mita

I agree with this... that it's fine when you know well the behaviours of the big dogs. And how generally comfortable your own small dog tends to be with bigger dogs. It's really a case by case matter....and in what environment. Especially when it comes down to any 'free play and how you can manage it. I've also experienced the other side. Owners of mild big dogs that can't get owners of small dogs to socialize. When I used to take my Tibbie girls for walks (on leads), we'd sometimes come across people with dogs like that. Like a big Lab and an Irish Wolfhound (also on leads). My girls lived next door to greyhounds, which they loved... & two of them had been brought up with big dogs (a Tibetan Mastiff and a German Shepherd), so weren't spooked by size per se. If a dog was big & they picked up that it was mild, they had no problem with a passing socialization. I've also known people who've owned unusual pairs including a Tibbie.... like Rottweilers (someone had a lone Tibbie with 7 Rotties), or a Dobe. In those cases the dogs all were well raised with good temperaments, & well managed and there was never any damage. But dogs that you don't know so well....& having 'free play' with your small dog, is another call. As someone else said, then it's not just size, even a Jack Russell-size can cause a problem

It's a good one isn't it! They actually repealed the legislation after this. Laws reflecting the science! That's what we want.

Mel, I loved that work from Lower Saxony in Germany that you posted. Bears out exactly the same results from a study at the University of Cordoba in Spain.

Darien, sounds like the cats' and kittens' current need for food & supplies is what's important. Onya for looking for ways to help them. I'm in Qld .... so shall PM you.

I found a reference to the dog who used to carry on thingies for the Qld Reds Rugby team. Name was Bomber & it was back in the 1990s. But last year they added a new mascot dog, a red cattle dog puppy. Video here of the baby cutie being trained on the field. http://www.willowparkcattledogs.com/red--qld-reds-mascot.asp

That video is absolutely delightful! Venus Williams gets right into the spirit of things. The Qld Reds Rugby Union Team used to have a dog (border collie?) who used to run on with some thingy needed in the game.

Information from the University of Minnesota which says that the factors which lead to a Border Collie. affected with this disorder, collapsing on a given day haven't been determined...includes excitement, heat, intensity of exercise. But it's typical after onset of exercise. http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vbs/faculty/Mickelson/lab/EIC/bordercollieEIC/home.html

The 'position' is probably long since filled. But just in case.... or if people will kindly circulate lovely Lilly's details to anyone else who might be interested . For adoption from AWL Qld, 11 yr old pretty cattle dog lady ... who even comes with a natural heart shape on the front of her head. Again, I'd love her myself!

I'd have said that maybe the vet meant to dig a hole for the BBQ chicken. :) Some dogs can be great sniffers of food they then judge to be 'off'. Seriously, not a tactful or useful thing for your neighbour to say to you at all.

I've always liked the look of Swedish Vallhunds. Sounds like Singe does, too... good taste I'd say! :) But I don't know anything about owning one as a pet. Happy researching!

I'm tick phobic, too. Sneaky little beggars can get in places that make them hard to find. I was at the vets yesterday & we happened to talk about ticks. Two pets were in being treated for ticks. The vet said that Nexguard should be available to clients in the next few weeks.... & it couldn't come soon enough.

Yes, the FB page for my breed of interest is international & is fantastic in sharing all sorts of things. Just saw videos posted of a dog club in Wales put on a nativity play where the characters were played by dogs ... and a dog flying in the cabin from the US to London (fine with the airline). But I agree with others who've said that the forums are better for sustained discussions. DOL's always done this well... hope it always will. Maybe the lead-up to Christmas is taking up people's time.

SG, I can't speak for showdog, but we had a little dog that would bark when left home alone. The vet behaviourist told us that the barking was a form of demanding, so we were never to give her any attention if she barked or made any other noise asking for attention. Like, when we'd come home, she'd jump around & squeal. We had to turn our backs, no eye contact... then wait until she was quiet & not looking for attiention... and only then give her attention. It was supposed to teach her that noise doesn't get good things but being quiet does. Along with other things... which included a routine before & after leaving (like Jules is doing)... it worked! Jules, whatever routine works for your dogs, go for it. I found it got into a habit!

