Pawprints

So beautiful and so evil looking. Wouldn't you love to get those shots.

No fertilisers or anything used in my backyard so thats safe. Hadn't thought about the fibre aspect - thanks

I am at a loss what to do with my beagle. He eats an enormous amount of grass, he is like a goat out in the backyard munching away!! Any time of day, any given day. Even when I take him on a walk, when he is in the offlead area, he runs around and then stops and muches grass. I tell him off and so he runs around again, plays with other dogs, sniffs etc, then stops to eat some more grass. When we get home, he has a drink, then straight out into the backyard where the cooch grass is a bit long near the fence and grazes away! His tummy often gurgles so loud afterwards. He will eat his dinner, then get on the hammock to have a sleep. Then he goes out the dog door, and sure enough if I follow, he's at the grass patch. He'll come back and have a sleep, then off he goes again. His farts are horrendous and sometimes his poo comes out almost pure grass with a little mixture of VERY foul smelling poo. I was considering changing both dogs to BARF and have been stocking up on the offal and diced meats to then implement the new diet but I am loathe to start trying a new diet when something is obviously not going right now. I am also looking at changing and phasing out their kibble. (Was looking at Barkos) He currently gets Bonnie Working Dog in morning with a scoop of yoghurt (Natural yoghurt). Dinner is Bonnie and about 150g of VIP Platinum Turkey and Lamb roll. They have had this for a long time, but I want to change to a natural diet and have educated myself accordingly to do so now. The additions are sometimes a lamb shank which replaces brekkie or dinner. Or half a tin of sardines twice a week with dinner. The only change I can think of is that I changed to Bonnie Working from Bonnie Adult about 2 months ago. He has had this grass eating/farting/grass poo behaviour for longer than that. Perhaps its the Bonnie althogether that doesn't agree with him? But they have both been on Bonnie since I got him almost 1.5 years ago. Its VERY hard to pinpoint when he eats more grass or when he has a really off tummy as I work full time. He eats grass most of the time and sometimes it occurs after we have been out for a walk and he has munched on it during and after. How do I know what food has caused that then? My other beagle eats a bit of grass but not as much and she has a fine tummy, no upsets etc. What should I do? Cut him back to just kibble and no meat and see what happens? Give him chicken and rice until I hear no more gurgling and see no more grass poos? Take a sample of the grass poo to the vet? Take him back to bland then introduce a lamb shank and see what happens? or sardines and see? or yoghurt and see?

I agree this is one thing that I dred when I think of having a Rottie. My last rottie I lost to Cancer and I have 4 friends who have lost theirs to cancer. All from different blood lines I might add. It is a thing to think about but having said that, Cancer is far more prevalent in other large breeds.

In some breeds - never

I have two dogs. I got Mitch (beagle) when he was 6 months old from a breeder, and then the other one, Penny (beagle) within 2 months from a rescue and her age is 'about' 5. Having had a one dog house in the past, I think the difference between having one and two dogs is minimal. I feed the same, I walk them the same, if I go somewhere to take my dogs, taking one is no different to taking two. If I go on holiday, boarding one is no different to boarding 2. Except the costs. Having said that though I don't have to groom them like you may other breeds and that would be a huge PITA IMO. On the upside, I work full time and so the comfort of knowing they have each other is nice. If there is a storm and they are frightened, they seek comfort in each other and thats sweet. I love their personalities, so different and entertaining. I love watching them interact with each other and I have a bond with both of them. They both respond to me and respect me. I think the difference between 2 and 3 dogs would be massive for me anyway.

Hey that's not unsightly at all, it's quite pretty actually, I even thought it looked like a tattoo!! looks like a tropical fish tatt

I wanted to join this months challenge but I really don't understand what it is we are doing? I'm new to photography and am learning fast but I'm not sure about this. I have a Olympus point and shoot. So do I just take a pic and then crop it to a certain size?

Yes they both eat a fair bit of grass, I swear they are crossed with goats. When we come home from a walk they go inside, have a drink, then go out and eat the long grass I have tried to keep the long grass near the fence whipper snipped so they don't have a ready supply but its hard when the next door neighbours house is like a jungle next door and it comes through the fence. I'll just keep and eye on it and try to start documenting the frequency.

Hmm he has been on it for years now but I did just change back from Bonnie Adult to Bonnie Working Dog for a while. :D

I thought that too Pers but I can't determine what is all of a sudden upsetting him. His worming and everything is up to date. Treats are normal, nothing changed there. A schamko for bedtime, a pigs ear every now and then. His diet is: a tiny handful of Bonnie with yoghurt for breakfast. Dinner can be: a tiny handful of Bonnie, and mince a tiny handful of Bonnie, mince with half a can of sardines a lamb shank I have been reading up on BARF and am looking at starting them both on that to cut out the kibble but I'm not going into that at the moment.

