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If the sydney aqis is anything like Melbourne you will usually find that they take the dogs out for 10-15 mins twice a week. Small staff, many dogs, keeping costs down. Are they actually Closing sydney down for two weeks for some reason??

An alternative to the massive amount of regular training, self regulation, dog deaths and councils turning a blind eye would be breed specific legislation BSL. However in Australia dangerous dog breeder groups and other political groups (particularly trainers) are still successfully banning most legislation that could keep dog parks and streets safe. I am writing this as a pro dog walker, who myself had my dog mauled in my old home town less than a month ago. My wife was walking in the main street around lunch time, with a todler and my social dog on lead, and this idiots 'pitbull x bulldog' looking dog was off lead and just launched onto my dog. None of the 15 witnesses tried to help (probably scared) and the owner only got his dog off mine by kicking it a few times hard. When a bite occurs in Mebourne or NSW it seems, all the authorities seem to do is casually look for the person, maybe fine them, and perhaps put the dog down. They are considering banning the person who owned the dog who attacked my dog 'from owing a dog for life', but they may not have the power to do so. There are ways around this. If a dog is created to kill large animals (particularly pig hunting) and most people would have no chance of stopping it or defending themselves if the dog decides to attack, is that a dog you want in urban areas? They are NEVER exercised enough, and no one ever checks if they are, so how can they be self regulated?? Dangerous dog breeds were all created by man, they can also be banned by man in urban areas or whole countries. The will is weak, until a politician loses a family member.

Most dog owners will be aware of this, but sometimes the excitement can take them over. As the weather warms up, staff have made suggestions to most visitors not to play too rigorously with their dogs (such as ball retrieving games). When I exercise dogs in quarantine (DISCLAIMER: as a private dog walker, not connected at all to quarantine), I sometimes have to create an opportunity for the older or more sedate dogs to run. But some dogs that are anxious or of a working dog breed need to be calmed down more than stirred up. Pent up energy in the pens will have to be released, but I also ensure that they have plenty of time outs. This means either removing the ball, giving them a drink or pat break. Regardless of how insistent they are - particularly in summer. While most owners might spend an hour with their dogs once or twice a week as allowed by aqis at the moment, (if they are lucky to be in the same city), it can be very tempting to get the dog moving a lot, but as they are in small pens for a long time, their fitness can also rapidly deteriorate. Over heating, over exertion, and torn ligaments are the main concerns. Just thought I would throw this cautionary tale out there. Very hard for excited owners and excited dogs to self regulate some times!

Just to allay people's fears more. They are so safety conscious at spotswood that in the recent high wind days, they have closed the yards for the last few days to keep the dogs safe (from falling tree branches and debris etc). And one of the dogs I visit has been moved from her pen because the other little dogs are too loud for her nervous disposition. Where they moved her to actually has thermostat controlled heating. Wouldn't think you would need it in the middle of spring, but Melbourne weather can be unpredictable.

Recently I have received several enquiries and potential client statements about quarantine, and thought it might be useful sharing some of the information here. DISCLAIMER: Yes I visit dogs at spotswood, and NO I am not employed or anyway connected with them. I have visited quite a few dogs in quarantine and have found that they range from completely unaffected by the flight and travel and removal from the owner's to those that seem to assume 'normal' behaviour by about the two week mark. Very few dogs remain overly anxious the entire time, unless that is their 'regular' state. By normal behaviour I mean that they change from anxious or doing repetitive almost OCD things (when they arrive) to running, sniffing and taking an interest in the walker and other dogs in the area. Basically being social. People ask me about whether they should visit their dogs in quarantine. And I know a few people who have travelled weekly from past Adelaide to be with their dogs, but these have mostly been very dedicated breeders. The answer about visiting will be contentious, since I provide a service and have self interest, but I am willing to be a target. Just please don't send any BS about how I dont care or don't have the dog's best interest at heart. What my view is, is that the dogs should be visited as often as possible (only two times a week by public members) if it is going to make the dog happier. Some staff have told me, and it is obvious that with the number of dogs in the stations, that some dogs may only get 1 or 2, 15-20 minute yard visits per week to the yards. These visits have to be supervised and their are limited staff, to keep costs down. The only issue about owner's themselves visiting, which I have had stated by themselves to me over and over, is if the owner is overly emotionally invested in their dogs and cant fully be with them in the moment in the yards, or cant detach emotionally when they leave - thus reducing separation anxiety. A lot of owner's feel that they will be upset themselves when leaving and their pets will easily pick up on this, and this is true. That will probably make the overall value of the visit negative for the dog as it waits days for the next visit. I would personally visit my dog in quarantine, but then again being a dog walker, I have had experience with many types of dogs and how to place that mask over emotion and reduce separation anxiety. Some clients will use me because they live interstate, some because they are working and earning 4 times what they are paying me per hour. There are many reasons. So to recap, yes getting a dog as many external visits as possible by someone who cares, family member or external agency is ideal for getting your dog freedom on the grass in the yards because they are so much bigger than their cement pen. But please consider how the visitor is going to leave the pets too. I see whole families visit, and their dogs seem ok at the end of the visit, because these are social stable dogs that dont seem to show any separation anxiety, so at the end of the day, you need to work out your own situations of course. May pets and owners be happy during this difficult time. Bruce.

