Simply Grand

I know logically that the head/beak is no different to them (or us for that matter) eating any other part of the animal, plus I've been encouraging Quinn to catch and eat whole mice...but eeeewwwww

Do you have a history with the vet prior to having this pup? For me personally, unless I had a pretty close relationship with the vet or they had been through a lot with me and my pets and gone above and beyond, I would just move without telling them anything. Unless they know you well I wouldn't think they would go beyond maybe sending you standard reminders to pursue you.

Also, OMG Tamar, could you be any more adorable???

He's a total coot. I think he will be one of those who finds their one perfect person... And in the meantime he will enjoy life chez DDD

Had to search the website a bit but this should link you to their complaints process info: http://www.mdba.net.au/membership/policies.html#2 There is an email address listed: [email protected]

My best friend's cat has lupus. She had various different flare ups around her ears and eyes then got really sick and needed blood transfusions which was when eventually lupus was diagnosed with blood tests at a specialist vet. She went on cortisone, initially at quite a high dose then it was gradually reduced as her symptoms settled down. She had several blood tests to monitor her over a month or two on the cortisone them eventually went off it. She has been ok for the last few months with no meds, but my friend knows it will flare up again at some stage and if it's treatable again they'll do more cortisone and continue like that until it gets to the point where either her body can't handle the cortisone or the lupus attacks vital organs and causes her to suffer too much I'm sorry it seems Astro has it, it has been a bit of a stressful (and expensive) process for my friend but at the moment she has her happy, healthy cat back so it's not all bad news

Poodles, especially the little ones, are EXCELLENT people trainers (manipulators lol). They learn what works to get them what they want. I agree that this sounds like normal "clever pup trying to figure out what works" behaviour and all the tips are great. The best tip I can give is as long as you are sure pup is safe, fed and watered outside, completely ignore the behaviour you don't want. My adult toy poodle x is the same, he has no issues being left home alone or outside alone if I'm actually out or if he doesn't think I'm doing something interesting but he will still whinge a bit if he's on the other side of a door and wants to be where I am. I can't even remember what I did when he was a puppy but I know that as he got older and more persistent I just ignored his annoying behaviour and he doesn't scratch at doors or yell or whine loudly anymore, he just likes to still have a little bit of a say that he'd really prefer to be somewhere else if it's all the same to me, but he doesn't kick up a fuss.

It is better that they admit the issues than deny there is any problem (and imply that the carer is crazy and making it all up, like a certain rescue group I know). I wonder what kind of response they get to ads like that, maybe they do draw out people that want a project dog. The problem is if they get people who think the poor dog just needs love and stability and all the problems will go away. You'd hope they vet applicants very carefully for dogs like that. As far as if they should be rehomed, I think any responsible rescue organisation should have checks and balances in place for situations like this. So behavior-wise they should be looking at things like - Is a dog aggressive as in it will fight other dogs or aggressive as in it will try and kill other dogs? Plenty of dogs will fight and make lots of noise but it isn't actually that common for a dog to seriously attempt to kill another dog, especially without provocation. (This was a big one for me with my foster Molly - she had a laundry list of issues but the absolute black and white one for me was that I could not rehome a dog that I knew without a doubt would kill another dog). Is it aggressive in groups of dogs or with dogs in its face, or will it drag someone across the street to get at another dog that's minding its own business? How possible is it to safely contain the dog? Will it jump or climb fences or smash a window to get out, or is it containable without extreme measures? It's all well and good to say a home with no visitors but if the dog is a determined escape artist then the community is at risk every day. Is the dog's behaviour improving with work? If the dog has been in foster care and is responding to behaviour modification then you're giving an adoptive owner something to work with but if the dog's behaviour hasn't changed with extensive work then you're saying here is a problem you have to manage very carefully for the rest of its life with no improvement likely. Then you have to consider the dog's welfare - If the dog is going to have to live in a secure run to contain it safely is it going to cope with that? Many dogs don't and will either injure themselves trying to get out or shut down and spend the whole time they are in the run lying still in a corner. If it's too dangerous or stressful to take the dog out in public is the dog going to be happy just being at home? One of the many issues with Molly was that she was a young, active, intelligent dog who got bored at home no matter how much enrichment we did, she wanted to go out and sniff and explore and run but she also spent much of the time we were out in a state of anxiety. A territorially aggressive dog might make a good guard dog, in that it would attack intruders, but would it enjoy that role, or would it be stressed all the time? I'm sure I'm not saying anything that isn't common sense to most of us and yet there are so many out there that do think they can all be saved and because there are really no rules around running a rescue group anyone can set one up and send these dogs off to people, sometimes without those running the group and making decisions for the dogs even MEETING THEM, let alone assessing them properly, so at least those that identify the issues are doing that much.

That's what worries me with dogs that need serious management - slip ups happen, they just do, no matter how careful you are. And I really think asking someone to take on that risk, as either a carer or an adoptive owner, is unfair.

Sounds like a certain dog I knew well, and as we know there are people out there that think it's fine to rehome dogs like that because euthanasia is cruelly depriving a dog of life, regardless of what that life would be like and the pressure on the owner and risk to the community

I don't know that people would take from that that the sire is imported and that's why he's docked/cropped and I don't think a lot of people are aware that docking/cropping is illegal - I've had many conversations with people who think that natural bobtail Aussie Shepherds are docked. I don't think you necessarily need to change how you name the sire but it probably wouldn't hurt to put a statement on your website that docking and cropping are illegal in Australia and that you do not do or support it. No doubt you'll still get idiots that ask for it, offer to pay extra etc but that's unavoidable.

Sooooo good!! Love it. Must be so frustrating.

Interesting, I've just seen that my local cinema is only charging $5 for all tickets for the movie when it comes out this week. I wonder if it's because people have been boycotting it, and whether it's the cinemas initiative or the production company has done some kind of deal to try and get people in.

I'm pathetic, since I got my first puppy (only not quite 8 years ago - Saxon) I've loooooved them, then dealing with my three adults, the stress of foster dog Molly and then whilst having all of them also taking in three 12+ week old boisterous BC foster pups I thought I was well and truly over it.... but not too many weeks later and I'm already looking at puppy pics and getting all clucky!!! 3 happy, healthy, young-ish adults feels too easy... But it is DEFINITELY what we need for a while lol

She looks like such a sweetheart! And very lucky to be with you

Phyl, I'm so glad she's making you happy. I have never once regretted getting my poodle x Maltese, Saxon, he is my little right hand man, he's had to deal with a fair bit of change in our lives since I've had him and he has just rolled with it, he's happy as long as he's with me, he makes me laugh all the time and he has accepted two younger and bigger "siblings" and multiple rescue fosters into our home and despite his moments of stubborness, will do anything I ask him to. I'm a huge advocate of responsible breeding, including testing for any genetic health issues, and appropriate early care and socialisation of puppies as my experience and research indicates to me that these things are vital in creating happy, healthy, stable dogs, and also of ANYONE placing a dog in a home to work hard to ensure the dog and the home are a suitable match, not just "someone who has the money" so I absolutely object to puppy farms and people who breed their dogs without any care or thought but I don't believe that's the case with you. I think Pebbles has her forever home now and it will be a good one And if you go on to tell other people how important it is to really look into where their pup is coming from, ask questions and support breeders doing the right thing, then that's only for the benefit of dogs. oh and also, when you have a chance, we definitely need photos!

Or just aware that calling people stupid for buying a designer dog for a large price tag when they've already done it is just going to alienate them and stop them from sticking around to learn more and then hopefully share new knowedge with others.

