20 Good Family Dog Breeds For Kids

Dogs for children

When I wrote an article about reducing the risk of dogs biting children I avoided discussing the elephant in the room. It’s time to face facts.

The truth is that all dog breeds are not the same around kids. You know it, I know it, but it’s hard to talk about without offending dog owners. However, if I don’t create a list of good dogs with kids, where will responsible parents in Adelaide find that information?

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Dog Debarking Surgery

Here’s a rare public comment on a dog breeder forum about what I think is one of South Australia’s dirty little secrets.

debarking SA laws
“You need a stat dec signed by a JP stating the dogs barking is a nuisance etc and all the other methods of redicign the dogs barking have already bent tried and failed. Then you can get your dog debarked. I live on the SA/NSW border and thats how ppl here get thier dogs debarked. a letter froma JP and they hop over the border and get the Op done by a SA vet”
dog after debarking
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Kids and Dogs

child cuddling dog

Most of the time it’s just assumed that modern pets in families will know what to do, have good manners and to be perfect angels.

When it goes bad, it’s usually the children that suffer. Dogs are more likely to bite kids in the head or neck (63% of bites compared with only 13.3% of older people) and kids are more likely to need surgery and to stay in hospital (Ting et al, 2016). You’ve only got to look at the picture of my young son (above) to see why.

Usually the dog gets the blame, sometimes with tragic consequences, even though the causes are a lot more complicated. Usually it could have all been prevented with better understanding.

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A Guide To Feeding Bones To Dogs

dog bone advice

For feeding bones to CATS click here.

Whether you feed your dog bones is without a doubt the most controversial and highly debated topic in dog ownership.

Passions are high. In our guide to where to buy bones last week I mentioned how most vets in the UK (and many in the USA) strongly oppose you giving your dog a bone to chew. At all.
The internet is full of horror stories about bones splintering or getting stuck and many of these stories are true.

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Why do dogs chase their tail?

polar bear

Have you ever had this zoo experience? It takes a careful and patient observer. You’re enjoying watching an animal moving around their exhibit (after all, many animals are asleep or aren’t even visible) when suddenly you realise “hang on, this animal is doing exactly the same thing over and over again”?

This is stereotypic behaviour and it’s the bane of every zoo. Here’s the polar bear at Seaworld on the Gold Coast in 2007 who would do this for hours on end.

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Myth 31: You can hold a cat by the scruff of the neck

holding cats properly

I received this lovely message the other day from some clients who moved with their cats to Europe.

message about scruffing cats

I remember seeing their two cats for the first time.  I was told one of the cats was ferocious and required sedation to examine. I finished examining the easier cat, gave him his shots and put him back and said, “OK, now for the difficult patient”.

The owner says, “That was the one you just did.” There was a mix up and I had got the names muddled. It could have ended so badly.

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Myth 25: Heelers, Kelpies and Collies are crazy

“Watch out. Those dogs are crazy, they bark and dig and destroy things.” This is what Daisy’s owner was warned when he told his friends he wanted a heeler.

Luckily for him and Daisy he didn’t listen and followed his instincts. And he is now able to enjoy one of the closest and happiest dog-owner relationships you will ever see. Read how he did it.

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Cat Tree Climb IKEA Hack

homemade cat tree
IKEA cat ladder


One of the saddest things I see is indoor cats living in houses with FANTASTIC vertical territory that they just can’t reach. My kitchen, like most, has wall cabinets which create a high gallery for a cat to patrol. The only problem is there’s no way to get up there.

In this construction, an off the shelf IKEA product undergoes cat-friendly modification. Alternate shelves are offset to create a simple and elegant way to give your cat access to high places.

I can’t promise, but if you live in Adelaide and want a hand, I’ll do my best to help.

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Do Dogs Need Treats?

Following our killjoy post about Christmas hazards, now we’re going to tell you why your pet doesn’t need treats! And why they are happier without them.

Don’t worry. We’re not going to report you to the RSPCA if you occasionally give in to those pleading brown eyes. We know treat feeding comes from the heart and later I even talk about ways to do it well. But we do hope that after reading this you will feel less like you have to give the treat, and less guilty if you don’t.

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