Animal House

I can't help with transport or feed, but can offer a small donation if it helps? I can only imagine how the people (who went through the bushfires) are feeling when they are having trouble feeding/keeping their animals, it must be heartbreaking for them.

Sorry, just found your other topic that you were having problems with the same dogs back in May. Hi. I am in need of some urgent help with my Bearded Collie. We have 2 female Beardies. Mishka (4 years old) and Mylie (6 months old). Mishka was purchase by my wife as a puppy and did puppy school but never really took the training any further. She is a very anxious dog who has been known to jump over 2.4 meter fences at the sound of thunder as well as scratched a hole in our cedar door during another storm. For the first 2 years Mishka lived with my wife before we were married. Even then she was very anxious but nothing was ever done about it. Due to moving into a rental when we were married we could no longer have Mishka living with us and she stayed at the same house with my brother in law. Beside feed her he never really did much else for her. My wife would always go around there and walk her most days but she was then sent to the back yard to live. Over the last 6 months we have spent more time than ever before with her in preparation for her coming to live with us in our new home which was under construction. We also got Mylie who is a perfect dog in almost every way and is very well trained. Still a puppy though. Inside the house they both respect and listen to me. We moved into our house just over a week ago and have made it a priority to get concrete, fences and grass in the back yard so the dogs can spend the days out there whilst we are at work. This is still about 3 weeks away. Whilst we are at work they are now having to live in the garage which between us is only 3.5 days. The first time we left them in there which was only for 2 hours Mishka scratched the architrave and chewed a bit of the door. The second time (a full day) Mishka has ripped the entire door apart. I had never seen anything like it when i came home from work last night. 1 more day in there and she will have worked her way through the entire door. When we are home she is a very well behaved and is great company. My concern is that even once we can put them in the backyard they will still scratch at the back door as this is what she did at her old house. When she scratches she does so until she hurts herself. I know there are training methods to help but they are all long term and i dont know how training is going to help when it when we arent home to train her that is the problem. Any advice would be very much appreciated as we are at the point were we are thinking that our home might not be the best place for her anymore. What did the behaviourist recommend back then?

Definitely take the advice of a professional (and recommended) behaviourist before it gets out of control. If you took her near a train, it could make it 10 times worse. Erny on here is a well respected dog trainer, as well as a few others in Vic. If you want to give your general area, we can recommend the one closest to you. The money you will be paying out for the damage she causes will be far more than a session with a professional. Not to mention how scared your dog must be.

Exactly. It isn't 'cute' behaviour if my dog did it back to a small dog. *sigh*

Yes, agreed. My h/mate has a tiny oldish female dog (looks like a small whippy x chi) and she will snap at my staffy when she feels like it. To the extent she will sometimes grab her on the nose when she walks past. I tell the dog off in no uncertain terms, and tell my h/mate if she doesn't want her dog ending up in pieces, don't let her do that kind of stuff (to any dog). My staffy is quite tolerant, but there is only so much she will put up (she is a nervy dog) and it would only take one snap from her to do some real damage. I don't/won't go to off leash dog parks (not that we have any in my area). An accident waiting to happen at most of them. There is plenty of land around here where I can let my two off for a run, they both have good recall, but of course, nothing is 100% guaranteed. Like the time where I had my two off lead in a nearby bushy/ hilly paddock. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, and it was a big Grey Roo, must have been grazing there for a while and I only noticed it once it stood up on its hind legs. It was taller than me. Luckily the dogs didn't notice it, and I had them back on their leashes in 2 seconds. Oops, sorry, went a bit off topic there.

Information on Joint Guard is here http://www.jointguard.com.au/ Petstock or similar places should have it, or you can buy online through VetShed, VetnPetDirect.

The park issue sounds like resource guarding. I don't like off least parks as too many of such incidences can occur. She was warning the other dog the ball was hers. Simple. With her curling her lip at you and your Oh, she could be hurt (hence not wanting to be pushed or pulled) or it could be a behavioral issue. I would get a vet to check (despite her recent bill of health, because injuries, sprains, strains can occur at any time) her over for any sore spots, and if none, definitely a behaviorist so the issue doesn't accelerate. I would NOT reprimand for growling, otherwise like PF said, next time she won't warn, she will bite.

Petman on Ebay has some great pre-made runs. He is in Vic. (Lancefield...out near Tullamarine Airport way) http://stores.ebay.com.au/LANCEFIELD-ALL-P...p;submit=Search

Oh, I'm really sorry to hear about that Ruth. Run free Ivan.

I think I'm in love with Meka. Gorgeous pic of Wendell slurping her nose too.

Oh darn it....not on Gumtree free to a good home? Pup really needs to see the vet regarding the lump...I wonder if the breeder gave it a whack herself? Danielle, don't worry about the flak you are copping, you did the right thing by asking for opinions and trying to help the pup. Just put on your flame suit when you post, the many varied opinions of internet posters can sometimes make you want to

In a home with no small kids, yes that would be the best option, but it is biting and growling if they go near it.....i wouldnt risk my toddler for one day with a dog like that let alone the time it takes for a trainer or behaviorist to assess it and work with it. It needs to either go to a home where someone dedicated will try to rehab it or it needs to be PTS. She said it will sometimes let her touch it but other times it bites. It also has a large lump (?) on its head. Ive told her repeatedly to take it to the vet, dont know if she has or not. And I just got a reply from her regarding PTS and she wont do it. She is going to try to give it away......*shakes head*..... Its so frustrating to try to educate someone who wont listen. Crap. So she is willing to pass on an aggressive dog? Just the same ethics as the breeder who dumped it on her. Can you offer to take it to be PTS instead? Yeah I should hey......wonder how much it will cost to transport it up to QLD tho....she is down near Sydney and Im in Brissy. Any ideas? I think it cost about $150 to fly Elliott up from Canberra last year....shouldnt be much more than that should it? Im only asking because Im in the middle of moving and were already strapped with moving costs....ugh i hate being so povo! Sorry Danielle, I thought you were nearby. My mistake. Totally unreasonable to try to fly an aggressive/scared pup up to you at your cost anyway. Would she hand it over to 'rescue' and they could PTS (possibly without her knowing if that would cause a problem?) Just assuming it is better than having her try and give the dog away.

In a home with no small kids, yes that would be the best option, but it is biting and growling if they go near it.....i wouldnt risk my toddler for one day with a dog like that let alone the time it takes for a trainer or behaviorist to assess it and work with it. It needs to either go to a home where someone dedicated will try to rehab it or it needs to be PTS. She said it will sometimes let her touch it but other times it bites. It also has a large lump (?) on its head. Ive told her repeatedly to take it to the vet, dont know if she has or not. And I just got a reply from her regarding PTS and she wont do it. She is going to try to give it away......*shakes head*..... Its so frustrating to try to educate someone who wont listen. Crap. So she is willing to pass on an aggressive dog? Just the same ethics as the breeder who dumped it on her. Can you offer to take it to be PTS instead?

What a sad situation. Seems like the 'breeder' got rid of her unwanted pup the easy way. Was the pup growling and scared when they first met it? Have they had it long? Probably best that the poor pup be PTS. There are so many unwanted, gentle dogs needing homes/foster care, it's unlikely that this one would be accepted.

Okay, its so confusing. I don't want to break the law, so I'm guessing I could go with the basic Ping String budget kit (I have a brand new car battery to run it off) http://www.sureguard.com.au/buy_420.html To do my fence I was quoted about $333, including the underground cable. Or I could go with a Gallagher B11 (just the energiser) which is around $195 and then buy those tread in thingies, earth stake, and the polywire/tape, plus the join up underground cable for the gate.LINKY I think I will run the 3 strands. Which do you think is better? There is no way I can get a mains one, as there is no outside power points, and the house is 100 feet from the fence. :D

No need for anyone to pick the pup up. Keep him off the couch by getting (even making) a bed of his own. It can be a cardboard box with some blankets in it, until you can get the crate. If you want the dog down off something, call him with a treat, and reward him when he gets off. Simple.

My staffy is a pig as well, she practically inhales all her (dry) food, and doesn't even chew her meat, she just gulps it down and frequently throws it back up. Pig. Even big slabs of meat, so now I have to cut everything up small, unless its a marrow bone or a big bone to chew on. Would one of those bowls help her? At the moment, I just spread her dry food over the pavers out the back so she can't inhale it, so each piece is separate. Not a good look, she still manages to just hoover it all up and practically choke.

Really? Geez, I walk past a property where there is a cattle dog (who can get out anytime, because his gate is chewed through) and he snarls and growls, but never comes out.

We rent and the new place is on 3/4 of an acre, which backs onto parkland, which is frequented by dog walkers morning, afternoon and night. Most of them have their dog off lead, and of course, my dogs run up to the fence and protect "their" property by barking, and making a right old racket. The fence is a typical rural type fence, pine posts, 3 wire strands and chicken wire at the bottom, about 4 feet high. Now, my staffy can easily jump out if she wants to, and has on half a dozen occasions. Or my other dog will test all the chicken wire and just push through under. They usually do this when I let them out for a pee late at night, or first thing in the morning if they are feeling particularly adventurous. This has turned the corner though from being adventurous to potentially dangerous. Just yesterday my girl ran up to the fence to bark at a dog going past (offlead) and then leapt over in a second before I could get out the back door and call her. Luckily, the other dog was friendly, and mine just played girly dumb dog and rolled over, but if the dog had been aggressive, she no doubt would have been in a fight. :D Naturally, they can't be left in the yard alone (I keep them in the run or inside when I'm not there to supervise) but I would like them to have free run of the yard, but need to keep them from going near the fence. So....I don't want the radio collar containtment, I was looking at the Ping String dog fence or similar. I need about 70 metres length to do it, and seeing as we also have a farm type back gate, I would need it to be joined up on the other side of the gate as well, if that makes sense? I would run it off a battery, seeing as mains power is no where near the back fence. Do you think a single strand is sufficient? I plan on putting it about 10 feet inside the fence, to stop them getting near the fence itself. I have a Staffy, and a slightly smaller mutt. Smaller dog won't jump, Staffy can jump, but won't go near anything zappy once she gets a ping. Has anyone got the Ping String fence? Is it a wire or a white tape? Cost wise, what am I looking at? Is there something similar you can DIY cheaper? Thanks in advance, sorry for the long post.

I really, really need: A Bull Mastiff Mastiff Dogue Pointer One or all of the above please.

Popped in to check on the latest, thank you goldchow for the update on Jed. I can only imagine how overwhelmed she must be trying to comprehend all that has happened.

Sorry to hear about Kira LWC. Give Sasha some extra attention, she will be lost without her buddy. Run free Kira.

Congrats girls!!! (and Alex) :D Tess, your photos are always stunning, but I'm seriously loving your first 2.

Congrats Rav, I love the photo!! You must be thrilled.

Sorry to hear about your beautiful boy Mon. Run free Rex.