Andisa

I bought a Liberty twin tank over 10 yrs ago and it's still going strong. It has been a very well used bath and if I have to replace it one day I hope they are still making them. If you don't have access to running hot/cold water I think you will regret getting a single tank - rinsing the dogs well is very important.

What hope is there when the vets can't even be bothered to get it right? Pretty sure it would have been said with a bit of humor since he made a goose of himself. No different that people saying Rotties are just fat Dobes :)

I would say Curly Coat Ret x Lab.

I wish I never cropped this pic of Charli after her first pup was born - she had no idea what the hell just happened and I love the look on her face. Would have been wonderful to have had someone standing by with a video camera. sorry the pic is so big - no idea how to change it.

I am not really a cat person (allergies) but that really is cute.

I had a little fluffy years ago who did the same thing. 2 hours later he was still standing in the yard where I left him like a cardboard cut out. I took it off him and away he went, he never took to a coat.

I have been back through my pics and have very few messy ones - I always tried to avoid the yuk when taking pics or cropping the yuk bits out. Next time I might keep this in mind and aim for some reality pics. This is probably the messiest I have, the mess can go on for weeks as mum walks around the place, so a mop/bucket is always on the go. I have seen some rather messy reality pics from OS breeders though and the first thing I think of is they could have cleaned it up before taking pics. At first I thought this was an odd topic but thinking back over the years I have come across several BYB (grooming clients) who have only had one or two litters and could not stand the mess so that was it for them - so I can see where the OP is coming from. (have also groomed fluffy xbreeds in really shocking condition who were never even cleaned up after they delivered their pups - 8 weeks later with full matted stinky coats - wish I had those pics)

Personally I would get the vasectomy done and finish the job off after he has matured if you have to do something sooner rather than later.

If you are finding it awkward then I would suggest trying the flexi shaft with the dremel. I find it so much easier since there is less to hold on to and less coming at the dogs. Mine would be around 8-10 yrs old and have only had the shaft repaired once and the Dremel serviced once either last year or the year before. Great unit and well worth the money.

that is good to know, because I need some new clippers too, a bit like canon v nikon cameras LOL. Do you know of a good place to buy online too? Clipperworld are lovely people and easy to deal with.

My intro wasn't crash hot either but it sure is a test to see if you really want to keep going. Sucks big time when it happens to people who have tried to do the right thing. Pretty sure we all know what the out come would be for the poor buggers who are unfortunate to end up in the hands of puppy farmers - they won't be out of pocket...

I have just gone off the Wahl clippers after killing yet another set (~6 or 8 now) and have just bought the new style Oster A6. If feels nice in the hand - similar to the Wahl but has a grippy handle. Don't go for the old style Oster, not worth it. If I don't get much success with the Oster A6 then I will be trying Andis - I did try them once but I wasn't keen on the feel of them so at the time bought another set of Wahl... Wait a few more weeks for the new Wahl to come on to the market and try those out before deciding. Fingers crossed they have have improved on the crap they have been producing the last few years. Yes - personal preference, try them out first if possible.

Don't think for one minute that pricks are not out there as described in that article. I have only bred 2 litters of Rottweilers and in that time I have dealt with some friggen nutters - the last bastard has still affected me 4 1/2 yrs later. I will not be breeding another litter of Rottweilers again due to the scum that are out there.

