mita

Holly, even tho' I'm in Qld, I looked at the websites for both those kennels. The Mornington one has lovely attitudes to dogs... they have rescue pugs. The second one has quite a lot of good testimonials from clients. I tend to take notice of testimonials. Here's hoping someone on DOL has used both.

Holly... not suggesting that you don't put your dog in kennels, but just another thought. Have you considered an option of someone house/pet sitting for you, so your dog is in a familiar place. Relatives have several times used house/pet sitters got thro' aussiehomesitters site (for a 2 week period). Have been very satisfied. Sitters have references & police check documentation.

But they are also a strangulation risk so many responsible owners choose not to use them too. That'd be the call of an owner. We've owned dogs for many years & all have worn collars with clear IDs. We regulate the tightness carefully & often, so that the collars don't lend themselves to looping onto items... or the dogs getting a paw stuck in them. Twice our tibbies have been left out.... by careless tradespeople on site (without our knowing). Both times, they were found close by within 10 minutes... & a phone call got them home. They're microchipped, but microchips depend on a finder being savvy enough to check at a vets... & taking on the time effort. I know when I see a lost stray dog, I'm greatly relieved to see an ID disk (or Council rego tag) handing from the collar. Chances are up I can get the dog quickly back to an owner. But, as I said, it's individual owners' call. And I've made mine, based on risk calculation. Besides, our council's rego conditions say the tag must be worn. Note, I didn't label owners responsible or not responsible re collars. Only 'counselling' re the promptness in which a dog might be got away from hazards.

Good on you. I agree I hope his family get strongly counselled to give him a collar with clear ID. A quicker return to the owner gets a lost dog out of the dangers of traffic... & other hazards.

Aphra, IMO you're spot on. The stats would support your comment. And the worst case scenario you describe, is already happening.

Canberra Pooch Rescue have a boy called Benny.... who's got the strong look of a Tibetan Terrier-Lhasa Apso type. Gives him a reduced Bearded Collie look. Reading his description (this rescue provides brilliant info, IMO), he seems to have a nature like those breeds, too. Would he be too on the smaller side? http://www.canberrapoochrescue.org.au/web/index.php/dogs/sd/331-benny

Diva, I was just giving the dark alley scenario to illustrate a statistical notion re rate of biting across a population. Not to reflect a real life situation.... which is why I put statistically in italics. Meanwhile, back to real life, as you rightly point to... The events where dog bites occur tend to be within home situations &, next, with dogs that are not contained or controlled so strangers in public places are involved. You're right, it's even more likely to be in daylight when most people are around.... & dogs, too. What the pubic needs to know, is that owner responsibility looms behind most of what leads to dog bites/attacks. If these dogs burst out of a door & onto the street, it doesn't say much for how securely the dogs were contained on the property. We should insist that current laws be enforced....& that owners be held responsible. As we hold drivers of cars responsible. Even starting with dog registration...& the conditions which go with that. Our renewal of registration notice always comes with a list of requirements in how your dog is to be contained....& how it's behaviour kept under control.

Two doctors from Brisbane hospitals did an over-view of treatment of bites (From the Australian Provider). The annual incidence of dog bites requiring emergency department treatment is 12.9 per 10 000 persons, with children aged 5-9 (particularly boys) having an incidence of 60.7 per 10 000 persons aged 5-9 years. Face, neck and head bites are more frequent in children.1 If only the annual incidence of human -on- human injuries, needing medical treatment, was so low. Hospital emergency departments are flooded with them.. Looks like if you're in a dark alley, statistically, you're better off meeting a dog than a person. But not quite so better off, if you're a child....or an elderly person.

Yes, the elderly, like young children, move differently... & tend to smell differently. So they can seem to dogs....'something else' to be 'dealt with' & different from the usual 'people' they may be fine with. The Australian Veterinary Association has a neat summary of the factors that interact, to end in dogs' biting/attacking: The facts about dog bites While genetics are an important factor, the impact of the environment and learning are critical to the behaviour of a dog. The tendency of a dog to bite is dependent on at least five interacting factors:  heredity (genes, breed)  early experience  socialisation and training  health (physical and psychological) and  victim behaviour (Beaver 2001, Seksel 2002, Snyder 2005). Other factors include the sex and age of the animal, along with a range of other social and environmental factors.1

