New Zealand Dog News

Reviewing the dog news in New Zealand with editors comments. Someone needs to keep reviewing how our dogs are doing in society.

October 31, 2006

Breeding dogs a way of life


Dog trialling is something of a man's world, but Anna Holland ventured in to it.

"I used to get nervous though, and it passed on to the dogs. I just didn't have the right temperament for it, even though the dogs were very good," she says. It wasn't just the nerves it is very much the domain of men. With just a handful of women trialling dogs, it can be rather lonely.
(...)
Starting as a shepherd at 17, her passion for dogs began in earnest when she was given her first dog, a heading pup named Rod.

"A gift from a boyfriend, which made it extra special" she laughs.

"Dear old Rod, he was a very natural, easy-to-work dog and some years later I decided to mate him with my young heading bitch, Pat." The resulting litter grew to be fine working dogs, one of which was Bill. "He was not only natural but very clever and I used Gary Brennan's methods to train him. Gary Brennan was probably one of the best heading dog triallists that this country has ever had and he showed me his method of training dogs."

This training entailed teaching dogs a vast range of commands.

"You have the commands to do whatever you want to do it helps both the dog and handler. Rights, lefts, stop, steady in fact everything. I was sold on that type of training from then on."

MORE>>

The owner, not the dog, is barking

(TV Guide) Even to a dog-doting viewer, it's shocking how often in It's Me or the Dog (Wednesdays, TV One), the errant dog owner plumps for the dog - over the complaining spouse, and even the neglected and dog-harassed children.
(...)
Modelled openly on the wildly successful toddler-taming programmes, this is another useful makeover show on badly behaved dogs. For non-dog doters, what's so entertaining about it is not how tiresome dogs can be but how absolutely stupid people are. And also, how easy it is for dogs to train some humans.

Some people don't just tolerate bad behaviour from their dogs but actively encourage it. The first programme featured two male labradors who were the canine equivalent of boy racers: a pair of heedless thugs with hormones instead of brains.

It takes some doing to produce one obnoxious labrador, let alone two, but this witless family had managed it. How? By having two big dogs, and neither training nor exercising them.
A later show brought us a woman so intoxicated by her pretty little dogs - who each had a sense of entitlement the size of a small country - that she was prepared to let her family go if they didn't like it.

How did she get to this point? Look here

Among the assorted quadrupedal delinquents were those who had trained their owners, through biting, not to kiss in front of them, and not to disturb them while they were occupying human sleeping places - like the matrimonial bed. As one husband said of his habit of deferring to his dog in the scratcher: "I've got the scars!" Sheese, some people just have to take a look on doglinks.co.nz 's Training pages. Or better yet, find a NZ Dog Trainer on the same webiste!

The dog nanny is pretty entertaining. The wonderfully aptly named Victoria Sitwell is the domestic pet world's version of Emma Peel. With her sleek hair, black Lycra and prim lipsticked smile, which never gets remotely close to reaching the eyes, she means business. But not so much dog business as human business.

As with all these sensible programmes, the first thing she has to do is reprogramme the humans. Mostly, it's information and behaviour no halfwit should need telling about pets.
Don't feed them caffeine and sugar, because it's bad for them, makes them hyper and can kill them. Don't share your food with them, or they'll expect to share your food all the time and may bite you if you hold out on them.

Give them plenty of daily exercise, or they'll get bored and quite likely destructive. Don't let them on the furniture. Don't let them sleep on or in your bed. oh, for some people that's the reason they GOT a DOG in the first place... I know that I sleep in a dog bed, and it's quite comfortable :)

And for pity's sake, if they show aggressive or dominant tendencies, do something. Don't let it escalate. But what? you ask? read books, read website, call a trainer...

October 30, 2006

Warning over parvo outbreak

The human equivalent of the Ebola virus for dogs is striking in Taupo, prompting a stern warning from local vets.

They are urging people to vaccinate their dogs for the parvovirus after four puppies had to be put down in the past five months because of the disease.

Taupo SPCA chairwoman Faye Johnson says dog owners need to act. "It can be equated to the human virus Ebola. I've seen the results of it. It attacks the internal organs, a dog with parvo can die between 24 and 48 hours."

People can easily brush aside the welfare of their animal when it comes to paying for vaccinations that aren't free but are affordable for everyone, she says.

"They believe that why should I pay the extra money, but we immunise our children against the nasty diseases out there.
"It comes back to, when you take an animal on, you take it on for life. Puppies aren't just for Christmas." I hear that constantly at the Humane Society... and she's right!

(...) "We recommend vaccination of pregnant bitches while they're in pup."
Parvovirus has been around for about 20 years, he says. "Because it's a new virus it's very pathogenic towards the animals. They haven't had 100 years to build immunity."

"It's a virus that spores in the environment. It mutated from another virus, they think it came from the cat version."

Symptoms can include the animal becoming depressed, not eating and vomiting. This is followed two days later by diarrhoea that then becomes bloody diarrhoea, he says.

