darlingdog

I find it appalling that you would actually warn someone off going to check out the dogs at the RSPCA !! The ones up for adoption have been health checked and temp tested, for goodness sake !! Whatever your feelings about the organisation are, it's irresponsible to bad mouth them to someone who may have given one of the dogs a home. Better to have given her the OPTION of the other rescue groups to consider as well. There are a lot of very dedicated workers in the RSPCA who are working on the coal face as it were and it is a sad and sorry state of affairs when other dog lovers cannot support them in the work they do. Yes there are problems as in any large organisation but badmouthing and running down does nothing to address the issues. I have recently adopted a purebred dog of my favourite breed from the Sydney shelter. He had failed his temp test so could not be adopted out to Jo public. The staff there went to a great deal of trouble to find a home for him as there was no breed rescue in place and with a lot of phoning about they were told I might help out. I have nothing but admiration for what the staff are doing and my experience of dealing with them was totally positive from start to finish. I personally do not agree with some of the policies but publicly bashing them will not change anything .As with most big organisations I am thinking that the way things are done probably differ from shelter to shelter on many points depending on how well managed they are from the ground up. I can actually understand how the UK organisation is thinking, I imagine they are so overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of animals in need that it is necessary at some point to drawer a line in the sand. Cruelty cases must have an advocate and be a priority surely. Before you jump in and flame me about all the other animals being abandoned and needing help etc, I am well aware that it is a huge problem, I have no idea what the answer to it all is but bad mouthing the RSPCA will not help in any way. If you hate the policies so much here in Australia then get involved and start trying to do something from the inside or as an organised group to lobby for change.

why? Yes why? I've never owned a rescue dog or a crossbreed and I never will, I'm a purebred dog snob and proud of it. I have 3 purebred dogs of my chosen breed, one of which is a rescue. Doesn't make him any less a pure bred though, I just don't have his papers. In answer to your question of why have a rescue ? That would be to change the life of one dog....it can still be a purebred all the same.

I'm in QLD and I regularly go to a couple of cafes on Tamborine Mountain where they welcome my dog :D . I am guessing that until there is a complaint made it will be ok so I have my fingers crossed that they can continue to welcome dogs. We sit outside of course and in my experience most of the other patrons are fine with it, often wanting to pat the dogs. The lawmakers should get out into the real world a bit more frequently to see what it is that the community actually want rather than what they THINK we want ! ;)

Hi there, I too worried that when I got my second dog that I would not have the time to spend with 2 of them. How wrong I was ! It's been totally delightful and as a matter of fact a shelter dog in my favoured breed came up recently and I now have 3 ! It's so lovely to watch them interact and play, they all vie for my attention which is so sweet and they amuse each other for hours on end. I highly recommend having more then one and hope you are happy with whatever decision you make.

I too have a breed that I am nuts about and was planning on getting a puppy having never had one as my other 2 had both come to me half grown from their breeder. In the end I just couldn't do it knowing that there were dogs of my chosen breed turning up in pounds so I ended up with a shelter dog, though he is a purebred of my chosen breed and he is ALMOST little at roughly 10 months of age LOL !! Funnily enough I had made the decision that day to get the puppy from a breeder as I was missing out time and again on impounded dogs and that afternoon my phone rang, RSPCA here, would you take a purebred pup that failed it's temp. test ?? Fantastic, decison made, he's here and we love him !! I think you have to do what you want to do and one of the suggestions made earlier seems reasonable, if a rescue of your breed and desired age doesn't come along by a certain date then get your puppy from a breeder. Best of luck and don't feel a bit guilty whatever you decide to do, it's your choice.

Sorry if I misunderstood. Still would depend on the breed and individual dog though IMO, as 2 of mine even on their own, run about all day, the third one is more inclined not to unless he has a play mate.

Dogs don't self exercise ???? You've got to be kidding me ! My pointers self exercise all day long ( they are on one acre) everyday in addition to the exercise I give them. I don't think you can make such black and white statements about dogs, depends on the breed and the individual dog. I have also lived on a very small house block with one pointer and he managed quite well with hunting about the garden all day and 2 one hour walks each day with a trip twice a week to a big park for off leash flat out running. It was a lot more work with the small block but certainly do-able. Just depends what sort of commitment you are prepared to make to the dog. Good luck with whatever dog you end up with.

Just had a thought, I see that the 7.30 report is doing a story on puppy farms this week, wonder if they know of this new proposal ??? May I suggest that you contact them and see if they will put the spotlight on it ?? Nothing like a bit of publicity to get a council motivated ! and another thought, there is a Facebook page against puppy farms I believe ??? Post your letter on there and try to get all the members the world over to send the letter. Strength in numbers and all that.

Just had a thought, I see that the 7.30 report is doing a story on puppy farms this week, wonder if they know of this new proposal ??? May I suggest that you contact them and see if they will put the spotlight on it ?? Nothing like a bit of publicity to get a council motivated !

Just had a thought, I see that the 7.30 report is doing a story on puppy farms this week, wonder if they know of this new proposal ??? May I suggest that you contact them and see if they will put the spotlight on it ?? Nothing like a bit of publicity to get a council motivated !

I look at it this way, we have all had bad experiences with other people's dogs at dog parks at various times, that is clear from all the posts that have been listed over time. Usually caused by human owners of dogs who have no insight into dog behaviour and no idea how to read a dog. Bearing that in mind I would not want my toddler child or small child anywhere near the dog's of owner's who fit that category. I think the potential for trouble is huge and it only takes a moment of inattention on your part for a tragedy to occur. Someone else on here suggested you wait till the kids can be looked after and have some one on one with your dog. I think that is the most sensible course of action.

