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Henrietta

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Everything posted by Henrietta

  1. I think so too! Gorgeous dogs. In case you were wondering, the music is from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet". Ziggy is actually named for "Siegfried" from Wagner's Ring Cycle. You should see the names he comes up with for my foster kittens ;) Thanks, I'll look that up. It must be very fun (or scary) when Mr TSD is coming up with names. Did you choose Emily? Such a lovely name. Thank you Long story for the name......little Em's mother's name is "Rosie" and her registered name is "Cider with Rosie" (after the book). Thus Rosie's litters are named after characters from novels. Em's litter were all named after characters in novels written by the Brontë sisters. Funnily enough, one of my Burmese girls is called Brontë! Anyway, Em's registered name is "Cathy Earnshaw" from "Wuthering Heights", which was written by Emily Brontë. Mr TSD wasn't mad on "Cathy" as a call name so Emily it was! Some literary connections there in your family. Lovely!
  2. I think so too! Gorgeous dogs. In case you were wondering, the music is from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet". Ziggy is actually named for "Siegfried" from Wagner's Ring Cycle. You should see the names he comes up with for my foster kittens Thanks, I'll look that up. It must be very fun (or scary) when Mr TSD is coming up with names. :p Did you choose Emily? Such a lovely name. :D
  3. My Chi x is quite an active small dog and we make full use of our large suburban yard. I also have friend's with secure properties that we visit. I can't imagine her living in an apartment... and dog parks are out for her. I don't know if in her case it is a breed thing or just an individual dog thing. Who knows what she really is anyway... just a very energetic small dog I guess. My parents' dog is a bit more sedate at her age and has never been a hugely active dog, but still enjoys her walks and the occasionally zoomie. She loves playing with the little dog. We walk daily, most days - mostly twice a day for the little one who is a bundle of energy unless I go to training or a friends house to visit and run around and she is already buggered.
  4. OMG now there's a new idea. Lock your dog away and don't let it terrorise the neighbours, the mail man or anyone else. It seriously can't be that hard. Agreed. How hard can it be? Not only are the owners letting their dog terrorise people, they are also letting their dog down. Agreed. As the owner of a small dog with issues... it makes me angry.
  5. Well, I came here having just bought a byb puppy... Do I have to describe how much of an eye-opener this site was? Let's see... I have been learning (it's been about 3 years) about registered breeders/rescue. I have learnt about how to buy a dog, what health testing is all about, what to watch out for, ethical issues. I have also found the information on breeds fascinating. I find researching for breeds a bit daunting, but I know I have some great resources here to start (or should I say continue) my research about my future dogs. And I've got a long time to do it in. Products - you search for something on here you can usually find some reviews. Or something just catches your eye. Nutrition! It's not like I got a nutrition sheet from my breeder. DOL has given me the knowledge and confidence to feed my dog well and the tools to be able to make sound decisions. I have learnt a ridiculous amount about dog behaviour and I cannot begin to express how much I needed this knowledge for my girl. And I continue learning all the time. Same with training... An offshoot of this is the insane number of dog books I have that I just love. Although I always have some sort of fiction book I'm reading, I am always reading some new dog book too, or rereading an old one. :D I have used the health section to read about others' experiences, because *touch wood* I haven't had to face a lot on the health front. I have learnt about many health issues. I feel that I have at my disposal a huge amount of information here on DOL and it's a great starting point for research. So, you know, not much...
  6. Yes, I think you guys are right. It's probably best for her at this point in time. She is also a nervy dog in some ways, a big change in routine wouldn't be ideal. I can't begin to describe how big a learning curve this one dog has put me through, in many, many ways. Although I feel absolutely wretched right now, I'm sure I'll be fine too.
  7. Ok, a quick background... I have a 4 year old Chi x who has behavioural issues. She currently lives with me and my parents and brother, and my parent's dog. I am finally looking at moving out, having left and returned before (my parents are gems ) To begin with, I will be housesharing. My dog is, plain and simple, unsuitable for this lifestyle because of her issues (continually being worked on and managed by the way). My girl has always known life with my parents and they adore her and understand her needs, all of them. They know how to keep her safe. I'm going to be leaving her with my parents. She has people coming in and out during the day, we all have different work timetables and the amount of time the dogs spend on their own is minimal. She is with a dog she adores... I don't think I could fairly separate them. I'm not moving town at all, and to be honest, I won't be until she crosses the bridge, plain and simple. I may move house, but I cannot leave her. If at a later date, I have a domestic situation where I can have my girl, I'll consider it. But only if it's better for her. My main question is... will me coming over everyday, twice a day or even more for walks, cuddles, grooming, training... will that upset her or confuse her? I figure she'll get used to it, but I just worry about her well-being. She is likely much more adaptable than I give her credit for. If not, I'll have to completely rethink my plans, but I will come up with a plan that is the best for her. We will still do all the things we used to do and go to all the places we currently go to - friends, training, parks etc. The only thing different will be that she won't be sleeping in my bed. If my girl didn't have the issues I describe, I wouldn't have a problem with having a dog in suitable share housing. I tend to think my girl would much prefer to go on like she has always done, with company more often than I could provide being a full-time worker and student living by myself. Edit - I should add that the behaviourial issue in question is aggression.
