mita

To counter the wrong belief that registered breeders treat their dogs like 'things'... & that showdogs are miserably unlike 'real' dogs...I always show pet people this photo (below) of registered breeders & their dogs socialising at a dog show (click to enlarge). The body language of both breeders & dogs says it all. These are loved dogs....& mighty happy dogs at that (including the little bloke doing some doggie 'sniffing' in the background). Photo is posted with their permission. (Disclosure: a couple of us DOLers have adult dogs adopted from one of those breeders. Easy to see why we'd have such happy & confident dogs. They came like that!) I notice New York's Westminster Dog Show has done similar on their website. They have a gallery of pics of dogs (& their handlers) at the 2012 Show.... entitled Dogs, Dogs, Dogs. Stiff & formal 'thingy' dogs? No... rather dogs being happy dogs in many cases...& enjoying trusting interactions with their handlers. Enjoy! (I love the Coonhound having his big head cuddled & the exquisite Whippet being curious.) http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2012/show/dogs/

I'm glad you posted this insightful comment. I've seen that negative interpretation of a breeder rehoming dogs even turning up in discussion threads on DOL. And you're right about falling behind re the public opinion stakes. Curiously, I think the easy part of providing a boost to public opinion about purebreds & registered breeders, is to start with the evidence about these dogs & their benefits. They're the only group that has solid research behind them.... that the purebred dogs tend to be far better socialised by their registered breeders than dogs bred by unregistered breeders. Socialisation is the gold standard for dogs.... all dogs... to be more likely to live without excess aggression or timidity problems alongside people. Even the military dogs are raised with a huge emphasis on their being close to humans & experiences in their early life. Tracking back, the average registered breeder socialises their puppies/dogs well because he/she has strong bonds with them. Bonds that are beyond conformation. So any claim that all registered breeders care only about what a dog looks like, how many prizes it can win & how many of its puppies can be sold.... doesn't stand up to the evidence. The hard part is actually conveying the benefits & pluses of the purebred world (& there's lots more that I haven't mentioned)... to the general public. Over the years on DOL, people have suggested all kinds of ideas... like Purebred Pride Days, Information Displays in pet supply stores etc etc etc. But rarely have I seen them finish up being realized. This is where rescue... by contrast... has found a voice/voices that reach the public. Good to see (and I must say the good rescues have helped out purebreds). Major shelters, active rescues... & with the PR activities of the great Pet Rescue folk... are able to get into the public eye. So I'd say.... we have the evidence for purebreds (& lots of it!) but not the voice. Public relations anyone??? No , not marketing, public relations. I've seen the absolute delight of pet owners looking for a new dog of a particular breed, when I've shown them the Dogzonline Purebred Community pages, with all the links to further information, listings of puppies & dogs available & links to breeders' websites. Only recently, I showed a lovely family, with a 3 yr old who adores dogs, looking for a Corgi, the Corgi pages. I'd just told them the evidence that breeders of purebreds tend to socialize their dogs well (important for a family companion dog). Then, the first Cardigan Corgi breeder's listing we pulled up, beautifully explained how she raises her dogs/puppies just that way!!!!! The family were delighted. Why should I be surprised.... when all our purebreds have been raised just like that, too. :)

Only good thing is that the puppies were found relatively quickly after they'd been dumped.

Yes. My experience has been the same as yours. Much loved pets come from both sources. What I've noticed in my dealings with 'good' registered breeders and 'good' rescuers... is how alike they are in attitude towards their dogs. Like, who says this as her final aim for dogs in her care (website)? Rescuer or breeder? "... a loving home for the rest of their lives." Actually it's the Swedish breeder whose tib won Best of Breed at Crufts. But it's exactly what the rescuers say, too... the reason for why they do what they do. Only self-styled 'rescue' sources of limited experience & thinking power, believe that adopting a p/b automatically means a pound dog dies. Actually a 'good' p/b adoption reduces the risk for 1 more dog being added to the shelter/rescue system. For ESCS: Angel, retired from showing, & happy pet. ( Best pal of greyhounds next door.)

