Red Fox

Remeber when we had the census and the survey was delivered to each house? Well a friend of ours lives on a large fruit block with 3 houses on it. 2 of those houses are occupied and face streets on seperate sides of the block, one is un-occupied, decrepid and in the centre of the block. He had his Rottie (who was aggressive) tethered in front of the old house, well away from the roads and where no-one ever went except family. Well what did the bloody census people do? Came onto the property and bashed to dog with a pole until they could get past him to put the survey on the doorstep Idiots! The poor dog was injured so severly that from memory he was PTS. It does happen.

Perse, I'd explain to them the costs associated with breeding. The risks of giving birth, about health testing, the costs associated with an after hours c-section, costs of microchipping and desexing the puppies and what if they can't find homes for them. There was a thread here last year with all kinds of horror stories in it. I printed it off and gave it to someone I knew who was contemplating keeping one of the female puppies from her 'accidental' cross bred litter (she is a pet owner, not a registered breeder) to breed with her sisters dog. She was too nice a person to just say 'you're an idiot to do that!' to and gentle persuasion wasn't cutting it either. I just gave her the print out one day and said 'This is why I've chosen never to breed my dog, it would be too much for me to deal with all of this'. She has given away the last puppy and elected to get her female dog desexed. I think she also gave it to the kids to read too which is great. I think you should certainly say something though, it doesn't have to be nasty. There is a BIG difference between berating someone who doesn't know any better and trying to help them do the right thing

Yeah, if the rat had been poisoned it would, though I'm not sure that it's anywhere near as bad as eating ratsack directly. My cat was poisoned a few years back by eating a mouse/rat the had ingested ratsack. He survived but needed his stomach pumped and had to stay at the vets for a couple of days. We dont use ratsack either so it must have been one of the neighbours.

I still have to get mine, It'll cost me almost me $60 once the postage is added in and I have bills to pay first Can you buy it anywhere else? If only I could find a supplier in SA....

Agreed. Personally I think that Vic law's are ridiculous. The day that those laws spread to the rest of the country will be the day I pack up and move O/S! My fear is that with BSL and the like that more and more breeds (particularly bull breeds and large/giant breeds) will be added and we will no longer see them here Refer to the bolded part of Nek's post. Those who love and support purebreeds will always have them, so in that regard then no I dont think they will ever become non-existant. Clueless idiots on the other hand will buy whatever they think is 'in' at the time -be that a 'tea-cup' chi or an 'oodle or a 'Lassie' dog. Perhaps in 20 years time it will be something else entirely?

Timely topic! I am kind of torn over this. I completely understand how deprivation works and that by limiting access to something that the dog wants should increase the dogs desire for that reward - whether it be toys, food, training, attention, etc. Yet I have a dog that seems to be the opposite. The more he does the more he wants to do, the more he eats the more he wants to eat. If I restrict his activity levels for a few days then instead of having a dog that is bouncing off the walls I end up with a dog who just wants to laze around. If I restrict his food intake to try and peak his interest that way he becomes lethargic -or worse vomits bile as his tummy is empty. At the moment I am working on increasing his drive for food and while things are moving along okay it seems that all the things that should work for most dogs just dont work for mine ETA: Good luck for tomorrow Dyzney

Ummmm yep I'm sorry but I would refuse to re-arrange my life and home to suit other people. My dog is part of my family and he comes first. And really, if it is a true friend they would never put you in that position anyway That said, I'm happy to make arrangements when needed. We have had friends and family over who are not entirely comfortable with dogs (or dog is not entirely comfortable with them). In that case I crate him or move him to the bedroom for the visit. If they are there for tea I crate him whilst we eat -not everyone likes being drooled on during dinner lol. However I would NEVER crate, kennel or banish my dog outside for an entire weekend because a friend wanted to stay over. Supervise with kids? Of course, crate at night time? Easy. But stress him, push him outside, crate all day or send off to a kennel? Sorry, it doesn't work like that. This is my house and my dogs home so if you dont like the way we live then dont stay here

Have a look at the pics in the profiles here: http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/profiles/pug.asp for what a pug should look like

Thanks Westiemum Yep, I hope we'll never need it either.

Wow, she's beautiful Minchie! Keep us updated on Ice as she grows, I'm sure you have big plans for her!

Hey KHM, Got the PM I will deposit my money shortly. There is me and hubby (non DOL member) so I will be paying for 2 lunches. *eta, sent my money off this morning

Ridgies get cold! It was 4 degrees here last night and mine literally slept on top of me to keep warm :D I would suggest you get a crate and bring him inside for the nights instead. Coats or PJ's are a good idea (mine wears a Chilly Dog sweater when the nights start to get really cold), but you dont want to put them on him unsupervised if he is a chewer. If you dont want to bring him in the suggestions already of lining the kennel and putting a flap on the door are good ;) I'm pretty sure you can buy an insulation product that has been specifically designed for lining kennels too. You could also try throwing a heavy blanket over the top.

Sorry to hear that this is still dragging out for you. Personally I think you should pay for the FULL amount of eye surgery and be done with it. However the fact that you've offered to pay half isn't all that bad, it's fairer than tunring your back and saying 'too bad' anyway (which I suppose does happen with some breeders...). As far as the toys/food/other stuff is concerned, well the owners can't expect you to pay for that at all! Just state out-right (and in writing) that you will pay for eye surgery and associated costs ONLY. There is no basis to the owners asking you to pay for toys - they are not meds or essential heath care. Why would they even ask for you to pay for these things is beyond me? I think you'll find that the vet is reluctant to write up the report as she doesn't want to create conflict or lose clients over this. I can't imagine the dogs owners would be too happy about it if it puts you in the clear Is it not against privacy regulations to give out a clients medical information without their permission? Perhaps the owners do not want to allow you access to their details and that's why the vet won't write the report for you?

:D ;) Hmmm... I'm still not 100% convinced that those dogs are out constantly roaming or that they are really all that dangerous. They may well be and in that case then the owners are morons (and breaking the law) but it still seemed a bit 'he said, she said' to me -and who do you believe? The mad dog impersonator or the defiant teen? I dont recall the reporter actually asking the owners whether they let the dogs roam or not either. Only the young boy saying that the dogs cant get out of their enclosure unless he lets them out. And what does that really mean? That he does let them out to wander? Or that no he doesn't, no they can't get out and the neighbours are full of it? It was only half a story IMO - we dont know how many times those dogs have been out, if the owners actually allow them to wander or if the dogs have escaped the yard on their own a few times, unfortunately bitten someone and now the neighbours are narky and 'in fear of their lives'. I'm not going to judge them based on a few minutes of useless information anyway

I think that the idea of a shared lunch came about after the workshop had already been organised and tickets paid for. Hence the reason why no-one thought to include it in the price The reason that I think that it may be easier to pay in advance is that it would allow those who are wanting to organise it to have a set amount to work with. And to be able to purchase things like basic drinks, coffee, cuttlery, plates, cups etc (or whatever is needed) beforehand without ending up out of pocket. Personally I'd be more than happy to send off my $10 or so by bank deposit and then know that all I have to do is turn up on the day and drinks/food will be sorted. Anyhow, I'm just happy to go with the flow, so whatever else the majority wants is fine by me As long as we eat something then it's all good

Ha ha, yeah I know and I can do that if need be Just thought I'd better pipe up before I got roped into more than I could handle. Plus I had terrible visions of me and hubby trying to balance chicken platters on our laps all the way down to Adelaide with a hungry Ridgie in the back seat :p

Yep, I tend to agree with Ness so I'm going to vote for either bring a plate of food or a combo of both. As far as drinks I'm happy with the tea, coffee and water (or some juice) and BYO soft drinks. I'm boring though, I only drink water lol, but I'm sure some hot drinks would be appreciated on the day for those who like them. If everyone does decide to go with the pizza option I really think it will need to be organised and payed for in advance to prevent any stuffing around on the day. Then there's always the issue of what type everyone wants - or if everyone even eats pizza... (though we probably all do lol) Perhaps we could go for some pizza's and a couple of chicken platters/salads as well -if someone is willing to organise it (all payed for in advance)?? Another idea is that Subway does catering for around $10 per head so that's an option too. Though I'm not sure which stores do it or how to go about organising it. Just some ideas anyway Yep, I'm happy to help out where I can and maybe pick a few things up on the day (or day before). But just for those that dont know, I am roughly 350km's out of Adelaide though and will be travelling down for the weekend, so I'm probably out for collecting/preparing any of the fresh stuff. Well not unless OH wants to balance it all on his lap on the drive down

