PossumCorner

Yes I think that's just it, we aren't born 'knowing these things' and all it takes is a bit of conversation to explain points of view without having a go at anyone. More important, your pup sounds gorgeous, have you named her or waiting for the right name to come along? You will have noticed the Photos threads - if you can put a shot of her there more of us will see it.

Such might exist, but I doubt it. Forums are dieing out, we are lucky that dol keeps a good core of members, and that is probably mainly down to the solid base of its reason for existence - pure-bred dogs and their breeders and owners. The horse forums are all but gone, which has been a major loss of the sharing of information and experience. And the replacement or alternative - the glorious misinformation world of the f word. My dogs are cross-breds, and as Persephone said there is always an appreciative welcome here for owners and lovers of every kind of dog (and other animal). I for sure don't think it is too big an ask to simply not insult breeders here by bastardising the names of pure-breds.

For sure Bushriver, and as Westiemum said in one of the tooth threads, chicken frames etc keep their teeth in great shape. SD the latest Australian free range stocking-rate legal density is to be ashamed of - 10,000 per hectare. On clever marketing, it's not so much clever, it's deceptive devious and intended to mislead/misinform. No point caging meat birds, that would be un-necessary and expensive separation for no reason. Easier and cheaper to shed-raise at max density. Re the research you mentioned, I would love to know the outcomes and recommendations - is anything available yet or are results restricted/confidential? Antibiotics have always been used, our reliance is on producers to honour the withholding periods. This link indicates that's not always a given, who would have thought? It was also being discussed in the context of superbugs on the ABC this morning. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-29/concern-over-banned-antibiotic-superbug-found-in-chicken/5556068 Not hijacking your thread Bushriver. I don't buy commercial chicken for the dogs - a local farmer raises chooks to despatch legally on-farm for their dogs (breeders, so quite a few). I don't feed chicken regularly, but when I do I buy whole chicken from them (of which legs'n'feet are dogs' most favourite bit, no accounting for dog taste).

In Melbourne cheap from factory shopfronts is around 2.50 a kg. ($25 a 10kg box). Worth double-checking they are guaranteed hormone and antibiotic free etc. (And free range? - not likely and not that it means much to the poor little meaties, as they can barely walk when old enough to slaughter (really nasty industry we are all stuck with for the time being)). We will soon have a massive meat poultry raise-and-process 'facility' built near us, middle of no-where as they like to be. Local farms all put up a long fight against it, as every kind of pollution is involved, but after a few hearings etc opposition has now been steamrolled and it is apparently going ahead.

The cost looks like around $60 a month for only a 10-12 kg dog going by the website. But most manufacturer's figures are only a general guide (like red lights, not always taken seriously). I think it would need to be used for 3-4 months, and through a change of seasons, summer-winter for appetite change, to sort out average cost.

I'll also try it - I'm a bit stressed with Rheneas he is so overweight. I changed over recently from his previous food to Phuds, which I like everything about, and he enjoys - but not losing weight on it. The weight happened because as he gets older (about 14-15 years) he gets more like an eat-everything Labrador, and less like a pickie Sheltie/Pom/something cross. His habit for the past six months is obsessive poo-eating in huge amounts, horse, alpaca, sheep, dog, whatever. He did this years ago up to around 18 months old, seemed to be a stress issue, and grew out of it, has now reverted. So having moved to acres so the dogs could roam safely, he now has to be under protective house arrest, how stupid is that!! If Frontier does the job over a few months, and if he likes it enough to help make up for being contained unless supervised, it will be worthwhile.

Rubber is expensive - same as the black rubber belting used for horse-float ramps etc, great stuff but costs the earth. Shade cloth would be okay if well fixed, I have some on the ground and it is okay to walk on, OH says it looks tacky, he's probably right.

Would lightweight cheap carpet work, something thin that would dry out quickly rather than retain damp and rot the deck. Or the artificial grass/turf rolls? The constant problem with our old deck is loose nails that pop their heads up, can be nasty to step on with bare feet - have you checked that has not caused injury rather than just the gaps between boards?

One of my old vet's favourite expressions, out of hearing of the dogs' owners: "Lookit that, two axe handles across the back". To the owner - "Been in a good paddock this one".

Then let's hope they don't also fail the horses I just saw footage of on tonight's tv news. Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. Some severe cases there. http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/rspca-seizes-starving-horses-from-victorian-property-on-mornington-peninsula/ar-BBzRjlh?li=AAabC8j&ocid=spartandhp

That's my belief, and it was vet's suggestion to me over 20 years ago, so is not "new-think". I'm sure it's especially good for the oldies to give them something to look forward to a little more often. I try for three, and if not going to be home for the middle feed, still manage two. A little something before bed-time is quite good too, and that's been suggested on dol recently, ?something about stomach acid having something to occupy it. Being aware of the total for the day is important as other posts above note: but it's hardly rocket science to work out, same as including training treats in a daily total.

