bk_blue

Cremation and a "funeral" is available here but I am unaware of the cost. But we are allowed to bury our dogs in the backyard. There are quite a few loved deceased pets at Grandad's house and I hate to think about when he eventually passes away (which had better be later than sooner!)and the new homeowners decide to do renovations... :o

Oh yeah, he is very brave. There is no way I could do what he does every day. A lot of people couldn't. :cry:

After reading that I went outside and hugged my dog who was one of the lucky ones... :cry:

She sounds like a lovely dog- but I can't help either... Black and tan Dachshunds have very similar markings to Dobes- that's why we call them Bonsai Dobermanns :wink: but they're just a BIT too small for your dog!!! Re: the genetics thing. Is it possible that your dog's parents were also crosses? That would confuse the issue a bit... About time you joined the forum Marble- come on, you know you want to! :D

Yeah Deep I agree- why would you get a dog if you're unable to socialise it with other dogs because it's too aggressive? May as well get an electronic burglar alarm. :-?

Oh, here I go again...! :D The house is actually my nanna's old house- but I can't take him over yet because the girl who I am replacing has got a kitten who would probably die of shock if confronted with Mr Sweaty-Toothed Mad Dog. :wink: She is supposed to be leaving at the end of the week, and then I can take him round to the place and get him used to it, to acclimatise in a way. I'm going to move in first, and do the whole yard-checking thing, then when it is dogproofed move him in too. We have a similar thing here- National Pet Registry- which he is registered with, and the shelter he was adopted from has his microchip records. I will also look into the tattooing- I'm sure there must be a registry, I'll ask tomorrow at obedience... thanks!

Egg- I think there are different rules for different countries re: spaying. Some countries or vets do it before the first heat, others after. There is a post currently running about this, I forget which one though :oops: The shelter I got Blitz from microchips and vaccinates for "free"- the cost of it is included in the price of the dog when you buy him/her, we got BK for $US50 but the price has about doubled now- rising costs of running a humane, healthy, clean shelter I suppose. I'm not sure about the age for microchipping but I assume it can be done at any age, all it involves (I think) is a needle which injects the chip under the skin. ;) I believe they "expire" after a number of years (here in Oz anyway), BK needs to have his done again soon! Before I move!!! :D

I didn't even think about the name/address/burglar thing! I would probably put my mobile phone number on the tag then, and update it if I got a new number. I'll let you know how it all goes! :D

As horrendous and sickening and barbaric as it was- it was educational. If everyone passed on the link to their own email contacts then perhaps more and more people would appreciate the astonishing cruelty that could very well happen to their own wonderful family pets. :(

I'm moving house in a few weeks and knucklehead BK is coming with me. I wouild like to get everyone's opinions on whether I should get a collar with ID for him as he is a bit of an escape artist, despite all our best efforts (he can dig out a bluestone block embedded in the ground from the OTHER side of the fence, no worries). He does not wear a collar at the moment but is microchipped. The only thing stopping me from getting one is that I have heard stories about dogs getting caught on their collars while in the backyard and being choked to death. I think the prospect of him getting out and getting run over (the house is a block away from two busy roads) probably outweighs the small risk of his collar snagging on something, would that be right? Just want to know what you guys think. ;)

I am sorry- I couldn't listen to it all the way through. I feel really queasy now and I am doubly glad BK is not allowed in the house because I know he would have gone nuts. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

I thought that too Mei-Mei- but he was moving freely and not limping or anything. Who knows... I still haven't seen this dog at the park again and I go there 3-4 times a week. :-?

Oh yeah, he has been fixed... 6 and a half years ago, when we got him at 6 mths... so if he [b]had[/b] balls they would be hangin' down to the ground :lol: Mei-Mei, that is not a dumb solution- in fact it might work, I will try it and see... it might work as sitting would be quite a submissive thing for him to do...? He [i]is [/i]damn bloody dominant, but not bitey growly dominant, just wilful friendly dominant; does that make sense? I do accept that his behaviour is not socially acceptable, that is why I am trying to fix it! I would have done something about it years ago if I had known, it's only come out in the last 6 mths or so that we have been going to this dog park. I really thought though that this Golden overreacted just a tad... but I'm doing the right thing now so all will hopefully be good ;) Thanks Axel, I will try and get an indestructible ball (a bowling ball!! just kidding) like a Kong or something similar. He has to learn how to take and give a dumbbell for obedience anyway, so that will teach him how to take an interest in inanimate objects :D... thanks everyone for your advice, you have all been very helpful :)

