pawsaroundoz

Thanks Showdog, that explains about the situation should I be prevented from getting back to Darwin by the airlines or I get run over by a tram! I still do not understand the bit about then not taking responsibility for my dogs for any loss or damage caused (to my dogs) whilst in their care-I am paying them to look after the boys, so surely if they lose or create a situation whereby my boys are hurt they do need to take on the responsibility? Is that not what I am paying them to do? I am confused by that whole statement. Annie

Thanks for bringing this question onto the board OP. I am having to put my boys in kennels for 3 whole days (4 nights) in March and am feeling unhappy about it. I asked the Kennel staff who showed me the property about cyclone procedures and they seem to have a good plan and someone does stay with the dogs throughout the event. But then I read the fine print on their form and I think I need to call them about a couple of other points, one is the disclaimer for any responsibility that I am supposed to sign, I would have thought that was what I was paying them for, to take responsibility for my precious friends whilst I am unable to do so? Is that unrealistic of me? The other point that concerned me was the policy on people who may be held up returning, I have no plan to be held up in any way, in fact I think I may well be knocking on their door very early when I get home! But they only allow a short period of time before they 'dispose of the boarder in any manner considered fit...' as I am a single and travelling interstate I shall have to ensure that there is someone who will do something if I should be prevented from getting home in any way. Is this sort of wording normal? Ihave a motor home and do not usually board my dogs. Annie

Well until my house mate (actually that is the other way around, as he owns the house!) retired and as he is disabled and cannot get out and about much spends most of his time at home my dogs did have impecable table manners....always knew which knife to use etc lol, he gives them so many treats for absolutely no reason and against my express wishes he drives me insane. When we (dogs and I) go away in the motorhome it takes them 2 days max and they behave again! Annie

Whilst English (in all it's many dialects, accents etc) may be the National and business language in Australia we are a nation of very many peoples and quite often in the home people speak in the language they are most comfortable with, this naturally includes speaking with the dog. I think in most languages it would be fairly evident if someone was using one word or two, or simply repeating the same word, although as far I am concerned I never could see the point of banning the use of 2 words over one anyway, just as long as the command was only given the once and the dog did it.! Annie

I think Country towns tend to be a fair bit friendlier than if you live in the 'burbs in almost any State but to be fair I have not lived in Qld. for any length of time. In Darwin we have 3 off leash beaches (but there are stingers, crocs and sharks) most ovals are available for off and on leash runs however since one really only can run dogs early am and later in the evening due to heat/humididty they all can get a bit crowded and they are not fenced and one shares with sports groups a lot...no nice coffee shops that allow dogs to sit even outside-which is a really big let down in my coffee addled mind! Some nice places to walk in bush/semi bush settings even close to town but problems with wild dogs/dingoes attacking. There is one Pets off leash park with a safe (most of the time) swimming area for dogs and some agility/play equipment too. We really need at least one other area the same but in the Northern suburbs, also fully fenced and with a small dogs area as well. Annie

Happy Birthday Maxie! Yes I am sitting here with 'leaky eyes', my old lad is Carlin and he has been 'old' since he was about 6 when he had a canine stroke, he has lost a lot of his eye sight, he has been unco ever since his stroke, as soon as he met my house mate (for whom I am p/t carer) he bonded with him and follows him everywhere (my house mate is disabled and unco too and returns the devotion) I say a little Thankyou morning and night to whatever powers are out there, guiding us through life, and the dogs I love now and have loved in the past are always the first Thank You's I utter. All so very specail, all so dearly loved here with me now or long gone. annie

Yeah! Connor is progressing very nicely indeed! We even went to the off leash park again today, I checked who was there first, when I got there- nothing to worry about, big plays and wizzies and some really good recalls thrown in at random. As we were leaving a older Malamute(?) or Sibe X came in, let off leash pretty much straight away and started to run over...Connor fine with that ( ) owner called the dog away and he went off with her, a youngish American Staffy was there next before I could get to the gate as were on our way home, now he did come racing over and he looked a lot like the dog that flew Connor and Connor did hide behind me but this yank guy was a s friendly as and when he realised Connor was not on for a game he went off for a play with Clancy instead! In addition Connor is much better when he is walking on lead now, not nearly so nervous, I think all will be fine in a few more weeks of carefull and watchfull walks and plays! Annie

Perhaps I should tell you, up here in darwin most parks are 'off leash' in fact there are an inordinate number of people who seem to think the whole of life for their dogs is 'off leash'....even the ones that should definately not be. By the same token though, not many people walk their dogs. The dog park I go to (the only in in the whole of the Top End that is fenced, has safe swimming water (no crocs) and a smallish play-gility corner as well as a seperate smaller fenced area for small or even problem dogs) a lot of the people who do go their are genuine dog people with nice dogs, but you takes your chances. I think if I take things very slowly I may be able to get him at least fairly confident again, I cannot think what sort of a life a dog would enjoy if he never got to have a free run - especially since Clancy Connor and I are soon to be travelling right around Australia and we live in a motorhome...so you see I am going to trying my darndest to work with him to get through this as I do not like the thought of the alternitive. Annie

