YoSemite

here's my two... Bailey and Brogan



have not got a clue how much the cost me... wouldn't care really. they're just soooo funny I'd pay a million bucks for them every day if i had to! It's cheaper to keep them here compared the UK though. We had to have an emergency trip to the vets for the one on the right as she cut her leg - cost about a 1/4 of the price it would have going to the same size (and quality) of pratice in UK.

MrsDagboy

No, people buying puppies from petshops & people breeding designer dog crap like labradoodles & any other "oodles" you can think of - often at wildly inflated prices many times more than a registered purebred puppy from a good breeder I might add - are the ones increasing the problem. Reputable breeders of purerbred registered puppies add very little to the stray dog population problem as the numbers of puppies that come out of registered breeders is tiny compared to backyard breeders & puppymills. Add to that all the other advantages of buying a registered puppy ie parents being health checked for genetic diseases, temperament more predictable, being able to confidently predict exactly what the puppy will look like, how big it will grow etc as well as the fact that many many breeders will take a dog back if, at any time in the future there becomes a problem or you have to rehome it, & you can see why buying a registered purebred puppy is a much better choice. Just have a look at how many pure bred dogs of any breed end up in the pound etc, compared to cross breds & you can quickly see where the problem lies.

Personally I'd like to see every petshop in Australia banned from selling kittens & puppies - if we could get rid of the puppy farms that supply petshops & the like & the stupid designer dog phase (& anyone that would like to deny there is a problem need only look in the dogs for sale section of any newspaper to get an idea of how big it's becoming) our dumped dog numbers would diminish considerably.

If you are happy with an older dog, definitely go to the RSPCA or such & rescue one, otherwise ONLY buy from a registered ethical breeder.

This is my newest addition - got him yesterday .

MrsDagboy

BTW, if anyone is considering rescuing a dog, there are many rescue clubs & foster carers that save dogs from the pound as well as the usual suspects like AWL & RSPCA that JTL mentioned earlier.

If anyone needs contact details to find a rescue dog (both purebred & crossbreds) just about anywhere in Australia please let me know & I can put you in touch with someone .

manxfamily

Hey Mrs D, he a real cutie. Our daughters want a dog when we get to Oz, but I just don't know. Maybe I should start another poll on what I should do!

iPom

I'm looking at all our local shelters right up to Sydney for the right dog... It's Mr iPom who's stuck on the beagle because he had one when he was growing up which then got stolen and I really think he pines after this sort of dog.
I need to get a puppy I think because I can't risk there being any problems with unexpected biting or any other psychotic behaviour. (My friend's have a rescue dog which is lovely in the house but outside on the lead turns into a monster of a dog which then goes hysterical and bites as I found out to my cost)
The risk with an adult could be quite high as you never really know what their past traumas have been.

But I am looking,,, and will let you know what I find.

MrsDagboy

Hey ManxF, I'll bring him to meet you when you get here, then you wont be able to resist - either that or your kids will drive you mad until you give in :scared: .




IPom, if you get one thats been in foster care the foster carer can usually tell you a great deal about the dogs temperament & behaviour - probably a better bet than just a straight pound or RSPCA rescue. They often do have puppies & young dogs as well.

These are the sorts of dogs you can get from foster carers http://www.fosterdogs.org/ - have a look at the extensive information about each dog, thats because they have lived in the foster carers home, rather than just being seen at the shelter in a pen. If you are interested in any of these guys Im sure ARF will organise transport to Sydney or there are other organisations in Sydney that do the same thing.

Your friends dog simply sounds like it needs some obedience training - dogs don't become good citizens just by being left in the backyard .

Irish Aussie Teen

OMG thats adorable! like butter wouldnt melt!!! awww!

iPom

It's currently having therapy for it's hatred of cars.

Mrs Jackaroo

Oh how cute. How could your husband resist????

iPom

HE can't. He's ringing the rental agent to get permission.

I've had a deaf dog before and you just have to work harder to train them. We're both at home all day and we live in a fab place so hopefully she'll be ours in a couple of weeks.

MrsDagboy

LOL oh dear, where did they get it from? shouldnt laugh I guess but the therapy thing is funny

See thats the beauty of getting one thats been living with someone - those sorts of issues would have been spotted .

XXX looks lovely - just be aware that being deaf puts her at much greater risk of injury eg cant hear you call her back from a dangerous situation, cant hear a car coming, cant hear you walking up behind her & may get a fright etc. Training a dog to respond to hand signals only (rather than voice or both) is a bit more difficult than training to respond to voice but not insurmountable, the hardest thing is getting her to see the signal ie you cant call her name to attract her attention. But it certainly can be done without major trouble, especially if you have any previous experience with training dogs, you just have to remember you have to be her *ears* for her .

MrsDagboy

Great news, hope it works out & you're allowed to get her .

iPom

They got her from a woman who got her from a rescue place. The dog kept attacking her dog (big warning signal if you ask me) so she gave her to my friend... who has two children. It was a pit bull cross ... one black eye, floppy ears, bloody powerful shoulders, named rather cutely as 'Molly'. When confronted with a car coming towards her, she'd go hysterical and completely lose it (maybe she'd been knocked by one in her past but who knew?) and start lunging into the road.

The one and only day I took it for a walk up to school to pick up the children, it lunged, bit my leg and knee, ripped my trousers and went wild at other people's dogs. It went for legs of the kids too. I tied it to a railing and called my friend ... who bought me a new pair of trousers. In the house, the dog was fine. On the streets, a complete accident waiting to happen. Very very bad, esp with two children in the house. I think she's crazy, but hey ....

lisabarber

we lost our cairn terrier zoe on monday, she was 9 and black like toto off wizard of oz, gorgeous friendly, placid loved kids did as she was told and im devastated, had to be put to sleep. im a fan of them, and the kids keep pining for another, but there are plenty of rescue dogs that, if you set your mind to it and put some effort into looking after them , they can be just as good as my zoe. go for it, husband said can have another, may go to the rspca , see how i feel.

madsad

This is our Babe now 6mths.
(not from rspca but from a reputable breeder)