mita

Yes, because it's not against the law of the land. So there's no law for the RSPCA to enforce. Now his summation of the ethics.....it's highly inappropriate & stupid....should be enough to make fund-raising organisations think again. That's basically what the media person here wrote to the magazine offering a pup as a prize.

Willow, raffling/auctioning companion dogs for fund-raising contravenes RSPCA national guidelines, I think. It's not against the law of the land, as far as I know (unless WA is different). But being told that, would exert moral pressure...& a group would know iit'd be a PR disaster if they went ahead with it.

Me, too. My lovely tibbie, Gracie who went too soon because of veterinary error. Apart from that, our tibbies are true Buddhists....very gentle souls to live with.

Willow, I'm wondering if it's an opportunity to get the principle of not raffling or auctioning dogs for fundraising....some more attention.. Some time back, a national pre-teen magazine put up a puppy as a prize. Outcry from animal lovers.....especially here on DOL (old-timers will remember it). As it was against RSPCA national guidelines .I contacted the media person for Qld, who sent a very clear message to the magazine. Lots of other people sent similar messages or contacted other welfare bodies. To their credit, the magazine dropped the puppy prize. So, would you consider contacting the WA RSPCA, giving them the details of what you saw & suggesting that it's something people running raffles & auctions for fund-raising, should know about.

You're right! I'm always amazed how our dogs answer to a pile of nicknames & each dog knows their nicknames. Our new little Annie's only been here a few weeks....& she's gathered nicknames already. She answers to them all....like Hanny & Antsy. One friend even calls her AbbaFace, because she comes from Sweden.

Onya, Willow, for letting her know about another option. I've got a vague memory that there's some RSPCA national guideline that companion animals like cats & dogs...should not be put up as prizes in raffles or in fund-raising auctions. OK, it's not backed by any law. But it's regarded as unethical & not in a cat or dog's welfare interests.

Yes, like KK & showdog, I wondered about a belly band. Or would a determined lab chew it off??? I've only seen small, male housedogs wearing belly bands. But there's a lass who makes them (lives Burpengary), who does them to order for the large breeds. I notice she's got a MDBA nomination. http://www.lovemyfurbabies.com.au/Belly%20Bands.htm

I adopted an 8 yr old tibbie & changed her call name from Chance to Gracie. She seemed to twig straight away when I was calling her. As a pet, she got lots of attention with her new name....which gave heaps of reinforcement for it to stick. Later I adopted a 7 yr old tibbie, named Zena...but she was no warrior princess! Very sweet & gentle. But Zena was part of her pedigree name....& special to the breeder who owned her. So I tacked Nina on the front....& she became NinaZena. She answers to Nina or Zena or NinaZena. Recently adopted another adult tibbie girl....call name Annie. But it suits her perfectly, she's blonde & was born in Sweden.

Couldn't agree more with this advice. And go quickly! The great thing is that your vet knows what your dog was like.....before this sudden change. So she'd be a great place to start for a full vet check...& refererral to a dog behavioralist. Think about what specifically your daughter was doing at the time. Was she handling a toy/or food....or has she been ill so her scent would be different to the dog. Was she making a different noise, as little children sometimes do, as they play. Has your dog been ill or had an injury. Also search your memory for anything that's changed in your dog's life...& your family's life... at this time. Would be info of interest to the vet/behavioralist.

A Cavalier is a companion breed and this is not an ideal situation for them. Two would be okay but I don't think being home alone all day if you only want one dog. I was thinking the same as Gretel. A Cav is definitely a mainly companion dog. In the same category would be the Tibetan Spaniel. So I wouldn't recommend a Tibbie.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Keysha sounds as lovely as her name. I agree with the others.....don't blame yourself. In reading the story, I wouldn't have known to do anything different, either. She was a lucky little lady that she had her last times with you, after a very harsh life before. She went to her rest a much, much loved puss. Which is the best we can give to any of our pets. Play free, Keysha.

Amen to that Jasmine & Alaska sound like lovely girls. As Bailey's a rellie, I bet he's got the lovely gene, too.

I did, too. Which is why I've also found this thread interesting.

My tibbie girls love really soft pillows....as used for humans. With changes of pillow case every few days. And left out in the sun & air to freshen. They either curl up on them....or drape themselves across...or lie along them. They have a soft pillow in each of the rooms, they snooze in, during the day. Their soft crates, in the bedroom, for sleeping at night...also have a pillow inside them.

I just looked up Kylie's Husky Rescue Qld, in Townsville, on PetRescue. She's rehomed 47 animals (not all huskies). So she's doing great work. http://www.petrescue.com.au/rehomed_by_member/?member=230

Leanne, you're a legend. And with a link to Charters Towers, too. :D

I found a Husky Rescue Qld on PetRescue, run by a lass from Charters Towers. There's a mobile phone no. http://www.petrescue.com.au/member/293

Good thinking. A lovely ACD pup was got up to fostercare in Qld recently, thanks to DOLers helping with the air fare.