Advising Council is the only intelligent avenue to take. Anything like the mildest physical action is still assault and puts you at a total disadvantage if it escalates to legal action on either side. (It is very like the total stupid of road rage: no matter what the provocation there is no excuse or 'legal forgiveness' for aggressive retaliation behaviour on the roads). Any mild action against another persons' dog on or off lead will fester in that owner's mind and could escalate at next encounter. It is just as stupid to initiate this as it is for the uncontrolled dogs handler to allow them to be a nuisance. The issue is one for Council, which is much more time-effective and result-effective than days or weeks of to-and-fro opinion and disagreement on a little dog forum.

Zero sympathy here, his first fabrication had the assailants as being of "middle eastern appearance". Marvellous: "I'll just add some of my racist intolerance to inflame race hatred of the puppy thieves just to spice up my story". That dissolves any shred of sympathy I might have felt, (and seems to have been wilfully overlooked in the subsequent news report).

Is anyone watching this? (ABC tv over three nights, last night tonight). Some great shots among all the informative explanatory star stuff. What I liked was the info on some cameras used (off the shelf dslrs) and some settings suggestions. I have flu, feeling a wreck physically and emotionally so not clear headed - but I'm sure there will be repeats forever to catch up with what I've missed of it. Really ticked off because I was so looking forward.

Wonderful images. And loving the Guinea Fowl as I have a few running around, they are my little bit of Africa to remind me of working in Kenya/Tanzania/Nigeria for 2-3 years. But more important, who is Canisbellum, and what has he done with Canetoad and was anyone consulted?? (from one who occasionally doesn't cope well with change).

Unfortunately some misinformation here concerning the Bulla horses does make me question other anecdotes. The RSPCA were indeed very involved in all prior planning, the horse rescues taking on the horses (in co-operation with the RSPCA) were most certainly not "small horse rescues". As an example of extraordinary organisation and co-operation all involved deserve great credit, not criticism, and that includes the part the RSPCA played. I'm not entering into an argument, and I'm not an apologist for the RSPCA. It just does a case no good when facts are so misrepresented.

With the horse, I'd like to think it is "only in America" and not an abberative breeding goal that has been taken up in our showrings. But we do have miniature ponies, miniature horses, and Small Shetlands. The aberration here is that their dental set-up is the same as a "normal" pony or horse, and the miniature's mouth is not big enough to cope with the number of normal-size teeth erupting from the jaw. The littlies with this problem and no dental work suffer agonies. Arnold, one of my Small Shetlands, is typical, I've had the horse dentist do some fantastic work on him in the past. But he now has a new impaction problem, have spoken to the dentist and will need dentist and vet (for legal anaesthetic) soon to sort it for him. And people go on breeding from ponies passing this on.

Welcome home, wondered why the few weeks silence. Shots are not coming up on my screen, I can click a small-'x' and it goes briefly to your bucket account for one shot, then screen is deluged with Telstra and other ads difficult to get rid of. Jeeze I hate computers sometimes.

Awesome update. Safe arrival.

Strong animals which (with no malice) neither know nor care how fragile we are by comparison have been hospitalising people forever. Two of my pet sheep were passed on to me (dumped) because the owners couldn't cope. Bottle-raised with love by two little girls: all good til they weighed forty kilos and still did hopping onto shoulders or into laps. Sometimes managing them when feeding or moving them to another field is like a small military campaign, they are woolly wrecking-balls. They try me out more than do the horses or ponies for needing constant risk awareness, I can't even imagine how hard managing a pig would be for me to cope with. My beloved cashmere goat is the same, amazing strong and couldn't give a toss if she closes a gate on my hand etc. Alpacas stack up better and better in the easy management stakes, I think I appreciate them more every day.

Hasn't the RSPCA been running adoption of senior dogs for years, and subsidising in a small way any ongoing veterinary treatment? Burwood (Vic) have a 12 yr old Westie for adoption at the moment.

Boronia you are star quality!! Now we wait with everything crossed.

Good luck Sandgrubber, I hope they and you travel well. And no you haven't let them down in any way, they'll be okay, this is good news. Your other briefly considered option was unthinkable.

How long ago was it that a Doler's dog died simply because a collar was left on it in the back yard? Any conglomeration of straps can lead to catch leg, panic, injury. Supervision: no, not convinced, that doesn't even always work with toddlers, stuff happens in just a moment of distraction. I think TF is right, and that harness and hobbles thinking is just a dangerous gimmick.

Course you weren't joking. Our railing regulations are insane. It's not about safety it's about revenue raising. Council came to our house all flags flying to measure the drop from the new deck. The three of them it took, no joke, to measure it (all in three-piece suits) had to admit it was about one inch inside the legal limit for no railing. (Like, you could step off it). Were they pissed off! - couldn't fine us. And that was from a dob-in from a nosey neighbour. Surely it's nothing to do with claiming that any one nationality (or multi-cultural society) has more or less common sense or street smarts than any another as needed. It's just a bit of fun to use as a stick to poke with, that's what's funny. None of us would extend that to pool fencing rules, which have saved the lives of thousands of toddlers.