Steph M

I can see why the neighbours offered, KelpieCuddles. Not condoning it but when I first read that I did think that might well be how it ends for the dog eventually, as awful as it is. I know where you're coming from too, Trudy. Mum has a shih-tzu too, the happiest little chubber out but does not like big dogs, lost her eye to a misc x breed next door who took palings off the fence one night and went for her. I can't say I blame her, she's come miles but still doesn't love being loomed over by a big dog. Lucky most big dog owners tend to understand when you explain she's a bit nervy, but it's hard not to panic for her, which makes it worse! Robbi I love when you're in the right and your dogs are being angels, there's nothing more satisfying!

That really is very sad, how awful for everyone. And worse for them to just get away with it! There's one nasty Kelpie at our park, the owner uses the 'oh he doesn't like dogs younger or smaller than him' which is particularly worrisome when he has a pup Gus's age too, and I've seen the dog go for the pup a few times and everyone knows the dog by name and warns anyone walking that way they happen to pass that 'X is over that way' most of the time these days he's muzzled, but at very least he's leashed, but he's an awful dog who just breaks off his leash when need be. Everyone steers clear of him, he's an accident waiting to happen. There's always one, I just really wish they would play ball elsewhere.

Chickens were probably thinking 'I swear I was over there a minute ago...'

Agree with Trudy. I don't do those fenced offlead dog parks, but I do shared parks with people and dogs. If my dog is onlead and your offlead dog bounds up to mine in one of these parks, I will be one of those people up in arms about it. I have every right to be there, too, and not be harassed! Sure you do, but like I said do I go to parks and complain there's kids near me? I can't stand children so I steer clear. If it's an off lead park TBH it's to be expected you'll probably be approached at some point. I try to keep Gus away from the on lead dogs, but every now and then he'll go say hi. Lucky everyone is friendly and we've never had a problem but I did see one woman with her dog who had recent surgery scars along its back, still with stitches in screaming at everyone who came near her dog. I thought Jesus lady, I wouldn't want to undo whatever had been done and I would be steering well clear of off lead parks. It just seemed a crazy risk to me. I think you have to have a degree of being reasonable. Control is one thing, most people at our park don't have a great problem calling their dogs back but the expectation is you come to an off-lead park, you'll probably see off lead dogs and they're probably used to being allowed to socialise in such situations. I would be totally on side if it were an on lead park, but as someone said about parks in another thread it's all about measured risk, if for whatever reason you or your dog really doesn't enjoy contact with off lead dogs you might want to consider your route or times. I hope I'm not coming off rude or denying your right to be there, I agree and I see your point, but I think the amount of on lead parks and ovals is far outnumbering the number of off-lead parks, and of those many have on lead time restrictions. I love our off lead park. I love chatting to the owners and letting Gus have a swim and a play, it does both of us so much good but to have to worry about someone getting up in arms about a dog doing a doggy thing in a doggy area just makes the whole thing a lot less enjoyable, and it must do for you as well. Like I said, he's pretty good, I have a feeling this will be mostly retorted with 'control your dog' type posts, but he really is a fab little guy, just every so often a dog on a leash crosses our path and he says hi, they have a sniff and we both keep walking.

Nooooo nooooo. I sure hope not. He's been cleared so far of any birdurs, but I haven't got that much trust in him yet ;)

Well they wouldn't ever stray then? :laugh: I kid, I didn't even think about that. I have often wondered how Gus would go with a chook, might have to start lurking about petting zoos haha.

I have one of those too. I really resist correcting her, but it gets really wacky sometimes and way off base. I've just hidden her all up. Was too much for my head.

If you were in Melbourne I could introduce you to our FC puppy. He might lick your kids to bits, and he's not what I would call tiny, certainly no Bernese etc but he's almost 20kg at almost 5 months haha.

I've lost 2 pairs of prescription glasses, Aliwake. Hahaha. It's the worst!

Hahaha I never thought I would see the day I would be excited over a poo either, let alone the consistency. Go team!

That's ok! I had a suspicion that's what you meant and hoped it was! I'm with you there, the two are vastly different experiences, and rightly so. Hope I wasn't harsh! :)

Well Trudy that's where I disagree if we're talking about an off leash park, you can't expect some dogs not to come up and greet you or your dog, I'm usually pretty on top of Gus, meaning I don't just sit in the grass but he often greets on lead dogs and luckily we've never personally had a problem, but I've seen some people with leashed dogs who do really get up in arms about dogs greeting them or their dogs. Different if we're talking about an on lead park, but those people that come to the off leash parks and bark at others to keep their dogs away should really consider walking somewhere else if it's so stressful for them or the dog. It's part and parcel of when and where you're walking, I understand they are public facilities but I sure don't go to parks and complain when there's children?

