mita

He's the one my eyes automatically went to ... then I read that he's YOURS!!! :) Please keep us updated.

Well said.

Good advice.

Our family's Cardigan Corgi, Biddy, used to watch what clothes my father put on in the mornings. If they were his work clothes, Biddy would turn tail & follow my mother for the day. If he put on the clothes he wore for going out on his boat, Biddy would dash downstairs & sit next to his car. He always took her out on his boat when going fishing. Biddy was passionate about going on the boat. She got to the stage if my father mentioned the word 'fishing' at night when making plans with his mates on the phone... she'd dash downstairs & sit next to his car. And would be prepared to sit there all night in case he forgot her (which he never did). The poor man got to spelling 'f-i-s-h-i-n-g' on the phone. Of course, Biddy soon learned what that meant.... :)

Exactly!

Yes, and the best thing is that the dang cat can't get in!

Have you considered the smooth collie? You don't have the coat to deal with. Just my opinion, but I think both the Cardigan Corgi & the Smooth Collie are two quiet achievers in the dog world. Here's a Smooth Collie as an example... just gorgeous! http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/profile.asp?dog=12633 My own breed of choice is the Tibetan Spaniel, but from your list of what you're looking for... I don't think a Tibbie would fit.

We had a Cardigan Corgi as a family pet when we were kids. Biddy was such an adaptable, laid-back dog. She was happy to potter around the house following my mother, and to play in the backyard with us kids... & she also loved going out on the Bay on my father's boat. Sensible, adaptable, loyal & loving. Have you considered looking if a Cardy breeder is looking to rehome an adult dog as a pet....& hopefully one that's already been well socialized & familiar with children? And one whose nature & personality are well known.

Great work! I like the idea of the two, different purpose clam shells. My challenge has always been stopping dogs from digging under the fenceline.

I use ice-cream. A good quality vanilla ice-cream. I remember a DOLer way back, said she discovered a foolproof method by chance. She accidentally spilled some peanut butter on the fridge door when getting it out. The two dogs scrambled to lick off the freebee. Light bulb moment...put a pill in a smear of peanut butter on the fridge door. She did. Again... mad scramble to lick it off.

"TRAITS ARE NORMALLY SELECTED FOR APPEARANCE, NOT HEALTH AND FUNCTIONALITY, WE'RE CHANGING THAT!" Sorry about the capitals, but that's how it's written on the website. Where do they get this 'normally' from? Every registered breeder I've had dealings with puts equal emphasis on health & temperament. Sample from breeder of one of my p/b dogs ... & who also won at Crufts. Her approach is not unusual: "My goal is and I feel dedicated to ... breed with healthy animals, only breed with animals that have good temperaments and frame as close to the breed standard as I can; to give life to puppies that have the best qualifications for a good long life and a loving home for the rest of their lives." It's not either/or ... appearance or health ... It's both. As for the mixed-breed stuff, they're trying to copy a purebred registry... but without a notion of what 'pedigree' means.

Apologies back, LG, for the 'spitting chips' rave!!!! Spitting not nice! I can't speak for other states but RSPCA Qld has lobbied for stronger legislative measures re puppy farming. Given present Qld state law only kicks in when they can take severe action... after the physical conditions are horrendous. And even then, the law must be followed to the letter, because the RSPCA only gets ownership of dogs rescued in a raid.. after the matter's been tested before a magistrate. If one technicality isn't in place, the magistrate can be required to return the dogs to the farmer. That happened once, long time back... but bless the volunteer foster-carers for the RSPCA Qld. Bravely they said, 'No way will these little dogs in awful condition, be sent back!' ... putting themselves in legal peril. Fortunately, the then President of RSCPA Qld was able to personally negotiate with the farmer, to keep them. I've often wondered what would have happened if this hadn't been achieved. A whole bunch of foster-carers would've been marched off for contempt of court... for reasons of conscience! Honestly, LG, I think as many bodies as possible should be spreading the consumer message that the welfare & development of sound companion dogs goes hand in hand with well-socialized breeding practices. Which is why I've highlighted your comment. But, as other DOLers have said, there's many vested interests in commercial scale breeding. And state governments, like in Victoria, seem to be supporting them, because 'all business must be good'. Welfare of animals comes a poor second.

Agree absolutely. And objective research backs it.

Every time there is a story about a puppy farmer and the pictures show matted dogs living in their own faeces I want to throttle the RSPCA. They already have national laws to protect all creatures great and small. If puppy farms and back yard breeders are going to continue to exist then instead of making new laws (that can cost millions to implement and millions more to police) why not use the ones we already have to protect the animals making money for these people? I'm sure the RSPCA knows where many of them are already and if they were out there protecting those animals who are potentially in the most vulnerable of positions - being used to make someone money rather than living in a companion capacity, then perhaps new laws that miss the point would not even be considered necessary. That is exactly what I am always saying too. It feels like stating the bleeding obvious. Why can't people see this instead of calling for all this useless & ridiculous, time & money wasting, bumbling inefficient waffling. More rules & regulations that won't make life good for dogs with callous owners anyway. Well, I spit chips every time someone refers to 'the' RSPCA. There are different RSPCA organizations in each state & each can act only in accordance with that state's laws. I've seen up close & personal the Q'ld laws which have evolved since many years ago when I was close to a tibbie with orange legs rescued in an RSPCA raid on a puppy farmer who 'specialized' in small breeds in appalling conditions. The orange legs took months to fade...they were the result of a life-time standing knee deep in faeces & urine. But, still, the laws only kick in after some horrendous conditions are uncovered. And there's nothing standing in the way of one of the worst puppy farming characteristics.. & that's lack of socialisation. Which has already been pointed out in public here by an RSPCA Qld Inspector. There can be minimum physical standards which keeps the 'farmer' out of the 'horrendous' sin bin... & thus the present law. But dogs & puppies are mentally crippled by lack of socialisation... which, as the Inspector (& the research) points out...can be the most difficult/impossible to remediate. As to the Victorian law as proposed in the draft code. Again, there's no reflection of the importance of socialization & the means needed to implement it. Even tho', amazingly, one critical study appeared in the draft's References. But that should be taken as a starting point for any laws about the establishment of breeding premises... the behaviour of the breeder towards his/her dogs & puppies. By happy chance, a UQ study found that registered breeders tend to be those who socialize adequately & who also manage their litter numbers best. Which means, we want laws (in every state) that would support what these people already do... & absolutely not interfere with or prevent their doing it. My own view is that consumer awareness should be cranked up... educating people in what conditions have been found to most humanely & successfully keep, breed, raise & home companion dogs. Allowing people to vote with their feet. CHOICE (Australian Consumers' Association) has guidelines for people wanting to buy a puppy or a dog...which seeks to direct buyers away from those breeders who employ puppy farming strategies. These guidelines could well be updated.... with even more information on what to look out for.

