melzawelza

Kirrawee? If so, best description ever. LOL Can't stand it.

no so far she has been really good training up really quick first day taught her to sit now she can sit say and come. we have had her out a few time and she seems really good with other dogs plus her new brother is a very patient Rottweiler Beautiful photo, glad to hear she seems to be developing normally. Keep up the socialising anyway, as it's always a good idea ;)

I agree with the majority - 100% without a doubt a sighthound cross (most likely greyhound) and I can't really see American Staffy. She is lovely. Have a good read through the forum especially any threads about pet shops as there is a wealth of information for you to learn I would also be socialising her as much as possible if she spent a month in a glass box - and you may have some toilet training problems.

Haven't read the books but I felt exactly like that about his lectures at the NDTF conference.

Hahaha, gorgeous. My cousins are staying at the moment and i'm convincing them a greyhound is the perfect next dog for them. These photos are helping the cause

That is a really good idea. The 'tourist' thing is what I was hoping to put emphasis on for that very reason.

From what you have described, it sounds like you look after your cattle extremely well. There ARE farmers out there doing the right thing, and I commend you and them. I may not eat meat but that is not because I dot believe in eating animals - it's because it's nigh on impossible to source it from somewhere I trust. However from your description, I would probably happily eat the meat raised by you, as it seems you treat the animals well and with respect, which they deserve. Raz, thanks for those links! The first article puts a lot of it into perspective. The pet shop I saw was like the ones described in that article. That was the one bearable thing was that at least the cages were fairly clean, even if the pups had no fresh air. The one in your last link is just SICKENING.

Great post!! I have also had a wonderful experience with them as teachers and they are just fantastic!

Souff, I honestly don't want to have this conversation anymore. Can we agree to disagree? I HAVE done research into the subject and I have my opinion on the matter and I have the right to not be insulted or yelled at for it. I compared live exports to breeders who export their litters as to me it is an almost identical issue. You made the point that farmers should have no concern over what happens to their sheep when they get overseas, and I asked if you felt the same way about dog breeders and from your reply it seemed that you did. That is why I said we'd have to agree to disagree because we have two fundementally different views on the subject. I belibe farmers AND breeders should be responsible for their animals, and no knowingly send them to unsavory conditions, and it seemed you believed the opposite. I apologize if I have gotten the wrong end of the stick here, but I don't see how the two situations are any different except that one is a meat animal. You're right Raz gave me some fantastic advice and I will be using that advice once I return to Australia.

Bugger. They didn't have anything exotic (which is a good thing really) only puppies and a few kittens.

Hey Raz, what do you mean by CITES? I'm not sure what that is. We're here for one more day but I'm not 100% sure I can handle going back. I might try today if I can.

Then take it up with the countries who have the lousy standards!!!! GET OFF THE AUSTRALIAN BREEDERS BACKS! The animals to which you refer are a food item and the breeders cannot dictate nor enforce what happens to the animals once they land on other shores. If you feel so strongly about these issues take yourself to those countries and seek change where it is needed and see how you go there. Souff Ok Souff, to try and vaguely get back to the initial topic - I hope if i delved back through your posts I wouldn't see you in threads discussing the exports of whole registered litters to Japan damning these breeders. To follow your logic then what happens to the pups when they get there is none of the breeders concern and everyone on here needs to shut up and get off the breeders backs. If anyone here has a problem with the way the pups are treated once they get to japan, they need to take it up with japan. It's none of the breeders concern as to what happens when they get there Sorry, but this is an awful way to think. Of course it is the breeder's concern - breed a pup and you are responsible for its welfare. I am amazed that you actually think it is okay for a responsible breeder to think that way. :D I think you missed my point. I am in 100% aggreeance with you, I was making the point that if that is he way souff feels about live export then she must also feel that way about Australian dog breeders who ship whole litters over to japan knowing the way they will be treated. Seems she does think that's fine and that isn't something I can continue to argue with, as we fundamentally have very different beliefs and we aren't going to change each others minds. I also don't care For being called an animal libber that wants to stop dog breeding and to 'switch my brain on' because I have a different viewpoint so im going to leave it there. Do you mean the third world countries live exports are sent to? They cant accept processed meat products - most of them live hours away from where the meat is brought in and dont have refrigeration. Better Aus that sends in the livestock with a vet on each boat and a highly regulated industry rather than sending in animals from unregulated countries like Somalia and Sudan where most of the animals will be dead before they even get there. But that's really beside the point of this thread. To the OP - so did you shoot off a letter to The Japan Times about the state of those hole in the wall petshops in Japan? The shop has probably moved on now anyway, especially if they had Appendix 1 animals for sale. Hey Raz, I'm still in Japan until mid December and only have my iPhone while I'm here so don't really have the means or time to construct a letter to the editor. However as soon as I'm home I'll be writing it. I'll PM it to you if you like, Raz? I wont post it here anymore.

