Rosetta

Ah it happened in USA - they probably have different burial conventions. The dog was healthy and only 5 years old - the family should not have done it. Even though the dog mourned immediately after does not mean it would not have settled in with another owner.

Is being reasonably comfortable around children .... as tested .... a criterion set for dogs rehomed by the RSPCA? Given that once out in the general environment dogs will at least at some time encounter children? And that small children & younger primary age children are the main target for dog bites. If so, makes sense to me. Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians & Staff says that avoidance behaviour by a dog in the Doll Test, should be teased out. A tester should shorten the leash preventing the dog from moving away from the 'approaching' doll. It seems that a child- avoiding dog, being 'cornered' by what they're trying to avoid can become aggressive. They point out this fits one major scenario for dogs' biting children. When they are tied up & a child 'gets in their face'. Fear & aggression can go hand in hand. It seems that the RSPCA is knowledgeable about the research & practice literature. I was merely informing you of what occurred in the show - you said you had not seen it. Nothing will convince me that this test should be the determining factor of whether a dog lives or dies - as it was presented on this show. My dog by the way originally came from the RSPCA but he was spooked by me showing him a doll in his home environment, so whether he originally "failed" or not at the shelter I don't know.

Mita the way the program represented the situation was that the dog in question - a Staffy/BC cross - was shown the doll and exhibited avoidance not aggression. The RSPCA rep then stated that the dog could be a danger to children and "could not be rehomed" - which is RSPCA speak for PTS I guess. All of the dogs if I recall correctly were OK with the food being taken away test. Therefore it would be construed by most people watching that the failure of the dog to react favourably towards the doll decided his fate. They did not say that the dog failed any other test.

Yes we all like to hope that there is that special "someone" out there who will step up and be selfless in taking on such a challenge. Sadly such people are very rare - poor little fella its really not fair

I wonder where this happened? I did not think it was possible to have a dog buried in the same coffin. What a waste of a beautifully trained and loyal animal. Can't imagine what the lady was thinking to have requested that! RIP Toffee

Why don't people like this just do the right thing instead of trying to pass the problem on to someone else - the dog will probably just get passed around from home to home and end up PTS anyway after a lot of trauma

But, in all fairness, you haven't run the test under test conditions. You know the dog and it knows you. The dog has seen the doll before? you can't assess the validity of a test on one test case. No - he had never seen the doll. No that does not mean the test is not valid in some cases but the way it was presented in the program was that the dog was PTS on the basis of the reaction to the doll. I think my point is if my little placid dog can potentially fail "the test" in familiar surrounds with familiar people what hope for dogs in a shelter environment?

I just tried that test with my little placid poodle. Used by daughter's large doll similar to the one in the show. He ran away :D This is the softest, gentlest little dog you would ever meet - no worries about kids patting him whilst out and about. So no I don't believe that test is fair to the dog at all - especially in that environment.

Fleecies are popular here too! About the heartworm tablet Westiemum - is it heartworm only or a combination worming tablet? I always find the broad spectrum worming tablet causes some tummy upset whereas the heartworm only tablet seems OK.

So....if my dog had a C5 one year ago would that be sufficient for another two years or would I need to get him done again this year with a C3 to last for another 3 years? Anyone? I am trying to get it straight so I can know what I want before I go to the vets and get overwhelmed with the information he throws at me :) I just want to get the minimum for boarding purposes actually - if I didn't have to board him occasionally I don't think I would bother. He is only a little 4kg guy with skin problems and I hate to bombard him with chemicals

Really? And what about those like myself? Where English is their second language? I happen to speak very good English, but I know a breeder that doesnt. Yes, really. I didn't say it was the only indicator but it should ring alarm bells. I have heard this from police investigators when they issue warnings about online scams.

Poor English is always a sure giveaway that it is likely to be a scam.

http://dogsnsw.org.au/resources/dogs-nsw-magazine/articles/health/171-vaccination.html Thanks. So essentially it should be a C3 only every 3 years which protects against the "core" diseases with a kennel cough vaccine 12 monthly?

Can anyone tell me what is contained in the C3? Is the triennial vac the same as the yearly C5 just administered 3 yearly instead of yearly? I get very confused about vaccinations

Interesting about Xanax - I gave it once to my dog and he ran around madly bumping into the furniture so I never tried it a second time. Perhaps valium might be a better choice for him - I am not against giving it a try. I don't understand people who are so zealous about not using medications even when it is obvious the dog is suffering badly - how could it make the situation worse?

This is an old article but still very informative I think. http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=136493

Is Animal Health Australia the same organisation? http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/animal-health-australia-wants-cattle-dogs-used-to-the-minimum/story-e6freon6-1226609935550?from=trendinglink

None of the herbal, natural type remedies worked for my anxious dog including RR, Calm, Tranquil etc. I think they are waste of money actually and might only work on the most mild cases. For dogs with real problems you do really need the pharmaceuticals IMO. You need to try them before they are needed to see what effect they have as strangely some calmatives can have the opposite effect on some dogs. I am surprised your vet did not suggest Valium.

Ingredients for the Complete Mix described here Westiemum :) http://www.vetsallnatural.com.au/CMsheet.pdf

Have been following Mac's story and so pleased he is doing well. Many dogs seem to feel more secure if they can sleep above floor height - no doubt Mac feels nice and safe up there with you. :)

For storm phobias many vets recommend the tranquilliser type of drugs such as valium as they can be used only when a storm is expected - have you tried any of those?

How are they going to know it is an Animal Lib drone before shooting it down :D

Yeah, honestly, a lot of rescues and their followers recently have been nothing but ridiculous, and Facebook is just a haven for crazies. I'm glad I have pets but am not involved with rescue or breeding. It all just makes the whole dog world look nuts. You think it's just Facebook? The DOL rescue forum has been like that forever. My first taste of it was when I asked something in a thread about a rescue and was hysterically accused of demanding their secret pound contacts. This went on and on and on for ages, including by at least one of the people in this thread, despite the fact that I had never done so and didn't even know people apparently had 'secret contacts'. Look at the recent pug thread. I have been trying to look at it but can't find it - did it get pulled??

I have no suggestions beyond what you are doing just want to say what a gorgeous little fellow he is - I am sure life will get better for him from now on under your care. He was probably suffering for a long time with those ears poor fella. Maybe you could dilute the Malaseb and alternate with a gentler soothing shampoo?

Were you surprised they recommended a behaviourist? Behaviour IS a specialised area . vets with normal training ,cannot , IMO, be expected to understand and be able to work with anatomy/physiology of multiple species/breeds ..... AND be comfortable in assessing and helping with behavioural issues . Its like human GPs - they have enough trouble working with physicalities - most are just not equipped to deal with the psycholgical ..or other specialised areas ...and they only have ONE species with which to deal! ;) Yes but GPs do treat mental health issues at a basic level before referring to specialists. All I am saying is that they could offer some basic training in the degree. Or vets with inner city practices who see mostly dogs and cats could at least be able to say look here are some websites you could look at for those that are unable to afford or unwilling to see specialised behaviourial practitioners. To be realistic most people out there would not take it further than the vet.