And I read banana, haha. Gus loves banana, see what Hank thinks ;)

Yoghurt is fab too!

Nooooooo no no. Haha. Not even close. He's the happiest puppy ever. It's a rental and unfortunately we've asked but haven't been allowed to put a gate up, even at our cost.

They are adooooooorable! What fun little faces!

I do let Gus come out in the front yard with me occasionally to get the mail or put the bins out, we have a fence but no gate. My thinking behind this is so I can put him in the car or do these things without him thinking it's anything special or different when the front door is opened, or having him breaking his neck to get out there. He's never just wandering, he has a sniff and hops in the car or goes back inside with a pilfered stick or has a wee and comes back in with me. I hardly feel like I'm the problem here though. I feel like making the front yard less mysterious and exciting is making it more likely he'll come back in when asked, and less likely he will take off like an excited dervish if the door happens to be left open for a split second. I know this is as much a training issue as any, but I don't think exposure to our yard at the end of a quiet court of 6 houses is a bad idea. Having said that, I certainly don't leave him out there alone or leave him wandering out of the yard. He has left it once to sniff the nature strip and was promptly called back inside.

Perhaps a large degree of it, as I've seen on here, is that often reported incidents don't yield any change. I personally have reported this little asshat of a terrier across the road maybe 4, 5 times? The woman next door has done the same as he actually bailed her up in her own yard once and voila, nothing has happened, he still wanders and I doubt they've even visited. I don't bother now. I turn the hose on the little sh*t and accept that one day it will be run over on one of it's many dashes across the court to harass someone, I just hope it isn't by me. The saddest part of the whole thing is no one is enforcing the rules, no one is even pretending to and everyone doing the wrong thing is being inadvertently rewarded. I can only speak for our suburb but as I said earlier, I don't walk my dog around here any more. It's not worth it. Perhaps more people would be likely to report it if something was actually done. This is alarming in itself! I really do see a difference between suburbs though, it's incredible.

http://nodogaboutit.wordpress.com/?s=bad+breeders I was reading this today and it reminded me of this thread. What a heartbreaking decision for all involved, if all avenues were exhausted I would like to think PTS would be kinder on animal, breeder and potential owner than such a life.

Enaaaaaaaaabler. The lickety sticks look cool, we'll see how that goes...

Well the first few weeks are where it was still mixed with the RC, I'm thinking it simply doesn't agree with his belly, which is fine and dandy by me (I so wanted it to work though!) and trial and error is all part of the fun! The bone has made a bit of difference though, things are easier to handle in the backyard sense when there's been more meat than dry food. Thanks for the hint though! I might just do that, see if she has any ideas. Could be too much food, could be anything!

We have a CantrolCord for Gus. I'm torn between love and hate. http://www.cantrolcord.com/ I love that he seems to respond to it most of the time, the ribcage pressure combined with praise and treats for loose leash walking have made life a lot easier in some respects. I love that it is soft, it doesn't seem to rub and it's a clever design, even boy proof- other half is not harness savvy ;) I love that when he's walking loose there's minimal shoulder pressure and it's always perfectly fitting, because you fit it each time you put it on. I don't however love that when he does pull, he still chokes a little, nor do I love that the fabric is starting to fuzz up where the rings sit, which makes me question the durability. It's a PITA having it all in one, because when he needs to be leashed quickly or briefly it's a performance to get on and off, but overall it's not all that bad. I don't know whether the results we're getting are from the harness or the rewards for behaving or a mix. I do feel next time I'll be getting something else, probably just a standard harness and working with him on that but it certainly has served it's purpose for now, even if nothing else but a walking harness.

That's an interesting point, and I do agree that makes perfect sense. I think the flipside is also something worth wondering about, when a dog is allowed to roam where does the dog see it's territory ending and beginning? If a dog has free rein of an entire street I can see how there might be territory issues in that street.

I have to say, I do agree on this.

Gus is just finding this out, and it's breaking his little puppy heart! At 8, 10, even 14 weeks he was adored and loved up on the street but now people cross the road to avoid him, even if he's looking the other way, carrying a stick or totally focused on my fist full of bacon. Poor little guy just wants everyone to be his friend! I don't think I'd enter a yard with a dog in it if I didn't know them, they probably are friendly but I wouldn't want to chance being bitten or anything happening to the dog, especially not if it were my fault. We lock our gates and put Gus out when tradies come as I have a fear he will knock the ladder over or steal their things. Both valid...