This might open a can of worms but just walked in the door to hear on the TV - should the Gov introduce vicious dog buy back like Howard did with the Gun. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/lets-destroy-these-deadly-animals-once-and-for-all/story-fni0cwl5-1226692411504 EVERY time a mere human is killed or mauled by a pit bull-type dog, all the professional apologists line up to declare: "It's not the breed, it's the deed". It's the same mantra spewed by the gun lobby after every massacre in the US: "Guns don't kill people. People kill people". Rubbish. The horrible death this week of two-year old Deeon Higgins in Deniliquin has to mark the end of the line for dangerous dog breeds as household "pets". Deeon had just stepped outside his grandmother's back door to get an icecream from an outdoor freezer when his 24-year-old cousin's bull mastiff cross attacked him. For more than 15 minutes. Deeon's frantic grandmother Joyce Higgins, and then his mother, Vicki Higgins, tried in vain to save him. But he died in Deniliquin hospital of "serious head and facial injuries". You can only shudder. Pit bull-type dogs are inherently dangerous. They are responsible for a disproportionately large share of the most serious dog attacks, and yet politicians continue to bow to the dog lobby. Enough. A dangerous dog is a weapon which can be every bit as lethal as a gun. It's time for a "dog buyback", similar to John Howard's gun buyback. There can be an amnesty of a few weeks before the owner of every pit bull, or similar vicious breed, is required to relinquish their dogs to the local council. They can then choose a safer breed from the tens of thousands waiting for a new home in pounds and animal shelters. The owner can be recompensed by the taxpayer for the small costs incurred. The dangerous breed is then humanely put to sleep, while a dog on death row is saved. A life for a life, you might call it. Those owners who choose not to relinquish their dogs should be subject to draconian laws, including mandatory manslaughter if anyone is killed by their animal. "Kingston", was a 57kg bull mastiff cross. We don't know what it was crossed with, but a bull mastiff is a big powerful breed considered akin to a pit pull because it is has been bred for the same aggressive traits and muscular, stocky build. Pit bull is a term generally used for the American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier and Staffordshire bull terrier. Along with similar breeds, they pose a clear and present danger to humans. For instance, in May, jogger Rob Nelson, 49, was savagely mauled by three American Staffordshire Terriers in Liverpool. When paramedics arrived, his heart was visible through his wounds, his abdomen was "hanging out", his bicep had been eaten and his armpit had been ripped out. He only survived because of the intervention of bystanders. The dog's owner is due in court later this month, to face a charge of owning an attacking dog, which carries a paltry maximum fine of $5500. In nearby East Hills last October, a 19-year-old man had his ear bitten off by two American Staffordshire terriers as he walked his dog down the street. In 2011 District Court Judge Michael Elkaim described two pit bull-type dogs that killed four-year-old Tyra Kuehne as "trained killers". He awarded Tyra's family $120,000 in damages after they sued Warren Shire Council for negligence. S adly, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision. In 2005, after three such attacks, then premier Bob Carr lashed pitbulls as "killing machines on a leash", but stopped short of banning them. He declared certain pit bull-type breeds "restricted", which means they cannot be imported, or bred and should be desexed, muzzled in public, and live in a secure enclosure. The idea was that they would die out and, hey presto, problem solved. But, almost a decade later, dangerous breeds are still killing and maiming people. Now Barry O'Farrell isn't even trying to sound tough, saying dog owners need to be more responsible. Sure, but plenty aren't. Compare O'Farrell's response to that of Victorian Premier Denis Napthine, who is also a vet, and is planning a crackdown on after four-year-old Ayen Chol was mauled to death by a neighbour's pit bull. "Let's get rid of American pit bulls. They're just bred for attacking and they can do enormous damage," he said. Unfortunately, in NSW the Australian Veterinary Association view holds sway, that it is the "deed not the breed" and that breed-specific legislation is illogical. But there's plenty of evidence to dispute that view. For instance, a paper in the Annals Of Surgery journal in 2011, found: "Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs". A study in the Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery journal found more than half the serious dog bites treated over five years at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia were pit bulls. Celebrity vet Dr Robert Zammit, of Vineyard Veterinary Hospital, near Windsor, admitted on ABC radio yesterday that: "Certain breeds are worse than others Certain breeds are very sharp and apt to attack." He also said that any dog "in a bad situation, can attack," and that no child under 12 should be left alone with a dog. Sensible advice, but sometimes children wander, and sometimes dogs escape. We need to minimise the risk. So, if 1000 pit bulls have to die, that's a small price to pay to save one child. edited to add the whole article.

Any pug breeders near you Anne? If so see if they can help you. I stopped using the sand paper rolls years ago, kept running out of them and one day I grabbed one of the stones and have been using it since. Pugs nails are right up there with the toughest dogs nails - add that to squirmy little buggers and it's not much fun. If you can't cut some of the nails back then allow longer but they really should not take that much extra time. I could spend a good 10mins doing nails without cutting them first. You will get better the more you do it, you will soon work out how much pressure and time you can spend on each nail, 3 - 5 seconds won't be near enough on a Pugs nails. I would be happy to do them for you if you were near by. A few weeks ago I was stunned by the groomers on one of the groomers groups I am in who own pugs admitted to taking their Pugs to the vet to have their nails cut. Each time Lizzy and Maverick come back for visits I do their nails too, their groomers just will not take their nails right back and it shits me big time. Maverick is now good for me again but Lizzy is hard work, she used to be great. Stick with it - you will get there.

I wouldn't worry about him if he is just sitting and waiting. If he was ripping the curtains down and trashing the place then you would have something to worry about.