You would think so, Jacsmom, that they would want a healthy animal to do tests on. However I still feel that the majority of animal testing is unnecessary (I don't know enough about cure-for-AIDS-cancer-etc. animal testing though to make up my mind about it), and no animal, whether it is on its last legs or in its prime, should be subjected to experiments we humans would not conduct on ourselves. :evil: If this is labelled "equating" (read: devaluing) my life to the life of a pet, then that is fine by me, as to paraphrase James Thurber (I think?), I know several dogs who will go to heaven and very few humans! :wink:

Thanks Axel and Jacsmom :) I asked how I could stop his mounting today at obedience. The handler said to me that I must make my status as top dog unequivocally clear. Maybe I am not doing it forcefully enough? I think I will try keeping him on the lead, as much as he likes being off it so he can tire himself out! He isn't allowed inside, but I make him wait for me before going through doors, out of the car, before he eats dinner etc. I WISH he was interested in balls and frisbees, but he isn't... it would make things easier if he was... :D Believe me he knows he is not allowed to mount and looks guilty if I have to come marching over to pull him off another dog and scold him, but he has a one-track mind sometimes!!! :wink: (well, he is male :) ) I totally agree, there are good and bad dogs in every breed!! Cockers can be IMO nippy. Our one was a bit grouchy sometimes, esepcially when she didn't want to have a bath ;) Bad breeding may have led to that nippiness in Cockers- I think it's called Cocker rage syndrome? The other breed that can be bitey is the Dachshund. Grandad has had a few over the past 25 years and they are feisty little things who will not hesitate to nip if they feel it is necessary ;)

I don't disagree with you. His mounting is a bad habit that I am in the process of fixing. But it was the very instant that he tried to do it that this other dog went for him in a way I have never [i]ever [/i]seen before, no warning signs or anything. If a dog does not like being mounted it will usually growl or have a little snap, and my dog gets the message and backs off. This was definitely different, you'd really have to have been there to see it. It was just so damn sudden and aggressive I didn't have a chance to do anything. As I said, I know Goldens are usually wonderful, placid dogs but I really thought this one was overly defensive/aggressive.

I believe that Pfizer still conducts tests on animals. Don't know about the others. :evil:

I posted the other week on another board about a greyhound mauling a toddler to death here. Now, are greyhounds considered to be "dangerous"?? I know this case was a dog and not a person, but I'm just pointing out that the unexpected can and does happen... it was an unfortunate incident that had horrible consequences... would it have been newsworthy if it was two dogs not classified as "dangerous" ie. a dachshund (and they can bite!!!!) and a little terrier of some sort???

I would have said Ma-lin-wah, only because it's the French way to pronounce it as opposed to saying it like Illinois...? My Dutch ex had a Malinois (called Paris!)- she was the most sedate, laidback, unflappable dog. He pronounced it the French way too. The police in my state use German Shepherds here, I have driven past their stud farm many times. [url]http://www.police.vic.gov.au/showContentPage.cfm?contentPageId=3221[/url] Beagles are used as sniffer dogs at the airport.

And the appalling living conditions. I mean, did you see all the rubbish bags outside that shell they call a kennel... and the cages. What they said about having to double check to see if there were any pups hiding in the filth... that got to me...] I just can't believe pet shops take these animals in the condition that they are in...? No wonder whenever I see pups at the pet shop they make me cry and wish I had big bucks just to pay to get them out of there. :cry:

you are on a roll K! I read something similar at PETA's website.

That is so DISGUSTING, BARBARIC, INHUMANE and just plain WRONG. I can't even describe coherently how that makes me feel. :evil: How do these sick people get away with it???????

:evil: Oh that is horrible. I think the producing of eggs and milk (unless it is battery stuff, etc) is not really on the horror scale that is the "gas chamber".

Aroura, that's what I thought. He only gets bathed twice a year, but I am not against buying him dog shampoo if needs be. He is the toughest dog physically that I know- touch wood *taps head with fingers* :lol:

Thanks Marble, I had better not tell him that, his ego is big enough :D He is a blue heeler mix, maybe with smooth haired border collie. I may be wrong but I think he has a touch of dalmatian in him (same size), and some bull terrier or similar that's given him his big wide jaw- but I will never know for sure!