Simply Grand

Aussie Shepherds are pretty full on dogs...they may not be as physically active as Border Collies (although people always think my 5 year old is a puppy due to how bouncy she is) but they are highly intelligent and need A LOT of mental stimulation and training, otherwise they will find their own entertainment in the form of destruction and exploration. Mine was 5 months old when she figured out how to open the fridge, she can now open cupboards, doors both sliding and with lever handles, baby gates and if she can't figure out how to open things she'll try to go over or under. As a puppy every day i came home to find she'd found something new in the house or yard to pull down and destroy. She's actually fine to live with because i have child locks on thr fridge and cupboards, she spends lots of time with me, gets daily walks and training sessions and all her food from puzzle toys but they are not a dog that will be happy without a lot of human company and work. She is also the youngest of my three dogs so she this is all with her also having constant canine company. Aussie Shepherd play is also very physical and a lot of dogs don't like it. They generally tackle in a chase game and do a lot of grabbing and barking so consider whether that kind of play is something your lab would enjoy. And lastly they can ve strong willed and can have behaviour issues - they are a Shepherd, which requires not only herding but guarding so they can be both pushy and protective, especially. The older mine gets the more selective she ia about other dogs and she has never been one to tolerate rude or pushy behaviour from other dogs. Just wanted to warn you as Aussie Shepherds are certainly not an "easy" or lower energy breed. They are lots of fun and great to train but they do need a lot of training and mental stimulation throughout their lives.

Me too, many times. And a rescue group (not the one involved in this case) stating that they hope particular (desirable breed) dogs aren't reclaimed from the pound during the legal hold time so they can "save" them

There you go! I think any of them would be good although Lagottos can have overly timid temperaments so may not be good with young kids and I have also met a couple of bad tempered beagles although also many lovely ones. With whichever breed you go for ask around for breeder recommendations and find one who produce stable, resilient dogs that tend to be good with kids. ETA a Golden Retriever or other larger breed could work as well but if you are planning on getting a puppy it can be very very tricky to effectively train a puppy not to jump up at peopke when there are little kids in the house as the kids just arent old enough to avoid accidentally reinforcing the puppy for jumping on them by squealing and pushing and running and the puppy doesn't understand that jumping and knocking the kids over isn't just a fun game. It often ends in lots of frustration for everyone and the dog spending lots of time separated from the family.

I don't either. Lawyers don't generally go around doing legal work for people who don't want it done, especially if they don't even believe that person has a case. And of course the actions of one rescue group aren't a reflection on any other group but I have first hand experience of those running a rescue group blantantly lying to try and make themselves look better when they have done something wrong so I take what this group says with a grain of salt.

If only there was a breed in development that was meeting the demand that exists for the oodle crosses but addressing all the unpredictability, temperament and health issues that concern the labradoodle inventor. Oh wait...

One of mine loves cuddles with me and a select few other trusted people. He will leap up into my arms (even sometimes when I clearly have my hands full and can't catch him, he's not the brightest) and let me cuddle him on his back like a baby. He is nervous of being held by strangers though. Another one is happy to be held and cuddled by most people but only in certain positions (he refuses to lie on his back) and only for as long as he feels like it, then he'll wriggle to be put down. If I say "cuddles" he'll stand up on his hind legs for me to pick him up. The other one is too big for me to pick up and cuddle but she's happy enough being hugged, leaned on etc by trusted people and any kids, she'll usually lick in return. I don't think she loves it though. ETA she does love it from kids, any attention from kids is the best thing on the world! I've worked with all of them since they were babies to at least tolerate cuddles so that if a child grabs them they don't react by biting. I don't expect them to put up with kids treating them like toys and would step in immediately if they were uncomfortable, and I don't expect them to put up with random adults who should know better grabbing them but I'd hate to have a little kid at a park or someone's house to get a bite from one of my dogs.

Oooooohh what a cutie! Look at that serious face lol. Congrats, how exciting :D

Welcome, and good on you for doing your research I think either breed would be suitable. Standard Poodles are bigger than Lagottos and possibly more readily available. Also from what I've seen (noting that I haven't owned either breed) I'd say the SP is probably a bit "harder" in nature (more independent, stubborn, confident, protective) whereas a Lagotto may be a bit more reserved. Either should be super trainable and really fun to train, but they'll respond best to reward based but consistent training - ie they're smart enough to know they don't HAVE to so what you say but more than willing to if you build a good relationship with then. I think either would be a good family dog for an 13 year old but like you say finding a really good breeder who focuses on temperament as well as health is essential. Lagottos can be excessively timid and SPs can be pushy if not carefully bred and socialised, and i don't know about Lagotto health issues but Poodles can have heart, eye and joint issues so health testing parents is vital. Both will need extensive grooming, SPs being bigger will obviously take longer. If you are very patient you could do it yourself but I groom my 5.5kg Toy Poodle x myself and I would never do it with a bigger dog, it's hard work! So you'd need to pay a groomer upwards of $50 every 6-8 weeks max and brush thoroughly several times a week. Oh also, either breed would thrive doing an obedience or agility, for fun not necessarily to compete, so it would be great if you could do that for at least the first couple of years

In Qld, where these people and dogs are from, the pounds are council run and the council is who you contact, you can't call the pound directly. It may never have occurred to them that contacting the pound was an option, especially if the council didn't suggest it. In addition, from the sounds of it they should have had 14 days of the dogs being held in the pound according to the law and they didn't so whatever one's personal opinion laws were breached here.

