sandgrubber

More like bad writing. Sensationalism makes the meaning palpable. This journo muddied meaning.

I use the teeth and shots criteria to choose vets. I know my two have pretty clean teeth cause they get lots of bones, and I know their vaccination histories. If the vet suggests a cleaning, or annual vaccinations, I have the cue I need to change vets. Likewise, if the vet suggests home remedies, like diluted vinegar for mild yeast infection in the ears, I figure the vet is a keeper.

See also http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/calgarians+unleash+torrent+bite+reports/8411084/story.html or Google "dog bite Calgary" Calgary introduced its new dog laws in 2006. The definition of bite was made more restrictive in 2009 (presumably causing the decline in bites that year). But if an Australian city showed the increase seen from 2009-2012 the politicians would be going nuts. I don't think the numbers in 2012 are particularly low, given that the definition of dog bite is more restrictive than in many places. Calgary's population is about 400k less than that of Perth. What are the annual figures for dog bites in Perth? Calgary reported ~200. The fines being handed out are high, and that's right and good. btw., I'm not saying the Calgary model is bad, I'm saying it tends to be oversold. If anyone is going to the Bill Bruce lecture, it would be good if they asked a question about the trend over the last few years.

This is hardly news, and not unique to veterinarians (lots of doctors do the same). Still it's good to see it on mainstream TV. I think they got it right that tooth cleaning and unnecessary vaccinations are the big unnecessary procedures that get peddled. http://abcnews.go.com/US/veterinarians-sell-unnecessary-shots-tests-make-extra-money/story?id=20967672 (text) http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/veterinarian-honest-20987714 (video) Some Veterinarians Sell Unnecessary Shots, Tests to Make Extra Money, Says Former Vet Nov. 22, 2013 By JOSEPH RHEE, GERRY WAGSCHAL and KIMBERLY LAUNIER via 20/20 ABC News conducted an undercover investigation at vet clinics in New York and New Jersey, using two different dogs. In this photo, Honey, a 5-year-old pitbull, gets a check-up. ABC News For most pet owners, man's best friend is another member of the family and deserves the best care, but a former veterinarian says that some vets, out to make an extra buck, will pad the bill with unnecessary shots, tests and procedures. Andrew Jones worked as a veterinarian for 17 years. He left the industry after a dispute with his medical board over marketing issues, and wrote a book called, "Veterinary Secrets: Revealed." "I'm clearly not making friends within the veterinarian industry, but I feel I'm saying things that need to be said, that aren't being said," Jones said. Watch the full story on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET As a young veterinarian working at a clinic in British Columbia, Jones said he got an early lesson about upselling after telling a pet owner whose dog had a lump to just monitor it. At the time, Jones said he was fairly certain the dog's lump was a benign fatty tumor, but said the clinic owner quickly clued him in on the effectiveness of using the dreaded "c" word: cancer. "The practice owner... said, 'no, that's not how you do it... what you need to do is get that dog back in... It's going to be much more profitable for the practice,'" Jones said. "He said that it might be cancer. And it's-- usually the 'c' word, pet owners get really concerned and they say, 'do whatever you need to make sure it's not serious.'" Throughout his career, Jones said he discovered a dark reality about some veterinarians in the United States and Canada, including himself. "They feel that pressure of, 'I've got these overhead costs to make,' and that's where your judgment gets caught," he said. Jones said that, under pressure from bosses, he ordered services that were not needed. He said "no question" he would have been fired if he hadn't done as his bosses asked. "If I didn't meet this certain target, then yeah, my employment was at threat." But Jones said even after he owned his own clinic, at times, he continued upselling. "There are things... that I did as a practice owner, where in hindsight, probably didn't need to be done," he said. "For instance, seeing a dog that has a little bit of tartar... then I might say, 'I think your dog should have a dental cleaning'... It's obviously more profitable for the practice."

These are not my views, they are a literal reading of data taken from the City of Calgary's website. Dog bite incidence (green) has more than doubled from 2009 to 2012. The dramatic decline in overall incidences comes in 1999-2000, before the new model of dog control was implemented. . . it is not a decline in bites but in chasing. Bites do decrease dramatically in 2009, but go back up again thereafter. Mita may be right that there is a change in reporting. It would require research to figure out what is behind the numbers; the figure caption indicates that there was a change in how bites were recorded after 2009. Without further research I would not say the stats indicate that the Calgary model has been a great success.

It's hard to build a dog with the physique of a bulldog and end out with good hips and elbows. The OFA statistics look as bad as the Finnish stats cited above. See http://www.offa.org/stats_hip.html or flip through OFA pages for elbows. Bulldogs are at the top of the list for bad hips with 60-70+% dysplasic, depending on what time period you look at. Given the small number of dogs sampled, it looks like most breeders avoid testing.

