Tilly

Has she tried any of the anti-bark collars? ... we brought the Tri Tronics G3 Bark Limiter from K9Pro and it worked very well for our older boy. It has the added advantage of being able to indicate how many corrections have been given so you can record this to show if the collar is working or not.

The citronella collars aren't were not effective for my boys because the smell lingers ... so the correction is not over immediately ... and my boys don't mind the smell of citronella.

Never run out of food for the boys as they get barf and canidae puresea ... but they have had slightly leaner days where I had to stretch their existing dry food for a couple extra days until I could get to the shops.

If I had run out of dry then they would probably get a frozen chicken (our food) or most supermarkets have bones, chicken frames, turkey wings/legs.

Personally I think it would be unfair for the "owner" to pay for the dog's expenses for up to 2years ... only to come back and have someone say "sorry but I want to keep the dog" if you went down that road.

The plan is about the dog being looked after by Kiwioz and then going back to its owner after two years when she returns from overseas. Same as a boarding kennel, but in Kiwioz's home. The owner should cover the dog's expenses during this time.

But with the option of adopting the dog if they become attached ...

Personally I think it would be unfair for the "owner" to pay for the dog's expenses for up to 2years ... only to come back and have someone say "sorry but I want to keep the dog" if you went down that road.

Give Finn time as he will adjust and may even enjoy the peace and extra attention. I know my boy did eventually but it did take him a couple of months.

I have previously had black dogs (rottie and a black GSD) ... so I have tended to wear dark clothing to hide the dog hair ... but now we have a sable and his fair hair shows badly on dark clothes.

I suggest sticking to one colour :)

I love the black and tan of the rottie ...

We don't use shampoo but use Fido Fre-Itch Rinse in the hydrobath

My hard to sedate 55kg boy was only about $250 ... but that was a number of years ago.

I saw this the other day in the shop and was wondering how they work ... is it like a microfibre mat under the frame?

Pet store loans puppies for the night

Milena Stojceska | 12:01am December 12, 2012

POTENTIAL puppy owners now have a new way to see if owning a pet is really for them.

Wildside Dogz at Surfers Paradise is the only Gold Coast pet store lending out puppies for the night so they are not left in a dark, empty shop.

It's a try-before-you-buy program called Bedtime Buddies and allows puppies to be collected by suitable pet carers after 5pm and dropped back to the store about 9.30am.

The store assesses the puppysitters and gives them food for the night and instructions on how to care for them.

Wildside Dogz owner Justin Byrnes said it was the best program for the puppies and dog lovers.

"This way the puppies go to a loving home every night. They get used to being away from the litter and they also become toilet trained," he said.

"People can also see if owning a puppy is for them.

"All we ask is that they won't lock them away at bedtime but provide nice and comfortable bedding like blankets or even have them in their bed."

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said pet owners needed more than one night to determine whether they could care for a puppy.

"We don't have a problem with the program as long as it encourages the family to realise it is a life-long commitment," he said.

"You need a lot more than one night to know the responsibilities involved in caring and owning a puppy."

The store is also due to close in the next month if business does not pick up.

Mr Byrnes said the light rail work outside the store had severely affected business since July -- with sales down by 80 per cent.

"With these road works, I don't know how long we'll be able to keep the shop going for, maybe another couple of weeks," he said.

"We're an independent store, so it's hard competing against pet store giants."

He said other pet stores usually kept their puppies in pens where disease and germs could spread because of the close proximity of their food to their faeces.

"Rather than sleeping in their own mess, they get to go home to a loving home and every now and then someone falls in love and buys the pup," he said.

Mr Byrnes said they only had one dog stolen in the past few years while the program had been running, but because all the dogs were microchipped and the sitters signed a contract, they were able to retrieve the pup.

The puppies range from eight to 12-weeks-old and vary in price between $390 to $2800.

The carers must be above 18 years of age and pet owners must show certification their pet is vaccinated and show various forms of identification.

The program is free and preference goes to locals who are looking to purchase a pup.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/12/12/443506_gold-coast-news.html

Personally I think this would be highly stressful for the puppies. I know when my little boy came home for the first time it took him a good week to settle in.

My old boy often prefers the ground to his bed ... he also has a piece of carpet but often he only half lays on it. Particularly in hot weather.

When my boy had a tick he had difficulty walking which was initially thought to be an inner ear infection. We eventually found the tick after 3 people searched him numerous times a day for almost a week. Even after finding it ... it then took another 15minutes to find it again.

If I had been advised initially that it could be a tick (not an ear infection) then we would have shaved him earlier rather then risk almost loosing him.

My dogs eat less in hot weather ... compared to cooler weather.

We had a dog that would always sit on the grass beside the driveway, wait for the garage door to be opened and the car was parked inside and the engine shut off ... until one day he ran into the garage the same moment that the car was moving forward. He died in my arms.

Please do not rely on training ... one day it may just fail with terrible consequences.

Prawns, diced lamb, whiting ... any fish really

The sheep don't seem to be the slightest bit concerned with the barking. I would of thought they may have taken it as a warning and moved away.

Just a few ideas ...

http://www.etsy.com/shop/merlinsbarkproducts

http://shamrockwoodstudio.com/portfolio/dishstands

http://www.yourdogsuppliesstore.com/3/Raised_Dog_Bowl_Holders.html

My dogs do it when they want attention ... they sit beside you and lean in while rubbing themselves against your leg. I notice it more when they are in big trouble and have had time out ... then as soon as they are released they run up and try to get attention so they know they are forgiven.

My boys love their Cuz squeaky toys and they also love to chew on softdrink bottles so I thought they would love the "Crackle Heads Cuz".

The boys were given their new Cuz squeakies and Crackle Heads Cuz the other day and they were played with on and off over the next day ... the following morning after their breakfast the youngest was chewing the Crackle Heads Cuz. I went inside before coming out again now long after to investigate a coughing, choking noise and the distressed cries from one of the dogs ... only to find my youngest choking.

Thankfully I was able to remove the obstruction and he was fine ...

It was the plastic "crackle" inside the Crackle Heads Cuz that he was choking on. The boys had chewed on them which resulted in the insert becoming flat and smaller in size. The spacing in the rubber sides then allowed the now smaller insert to come out of the ball ...

I have alway loved the Cuz range of toys as they do last with chewy dogs ...

I think maybe the other version of the "Crackle Head Ball" looks safer as there looks to be smaller gaps in the sides but I would definately think twice before giving them another.

We just made a timber table and then cut a hole big enough for the metal bowl to sit in (need bowl with a lip). I have seen an old coffee table or stool used the came way - cheap and easy.

I have used both and our boy still got ticks. We changed to permoxin and used it in a spray bottle applying before and after dogs enter a high risk area.

We feed Canidae PureSea, Canine Country BARF and raw. My youngest is sensitive to beef and grains ...

Something like chicken wire attached at the top of the fence but curved back towards the yard may help if the dog is going over the top ...

Our now older boy jumped the back fence and ended up on the neighbours garage roof ... he was after a bird ... so it can be surprising just how high some dogs can jump.

I think it cost us around $250 when our rottie needed it done ... it is the sedation that costs a bit (he was hard to sedate). It was quite some time ago (we lost him in 2007) so I don't know how current the price is. Best to get a quote from your vet ...