mita

Yes, I hope everyone and their pets are safe, too. You Perthies are indeed getting a battering.

Yes, there was a good description of how a police dog behaves in the Q'ld Police Bulletin October 2005 (reprinted last month): When people think of a police dog, they might visualise a snarling canine bearing razor-sharp teeth, but in reality they are simply bold, unyielding dogs, whose confidence to stand their ground makes them valuable members of the Q'ld Police Service.

I have a shadecloth cover that fits over the clothes hoist. Don't laugh. Made by a company in Townsville for drying clothes in fierce tropical sun. I keep most of it folded back but fold it right out in really wet weather. Then it provides a drier area underneath for the tibs to go to the toilet. I also have a green plastic tarp, with a piece of good quality artificial grass on top that I can lay out on the weather-proof verandah. That's useful for really serious weather emergencies, like the terrible storms that can rage for ages.

I agree with you, the stats are awful. Good idea about handing out dog management info, too. This brochure would've been received by people who already register their pets....and also likely to already have their dog/cat microchipped. So it's a case of getting the info further out into the community. Word-of-mouth to neighbours, workmates, friends & family might help spread the word.

Whenever visitors come & ask 'Where's Annie?', we always have to say, 'Up the back, talking to the greyhounds!' So she's picked up something 'different' about their bark.

RSPCA Qld supported by Brisbane City Council will have microchipping days for dogs & cats. Cost $25 per animal. Sunday 17 June, BRIGHTON, Decker Park, Twentyfifth Avenue. 8.30am - 4.30pm Sunday 24 June, WYNNUM, Elanora Park, Granada St. 8.30am - 4.30pm. Dogs must be on leads and cats in a carry cage (cat cages available at the event). Minimum age 12 weeks. People can preregister to jump the queue on the day. rspcaqld.org.au/microchippingdays Initiative comes from fact 32,000 calls were taken last year about lost & found pets. Fewer than 7.000 reunited with their families. This info was on a brochure that came from the Brisbane City Council with our cat's annual registration.

That may explain the really good articles you used to write in the Doggie Rescue magazine about the basics of managing dogs. I collected them & found them very useful to apply.

My little tibbie girls are great mates of the greyhounds at the back. One tibbie, Angel, used to wait at the back fence every morning for big Boofy to get out of bed. He'd come to the fence & bend down from his great height to kiss noses with her. When he died suddenly under anaesthetic, Angel was grief-sticken. She wait at the fence every morning, for ages. So distressed that Boofy didn't come. There's some connection between these tibbies & the greys. The other night on TV, there was a dog shelter in the UK. The noise of barking, yelping, howling was deafening. My tibbie Annie just slept on in front of the TV. But then the story focused on a greyhound, named Betty. Betty gave a couple of yelpy barks....and Annie sprung awake, ears up looking up at the TV with great interest. How on earth did this little dog, distinguish a greyhound's bark from the noisy chaos?

I'd believe that. The Grandma dogs set up their cosy spot in our heart.....& give us far more than we can ever give them. Grandma Bless looks so contented next to the heater. She knows she's safe now.

Cheryl from Griffith is not only an angel to take Bless....but she's so lucky. Bless is gorgeous, a true blue Grandma Dog. And good on you.....& the volunteer picker upper...for helping her on her way to Cheryl.

I'd have thought so, too. Especially just popping food and water over the fence. Don't know about the law in ACT, but something like that happened up here, way back & people checked with local police if it were OK to go onto property with food and water to 2 dogs. Also any way of letting neighbours around know? Just knock on doors so they're aware. Lady over the road had a fall & rushed to hospital. She only had time to tell a young neighbour that her cat would need help. Young neighbour told everyone else.....and for dinner that evening, 3 sets of neighbours turned up with food. Made arrangements then who'd do what. One lot said they'd look after her 2 bantams, another said they'd look after garden & security & I'd look after the cat. Lucky we did....she was in hospital for 4 months. All was fine....we happily kept it up.

Somewhere I've got the phone number for the Dog Behaviour Helpline which is staffed by the dog behavioral unit at RSPCA Q'ld. You could get some 'starter' information and advice from them, over the phone. I used that service some time back and the person I dealt with was very, very helpful . They might know of any behaviourists up in the North Q'ld area, they'd suggest for face to face work. All I've got to do now is find the phone number! FOUND. Shall PM.

I loved the pic of Murphy hanging out with Jake. He's a bit like a doggie therapist for him. :) I think the 'comprehensive-view vet' is a good suggestion and dogmad's given an example where it helped.

Do you know what I loved most about the gentle, loving Bonnie! She turned into a true feminist elderly lady when your other collies went by and she was tipped off-balance by their slip-stream. You told us how she'd pursue them to give them a good nip and a piece of her mind. And they'd look so puzzled....what was she on about! And she'd look very pleased with herself. 'No one messes with me!' That will always be my memory of the marvellous Bonnie. She's an inspiration to us all. You'll miss her terribly, Judy, but you gave her the chance and the strength to be the best she could be. That's why she loved you so much.

What a beautiful little pup! Tell Hugo he's very welcome to Brisbane.

I've already referred to research in my posts on this topic. So you've 'heard about it'. What you highlighted was my summary statement that evidence is available. I also pointed out that what was necessary was 'knowledge and effort'. Do as I do....make the effort to locate research on the topic. Okay I get your message. I'm just a lazy old fart. I don't use language like that.....especially being old myself. You didn't have to go far....both my recent posts in this topic were full of references to research findings. And you got the same comment that I give students...and to myself (there's far more published on dog aggression/management). Go look.

