Dog walking isn't a stroll in the park

It’s 10am and the sound of barking fills the air at Centennial Park. Amy Tressider, of the Dog Coach, has arrived with a dozen dogs for their daily one-hour walk. Amy is a professional dog walker and coach.

Centennial Parklands, with more than 154 hectares (or 43 percent) of parkland a playground for unleashed dogs, is one of the most dog-friendly parks in Sydney. More than a million dog walks are taken there annually.

Amy has two helpers to walk the dogs in keeping with Woollahra Council’s regulation that one person may only walk a maximum of four dogs.

Other than this rule, there is no regulation or body governing the dog walking business.

Amy says, “It’s not even self-regulated. A lot of people have their own ideas of what it takes to be a dog walker. There isn’t any accreditation needed. Many people think that all you have to do to start a walking business is simply to have a car, any type of car. I don’t agree.”

She says when working with dogs, you need specific items to take them places. You would need to make sure the dogs are all labelled, that is they all have collars with their names on them, so you don't lose anyone; and that they’re all safely strapped in the back of the vehicle.

Amy walks this particular group five days a week. For other groups, she recommends a minimum of two walks a week, otherwise they don't really make friends; she says they don’t slot into the group because they have too much time away from each other. Amy’s commitment is to effectively manage the dogs, making sure they get along, have an enjoyable time and go home tired.

Off-leash among the grass. Photo: Siam Lim

She also walks a second, smaller group each day. This group is made up of dogs who are either a little bit more nervous or are older, and who don't like “silly” play. Having this second group allows her flexibility. If she notices that some dogs are having muscle soreness, she will swap them to the slow group so they can relax rather than engage in the constant “crazy” play.

She knows her dogs pretty well and if any of them are not their usual selves, she knows there must be something generally wrong. Her professional training (she was a vet nurse previously) kicks in and she’ll look out for a limp, mucky eyes, diarrhoea or excessive urinating.

Looking at her charges racing ahead of her, Amy says it’s always good to have one dog in the group who runs the pack; in this case, the leader seems to be “the big blond boy”. 

“He’ll just run until they get really tired and when they get tired, he’ll get angry at them; he likes to think he’s in charge.”

A shrill whistle from her pierces the air and she says, “I’m just making sure they’re all right.”

She likes taking her dogs through this particular route in Centennial Park. 

“I find it a little bit safer to have buffer zones before the roads. You can go to Queens Park, but it’s just so open and if the dogs spot something a mile away, and they want to go for it, then, if your command or recall isn't vey good, you might not get them back readily.

“Whereas here, they're closer to you. They also know generally where the car is, which is good; and where we normally go. So if they get a fright from another dog, they know where we are going. Some may go back to the car. 

Amy in the foreground leading her group. Photo: Siam Lim

“I love the safety of this place. This is mainly my safe place. I get them running in and out of trees. They’re used to the place, and the dog walkers know each other. Everybody looks after everybody which I really like.”

So what does it take to be a good walker?

Amy lists the important aspects to the job: an understanding of dogs; a love of dogs; and ability to deal with people as it is important to communicate effectively with the dogs’ owners about their pets.

Then there’s also the basic setup. You need an ABN, a suitable car, public liability insurance, good quality gear for the dogs, such as spare collars and leads, and also some training in dog behaviour and dog training.

“You’ll also need to know what your rights are as far as the Council is concerned and what you can and can’t do in parks. Some dog walkers think they have right of way with the public but they don’t.

“We need to be respectful of other people enjoying the park. It’s a public place. We don't have to pay registration to be here. We need to respect that.”

Amy says she and several of the other dog walkers would actually like to have some regulations to make sure people do not abuse the system, such as walking extremely large group of dogs at one time. Currently, it’s only the rangers who can enforce the maximum four-dogs-per-handler ratio and impose the $220 fine for infringement.

She thinks fines and regulations should be stiffer in order to have an industry that works properly. She would welcome change and some sort of regulation.

“It’s a public place and people do not want to feel they are in danger because of large packs of dogs. They want to know that the people handling the dogs know what they are doing and are responsible,” she says.

I started a business that I would never use myself

Dog walking is a $50 million business in Australia. So what is its benefit to dog owners?

Amy says, “It’s funny that I started a business I would never use myself. I think the best part of owning a dog is walking it, whether that is early in the morning or late at night. At least you're doing it, you’re building a bond with your dog.”

