hortfurball

Dobiemum, is your boy chocolate and tan (or red and tan...not sure of the correct term)? I only saw the one male dobie and thought it couldn't be you because you would have mentioned if he wasn't the standard black and tan. Nice to meet you Tibbie, Periwinkle and Tatertot even though it was only for a short while at the beginning.:) How did you guys go BTW? We had a ball but didn't complete two obstacles. Ella fell off the log twice and the third time it was me so we were out for that one! On the last obstacle, she hopped up quite happily but when I shifted my weight and it moved she jumped ship and refused to get back on! Next year it's your turn Rolfie :D

I was on there Tibbie, I left it about a week ago when it went nuts.

My team is my kelpie x Ella, the only bernese mountain dog in the comp, a husky x and a lab. Periwinkle, when she was younger, Ella would have been the hypo one running rings around me, but she finally matured and is almost like a normal dog now that she's 13! When we're not actually on the course, look for Rolfie and you won't be able to miss us! Apparently rain is forecast so looks like it will be the mud rush after all! Anyone know where I can get windscreen wipers for spectacles? At least it's going to be nice and cool, much nicer for the dogs...and us!

Mercedes, is it possible the field spaniel breeder was testing to see how committed you were? Or perhaps they have doubts but all it will take is a little reassurance on your part. A friend of mine wanted a golden retriever pup but her son was a toddler. The breeder said they never allowed a puppy to go to people with children. She persevered and convinced them, and the dog and boy have been best friends for nearly ten years. My friend regularly shares photos with her breeder and the breeder couldn't be more delighted with the situation. Unless they said an out and out "No, we will not consider you" then I'd get back to them and convince them that you'll make sure the kids are no issue. If they have doubts, ask what exactly they are concerned about. If you have an honest answer for everything, and assure them that the children won't be left unsupervised with the pup, you may yet get your dream puppy. :) If that fails, I'd definitely contact other field spaniel breeders... and I also thought of a cocker spaniel for you straight away, even before I'd read that you were looking at a field spaniel.

Yeah, who'dathunk that lil' ole Perth would have something that the rest of Australia doesn't!! Good luck DobieMum! Mim, you should come and watch - see what you'll be up for next year! :)

Tibbie Tabbie, I'll keep an eye out for you. I'll be easy to spot - just look for Rolf, he's likely to be the only great dane there. He, my OH and my friend will be spectators while Ella and I make idiots of ourselves! :laugh:

We're doing the recreational, not competition because Ella's nearly 13 and I'm not as fit as I once was! If you're super keen and weren't aware of it, I think there might be a few cancellations so it could be worth contacting them to ask. It's in Donnybrook so quite a nice day trip if you want to check it out before next year. If you're wondering why Ella and not Rolfie, just picture me trying to get a great dane into a wheelbarrow! :rofl: http://dutchfielddog...-survival-2013/ What is a Dog Survival? A Dog Survival is a trial run in which a handler and dog walk or run a set course of about 5 kilometre in which they come across about 15 obstacles or challenges. These obstacles/challenges have to be overcome by handler and his/her dog. For instance, climbing over piled up haybales, putting the dog in a wheelbarrow and walk to a marker, crawl under a camouflage net or crawl through a labyrinth made of haybales and canvas cover. The dog stays on lead the whole time. Categories: Competition: this category will be timed. Every minute a new team starts, competitors follow the set course. There will be volunteers at every obstacle to help competitors. Competitors are free to skip obstacles if they don't feel they are up to it (time penalty: 10 minutes). There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for category male competitor and category female competitor. Recreational: Handler and dog can walk the course in their own time, and can team up with others up to 4 handlers/dogs in one group if they like. Volunteers at each obstacle will help them and stamp their trial card if they complete the challenge/obstacle. When they finish the course, the points will be added up and they'll receive a certificate of participation. Who can compete? This event will attract dogs and people of all shapes, sizes and athletic ability. Participants need to be reasonably fit as well as their dogs. Dogs need to be at least 1 year old to participate.There will be a vet check before getting their start numbers. Participants are limited to one dog each and all dogs must stay on a leash for the entire trail run. Why a Dog Survival: We like to encourage people to be active outdoors together with their dogs, to have a great and challenging fun day, to bond with their dog, to develop a trusting relationship and overcome challenges together!