I've already referred to research in my posts on this topic. So you've 'heard about it'. What you highlighted was my summary statement that evidence is available. I also pointed out that what was necessary was 'knowledge and effort'. Do as I do....make the effort to locate research on the topic.

Comparisons between injuries from human on human assault and dog on human bite/attack are possible. I've read a research paper (Australian) which pointed out that human assaults are far, far higher than dog attacks. By comparison, dogs tend to be amazingly non-aggressive to the humans they live with and around. Statistically, your chances are better with a dog, than a human. :) But dog bites and attacks do happen. Two things that possibly leads to a 'sense' that lot more happen these days are: 1. Dog bites/attacks, when they do occur, are more likely against babies, toddlers, young children or the elderly. There's sound evidence that these are the most vulnerable groups. The nature of these victims & how more easily they can be seriously injured, grab news headlines....which, in turn, promote fear that there's lots of dogs ready to attack the most vulnerable among us. 2. As Australia's population has grown, so do the number of pets, including dogs. And this country has one of the highest dog ownership rates in the world. So there's lots more dogs, living close with humans. Which has increased the chances of attacks/bites. The frustrating thing is that there's good scientific evidence of what prevents dogs becoming human-aggressive.....and also good evidence on how certain people mismanage dogs (& what are 'markers'). But rarely is such evidence referred to, in discussions like this. Simply focusing on breeds per se is not helpful....all dogs are dogs. Smaller dogs can cause damage on the thinner skin of toddlers and the elderly. Larger dogs, being more powerful, can inflict life-threatening damage. Both (all!) types need good socialisation at their base, followed by sound training and management. Full marks to the Rottweiler Club of Victoria in their blunt recognition that breeder/owner responsibility is heightened with increased capacity to cause damage. And they're proactive in supplying guidelines that could apply to any dog. Which is why BSL is not the answer. Knowledge and effort are....and serious monitoring by the authorities charged with dog management,

Annie, that was a lovely post. I'm so glad you have good friends who have helped you make a hard situation easier. Best wishes to you and Clancy and Connor.

Ah, someone's mentioned socialisation. Puppies need to be socialised with humans....and eventually in a range of situations....from the earliest age. And they need to be bred from, and raised by, well-socialised mother dogs (who are the first models puppies have for doggie behaviours.) That's not touchy-feely waffle. Scientific evidence exists. Dogs, like humans, have to learn... and learning depends on neural pathways laid down by how they're dealt with in their earliest development. If that early base of socialisation is not laid down....puppies are more likely to show the range of aggressive behaviours later on. But, when that base is laid down, there is something for training and further socialisation to build on. Anyone who breeds and raises puppies with no attention to temperament and socialisation, is like a car manufacturer producing motor vehicles without brakes. So full marks to the Rottweiler Club of Victoria for their guidelines on socialisation needs of their breed. http://rottweilerclubofvictoria.com/site/index.php?id=34 Also, there's evidence re the most vulnerable for dog bites/attacks....and that's babies, toddlers & young children....as well as elderly people. So particular vigilance, including containment & management, is required with dogs around those groups. And education of children in interacting with dogs. As others have said, many council regulations already provide some safety measures (like dogs being on-leash in public). So seriously enforcing them is also a way to go. From left-field, an American study revealed that unregistered dogs tended to show up more in serious bites/attacks. Along with another curious statistic....owners of such dogs also tended to have higher than usual traffic violations. Sounds odd, until you see there's a common thread... As others said....we don't just have a 'dog' problem, we have a 'people' problem.

Mita that is so cute - they recognised the connection then? :D I'm tempted to think so. When a breeder's young tibetan spaniel ran off at the dog show, she eventually found it, sitting happy and safe between the legs of a tibetan mastiff. But I don't want to highjack the thread. The TM's owners deserve praise for doing the right thing.....having their huge dog well socialised and well controlled. If only all owners did that.... There'd be no terrifying problems like the OP's. Which could've ended tragically.

When will the basic messages get thro' to people? First, children in that little girl's age group are the most vulnerable for dog bites/attacks. Second, dogs like pig dogs are trained and used to killing.....and don't know the difference between a small child and an animal. At least the property owners tried to shield the child and may have saved her life. But they desperately need a commonsense transplant after having a pack of pig-killing dogs and a small child in the same space.

I agree with this. And specially that the info might relate to a recurring problem. K, it must've been terrifying for you, but you did the right thing, protecting your dog and deterring the big dog with a loud deep voice. It's so different when owners do the right thing. Yesterday, I walked around a corner with my 2 Tibetan Spaniels on leads, straight into a young couple with the hugest black dog, also on a lead and wearing a face halter. They were firmly in control of their big dog which was curious about my 2 littlies. Some non-aggressive sniffing followed....then, to everyone's amazement, the Tibbies' tails started to wag and some gentle socialising followed. I asked what breed....a Tibetan Mastiff!

I'm delighted for you. I know what it's like to be expecting a new dog to fly in to Brisbane airport. But what I do is to arrange with the pet transport company to do the pick-up at the airport and deliver the dog to our home. It costs a bit more but I do it because the pet transport people have it all down pat... When our first tibbie flew up from Canberra, the pet van transport man phoned me to say we should be able to see the plane, right then, doing a turn to land at the airport. So we all stood out in the backyard and watched our lovely new girl's Qantas flight come in. Enjoy cuddling your new baby! :)

I've said that on occasions re tibbies in big trouble. Two pics I treasure on my desktop are PAWS' 'graduates'... This little bloke's been very lucky to be given the chance of a better life.