You need the fuller story, so you don't have nightmares of hanging on with your cold dead hands. :) (Which I truly understand!). Former Best Puppy in (Royal) Show & Aus Ch had her first litter of puppies at about 3 yrs. She nearly died from complications... & her 3 puppies died, too. Breeder wouldn't risk this little beauty's life with a second pregnancy. And decided she would wait until the retirement pet home she'd want, came along. Meanwhile, I knew nothing of this. As a pet owner, I'd just 'discovered' the breed (tibetan spaniel) at the Brisbane Royal. Made enquiries of breeders re adopting one, including that lady. We had a long talk... especially about the pets we'd already owned. I sent her info by snail-mail with details & documentation. She was specially interested in our 22 yr old little mixed breed dog, rescued from dumping as a puppy, who'd just died... & had been a 'star' outpatient of the UQ Vet Clinic in her last years. She got back to me & said she was thinking of retiring a 3 yr old girl... & would I like to meet her. Sure did... loved her on sight (pic of that day below). I figured that the little one must not be right for showing... but I didn't care. When that breeder delivered the girl to our home... she brought all her prizes including Best Puppy in Show. What??? I asked why she hadn't told me before. She said she knew I just loved the little one for herself...that's all that mattered to her. And she'd decided ours was the home she'd been looking for because we'd loved & cared for a little rescue dog for 22 yrs. So she knew we'd take care of her girl. Other 3 ex-show girls also came from breeders like that. They'd got their championship, had their litter of puppies & those breeders believed they now deserved a good pet home for the rest of their lives. One is related to the tibbie who won Best of Breed at Crufts last year. She came to Australia from that breeder's kennels in Sweden. When those breeders ask me, 'How is my girl going?'... it's music to my ears. These people cared about the development of their breed and their dogs' chance to become a happy pet.

That's a great video. Talk about natural talent, Grace's got it in spades.

I guess some people finish up living in their own bubble, based on a pretty narrow range of experience... & start to see 'others' in a distorted way. Add to that, this lady by her own admission is not on top of managing her own doggie. All a bit chaotic. No wonder her reasoning doesn't make a lot of sense, as you say. As for (registered) breeders being 'greeders'.... we've owned 4 p/b, still young ex-Aus Ch dogs where in 3 cases, the breeder had to be forced to take any money for them. In the 4th case (who won BOB Puppy in entire Brisbane Royal), the breeder asked 'What you can afford.' All they wanted was the best of good homes for the little dogs that had done their bit for the development of a specially lovely breed. The evidence is that breeders like these, are the very people not likely to swell the numbers of dogs needing rescue.

My Annie the tibbie was imported from Sweden. So I was a bit interested in the Swedish attitude to dogs. I found that they pride themselves of caring very much for their dogs as part of the family... & don't tend to have the big stray/homeless problem. So the Swedes have a rescue dog service where they save homeless dogs from Ireland where there's a much bigger problem. http://www.hundarutanhem.se/English/A-presentation/

Here's a Carmel inn spelling out exactly how they provide pet-friendly accommodation. Amazing! http://www.svendsgaardsinncarmel.com/pets_welcome.htm

Your post made me curious so I googled Carmel's town website. Sure backs what you've said. They happily say their town's one of the most dog-friendly in the world & that the dogs are welcomed into all sorts of places. http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/index.cfm/carmel_dog_calendar.htm

Thank the lord for this post. I don't hear whining from the US registered breeders of my breed of interest (there's an international email list). Incidentally, they've just tipped us off that the upcoming Westminster Dog Show in New York will be streamed live for the first time. And also that the total entry for 2013 is the largest for 15 years. Of course, they mention puppy farming with all its horrors & are thoroughly 'agin such practices. I've also noticed how respectful they are of the many genuine rescues... who don't seem to have a maths problem in believing that one p/b dog adopted equals one shelter dog dying. Because the evidence is that one p/b dog, well bred & well-socialised & carefully adopted, is far less likely to swell shelter numbers. To be frank, the attitudes towards dogs are much the same among those breeders as I hear among the good ethical rescues. Also the Best of Show winner from Westminster goes on a Media tour which shows how p/b dogs are not just empty bags of 'correct' conformation. Last year's winner, Malachy, appeared on numbers of television programs, rang the bell to open the New York Stock Exchange (& happily viewed the work from a lofty perch), did some pet therapy with children with cancer at a Ronald McDonald's House... & gobbled up the chicken and rice (on a silver platter) that Sardi's restaurant traditionally cooks for the winner. The Photo Gallery from that 2012 Show has candid pics of the dogs in & around the ring, behaving like... real dogs... & getting lots of affection for it. http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2013/show/news/wkctimes_issue4.html PS Great proactive ideas, alpha bet.