Three years today my lovely lad. Gone but never forgotten.

So sorry to hear of your loss Popsicle. Beautiful tribute. Made me teary. Rest easy Indiana Paddledog I haven't dropped into DOL for months so only just saw this . How is Emmy Lou coping now?

Am I the only one who thinks if they had the dog's stomach contents tested, they'd find that the guy had testicular cancer?

Sounds like standard vet practise to me, they're not a charity. If you can't pay for the emergency vet care, it's pretty common to opt to PTS. She was given that option, and as there was clearly no pet insurance, that would ordinarily have been the likely outcome in the circumstances. Wonder what happened to poor Mojo in the end?

Two years! I so remember this lovely old man. It certainly takes a while for the smiles to come instead of the tears. Thank god they do, otherwise it would all be too hard. Ain't that the truth! A new dog in your life does help to not dwell on the loss, although obviously the timing of this varies for everyone. Took me about 14 months, but Rolf kind of fell into our lives, we wouldn't have got another dog for another year or so more except that he was being rehomed at that time and someone suggested we meet him. If I didn't have Ella already I would never have made it more than a few months I don't think. It's not that I would have been ready for a new dog, more that I wouldn't have been able to stand being without one. I met someone who had been dogless for a few years after losing her beloved dog, and said she'd never have another because the pain of losing them was too great. I can't begin to imagine not having a dog in my life at all - that would be like constant pain! Someone else I know waited about 6 years because she loved her old boy so much, now she loves her girl so much she can't believe she waited and suffered so long without a dog in her life! I also think Ella has greatly benefitted from having a new friend.

Two years went by a week ago, can't believe it's been so long already. Miss you sweet face. :heart: Now I can smile for having known and loved you, rather than cry at your loss :)

Given that we are all interpreting your posts the same way, perhaps the issue is in the delivery rather than the interpretation. "did their little fluffball yap and carry on toward the larger dog first or was it as portrayed, a completely unprovoked attack? Unfortunately we're never likely to know!" I've been accused of all sorts of things in this thread. I've been accused of suggesting that a small dog yapping at a larger dog somehow justified the small dog getting ripped to shreds. I look forward to someone showing me where I said that - not some ridiculous extrapolation of what i've said, what i actually said! The 'ridiculous extrapolation' that you so kindly quoted again above was a direct quote from you. I've bolded it for your easy reference. You suggested that the fault might lie with the little dog's actions, and then were incredibly rude and insensitive to small dog owners, basically suggesting everyone should 'control their yapping little shits.' That one's NOT a direct quote, but I can't be bothered going back and searching seven pages for more of your posts for the one I refer to. I can't believe that with all of these people telling you how unreasonable your posts are coming across in this thread, that it doesn't occur to you that there may be some merit to what we say.

Given that we are all interpreting your posts the same way, perhaps the issue is in the delivery rather than the interpretation. "did their little fluffball yap and carry on toward the larger dog first or was it as portrayed, a completely unprovoked attack? Unfortunately we're never likely to know!" Reading comprehension 101 - is the above question inferring that somehow the small dog MAY have been to blame for the attack because it 'yapped and carried on'? Yes, I do believe it is. End lesson. Nic.B, what a terrifying experience for you and Fern, so lucky the two of you didn't receive worse injuries, not in any small way due to your selfless defense of your dog!