:D Great topic huh! Just after some advice. Mitch eats grass. I know dogs eat grass for various reasons but I think he eats to excess. His tummy is often making squidgey weird noises and I know that when I go out to do poo patrol what I am going to find. This morning I found two poos that were pure grass. Hardly any 'poo' content at all and they smell absolutely atrocious. Not saying his poo normally smells of roses, but these are off. Anyone have any suggestions as to why he does this?? He doesn't barf up grass, just poos it out and it seems to really upset his tummy.

Hope it helps. If you can't change the lens on your camera it's a point and shoot. A lot of these cameras come with manual options to give you more control but it's the ability to use different lenses, that is the main difference between that and a DSLR (at least that's what my photography teacher said... lol). OK definately point and shoot then, I cant take the lens off.

Not sure what my camera is classed as but I don't think it's technically point and shoot as I can switch it to manual mode and control everything. In the AF menu, it allows me to choose a single focus spot or multi so I'll choose that and have a practice! Thanks so much for your perspective

I've got the SP 550uz and I so hate it!! I never seem to be able to get what I want from It Cool stomping Huga! I mean stamp :rolleyes: CM like your apple shot I know some shots come out brilliant and then other times I set it up and it doesn't come out the way I want. I have a question regarding auto focus if anyone can help me please. I obviously have that feature turned on as when I go to take a photo, I hold the button half way down first while it focuses, then I get the green dot, and take the shot. But this is a massive PITA when trying to take a fast shot of something happening quickly. Even when I stick it on Sports mode, I was trying to take shots of Mitch running towards me on the beach and it farts around focusing and then when it takes the shot, Mitch has run past me ;) If I switch to manual mode and set it up for fast action shots in bright light, it still does it. How do I make it just take the picture when I press the button. Turn auto focus off?

OUCH! that hurt ;) Dont you edit yours or is it your camera quality? I have a olympus and no matter how I try to take a good one it never turns out how I want it. I am doing project 365 and have done all of January. (but haven't shared them ) I too wondered if you guys used editing programs as some of the colours are so vivid in some parts and so crisp. I'm not getting that. But I understand I have just started and am learning lots. Perhaps I should edit mine a bit afterwards also. I don't have an SLR though so they are never going to look as good as all yours I have an Olympus Ultra Zoom SP5000Z. Its a great little camera though. I might practice a bit more and join in March

Tealc has swum at Lilydale Lake. We just had a super long rope on him so he was technically still on lead.

Maybe she should get a gym membership so she can go and get her exercise without the chance of bumping into dogs.

Yep, and anyone who'd casually recommend others assault a person with undiluted chlorine better take a good hard look in the mirror. ;) Permanent blindness, severe tissue burns.. all for "self defence". WTF?? Sorry,maybe a bit over the top,had a hard week,and this story topped it off.Sorry.I Should never had said something like that,or recommended it.And i would never do anything like that.a bit over emotional at the moment. Don't worry about, I thought the same thing when I saw your post, what a wicked idea! Went off to make some of it up in a bottle! lol But then I am in the same boat, hard day and really bad PMS.

Agreed 100%.

On Kate Schoeffel's website she states the reason she is breeding a beagle/cav cross is because a beagle's instinct to scent is the only thing stopping them from being a perfect family pet. She is cross breeding them with cavs because (in her words) Cavs are a toy pet breed wih no hunting instinct at all (tell that to the energetic toy mad cavs I see in agility/obedience!). Apparently this will create a beagle like dog with no or a seriously reduced scent drive. How she thinks she can remove an instinct that has been bred into the breed for centuries is beyond me, but she's still aiming to retain their ears albeit with a slightly shorter snout - she guarantees they will be "totally non aggressive" - obviously she doesn't consider the role socialisation and training play in our dog's behaviour. It makes me sick in the stomach to think that she wants to remove the very instinct and drive that makes the breed what it is. Everything about a beagle is there to help it scent, the shape and structure of it's nose, the long floppy ears, their stubborness and drive. Why buy a beagle if you don't want to own a scent hound? She also said that once a beagle gets their nose to the ground they become deaf to all commands - I know a few beags who do obedience including my own and we have no problem keeping our dogs noses off the ground. Completely agree with you there Huski. My boy hasn't done obedience like Daisy but I can call him off a scent on the beach off lead, and I can also keep his nose off the ground. I will be attending this seminar as I work at Monash! One benefit!

I know that would be my first instinct too, get my dog out of harm first. But the really bad PMS side of me at the moment feels like smacking her one. lol.

Seriously if that were me, that lady would be wearing that effing plank around her neck. No one swings at my dogs.

I get 'slapped' by a Beagle paw. Thats why his nickname is slapper

Thats nice. You're braver than I would be though taking my cat out at 'dog level'. Its sweet that they get on OK but it could have ended up in tears.