Lots of good advice and I hate to add more. And I'm not really qualified, cause I raise all my pups in company of their mother and usually another adult dog or two. I don't crate; I create a ramp so the pup can get into bed; I keep old furniture and furniture with metal lets, so I don't need to worry about a little chewing, all my floors are tile. A lone puppy in a household not organized for puppy excesses is a different thing. But don't forget to bring out the good side. Poor little pup got pulled away from brothers and sisters, with whom she snuggled and wrestled whenever she wanted. She has lots of energy, lots of curiosity, and doesn't understand the rules. Doing a little training in the mode of tricks and games may help turn the chewing and tearing in a more positive direction. Make a big thing of tummy tickling and belly rubs and unforced cuddles. Positive play, grooming/cuddling, and training will build the sort of relationship you want with a dog. Also, though it makes a mess, I do let my little guys chew and tear . . . cardboard boxes, yoghurt containers, an old hairbrush, the duster, the rubber ducky, an old pair of Crocs. Generally, diverting things that were headed to the trash anyway and letting them get a good chew or get torn to bits will satisfy the pup's destructive energy and cost you only the trouble of cleaning up the mess. The growling . . . I agree with others . . . you need an experienced person to advise you there. A self-confident pup may make a lot of noise and act pretty ferocious, but it's all bluff and bluster, and not true aggression. If it's turning into more than that With mine, it's a phase, and they grow out of it in a few months. I have a 14 week pup with me at the moment. She's got the toilet thing down pat . . . uses the doggie door . .. she hasn't chewed up anything except the bed frame (which I allow her to chew), toys, and garbage, for a week or so. Hole digging is the present annoyance . . . be prepared to deal with lots of digging is you confine the pup alone, outdoors. But she spends a couple hours a day wrestling with her mother. I still get punctured by milk teeth from time to time, but that should pass in another month or two.

I have used a collar that had both vibration and 'stim' mode options for training with Labs. They HATED the vibration mode, but didn't seem to mind a low stim (I never used a high level). I disagree that vibration is the gentler option.

I wonder if these fellows would be classed as pit bulls in Victoria. http://www.hqbullies.com/males/ Living in pit bull land, I find it's very hard to know what is and isn't a pit. Some of the extreme types look more like English bulldogs, despite being 'pedigree' pits.

I love the concepts that Bill Bruce presents, but I put truth above my personal convictions. The numbers don't look that good. Slide #74 in his presentation shows significant increas in aggressive dog incidents since their program began . . . though the pattern has been for decline in the decades before it was implemented. I would like to believe that the Calgary approach works. But I'm not sure the Calgary statistics look so good. Edited to correct errors

A convincing argument against crate training. I've never been able to restrain my pups cause they seem to get so much pleasure from snuggling.

The voters voted to uphold the ban on Aug 12, 2013. Only 20% of the population voted. A dismal showing by anti-BSL activists.

If they had great luck with a herding dog bitza, why not get another herding dog bitza? You may be able to find a dog from a rural property who has lived unfenced . . . Gumtree? I agree that Lab or flattie would also go well. If they like wet dogs.

After the major finding that dogs have increased genetic capability to digest starch, as opposed to wolves, I don't see what the big deal is about being grain free. Furthermore, the devotees of the paleo diet (for humans) regard potatoes and other starchy tubers as being just as bad as grains . . . so what's so good about ditching rice and putting in sweet potatoes or whatever. I've know plenty of dogs that reached a healthy old age eating supermarket-brand dry food that contained a lot of corn. I use something a bit higher grade cause it keeps their coats nicer and I don't like to skimp on my much-loved dogs. But grain free seems like just one more fad, and an opportunity to pay an extra $20 for a big bag.

Patty, alas, is a browser. Here favorite toy is whatever is in her mouth at the moment. Her mother's tail, ears, and mouth are high on the list.

Most 'chocolate' doesn't contain enough chocolate to do harm. And a lot of those "poisonous to dogs' warnings are kinda iffy. I had 7 acres of pinot noir grapes for a couple years. The dogs browsed them and consumed huge amounts of drops during harvest. Not so much as a stinky fart or a tummy rumble. I tried the question out on a viticulture website and found that many many grape growers have dogs and almost all allow their dogs to sample the crop. No one reported problems. I don't want to say no human foods are dangerous to dogs. But there are a lot of people who like making mountains out of molehills.

if you haven't gotten responses, try posting in General. Few people read "Breeders" these days.

If you're after character more than look, I'd suggest working with a good rescue. Not all Rotties are good Rotties, and the temperament of a good Rottie does show up in other breeds, or mutts, from time to time.

But I don't think the poll gives you enough accurate figures re. population vs sample, skewness, significance etc to draw any real conclusions. Interesting to read people's experiences though. Agreed. If you are trying to do statistics, read up on "Opportunistic Sampling".

Sounds like a heyday for lawyers, therefore something to steer clear of.

Around here the near-universal sign is simply BAD DOG. It is especially common on the gates of people who don't have dogs :D. When I see this sign where there are a couple pits staked out in the yard, I'm inclined to give wide berth. I'd expect the next version to be BAD ASS DOG, but I haven't seen it yet.

Remember, they LooK cute, but they're the devil in disguise. I have 14 week Patty old running around my house. I woke this morning to a rather painful play bite to the nose. My shower scrubber is in tatters on the living room floor. It cost me $27 to replace the library book she explored. There are holes by the front porch and holed under where I park the car. She leaves a trail of destruction everywhere she goes.

Not sure how to vote. Mine have a couple acres to run on 24/7. Don't have a good local place to run them off leash, but they get run on-leash a few times a week (alongside a bicycle on a bike path) and sometimes we go to an offleash dog park that's ~25 km away..

Sending two Labradors from Perth to SFO cost me a bit under $4k (2010) . . . inclusive of crates, shots, and paying someone else to handle the paperwork, and a one night overnight stay in Sydney. I think that's pretty reasonable.

I think all mine have broken my skin with puppy bites, but I excluded this. Milk teeth and old lady thin skin are not a good combination. As with others, the "other animal" category is problematic. I encourage them to kill mice, rats, gophers, squirrels, and depending on where I live, rabbits. There is no way they would attack a sheep or pig or other larger domesticated animal. Chickens? Might be a problem, or they might just fetch them and bring them to me.