She's been a public voice against those laws for a long time. There is a wider discussion in the UK about the role of the RPSCA (people have posted some articles in this forum on that) so I'd expect her to use her voice when the opportunity presents itself. I suppose the flip side view is Bryan May of Queen referring to anyone who doesn't support the laws as akin to pedophiles. Clearly the debate there has been pretty nasty for a while, given the number of criminal prosecutions and drama between the two sides. However, one person's "wildlife cruelty" is another person's hunting. If my dogs put up a rabbit or a hare in a paddock here is it less cruel because they are exotic pests and the hare hasn't been deliberately walked up? The issues people raise with the RSPCA have been raised before, sure. And usually raised within the context of a wider respect for the work that the welfare officers do on the ground. But I agree with Dickson Wright that people need to understand exactly what they are contributing money for. Yes, Clarissa Dickson Wright is a long-time advocate for what's called 'country sports'. You're right these are part of passionate debate on both sides.... in the UK. But there's been enough community support to get things like fox-hunting & hare coursing into actual legislation. Which has made Clarissa not a happy camper.... as she has every democratic right not to be. And to campaign to have those laws changed. She doesn't like the lobbying role played by the RSPCA. UK... who has directed opposition to hare coursing & fox-hunting as organized spectator sports. And she's interested in hare coursing. I have no idea what RSPCA UK's position is re purposeful hunting, involving wildlife as pests. Nor what UK law says. People contributing money to any cause, need to be satisfied with its purposes/activities. You're right, there will be differences of opinions about what constitutes 'cruelty'. Specially so, it seems, when it comes to farm animals & wildlife. The laws will reflect the weighting of community attitudes. Hence those passionate debates! As I'm not a UK citizen, my opinion wouldn't matter.

As I understand it, the elderly are the next most vulnerable group for dog attacks.... after young children. Some by-laws broken. Dogs not registered, dogs not contained on their property.... A US study found, among other things, that dogs involved in serious attacks tended not to be registered. Part of a picture of lack of responsibility by an owner. I wish there was a serious dog attack investigation team.... that would examine cases like this one. Poor lady....so terrifying & brutal thing to happen to an 85 yr old.

In your state... The relatively recent Qld animal cruelty law has complaint/appeal processes written into it. Because the Minister is responsible for those laws... first option is an appeal to the relevant Director of that government department. If that proves unsatisfactory, the whole matter (including how that department responded to the appeal/grievance), can be taken by the person to the Qld Civil & Administrative Tribunal. QCAT'S job is to independently review such matters. Interestingly, on their website where they explain their work, animal management matters is at the head of their list of examples.

I saw a US TV program of 2 raids to seize animals being badly treated. One a dog-fighting breeder, the other a puppy farmer. The local law enforcement.... both animal control & police...played the central role. The local branch of the community/animal welfare organization, SPCA, came along in a welfare support role. They then did the caring, rehabilitating & rehoming (& any necessary PTS). Don't know how the funding was sorted... if there was some public money to the SPCA? But the UK cruelty law (& ours, too) extends to farm animals & wildlife as well. I agree with that extension.... seems the first case prosecuted in the UK was a beaten donkey. The US seems to have differences there??? Maybe differing community attitudes??? Clarissa's beef sheets home to UK wildlife cruelty prosecution..

Says it all. RSPCA UK's position on hare-coursing in the jurisdiction Clarissa Dickson Wright lives in. http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/wildlife/huntingact Whatever your personal views on hare coursing, it is a little weird for a regulator to be openly calling for support from the public to lobby the Government on laws it enforces. Also find it interesting that they don't distinguish between coursing and hunting. I don't think it's very sporting to release a captive animal for the purposes of coursing it, but I have no problem with hunting and open field events on the hare's own turf. I don't have any views on hare coursing or hunting in the UK. But it seems that the UK legislators passed laws about whatever they are. Clarissa Dickson Wright was prosecuted in relation to those laws. I looked it up, she pleaded guilty. If she wants those laws changed, then she and others who don't agree, should lobby their parliamentary representatives. Which, likely, she & they do. There's nothing new about attention drawn to the fact that the RSPCA has both lobbying for welfare & a policing of cruelty laws, roles. The CEO, RSPCA Qld gave his personal view, publicly, that the policing role should go elsewhere... & their work remain in welfare. In an ideal world, I think that policing animal cruelty laws should be the full responsibility of a Government Department. The original RSPCA in the UK was private/charity work, same as the police, schooling, health, child welfare, at that time. All the others then evolved into public services ... except the RSPCA. Government has never shown the interest to take on, totally, the policing role re cruelty to animals. Never will .... especially as the current trend is going backwards to outsourcing & privatization. As to the RSPCA UK changing from its original purpose. So have all those other services.... like child welfare... with evolving community attitudes. And the UK laws reflect that... in relation to both farm animals & wildlife. So I'd suggest the direction should be towards....'Who is to do the policing of existing laws?' Clarissa's position appears to be there's no need to have those laws which impact on her interests or definitions, re animals. Which she has the democratic right to speak to.

Says it all. RSPCA UK's position on hare-coursing in the jurisdiction Clarissa Dickson Wright lives in. http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/wildlife/huntingact I notice support for Clarissa's comments comes from the Countryside Alliance... which is also in the UK & supports lure-coursing.