This brought back memories of one of my ponies. The bugger could jump a standard farm fence or if the bottom wire was missing he rolled under it. He wore a few accessories trying to prevent him for getting out. New fences fixed him.

Years ago one of our neighbours adopted a Stafford x Amstaff, 6' fences hardly slowed him down. I took him back home more than once and we had to hide and wait to see how he escaped from a new fence. They sprung him from the pound a couple of times but when he kept jumping in to my yard I got the shits with them - I had to keep my own dogs locked up in case he got in my yard and he was PTS for killing my chooks. I am all for PTS fence jumpers for this very reason. If the original owners can't prevent it then it's not fair on any one else - especially if they were not told the real reason the dog was dumped in the first place.

8 years on and I still find it hard to talk/write about Jasmine. She was a GSD x Collie Rough - a once in a life time dog, my kids were very blessed to have had her when they were small, she was the perfect kids dog.

Op shop blankets are great, have used heaps of them over the years. I am now making up all my dogs bedding. I started off with making the blankets to throw over their beds and now I am cutting/covering foam mats for their bedding. Depending on the shape/size of the bed you can use regular pillows and cover them or throw blankets, sheets or clothes over them. Sounds like you have heaps of great fur fabrics to use up, no matter what you come up with the dogs will love it.

Turtle! Slug :laugh:. I called my Pug Buzz - great name and I would have thought a very suitable name for a Pug.... but my boy is one of the most laid back Pugs you could imagine. :laugh:

Megan you would be amazed at the amount of people who tell me they sleep with their dog - not only matted, they often have fleas and a shitty arse I also get some owners reminding me to cut the nails saying that I never did them last time...I am quick to remind them I ALWAYS cut the nails and they need cutting ever couple of weeks not every 4 or so months. I offer to do them every month for free to prevent over grown nails but for some people it must just be inconvenient.

Yep, we've tried every position possible, she's even escaped out of her harness whilst being held in the air. At the vet it takes at least 3 or 4 to hold her down. She's had her nails done regularly since she was born, she's just a terror. And of course she more she thrashes the more often a nail gets cut too far (black nails are awesome ) so that makes it worse. When she realises she can't go anywhere she bites and pees. Last weekend I had gardening gloves on so the biting didn't bother as much, but eventually it still hurts. She won't take treats or anything when she's like that either. Boston's breeder does their nails whenever I visit her and she's a lot more confident with Max than I am, but she's in Canberra so we don't get there often. About willing to go just to get Max's nails done Bugger - hang in there, she will get old and slow down one day... If I was closer I would do them for you.

minimax - have you tried sitting in a chair so the dog can't escape? I have a set of clippers next to the PC and have done their nails when they are on my lap having a cuddle. Try doing one nail at a time if she is that bad, have cuddles, pats and sneak in the odd nail between all the pampering. If she is getting away each time she has a hissy fit she will just get harder and harder to do - don't set yourself up to fail - choose your battles wisely even if you are only doing one nail at a time. For the small/medium difficult dogs I sit a moon chair, sink my backside in the chair, hold the dog and as they squirm they can only go so far. They usually realize they can't go anywhere and will co-operate. When Lizzy and Maverick (mother/son Pugs) come back for visits I do their nails every time (even a day or so after they have been "cut" by their groomers). I know how bad some pugs can be, Lizzy has been let get a way with too much and has turned in to a fair little shit with her nails! I get comfortable and she has to suck it up. She gives up after a while and I can get her nails back nice and short. Not all groomers will take nails back far enough - that really pisses me off. Most dogs are done on the grooming table, Lizzy is one of the worst ones I do now and she never used to be. Pugs are bloody strong little buggers that's for sure. My pups have their nails trimmed from a few days after they are born to once or twice a week until the are 8 weeks old - then weekly. I start using the dremel on them around 7 or so months old and they are fantastic to do. The only time I won't do nails is if the dog tries to rip my face off so they get told to go to the vet...stuff those ones. The dremel does take a bit longer but once the dog is used to it and you are doing it regularly it really doesn't take long at all. My Rotties nails have not been done for several years, even the old girl who is not very active now has naturally short nails. My pugs nails grow very fast and get done monthly or sooner.

I bought a Dremel many years ago when I was still mobile, tried the Otizo and it was useless on the hard tough nails so I took it back. I got a Dremel with the shaft attachment making it easier to handle. Also got the accessories case with a heap of nifty gadgets. Won't use most of them but they did come in handy when I cut large shampoo containers in to laying boxes for the chooks :D .