October 28, 2006

Odd couple enjoy their daily stroll

Timaru-- A dog and lamb amicably walking on leads down the street gets the occasional stare and comment.

Tracey Bingham and her daughter Emily Garner started taking Charlie the wether lamb out on a lead when he was a few weeks old.

His canine companion, Ruby, took it all in her stride.

Now they stroll a circuit from their Le Cren Street home to Grey Road daily. Emily, a Gleniti School student, said Charlie was a good pet and sought affection by nuzzling in and baaed when he felt like a stroll. Ruby took it all in her stride and had started mothering the lamb as soon as he arrived.

Ms Bingham said most people they meet smiled, chuckled, and had a joke (made a few baa-rking mad comments?)

Emily was surprised some people were a bit taken aback. She said Christmas posed no threat to Charlie. He was a valued pet and not a food source.

Ms Bingham said Charlie was a "self fertilising lawn mower" whose wool would be used.

Fears dog dumping season has begun


A litter of puppies left for dead at a Christchurch building site has animal welfare agencies worried the dog-dumping season has begun. Well, that's a big statement just because of one incident!! I guess it sells newspapers.

The seven terrier-cross pups were left in a cardboard box near a rubbish skip in Burwood yesterday and taken to animal adoption agency Dogwatch by a construction worker. You'd think that they would at least try to sell them or given 'em away. But then again, who knows.-- with the present dog laws, maybe they were fearful of getting a fine for something. The law doesn't really allow for grey areas.

Dogwatch manager Pam Howard said warm spring weather often prompted an increase in the number of female dogs on heat, and a related rise in the number of abandoned pups. She said the pups were six weeks old and too young to be separated from their mother. Another couple of weeks, and with this publicity, they'll find a good one. Good on DogWatch to be there for our animals!

"They are beautiful wee puppies and could so easily have been placed if the owners had made any effort. There was absolutely no need to dispose of them like that," she said. They disposed of them perhaps, maybe, because they (owners) were in a bad situation at home. Who knows, they may have been in a violent situation and couldn't seek this most favourable situation.

It's difficult to judge people's act when you don 't know their situation. I'm just trying to see both sides, which the media doesn't do such a good job of.

The Humane Society in Ottawa doesn't judge a person's reason for letting their dog go. If they did, maybe people would dump them like they did in Christchurch.

They had all been given names – Flikka, Fudgie, Filius, Felix, Fergus, Frodo and Frankie. The pups would be cared for by Dogwatch for another fortnight until they were old enough to be separated and given to caring homes, Howard said.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Canterbury manager Geoff Sutton said dog-dumping was mindless act".

Casey the collie loves to dance


Casey the 18-month-old beardie border collie cross loves to dance. She also loves to dress up and appear in front of a large audience. Casey’s natural love for the limelight stood her in good stead at the weekend when she and her owner, Rosemary Brierly, won the maiden freestyle event at the National Dog Training Assembly (NDTA) in Christchurch.
(..)
In heel work to music, dogs perform a number of moves with music.There are two types of events in the category, one which is standard heel work where the dog is working close to the owner, undertaking moves such as turns and weaves in and out of its owner’s legs. The other one is freestyle where the dog is more than a metre and a half away from the owner and it undertakes tricks such as standing on its back legs, turning around, walking backwards, turning and backing up through its owner’s legs, weaving in and out of its owner’s legs, rolling over, jumping over the owner, and running around the outside of the show ring carrying props such as flags.
MORE>>

SPCA lists the killing of cockatoo George as a national disgrace

The killing of George the cockatoo has made the fourth annual List of Shame compiled by the Royal New Zealand SPCA for the year to date.

Earlier this year two Masterton teenagers – William Bennett, 17, and Justin Leonard Danby, 18 – pleaded guilty to respective charges of animal cruelty and burglary, and being a party to the killing of George in an incident in March.

A third Masterton teenager, Patrick Ian Murray, 18, was found guilty of also being a party to the killing and burglary relating to the same incident in which the trio cut their way into the Queen Elizabeth Park cage of George, knocking the 35-year-old bird off his perch and stomping him to death.
And where the teenagers convictions??

Death row reprieve

Greyhounds as Pets has found new homes for 50 former racing dogs since January. They were on death row. Once they could no longer work and earn their owners an income it was all over rover.

But now they have been given a reprieve. An adoption agency has been set up to find homes for retired greyhounds and transform the animals from sleek racing machines to pampered pooches.

Since opening in January, Greyhounds as Pets (Gap) has found new homes for 50 former racing dogs, manager Jacqui Eyley says.
(...)
Ms Eyley has two greyhounds as pets and both are sprawled on the couch. It's their favourite position. Push them off and they just climb back up. Seeing Lucy and Lucky refusing to move from their spot in the sun challenges the usual image of a greyhound that of a hyped-up mutt running flat out around a track. In fact, greyhounds are one of the laziest breeds, she says.
"They are 10 percent hoon, 90 percent couch potato." They like to sprint, so it's a couple of laps around the backyard before spending the rest of the day snoozing on the deck or the couch if it's raining.

