persephone

because ours are done home , usually by me , they have a bowl with sardines/cat food /eggs & peanut butter as their last memory ...

I like the way you think - he will drift off in a chocolate euphoria ...sounds good to me ;)

Puddleduck - if he is eating /toileting OK /still wagging , and interested in life - then it seems to me you have no decision just yet. Take lots of photos , spoil him and enjoy his happy times with him , this may be a not-so-gentle reminder that his body is old ....

:)

BAD hubby, BAD !! *smacks Hubby with rolled-up newspaper* JOKE!! :) ALWAYS have at least one leash on your person . Good advice from others .. maybe find a couple of cute 'man tricks' which hubby will find useful and funny ..and get him to teach Scotty? let them bond over something like "pick up the can/tools/socks" ?

:) YOU need some training so then it can be passed on to your dog. Please do not let him run around off leash - the next dog he annoys may not be all noise! Dogs can live very fulfilling lives without bouncing on others - join an obedience club which you like the look of - practice lots of tricks at home , give him a sandpit & some soccer balls etc to bounce in/on ..and learn to walk him , in a controlled way, in interesting places. :)

ahhh OK .....

actually, if I am reading it right - it's not. I saw it as a body awareness exercise .. a handy thing - but can be taught MUCH more gently . We used to use a vaguely similar principle in guide dog training ... WALKING along, and brushing a bush/tree limb overhanging a footpath ..we would stop, hit the offending branch, gruffly complain..and yes, the dog would get a bit of a shock (they're not used to avoiding obstacles at human head height ;) ) .. then we would back up ..gently guide the dog around - making sure they looked up at what it was - MUCH praise when they looked ....rinse & repeat .... I use the same principle when having a dog on a long lead .. if it goes around a post/bush etc . I increase tension , until that first step backward ..then say "back" , & praise lots ,vocally .. usually the dog gets the idea , and untangles :) Hamlet was terrific - if I saw him about to put something between he & I at a distance - I would 'stop' him , then just tell him 'back' ..& he would back up, then take off again .... What that man was doing though could have badly injured a dog ..or himself ..and I cannot imagine someone untrained attempting it safely or effectively His manner is just so brusque and condescending Awful.

she has a bell on her collar - cos a lot of the time she cannot hear ME - but I can hear HER ;)

Here is this morning's snap of Gertie - Once a good worker , retired very early due to a back injury - then Mum's companion of many years ..,well into her teens , mostly deaf , losing sight , has a step so she can still use 'her' lounge chair. , She sleeps outside by choice but has her hot water bottle , pillow and blankets . She still keeps the young ones in line - and LOVES playing with Ess&Don , even though her contribution is to stand on the sidelines and bark hoarsely at the movement

Oh .My.Gosh. How that lady stood there and took all that calmly I do not know.

I can understand that!! Wise decision :)

CLICK HERE excerpt :

if anyone wants to see photos - new ones will be added on flickr from time to time :) CLICK HERE

That's pretty well permanent - weird ears & all ;)

Striker is lovely looking :) - be interesting to see what he ends up looking like .

oh..one more from this afternoon - "Indi" , alias Indiana Goanna ..... he isone of our best goat dogs ....

two from this afternoon - near, & far .

fascinating - obviously a lot of German Farming families settled there ... Nice exploring!

from top : "Hey, Caillie - what did you find while we were out?" Collie Goat Widget, ready for a chase ...

yes:) As with any new dog, there will be a learning curve - and rules/strategies , but by researching/asking , you are doing teh right thing !

this image is haunting..... I am certainly not averse to corrections/discipline ... but this is just awful ..and I have seen it when I have caught feral dogs , when they were , in their minds, fighting for their lives. I would hate any dog of mine to feel that way because of what I was doing .....

Spoony !! terrific pics :) The German shepherd one is just gorgeous!! :D :D