Joannec2014

Ok so I've been here about 15 months now and as far as I can ascertain it appears to be compulsory to own a Maltese....anyone else noticed this?

Hebe

Yes but not necessarily white! However, it must be fluffy and of mixed breed.

Joannec2014

Oh Thank goodness...I thought next time I come through Australian customs I was going to be handed one....As for me I have two big brillient lolloping Greyhounds...I've noticed the larger dogs seem to be frowned upon....some small dog owners will not even say hello to big dog owners when passing in the street....its all very very strange!!!!

DeadVim

I've found that a black dog with a 'ute attached by a bit of string is de rigeur around these parts ... but we are a bit ... country ... yuk-yuk-yuk!

Maybe the fluffiness of the dog is in direct proportion to the number of coffee outlets with a certain radius?

Hebe

Not the case where I take my apricot coloured, fluffy multi shitting poo! We all mix together. In fact the big dogs are quite often scared of the small ones. We also have a few BBQ in the summer at the dog park as there are gas ones available. Also most Fridays we have drinks and nibbles whilst the dogs play - how civilised is that!!!!!

TiddlyPom

Larger dogs are not frowned upon at all. They are adored but from afar. I think the fashion for toy dogs is a shame here, but sometimes the perception is that they are easier to handle than say a dog like mine (a GSP) or yours...
although we both know greyhounds are passive sorts...and that FWD's can carry their own curse of yappiness and aggression if not trained... but then people buy them to fit in handbags so god knows they're asking for it.

The FWD (Fluffy White Dog) syndrome has unfortunately invited lots of mixed breeding in back yard/puppy farming situations but buying from pet shops is still legal here, so puppy farming will go on until it's made illegal.

Thousands of FWD's up for adoption.

Surreally though, whilst the Aus norm used to be a bored cattle dog in the back garden left unattended and unwalked, it's now more common to have a FWD. At least they might get more attention being fluffy and cute and all that.

Big dogs are just scary to people who have little dogs perhaps...?

My GSP ADORES little white fluffy dogs... but she couldn't eat a whole one.

Joannec2014

Maybe its just the anally retentive people round here then! Sounds great having a barbie at the dog park very social! Maybe we should start a dog-park-people exchange program!

TiddlyPom

We have dog park socials occasionally. It's fun.

Joannec2014

The FWD (Fluffy White Dog) syndrome has unfortunately invited lots of mixed breeding in back yard/puppy farming situations but buying from pet shops is still legal here, so puppy farming will go on until it's made illegal.

I don't know if you've heard of Cesar Milan, but he is a dog psychologist with a show on tellie called the Dog Whisperer, I never miss his shows. He did an expose on puppy farming and I think it would make most people think twice before getting a dog from a pet shop....I'm proud to say both my dogs are rescues one we brought with us from the UK and then we got our other dog here from Best Friends Rescue.

Big dogs are great too!!!!!!

TiddlyPom

Yes I know of him. He gets pretty good results. Nice looking guy though.

kar-kier

My puppy was supposed to be a maltese x shih tzu, she looked like a maltese x shih tzu, the breeder told me she was a maltese x shih tzu. 9 months down the line she looks like a maltese x shih tzu x 'random mutt'!! I actually think there is a bit of staffy in her! But she is cute as hell and I love her to bits!

CEM

We have a little, fluffy mutt, but he's black. He came from a rescue centre where my daughter was volunteering for her D of E. He's got a great character and isn't yappy. He also knows he's a dog, not an accessory!
We've always had big dogs before, but decided that because of where we lived in Sydney it wouldn't be fair to have a big dog who couldn't run off leash every day. Most people around where we lived had small dogs for similar reasons.

Hebe

Sounds like mine. Sold as a maltese x shi but has probably poodle or bichon in her. Have you got a picture?

Howard Jenings

At least they are attached by string, round here some aren't even attached- I often wonder why they never jump out at traffic lights

DeadVim

They are guarding the dead backpacker's body in the back