TerrierTops

Wow, what a book! Instead of typing out everything, how about just the title and ISBN. I like the homey breed descriptions! How about irish terriers!?

Both my dogs are rescues. The Irish Terrier was given up at 10 months old because he was the husband's dog and the husband was now working in Abu Dhai or some such. The wife worked 12 hours shift work and had a 11 yr old son, but they just left the pup in the courtyard, never walking or training it ... and low and behold it started to BARK! At least she had the sense to contact Irish Terrier Rescue in the UK, but the lady she first talked to gave her such a yelling at she nearly didn't call back. The breeder, by the way, would have taken the dog back like a shot, but was never consulted until the rescue was a done deal. They were furious with just about everyone, but very nice to me as a new IT owner. The cattle dog/Kelpie was given up at 8 yrs old because .... they were moving house. She came to me with an untreated, partially healed cruciate ligament tear. But she is an old dear, really. Good thing the boy IT is such a sook, she pushes him around something awful! Most of the rescues I've participated in have been animals that were driven to a park or parking lot and pushed out of the car. God, I could happily do the same to those people. Why do they do it? Because they would have to pay a fee to turn it into a shelter.

Adorable! Adoring! Adored! The dog knows himself! If he's happy, all's right with the cut! ;)

KC Blue, I also think the idea of an uncontained dog is asking for trouble in several ways. To address the specific issue of the approach of people to a large property ... I installed a solar powered gate for elderly friends of ours, you can add to this a discrete (not easily seen) detector that monitors the drive and rings a bell in the house when the sensor is passed. Perhaps that would be enough? If someone is bent on mischief, I don't think a dog is necessarily going to stop them. Friends of ours had their entire pack of 5 dogs drugged with doped meat when thieves made off with their 4X4 from a locked farm yard! Luckily, all dogs did recover .. but it was a close run thing for the two smaller terriers. Best of luck. I can understand your worries.

I agree that many a pet owner has lost the plot entirely when it comes to feeding. They believe everything they're told by advertising and by vet clinics making an almighty good profit on prescription diets and dental work. If starting a dog on raw bones that hasn't had 'em while growing up, I would go cautiously ... sometimes with my guy I hang on to one end of it and make sure he chews it up.