Most racing dogs have never been inside a house and once they cross the threshold it's a whole new world, so they are fostered out for three or four weeks to help them get used to the change in lifestyle.

Ms Eyley is looking for foster homes in the Manawatu area. She has a few in Wellington but this means a bit of travel to get the dogs there and back. The foster families look after the dogs during their transformation from racing dog to much-loved pet and the carers need to have time, patience and a well- fenced section.

October 27, 2006

457 people and a dog set a Guinness World Record


A new Guinness World Record was set at Anderson’s Bay School in Dunedin today.

457 children, family members and teachers lined up to form the world’s longest human tunnel for a dog to run through. When the school got the idea earlier this year, the record stood at 222 people. Since then the record had climbed to 384. Today that was smashed not once but twice.
First of all Ella successfully attempted a run with 450 people. Ella is a terrier cross, owned and trained by Rosalie Lock.

Then seven people were added to the end of the tunnel and Aidee, a Border Collie owned and trained by Lynn van Beers, flew through 457 pairs of legs.

Both dogs train at the Otago Canine Training Club. Ella competes predominantly in agility, having won the ADX Silver award, while Aidee is multi-talented - she competes at purebred dog shows, in precision obedience, and in lightning fast agility competitions.

“We’re thrilled a new record was set,” Sara Edwards, President of the Otago Canine Training Club. “As a club, we like to get involved in community activities and this will be a great opportunity to work with the children”.

October 26, 2006

Loose dog at risk in traffic

26 October 2006
Yesterday I hit a dog on the way to work. I do understand that to many people that doesn't mean a lot, but to me, a dog lover, it was very distressing.

He ran in front of my car as I was in a queue of traffic in Killarney Rd. I tried to stop, but hit him anyway. The dog panicked and he ran off down the road with his owner in hot pursuit, calling his name.

With nothing else I could see to do, I drove on, shaken and with a tear in my eye. I hope that he was okay and if he is, please, owner, don't walk him without a lead again.
CINDY SCHOFIELD, Hamilton

How about another solution, teach your dog NOT to go in the streets!

Parking woes dog council and public

hey, this isn't a dog story per say, but the word DOG appears in the title, and besides, I love to read about how our City Council wastes my taxes.

Problems with new parking machines and public resistance to higher fees have left a $600,000 hole in the Christchurch City Council's coffers.

The council's financial report for the past quarter says parking income is $600,000 behind budget.

The council introduced new pay-and-display machines and higher fees – up from $2 to $2.50 an hour – in July.

Council transport and greenspace unit manager Michael Aitken said most of the revenue drop occurred because of technical problems with the 400 new machines, which cost $3.6 million to introduce.

Problems included tickets issued with wrong times and dates and tickets not being issued at all.
Aitken said the council was still negotiating with the machine supplier over the lost income.
There was public resistance to the increased on-street parking fees and there had been a small drop in revenue from parking buildings, where fees had gone up slightly. MORE>>

National champs are dog eat dog


Dallas the Customs drug detector is a top dog. The four-year-old golden labrador came out top for Customs dogs and third overall in the narcotics sector at the national dog trials championships at Trentham in Hutt Valley.

The championships test the detection skills of dog handling teams from the police, Corrections Department, Aviation Security and Customs.

Dallas' handler Melissa McMullen from Papatoetoe says only 45 points separated them and the winners.
(...)
They included searching a baggage carousel and an area set out like a homicide scene. Only the dogs were allowed to enter looking for hidden drugs.
MORE>>

October 25, 2006

Heartbreak as pet is shot dead

If your dog enters your neighbour's property and kills one of his chickens, is he within his rights to shoot the dog? That is the question a Ngawha man is pondering after a neighbour shot dead his pedigree english setter dog.

I am glad that this made the news. I am glad because I know a dog who did this, but their owner and the neighbour came to an agreement and the dog was taught that he couldn't do this. yes, he learned. He never ate another chicken. Had the nighbour complain to the almighty city council, it would have been tragic as this dog is well-known throughout the neighbourhood.

Dogs are human too! They can make mistakes. That's what a dog owner imparts to the dog. Dog Manners.

Chris Vujcich was at work when a neighbour shot the three-year-old dog, which Chris had left chained up on the Taheke property he was staying at.

The neighbour says he caught the dog in the act of killing one of his chickens and he had already lost 20 chickens to dogs during the two days before the shooting. Now this is a difficult point because how do we REALLY know it was THAT dog. 20 killed chickens by ONE DOG, Impossible I say ! The neighbour has just committed murder.

The Animal Control Act 1996 says that people may, for the purpose of stopping an attack, seize or destroy a dog if the dog attacks them or they witness the dog attacking another person, stock, poultry, domestic animals or protected wildlife. Maybe the Human Control Act should say the same for humans too! Shott and ask questions later.

The owner of a dog making such an attack is liable to a fine up to $3000, as well as any damage caused by the attack. Far North District Council field compliance officer Barry Webb says: "If a person seizes a dog under those circumstances, they should immediately involve Animal Control, so that any witnesses can be interviewed, and the owner can be identified," he says.