Agree. It's highly subjective when someone feels 'menanced'. If the authorities want to have this category, they should use a word or words that describe a dog's actual behaviour. Imagine if that were in human law. You could be arrested solely on the grounds that some individual felt 'menanced' by you. We'd expect any charge to be based on actual behaviour that was threatening in some way. And that most people would feel threatened by it. In any case, I can see bigger dogs getting unfairly hit by this.

I was thinking along those lines. I got a pic of a Cav.... & I know 2 Cavs very well. So I was thinking about them when I answered. But I would've had a totally different approach if I'd got a breed that I wasn't familiar with at all.... then I would've fallen back on judging a book from its cover (rather than breed knowledge).

...or being in charge of a motor vehicle that kills someone. If there's evidence of serious disregard for public safety. So same should be for owners of dogs. But emphasis should be on prevention, by applying current laws (your other point). And repeating again & again in public education, how to train/manage dogs, especially in the home & around young children (& the elderly).... just as the road safety guidelines get repeated again & again. And the laws enforced.

Perry's not alone. I had a tibbie girl, Angel, who hated going for a walk. She'd go about 10 paces, then plant her bottom firmly on the ground & wouldn't budge. BUT as soon as we'd turn around to go home, she'd walk like a... well, angel. So walking home was fine, but not walking away from home. I'd try to trick her by going different routes. But she had a compass in her head.... always knew when the direction was away from home. I recruited the tibbie boy next door, Brockie, to go with her, as inspiration. He loved walking. Nope, didn't work. When Angel would jib & sit firm ... at first Brockie would lick her face....'Come on, Angel'. But after a while he gave up. No way would he go back & encourage her. His attitude was 'Leave the blonde where she is.... we've got a walk to do!.'

There's a lovely poem by Australian poet, John Tranter, called Little Dog. It fits so well your words about your loved dog's time coming. I can't write it here... copyright. But he gave permission to this person to put it on her blog. Lovely pic, too, of John with his dog. http://www.belindahollyer.com/blog/?p=2040

The best advice I was given was to walk dogs together to help them bond. It's amazing how quickly that's worked when I've tried it. Once out walking together, the dogs seem to to get a sense of it's the two of us (three with the owner!) against the world. I've always found food to be trigger points with all the pets, too. The only time my saintly sheltie boy lost his temper was with his food-snatching big 'sister' sheltie. He put up with her snatching his treats for ages... then one day, he'd had enough & he lit into her, even tho' he was a small sheltie. Big sister never troubled him again! Nothing like feeding separately to keep the peace. :)

I'm a tibbies in the snow tragic. Because lots of them live in Scandinavia, owners there are always posting pics. The little dogs are so happy in the snow, even with their short legs, just like this one. Real snow bunnies: http://pixdaus.com/snow-dog-tibetan-spaniel-tibetan-spaniel/items/view/553750/

You're right about the confusion in the public mind with a word like 'registered'. One registered breeder told me how she comes across people who've answered ads selling dogs where the 'breeder' has told them the parent dogs are 'registered'. Turns out they mean 'registered with the Council'. And others have been told the breeder's dogs have 'papers'.... which turn out to be the breeder's own typed list of the dogs & their (claimed) parents. For people who've never seen an authentic pedigree, that can fool them. What was useful to us when the RSPCA advised 'registered breeders', way back, was that they specifically said 'registered with the Qld Canine Control Club (as Dogs Qld was then known). And advised phoning the QCCC to get contacts for their registered breeders. Since then the Internet makes it easier when I want to tell other pet people where to find the kennel association breeders. I spread word to all I can about that. At my last appointment with the hairdresser, I was telling him!

I saw & heard Campbell Newman saying Labor's proposed anti-puppy farm legislation is not needed. People just have to buy puppies from accredited pet shops, was his pronouncement. I was horrified. Years back I found registered breeders because of an RSPCA Qld article which advised if you wanted a purebred to go direct to a registered breeder & make sure you know how they keep their dogs & raise their puppies. They even gave the contact to Dogs Qld (was then called the Kennel Association). I've followed that advice ever since. And we've got fantastic dogs in every way... health, temperament, looks. Before that, I'd never heard of the Kennel Association & wouldn't have had a clue who registered breeders were. Even up to a couple of years ago, RSPCA Qld was recommending, in print, people to go direct to good breeders. Pet shops were tellingly not mentioned.

Just saw this....I was in this direction, too, because I know 2 Cavaliers. And they're both the total opposite! One owned by friends is real cloth-headed & all over the place. The other is owned by people nearby & is the most sensible, self-controlled & confident dog. No wonder I kept thinking, 'I really don't know' for the Cav in the pic! :)