Then take it up with the countries who have the lousy standards!!!! GET OFF THE AUSTRALIAN BREEDERS BACKS! The animals to which you refer are a food item and the breeders cannot dictate nor enforce what happens to the animals once they land on other shores. If you feel so strongly about these issues take yourself to those countries and seek change where it is needed and see how you go there. Souff Ok Souff, to try and vaguely get back to the initial topic - I hope if i delved back through your posts I wouldn't see you in threads discussing the exports of whole registered litters to Japan damning these breeders. To follow your logic then what happens to the pups when they get there is none of the breeders concern and everyone on here needs to shut up and get off the breeders backs. If anyone here has a problem with the way the pups are treated once they get to japan, they need to take it up with japan. It's none of the breeders concern as to what happens when they get there

That is absolutely ridiculous. You know what, when sows aren't kept in ridiculously small areas they DON'T crush their young! Sow stalls are a necessary evil because of what we have created. I find it pretty ironic that people would be so against puppy farming and defend factory farming (yes, intensive farming). I guess because they are just pigs and chickens who gives a shit, yeah? ETA: the problem with live exports is not the way they are transported. It's the fact that they are exported to countries with next to no animal welfare laws, that do NOT adhere to our Australian standards. Once thy are off the boat we have no way to control how they are treated or slaughtered. They are commonly put in car boots and strapped to roof racks and each other. Seems you are the one who needs to underhand what goes on.

That is absolutely ridiculous. You know what, when sows aren't kept in ridiculously small areas they DON'T crush their young!!! Sow stalls are a necessary evil because of what we have created. I find it pretty ironic that people would be so against puppy farming and defend factory farming (yes, intensive farming). I guess because they are just pigs and chickens who gives a shit, yeah?

I say sort of because once these pups get to owners they are generally loved just like any Australian dog. We still have puppy farms and everything else here, so we aren't exactly the bees knees either. However, this pet shop was unbearable and about ten million percent worse than any of ours.

Australia treats its dogs better (sort of) but we are appalling when it comes to factory farming, live exports etc. We should also be ashamed of ourselves.

Thanks so much for the link, I will definitely be writing to them once I'm home. I'll post it here before I send it for some input. I now am kicking myself that I didn't get more/better photos. I was in such a daze. I didn't get the name of the shop either however I know the street it was on.

LOL!!!!! having met him, I can totally believe it. What a little legend!!!

Something I have always said when people start bayong about people spending too much money on vet bills is 'would you be ripping this person a new one or congratulating them if they'd spent the money on a jet ski?? This is a living, breathing part of the family we are talking about. Why are they worth less than an inanimate object?' Most people look pretty ashamed of themselves after that.

We're holidaying in Japan at the moment, currently in Fukuoka. We went out walking tonight and came across a Japanese pet shop.'words cannot explain how absolutely hideous, cruel and unbelievable this place was. I'll list all the things that upset me. 1. Wall to wall puppies in glass boxes stacked one on top of the other, however they were in there by themselves, not with littermates or anything else. 2. There were no air holes in the boxes. 3. The boxes were tiny, a third of the size of the type you see at our pet shops. There were some pups that were clearly older and hadn't sold and one could barely fit in the box (pic below) 4. Numerous pups were clearly sick. One little Merle Dachsund X looking pup quite clearly had canine cough, was extremely thin and didn't look over 6 weeks old. 5. One of the older oodley pups had a hack job haircut that was clearly just to chop marts out because the little thing hadn't been brushed. 6. It was approaching 10pm and all the lights were on so pups couldn't sleep Upsetting behaviours 1. Pups were scratching and digging desperately at the glass, due to being in absolute isolation. 2. Some were desperately trying to stick heir noses up to the seal of the glass to breathe fresh air 3. One pup was just constantly licking the glass in this OCD displacement type behaviour 4. The older pup with the shoddy haircut did a loose shit, then immediately turned around and ate it 5. Other pups were spinning in circles. This is all that I can even remember right now. I cannot describe the horror, I was desperately fighting tears. It made our pet shops look like the Ritz in comparison. I took some photos but they really don't show how bad it really was, and because I was so shocked I didn't really get many. The worst feeling was knowing I couldn't do anything.'in Australia I would have ripped the owner a new one until I was escorted put, but I don't even speak the language. I'm wondering if there is anywhere I can write to express my disgust in Japan as a tourist. I know it most likely won't do anything but at least it is SOMETHING. photos below.

Yeah I forgot to add if they were legal for export to Aus there would be a lot more I'd want to know about the conditions they were raised in before purchasing one.

That whole program was so so so fascinating!!! I would absolutely LOVE one as they are actually domesticTed and anecdotally like a cross between a cat and dog.

Count me in, as a renter with two cats and a bird currently I dread ever having to find another place, and although I desperately want one I won't get a dog until I own.

Tammy is SO amazing - you would never guess that she was 18! she's like a pup!!! Here's to many more years of the beautiful Tammy!