mita

What a sensible idea. Someone once posted on DOL a reverse idea. If your dog goes missing, put a big sign & pic on your own front fence, so people driving/walking by might notice ... & be alert to watching for it, or bring in some info about sighting.

Neat summary.

I'd agree to that. Qld's Racing Minister's just announced there'll be an enquiry into (1) why live baiting went undetected and (2) what can improve the situation. All together now: (1) it was known it existed but the admin had no will to do anything and (2) nothing really. And nothing in that is about the welfare of the greyhounds. He also announced that the enquiry will be funded by Racing Qld (does that sound like the Racing Qld investigating itself?).

Fair comment, given there have been enquiries into greyhound racing.... like the one in NSW in 2013. A former vet on a major track gave evidence that he despaired of any fair hearings into the problems of the industry. So he wanted the NSW Ombudsman to mount an investigation. Don't know how that'd work anyway ... besides it didn't happen. The chairperson of that enquiry pushed the economic buttons... saying that it was a valuable primary industry in semi-rural & rural areas. No notions of shutting down from him. He also said if they'd had the kind of information the animal activists have finally got.... they might've been able to do something. But what the 'something' was he didn't say. Can't see it being much because the welfare elements all take place on private property. I think there's a lot of vested interests in the money side of the industry. Right now, I bet the Racing Authorities are lobbying the government about loss of jobs (among staff employed at the big tracks & businesses that 'resource' them), if the industry falters (as it is) or is banned (as some are calling for). 'Loss of jobs' are terror words for governments these days. Not to mention loss of tax revenue. All this makes it hard to see what real changes could come from the enquiries.

Good post, SM. That information is useful to khow. I also wondered if there were any other symptoms.

Good on the Tasmanian Greens for asking for an enquiry that extends the terms of reference to include, but go beyond, live baiting. The welfare of the greyhounds themselves is of huge concern for all the reasons people have posted about in this thread. I still find it hard to see how welfare of the kind we'd expect for dogs in general, can be applied to an 'industry' based on gambling & being a primary industry. That invariably makes the greys into 'economic units', not sentient beings. I also find it hard to see how any stricter regulations can be applied & policed when the greyhounds are on private property.

Stunning is the word, isn't it HW!

Bit O/T but decent racing trainer we knew, once made an interesting comment about a couple of the greyhounds he'd bred & raised for racing. We'd remarked they were stunning. He agreed, saying that they'd be superb if they'd been in the world of dog showing. It'd never occurred to me that greys were shown, like other dog breeds. I looked up an article which confirmed they were, but there's only a small number of breeders in Australia who take that direction. http://www.greenhounds.com.au/activities-/showing.html Maybe those p/b show greys might be kept happy with dog sport lure coursing!. No gambling or 'primary industry' riding on their shoulders. I think the sighthounds like greyhounds, borzois, salukis, whippets are the most beautiful creatures...in how they look & move.

I'm a Pollyanna & wish greyhound racing could just be a dog sport ... in the context of a hobby, not an industry based on gambling. So true, greyhounds love racing. I have no moral concerns about gambling per se. But with animals the focus, money considerations take centre stage & welfare has far less priority. Neil Mitchell has been saying this. But I understand, even if this came about, the gambling on dog races would likely go underground. Another economic factor was mentioned by the man who chaired a NSW enquiry into greyhound racing, back in 2013. He pointed out that greyhound racing sustains a 'primary industry' in rural and semi-rural areas & so has economic value to the state. Very difficult to fit the same welfare expectations we have for our pet dogs into all this. I'd like regulations to be the answer, but those which relate to welfare would be very hard to police as the dogs are kept on private properties, with what's done going under the radar. I'm leaning towards banning. But I doubt it'd get banned, anyway. Too many vested interests.

Tweety, that sounds like a lovely little dog. The smaller breeds carry age well. Mine's nearly 15 years & still going strong. The GAP greyhounds are well tested with little dogs & so much else. I can believe the family love their addition. My small dog was a 'tester' for GAP & she loved those greys, too.

Poor Stan! Did he have a puzzled look, 'Why did that fence attack me?' Boofy the rescued grey next door was good coming to answer his name from sleeping on the couch or watching TV. We'd call his name at the fenceline... & there'd be a long pause...then Boofy would appear, plodding like a mastiff instead of a greyhound. He loved a pat & a talk. Then he'd plod off back to his couch. He was still a baby, only 3 years old & huge. He was rescued from being shot because he was hopeless at running. He wasn't flash at walking, either. :) Everyone adored him!

Animal Liberation Qld has just said the positive greyhound video (from Animals Australia) on their website, has clocked up 600.000 hits across Qld. OK, it's not nuanced but its getting a view to the public. If you have any additional comments that might fill it out, consider posting on that Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/animalliberationqld

I agree.... that's exactly the same for humans, too. One or other factors can affect how prey drive is expressed, even at the strongest levels. I thought of mentioning that, but I knew it would muddy the simple bell-shaped curve explanation with its concrete picture, for those not familiar....& who might have been resistant to anything else but a blank slate idea.