Mr Webb says the council should also be notified when a dog has been shot.

The council can also use dog control notices, infringement fines and menacing dog classifications to deal with dogs that attack stock.

Is this the end of the article? Can't the dog owner sue the neighbour for a firearm's offence?? If anyone know anything about this story, contact doglinks.co.nz

Rotorua makes SPCA list of shame three times

Rotorua appears three times on the SPCA's latest list of animal cruelty - twice more than last year.

The list cites 50 examples nationwide of animal abuse occurring in the first nine months of this year. With its three entries Rotorua is the only town in the Central North Island which features.

(check out what the entries were)

Rotorua SPCA president Britta Bowden is appalled but not surprised that Rotorua appears on the national list three times and thinks the dog fighting incidents really threw the area into the spotlight.

"It's really shameful," she said."Anything worse would be horrific. We don't like taking people to court but if we have to we will."

Mrs Bowden said the SPCA saw examples of animal cruelty every day. The most common cases in Rotorua were basic neglect, such as failing to provide food, water and shelter.

"If you can't provide this for an animal then don't get one, it's as simple as that. Baby animals need as much care as a baby human."

She said at present there was a typical case of neglect at the Rotorua SPCA. A dog, brought in about eight weeks ago, had been left tied to a fence, had mange and was under weight."We're just starting to get him back on track but are not sure if we'll be able to re-home him. We'll see how he responds to the treatment. He's so frail, all he wants is for someone to love him."

MORE>>

Now I do NOT understand animal abuse like this. How can anyone tie a dog up and leave it?? They say that animal abuse is a precursor to human abuse. If this is so, what is the statistics for human abuse in Rotorua?

Some non-dog lovers wouldn't really understand my stance that if caught, they should get penalised as if it were human abuse. Dogs trust their humans to care for them. This is a breach of the right to be well fed, house, and intellectually stimulated. And that's another abuse people don't realise. And that's a different topic!

October 21, 2006

Art buffs vying for $28,000 Dog book

International art collectors are preparing to spend $28,000 for a limited edition copy of a Queenstown artist's book – even before one has been produced.

In Queenstown artist Ivan Clarke will produce 95 limited edition copies of the Almalogue, a platinum edition of his Lonely Dog legend. He already has orders for 85 of the books. "We have kept 10 back."

In The book, which tells the story of Lonely Dog Arthur Snout in the fantasy world of Alveridge, includes hand-written letters by different hound characters, menus, newspaper clippings and prints of more than 100 paintings. Collectors placed their orders on the strength.... MORE>>

Three pig dogs maul elderly woman

21 October 2006
An 80-year-old great-grandmother is in Christchurch Hospital after she was mauled by three pig-hunting dogs in a frenzied attack.

West Coast woman Edna Thomas is waiting for a skin graft where the dogs ripped a hand-sized piece of flesh from her lower left leg. She also had puncture wounds on her inner left thigh and at her ribs as a result of the attack on Thursday night.

Thomas's grandson, Johnny Groome, said Thomas had been worried for a month about her neighbours' dogs, which had been wandering on to her property in Ahaura, a Grey Valley town 40km north-east of Greymouth.

The dogs are trained to capture and hold wild pigs.
Fed up and armed with an umbrella, she decided to confront the dog owner after attempts to phone him failed. Ya too bad there are bad dog owners that make us good owners look bad!
MORE>>

Dog locks owner in car, eats alarm fob

It was puppy power when a troublesome pooch trapped its owner inside her car.
A dodgy dog in Britain left its owner stranded in her car after swallowing the transmitter chip from her electronic key fob.

A roadside assistance serviceman started the car by sitting the dog near the ignition.
The owner waited for nature to take its course to recover the chip.

October 20, 2006

Furious farmer calls for dog control in Ashhurst


A dog is the pound after it was caught in the act of attacking sheep on an Ashhurst farm.

One sheep lay dead, another limped around ruined after a dog attack on the Mulgrave Street property.

The 29 hoggets were chased by a dog yesterday morning, sheep owner Stuart Bolton said.
One was attacked from the back by the dog, then mauled around the head. The other hogget's leg hung limply from the injuries it received.

Mr Bolton had to kill the sheep, it was so badly mauled. MORE>>

That really gets my goat that they don't have the necessary dog control people out there. Instead they have them in towns where they've got nothing better to do other than fine good dog owners. Disparaties...

October 19, 2006

SPCA issues annual list of animal abuse cases

Thursday, 19 October 2006, 10:45 am
Press Release: RNZSPCA ROYAL NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

For release: 19 October 2006
FIFTY NEW REASONS FOR SHAME
SPCA issues annual list of animal abuse cases
------------------
The Royal New Zealand SPCA has issued its fourth annual 'List of Shame', citing 50 examples of animal abuse occurring in the first nine months of 2006.

