Alkhe

It's a game show type thing hosted by Stephen Fry - it's amazing! A BBC show, it's on ABC at 9:30 I think.

SNAP, I was just about to ask the same question! I've seen them on some lists of purportedly hypoallergenic dogs, but do any of you owners have any experience with people wiht dog allergies, and how they go with your dogs? Always looking for breeds to add to my extremely small list of Breeds I Could Realistically Own. (As opposed to the list of breeds I'd love to own, were it not for the nsurmountable allergy issue... :D )

He is so handsome! Happy gotcha day buddy

I just read the "greyhounds to pat" part out to my boyfriend and he jerked his head up and went "OH HELL YEAH WE'RE GOING". So, guess we'll see you there :D

I don't think anyone is actually arguing with you... nobody has ever said that you can change an animal's digestive system. People are just responding to particular assertions, eg that you can only get xxx from xxx source, which are not true.

Exactly! I don't think anyone's actually said that dogs or cats should be, or are being fed a vegan diet, unless it's for a specific health reason. People are just responding to various "well what about THIS", or "how would you deal with THIS" etc - nobody's actaully advocating or defending a vegan diet for pets!

What's with the asterix, Max? I eat vegan food these these days for health reasons but I certainly dont impose it on my dogs. The asterisk means either vegan or vegetarian, so replaces the 'ega' or 'egaria' :) Minimax, I totally agree with everything you've said. I hate handling the raw meet k feed the dogs, but hey, they need it. So I put up with it! Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

My feeling is that as long are you aren't going to try and "replace" your old girl with a new pup of the same breed, there is no reason to change if you do still love Am Staffs. However it may be worth thinking about the kind of dogs that might suit you, and whether going with what you know and love is better than looking into a new breed. As for when to get a new dog, it's a very personal thing - some people find that getting a new dog helps them to grieve and "get over" (for want of a better term) the loss of their old dog. But for others, remaining dogless for a few months or years is the only way to go. Nobody will be able to tell you which way you should go, it's a decision that you have to make yourself. Or perhaps a realisation, rather than a decision.

How would it be different?

I agree with the others - there's no reason to assume that a rescue dog will have behavioural problems at all. Some might, sure, but clearly you've demonstrated the foresight to start thinking about the right questions to ask to find out that will fit in with your situation. The other thing to remember is that rescue dogs aren't always older, either. I created a shortlist of dogs to check out for a family friend last night, and it included dogs from 3 months up to 10 years; unfortunately all too often prenant bitches end up in pounds, and pups are born into a pound situation. I'm sure that's unheard of for Frenchies, but it definiteliy happens with dogs of all sizes. Regarding training and housebreaking an adult dog, I personally don't think it's any harder than a puppy! I got my dog at 3 years and while she had been toilet trained at her previous home, I made sure to treat her as if we were toilet training her from scratch when we brought her home, just to make sure that she learned where to go. So taking her outside regularly, overzealous rewarding when she went outside, etc etc. She'd never had any obedience training in any of her previous homes but she's a great dog now. We go to dog school each week and she's really a dream to train - I actually find her much easier than a pup, because she has a much longer attention span and isn't as distracted by everything,. Though obviously that's about personality and the individual dog as much as age. My point is though, that age is no barrier to training at all. Older dogs might not be sponges like young pups, but they're just as lovely to train! If I were you I would start by looking at petrescue.com.au, identifying soem dogs you might be interested in, and then calling the rescue group they are with to chat about what you are looking for. Having a particular dog in mind is good, but actually discussing what you would like, te kind of dog, your lifestyle etc (all the things you've outlined here) is a good first step. Groups that use foster carers are also great, becuase the foster carers will know lots about the dogs in their care, and what kind of situation they would thrive in. I wouldn't be as inclined to take a dog straight out of a pound, because finding one that has been in foster care will give a much more accurate idea of what the dog is like NORMALLY, rather than in a highly stressful pound situation, where it may be terrified, unhealthy, etc. A dog that's lived with people in a house, maybe with other dogs or animals, or kids etc, is going to show its 'true' or normal temperament and personality, giving a more accurate understanding of what kind of situation it needs.

Do it! I DARE YOU! :laugh: Congratulations though! Very happy for you - and coming home at Christmas is great, you can even get an advent calendar for him coming home, rather than the boring old traditional Christmas celebration!

Oh wow, thanks! More to watch! I actually forwarded links to a couple of your videos to a friend of mine who is fostering a dog that is getting zero adoption interest, and she loved them too. Hope you don't mind!

Maybe Animal Aid or Save A Dog? Save a Dog is in Glen Iris and Animal Aid is in Coldstream, neither are right next to Mt Waverley door but still. Once you actually get the dog, the location of the shelter/base isn't really important. I'm sure if you contacted them and gave them info about your circumstances and the kind of dog you would be willing to take on, they'd match you up. I'm now a to-be foster carer for RWL (as in, I haven't yet got a foster dog) and they have particular policies around which dogs go to which carers, depending on their resident dogs etc. I assume SAD and Vic DRG are similar, being that they are both (as far as I know) well regarded organisations. :)

He's a very nice looking boy too, I love his colouring and dots :) (PS - hi, I lurk this thread and watch your foster dogs videos but til now haven't posted.. )

I must confess, I worry about this too! I'm such a pick-up-after-your-dog nazi, I hate that someone I know might see me NOT pick one up (even if there was nothing to pick up!). There may have been the odd occasion where I picked up some leaves etc from where my dog looked like she had pooed but nothing came out, for the same reason. I know it's stupid, but I have a rep to maintain, yo ;)

I think she loves the camera a bit too much, too.. !

Ok, now I don't feel so bad - was coming in here to profusely apologise cause I won't be able to come any more.. November it will be though! See you tomorrow at dog school! We better go up this time, I'm sick of green :laugh:

Sounds like she had some "issues".. I wouldn't worry about it.

Oh Llante, I'm so glad that you've found a pup!! I just visited this thread by chance - she's gorgeous!! :thumbsup:

Kahnazu, she is GORGEOUS!! :love:

:laugh: Yeah my friends walk their ferrets! Actually, there used to be a girl who'd bring her duck to my dog park - that was asking for trouble. And a girl who lived up the road from me used to take her cat out on a harness too. :laugh:

I was a bad owner the other day too - I got yelled at by some people who were taking their DUCK out for a walk, in an on-lead area. My dogs were both on lead and my partner had one, I had the other. I dropped my toy poodle's lead for a minute while I was trying out some weird exercise equipment stuff there (I hadn't been to this place before, it was awesome - outdoor exercise equipment in the park! ) and Maggie wandered a few metres away from me. She only started walking towards the people when they started screaming at me (don't think she even noticed them or their duck before that!) to get my dog away from them etc. I was totally in the wrong and I felt really bad. But still.. it was pretty hilarious. Their duck (it was a drake, actually) was probably 3x the size of Maggie and she's scared of flying leaves so nobody was in any danger. :D

Come over to Brunswick! I take my girls to get coffee with me wherever I go, and as long as there are outside seats (ie, on the pavement) will sit there with them. Last week I dropped one off at the groomer and went out for coffee with my other one, and the barista came out and fussed over her, bringing her water etc. It's not uncommon to see people bringing dogs with them around here, and most times I go to my local cafe (A Minor Place in Albion St, between Sydney Rd and Lygon St) there is at least one dog with its owner or waiting for its owner to get takeaways. :)

About to head out to the Abbotsford Convent with my girls right now :) www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au

And when the breeder has future litters you can go over and playyyyyy :thumbsup: