Gayle.

Aaah, that's what all the smoke will be, it's been very smoky here today.

There's a lady who goes to my obedience club who breeds Airedales. She often brings a young adult female with her and she is a delightful dog. She used to bring a young male but I didn't like him as much, he wasn't overly friendly but that young bitch is a dog I could easily sneak home with me.

Stay tuned for more news.

I dint think my dogs have particularly human names, if humans are called Benson or Dusty I thi k it's because they've been given dogs names. However I've been surprised by the number of kids called Isaak or Isaac since naming our youngest dog. We have a new dog coming, she currently has a very non-human name, from which we are removing one letter and it will then become a human name. For no other reason than she is starting a new life and needs anew name and our revision of her current name sounds very much the same.

Anzac. Love that name.

why ? if one of my family went out and purchased a blue pup, they'd certainly be subject to what I thought. followed by not to bother to come to me when poo hits the fan, because they have been warned. I would do the same. How are people ever going to learn if we all keep our mouths shut? Diplomacy, tact and good family relations. There are times when keeping ones mouth shut is a sign of maturity and this is one of those times. The pup's already bought and paid for and no doubt being shown off proudly. What earthly good is criticising the purchase going to do now? That's not educating anyone, that's just making yourself look like a mean-spirited know-all.

thats why I add the rice/veg/oats. My dogs never get a straight meat meal unless they're just munching on a bone whilst relaxing. Yeah, did that. I'd make up a mix of raw pet mince (our butcher adds offal to the mince so it's not just muscle meat), cooked rice or raw oats, veges, eggs, oil......and it would come right back up. She can tolerate that mix occasionally now, and they get it for a change every now and then as I still have some in the freezer. But all the time, along with raw bones, nup, can't do it. I liked feeding raw though. I have to admit they look a lot better on kibble, and it's easier to keep their weight consistent.

See if you can source Black Hawke kibble, it works out about the same price as Optimum, it's much better quality and they poop a LOT less. I am paying around $35-40 a week for top quality food for 3 medium/large dogs.

yeah i like the aussies but i always thought they needed as much exercise as the border collies and kelpies but thanks for that advice ;) i like your ones haha cute Naah, there are plenty of quieter ones. Despite my girls loud bark at 2am, she is very easy to live with as long as she spends LOTS of time with me. We don't have to be going anything, she's just happy to hang out with me. In wet or very hot weather, they can go a few days without exercise, but I take up the slack with some indoor obedience training and a few games to keep their brains exercised.

Have you looked at Australian Shepherds? They are a good first timers breed....active but not overly so, easy care coat, eyecatching colours and a really easy dog to live with. My older two had a small suburban backyard til we moved and they coped fine with a daily walk and some free running exercise at a local school ground a couple of times a week. They are also good watchdogs, because it's their natural instinct to give a warning bark at the approach of strangers. My girl sleeps next to my bed and she can go from silent, sleeping dog to me peeling myself off the ceiling within a split second. "Your teenage daughter's home" says Dusty, the loud barking dog at 2am.

My sincere condolences. How sad, but how very special that he left this life loved beyond reason.

why ? if one of my family went out and purchased a blue pup, they'd certainly be subject to what I thought. followed by not to bother to come to me when poo hits the fan, because they have been warned. Oh I have no doubt at all that you would.

Have a read of the Re puppy enquiry thread and you'll get a really big clue as to why people go down this path.

Before you say anything, think about how you would feel jf your sisters fiancé criticized your brand new puppy, the breeder he bought him from, the breeders practices, the price he paid. Then say "he's beautiful!" like you mean it and leave it at that.

How was their experience dealing with ALA breeders? Were they easily contactable and friendly to deal with?

My girl can't tolerate all raw for some reason, she just vomits it straight back up. So I switched from 100% raw to a combo of kibble and raw and they all look the best they ever have.

With puppy number one, he was a big robust boy and the weather was mild when we first got him so he went in the backyard with our old Lhasa Apso. With puppy number two, we fenced off a section of the backyard which contained a shady tree, added a kennel, toys, water bowl and she went in there. She could interact with the other dogs through the fence but was safe from harm as she was tiny and Benson was huge. With puppy number three, we had moved to a rural property with loads of space. For the first few weeks, we sectioned off the tiled entrance to the house and the long hallway and he stayed in there with a crate (door tied open), toys, water, food. He stayed there for 8-10 hours a day and he was fine. Once he could hold his own with the big dogs he was turfed outside too. He could see out the glass front door down the driveway, and could also see into the backyard and the other dogs area through a bay window. ETA: they all grew up just fine and none of them have issues about being left outside when we go somewhere, or suffer from any separation anxiety.

I remember that, Mish looked SO proud of himself in the photos you took. I cracked up laughing, I love a dog with character! He did look very pretty though.

My dogs are usually outside when we eat, but if they are in they lie near the table and nap. They don't stare or bed, if there are leftovers they get to share them. Eating snacks or ice cream or something else away from the table and all bets are off.

I am a collar and leash addict. I can't go past a stand of pretty collars and leashes without at least stopping to browse. I love having nice sets for my dogs, even though they don't wear collars at home. One day I bought a new leash for Dusty, it was a beautiful bright red, chunky round style and she wore it with a double strand chrome plated limited slip collar (Bub, you need to look into these, they are like jewellery for dogs, awesome!) We were going to a graduation day at our obedience club and Isaak was wearing his matching double strand chrome plated limited slip collar but he didn't have a red leash, his was brown leather. I thought "Well, that looks dumb, two lovely black tri dogs all nice and brushed and shiny ready for their go in the obedience ring, and they don't match!" So we stopped at Petstock on the way (which was actually WAY out of my way) and bought him a red leash to match Dusty's. And I thought they looked awesome. And they both came home with medals and ribbons having both won their classes.

I ran into Jencol at obedience training one day, she had a baby puppy smoothie with her, lovely little sable thing with the most gorgoeus long legs. I oohed and aaahed and said what a lovely little girl she was and what's her name....blah, blah, blah.....hahah Jenny goes "he's a boy!" I told her she shouldn't dress him in girls clothes then. He was wearing a pink fabric collar and a matching lead. Bub, those collars look a bit girly to me, if you're gonna dress him in purple, make it a deep rich purple, maybe with black trim. Not that pretty, girly mauve/lilac....let him be a man. I would not dress Benson in them (not that you'd see them but still, it would be like a man wearing frilly knickers!)

My heart bleeds for you. It's just awful to lose an oldie, I am mourning the passing of my old girl and I know exactly how you feel. RIP Melody, and be waiting at the bridge when your mum gets there.

I have switched my lot to Black Hawke and 'm very happy with it. If the budget doesn't stretch to that, or if you want something as a back-up, Uncle Albers is an Australian made kibble that my dogs have done very well on in the past and I still keep some here for the occasional chage or if I'm running low on Black Hawke and haven't got around to ordering more,

:D I had to laugh at this... This thread has made me teary, but that certainly lightened the mood. They may get older, but they don't get any less cheeky do they? They sure don't! My dear old girl Kassy had a stubborn streak and if she didn't want to do something, the tail would go up at one end, the nose went up at the other and she'd turn her back on me and walk away determinedly. She thought she was 10 feet tall! And right up til a few days before she died she was still the same.

The only thing that will work with cat urine is a product that works on the enzymes. None of these will remove the cat urine odour I am willing to bet. They are more aimed at 'general' pet odours and maybe dog urine. Cat urnine is a whole other subject. Odourgo is supposed to remove the smell, the source of the smell, not just cover it up. See here and tell me I'm not reading this wrong: http://www.odourgo.com.au/applications_petodour.html