"The list is not a comprehensive account of all the many ways in which animals suffer as a result of human cruelty or indifference. It does, however, include some of the worst cases that have come to our attention, as well as a representative sample of the types of incident with which we deal regularly," says the Royal New Zealand SPCA's National Chief Executive, Robyn Kippenberger.

"Every year the SPCA receives over eleven thousand complaints of animal abuse and neglect and this year has been no exception. In addition to those reported to ourselves, there are many cases reported to other agencies, such as MAF and the New Zealand Police," she adds.

Amongst the cases cited on the list are those of a litter of kittens from Lower Hutt with the ends of their tails cut off, allegedly by a child, three Whangarei cats who suffered slow and painful deaths from poisoning, an elderly cockatoo, beaten with a dog chain and stomped to death by Masterton teenagers, a puppy beaten and dumped in a Motueka rubbish bin and a Northland colt that died after being castrated without anaesthetic.

Compared with previous years, the list also contains a large number of cases in which animals have been harmed by airguns or more powerful weapons. Two cats and a dog in Greymouth were wounded with slug gun pellets and an Auckland cat, dying from cancer, was shot in the head with a slug gun.

"The slug gun and air rifle incidents are of particular concern as these types of weapons are often used by children or teenagers", says Ms Kippenberger.

Along with these and similar examples of deliberate cruelty, the list cites many animal victims of callous neglect, including a large number involving sick and emaciated dogs and cats. However, some of the worse cases of neglect this year have concerned farm animals, with cases by no means limited to areas affected by extremely cold winter weather.

October 18, 2006

Cattle competitions back at Hawke's Bay A and P show

The Hawke's Bay A & P show starts in Hastings on Wednesday, with stud cattle competitions back on the programme.

Last year for the first time in the show's history there were no competitions for either dairy or beef cattle - due to a lack of interest by breeders in showing their animals.
Chief executive, Michael Pyatt, says a lot of hard work's been done since then to resurrect what has always been a major drawcard.

Two areas of competition which continue to be strong at the show are the dog trials, which has over 150 entries and shearing.

I love watching dog trials. If you haven't seen one, I highly recommend it. New Zealand was founded on the back of the working dog. If it weren't for them, well... i'd hate to speculate.

Having worked in a shearing shed in Australia, I can see why people are just drawn on watching the shearers. It is really mesmorising... plus hey, it's not every day you see boys sweating it out!

October 17, 2006

Bravery under fire


SHOT at by convicted murderer and samurai sword-wielder Antonie Dixon, a Bucklands Beach policeman has been awarded a New Zealand Bravery Decoration (NZBD).

Sergeant David Templeton, honoured for his bravery under fire from a P-crazed offender three years ago, with Police Dog Sabre. Times photo Wayne Martin. As a dog handler, Sergeant David Templeton was one of the first officers on the scene after Dixon had killed a man outside the Highland Park cinema complex in January 2003.His actions that night, including pursuing the offender and being shot at, have earned him the NZBD.
MORE>>

October 15, 2006

Breeders warned of China's 'puppy mills'

Pedigree dogs exported from New Zealand are being farmed for meat and fur, reports RUTH HILL. Pedigree dog breeders are being warned that show dogs they sell overseas may end up in Chinese "puppy mills".

Animal rights campaigner Lydia Jin says some Chinese puppy mills - supplying dogs for the pet, fur and meat industries in China - advertise on their websites that they import breeding dogs from New Zealand.

Puppy mills are essentially dog farming operations in which the dogs are kept in tiny cages and forced to have multiple litters. The puppies are mainly sold as pets to China's growing middle class, but also for fur or meat.
MORE>>

October 14, 2006

Dogs kill and maim 18 sheep

Two dogs that savaged Pierre Fladgate's flock of sheep three weeks ago are still at large.
On September 21, Mr Fladgate returned home to his Kihikihi Rd farm, near Te Awamutu, to find eight of his sheep had been killed by dogs.

Mr Fladgate ended up losing 18 animals –- some died later and some had to be put down –- at a cost of $14,000.

Mr Fladgate got a look at the two dogs, "a mastiff pit-bull cross and a sheep dog", when they returned the next day and attacked some rams. Mr Fladgate said there had not been much progress finding the dogs responsible, although police and the council's animal control officers were remaining alert.

Anyone with information on the dog attacks should contact Te Awamutu police on 07-872-0100, or the Waipa District Council's animal control unit on 07-872-0030.

Dog owner loses fight against ban

The owner of two malnourished dogs found living in squalid conditions at a Waikanae property has been barred from owning a dog for five years.

Trina Williams has lost her fight against the ban, which the Kapiti Coast District Council dog owners objections subcommittee upheld this week.

Sudo, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier-cross and her eight-month-old pup, Max, were seized and impounded after they were found "filthy and stinking" six weeks ago.

Sudo was very thin, on a very short chain and had no water, and Max was tied up under a makeshift shelter made of a piece of crumpled polythene, an animal control officer said. MORE>>

October 13, 2006

Dog fancier hooked as child


Jeanette Jack was given a fox terrier for her first birthday. "That got me hooked – since then I have never been without a dog."

