiff/dogue cross. Could have been anything really and that is all he's saying. It would make no sense for him to say "it could have been a Kelpie, poodle, Lab or dalmation" which along with a generic staffy or mastiff cross are all fairly common breeds - BUT they are breeds that are extremely unlikely to be mistaken for a pitt by someone who doesn't know any better

For those that use a 3ft/1m leash on walks do you do so due to council regulations or personal preference? With such a short leash does it mean your dog has to walk in a perfect heel at all times? Personally I find that I have much more control by holding a longer leash across my body -handle looped over right hand and holding any slack, dog on left side and leash controlled by left hand (hope that makes sense?)- than I do with a short leash held in one hand. And for those that use a retractable leash to practice recalls, why not consider a long line for this purpose? I would have thought a long line to be safer? (ie less risk of injuring you or your dog if it tangles around their leg/your finger etc) plus you have the advantage of being able to use it as a drag line too. Just curious as to why people choose what they do

Prong collar or well fitted flat leather collar with either a strong 6ft leather leash or a rubber grippy leash. I would never use a retractable leash on my dog. Apart from the no control factor you also risk amputation if the cord wraps around your finger! eta, forgot to say why: reliability and control. I own a large dog and I'm not willing to risk a leash/collar breaking on me. I also feel that the prong is safer and more effective (for my dog) than any other correction collar or "training tool" ie, haltis, check chains, no pull harness, etc,

Sorry, awful story but this doesn't make a lot of sense to me Firstly- the owners have 4 dogs on the property (plus 11 puppies). Is that even allowed? Do they have a license for all 4 dogs? The ranger was called repeatedly due to the dogs barking/escaping/chasing people and dogs etc and they were never impounded? What happened when the ranger was called? Did the dogs suddenly go home and sit in their yard again? Did the ranger not come out to investigate? The owners put up lattice instead of fencing? And no one thought to call the ranger and complain before the dogs busted through it? or after there were holes and they put up chairs? Didn't the ranger come back and check that they had complied? Why did someone not call the ranger to have the dogs impounded when they escaped AGAIN? Have the dogs ever attacked before? Just because they "chase" people it doesn't mean they are necesarily "people aggressive" either. The male killed the puppies? Not all that unusual, it doesn't necessarily mean dog agression either. It's very sad to hear about the dog that was killed, though I dont understand (if there had been as many complaints as you say) why the council didn't take action earlier I hate to say it but in all likelyhood the dogs will not be pts. If anything they will be declared dangerous and the owners will be ordered to build a suitable enclosure, muzzle their dogs in public etc. But if your council was that slack over a fencing issue (and are now allowing the dogs to remain at the property rather than seizing them after an attack/inadequate fencing/multiple complaints) then I can't really see them enforcing it. Yeah sad but true.

It has been discussed many times before if you do a search I'm with PIA and pay $35 per month for full accident/illness cover with a $100 excess. I have found them very easy to deal with, their policy is clear and easy to understand, they cover more than most and they will often pay out on a claim within 48 hours of receiving the paperwork. Routine care is not really worth it IMO. Even if you are able to claim absolutely everything you can (worming treatments, registration, desexing, etc - and of course you can only desex once!) you are only around $30 better off for the year. Much better and easier to put that extra $10 per month aside and use it when you need to. I am not entirely convinced that the payout for theft/straying/reward for lost or stolen dogs is worth it either, it's a bonus if you need it I guess, but how often are you going to use it? From memory (when I was researching different insurance companies a few years back) PIA offers a better overall cover than PetPlan too. When considering your options look at your breed and what types of heath risks/problems/diseases they may be prone to. Also consider you own personal circumstances - ie, do you plan on doing any particular sports with your dog that may increase the risk of certain injuries? Do you live in a rural area where snake bite is a risk? Are there ticks in your area? etc. Read the companies PDS carefully and make sure it covers what you need it to. Also look at the excess and what type of vet bills you wish to cover. Most plans offer a choice of $100, $250-$300 or $500 excess. Considering the fact that most vet bills tend to be either small-ish at around $150-$200 or (in the case of an emergency/accident/major illness) into the thousands I personally dont feel that the middle excess is all that viable.

Agree with Nekhbet. You can desex him at any time - however whether you need to is another matter. Desexing (in the vast majority of cases) won't change a dog for the better/prevent marking/behavioural problems etc. It wont correct bad leadership skills or lack of training. It may reduce the risk of some cancers/diseases/health issues but it may also increase the risk of others. At the end of the day, if you are a responsible owner it's your decision, but which-ever way you go you are probably best to wait until he is fully grown (12-18 months). Are you planning on showing him? If so you'll have to keep him entire for that. What does his breeder recommend? Linky http://www2.dcn.org/orgs/ddtc/sfiles/LongT...euterInDogs.pdf