" i fear for their safety as well as their safely in quarantine" A lot of dog owner's have a strong bond with their dogs, particularly those willing to fly their dogs overseas. My aqis clients are often far more involved in wanting to know how every visit has gone than my regular dog walk clients. It is true that I can only speak about Melbourne quarantine, but I can tell you that most government facilities have strict rules and safety procedures, and that includes quarantine. Your dog may be upset from missing you and hearing the barks of nearby dogs, but they are separated by cement and wire in their pens and the staff take them for exercise yard visits one at a time. There is strictly no dog interaction between dogs in different pens, so their safety is assured from that perspective. Vets are on call etc, so your dog is as safe as they can be during their stay. It is often the owner's that emotionally fair worse then their pets. I hope it goes well for you.

This is 'not the truth' just my opinion ... But from my walking experience, I have found that my dog still pulls on lead when he starts out the walk excited, but because he is very social (many walks per week) it is just social excitement, not fear or aggression. The most he would do is jump up if it seems someone wants to pat him. If dogs are very scared or aggressive on lead, they are not really social. Whether owners say their dogs are great off lead, they need to be great on lead too to truly be called social. That kind of guarding behaviour they provide for their owners, means they think they are the alpha dog protecting the owner, and the owner has not been able to prove their alpha status. In parks I sometimes have to walk dogs on lead but not for aggression issues. The reasons I might do it is if a dog is old it will wander and not keep up with the pack or a dog is young and excited (often a herding dog) and they will run a hundred metres and not listen to recall for a while. These dogs are not aggressive, but of course you don't want out of control dogs on your watch. If I see dogs in the park on lead, we try and give them plenty of room and I will usually ask the owner if their dog is ok to be met by other dogs. If it is not I would like to see a muzzle on those dogs too, but I cant control other people.

Hi Candygirl, Because heartworm is not considered as serious threat as viruses (like rabies), it is not on the aqis radar. That is, they wont probably ask, they wont require it, and if you get it done in quarantine by them, you may be paying a vet premium on top of the drug costs. I would personally recommend that people have some protection against it, but aqis wont probably ask or enforce anything, this one is an option for the owners to consider before quarantine, if they haven't a treatment plan already. I have given heartworm tablets to a clients dog in quarantine before, but that is the only demand I have had for that kind of help. I used to get the yearly anti heartworm injections, but since my dog had ear issues/ skin allergies I would often visit the vet a few times a year already where they would check on his general health. A separate visit just for the injection added another $50 for a general vet visit so the heartworm treatment was always over $100. That is why now I use an all in one flea, general worm AND heartworm monthly tablet for my dog. All personal choice, and I know quite a few people who dont bother with heartworm protection at all.

Hi All, The warmer weather has come quickly to Melbourne at least. The good news is that Spotswood turn sprinkler/ misters on in the pens when it gets too hot. I have a spoodle that doesn't handle the hot weather well at all, and has skin allergies. I would like to suggest that as the weather warms up more, a few dogs will be more comfortable getting a closer clip on their coats before they arrive here. I also give my dog anti-histamines as required. If the weather gets too hot, they will actually close the exercise yards, but other than that you can take your dogs out twice per week (Tues to Friday) during their set hours here. During their stay they will usually be fed Advance Dry food. You can arrange for other food if you want, but like antihistamines or Omega 3 and 6 doses, you will need to negotiate for these things to happen. Some people also forget to get heart worm tablets etc administered before their dogs leave and find that it may add a vet bill to your costs if you don't get someone else to give them to your dog (if you dont give it just before they leave). Heartworm tablets are not mandatory for dogs in Australia, but heartworm does exist in rural areas of Victoria, and I like many people dont want to take the chance of it taking hold of our dogs. But then again I give flea treatments monthly too. Just some heads up for the changing seasons.