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/02/16/14/01/dog-killed-in-victorian-street-attack A man has been bashed with a fence post, leaving him seriously injured, and his small dog kicked to death in a street attack in Melbourne's outer southeast. The 43-year-old man had been walking his two dogs at Hastings, on the Mornington Peninsula, when two men and a woman riding mini motorbikes rode past him about 9.40pm (AEDT) on Friday, detectives say. An altercation broke out and the man was hit with a fence post and his brown mini fox terrier cross jack russell was kicked and killed, police said on Saturday. The other dog, a golden retriever, ran away. The offenders, wearing helmets and protective clothing, then fled on their Chinese mini bikes and were last seen riding west along Hodgins Road. The 43-year-old man was taken to Frankston Hospital with serious injuries. Just so sad. Poor man to suffer such violence and lose his friend in this way and poor little dog. RIP little brown dog

Probably wouldn't surprise anyone to hear that I know that great dane! :) (and his handler) Some of you showies might have seen Tiny at the shows too :) I think this Top Dog Downunder can only be a positive thing for the purebred world. Why not help promote purebreds in any way that we can! I think it's just for a bit of fun. Obviously the chi isn't going to beat the dane in strength, but it does in portability so by default, the show will highlight how different breeds are suited to different people. Dumb dogs take longer to learn and smart dogs are all good, but not everyone wants a dog that can outsmart them! :laugh: I met the perfect example of 'wrong fit' today. An older couple who are not very mobile (He's attached to an oxygen tank and she can't move far without a chair) and they have an older staffy (not a bad fit) and what appears to be a 15 month old chi x jack russell x ADHD child. Their DIL occasionally walks the chi/JR/devil dog, but it's basically going nuts with boredom and is bouncing off the walls so they muzzle it when they go out so it can't destroy anything in the house. The only exercise this girl gets is to play chasey with the staffy in a very small backyard. Thankfully the staffy is only too delighted to play! I'm only there to do some gardening but I've offered to teach the pup some basic tricks to keep her brain active, and show them how to continue with the training once she clicks into the 'training is GOOD' mindset. I'm also recommending brain testing dog toys, where they have to work to get their treat by figuring out how to twist and open the toy.

2 very highly regarded behaviourists: Kathy Kopellis McLeod http://kathysdogtraining.com.au/ Gibb McDonald (Morley Vet Centre) - www.vetcentre.com.au/aboutus/ourstaff/ EFS

Damn that's cute! Is that Jive and Alice? Oh Mashlee, what was 'differential reinforcement' again? In layman's terms? He tended to label fairly simple principles - I remember the principles but not necessarily the names! Never mind, curiosity and impatience to know the answer got the better of me and I googled it! :laugh:

Ahhh! Of course - 2 kelpies! :) Is that how you and our Belgian shepherd owning friend got chatting - realised you were both DOL people? Did you put your name and email address on the list that was going around for course notes? I'm hoping we get the notes for all three days but I don't know if I'll be that lucky. If you didn't see the list come around, pm me your email and I'll forward them on. I'm glad I skipped out on the last hour - my other friend told me I didn't miss much and it meant I got home in time for us to take the dogs out for a walk and dinner at Dome :)

I probably should have mentioned this before the tour rather than after but I presumed you guys would all have known about Ian Dunbar coming to Perth because you are mostly into obedience, I went to day 3 of the seminar today. Lots of fun, he's hysterically funny! I have an appalling habit of falling into a digestive coma after lunch in lectures/seminars but not so today!! Learned lots about what I've been doing right, what I've been doing wrong, and what I've almost had right but can improve upon and simplify for the dogs. His methods make perfect sense! Anyway, did anyone else go?

Your 'normal' coloured foal is just as gorgeous! Such a rich colour and so glossy! I could never give a dog back after a year! I fall in love with them. She's very pretty! I love that colour in Lappies. :) Ptolomy, your puppy is adorable! Are you kidding about the three year old? Did one of yours do something naughty?

OMG I've only just found this thread and flicked through it. Sammy is completely adorable and the girls are lovely too. Congrats on your headbutting pup!

Wow guys, didn't think I'd be the one to ressurrect this thread! Where are you all? Mirawee, you must have gorgeous little Alice by now, too busy cuddling and playing and sniffing puppy breath to post huh? Your horses are stunning BTW! Are they palominos? FlowerProwler, when you say 'down here' I'm guessing you're somewhere south of Perth? So am I. Anyone remember me posting about a female dane needing a home? She has one - she's gone to live with a retired couple on acreage so great news. :)

Good news, the female dane has a home :) She's moving to an acreage property with a retired couple who've had danes before and will take her everywhere with them.