The Hazelburn woman will enter both jack russells and petit basset griffon vendeens in this weekend's Aoraki Kennel Society Championship Show being held in Timaru.

(...)

Commonly known as hairy French hounds, petits are very rare in New Zealand.
"There are very few here. They are imported into Australia from France." Preparation for the show included clipping nails, brushing and shampooing. "I usually spend my nights making sure they're clean and ready to show. I wouldn't want to show a dirty dog. You have to be able to present them as best as you can."

MORE>>

October 12, 2006

Hamish a top dog

Pohangina corgi breeders Lyn and Shirley Nicol and their daughter Adele are celebrating a ``once-in-a-lifetime'' win at the National dog Show in Palmerston North recently.

Their 19-month-old corgi Champion Delwyn Silver Sequence, known among the family as Hamish, was the only Manawatu dog to take a top honour when he won the title of Best Junior in Show.And it nearly didn't happen.

When Hamish was about three months old, he and a brother were sold as pets. They ended up being sent home in disgrace because they wrecked their new owner's garden and were not very popular. Mr Nicol said he and his wife, who have been breeding corgis for 25 years, had decided to keep another pup from the litter, but when Hamish was returned, they realised they'd made a mistake.

``When she saw him my wife said `he's going nowhere'. He looked lovely. He's a glorious dog to have around.''So the Nicols decided they would enter him in shows. Read the rest of the story...

October 10, 2006

Animals and owners count their blessings


Adrienne Corfu's dog wore a red scarf to the SPCA annual blessing of the animal service – but it was a fashion choice that didn't go down well with some of the well-hooved canines.
Ms Corfu is an SPCA committee member and took along her black labrador to St Peters Cathedral yesterday.

"I think they thought she was a bit of a show-off."

Budgies, rabbits, poodles and schnauzers were among the 40 animals blessed.
It served as an opportunity to recognise the love and companionship animals give in homes. MORE>>

October 07, 2006

Levy for dog owners

Responsible North Shore dog owners may soon be paying higher licence fees for a new pound to house strays.

An extra $5 per dog charge is being considered by North Shore City Council on top of a licence fee that already ranges from $55 to $95 per dog a year.
There are just under 12,000 registered dogs in North Shore city and in 2005 just 600 dogs ended up at the pound. MORE>>

dog owners are easy targets!

Dog owner pleads for second chance

TIMARU- Janelle Stevens wants justice for Yogi. Yogi is a four-year-old neutered german shepherd classified by the Timaru District Council as dangerous.

He has bitten two people – a schoolboy who did not complain and, unwisely, a council dog control officer, Karen McMillan.

But owner Stevens has objected to the dangerous classification, taking her case to a council hearings committee, which can uphold or rescind the classification. Stevens would prefer the latter.

She and fiance Carl Brickle gave evidence before the panel of Ray Bennett, Jane Coughlan and Peter Field. On August 18, Brickle – not the victim – called the council to say Stevens's dog had broken loose while being taken to the back yard. Yogi bit a boy on the leg, causing a bloodless puncture wound. That led to dog control officer McMillan calling at Stevens's house. McMillan crouched to try to calm Yogi, which was barking aggressively.

"I slowly stood up and made a fist to approach the dog from underneath, as per our instructions from the Timaru District Council dogsafe programme," McMillan said.
As she approached, Yogi had its paws on top of a fence and lunged. I don't understand how you can approach from underneath while standing up? Am I missing something here?
"I quickly removed my arm, but the dog was able to make contact with its teeth," McMillan said. She covered the wound with a handkerchief as Brickle calmed the dog. Sheese, don't they teach in the DogSafe Programme never to try to pat a dog over the fence?

Stevens apologised for the incident. She said this week that she was prepared to do the "hard yards" to train Yogi. She claimed she had told the dog officer it would not be advisable to pat Yogi over the fence as he had become territorial.
"Despite my advice to your staff member, she put her hand over the fence to pat the dog and was consequently bitten," Stevens said. That's exactly my thought as well. if you tell someone NOT to do something, and they do it, who's at fault?

Stevens brought a dog-training book with her and said she – and Yogi – were learning from it. She was also prepared to go to a dog whisperer. Why do people call dog trainers 'dog whisperers'? I really get annoyed with this term!

Stevens said the bite on the boy was reported to the council as she thought it was the right thing to do, and that the council might be able to give her training advice. Never ever ask council for advice about dogs! That's my first advice. Go to the Training Section on doglinks!

It told her only to muzzle Yogi.

Stevens said that before the bite on the boy, cars in the area had been tampered with, there had been a street fight, children had taunted the dog, and there had been a prowler at her home.
Those incidents upset Yogi, she said. Very difficult to train a dog NOT to be protective when those sorts of human activities are going around. Maybe this German Shepard has a police dog DNA (chuckle)

She said she did all she could to help the bitten boy and wanted to work with Yogi to change his behaviour. She had read about dogs on "death row who had been turned around". Yogi now slept in a kennel, was fed last to show him he was not the leader in the house, and was exercised regularly. "I'm a good person. I'm a responsible dog owner," Stevens said. You couldn't say the same thing about the dog catcher!