Bloody hell! Looks to me more of a case of neighbourhood war than dangerous dogs though... Who knows whether they really did bite that woman, or how often they are out... might be every day or it might have only been once or twice. That story seriously had a lot missing. They said that the family had built an escape proof enclosure - but neglected to show it, nor say if it was or wasn't secure. The barking man said that the council has stated that the dogs will be impounded if they are out, so why the hell isn't he calling them? There was never anything mentioned about the council not coming out to collect the dogs, only that they are being given back. Surely the owners are getting a fine each time - even if the dogs are being given back?? Also, you would think that if the dogs were constantly roaming the street harassing people then someone would have at least taken some video footage of them?? The only pics they showed of the dogs outside the home they looked like they were on lead and being loaded into the car. Certainly not roaming around menacing people... Seems a bit odd to me

When pet stores are selling puppies (mainly cross breeds) for $800+ I have to wonder if the average joe blow looks in the window and thinks "Gee, if pet shop puppies are so expensive then I can't imagine how much a purebred papered puppy from a registered breeder might cost" I think that many people are under the impression that a dog from a good breeder, particularly if that breeder also sells show quality dogs, would be out of their price range. They don't realise that the pet stores are overpriced and that you dont always get what you pay for! Then there's also the problem of people not knowing how to find a registered breeder... When it came to buying my own dog the first thing I did was to jump on the net and research the breeds that I was interested in. Google lead me straight to DOL and also breed clubs in my state and I contacted breeders that way without giving it a second thought. However what about those who do not have access to that information? What if they had been thinking "Gee, I'd really like a dog" then happen to walk past a pet store that week and see a cute little puppy in the window? How convenient! If they have no knowledge of puppy farms, where pet shop puppies come from and registered breeders then why would they not buy the puppy? Until the public is educated pet shops will continue to thrive I really do think that breeders need to be more pro-active about getting their info out to people. If that same person had picked up the paper that morning instead and seen a HUGE add for an -All Breeds Dog Show this weekend, come and meet the breeds, puppies available to the right homes- (No, not expecting breeders to be there selling puppies! But the option of meeting a breeder and discussing their upcomming litters could be an option) then where do you think that potential puppy buyer might have gone instead? Back to the OP- No I wouldn't buy it. Perhaps ring the breed club in your state and notify them (if it is a pure breed) but buying that pup wont save the next one. If rescuing a puppy makes you feel good then go to the pound or become a foster carer

Perhaps she means the receipt

This? Barbet (French water dog) Or you might find it here: http://www.dogsindepth.com/dog_country_origin_chart.html (scroll down to France ) ETA, first linky didn't work I'll try again http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbet_(dog) and another link: http://www.barbet.org.uk/barbetinfo.htm and some pics as I seem to have way too much time on my hands tonight

My dog had to have eye surgery at 4 months old. His breeder was aware of the problem as soon as we were and immediately offered to pay the full costs for the surgery and follow up meds done under her vet (who is very good). The travel costs, appointments and check-ups up to and after the surgery and the micro-chip and other tests we decided to have done at the time of surgery were all OUR responsibility. I was more than happy with that decision and would not have asked for any more. After I collected my boy from the surgery I paid my part of the bill (micro-chip, bloods, swab test, toy etc) and the vet knew to put the surgery, antibiotics and eye-cream ONLY onto the breeders account. As it was pre-arranged it was easy and there was no dispute. Perhaps an itemised bill is a good idea? That way you will be able to seperate the treatment for the eye from everything else. Or maybe the owners gave you the full bill thinking that you would seperate the costs from that anyway

Thanks all. I've printed out the details of the Adelaide Animal Hospital and also Marion Animal Hospital as a back up and put them with my dog stuff. Thanks for that link too Gracie Monsta, I had come across that vet whilst searching but thought that they were only a specialist centre. I'll keep them in mind too. As I said, I will more than likely not need a vet for 3 days away But I think that it always pays to be prepared -just in case

I'm in for a shared lunch or happy to contribute some money for one Perhaps the easiest way would be to come up with a list of everything you think we'll need and then allocate something to each person? How do you usually organise it for the DOL meets?

I would not give the heartworm injection. It has been linked to reactions (including death) and as far as I'm aware it's already been pulled from the shelves O/S. Try doing a search on it here or a Google search and you will hear many horror stories We use Interceptor but I'm planning on changing to Heartguard with a quarterly intestinal wormer once I finish my current packet. Sentinal is good too and also treats fleas