Yes, to what Erny just said. We were given these tips to build confidence in a shy & timid dog. To help a young tibbie girl who was extremely timid. Some of the ideas helped her greatly: * Encourge her to do chasey games, when a treat or toy is tied at the end of a string. And she's encouraged to chase it. Apparently that helps the submissive dog to 'feel' & act more dominantly. * Try to protect the dog's personal space. Do not let strangers overwhelm him, etc. You may not be aware of a passersby actually petting the dog. It is amazing what really goes on. Do not allow people (even family members) to pet the dog on the top of the head or behind his ears. Instead, pat and scratch the dog on his chest and neck. This is much less threatening to a dog. * Teach the dog how to play with you. Entice the dog for a game of chase, with the dog chasing you. If he won't chase you while you're running, try crawling, yes really. Crawl on the floor on all fours away from him, then lie down and roll. Cover your face and make high-pitched whimpering noises. This should entice the dog to come over to you. This is success, praise the dog and then walk away and try it again later. * If the dog is scared of people, instruct people to sit down with their backs facing the dog. Then, hold out a their hand (behind them) for the dog with a food treat in it. Gradually, the person can turn so that they are sideways, and then facing the dog. Avoid eye-contact until the dog is no longer scared of this particular person. * Do not stroke a scared dog and say "It's OK." This is perceived as praise by the dog and will make it more likely that the dog will repeat his fear again next time. Instead, give robust pats on the sides and act happy, pretend there is nothing to be scared about, and if at all possible, remove him from the frightful situation. * Yawning is a calming signal for dogs. When your dog is nervous or unsure of a situation or person, you (and that person) should sit down by your dog, turn your head and focus slightly away from the dog, and yawn continually. I am not talking about 30 seconds of yawning, rather 3-30 minutes of consistent, passive yawning. Try it, over time it should make your dog more comfortable. * It is important to avoid eye-contact, especially if the dog is used to running away or submissive peeing. When you are able to be close to the dog, kneel or sit down so you are on his level and turn your head away from the dog and lick your lips. Continue doing this until the dog either ceases being nervous, or brings their face closer to yours in a gesture of friendship. If/when this occurs, praise the dog's efforts with kind words and a gentle chest rub, however still avoid eye-contact. Whenever you are close to a scared or submissive dog, it is important to avoid eye-contact so the dog will not feel threatened in any way. * If she's food oriented give visitors some little treats to hold in their hands & occasionally drop next to her as they walk by. * Do not over-stimulate or push the dog too far to fast. Let the dog regulate how close he can get to other people, places and things. If you push a scared dog too far, you will create a neurosis that will be more difficult to treat. * If the dog is scared of human contact, even from you, pet the dog unexpectedly as you walk by. Do it quickly and friendly, and then keep walking. The dog will probably be scared and surprised, for if he knew you were going to pet him, he would've run away and not allowed it. By sneaking in friendly petting with no consequences (you simply walk away) the dog will learn that being touched is not a bad thing. * Being scared is very stressful. Exercise is one of the most beneficial ways to relieve stress, so make sure your dog gets plenty of it. If your dog likes other dogs (if you don't know, find out) I strongly recommend that you find a dog for him to play with on a weekly basis (more often, even better). Canine companionship is very important to dogs, and especially a dog that does not trust many humans, another canine can relieve more stress than anything else. Be sure to allow the dogs to romp around and play unrestricted (except for a fence) until they tire out. This may be one of the best therapies that you can give a shy dog.

Thanks. I'd never had a clear understanding of this.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, Erny. My work was educating teachers to be specialist teachers & school guidance counsellors in relation to children with learning & behaviour problems. Having previously taught in the area myself. There's no way, an adult would be encouraged to engage a child in a staring out contest, initiated by the child. For the reasons already given.

And, my apologies in return, Erny. I came over more as chiding you ....than in making my point. I agree with you that the best solution would have been if the parents could be cautioned about what fixed staring at a dog, could mean for a dog's behaviour. But, as the OP posted, sadly parents usually don't take kindly to strangers pointing out even the wisest things. So, given that situation, I'd suggest moving on. Remove that opportunity for the child to continue the behaviour & get his reward for playing out the fierce gladiator & the fierce dog fantasy using one of children's favourite weapons... the stare. Staring out a child is actually teaching him that it's acceptable social behaviour. And rewards him, by pulling someone else (an adult, no less) into his world. And a general comment. It's amazing how a child's behaviour.....which isn't all that far out in terms of the normal range of what boys of that age might do...is being put into the context of his maybe being all sorts of things, from 'evil' to 'psychopathic' to having some kind of disability. No, that doesn't make it acceptable behaviour.....particularly for what consequences staring could have, on a dog. Just a pity, it wasn't a situation where this caution could have been passed on. But it wasn't.

Hhhmm .... I think I would have stood in front of my dog and given my evil stare at the kid, refusing to break gaze with him. It usually stupefies them into submission or at least displacement behaviour (well, perhaps not sniffing the ground) . I'll have to agree to disagree with you. I find it appalling that a child is being described as 'evil', when he was doing something that children, in their immaturity, do. The 'stare' thing. For an adult to join the child in that behaviour is actually modelling immature behaviour. And to talk about 'stupifying' a child into submission seems to show some fear of what is simply a child....behaving as children do....& needing adults to convey what behaviours are socially acceptable....or not.

I think he was getting a bit 'off' in his imagination, in line with his gladiator costume. And bored to bits by the adult event. To modify a child's behaviour, remove the opportunity & the reward. Even tho' it was a bit difficult for you, among all the crowd....move to another spot.

I've found a range of responses. Some will automatically take back a dog they've bred.....or at least be proactive in helping find a new home. My personal belief is that breeders who do this deserve all support from the dog world community. And there's only been the odd one or two, who've said 'no' or opted out.