So hard to believe she's the same dog. Look at that wide smile.... life's good!

Bet that got you up & moving. Dogs probably learn in Dog Medical School how to test a collapsed owner for serious injury. Sit on their head. Movement & protest means there's nothing serious and their owner will live to serve them their next meal. :) BTW Found more about Tommy. Seems he not only goes to Mass but also Baptisms & Funerals. His late owner had 3 rescue dogs & the villagers have adopted all of them. Lovely pic of Tommy at the priest's feet as he gives out communion. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2013/01/17/italy-dog-frequent-churchgoer-since-owner-died/

I agree. There are no 'rights' or 'wrongs' in situations like this... only people of good heart trying to do the best they can for someone else. A very little girl, at that. It's so sad seeing other people at the vet's whose pets are being PTS. I once sat in the waiting room, noticing a young woman (mid 20s), with the dearest little elderly poodle sitting on her lap. She went in before me... not long she was out, with tears streaming down her face in great distress. And she had car keys in her hand as she headed for the door. I followed her & asked, 'Are you OK? Is there anything I can do?' She stopped & told me she'd had her little poodle since she was 12 yrs old... she'd 'grown up' with her. A serious health problem meant she'd had to be PTS. The young woman thanked me & said she now only wanted to get home. But there was a slight regaining of composure as she shared her little one's story. I felt just a bit better about her driving her car.

Seems like Tommy is now Father Hanna & the villagers' dog now. Lovely story & pics. BTW, the nuns at Jamberoo Abbey south of Sydney had a 'Church dog', Thea, a GSD. Thea always attended the services in the chapel... at the Abbess's feet. Here's the tribute to Thea when she died: http://www.jamberooabbey.org.au/html/news2/thea.htm

Mantis, AWL Q'ld has a booklet called Pregnant Paws Program, for parents who are expecting a baby. The guidelines tell them how to keep both baby & pets safe when the bub comes home. There's a variety of ways you can get this booklet... including downloading. http://www.awlqld.com.au/education/animal-community-education-qld/pregnant-paws-program/ Just generally, a copy of this guide would be a great present to give to anyone who's pregnant & who has pets.

Yes. Babies & little ones up to age 5 years are the most vulnerable for dog bites... for reasons others have given. The Child Accident Foundation of Australia says the key to prevention is Supervise or Separate. If an adult isn't directly supervising, then set up a dog-free zone for the child & a child-free zone for the dog. So terribly sad to lose a week-old baby in this way.

I agree. It's not an unusual general situation the OP's described. So much comes down to the details in each case & what the ex-partners can negotiate. Starting & finishing point is the question.... what can they sort what seems to be in the best interests of the dogs? So it's a case of sitting down & sorting the dogs' needs and trying to match them with the humans' lifestyles. In some ways, OP & ex-P have already started that. Like, the ex-P has said that any shared arrangement would not fit with what he could cope with. Actually, that'd been one of the ideas I was going to float. In some situations that can work...if the dog can live with it happily & the humans' lifestyles fit. We had a little dog that used to frequently come to stay... often for longish periods.... because the owner was away on business trips. This little dog had a nature that adjusted beautifully, enjoyed having the best of both worlds! But, of course, not all situations could work as well. So back to the negotiation table!

Ann, the puzzle is that we still don't know if the anal gland was a separate issue or connected. But there was definite improvement before we found that.... from the plain diet I described & Metragyl tablets prescribed by the vet. I remember it was such a harrowing time.... especially the nights! So i've got heaps of empathy.