Don't worry Phyl, you didn't come across as offensive and we're all always learning. My oldest dog, who will be 8 on 1 July, is a toy poodle x maltese. I got him from a breeder as a 6.5 week old puppy after searching for a "moodle" puppy for a while because I knew someone who had one and he was a great little dog. Saxon is great little dog too. He wasn't from a puppy farm, I met both his parents, who were much loved family pets and he was well cared for and socialised. However his parents weren't health tested, which I would never accept in a dog was getting from a breeder again, and he should have stayed with his mum and litter mates untul he was 8 weeks coz his nipping was BAD as a puppy. Fortunately he has turned out brilliantly temperament and health wise and is a pleasure (most of the time) as I'm sure your girl will be. I refer to him as poodle x or poodle x maltese and have nevet had any issues with him being accepted on DOL. I have done obedience and agility classes with him and various trick training and he thrives on it so I'd recommend something like that, plus Poodles can be stubborn little manipulators so just keep in the back of your mind to make sure you are training her and not the other way round ;)

OT but I reckon this kind of info would be really good for promoting pure bred dog ownership to the general public - demonstrating that pure breds aren't only for showing and aren't all about how they look, but the vast majority are much loved family members who live with ordinary people with ordinqry ordinary lives and are all different and are all still funny and cute and loving and silly like any other pet dog. Plus showing the huge variety of breeds there are. I don't quite know how the info would be put out there but just thinking out loud.

SM, I've only just found this thread and realised Scottie is gone, I'm so sorry What a great life he had with you, he looks SO happy in all the photos and got to do so many fun things, and he was so very loved

I recently long-term fostered a rescue Bull Arab x who had serious dog aggression and worked intensely with her training wise for many months. Her behaviour was extremely complicated with elements of fear, predatory aggression, anxiety and an inability to read other dogs and in the end just training wasn't enough to overcome her issues. She needed medical intervention from an experienced veterinary behaviourist. I'd suggest having a look at the recommendations above and making speaking to a couple who appeal to you. Ask them about their approach and look for someone who will start with a comprehensive assessment of your dog and not make assumptions, and asks you lots of questions to get an all round picture of the dog as there may be more going on than just the obvious you are seeing. Hopefully it is something reaonably straightforward though, and I'm sure you'll find the money is well spent on a good trainer/behaviourist

And since I'm here... Quinn has been more reactive on walks post-Molly than she was pre-Molly - OTT barking and some lunging towards dogs barking in their yards when we pass them on walks, and of course when you're walking three dogs together and one goes off they all do. I was hoping it would settle down but it wasn't so we went back to basics a bit and I've been walking her on her own with lots of LAT using the clicker and cheese for treats. I haven't used the clicker with her for years but I wanted to be as quiet as possible and not cue her at all because she's been ignoring me anyway when I've tried to get her attention away from the other dogs. It's worked really well, she responded to the clicker straight away and is now checking in with me every step or too in case I might like to give her some cheese, even though I'm phasing it out now. She even stood still and kept looking back at me when we encountered a cat in the road the other day, which is even more than I expected (cats are her most favourite thing in the world ever, she desperately wants to befriend every one she sees). So that's good but the next challenge will be to get it happening with all three dogs at once. And then reintroducing them all to other dogs a bit more. We used to go to the dog park regularly but haven't been in ages and ages because I've been without a car but I'm concerned about how the interactions with Molly might have affected how my dogs respond to other dogs up close so that will be interesting. I'll see if I can do some obedience classes with Quinn before I let her loose on the dog park I think so things are more controlled.

Oh they are so cuuuute together! Lovely seeing Thistle playing so happily and intently with her little buddy

I think there is lilac in BCs but it isn't a recognised colour in the standard.

I'd strongly suggest a male rather than female Aussie Shepherd given you already have a female. Looking back at my last post I realise the typos were terrible, sorry! But I meant to say the females tend to be pushier and more strong willed than males. I would ask your breeder for a calm and relaxed but not fearful male pup as a match for your Lab. And ideally one that listens well to mum dog's warnings and manners corrections!