The council environmental health manager, (what a title?!? What the hell does env't health manager mean exactly??) David Vince, said the case was rare in that Stevens, in effect, reported her own dog, and she was a responsible person. But the fact remained that Yogi had bitten twice. Life is NOT black and white, and nor are dogs. I hate their attitude about dogs, and about 'well, it's bitten twice' when in actually fact, it didn't bite, it was protective. What the hell do you expect when a dog is feeling a bit fearful!? when some bozo is reaching over the fence? I'd sue the dog pound officer for being dumb!

A decision on Yogi's fate is expected in the next few days.

Dumb old stupid dog

Do you know I got bailed up in my own house by a yappy scrapper of a bad dog this week? I would love to be ashamed of telling you this but all my shame got used up when Mr mr put me on speakerphone at the office when I rang him to tearfully ask advice, writes Sarah Kilkelly in this week's Uptown Girl.

So basically everyone heard me yelling, "This is my garden, dog, so just piss off" and other words that are only allowed on telly after 8.30pm.

The canine in question would have only come up to my calves but I have particularly juicy calves and he looked like a biter with his rolling brown eyes and snaggle teeth.
I don't mind big dogs.

Big dogs often wander into my garden but I quite confidently march out and shout, in my deepest, angry-daddy voice, "Get away home. You get home now" . It usually works and they slink away home and stay there for a few weeks thinking about what they've done.

This animal on my patio, however, was a different story.

It ignored threats, screaming, pot lids being banged together and then the handle of the pot lid after it fell off being thrown at it. It just kept chasing me indoors and then scuttling back to its spot, blocking the french doors and growling every time it saw me.

It looked to me like an old lady's dog, the kind that bites the grandkids and when the kids start screaming Grandma says, "Oh he wouldn't hurt a fly" , while the mutt sits under the table and piddles all over the carpet. Read MORE>>

50th Police Dog Section Anniversary



The New Zealand Police Dog Section will complete its 50th Anniversary celebrations with a Ministerial Parade on Saturday 7 October at the Dog Training Centre.

Operational and retired dog handlers and their dogs, foreign dignitaries and police staff will attend the event.

Dogs were first introduced into the New Zealand Police in 1956, when Constable Frank Riley was seconded from Surrey County Police to develop police dog training in New Zealand.
He brought with him four German Shepherd Dogs and 12 pups, which became the very first wing of police dog recruits.

Over the years, police dog training has expanded to include a wide range of specialist disciplines.
(read about their history)

Opotiki dogs join database

The national live dog database now includes the Opotiki District Council.

More than 70 per cent of New Zealand councils are on it, including Whakatane and Kawerau.
Spokesperson Chris Kimpton says there are a lot of advantages to the database including being able to view what other councils are doing and networking ideas on dog control.
2006 has been the year of the dog with a microchipping law also coming into play.
Opotiki has at least 1200 dogs in the district.

October 06, 2006

Nelson teen aiming for top of the pups


Amy-Lee Trainor knows how to handle a dog, and that knowledge is taking her all the way to Birmingham, England.

The 15-year-old Nelson College for Girls student is headed for the prestigious Crufts dog show next March after taking out the junior dog handling title at the National Dog Show on Sunday.
Amy-Lee, who has been handling dogs since she was three, said it was the fourth time she had qualified for the national show. That experience in front of the judges and cameras made a big difference, but she was still surprised when her name was announced. "I went into shock for a while I think."

MORE>>

October 04, 2006

Soothing touch of animals


It's not just dogs who are man's best friend. World Animal Week starts today. Its purpose is to celebrate the relationship between animals and humans and acknowledge the way they can enrich people's lives.

Dianne and Kevin Stacey opened their Leeston petting farm, Mini World, at the beginning of the year after finding they had so many animals they didn't know what else to do with them.
The petting farm is home to animals such as miniature horses, kune kune pigs, sebastopol geese, donkeys and goats.

Some had been rescued from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), while many of the Staceys' chickens and sheep arrived via the auction website Trade Me. The concept of their petting zoo was to allow older people and children to enjoy the soothing comfort of animals. MORE>>

October 03, 2006

Dog show coy on biting claim

A woman is in Palmerston North Hospital following an 'incident' with a dog at the National Dog Show held in Palmerston North at the weekend.
The New Zealand Kennel Club (NZKC) ran the dog show, which was held at Arena Manawatu. However, club president John Perfect refused ``to confirm or deny'' whether the dog bit the woman, saying both parties did not want the incident publicised. So why did the media publicise it?? Can't they just respect people's wishes, or does the public have a right to gone too far? Hell, doesn't the media have anything else to say??

``There was an incident in which a woman approached a dog in a friendly manner and the dog, being alerted to the situation, protected its position,'' Mr Perfect said. Which is totally what a dog would do.

