Golden Rules

She likes the feathers you reckon? Give her a down pillow to play with

I know one little black toy poodle who is a mad keen ball retriever! :D She also loves swimming! My dog is another who fetches a soft toy to greet me with when I get home - in fact I think it's quite common. I know quite a few people's dogs who do this. One dog also fetches a cushion and presents that to guests

If you do a search here for Pet insurance, you will come up with a LOT of threads with many recommendations and otherwise. Lots of useful info! Oh, and I have pet insurance with two different companies, and would recommend a third but your poll only lets you vote for one company so I didn't vote.

That's quite expensive for that water bowl, I have seen them for under $50 elsewhere. Good to know they are effective!

Another here who has the same problem .... and when I give the boys a bowl of milk each, look what happens! Sorry about the sound ;)

I use BBQ chicken, cat biscuits and the one that all dogs go mad over ....... Ziwipeak (semi dried food) - I was the most popular person at the park and would have 6 or 8 dogs at my feet all the time! I buy the 1kg bag of Ziwipeak Dog or cat food (fishy variety) and use it as treats because it's too expensive to use their treats as treats.

You are right. He would just go until he drops and in fact he does some mornings. But when I see him tiring, I do stop throwing the ball for him (he is obsessed) and make him walk or stop and rest rather than chase. He always manages to find huge puddles to sit down and have a rest in (think he was a fish in another life). I didn't know about the 5 minutes for each month of age which is good to know - but I guess we have sort of done that anyway.

Yep, went back and checked the email. The food I buy is included thankfully!

Active Manuka Honey is great for coughs but even ordinary honey will sooth the throat if you don't have Manuka Honey or Jarrah Honey. A teaspoon every few hours is good

I got that email too but to me it appeared it was only valid on the small bags? If it's on the 15kg bags I'll be heading in, but if it's only for up to 3kg it isn't worth my while Actually you might be right about the sizes but even so, 5 x 3kg bags works out pretty good value

Hmmmmm, my Golden pup was 3 months old and we were going to the park in the mornings for 30 minutes exercise ..... not forced, he could stop any time. We walked to the park and walked home afterwards. Since then (at now 6 months old) we have graduated to two or three laps of the park with a LOT of ball throwing and chasing. Still, puppy gets to stop and rest anytime he likes and usually finds the biggest puddle created from the retic at the park to sit down and roll over in. He comes home a wet dog every day :D

God, I wouldn't be wanting to try it to find out! I dunno ..... maybe soft toy play under supervision only?

What did u buy?? A 15 kg bag of Nutro for Paddy. It's so far the only food that doesn't upset his tummy. But because he is so active I am giving him 3 or 4 cups of it a day so we go through a lot anyway. The special will save us $59 odd which can't be sneezed at! :D

City Farmers have a special 'Buy One, Get One Free' thing for pet food happening this weekend for anyone interested. I can't believe I just spent $120 last weekend there on food! :D Anyway, I am going back this weekend for more ....

Can't help with a vet but I have a cat with IBD ..... we used some herbal remedies from Robert McDowell as well as Slippery Elm Powder made into a liquid. This did help, but I had to also find a food she could tolerate as well. As for dogs ... I have one with a sensitive tummy and use Protexin for him and also have had to find a food he will tolerate. Have only just started the Protexin last week but it seems to be making a difference. I didn't know about the yahoo group, that sounds like a great idea to get more info! ;)

Subiaco Vet is great and not too far from Cot.

megan, after more than 4 years with training most days and spending money on trainers, books, DVDs .... I still have a dog with little to no recall. This dog has otherwise great obedience skills. He is just very clever, too smart for his own good. He should have been an assistance dog, he needs a job to keep him out of trouble

That is sad but I can understand why they do that. There will be plenty of people who will have had their dog treated and then it die, and no payment ever made A friend had his three young dogs poisoned a few years ago now and they had to rush them to the Murdoch emergency vet. My friend had his grandfather with him (he was a student at the time) and when they got the three vomitting dogs to Murdoch, they were told the dogs couldn't be treated without payment first. So the grandfather had to rush home and get his credit card. (The dogs survived that time but they were poisoned again within a week ... and properly this time All three died. )

I agree with you there GR! Honey's recall is a constant work in progress, presumably because she was never taught it as a pup. We have made progress, I work hard at it but it's still not as good as I'd like and I doubt it ever will be. I too dream of having a pup to teach it from day one. But then there's other puppy "stuff" to contend with!!! Dee, just make sure you get a Goldie pup and there won't be much other 'puppy stuff' to worry about! My 6 month old boy has had free reign of the house with my other dog for the last 4 weeks while I am at work and I come home daily to a house that is still in one piece. Bub will tell you the same, they are just not destructive when exercised well!

We are in a puppy class (well, beginners class, there are four classes because there are so many beginners!) Anyway, at least a third of the dogs in all of the beginner classes are older dogs, not puppies (although obedience training is a great place to go to get puppy cuddles I tell ya! ) and will all get moved up quickly. We were told last night that we will be moved up to the next class next week will need to get practising! My Paddle Pop does not like doing anything unless he can see a treat in my hand. He is stubborn little bugger when he wants to be so we really need to stick at this obedience thing

I have adopted three adult Goldies (actually one was only about 6 months old but he wasn't really a puppy) and they were all toilet trained (oh thank doG!) and one was beautifully obedience trained. None were good with recall at all and it never changed. It was the demise of one of them. Getting a puppy who is great with recall is what would sway me going with another puppy next time.

I haven't even got halfway through reading this whole thread but had to stop here and say Shae would be (and will be) SO much happier living in Australia with you and the rest of the Mainstreet Gang, than ever living in Dubai!!!! I am so glad for Shae that they rehomed her. Just goes to show .... all good things come to those who wait .....

Wow Gayle, fantastic! Shae sounds like a dream dog, and she seems to have just slotted right in!! You will have to update your siggie again now!

That's sad but good too. You have been saying for a while now that they haven't been too good. At least your Mum is having someone come to her home, that will be nicer for the dogs.

Very savvy indeed! I always pay because I think it's such a small amount and well worth every cent. They haven't changed their membership or lights money for over 6 years now, can't complain about that! :p