mita

Books are one of the household items that get, over time, a lot of handling by the owner. So the owner's scent gets transferred onto them quite strongly. Dogs are attracted to items with their owner's scent on them. My Angel, the tibbie, took to chewing the latest library book I was reading... when I was out. I had to front up to the Library with the chewed book, to pay for its replacement. First time, the librarian fell about laughing...she said 'Can your dog read? Look at the title!'. It was 'Epitaph for an Angel' (a coincidence, of course). Second time, librarian not so amused, it was becoming a habit. Again, she pointed to the title. It was 'What Terrorists Want'. She said it looked like this 'terrorist' was picking on library books. Then a vet behaviourist pointed out the handling, scent transfer connection. So 1. I kept current library books up out of her reach; and 2. I frequently rubbed the palms of my hands over her chew toys & soft toys to transfer my scent to things that could be legitimately chewed. Then, no more chewing library books.

I bet you'd make a great one, S&M! Our neighbour's new tibbie came from a registered breeder who was a retired police officer who started the Qld Police Dog Squad in the 1970s, using a couple of military dogs donated by the RAAF. When he retired he showed & bred tibetan spaniels. Several months back he tragically died. Our neighbours adopted his favourite boy, Creedence. Don't you reckon he must've been a bit of a softy to move from his beloved Shepherds to little Tibetan Spaniels? To round the circle, our neighbour took Creedence to the police event today so he could get his collar disc saying he's in a Qld Police Service program. Just like his late 'dad'.

PK, I followed the minddog link when it was first mentioned. But it said it was being updated & to 'come back later'. http://minddog.org.au I'm hoping they have a Facebook page. But I just found (by googling) A.W.A.R.E, an organisation that also mentions Mental Health Assistance Dogs & says the training is in specific tasks that a person might need (reminder to take meds is among them). http://www.awaredogs.org.au/our_services/

Very true, S&M. The Police just remind people to be aware of what could be important as they walk their dogs.... & to take their mobile phones. The Dogs on Patrol collar disc is a reminder. They also give some tips to dog walkers how to stay safe themselves. But the Stafford Police District who hosts the park event are known to be dog lovers! Officers there foster police dog puppies & on Cup Cake sale day for rescue, the front porch of their main police station is full of goodies they've baked. Which is why the officers enjoy the afternoon as much as the owners & pet dogs. And they get to pat & cuddle hundreds of dogs as pics from last year show! http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/brisbanenorth/2016/04/19/hundreds-new-recruits-sign-dogs-patrol/

Yes, to all Caz said above. Just for comparison (I know it's not your State) but below is Canine Helpers an accredited Qld training/placement organisation that follows new legislation in this State. They divide the dogs into Assistance Dogs that carry out physical tasks for people who need it... and Therapy Dogs which are the comfort/close companion dogs for those needing emotional & psychological support. They're good people... I know them because when a little adult tibetan spaniel comes up in rescue or in a shelter, they go assess it for suitability in the second category, a Therapy Dog. I've also seen a papillon among their Therapy Dogs. As they make individual matching with clients, maybe they make assessment & test allergy proneness of each client because that's the decider, the individual's level of immune sensitivity to a particular dog (it's not just fur as RP said, it's dander i.e. dead skin cells and saliva which all dogs have). http://www.caninehelpers.org.au

Agree! Excellent advice from everyone in the thread. Specially about the facts around so-called hypoallergenic breeds. Severe allergy reaction to a dog, actually tells more about the high sensitivity of the person's immune system. Also I like how it's been pointed out there are different categories of 'helping' dogs, with different aims in what they bring to a person. I know that an accredited training organisation deals with different breeds for different tasks...like actual assistance duties or emotional/comfort support. So I agree with RP that best thing is to make contact with such an organisation in your own state. Best wishes finding what you need that will bring benefits to your daughter.

Here's the 'Dogs on Patrol' disc for the collar.

The Qld Police have a program where pet dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds & ages can be ‘Dogs on Patrol’. It’s hosted by Stafford Police District in Brisbane North but owners & their dogs come from other parts of Brisbane or near Brisbane. The Police, in conjunction with Neighbourhood Watch, realised people walking their dogs cover many areas, like suburban streets, parks, bushland areas etc and are well placed to notice things that might warrant a call to police. As the dog walkers tend to be regulars on their routes, they can notice things that change. Like an elderly person they say 'Hello' to, in passing, seems to have disappeared but mail is piling up in the letterbox. Could the person be lying helpless on the floor? A call to police to check on their welfare could be helpful. The Police hold an event each year in a suburban park where dog owners can get a free blue collar disc for their dog which says 'Dogs on Patrol An Initiative of the Qld Police Service'. Officers, on the spot, engrave the dog's name & phone no on the back. It's a fun afternoon, too..... with stalls & displays and visit from the Police Dog Squad & police puppies. There's also free coffee, hot dogs, drinks and ice-cream. We went to the first event couple years back so our 2 small dogs wear their 'Dogs on Patrol' discs on their collars. The event for 2017 will be next Sunday, 7 May at Roy Harvey Park, Shand St, Stafford, Brisbane from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. All info on the police website below...with lots of puns that Qld Police seem to like: http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/brisbanenorth/2017/04/13/fureal-dogs-patrol-back-2017/