  8. http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=213575 Just some items (dog training books) I am offering for sale with all proceeds to go to flood appeal/related charity organisation of your choice.
  9. I know some dogs just eat from the bowl. My dog takes pieces from the bowl and carries them over to her mat, chews them one by one. Sometimes, she even plays with her dry. Hitting it across the floor, throwing it in the air. I think she just likes to fart arse around. I have had to keep that in mind too, when it comes to picking up her food. I was strict at first, but then I realised that if she is showing interest in the food, she will eat it, so I let it go now and give her another 5 minutes.
  10. Oh yes, been there, done that. Dry food is not exactly high value here and I have been suckered in to the bolded behaviour in the past. In my determination to get her to eat, I'd even do a few training exercises first, although I'm a great believer in just letting dogs eat... And it wasn't a taste thing either. I have had my girl turn up her nose at a few dry foods, I know what that is like. This was just a 'dry isn't my favourite thing, you should be playing with me instead' or some such. I eventually got into a routine that was simple. Plate down, I left the room. 15 minutes later I come back and pick up the food. Whether or not, my dog has eaten half, all or none. And it would go back in the container for the next evening (I feed raw in the morning). It didn't take long for little miss to figure out that she did like her dry ok after all. Mind you, my girl has no health problems, so I was ok with that. I also knew that it probably wouldn't take long for her to start eating, has she is quite active with a healthy appetite. If I was worried she was going to keep skipping her dry meals and only having the raw, I would've been only offering kibble for a while so I knew she was getting a balance diet. Added - I would get some samples of dry just for your pooch to taste. I went through a few dries before I found one that was apparently palatable to my girl. EFS
  11. Wow, this reminds me so much of my nan's whippet. Avatar's a bloody long movie, so that is a testament to their snuggly natures. I find that my nan's whippet is far from clingy but checks in often and never has to have an invitation for a pat or cuddle repeated. Yesterday we were outside for a run and I got tired so I plopped unceremoniously onto the ground. Mr L came straight over, dumped himself on the ground beside me and put his neck and head in the crook of my arm. He just wants to be near you and cheeky... oh my goodness, he is cheeky. I am so in love with this dog that I think my next dog will be a whippet. Having said that, I think you can really like different kinds of dog. My girl is independent, sharp as a tack, a training challenge at times (for me), very active and great fun to play with. She will snuggle when she feels like it, on the couch and the bed, but never for long periods. She loves to be around me, in fact 90% of the time, she is, but doesn't need to be down my shirt or glued to me. I have found that our bond has developed over time through play mostly, and training. By the time she hit two years old, I was heed over heels about her. I absolutely adore her and would love a breed with similar traits in the future. I found it easier once I understood her and stopped taking things as a personal slight. Aggression issues had also put a strain on the relationship for a while, just the stress of trying to figure it all out, the guilt/shame etc. We have a great relationship now, I find her quirks charming, aggression issues aside. Aggression is the one thing I'll be looking to avoid next time, luckily I have all the tools I need at my disposal here on DOL. Edit - not really opposite, just different, I think.
  12. Completely out of left field, and probably too big for you... Boxer? Edit - I was also going to say Welsh Springer Spaniel, but the breed has been bought up twice already.
  13. Oh, sorry. Missed this CW! I'll see if OMD2 pops in. :D
  14. Oh dear. So many things remind me of my current girl (Chi x). It goes without saying that I adore her. The toilet thing is my fault because from day one she would pee on towels that were on the ground which we put in the doorways to clean our feet when it rains. To this day, I still put down the towels and she still pees on them. I'm just careful to replace them before the next person comes along. :D Clyde, very informative post. Gertie is adorable! I guess the big thing for me is aggression issues, because of my experience with my girl. She loves training (when she chooses of course) even though she has a dolt of an owner. She keeps me on my toes for sure. I'd always go for a reputable breeder based on my experience with my girl. If I was to ever rescue, it would be an adult dog who has been fostered for a while, so I could be sure of temperament etc. I'm pretty sure that I have chosen my next breed already, but I love the small dogs and am curious about some of the different breeds. Already on my list for the future (perhaps) are Havanese, Tibetan Terriers (not so small), poodles.