Mainly, her clients have families with small children which may make it a bit difficult to get out with their dogs, or they are people working really long hours. 

“Often people get quite addicted to the service because after a good walk their dog is tired and manageable and the owner doesn't have to think about it.

“Owning a dog is guilt-stricken, for want of a better word. One just feels guilty all the time looking at the dog — because people anthropomorphise and look at their dog thinking, ‘oh, he's thinking I didn't walk him today.’ Anyway, who knows what he's thinking,” she laughs.

She says some dogs thrive on walking in a group, others don’t, either because they haven’t been socialised enough as a puppy or are too old. Generally, the best walking clients are dogs aged from six months to seven years old, she says.

Sydney’s Best Off-Leash Dog Parks

While dogs love walking with their owners, they love even more the freedom of  running in the park without their leash. However, unless the area is designated off-leash, the owner risks a minimum fine of $220 per dog.

The following are four of the top off-leash dog parks in Sydney:

Centennial Parklands in the heart of the city

Rowland Reserve, a waterfront park at Bayview on the northern beaches

Hawthorne Canal Reserve in Leichhardt 

Epping Oval, dog-friendly when there are no organised sporting events

Spot fines under the Companion Animals Act

Dog Attack Minimum Penalty - $550

Dog Not on Lead Minimum Penalty - $220 

Animal not permanently identified (microchipped) Minimum Penalty - $165

Animal not registered Minimum Penalty - $165 

Dog without collar and name tag Minimum Penalty - $165 

Fail to remove dog faeces Minimum Penalty - $275 

Penalties for above offences committed by a Dangerous dog and Restricted dog Minimum Penalty - $1320 

Cappuccino for you pupaccino for me

Coffee at Cafe Bones -- slurp. Ymmm. Photo: Louise Donnelly

It’s not often owner and dog can have a coffee together in the park. But at Café Bones, in Hawthorn Canal Reserve, this is not unusual.

Café Bones is a popular dog-friendly cafe in Sydney. Besides the usual selection of cafe fare, it offers a Pupaccino, Dogaccino (for those dogs on diet), pupffins, gourmet biscuits and other dog treats. An added bonus for dog patrons is the extensive off-leash park beside it.

The cafe is open seven days a week from 7am to 6pm, and is at its busiest on Sunday mornings when hundreds of dogs arrive with their owners for dog training.

Bailey with Mariana. Photo: Siam Lim

There's room at Café Bones for all, including babies, prams and dogs. Photo: Siam Lim

As dogs are increasingly seen as family members and go where their owners go, cafes and eateries are gradually allowing companion animals on to the premises.

Sydney has no shortage of dog-friendly restaurants but when you want more than just a coffee or a quick bite on the footpath with your dog at your feet, there are not many places where you can go.

The Queens Park Shed

The Queens Park Shed in the eastern suburbs offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in a rustic converted park tool shed set in parkland with an extensive off-leash area.

Dogs are, off course, welcome and can 'help themselves' to a selection of doggy biscuits. The pooches have the freedom to run in the park under the watchful eyes of owners and the option of returning for a treat without customers getting upset by their presence.

Self serve biscuits at the Shed? Photo: Siam Lim

Duck Inn Pub and Kitchen

While the Duck Inn Pub and Kitchen in Chippendale does not serve dog food, it allows its patrons’ dogs into the indoor dining area provided they behave.

The dog-friendly management holds a meat raffle every Friday for the Delta Dog Society, a national not-for-profit organisation recognised as the national leader in animal-assisted therapies and positive, reward-based approaches to companion animal training. On occasion, a Society member turns up with a Delta Dog to demonstrate the work of the Society.

The Inn operates seven days a week, from 11am to 11pm and has been operating for the last three years.

The Winery

Then there is The Winery in Surry Hills which allows dogs in the lane way dining area. Daily opening hours are 11am to 11pm.

NSW municipal councils have strict rules regarding dogs in public dining areas. A dog, except a restricted or declared dangerous dog, is allowed in the outdoor area of a cafe or restaurant with the management’s consent.

Conditions and restrictions for dogs in outdoor dining areas:

The outdoor area must not be enclosed

Must be on a leash at all times

May be provided with drink, but not food

Must be on the ground at all times

Dogs in leash-free areas

Do not have to be on a leash

May be given food and drink while it is on the ground (but not to be using apparatus provided for the consumption of food by humans)

May sit on a person’s lap but may not sit on any table or chair

Dogs-only restaurant

Delilah can't wait to tuck in. Photo: Siam Lim

Each to his/her own place-mat. Photo: Siam Lim

There are dog-friendly restaurants and there are dogs-only restaurants. 

Tucked away beside Wollstonecraft Station, Chew Chew Restaurant is Sydney’s only dog cafe that offers an extensive menu tailored to canine customers.

Sam and Natalie Harley, recently took their French Bulldog, Delilah, to Chew Chew for the first time. Natalie says, “I thought the menu was really good, so gourmet! It all sounds that good, you almost think you’re reading a menu for human food.”

Sam and Natalie watching Delilah.

There are Chew Chew’s signature dishes of chicken risotto, grilled fish with brown rice, lamb with brown rice, beef with pasta and lamb sausage. There’s a three-course meal comprising organic chicken soup for entree, a selection of a main dish and a choice of deserts. Another is a gourmet menu with the choice of the Mishmash (equivalent to a MacDonald’s big breakfast), lamb omelette, salmon with mash potatoes, and a new item on the menu, the Mishmash Brunch Plate, comprising organic chicken, organic eggs, salmon, Chew Chew vegetables, organic lamb paste on bread, goat yoghurt and doggy cappuccino.

Delilah had beef pasta washed down with a doggy cappuccino of goat’s milk sprinkled with liver powder.

Chew Chew is the brainchild of Naoko Okamoto, a pet nutritionist and pet care advisor trained in Japan. Her primary aim is to help pet owners deal with their pets’ health through good nutrition.

As such, she considers Chew Chew a pet nutrition centre where she helps owners deal with some of their pets’ health issues, such as allergies, itching, weight and hair loss, by changing their diets.

She says with many owners seeing themselves as their pet’s mum or dad, she likes to think of herself as the dog’s nanna or grandma, and sees each visit as an opportunity to offer her home cooked food and advice.

Who stole the dog treat from the cookie jar

Esteban with a mouthful of kangaroo meat treat. Photo: Siam Lim

When Luciana Callaghan finds the content of her kangaroo dog treat jar dwindling,  she knows who the culprit is. And it’s not her pet dog. It is her six-year-old son, Esteban. This is his favourite.

Luciana is not concerned that her son consumes food made for dogs. It is her product, after all, and she knows it is made from organic human grade ingredients.

She is founder and owner of Sassy Treats, an online business specialising in organic food for dogs, cats and horses, all free of additives and preservatives. All the main courses are made from fresh ingredients — chicken, beef, fish and vegetables — individually packed and snap-frozen for delivery all over Sydney and even to the rest of Australia.

Think Lite & Easy menu plans for humans and Sassy Treats is the equivalent with “dishes” ranging from Thai (a mild mix of fresh chicken, organic brown rice, corn and carrots), Italian (fresh beef with organic polenta, carrot, zucchini, organic eggs topped with low fat tasty cheese) to dog’s shepherd’s pie (kangaroo, topped with potato and peas, grain free), to name a few. 

Sweet and savoury snacks include such treats as mints, misty muffins, lolli chomps and dehydrated kangaroo, lamb liver, shark skin, beef skin, fish biscuits and nori rolls.

Anyone for these treats? Photo: Siam Lim

Fish bones and animal tails. Photo: Siam Lim

Of the total $8 billion expenditure on pets in Australia, food accounts for $3 billion of which over $1.6 billion is dog food.

Most dog owners consider their pets as family and, as with baby food, dog food is  recession-proof, with owners not willing to compromise when there is a need to cut down on household spending.

The growing importance of health and wellness considerations in human food has also flowed on to dog food; it now covers weight management, antioxidants, protein supplementation, added vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fortification and probiotics.

Premium and specialty food aside, owners are also indulging their pets with snacks from savoury to sweet delights such as petit fours, cupcakes, macaroons and dog donuts.

Give treats in moderation

However, vets warn that treats should be given in moderation after several pets were diagnosed with Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease.

Mosman veterinarian Jodi Braddock says the cause is related to dog treats of various kinds that introduce toxins into the dog’s system; the first signs being that the dog is drinking or urinating more with possible accidents in the home.

She recommends a balanced diet and treats only to be used in moderation.

Or perhaps, we should all go “knick knack paddy whack, give a dog a bone” to promote health and save a visit to the vet which could cost around $240.

The only family member with no Medicare

You see Fifo as a family member. He lives indoors with you, sleeps on your bed, and even takes up the best spot on your sofa. He goes everywhere with you; in fact, he embraces every aspect of your lifestyle. But when he becomes sick or has an accident, the reality is, he is just a dog.

Fifo is the only member of your family with no access to Medicare and free health care service. So how can you best protect this family member?

Clockwise: Cruz, Caroline, Yasmin and Isabella. Photo: Siam Lim

Eric and Caroline Zambrano have had many dogs in their lives including a Poodle, Lhasa Apso, German Shepherd, and Airedale Terrier. But when their last dog, a Doberman died, they decided that with the next dog they get, they would involve their young children, Yasmin, 10, and Isabella, 5, in choosing their next dog. They researched the dog they wanted — an Anatolian pup — and talked about each family member’s responsibility and job, as it was no longer going to be “just mummy and daddy’s dog.”

But Caroline’s first priority and responsibility was making sure eight-week old Cruz (“Cruz Zambrano,” Isabella chips in) is covered by pet insurance from the day he arrived.

As it turned out, she says, they ended up claiming on the second day when he got his head stuck in the fence. Then he was clawed by a cat and there were the times he had allergy problems and complications from things he should not have eaten.

They paid about $510 for a year’s premium and had already claimed back this full amount within the first four months. This was not the first time the Zambranos dealt with pet insurance. They recalled the time their Doberman had to have a $5000 emergency operation.

“We were thanking our lucky stars because we wouldn't have got the attention and the benefit, had we not have pet insurance. We still would have had the operation done but it’s such a great relief when you know you don’t have to worry about the money. 

“People don’t realise it, but a large dog requires more medication, more anaesthetic; and antibiotic and specialist medications come by the kilo,” Eric says.

The Zambranos urge everyone to take up insurance, They say you could use standard pet insurance every time you go to the vet and with optimum cover, you may be insured for such things as tick and flea treatment.

“It’s not just for emergencies, but for day-to-day stuff, even dog training. It doesn’t cover everything but it helps,” Eric says.

Vicki Minaham, who has two dogs, Ringo, a six-year old beagle and Zoe, an eight-old year Schmoodle, also believes in pet insurance. 

“My dogs are my life. They go everywhere with me; I do everything with them. They are part of our family.” 

Vicki spends at least $6000 a year on each dog with quality food and insurance accounting for major expenses. She says both dogs have had insurance since they were eight weeks old. She uses it regularly.  

“We never had a problem or an issue and we’ve claimed a number of times. Ringo has had cancer a few times and a lot of surgery, and without pet insurance we wouldn't have been able to afford the treatment.”

The cost of insurance is $500 a year for each dog. 

“But we've claimed back more than that during the year for both of them, so it’s been a worthwhile investment,” Vicki says.

The best time to take up pet insurance is when you first bring your pet home, so you are covered from day one. The longer a pet is without an insurance, the more likely it is to develop health issues that insurance companies may then consider as pre-existing conditions, and exclude these from any policy you decide to take later.

Besides food, veterinary fees are the second highest expenditure on dogs, costing owners $1.6 billion annually. Yet compared to this, insurance expense is only a paltry sum of $158 million according to the Pet Ownership in Australia 2013 survey for Animal Health Alliance. 

As reported in the survey, only about 30 per cent of pet owners take up pet insurance.

Still, this is a growth considering 10 years ago pet insurance was almost non-existent and it is only in the past five years that it has picked up. With new developments in pet health care, owners can expect to face higher costs. This has given pet insurance a boost.

Resistance to pet insurance

However, there is still resistance towards insurance among pet owners who see no point in insurance if an insurance company is tough on what it deems a pre-existing condition.

The interpretation of pre-existing condition by insurance companies can be subjective. According to Choice, Australia’s consumer watchdog and advocacy group, if your pet had a rash, for example, before the start of the policy and is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver later in life, treatment for cirrhosis could be excluded from the policy as a pre-existing condition since the rash may have been an early symptom of the disease.

Here the insurance company is interpreting a pre-existing condition based on the  entire body system. Skin is considered an entire body system.

“Vets are finding the issue of pre-existing conditions based on the entire body system to be an issue for their clients, Dr Garry Edgar, a member of the Australian Veterinary Association, says.

He says, for instance, when a dog has had gastrointestinal problem like diarrhea and, in a later instance, swallows an object that gets stuck in the intestines requiring surgery, in the past an insurance company may have considered any gastrointestinal problem as a pre-existing condition.

To advocate for changes in the policy, the Australian Veterinary Association set up a Pet Insurance Taskforce in 2013 headed by Dr Edgar, to bring veterinarians and the insurance underwriters together.

Currently, in Australia, there are over 50 companies providing pet insurance, from the major health insurance providers such as Medibank, Allianz, Bupa and HCF to dedicated pet insurance companies. The RSPCA and Woolworths also provide pet insurance.

Cover types vary from accident only, accident and illness (the most common policy) to premium accident, illness and routine care. As important as it is to insure your pet, even more important is picking the right insurance.

Onus is on pet owners to check policies

Choice says the onus is on policy holders to study policies to determine which policy may pay the whole vet bill, which provides cover for ongoing conditions, whether there is a co-payment clause, which provides the highest annual benefits and to what extent the premium may increase as a pet ages.

And, importantly, look out for policies that insist on payments of premiums for the remainder of the policy period should a pet die after a claim is made.

Generally, pet insurance plans range from as little as $130 to over $1300 a year. And it is a good idea to check with the vet as to whether he or she can provide an in-house pet health plan tailored to a pet to cover vet visits.

Another option for pet owners to consider is to self-insure by setting up a savings fund (a sort of pet piggy bank) and build it up monthly to provide for unforeseen pet health needs as they occur.

My dog is more aware of me than I am of myself

Dot at lectures: Katy, please explain.

Dot, a mini foxy red kettle dog cross, goes to university with her owner Katy Brownless, 29. In fact, she goes everywhere Katy goes. Dot, two and a half years old, is a registered mindDog, a psychiatric service dog.

Katy has severe complex post traumatic stress disorder and it was her counsellor who suggested the idea of a therapy dog. Katy had grown up on a farm with dogs and when she was little, she would run off when she was scared and hide in the bush with one of her dogs.

To become a registered mindDog, Dot had to pass the organisation’s strict criteria and assessment. Katy had only one session with a trainer to help her prepare herself and Dot for the assessment and the rest of Dot’s training came naturally.

Katy says Dot is very attuned to Katy’s body language because she reared her since Dot was eight weeks old.

“She can read my mood very well. She knows when I'm anxious, knows the early warning signs when I’m about to have a seizure. I just watch her body language. She becomes very uneasy and then I reflect on myself and take my medication.

“Sometimes when I have my anxiety attack, she will jump on my lap and become very attentive but when I have had other dissociative episodes in the past, she keeps a small distance from me, like she's quite wary. She doesn't recognise me when I'm someone else.”

Describing their relationship, Katy says Dot is everything to her.

“I wrote a poem about how she may not realise that she's the reason I'm still alive, the reason I get out of bed when I just want to curl up and die. Because I know that she needs me. She needs me to look after her, to feed her. I’m her mum. She's my substitute baby. I've looked after her as if she's my real baby.”

Katy says she has a mothering instinct. She wants to nurture Dot and in return, Dot gives her love and affection. 

Which she aptly demonstrates; while Katy is talking, Dot is all over her back. 

It's her way of preening me

“She’s showing she loves me; she’s nibbling my back, making sure I have no fleas,” Katy laughs, adding, “It’s her way of preening me. She’s mothering me, she’s looking after me. She’s giving me a cuddle.

“The main thing for me is if I start to feel funny, and distant from reality, Dot will also become a little distant from me. She will not run away but will look strangely at me. 

“Then I know it’s not just my imagination playing tricks on me. When my baby doesn’t recognise me, it’s like she knows there’s something wrong.

“It’s the same with the early onset of me having a seizure of epilepsy and there are  warning signs. But I didn’t train her to detect those. It’s just an animal’s instinct; that something in the atmosphere has changed, something in my body language or whatever dogs can sense. Something has changed and I take that as a warning sign. Sometimes she's more aware of me than I am aware of myself.”

Katy thinks using dogs in therapy is an awesome idea, such as for young offenders coming out of juvenile justice where they are paired with working dogs that teach them a sense of responsibility and accountability, and the same also for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. 

“I know what it’s like to wake up in the middle of the night with night terrors and flashback and Dot is my go-to girl; she is a real comfort 24 hours a day,” she says.

Dot is low maintenance, says Katy. Pet insurance costs her a dollar a day and a kilo of chicken wings sets her back three dollars each week; and there’s also dry food, all quite manageable on her budget. She also goes to Pets in the Park which provides free vet care for disadvantaged pet owners. They vaccinated and desexed Dot free of charge.

BYO dog

The mindDogs organisation does not provide dogs and operates strictly on a BYO, bring your own dog, basis.

According to the organisation, anyone wanting a mindDog must have a recognised psychiatric disability and provide documentation from a health practitioner. They choose their own dog and are responsible for training them. 

MindDogs Org will assist people to undergo the process of accreditation through Delta trainers to enable dog and owner to pass the Public Access Test (PAT).

The mind of a mindDog

The organisation says mindDogs are service dogs, not therapy animals or assistance animals. These dogs provide a service to their owners, either by facilitating public access for them, or responding to changes in their owners’ condition. For example, the dog can be trained to respond to panic attacks, or assist in reminding their owners to take their medication, or provide space around their owners by circling round them.

Any dog can become a mindDog, even a chihuahua. It all depends on temperament, need, response to training, rather than breed.

Service dogs are helping many returned war veterans with their PTSD all over the world. Below is an extract of a letter from a US veteran to his dog, Gunner, in Robin Layton’s book, A Letter to My Dog - Notes to Our Best Friends.

“Dear Gunner, you entered into my life at such a trying time. I had just returned from a year in Iraq. The world I had known before, my entire life, no longer existed….I felt my world was falling apart around me and I didn't know why. I didn’t feel safe anywhere. I had recurring nightmares that bothered me long after they had ended. I desperately needed help….And then you arrived and gave me hope. You have my back everywhere and make me safe in places I once avoided. You remind me every day that there is good in this world and that there is love…” Chet Frith, US Navy, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida.

I dated my dog before we moved in together

Birgit with Athos in her red car. Photo: Siam Lim

Sometimes would-be pet owners need to make major lifestyle changes in order to have their pet live with them. Birgit is one of them. 

In order to adopt Athos, a Belgian Shepherd, Birgit has had to make many changes in her life. She had to give up her apartment and move into a house with a big yard, and make changes to her work arrangements. However, there is one thing she will not give up — her red two-seater sports car, she says.

She works in clinical research which is very much computer-based but it also requires a lot of internal and external client contact. As all she really needed are a phone line and Internet, she made arrangements initially to work from home three days a week. And as Athos had never been alone in his whole life, she got her former partner to watch him the remaining two days of the week.

Today, she still works from home up to two days a week, using the time she would normally travel to and from work to spend with him. 

“On these work-from-home days, Athos is left pretty much on his own in the backyard, but he knows I am there and does get a cuddle, or I throw him a few balls, now and then.”

Thinking about how she first met Athos brings back good memories for her.

She was volunteering at Monika’s Rescue looking after some rabbits when she first met him and his two siblings. They were stricken with parvovirus and abandoned.

She got to know him over the following 10 months; in the last five months she found she really enjoyed his company and missed him when she had to go home, knowing she would not see him until the next weekend.

“I was told that Athos always waits for me to arrive. When I decided that I want to adopt him, I knew exactly what kind of dog I was getting, just like I had been dating someone, before moving in together...hmmm, of course there could still have been surprises, but I had also done my homework: the breed likes to please their owners, they are very protective and smart, can be nervous/cautious/timid, need mental stimulation, exercise, and a firm but soft hand...so it was a matter of love, discipline and training.”

She was the one being trained

She said in the process of training Athos, she discovered that, in fact, it was she who was being trained.

She’d selected John, a professional dog trainer, because “he convinced me during a brief phone conversation that it is 'useless' — in his opinion, and I agree — to pay someone to train your dog as the dog is supposed to be following the owner’s commands and if I do not understand them or how to use them, the dog will not understand me, the owner. 

“The sessions with John were two-hourly and 90 percent with me. We had three of these private sessions and I believe I would have not been successful without John especially since I never had a dog before. 

“Dogs are a real commitment; they need and ask for you 24/7 and I used to be scared of that commitment even until the day before Athos moved in. Now I cannot imagine my life without him anymore.

“We go pretty much every weekend to Bayview and every day around the neighbourhood. I have also taken him to Narrabeen Lake, friends’ places and restaurants. He loves being in the car.”

Birgit recently took Athos to the Dogs Day Out at St Ives Showground -- his first big day out.  He surprised her by sprinting to first place in the big dog race.

Athos in the lead despite being a first-timer in dog races. Photo: Siam Lim

Dispelling the laws of attraction

According to the laws of attraction, in the pet world in this case, they were unlikely choices for adoption at the dog shelters — one was old and sick, one was born with only three legs and the third had to have its foreleg amputated. Death-row for them would seem more likely.

But against all the odds, they were adopted and are now living in their forever homes. These are their stories.

Betty the relaxer dog

Betty with Mike and Sophie. Photo: Siam Lim

If she could speak, Betty would say life is bliss. But just a few months ago, life was no picnic for this Corgi King Charles Spaniel cross. She had cancer and a terrible ear infection when she was brought to the rescue kennel.

Betty had been living at the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home (SDCH) for about five months when she first met the Mike and Sophie Steers.

Her future could have been one big Catch-22. As Mike said, if there was no hope of adoption, there probably would be no hope of an operation, and there probably would be no adoption if her new owners had to bear the high cost of the operation.

A deal was made. The Steers gave their commitment to adopt and the SDCH raised the $3500 needed for Betty’s double ear canal surgery at Sydney University.

Mike may have pointed out the obvious, that as an old, sick dog, no-one would want to adopt her — but he and Sophie did. And why? “Because she's such low maintenance and she just fits into our family really nicely; yeah, she is just easy to get on with, that’s why we chose her.

“Sophie is pregnant so we expect a pretty busy lifestyle coming up. We didn't really want a dog that is going to interfere with that.

“She’s our first baby, the second one is on the way,” says Sophie. She calls Betty their relaxer dog. 

“She relaxes us, she’s a good excuse to get out; she’s my free gym membership,” she says.

As Mike says, Betty a good couch potato. “The other night we had take-out, wine and watched a movie and Betty was with us on the couch. These are the feel good times.

“Betty is deaf and uninsurable. She’ll probably not be with us for long. The vet said the cancer might come back. She’s 10 years old now and if she lives till 13, we’ll be happy to let nature take its course. She’s had a tough life so far and she’s now in retirement.”

Life is no setback for Missy, born with a deformed back leg. Photo: Siam Lim 

Michael McTeigue and Missy. Photo: Siam Lim

No shortage of treats for Missy. Photo: Siam Lim

Saved from death-row to live in a house of treats

Missy, an eight-month old staffy vizsla cross, was born with a deformed back leg . Her rescuer, Michael McTeigue, likes to tell people Missy was saved from death row to live with an owner whose business is in dog treats. 

Michael started his company, Savour-Life, because he wanted to help rescue dogs. He donates 50 per cent of his sales to dog rescue organisations, including the  Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

He says: “Instead of asking people to donate, why not use everyday purchases dog food to help fund rescue work?” 

Champion sprinter on three legs

Gina and Katherine. Photo: Siam Lim

When Katherine Meaney first met Gina, a whippet kelpie cross, at the Rutherford RSPCA, the little brindle puppy had a huge scar that ran the whole length of her side after having had her front left leg amputated. Katherine was visiting the shelter to see if they needed any grooming volunteers.

“Gina pressed her little face up against the bars. Her little brown eyes looked deep into my soul.”

On leaving the shelter all Katherine could picture were Gina’s eyes. She knew she had to have the pup but didn't anticipate the many obstacles in her way; she had to chase paperwork — and dog — all the way to Yagoona RSPCA where Gina was being transferred, having been too long in the shelter without anyone showing an interest.

At the recent Dogs Day Out at St Ives Showground, Gina showed that her disability was no hindrance as she sprinted her way to first place in the race for disabled and old dogs.

She sure did her owner Katherine proud.

Getting to zero

Giving them a second chance saves many dogs from death row when pounds and shelters become overcrowded. In NSW alone, over 57,000 companion animals were euthanised during the last 12 months. The majority were young and healthy.

Today, many pounds and shelters are adopting a No-Kill policy under the Getting to Zero (G2Z) initiative in which only those animals that are irremediably suffering, or have behavioural problems with limited hope of rehabilitation are destroyed. To read more about No-Kill, go to www.g2z.org.au

Patti Page sings Can You See That Doggie in the Shelter

In 2012, Patti Page reprises her 1950s hit, "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" for The Humane Society of the United States in this version, "Can You See That Doggie in the Shelter?” She dedicates the song to all homeless dogs in shelters. Hear her song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHMdlpzK-4A