AWL Qld came up trumps, too, with another perfect gentleman older dog, Rocko. No pic yet. Phone 07 55099000 Address Shelter Road, Coombabah, Qld, 4216 Type Dog Breed Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross Second Breed Australian Cattledog Sex Male Colour Brindle / None Desexed Yes Age 9Yrs (approx) Size Medium Price $50.00 My health has been checked. My vaccinations are up to date. My worming is up to date. I have been microchipped. Animal Identification Animal ID: 30691 Please take note of the Animal ID before contacting us Shelter Tag Number: 101450 Email to a friend! No Photo A Little Bit About Me Rocko is an older gent who is looking for a calm, quiet home where he can get out for a daily walk. He has lived with kids before, is house trained and well behaved inside. He loves his raw food like chicken necks and mince, and really enjoys human contact. He gets along with other dogs, and won't mind being by himself or having a mate at home. We unfortunately can not put animals on HOLD over the phone For further information please email [email protected]

I just found this lovely Yoshi, medium-sized, with Best Friends Rescue (good people) in Brisbane (& Gold Coast). He gets such an all-round top report... looks like he'd be sweet with another dog (& kids & cats!) as well. I'd love this boy, myself: What can we say about YOSHI .. he is 10 years old and a very fit and happy gentleman. Yoshi is a Kelpie Cross so he has lots of good energy. He does not suffer with separation anxiety. Yoshi is super sweet and loves dogs and LOVES kids and even cats. He is is a wonderful dog with many great traits. Do not let beautiful black Yoshis age put you off .. once you meet this lovely gentle guy .. you will fall in love with him. (click, enlarge). Scroll down to find his entry & how to make enquiries. http://www.bestfriendsrescue.com/dogs.html

That's such a lovely attitude. Red Collar Rescue folk are wonderful people. I couldn't recommend them too highly, either. Also AWL Qld are great in seeking out homes for older dogs. AWL run the Ipswich Pound as well as the two Brisbane Council Pounds (one northside, one southside .... and have a shelter on the Gold Coast. I'll have a look at what they presently have.

That was the beautiful Ellie & Sam, who are a pair & with Little Legs Rescue. They were adopted, but the owner returned them because Sam couldn't handle the stairs at her place. Bet she lived in a typical Queenslander, on stilts with lots of stairs. So they're still for adoption. Scroll down to see them on the Facebook page. That's the older pics before they were clipped right back, which made them look so young & lively. The rescue might still have those cute clipped pics, too. https://www.facebook.com/LittleLegsDogRescueQld

Yes, I remember originally filling in my application for rego .... & it included something about distinguishing marks or features. I agree.... super cute whoever wrote it.

The distributors, Merial Australia, haven't yet listed Nexguard among their products on their website. Maybe the legally required approval process by the APVMA hasn't yet been finalized. The wheels of officialdom can move slowly.

DD, it will never, ever be deleted from my desktop! Thanks to this thread, I've now got another gem. :)

Another one of Esky's photos to treasure. I've had one, for years, on my desktop. I love it. Here it is (click enlarge).

It's not a doctrine.... anything specific about animals & heaven. It's what someone, including Popes, think. Catholics are only required to believe doctrine. The Jesuit editor, James Martin, sums up the history of pastoral, not doctrinal, opinions: The question of whether animals go to heaven has been debated for much of the church’s history. Pope Pius IX, who led the church from 1846 to 1878, longer than any other pope, strongly supported the doctrine that dogs and other animals have no consciousness….Pope John Paul II appeared to reverse Pius in 1990 when he proclaimed that animals do have souls and are “as near to God as men are.”….John Paul’s successor, Benedict, seemed to emphatically reject his view in a 2008 sermon in which he asserted that when an animal dies, it “just means the end of existence on earth.” Fr Martin himself says: Nonetheless, Pope Francis’s comments, though “pastoral” and though off-the-cuff, offer an important insight into the Pope Francis’s mind and also seems to reflect a change in what many Catholics believe—myself included. You're right that others might not hold that position....& they'd be equally valid in doing so. Because it's not doctrinal.

Note again.... that's there no Church doctrine that animals cannot or can go to 'heaven'. As I've previously posted, Pope Paul VI was reported as saying the same as Francis back before 1978... & there was no melt- down. Jesuit, Rev James Martin, editor of the US Catholic magazine, America, was approached by the New York Times for comment about Francis's reported comments. His take: 'He’s reminding us that all creation is holy and that in his mind, paradise is open to all creatures, and frankly, I agree with him.” It is a matter of who knows. And there's 2 Popes, 1 Jesuit & me who've spoken their mind on the matter. Being pissed off is as much a valid choice for other minds. :) If someone isn't a Church member, they're free to think what rot & fuss about nothing.

There's nothing particularly liberal about Francis's reportedly saying that animals can 'go to heaven'. Much the same was also reportedly said by Pope Paul VI, who died in 1978. And it's not a Church-challenging statement.... given that there's no Church doctrine about the matter at all. Which leaves their position at 'Who knows?' And so people of that Church are perfectly free to put in their pennyworth. Including Pope Francis... it's his pennyworth. And I've done mine, too! :)

I'd like to see more detail about Labor's plan. A news report is a bit sketchy... like where does that $30 additional fee fit in & how will it help 'traceability'? I also hope they'll include lack of socialisation of both parent dogs & puppies as being as much a feature of 'puppy farming' as anything else. As soon as they move into commercially viable numbers, the critical socialization which is supported by research for appropriate development, goes out the window.