Neighbours filled me in on their new boy, Creedy, who was perfect adjusting, toileting-wise, from stud dog in kennels (& some inside) to new suburban home (& ours, too). His breeder who tragically died was a retired police officer who started the Qld Police Service Dog Squad in the 1970s. On retirement, he bred & showed tibetan spaniels. So Creedy was raised & owned by a man who trained & worked with police dogs!

He does look like a Jack Russell on super-super steroids! I love how they describe him as 'extra large'. He also gets a very good rap for his nature. Sounds like a sweetie...just a very, very big one.

RuralPug, this is mainly for you. Remember the tibetan spaniel boy, Coby, you spotted as a possibility...at Central Goldfields pound in Victoria (before you realised Phyl stipulated a female)? I replied that a tibbie-owning family were driving down from NSW, having adopted him. Meantime, the shelter had desexed him & fixed his cherry eye. Hence the cone in this pic taken by his new family when they picked him up today. New 'mum' says he has a gorgeous nature & he looks like a stunning example of his breed. They took their resident tibbie, Jesse, with them & the 2 already get on like born brothers. Coby now on car trip back to NSW. Very happy ending! He reminds me a bit of Billy who you once rescued. Click to enlarge:

Big yes, to what Anne's said. Neighbours adopted a 5 yr old p/b, now desexed, ex-stud tibbie boy, after his breeder tragically died. He'd lived in kennels with some access to house. We wondered how he'd adjust, toilet-wise, to being mainly an inside dog in a suburban house with a lawn backyard. Never missed a beat...took himself downstairs when he wanted to go, waited upstairs in his bed in morning until his family got up & opened door. Never, ever an accident, even when left alone in the house. He came to stay with us, for a long weekend. My routine with the tibbie girls is to take them out into the garden at key times, where they wander around sniffing, until they go to the toilet. But Creedy objected strongly to being put out like this. He made it clear he'd know when he wanted to go to the toilet & would then take himself out. Which he did...so never a slip up here either. There appears to be something strong in his 'inner' sense of not marking where he eats, sleeps & is with his people. Another male tib from the same background might have an opposite urge where they mark. None of us can claim we 'made' Creedy so good!!!!

It was the 'state' thing. At this point in time, the small-type dogs that Phyl was looking for, kept turning up in other states, like NSW & Qld, rather than Victoria. And with 'no interstate adoptions' label. Coby's case went in reverse, a NSW family spotted him in Victoria...& fortunately were able to drive down to adopt him.

Good on you, sars, for giving the little dog who'd found herself in a pound, a good loving home...whatever she was. You said you can't afford a purebred dog. We've had to insist that the tibetan spaniel breeders we've adopted tibbies from, take any money or any big amount. . They knew & had sussed out our background as pet owners, right down to our socks-tops...& declared their biggest wish was that their little retired show tibbies go to the best of forever homes. It was the quality of home they cared about. But, like it or not....we insisted on paying them a darn good amount of money for these beautifully bred little creatures. The fact that they'd gained their Aus Championship, didn't even come into the conversation. They were loved for themselves as little characters. Nicest thing is how those breeders continue to watch over them, from a distance...they were bred with love & rehomed with love. Doting godmothers! At the same time, we had a little mixed-breed dog (looked like cross between a poodle & a spaniel) who was a rescue thrown from a car as a puppy. She was also loved for herself as a real little character, on equal footing as a pet with our purebred girls. She lived until she was 22 yrs of age. So I can relate to how you love your girl. Grizabella made a good point that having concerns with a 'designer' industry, does not wipe out love, care & concern for the little dogs themselves.

As I said, I was cautioning, given that the examples the rescue folk came upon were not baby puppies, but older puppies as this one is. And which turned out to be 'surplus' stock being moved by a puppy farmer via an agent with a story. Speaking only for myself, I'd ask for some documentation of the breeding-ownership trail & where a puppy or dog came from...for security reasons when it's been advertised for sale, as in this case. Phyl said she's sighted papers. So long as she's reassured by those papers, whatever they are ... it's then entirely her own business. By the way...& ironically...the tibbie boy that RP spotted at the Victorian pound, Coby, has been officially adopted by a tibbie-owning family, who are driving down from New South Wales to collect him.

