Loving my Oldies

6 minutes ago, The Spotted Devil said:

Apologies if I come across a little passionate about this - I’ve had very little rest since last Thursday after my girl’s Caesarean section so this is very front of mind. 

The last thing you should be doing is apologising.  

I was going to go on about COVID and market forces, too, but Troy’s servers might have run out of space.  

@The Spotted Devil, 100% right.  The girl we rescued and the girl we rehomed were chalk and cheese physically.  Emotionally?  Well she suffers severe separation anxiety, must know where her humans are all the time, but is the best snuggler in the entire world  .

@moosmum, it isn’t entirely the legislators’ fault, although they could wipe out puppy farms immediately if they weren’t so weak and, in some cases, involved.   

 

10 minutes ago, The Spotted Devil said:

 

I think you missed my point. It costs me thousands of dollars and hours to breed a litter - whether it goes as a family pet, therapy dog or conservation dog. 

TSD, earlier this year, I helped rescue a little dog running around the next suburb.  She did her time in the pound and then came to me.  After a week or so, I took her to the vet to be desexed only for him to discover she was already pregnant  - we all thought at first she was swollen from a pregnancy.  The vet thought she had a couple of weeks to go, but we were off by a day and she gave birth to four gorgeous puppies in my lounge room.  
 

She and the pups were taken over to the rescuer’s house where she’d set up the maternity suite and over the next 9-10 weeks those pups and mum were given the best care and introduction to the world you could wish for.  AND the rescuer lives in a two storied  house, the mum wouldn’t stay with her pups but wanted to be downstairs with her humans. So she would be up and down the stairs all day. I used to go over to give the rescuer a break and after a few hours I would go home exhausted from looking after the pups, ensuring the mum stayed with them, making sure they were properly “latched on “, etc etc.    And this was an uncomplicated birth with only four healthy robust puppies.  I can’t begin to imagine looking those litters of 10 and more and then coping with puppies with health issues or mum having difficulties. 

How would you measure that time, love, physical exertion in terms of dollars?  Impossible.  
 

It seems to me that the OP probably posted in frustration and might, after careful consideration, tone down her assessment of “disgusting & greedy” …… I would hope so. 
 

She is looking terrific 

You have a name for all seasons, @Kirislin   

17 minutes ago, Kirislin said:

I really appreciate all the name suggestions.  Some of them I’d thought of as well, they’re all really good.  I tried a few on him and many more that weren’t mentioned here and nothing stuck.

 I’m going to call him Soda.  As in Creamy Soda, or in his case, sometimes, Screaming Soda. 

And sometimes, So So.    

Cupid

8 hours ago, asal said:

love my photo of the plover unsheathing its spur's  because tdierixk had wiggled less than another a foot closer to get a good photo and it decided she had crossed the no go line.

 

the immenent threat is palpable, second she moved back they were resheathed n they were content to warn us to come no closer

In another lifetime, I used to be a morning runner.  I was miles from home and houses along a secondary road and stopped to look at some lovely birds about 50-60 metres away, two adults and a juvenile.  Suddenly, a Stealth Bomber launched itself on an unwavering course straight for me.  I probably could have won the marathon that day.  

I used to live in Brisbane and my run was mostly along Gympie Road.  When I neared a school, I used to move onto the median strip hoping to avoid the Magpies.  By god, they were terrifying.  I used to carry a handkerchief and when I neared the areas where they were nesting, I’d run along waving the hanky over my head.  I used to almost crack up laughing at how ridiculous I must have looked.   

When are we going to get over this stupid nature/nurture debate?  It is a combination.  
 

We all have our own examples and experiences.  My eldest sister and I are four and a half years apart.   Because we lived in small country towns in Queensland, when it came to secondary school education we all went to boarding school when we turned 14.  My eldest sister was at boarding school for four years  and then I went away.  Therefore we didn’t live with each other except on holidays for six years.

When I look in the mirror combing my hair, brushing my teeth, having a deep and meaningful conversation with myself, I see my sister looking back at me.  We sound the same (if in the same house but people can’t see us, they don’t know who is speaking).  Our mannerisms are the same, our facial expressions are the same.  
 

But we are very very different in  personality. The ways we look at the world are like chalk and cheese.  
 

Nature/nurture?  It is a combination and can be more or less of one or the other at any given time.  

1 hour ago, persephone said:

Also - a dog feels for a  surface on which to pee- and carpet 'feels' like grass... so , her body reacts accordingly - it may not even be entirely  a conscious decision...

This. ^^^
 

I have one little dog who is generally pretty good, but a lot of the time considers the deck outside.  She will go out, run around the deck and head straight for the mat the water bowl sits on and squat.  
 