Oh I hope you can get some results PK, I can imagine how difficult it is for you and for Malcolm. It's interesting, I got really slack with walking my own dogs while I was so focused on working with Molly and have just started up again this week. I knew Molly had both anxiety and frustration issues but it isn't until now when I'm reminded of how "normal" dogs respond to the world that I realise just how much it was affecting her. Prior to going on Lovan she actually seemed quite calm when out on walks but when I see the contrast with my dogs, who spend the whole time with happy relaxed mouths, ears and tails, sniff everything, look around curiously and trot along enthusiastically I realise that poor Molly was probably actually just stressed out the whole time. The (real) VB I spoke to about Molly also agreed with what yours have said, this kind of thing is a medical issue, not a training one and that finding the right combination of medication is the best treatment. I really sympathise and think you are doing a great job, Malcolm is very lucky to have you ETA pm me if you want to talk about anything you don't want to post publicly, you're in a different (more difficult), position than I was with Moll but I'm very happy to listen, discuss and learn

No way! Is that for real? It is very cool

If he was worse after the 7 days of metacam it seems like maybe the pain was being masked which allowed more damage to be caused. If 7 days possibly caused more damage another 30 doing the same things could cause much more I'd get a second opinion now (well soon, I don't mean rush off to the emergency vet!)

Just learnt this lesson in a very hard way.

Oh wow, I didn't see that statement. "Runs away first chance it gets" = not a beloved family pet??? Well I guess all of us that are responsible and loving owners can get rid of our fences then because dogs only run away if they aren't loved and cared for *massive eye roll*

Weird, the rescue guys says that the dogs were in Gloucester Pound which seems to be NSW. How did they end up there from Brisbane? Qld state legislation requires pounds to check for microchips, and Qld doesn't have a state only registry so if the NSW pound checked (surely they are required to?) they should have been able to find the owners. I wonder if the dogs were registered with Brisbane Council. Also i don't know what Vic legislation is around ownership of dogs but rescue groups as "owners" when the dog is in a foster home are not mentioned at all in Qld legislation so he may be legally incorrect when he says he is the owner the dog. ETA how devastating if this happened to you, I wouldn't be surprised if it does a lot and the original owners just don't find out. And a big reason why I am wary of having people look after my dogs either in my home or theirs if I went away - if they escape you have no control over what happens to them if you're not there

It's a difficult question. As your friend as experienced just breed isn't an indicator of how a dog will behave any given situation. If she has a preference for GSDs I'd suggest she start to talking to reputable breeders and explaining what she's after to try and find a pup that can be suitably matched. She could do the same with Rotti breeders and see who she feels is the right fit for her to work with and go from there.

Anyone used this company or know anything about them? I'd really appreciate any feedback either in the thread or by PM

When I ended up with a three dogs with fleas and an infestation after moving into an infested house (bloody carpet, hate it!) I did Nexguard for the dogs, Mortein flea bomb of house, flea shampoo bath for dogs and flea shampoo hot water wash for all bedding. It worked, including killing the adult fleas.

This harness is being discussed in a group I'm in as a good option to stop fence jumping/climbing escape artists. http://jennyireland.com.au/store/products/anti-jump-harness/ Anyone have any experience with this? Thoughts? It doesn't quite sit right with me as something to leave on an unattended dog and I would think of they attempted to jump in it they could hurt themself.

True, it's not an ideal thing to do in a dog park unless it's quiet and everyone there (human and dog) knows each other. And as long as you watch so you can pick up poos. Having said that if I ever sit down at the park I just get three dogs sitting right in front of me so there's not much point.

Yes, totally agree with PK, you've come to the right place but there is some assessment to go through

Collie smooth could work! Collie rough too temperament wise and I believe they are generally a bit lower energy than the smooths but more grooming involved, although it is suprisingly easy for how much fur they have. But I'd definitely agree with looking into a calm natured Collie smooth. Collies are herding dogs but waaaaayyyy more chilled than most of the other working breeds.

Oh of course! Didn't think of that Rebanne, something to check.

I'd be wary of a small dog at an off leash park, especially if your dad prefers to sit and watch the dog play. I was thinking a Greyhound (carefully assessed and proven good with other dogs). They are pretty chilled but will have a run, pretty safe in a dog park (as long as they are good with other dogs, especially smaller ones), not barky, easy grooming. Or another adult lab that is past its high energy stage, either a rescue or a retired show dog.

Yes, I still remember the sadness of finding out my first "adopted" kitten (stray in Indonesia that became sort of a pet) died when I was 4 or 5, but the pleasure I got from playing with her was greater. We had the delight of (accidental) baby guinea pigs then learnt about desexing pets so we didn't have any more baby guinea pigs, we lost the female GP to a dog attack and nearly lost the male to shock and then pining for his mate until we got him a new friend. We had cat die unexpectedly of illness, we had a cat disappear and we had several pets die of old age as kids. We always saw their bodies and held funerals for them and cried and felt sad and missed them but understood that death is a part of life and learnt that you can move on and that joy you get from living with and loving pets far outweighs the sadness of losing them.