I hope you & your new doggie have a great life together. I don't want to be a wet blanket...but just a caution. Was the sale a reply to your Gumtree ad? If so, check documentation of the doggie being offered. Like, where did the girl purchase her from originally? My (small) breed's rescue folk have come across people offering young small breed dogs accompanied by 'folksy' stories like the person's only acquired the youngster for 2-3 weeks, but has developed shocking allergy so youngster must go...for a sizeable sum that's claimed to be original purchase price (or close). Further delving, like asking for documentation including name of original breeder-seller, revealed the advertiser was an agent acting on behalf of a puppy farmer. 'Folksy' story false. I trust this is not the case for your new doggie. Best wishes for a great little pet to share your lives.

Thanks for that tip, RP. I'd never heard of TARS. Their linking up service sounds excellent. I like how people can sign up for an emailed newsletter showing pets presently available, because there's still numbers of people not on Facebook. Shall let the Tibbie rescue folk know about TARS.

I agree with what both juice & DDD have said. How well a dog deals with housetraining depends on the individual dog & the background its had for learning...not just sex alone. Same goes for being affectionate with their people. It's one of the big advantages of adopting from a position of good foster care (or from a breeder who provides 'home' experience). Those carers can then advise you on how to help the new dog, male or female, apply their housetraining learning to the new home. Another area where foster care would be useful to you...is how the dog gets on with cats (you have two). Even some small dogs can be very anti-puss to the point where they shouldn't be rehomed with a cat. Others are fine with cats.

Good spotting! Dolly sounds like a little doll...lovely nature.

I think because Coby appears a good example of a tibetan spaniel in his looks & nature, the Pound itself might've alerted the Tibbie club of Victoria...& his info went to the tibbie pet community. I believe someone's then applied... so it's not a done deal yet.

Yes, that's the same boy, RP. Name is Coby. But I believe he's now spoken for, with one of the people in the Tibbie Pet Owner's community.

A Tibbie, with its pointed hare feet, would climb up & over. It's one of the ways, the breed is cat-like. Only sheer barriers would stop them!

There'd be a reason interstate adoption is not likely suitable in the case of Cindy (who's in NSW). Rescuer would want to work directly with new owners on her transition into a new home. Cindy has needed rehabilitation training due to not having it easy in the past. There is another Tibetan Spaniel coming up for adoption in Victoria. But, wouldn't you know it! A boy. Attractive, likely purebred, sweet natured young Coby. You could ask the Tibetan Spaniel Club of Victoria, is they know of a female in Victoria. Email [email protected]

Brisbane people can see Military Dogs & Explosives Detection Dogs at an Army Open Day, tomorrow Saturday 22 April (free & kid friendly). Info from local newspaper. "7th Brigade will showcase its people, vehicles and Army life on 22 April 2017 with an Open Day at 7th Brigade Park, Chermside, Brisbane. Come and see military working dogs in action, infantry conducting fire and movement, armoured vehicles, helicopters and artillery. The Australian Army Band Brisbane will provide entertainment and there will be rides for the kids. Free Entry. Food and drink stalls on site. Demonstration Schedule: 10.30 Military Police Attack Dog 11.00 Explosive Ordnance Disposal robots – bomb disarming 11.30 Mortar and heavy weapons (BF) 12.00 Explosive Detection Dogs 12.30 Vehicle unloading bridge materials and bridge construction 1.00 Infantry Section Attack (BF) 1.30 – 2.30 Infantry withdrawal under fire with MRH 90 Taipan and Tiger ARH helicopter support (BF) Note: 1. BF – Blank ammunition firing. 2. Times are approximate Free Admission Kid Friendly"

I wish this beautiful little Tibetan Spaniel girl, Cindy, was in Victoria. She's a loving little purebred princess with Woof Rescue in NSW. I don't think interstate adoption would be suitable. But perhaps someone in NSW would be interested. Tibbie Rescue admin has written fairytale prose about her! Precious Cindy is dreaming of her fairytale ending where she becomes a Cindy-ella rescued by her Prince Charming, or a warm family willing to share their “Castle” with her. She’s as beautiful as Snow White and as enchanting as Sleeping Beauty. Reality can be harsh sometimes and we only need that one chance of hope to pull us out from rags to riches. Cindy has not had it easy in the past and needs a strong supportive leader who can gain her trust and lovingly guide her through to her happy ever after with her forever family. Could you be Cindy’s Fairy Godmother? Come and sprinkle some magic her way ~ step on the yellow brick road and head towards Woof Dog Rescue. They will escort you to a royal visit to meet Princess Cindy. Her Royal Highness awaits for a mere ransom of $350. A pittance amount for a royal blue blood pure Tibetan Spaniel <3 Cindy is located in Colo Heights or meets can also be arranged in Kellyville, NSW. Please contact [email protected]