ETA.  She only wees on the mat. Has never done #2

@Megan MOrton, no rescue group has the resources to keep anyone in mind when dogs come in for rehoming.  It is up to you to find their FB pages and websites and to put in applications when dogs go up for adoption.  Due to all the Covid lockdowns you probably need to find rescue organisation in your LGA and follow them.  

Please let us know how Indi is.  Pyometra is a killer and a quick one   

Apart from that, I don’t understand your comment that she hasn’t been desexed because she is a rescue dog.  In fact, it should be exactly the opposite.  No organisation calling itself a rescue would adopt out an undesexed dog unless there was a very very very good reason and, even then, the dog would need to be very closely monitored.  
 

You need to go back to them to get some clarity.  

I don’t have any insights into what might be Daisy’s diagnosis, but while you are investigating, have you heard of “bitches britches”?  Just search on line and you will find them easily.  I was in your situation last year with the constant washing of bedding and washing floors and bitches britches and belly bands for my boy saved my sanity.   Despite our loving the perpetrators beyond words, it does becoming very tiring and these doggy garments are worth their weight in gold.  
 

Many hopeful thoughts to you and Daisy.  
 

I can’t help you, I am sorry.  I just wanted to extend my sympathies to you and Ralph and to let you know that we hold you in our hearts.  Such a tough time you are going through and I hope that you can get some answers.  
 

2 months old.  Definitely do not remove teeth.  He is a baby.  AND ….  find a new vet.   

3 hours ago, Rebanne said:

Just saw these amazing people on ABC news

It rings a bell with me, too, so I guess I must have seen it there.  Beautiful people and I hope the dissemination of their story gets them some donations whether they want it or not.  

I agree with Rebanne.  Start the paper trail.  

I wonder if the council knows your neighbour is a puppy farm?  

I am gutted for you, @tdierikx.  You and Pickles faced challenges, but you both rose to these challenges.  Despite her “disability”, you recognised Pickles’ joie de vivre and determined to let her live life on her terms.  Deepest sympathies to you and wobble your joyful way over the Bridge, Pickles   

5 weeks old.  Ghastly and tragic at any age, of course, but such a fragile little being.  You’d never recover.  

On 22/06/2021 at 8:20 PM, LisaMuz said:

Hello Everyone

I just wanted to provide an update.  All is well. I am now in charge of the household.  

[My embolding.]

What a truly brilliant update.  I am so thrilled and proud for you that you have turned this situation around to one where both you and Henry are happy and travelling along so well.  

Henry is a lucky boy to have a mum like you ready and willing to put in the time and devotion to ensure his happiness.  

Well done !!

A friend said she would help me wash my foster at Pet Barn Dog Wash.  I was a bit hesitant, but he needed a wash and was too big for the laundry where I have always bathed my dogs.  

No photos, but it was great.  Endless warm water and shampoo (under your control), ditto with water and conditioner.  

Only drawback and this can be overcome is that there wasn’t anywhere to put towels, handbag, grooming tools, etc.  Next time I will take some little hooks as the “walls” are wire.  

Overall it was so easy and I will be using again.  

Just thought I’d put it out here because I always feel I won’t be capable of using some gadget or other; the expression “If I can do it anyone can” really applies to me.   

Deepest sympathies for the loss of your 15 year old.  Just wondering if you have considered another rescue although your preferred breeds rarely turn up in rescue, they do from time to time and crosses there of.  A hard working rescue group in Victoria is Starting Over Dog Rescue.  Good luck in finding your “fifth wheel”.   

On 14/06/2021 at 10:01 AM, Rebanne said:

Of course he is needy, he is a tiny baby!

Poor little baby.  If I hear one more person say [a tiny baby] gets “needy” I think I’ll scream.  How can anyone with even one brain cell think a virtually new born puppy WON’T get needy.  

@Snook, fair enough but I was so damned upset for that poor little puppy with all that loneliness thrust upon him because someone, although knowing he was too young, “fell in love.”  Yes, I know it was harsh and that I’d probably get harsh things said to me. If it gives someone pause and thinks about what they are doing, well I’ll take it.   
 

At the moment, I am going over to a help rescuer every couple of days because she has mum and four puppies (see my thread in the Rescue Forum called Megs: Rescued from the streets and her puppies.  These puppies turn just four weeks old tomorrow and the little cattle dog pup this poster has bought is just two weeks older than they are.  I made me feel sick with sorrow thinking about the difference in the lives of Megs’ puppies and the little cattle dog puppy.  

I want to cry too.  What a horrible thing to do.  That poor little pup is just a baby and to subject him to what is illegal (puppies should not be sold prior to 8 weeks) is not love, but cruelty.  
 

Sadly this poor little darling’s health, happiness and wellbeing are now your responsibility.  
 

To show that you can love, go back to the totally irresponsible breeders, purchase one of his siblings, take a fortnight off and give these little ones the comfort and nurture they need to thrive.