I have worked with people who have used http://www.jetpets.com.au but not sure of which countries they service. Spotswood is about 30 to 40 minutes from the airport depending on the time of day you travel. Some of my clients have said that they don't want to visit their dogs for fear of causing extra anxiety in the dogs. But that might be to do with how the owners feel on leaving the pets as much as how much separation anxiety the dog itself would naturally suffer. I find that about after an hour of visiting, most dogs, even working dogs, seem to have gotten what they need - some extra sun and chance to stretch their legs. They are much more subdued when I return them to their pens. The choice of whether an owner visits might be as much to do with their own emotional concerns as well as the difficulty that you can have trying to get time of work, or wading through the traffic. That said, I am making good friends with a breeder based on the peninsula in SA. He travels about 600 km each way, each week just to see the German shepherd he has imported from Germany. That said, I would probably be very sad in seeing my dog in aqis and would no doubt stress him on leaving. Its all personal choice I guess. Good luck !

Hi, I am a dog walker, and I also groom my spoodle/ cockapoo about 6-8 times per year. The poodle part adds the robustness to the fur and is the reason I needed solid clippers. I use and recommend the Wahl Km2. Its a two speed clipper but you always use it on high. Retail you might pay near $300 but I got it for about $200 via ebay, and a seller in QLD Australia for about $200. I also bought the full comb kit that allows you to cut longer length hair, which I do on the body of my dog during winter. You need to make sure that the dog is freshly washed before clipping as dirt will quickly dull the blades, but there are a few Melbourne based sharpener people around that charge about $10 plus postage to sharpen the blades. New blades can cost $40 to $50. One of the sharpener guys here recommended another blade rather than a direct wahl replacement head, said it was better metal. I found that I only needed to watch one youtube clip to learn enough to do a basic cut. I work with my dog on dog walks everyday, so I need to make sure he is comfortable and keeping a good coat is a big part of that. Then of course you need to have a dog that is willing to be clipped. Good luck!

As you will find there will be a few threads in dog forums devoted to keeping dogs cool in summer. If you can get a place with a doggy door and keep air con on, then he can go outside to releave himself and come in when it is too warm. I used to leave frozen water bottles around the sun room for my dog before I stayed home as a dog walker. I still shave my dog down very short in summer and go out at the end points of hot days to avoid my spoodle overheating. Good luck!

Hi, I own a spoodle too, and they can have seperation anxiety as you probably know. I would recommend getting up early and walking them yourself or getting a walker in a few times per week, and then walking them when you get home from work. I dont use doggy day care centres as a few ones around here just lump them all in together and if you have an intelligent dog they are going to just be watching their back for eight hours, not being socialised. As long as your yard is secure and your dog doesnt bark excessively a morning walk usually holds them until afternoon I have found. Good luck with it!

I am a dog walker, and I love dogs. The restrictions were caused by a lot of cats, dogs and many other introduced species devastating native wild life. Lately incidents with fighting dogs such as pit bulls have caused breed specific legislation to become a hot topic. Most councils provide some areas for off lead dog walks. Its a shame that they are little patches of green or beaches, but due to some people's lack of regard to other people (ie over energetic or aggressive dogs off lead) on lead is common right across Australia. The one god thing about it is if you judge the right times, you will be able to congregate with other owners and their social dogs and build a network of like minded people.

It is remarkable how so many dog lovers can be so cavalier about the death of another intelligent species. With 'more valuable' species governments are forced to do work arounds like neutering programs, electronic deterrents from areas etc. The issue for horses I believe is that like sheep and cows, their hooves wreck a lot of vegetation. The soft pads of kangaroos and other native species do not cause this problem. That said, kangaroos are often culled because of population explosions .. funny how this didn't happen hundreds of years ago, back then the populations would naturally rise and decline. My main issues with the culling is that culling from the air is VERY unlikely to be humane. How good are these snipers? Its just cheaper. And then the meat is usually wasted. If grain and pellet companies didn't have such a monopoly on manufactured pet food, people would realise that dogs and cats benefit more from meat, and horse could be a great addition to the beef and chicken that is most accessible for dogs in this country. But like feral goats and camels, it seems the economics of killing, butchering and selling don't stack up. Shame for such a waste.

Thank you for the people who reviewed my request. Emma accidentally put in an incorrect email in my contact form but got back in contact with me, and I will be seeing her two beautiful dogs in August. Lets hope the weather is good!

Spotswood hours are listed here: http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/cat-dogs/accom/spotswood "SOME" people seem to think that the cost of aqis stays are expensive, and that the time of quarantine is too long. I think you will find that they have the minimum staff that they can have (to appease the budget setters) and that means that the staff can only provide so many visits per week to the exercise yards for the hundred or so dogs (not including cats). By keeping the centre open only four day a week for owner visits, they can maintain security and do the maintenance they require etc too. If it was open seven days per week for eight hours a day, I imagine their staff numbers would rise and the cost of aqis would go up. Its a compromise that wont please too many people. Personally I too have to work around the limited hours available each day, but we do that if we love our dogs. Good luck!

Hi, As people in here often have a different user name than there real name, I hope you don't mind me making this short request. Someone called Emma contacted me today (via my site after visiting this forum) asking if I could help them with their dogs while they are in Spotswood quarantine (2 x Rhodesian Ridgebacks). The reply email that was entered into my website form didn't work, and this is the only other way I know of maybe getting in contact with Emma. if anyone know her, please ask her to PM me or send another email address! Cheers, Bruce & Archie.

True I have mainly dog walked dogs in spotswood, but this seems to be the rule for pets. If you want to supply your toys, bedding or clothing for them, they will work out if it is likely to be too dangerous or get too soiled and make a determination on it. Perhaps you could ask if you could send their particular bedding or at least a photo of it if you would prefer trying your own. Not sure if this works for cats, but I know a few dog owners who have made special requests.

Leaving an 11 year old dog is a hard call. I dont know if this story will help, but it might. I recently had a client that was moving out to the regional areas (so they told me) to be closer to work. They were relatively wealthy and just sold their $2M home. They asked me to look around for a home for their 17 year old dog. They had this dog since birth and it was in very good health (ie no medication or obvious walking issues) but had slight blindness/ deafness. This was not the reason they were giving her away though, that was not found out for a long time. So I was asked to mind this dog for a few days while the people moved their house gear and tried to see if they could keep their dog. I took it upon myself to find a new home for this dog (seeing that in the sparse communication I had, that they may have to give her up). Everyone loved her when we went on walks, but it was VERY hard to give away a healthy 17 year old dog. You can probably figure out why. I also advertised on facebook and almost got lynched by an angry mob like it was my fault for this happening. I persisted, and the owners kept extending the stay of this dog with me. After one week of extension after extension they said that they were coming around to pick the dog up. Turns out that they didn't move to the country town (a win for the wife) but husband it seems found somewhere that had a body corporate ruling that didn't allow dogs. Somehow they got around this. You can read things into this, but this is what I learned. Most people were very willing to criticise everyone but did not want to take the dog on. it was impractical for me too, but I was just the messenger. Didn't want to risk leaving such an old girl at a pound either. Everyone was blaming the owners (and me) and I was starting to feel like giving blame too, but I didn't and still don't have the full story. I would never give up my dog regardless of age, but I am a dog walker, and our bond goes beyond a lot of people who work 9 to 5. However if you can even consider leaving the dog in the UK, then perhaps re-homing is the best idea? I think that re-homing can be very tough, tougher than quarantine, but you have to weigh up what works for you. I just thought I would throw a parallel story your way for consideration. Good luck!

Contrary to some people's opinions, my love of dogs is why I gave up a reasonable wage and became a dog walker. I see how much people value their dogs, first hand and help in as many ways that I can. Glad that my dog is still relatively young ...

"So, I am getting a dog walker to take him out but I phoned two dog behavioural therapists and they both just gave me a lecture basically on how this is my fault and how I need to put more effort in. But, and sorry in advance for the excuse, I really have so little time and am so tired, I'm getting maybe 4 hours sleep a night and just don't have the motivation or the energy. They don't know my life and seem to assume that I have lots of time to train him." Its a pickle. Many people get pound dogs thinking they are doing a great service, but many come with very special needs. I am a dog walker, and I have a small baby, so I understand about the lack of sleep and your dog waking the baby etc. It happens when the postman rides down the lane on his bike. This is my advice for what its worth. p.s. I am not a qualified vet. Your dog isn't aggressive off lead, but has issues on lead. You are time poor but you know he needs walks. The longer you can walk your dog, the more energy you will drain and the better likelihood you can do small training sessions with him afterwards. If your dog is almost social (not red zone) you may try and walk them on lead in off lead dog parks with a muzzle and halti on. The muzzle will protect other dogs, and the halti will make it easier for you to walk. If you look at this as a fun project, you might be able to recruit others into walking your dog when they walk their dog (or you might take turns). Volunteer training groups are great, but that is for the basics of commands, not for aggressive behaviour issues. Constant long walks, will eventually desensitise your dog (eventually, usually) and you may also be able to take off the muzzle and go to a correction chain, It takes time and consistency by all owners to do this, and its not easy .. but if you dont want to give your dog away, these might be options. If problems persist then you may be up for more expensive dog behavourist options, or ... I hope it turns out well.

Sorry to hear the bad news about kennel cough. As you know kc vaccines like human flu vaccines are not 100%. kc virus can and does mutate. Its made to help the most dogs it can, its not 100%. KC symptoms can be mild for some dogs, and kill other dogs (the old, young or immune compromised are most affected). Its bad that your dog got KC in quarantine, but good that it potentially has not spread outside of quarantine. That is why we are wisely lowering the stays to ten days.

"New Zealand is free from many serious diseases and pests such as rabies, heartworm disease, and many ticks. Biosecurity requirements are in place to manage the risk of introducing unwanted diseases, pests and animals. These requirements (including eligibility, tests and treatments) are listed in the Import Health Standards (IHS) for cats and dogs and the Guidance Document." So I guess the argument would be that pets arriving in NZ have had to have some form of quarantine period, and that because of its proximity to Australia, its clean health etc that they consider NZ to be like an external state to Australia. I dont think the same is considered for Asia which isnt that much further away, but is likely to have a worse health record for pets. "I am quite sure that if the quarantine is reduced to 10 days then it will be done so with much epidemiological consideration from biosecurity specialists" Or alternatively it will be from external pressure from other countries and people such as in this forum complaining about the time. Sometimes I am sure you will appreciate, politics and minority groups can cause change that is not beneficial for a country. I have to also say that I would not want my dog to be in quarantine for long. I dont leave him at kennels either. But something that I read in here regularly is statements like "They all sleep in/on our bed at night, and are very close to us" MOST dog experts agree that letting a dog sleep on your bed is giving up an alpha status or final control you might have on a dog. I treat dogs like dogs (discipline, exercise and love), so they are stable and can be controlled in public, so they are social. The kinds of dogs that sleep on beds are often the ones that don't go for daily off lead dog walks, and are often the first ones to attack other dogs, thinking they are protecting their owners. The 30 day rule has nothing to do with JUST known diseases, or how much you love your dog. It is not against dogs, but in fact protecting dogs IN THIS COUNTRY. Anyone in here who claims they know all about past and future dog diseases, is clearly delusional I will fight the the safety and rights of dogs already in Australia, which if you are privileged enough to be allowed to bring your dog to Australia, you should see as a positive point, not as a punishment.

A couple of basic points you have made in error. If you have bothered to check through the threads in this forum A LOT OF PEOPLE have complained about costs. A LOT. Only you are insulted because you think it refers to you, I was just re-stating a popular concern in here. Point 2. I don't remember mentioning rabies. Yes it could be rabies, but it could also be a whole host of other diseases. Another argument that it could be zero days incubation or a year so lets remove it all together is ludicrous. The six month period was for a safety until the got most known long incubation period virus/ diseases under control. Now it is 30 days, but many people who are selfish enough because its all ABOUT THEIR PET, want ten days or nothing. Of course if there is a major outbreak when it drops to ten, all these people who just have to have their dogs in aqis once will be long gone. Maybe their dogs will get infected and die, maybe not. The less selfish thing to do when moving to a new country is not to demand reduction of laws for their one off experience, when it could have long term affects. But yes, you will probably just put that down to my self interest again. I think we are just blessed that their are so many doctors, vets and experts on disease in here!