A lot of donkeys are dog killers. They don't use them as livestock guardians for nothing. Yes. Relatives on a hobby farm own a couple of donkeys for that purpose. This donkey appears to be highly socialized, given its 'work' on a public beach. The owner, off-camera, seems to know well what it will tolerate. But, in the latter section of the video, the emboldened little dog goes looking & sniffing around the donkey's back legs & underbelly. My heart was in my mouth when I first saw that!

Not a horse, but a donkey. Tibbie & a donkey meet on a beach and make friends. Little dog is a bit nervous at first, but donkey soon wins it over. From northern Europe, where the donkey gives children rides on the beach: http://www.vielskerhunde.dk/hunde-video/hund_forelsker_sig_i_et_aesel/

Regarding rescue dogs, what I was saying is if you are going to ban dogs bred for profit from pet shop windows, you should be banning the pet shops that sell rescue dogs too.... Two different rehoming options. Selling puppies in petshops is a purely commercial undertaking. Consumer has money, passes it over, gets puppy to take home. Research from UQ showed that a leading cause of dogs later being dumped, was that the dog did not 'live up to an owner's expectations'. Which would indicate the need for screening & counselling of potential owners at point of sale. But both of which are not available in commercial transactions where profit is the priority. Making available rescue dogs in pet shops (by responsible rescue agencies) is non-commercial in that there is screening/counselling according to the agency's guidelines ... & the agency reserves the right to refuse to sell a dog, based on that. Suitable rehoming is the priority, not profit.

Couldn't agree more. I've frequently found this thinking. When someone's been interested in getting a particular breed as a pet & I've suggested ways to contact registered breeders, the response may be, 'But I don't want to show. I want a pet.' And they honestly believe that 'show' breeders only sell to other 'show' breeders. When I've told them that registered breeders sell to pet people.... & that many registered breeders treat their 'show' dogs like pets... it's a revelation. Then they're off to make enquiries, starting with the Dogzonline resources ... & are often later hugely grateful. I learned the lesson many, many years ago in an article by an RSPCA Qld Inspector about avoiding supporting puppy farms. He said that, if a person wanted a purebred puppy, to go direct to breeders registered with the State Canine Kennel Association (now Dogz) ... & carefully look for one who treated their dogs & puppies with love and complete care. And who socialized them well. Gave the Association's phone number to start the search... I was a pet person & this proved pure gold telling me where to look & what to look for. Rest is history... we've had wonderful p/b pet dogs ever since.

Same here. Which is why I've given up walking our dogs. Fortunately, we're on a 1/4 acre block with a huge backyard. And they do a lot of running/playing/pottering there. But, as you said, we should be able to walk our dogs thro' our suburbs.

Lots of dogs live in apartments in cities like New York. Two American dog trainers wrote a great book on how to do it. I've got this book out of our local library & it's excellent. 'Metro Dog: Essential Guide to Raising your Dog in the City.' http://www.amazon.com/Metrodog-Essential-Guide-Raising-Your/dp/0446679186

Consider a breed that's known to have cat-like self-possession ... so very suited to in-house living. Tibetan Spaniel. And look for an adult where that personality shows & has mellowed. By coincidence, a NSW breeder (whom I consider a 'go to' person for how he raises this type of Tib), has one currently available. Described as 'a sweet natured and charming adult sable girl. Housetrained. Likes nothing else than to curl up on the bed with you.' Pic and details here: http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/mature/tibetan-spaniel.asp Or you could enquire, in Victoria, from the Tibetan Spaniel Association of Victoria.

Yes!

Fantastic! Clinical treatment of animals with new & experimental drugs (with their owners consent, of course) can proceed faster than with humans. Clinical trials for humans take much longer, have far more ethical hurdles & are more expensive. So there's great cooperation between human medical researchers and veterinary medicine. Our pets can benefit... & after that, us! Here's another article, gives the full story of discovery... with a gallery of 4 pics. One is an elderly Shih Tzu successfully treated. The article says that cancer-treating drugs are given permission to move faster than usual into human patient trials: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/have-victoria-gordon-and-paul-reddell-found-a-new-weapon-against-cancer-with-blushwood/story-e6frg8h6-1226877070142

In Qld, this time. RSPCA Toowoomba has Dragan, labelled a Tibbie X, for adoption. He's mighty close to Tibbie... but I wonder if he's from a mix with a Cavalier. There's someone up that way who mixes those two breeds for selling. His pic (click enlarge): http://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/321116