Well then.........I won't state the bleeding obvious...oh what the heck here goes......a dog is a dog, most of them will chase or kill a small furry pet such as a guinea pig or rabbit. I can't see that this is a problem dog other than the owner is not putting good enough catches on the hutches, there are catches that dogs cannot open not having thumbs and all that !! Hutches should be in a different area to the dog also. Even if dog cannot open the catches can't be very pleasant for small furry creatures to have a dog trying to get in to them. I think it's a management problem rather than a dog problem if the owner is otherwise happy with the dog.

I am so sorry to hear about your dog. My german shepherd bitch ( she was a rescue) had hip dysplasia and at aprox. 4 years of age she had a femur head removal. Her other hip was also very bad but she was not able to support all her weight on the already treated leg in order to recover from a second operation so we kept her on Metacam ( daily )and carprofen ( monthly) for the next 6 years. She was still able to run in the first few years after and all in all had a very good quality of life until we lost her last year at 10 years after she was diagnosed with a neurological disorder. She was a very protective dog but I can say that she never showed any aggression connected with her hip pain. I hope you can work out an acceptable solution to your situation and wish you all the best. It's a terrible situation to be in and you must do what is best for yourself and your dog, it's not a one size fits all kind of situation. I am surprised your vet is leaning towards PTS already, I must say I had a very supportive vet for all those years so perhaps another opinion is warranted ??

Hi Brooke, just want to say please don't give up on finding a possible home for him, I am sure there is one out there to suit. My husband and I took in an agressive German shepherd years ago, we have no kids and she was the best dog for us.There must be other dog savvy couples out there like us, it's a case of finding them ! We had her for 10 years and with careful management she had a great life and we loved her. Only lost her last year. I am sorry we cannot offer to help you out as I have 3 dogs currently but please don't give up on re homing him.

Excellent advice, my thoughts exactly.

I am not entirely sure but I believe the RSPCA fosters these dogs to approved foster families. Seems like an ok option to me.

Funny you say that, I am just about to right a letter to someone that has to fill the same Bark diary out...I know they such but Councils are required by law to do it.. I dont agree but they are the rules. I dont know the situation, eg dogs temrement/ surrounds and all that. Maybe just keep nagging the RSCPA.. SOME ONE has to listen HOPEFULLY.. Right now we sleep in the spare room at the back with ear plugs. We can't afford to stay awake as we have to work. I suggest to council about putting on a voice recorder for the noise at night, then submit them as evidence. They said no, instead of a CD with all the voice clips and photographs and all, I have to DOCUMENT it black and white, their way. Now I don't even care about the barking anymore, we can always move to another room, that's a small matter. What I care about is that it such a torture for the dog to face four walls day in and out, I know I'd go crazy in a few days for sure. edit random spelling. Flycow if you are not scared of the neighbours and feel you could cope with it, have you thought about going to the press with your story ??? might just stir up the relevant authorities to some sort of action ??

Thank you for telling us about this, I went and bought two of them today and they are great and sooooo cheap !!

WTF is WRONG with these people !! Tie THEM up to the letter box and call animal control would be more fitting ! I would cause the biggest outburst the family had ever heard and tell all and sundry just what I thought, family or not ! If they were abusing their kids you'd speak up, no bloody different IMO. No you are not being a dog nazi , these people are despicable.

Have a look at a map but time wise I would say about 15 mins from Hillcrest give or take a few. I have also used the Logan vets once or twice, they seemed fine.

I think if her main concern is for the dog then she should keep the dog with her and make sure it gets enough exercise each day. It's her responsibility and her dog. Just because she is on her holiday and it is a bit more difficult to manage the dog's exercise requirements doesn't mean it's better to re home the dog which is what she would essentially be doing. Keeping the other one with her may well cause problems when she does re introduce the one she left behind. The dog wants to be with it's owner, period.

My dogs range in size from 6kg to 65kg You would NEVER get me in a dog park, EVER! Too many twats who think their dogs are lovely.. .but history proves otherwise We moved to an acre so we never have to use a dog park again for that reason but I understand how there are lots of people for whom the dog parks are the only place they have to go and I feel for you all in that situation and hope your dogs stay safe.

Really? Would love to see those posts or know which posters would agree a dog should be mauled to death for barking at another dog. Of course, there is a difference between a friendly playful bark and an aggressive, 'I'm ready for a fight' bark. Any dog is capable of aggression, I wish owners would take more responsibility for DA dogs. Often they are in total denial about their dog's problem, and put it in a position where it is able to attack other dogs. You also see a lot of owners who have no idea how to read doggy body language. I have lost count of how many dominant, pushy trouble makers have "just been saying hello" according to their owner. Even the owners of the dog who attacked Daisy a few days ago tried to say after the attack that their dog wasn't aggressive - what further proof do they need?? I agree with the comment that a lot of dog owners do not know how to read a dog. My dog was attacked ( not seriously) outside a dog park. I had him on lead waiting for the people to leave the park, we were standing about 10 metres from the gate ( their dogs were on lead) and once they were out her dog pulled the lead away from her, came over and went for my dog. After I finished kicking it to get it off us she asked me " does your dog have problems with other dogs ???" WTF !!!!!!! My husband was with me and the look on his face was priceless, he said he had never heard such a ridiculous remark in the light of what had happened. Can being able to read dog behaviour be taught, or is it something that you an instinct for ? What are the thoughts of other doler's ??