I wonder if that could be inserted into an article that looked into behavioral assessment of greyhounds. It's reasonable to say greys have marked prey drive and the strength of the drive varies across the breed. Just as the traits of other breeds vary across the breed. There's a bell-shaped curve for strength of specific trait distribution among humans. Most lumped around the middle...with weaker & much stronger at the two extremities. Think of intelligence as one example. Same would be true for dogs ... like greys re drive. I can't see why you should be attacked when you're pointing out that the top extremity exists. In fact, if a thousand greyhounds were tested on drive & the extent of drive scores plotted along a graph... you'd see a bell-shaped curve forming. Most clustered around the middle...with fewer stronger to very strong up one end, and fewer weaker to very weak ones at the other. Behaviour testing 'admits' that extreme ends exist across the one group. Which is what you're saying for the top end. And given that an exceptionally strong trait has some genetic base...it's not going to be 'managed out' by training. There's also that bottom end of the bell-shape, where there are those with a exceptionally weaker drive... who'll never be managed into having high drive. So it's reasonable for you to be saying that some greys are not suitable for the requirements of regular households and standard access to the society. .. because some will have an exceptionally high drive. You're right, tho... as 'simple' as this is & it's nothing you don't know already ... it's how it's received. I have illusions that drawings of bell-shaped curves might ring a bell. It's a picture!

Maddy, give that feedback to the 2 groups... as well as anything else you think the general public should know. I'd like a mention of behavioural assessment with the article on fostering on the Animals Australia website. And why it's done, because there's a range of behaviours across greys, just like across all dogs. They have to be matched to homes, same as any dog. There are greys not suitable for a home with a cat.... same as all sorts of other dogs aren't. Ditto for other things. Or there may be aspects where they need some training. Same as any dog. These 2 groups are getting a lot of public access on the subject of greys at the moment. So it's an opportunity for some balance against the greyhound as programmed killer. But I agree with you.... there has to be balance within that balance.

And well done, too, Animal Liberation Qld. They've got a topic & video on their Facebook page... headed what everyone should know about greyhounds. The video was produced by Animals Australia & clearly states that greys have become victims, too, by the ugly live baiting training. They say it's shameful to do this to a breed that has the capacity to be a gentle companion dog. The video has scenes of greys being just that. Best thing is that people who already own greys as pets are posting they're grateful to see this view, getting into the public arena. Looks like both Animals Australia & Animal Liberation Qld are both doing what I'd hope. https://www.facebook.com/animalliberationqld

Animals Australia have come thro' well. They have a page on their website advocating for the fostering and rehoming of greyhounds. They have links to individual greyhound rescues. There's also information on the history of the breed & on its nature. If only this could be got onto a 4 Corners program. Or coordinated into a public campaign: http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/guide-foster-adopt-greyhound.php

Thanks, Lhok. It might've been postings to their Facebook page. So I'll see if I can find if AA themselves have any statements on the fate of the greys themselves.

Lhok, I'll go look at this. It's the coming tragedy for greys that as the industry 'shrinks' or is banned, that one of their problems will get much worse...being .deliberately killed in great numbers. I agree, to say this justifies the end is abhorrent. We need an associated campaign that advocates for the greyhounds. I know that AWL Qld is for banning, but they're great in promoting greys in their adoption. Calls them the greatest companion dogs, after behavioral assessment. Behavioral assessment is applied to all dogs. Qld is going to have an enquiry (one member is former police chief.. nice man & pet dog owner). But like NSW it's going to concentrate on the live baiting issue.... which is fine. But that focus has a spin-off of making greys look like the villain with their breed invariably more suss than any other. That's another reason we need something that provides reliable information on greyhounds.... in the public arena. I'm a Life Member of AWL Qld & will contact them on this issue.

I wonder how your girl would go with my Tibetan Spaniels. But maybe that wouldn't be a true test because the breed are not really spaniels. There's a tibetan spaniel who comes down and she's totally fine with him :) , Your Borzoi is very intelligent. She's figured that a Tibbie is not a real spaniel. They only got called that when taken out of Tibet to Europe.... where they looked like a lady's lap spaniel.

Greyhound Racing is caught between two welfare problems. The 'industry' itself has problems for the greys and now shutting down the industry will make thousands of greys disposable. Ironic, given that one of the problems has been so many greys put down because they couldn't meet the needs of competitive, money - driven racing. Whichever way, the greys are the losers. Maybe there needs to be a counter campaign that does nothing else except speak up for greyhounds as a breed and their track record at making excellent companion dogs after assessment for suitability. The same kind of assessment that's applied to any dog before a decision to rehome. That would apply whether the industry continues, shrinks, or stops. I notice both Animals Australia & Animal Liberation Qld have positive information about greys themselves on their websites. I think they should turn that into another campaign, to the public, which promotes them as pets. Just whipping up hysteria won't help the dogs.

As to glamorising. Way back in the thread I posted a link to Racing Qld's 'Girls on the Track' page. And remarked how the two female greyhound trainers were posed more like modelling ... & holding an empty collar and lead. Not a greyhound to be seen. I just looked again & the two women greyhound trainers are not there any more. To be fair, they may have requested to be taken off. It would not be a good time to be exposed on the Net, with so many strong feelings, in all directions. There's a difference between fair comment and abuse & these women may well cop abuse, just for being there. http://www.racingqueensland.com.au/girls-on-track.aspx

Thanks, don. I've sent those details on to the TSAV who told me, only this morning, they've had a couple of enquiries about adopting a rescue tibbie.... from Qld.

Thanks, don. I'll go look. The Tibetan Spaniel Club of Victoria has a page where they list tibbies in rescue/shelters throughout Australia.

Of course, the individual assessment protocols are presently in place. I witnessed the GAP ones in action. I've said an independent Enquiry should gather the expertise around all issues relating to racing greyhounds ... & clear the air with a public report. Supporting what's already done that benefits the greys... & making recommendations about whatever doesn't. Given that the expose has stirred up a public storm.