  15. Hi all, The Shih Tzu thread in Breeds101 is not very active, so I decided to ask some questions here. I have heard they are happy little dogs. They are described on the Dogs Online breed page as friendly, independent, intelligent, active and alert. Would that describe your Shih Tzu or Shih Tzu you know? Are they known to be barkers? Do they have DA tendencies? Would they enjoy an moderately active life with daily walks and training (agility, obedience etc)? How long do you spend grooming - for pet, not show? Any health problems of concern, both common and uncommon? Photos would be lovely too lol. Thanks!
  16. Now that I think of it, most of the British period dramas I have watched have a dog of some description in them. And from memory, they are often inside the houses/castles/manors etc. Even the hunting and guard dogs. Unless they are out hunting/guarding of course. They often feature beside a great warm fire or following their master/mistress around the house. Companion dogs are of course on ladies laps or very soft-looking cushions. Just something I have picked up on in the past but not thought much of it until this discussion about culture and inside/outside dogs.
  17. Now, that life is definitely a far cry from your suburban outside dog similar to what PF is describing, you know the type who is tossed some food on a regular basis, perhaps yelled at for barking, acknowledged occasionally and that's about it. Personally, I'm an inside dog kind of person and my dogs are inside kind of dogs. They love to be with you most of the time. There are times they choose to wander off to do their own thing of course, but mostly they want to be around or at least in the same room (unless they find a comfortable spot in the air-conditioning and I have to be somewhere else... I can get stuffed then lol. We go outside to play and train and they obviously wander outside during the day to explore or toilet or lie on the sun or the cool patio. I love the quiet contentment that is having your dogs in the same room as you whilst you study/read/watch TV and I'm sure they love it too. Edit spelling and adding stuff
  18. Another vote for tricks. An indoor treat hunt? Hide the treats and let your dog find them. I wish you could teach dogs 'warm' and 'cold'. My girl's nose doesn't seem to work all the time. Or maybe it does? Maybe I need to do what Ozjen suggests. Ouch! I hope you get better soon Dwilds. I often hide some treats/toys in the little one's clam shell. Some nice fun digging through the sand, finished off with some frolicking in the water in the other side of the clam shell. Maybe do some shaping exercises with your dogs? You wait for them to offer any behaviour and it lets them think for themselves. I know it tires my little one out! Start off by finding a cardboard box and waiting for them to look at the box. Click or verbal marker, then reward. Wait for them to offer the behaviour. Jackpot and make a huge fuss when they get to the next stage. You break down the behaviours into steps towards the end behaviour you want. So if you want four paws in the box, you could start like this - Look at box Touch box with nose/paw Put one paw in box Put two paws in box.... build up from there. Repeat with any other objects and you can teach tricks using this method as well. I have found that using objects helped my dog 'learn' how to offer behaviour though. I was really generous with rewards at first because I didn't want my dog to get too frustrated or stressed whilst learning it was ok to offer behaviour.
  19. My girl would like to think that she protects me (well herself :D) from the postie (the one that delivers the parcels to the door), the Jehovah Witnesses, the kids doing chocolate drives and the Heart Foundation door knockers. But it reality, I protect her. That's my job as her owner. I protect her from offlead dogs that approach her, friendly or not, because she isn't friendly herself. I make sure she keeps out of trouble, whether it be visitors in my home or when we are out in public. We have quite a rapport with the postie. He waits patiently while I send my girl to her spot and reward. And me and my other, very friendly dog, open the door and greet him. He is a very nice man and along the way I have found out that he likes dogs. I think I get waaaay too many parcels. When the drunk individuals knocked over our side gate and tried to run into our yard, both of our dogs were happily curled up in bed. Us humans went out to investigate and the dogs didn't feel it necessary to involve themselves. Just as well, because our side gate was knocked over and it would have been awful if they had have gotten out and were injured/killed. Possums are worthy of their attention, but real drama is for humans to deal with, thank you very much. So sorry, no heroic stories here. Edit - better wording.
  20. We didn't hear them. My older dog was in the air-con with my parents. The younger one, much to her disgust, was 'slumming' it with me in my room under a fan. I was in bed by ten so I don't remember hearing any. My younger dog used to be the one that was scared of storms/loud noises. Now it's the older one that is a concern. But thankfully we either had none, or none of us heard them.
  21. This. Best time to be out walking. Works well for me with problem child as well. You hardly ever run in to another person/dog. But I agree, you have to be a morning person. I also do night walks - most nights it is cool enough after the sun goes down, I've been known to pop out anytime from 6.00 to 10.00pm depending on the temp/humidity. Short spurts of exercise like fetch/chasey/hide and seek/training seem to be ok for my younger dog in the early morning, late afternoon/evening (not in the middle of the day of course) and she recovers very well.
  22. Thanks KK, I guess it's a matter of trying different things and seeing what works the best. Good luck with your boy.
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