The Manawatu Standard understands the woman was bitten by a Blue Merle, suffering injuries to her face. The woman, who is thought to be from Nelson, was last night in a satisfactory condition in Palmerston North Hospital.

Complaints are also emerging about the organisation of the dog show.
A local motel owner, who had about 25 people staying for the dog show, said the majority of the guests left very dissatisfied about the way the show was run and the cost of entry. Digging up dirt,a?

Dog owner Julie Jorey had travelled from Auckland for the event, which is considered the premier dog show of the year. After attending national dog shows for seven years, this championship did not live up to expectations, she said. Ya well, it can't be great every year otherwise you wouldn't know what a good year was!

``It was quite disappointing. It just didn't seem to have the banners or anything to tell us it was a big national dog show.'' She also said the promotion of the show was not up to scratch, resulting in fewer people than usual. However, a NZKC spokesman said they were very satisfied with the dog show, and had received only good feedback on the event, which had over 2000 dogs competing. Usually people complain, they don't really give positive feedback! Guess they needed a third party.

MORE>>

I guess the dog bite just didn't have the penache for a story, so they had to go digging!

Teenager died trying to save dog from fire

A teenager who died in a fire this morning made the "fatal mistake" of entering a burning sleep-out in Rangiora he had just escaped from to try to rescue a dog, a fire officer has said.

Fire safety officers believe a candle in a Chinese lantern caused the 3.58am fire, killing the 17-year-old. Rangiora fire chief Ross Ditmer said three people were asleep in the sleep-out -- a converted garage -- when the heat from the fire woke one of the people who then alerted the others.
(...)
"There were no smoke alarms -- if there had been they would have been alerted to the fire sooner," he said. "And most importantly, never go back into a burning building."
The 17-year-old and his eight friends had been enjoying a school holiday together when the tragedy occurred, Mr Ditmer said.

"People almost universally underestimate the speed of fire. Young people, who may be especially susceptible to thinking they're bullet-proof, can succumb to the blinding smoke, deadly gases and ferocious heat produced by household fires despite their generally greater fitness and agility," he said.
MORE>>
- NZPA

October 02, 2006

Chip off the old block


He may be top dog, but he can forget about getting pampered tonight. Golden Retriever Chip beat off more than 2000 other dogs to be judged Best in Show at the New Zealand Kennel Club National Dog Show in Palmerston North yesterday.
(...)
And he definitely won't be sleeping in his owner's bedroom. ``I love him, but not that much.''

Mrs Fleming, who last year underwent a quadruple heart bypass operation, was ``stoked'' with the win, and her health was fine, despite the pressure and excitement of the moment.
Remarkably, Chip has been in semi- retirement from dog shows in recent years and was only entered in the prestigious competition at the last moment. MORE>>

I'm top dog


Held at Arena Manawatu from Friday till yesterday, the show tested the skills of more than 2000 dogs in various areas, including obedience and agility.

From bichon frise to beagles, pointers to pomeranians, the competition was fierce leading up to the final day.

Sharon Fleming of Henderson won the top award, Best-in-Show, with her 10-year-old golden retriever, and Graham Hawkyard of Putaruru and Dianne Reid of Masterton took the top awards for obedience and agility respectively with their dogs.

Governor-General Anand Satyanand awarded the major prizes to the participants, including the winners of a category involving dogs and music, as well as the newly formed Young Kennel Club for young dog-handlers.

October 01, 2006

Councils go live on National Dog Database

Saturday, 30 September 2006, 2:16 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government Councils go live on National Dog Database

More than 70 per cent of New Zealand's councils are now 'live' on the National Dog Database and the remainder are in the process of uploading their dog registration data, Associate Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta said today.

When all councils were live this would provide, for the first time, a national view of New Zealand's dog population available 24 hours a day to councils, she said.

"As part of a package of measures designed to improve public safety around dogs, the National Dog Database (NDD) is a great resource that will make it possible to keep track of dangerous and menacing dogs, and find lost and stolen dogs to reunite them with their owners."

Nanaia Mahuta said the project to establish the NDD had been very successful, coming in on time and within budget. While there had been some upload issues because some council systems required additional work to become compatible with the NDD, existing manual systems were still available as a back up.

The Department of Internal Affairs administered the database and had worked closely with councils to ensure quality data capture and to assist councils to get their data loaded, Nanaia Mahuta said.

"Councils that are live can already see the potential of the NDD and are getting value from it. This will be maximised when all councils are on board," Nanaia Mahuta said.
Ends

And what WAS the budget?

Motley Dog Show seeks mongrels with character

Mongrels with character will take out the top prizes at a dog show with a difference in Kerikeri on Saturday morning.The Motley Dog Show, run by the SPCA, rewards dogs who lack pedigree but make up for it with canine charm.

Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp says the contest includes prizes for happy dogs, lookalike dogs and the canine with most personality.Mrs Sharp says it is not impossible for a well-bred dog to win a rosette, but it would need a great deal of personality to compensate for its pedigree.
 
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