persephone

Indeed .

This is so sad , JWT . it seems to me that YOU may need a companion , a dog ? Your child must use up a lot of your time & energy ..and it would be nice for you to be able to relax with a pet As someone who has worked around dogs AND special needs children , your child doesn't sound ready to live with a dog ..and the lifestyle you propose for a possible pet is not one which I would recommend for a dog to stay well-balanced and happy . Dogs do best exercised away from the house pretty much every day ..twice a day . Like humans, they NEED to go places , see new things, have outings ...learn in a structured environment , and be with their family . Dogs certainly will find ways to entertain themselves ..and often this takes the form of barking/digging/chewing/scratching in the house or yard if they lack mental stimulation ! Trust me ...they WILL find something to do . A large breed cat sounds a possible solution he/she can have a secure enclosure in the yard to enjoy the sun & fresh air & stay safe ..also to have some 'me time' . You are experienced with cats ..so less stress for you - no having to go for walks /worry about child being jumped on /bitten...and a cat would be quite happy with a room furnished as its own ! My cat spends time in my /her bedroom - with access to her outdoor enclosure . She comes into the rest of the house a few times a day

Ok .. Using a room as a kennel may well encourage barking & scratching at doors . Being a first time dog owner, doing a LOT of homework is essential . There are a hundred questions like this one ... good for you A new puppy/dog needs a LOT of work . About the same as a young child . Do you have the time/energy to do this? Does your child like dogs ? How do they react to dogs being in their space /taking their toys/ pushing at them /barking at them ? have a read here, to give you more of an idea of what dogs need /do best with. https://www.sitdropstay.com/do-you-really-want-a-dog/ Oh ... have you decided WHY you really want a dog at this time ?

I shook my head as well ... it was a foregone conclusion ... crocodile would win , one day .

noooo....

Don is madly barking as huge flocks of cormorants fly overhead this morning .....

What tdierdikx said

I'd be concerned about a dog falling off them/getting stuck in between fence & stump IF they tried . 10/10 for thinking about it though!! I too would suggest hiring/getting a mate with chainsaw to cut a foot or so off the stumps ..paint them, and use them to put potplants on ;)

evil invaders - arriving by air .... ALERT!!

She is just lovely I have a very soft spot for black dogs ...and with those contrasty eyes, she's really noticeable. The beauty of finding the right dog is that often, as with humans, hair colour ends up unimportant !! LOL

wow!!

Nice thought - but this time they can not EVER meet .

I guess this sort of thing happens ... I've heard of things. There are unscrupulous and inhumane people in every single aspect of animal ownership/care . I have never heard of modern duck hunting retrievers being culled in a lethal fashion . Probably because they are not kept as a pack 'unit' .. and are very much individuals?

Chasejax- you have acted well . bet it was a very sad decision , but , yes, it is very much a safety and health thing - for everyone ! Go slowly now ..spend time with your dog making good memories

There may be some hints here for you ? https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/blog/pet-care/apartment-living-for-dog-lovers https://www.ideas.org.au/uploads/resources/363/pets_in_the_city.pdf

he does not know 'it's not right ' ..he is a baby who can NOT be clean because he has no access to what his body is used to to trigger his bladder and bowel to empty . He then has to toilet ..and try to sleep in the waste . Would you take bedding away from a toddler who wet/pooed the bed because of disruption in the home/family? bet they would scream & cry as well , trying to sleep in that mess. You really need to go back to SQUARE ONE and take a week off ..to learn how to train yourself and this pup ..the thing with training is to set your pupil up TO DO THE RIGHT THING To do THAT, however, one needs to learn WHAT the right thing involves ...WHY should the pupil want to do it , and HOW does the pupil best learn ? Learning some basic puppy psychology is also really important They don't reason as we do ..far from it .... You're doing well trick training ... but toilet training uses more instinct based stuff...

Don Dog ... all grey .....

there are numerous threads on here about blues and associated problems . no doubt some are great ...sadly though, many are burdened with all sorts of worries .

Leo ..mid teens ..and still wobbling along ... we thought last year he was ready to go , but not so ! he has his bed on the porch now ..hot water bottles at night time , and still eats very well .

Great article .. and a name we know - one of our DOLers, Melissa Starling I have shared the heck out of this piece !! https://theconversation.com/is-your-dog-happy-ten-common-misconceptions-about-dog-behaviour-97541

the worst sort . idiot males with guns and nothing better to do.

crawling/breathing upon type puppies ? :D

This old euro (macropus robustus) was snapped grabbing some prickly dry breakfast in the comparatively warm winter morning sun. Note the burrs..he had , I surmise, just gotten up from a sleep The white on his face is from scars ...These guys are my favourite macropod .

How wonderful for all of you

@Roova Wonderful chubby little sod !