My Annie the tibbie suddenly developed a condition just like you've described. The vets tried every test, including scans, to try to find what was wrong. They could not make a diagnosis at all. And the problem kept going on for weeks, into months. Even tho' it was some time back, I still have all the notes I kept.... including those many nights when there'd be runny poos she couldn't control. All the commercial kibble the vet tried with her... just made her worse. Eventually we came down to the simplest of diet. Lean chicken breast very lightly cooked, cubed sweet potato cooked in the microwave, a little rice (not much), and a good brand plain yoghurt. Absolutely no processed food at all. To provide some control for the diarrhea, the vet prescribed Metragyl. This regime made a big difference. Then I asked the vet to also check her anal glands.... & to their amazement... she proved to also have a badly infected anal gland which had to be treated by antibiotics being injected into the actual gland. Vet said, by tummy wouldn't make a difference. Her gland was also packed with an antibiotic paste. This may or may not have been connected with the long weeks of diarrhea. But, with that plain diet, Metragyl when necessary & treatment of the badly infected anal gland.... Annie got better & never had the problem again. These days I ask the vet to check her anal glands every time we're at the vets. Just in case that had been the root cause. But I'll never know

Yes, the AWL Qld's scheme seems to have done that, starting with signage on the section with their rescue dogs & cats.... 'AWL Qld Adoption Centre'. They control how the accommodation is designed, how stimulation is given & how the adoptions are done. The pet store role is host, on-site facilitator & contributor to resources. Just my opinion, but if I were a Sydney rescue group contacting Bark Lane, I'd suggest BL gets in touch with the friendly folk at AWL Q'ld as they might benefit from their experience. Incidentally, the AWL Adoption Centre at our local store, also had attractive big posters for greyhound adoption (Friends of the Hound) around the dog accommodation. So there's also a role for pet supply stores to provide information about rescue & groups.

AWL Q'ld has what they call AWL Q'ld Adoption Centres in a number of pet supply stores. All usual AWL adoption procedures & after-support are followed...same as adopting from their shelter. They've been doing this for a number of years now. I assume they would've been assessing extent of value for the pets over time. A pet supplies store near me had an AWL Adoption Centre which featured selected cats & dogs. A specially set up area housed no more than 2 dogs at a time with appropriate flooring, beds, toys etc. A waist-high transparent fence prevented the dogs being over-stimulated by people. No more than 3 cats at a time were housed in a roomy cat enclosure, made & supplied by a Q'ld company & equipped with cat hammocks, high walkways, climbing equipment and toys. That actually was educational... we got some of those items for our cat. Both staff & volunteers kept up the exercising, socialisation & stimulation. AWL staff kept calling in & their van was frequently there. In fact, I used to drop in donations for the AWL thrift shops. http://www.awlqld.com.au/adopt-a-pet/ It's how the basic concept is put into practice in a particular situation that counts IMO. If it can be demonstrated (& measured) that it benefits the dogs & cats, then it's fine with me. If it can't be, then it's not.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion. However, the spokesperson for the facility, is quoted in the article, that their choice of Jacob's colour was among the safety reasons. Seems factual, to me. “He’s white with black on him, he’s mostly white so it’s easier for the residents to see him and he’s a big dog, he’s up to most of the residents’ waists, so it’s less of a risk that they’ll fall over him,”

Yes. The article sets out how appearance (including height & predominance of white) & temperament were matched with safety & interaction needs for a dog being in an aged persons' facility. Years back, a retired greyhound was selected to be the resident therapy dog in a facility for aged nuns in Brisbane. The same features were pointed out, why a greyhound filled the bill so well. Just saying... these dogs are brilliant as pets. Racing greyhound owner next door just looked to rehome one of his young grey girls who was from his champion bloodline. No good at racing... she was more interested in playing with other dogs & getting pats from people. This man loves his greys & he went all out to find a perfect pet home. Found it with just retired couple in next suburb whose elderly BC had died... but years back they'd owned a retired greyhound that they loved dearly. The girl went to live with them on Saturday...mutual love immediately. She's named Amber after her colour. She found a playmate with the dog next door. And gave her new 'mum' some pet therapy. The lady is recovering from a broken leg... so Amber gently curled up next to her & snoozed with her head in her lap. Her new 'dad' took her for a walk & she got on well with every dog she met. The grandchildren came to visit & she was wonderful with them. I saw Amber yesterday with her new 'dad' & the bond between them was obvious...she leans against him all the time. He told us if we thought that was a strong bond, we should see Amber with her new 'mum'!

... or not. Young relatives on acreage have owned a miniature horse, Milly, for some time. She's always been grumpy with the family's cats & dogs... as if they're unwanted trash on the face of this earth. But the family recently took in a few horses...& Milly is a changed individual. She's besotted with the horses & now totally ignores the cats & dogs as if they just don't count for anything. The horses equally take no notice of Milly... but she doesn't seem to notice that!