mita

An excellent post. For general principles, I really like the summary you made of Richard B's reasoning. That's a keeper.

My dog!!! Until sold to the Australian Government, as I only keep bitches nowadays as I import semen from overseas. I use no Australian studs. What a beautiful dog. :)

I thought Rebanne's question about assessing what is 'fat' was a good one. As was Jed's point about form following function. It seems swimming or plunging into cold water was part of the labrador breed's original purpose...& a protective layer of fat would have been perhaps necessary??? Found a quote on a PetHealth site: Labrador Retriever Obesity Obesity is controlled with diet and exercise. The natural fat layer that protects Labrador Retrievers from hypothermia when swimming should not be allowed to become a thick layer of padding. So Rebanne's other point also makes sense to me.... that someone with knowledge and experience with the breed needs to make a hands-on assessment. Same, too, for other breeds??? Disclaimer: I don't have that kind of knowledge & experience with any breed.

Really? How harsh you are. The woman presently has a heart condition and I wish her well in taking care. One of the woman she harassed was also suffering ill health. In fact, if my memory serves me it was also a heart condition. Tell me more, so I can wish that person well, too. I note you edited out the rest of my quote where I indicated that I would wish anyone, in that particular health situation, well. Say what? I didn't edit anything of yours, Mita. I removed the words "no, not harsh" that I had written. Why would I edit your words if they already exist in a post that only you can edit? How bizarre. Really? How harsh you are. The woman presently has a heart condition and I wish her well in taking care. I'd wish you well, too, if it were the case for you. I originally indicated how I separate my judgment about someone's behaviour from a particular health condition which I now share. Removing sections from what I said is a form if editing... which you or anyone else is entitled to do. I reminded you that the empathy I now feel for people with heart conditions, has no connection with my judging a person's behaviour. Having also recently being diagnosed with breast cancer, I'd feel the same towards any woman with that condition, too. whoever she is. I have no interest in saying more,

Really? How harsh you are. The woman presently has a heart condition and I wish her well in taking care. One of the woman she harassed was also suffering ill health. In fact, if my memory serves me it was also a heart condition. Tell me more, so I can wish that person well, too. I note you edited out the rest of my quote where I indicated that I would wish anyone, in that particular health situation, well.

I'd totally agree with you there. The new Victorian laws actually sanction large scale commercial breeders. And show total ignorance of any studies which show the optimum conditions for the development of sound companion dogs. Which conditions are more likely to be associated with the 'smaller' breeders (but not necessarily so, of course).

Really? How harsh you are. The woman presently has a heart condition and I wish her well in taking care. I'd wish you well, too, if it were the case for you.

And I quite agree. It's funny how on this forum and other internet sites, some people love to cut down those people and organisations who are helping to change the perception and treatment of animals. Let's save our anger for those who mistreat animals and profit from their mistreatment. Having been one of the targets of social media at one time by someone who didn't even know me, but attacked my efforts to help animals, it is never okay to hide behind a keyboard and sprout venom as some do. They would never say it face to face or without the backup of the anonymous army. I don't know if Debra Trantor did what some are saying, but I do know she has done a truckload of good for a lot of animals, possibly at the expense of following a better life for herself. Maybe we can celebrate that instead. Very nicely said, stellnme. The article also says the lady has a heart condition & had a heart attack last year. As someone who's recently had a heart valve replacement, I understand her need to take care of her health. I wish her well in that.

Lucky little girl that she's got such a caring home ahead of her! Agree with tips given so far : .bring her toys & bedding .find out about her usual food, treats & routines .do the toilet training routine over again, so she can learn how it applies and when in her new home. Just adding: .Get your grandma's 'scent' onto items that Poppy will bring with her. Get your gran to rub the palms of her hands all over Poppy's toys. Put an old unwashed item of your gran's clothing in her bed. A dog's 'person's' scent is like a photograph for humans. It will help Poppy's transition as your gran's scent will be familiar. . For the toilet training. As soon as Poppy comes into your secure backyard for the first time, give her a big drink of water, then let her wander around. Hopefully, she'll go to the toilet. Note that spot. Then every several hours take her out to exactly the same spot. Really praise her, or give her a little treat, if she does go. Dogs like to go to the toot on their same spot. Then she should be right to find it herself. My small dogs can go in and out during the day, so can sort their own toileting. But I always take them out first thing in the morning & last thing at night, for supervised toileting.

There's an article and TV news video about this awfully sad incident: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2645981/First-pictures-devoted-mum-killed-daughter-seven-son-11-herself.html

Lovely photos! I bet you also made that man's day. Thanks for sharing.

AWL Qld had (has?) Buster whose moustache has a gap in the middle. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152098477942547&set=a.10151791839872547.1073741863.157104907546&type=1&theater Same shelter had another moustacioed puss recently ... very much a 'Hitler' one.

That was a great read. Thanks for posting it.

Good find, Diva. There's a contact email given for that association. Maybe they'd be kind enough to pass word around about Rocco's need for a new home. http://www.malta.org.au/site/ContactDetails.php

Wish there was some way to bring Rocco to the notice of Maltese-Australians. He's a beautiful example of a Pharaoh Hound ... the new name given by British Kennel Club to 6 dogs imported from Malta, original breed name Kelb tal-Fenek ('Rabbit Hound'). It's the national dog of Malta & is on the stamps and coins. http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss11p8.shtml

Sounds excellent!

And those people who work directly with the animals & make decisions about them to the best of their ability, are the people I'd support, whatever State they're in.

Good to see someone giving credit in the spots where credit is due.

Yes, Mel, it does show that leadership is important and can shape policies differently.

We are supporters of RSPCA Qld & pay them money. Don't know anything much about RSPCA Victoria. But if there's hard-working, decent people working within the Victorian RSPCA Shelters & doing their personal best for the pets, then I'd support them.

Love her colouring. The most amazing blue eyes ... & reddish coat. Very happy girl!

Mel, I'm glad you didn't specify RSPCA Qld.... not surprising, when the subject is 'Sydney'. :) I was so disappointed that I couldn't go to the Brisbane Million Paws Walk today, because of ill health. My Tibbies love that day out & make friends with the nicest dogs. Last year it was with a gentleman standard poodle and two gigantic, sweet natured rotties. We are also supporters of AWL Qld.

As I posted in the first Bonnie thread, that's very close to how I got my heart dog, Danny the sheltie. He'd show his anxiety in a specific situation by twirling in circles. You could see the anxiety in his lovely gentle eyes... but you could also see the most enormous love there, too. As time passed & he knew nothing else but loving and being loved, the twirling stopped and the anxiety in his eyes faded. The only time he'd later do any twirling was when he was trying his sheepdog skills on the cat, Katie. She'd sit & meow at him as if to say, 'What do you want me to do?' And that twirling was frustrated, happy 'work'. Danny was the dearest, most loving, most gentle sheltie ... very like your lovely Bonnie, a foster gift.

Couldn't agree more. The end justifies the means. Whatever were the trigger stimuli (the means) for the cat to act as it did, the specific behaviour interrupted the boy being savagely mauled by a dog. End product, less injury to the child. And, while on the subject ... & the cautions not to impose human 'motivations' on the the cat (an animal). Go look at the literature on why some humans behave altruistically at the expense of their own safety, on behalf of others. Not quite as clear-cut as you might expect. A reminder that humans are evolved animals. Go read this article....at the end 'The Social Brain' bit. Scientist rightly refers to 'humans and other highly social animals ...'. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201212/the-evolutionary-biology-altruism

Pic from the follow-up TV program of the boy with his hero puss. Click enlarge: