THE PACK LEADER
April 2001 Newsletter

Security Assessments
Level 1
Monica Krueger and Standard Poodle “Eddie”
Level 2
Tony Collins & German Shepherd “Saber”

Tracking - Puppy test 150 metres known scent
Jeffrey Allan and German Shepherd (13 wks) ‘Thomas’

Redcliffe Dog Obedience Sweepstakes 22-4-01 - CD
1st place: Tony Collins and German Shepherd ‘Saber’ - 191 pts.
2nd place: Cliff Hallam and German Shepherd ‘Khan’ - 172 pts.

Congratulations to those who passed level 1. It is always great to see young dogs entering the competitions. Without a doubt the best performer and youngest by far was little Tom at 13 weeks. The “baby” heeled perfectly whilst executing his stand, sit and drop exercises as well as a 30 metre recall. He was also faultless in his 2 minute stand stay, 5 minute sit stay and 15 minute drop stay.

We also created a puppy tracking test so as not to hold back his progress - or any other puppies progress for that matter. Tom successfully completed a 150 metre blind track with a known scent with absolute confidence.

Next In-House Competition
The next in-house will be held at the Beerwah Sport Grounds on Saturday 19-5-01commencing 1pm. Interested persons please inform Jeffrey. There is a small fee of $5.00 for levels one & two. And $10.00 for all the higher levels.

Seminar
A seminar will be held at the Guide Dog Centre, Bald Hills on Saturday 26 - 5 - 01. Topics such as the benefits of natural diet and homeopathics in relation to dog behaviour and improved health for the dog will be covered. Speakers will be myself, Homeopath Elaine Holland and Naturopathic Veterinarian Tonia Werchon. We have held seminars of this nature in the past at Alexander Headlands that were of huge benefits to the attendees. Cost of $60 per person and includes lunch. Numbers limited to 20 people.

Raffle
The raffle was a book containing classic black and white photos of dogs in a variety of situations. The book is valued at $50 and was won by Melissa Shean.  
The new prize is an indoor water fountain valued at $100 kindly donated by a dear friend Denise Mariner of Mitre 10, Caloundra.

Website
We have a website under construction and this can be viewed on www.companyontheweb.com/rossallan  In the near future it will be changed to www.rossallan.com In due course chapters from my second book can be purchased and downloaded from the web site. There are already old newsletters that can be downloaded anytime.

The Guide Dog Training Centre also has a website featuring our classes. And that is on www.guidedogsqld.com.au

Dingoes
Dingoes on Fraser Island have been the centre of attention in the media since an unfortunate nine year old boy was killed recently, and his seven year old brother also savagely attacked.
The end result is that a number of dingoes that frequent campsites have been slaughtered. (Sorry, culled)

I think a number of points should be made in regard to the situation of Dingoes on Fraser Island and that is:-
Dingoes are an introduced species of wild dog on this continent and have long been regarded as a noxious pest. They do not only kill for their own needs, they are hunters who kill for the sake of killing as do cats and foxes.Dingoes often kill numerous lambs or calves for instance even though very little is eaten for their survival.

Dingoes are descended from the grey wolf as is our domestic dog, and of course follow the inherent instincts of the wolf.

Whilst dingoes are naturally shy of humans, on Fraser Island they have been basically domesticated by human contact and subsequent feeding. Consequently some Dingoes, in keeping with their inherent natures, have come to see humans as part of their pack and have taken to treating humans as lower ranked members of their pack. To compound matters, Dingoes breed in accordance with their conditions, scarce food supply means little or no breeding - abundant food means prolific breeding.

The Dingoes who have frequented the camp sites are in all probability, the most aggressive dogs in the area who have taken control of the best food source keeping the other Dingoes away. It is quiet possible that when these Dingoes are killed by the Rangers, these dogs will be replaced by other Dingoes who have been aspiring to these food sites. And when one considers that there is a Dingo population of some two hundred on the Island it also raises the question, given that Dingoes are voracious hunters, are there species of wild life being wiped out entirely? I understand that this is the case.

I would suggest that ideally there were no Dingoes on Fraser Island at all. However, given that man has propagated the growth of Dingoes on the Island and promoted them as a tourist attraction, man is now faced with the problem of trying to find a balanced solution so that Dingoes are there as a tourist attraction, and not domesticated by people foolishly feeding them.

I would suggest an ongoing massive trapping and desexing program of as many of the wild dogs as possible so that a natural attrition will take place, thus keeping the dogs to a manageable level. I’m not up with numbers per area but I would surmise that an area the size of Fraser Island could be as low as a dozen dogs under normal circumstances.

Information from Val Bonny
Val informed me that Dingoes are now a declared (approved) breed in the states of Victoria, New South Wales and the Aust. Capital Territory - permits are required. No permit required in the Northern Territory. Banned in South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland & Tasmania.

Health
Over the coming weeks I will be introducing some of the most used Homeopathic medicines - those which would make up an excellent First Aid Kit for your self, your family, and most certainly your pet(s). Today I would like to introduce Rescue Remedy & its Australian equivalent, the Emergency Essence. Both work quickly & of course, as with all the medicines I use, there are no drugs or chemicals involved & therefore no side effects. Also, if the patient (human or animal) is already on another medication, these medicines will not interfere with that medication.
PLEASE NOTE: The doses are the same for children, adults & animals, & the remedies may be given as often as every 5-10 minutes in an emergency, or until professional help is available. Always seek professional help in an emergency… please.

EMERGENCY ESSENCE and RESCUE REMEDY
These remedies, made from flower essences, and containing no drugs & are suitable for children, adults, animals and plants alike.

They can be used for shock, fear, anticipation (going to the dentist, exams, public speaking, mental stress and tension, grief, anxiety, or the feeling that you (or someone else) just can't cope. They will restore calm, and a sense of well-being.

Human dosage: add 3 -4 drops to a glass of water, and sip.
In an emergency, use drops straight from the bottle.
Animal dosage: add 3-4 drops to their drinking water - to all containers if there are multiple containers.
In an emergency, put drops directly into the mouth, being especially careful if the animal is very stressed.

For cuts, scratches or bruises, put three drops in a small bowl of water, and bathe the wound. Use as a compress for a headache or sprain.

If your pet animal, bird, reptile etc., is upset (change of house, dog/cat fight, thunderstorm or injury), or any kind of stress/anxiety, a couple of drops the animal’s or bird’s mouth will calm them down almost immediately. VERY useful on the first day of training!

You’re going to love this one… do try it, it really does work!! If your favourite plant looks a bit wilted after re-potting, put a couple of drops of remedy into a litre of water & this will bring it back to life. The same applies to seedlings or newly planted vegetation.

Thanks for your phone calls - I’m always happy to answer a health inquiry about your companion animal, or yourself.

These remedies are available from me on Sundays at the Nudgee training grounds. I’m there from 8.30 till 11.00 Ask Ross to point me out!

Stay happy & healthy - naturally
ELAINE HOLLAND
HOMEOPATH & NATURAL THERAPIST
70 GLENORA ST. WYNNUM (07) 3396 2876

Sid Ward
One of our esteemed dog obedience judges, Sid Ward passed away recently as a result of contracting cancer. A gentleman in and out of the obedience ring, he will be sadly missed by those that had the pleasure of his time on this earth. Our deepest sympathies to his wife and family.

Practice doesn’t make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect

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