Hi Corvus, Connor is a fairly immature 19 months old. He walked around oval after our Sunday training session with my friend Sue and her Alaskan malamute Loki just fine, but they do not go off leash together. I have a friend with a much older sweet Labbie girl and at the week-end I will see if we can get them together in an off leash area, Daisy will not be rough and she and Connor have been off leash together previously. If we can meet I may suggest that we meet in a park and sort of set it up, so they meet by 'accident' as it were! Or do you think that could be rushing it along a bit too much for my young lad? I did have a little win this evening on our walk, we met (coming towards us) 2 dear sweet smaller dogs who both wanted to just say hallo and I have met this woman before and all was fine and Connor was quite elaxed about the 2 dogs having a sniff and sitting quietly whilst we talked with no sign of worry. There were no dogs in the park where they have a run at all. annie

Ok, here is what happened, for some strange reason the week before Christmas Connor must have had an invisible to humans but highly visible to other dogs sticker slapped on his forehead that said 'I am a wuss'. First I was giving the boys the usual evening walk but a bit later than normal and from across a road came a large Bull Arab style of dog (not actually that sure what he was, he had been walking with his person, who was on mobile phone and 2 small kids, he really did race across road, took no notice of Clancy at all and knocked Connor over and then stoof over him grumbling - Connor was so scared he lost control of both bowel and bladder there and then. Eventually I managed to get dog to leave Connor - and got him away and the woman crossed the road and took the dog away (or the dog took her) along with my spare emergancy lead from bum bag. Clancy had moved into the park around which we were walking and Connor just lay there and I feared internal injury - I think he was just winded though as well as being scared poo less. Then the shakes set in for me so we all sat down for a bit and I did my best to relax all of us. Since then another 2 dogs came racing into the dog park the week after this incident and chased Connor, the Connor of old would have loved a game like that but not this time he was scared again....now he becomes very fearful as soon as he sees a dog off leash especially as they come towards him. He is fine on a walk when dogs fly the fences as they do quite often around here. I am concerned about getting him comfortable with other dogs in off leash situations again and not making any monumental errors that could make him worse, I think I could be looking at fear aggression toward other dogs unless I manage this the right way. Annie

Interesting topic! My now 5 yr old Whippet Clancy works in mysterious ways! He will not work in the ring here at all, in Darwin all OT are at late afternoon or evening and ther is only 1 ring up at a time.....yet he gained his CCD with good passes whilst we were on holidays in South Australia and Victoria. I think it may be a combination of a) trials are in the day, in light. b) there is so much more going on all around him he has to focus more and maybe c) Clancy thinking "If I lose her here it's a long way home and I don't really know my way"! What do others think? Annie

I have loved reading through this thread! I used to be involved in Retrieving (Hi LL, pleased to read you are on way to recovery, must catch up next time I am down) I trialled originally a Golden Retriever many moons ago....and a wonderful Lab boy and tried to convince my 2nd Lab boy that Retrieving was fun but he really was not didn't seem to enjoy it..........then other stuff got in the way and now I am almost gundogless for the 1st time in well over 25 yrs. I do have 2 wonderfull Whippets but would really love just one more Labbie in my lifetime! Good luck to you all, enjoy yourselves and your dogs, it really is a wonderful sport/pastime lifestyle! Annie

I share a house, whilst the garden is fenced I can steo over it so it is next to useless, however there is a deck (this is a high set house in NT) that is basically as large as a very large lounge room and it is the dogs 'day run'. Having said that the boys have a really good run am. and pm. also a short stretch at lunch time as I am lucky enough to work close enough that I can get home for lunch! When we are away we live in a motor home which is basically a rather trendy loft bedroom apartment on wheels, the dogs love it! Annie

Ah yes, this is the man who, quite some time ago on his radio show told the general public to never have a male black labrador because they are all very unrelaible in the area of wanting to do 'naughty' things to peoples legs, small children etc (I think you get the drift!) Why only black??? Also just about always advised anyone thinking of adding a 2nd dog to the house to get opposite sex to the one they already had....wonder why so many back yard litters??? This man is a really big worry and RSPCA should be ashamed at having him as CEO/Director?Chairman or whatever his position was! Annie

AM: 3x a week obedience style training + walk + jog 1 lap of oval + a whippet wiz - Lunch time - quick walk in very small locl park - PM: 45 minute walk or more whippet wizzies. Whilst I am at work the boys stay on the upstairs deck where they have comfy chairs and shade all day. Annie

1. This is my wonderful Crash and one of his puppies, I love how he is holding the stick for young Cobber! 2. This is Crash all concentration before his 1st OT ever. 3. This is Wellington, who I shared my life with before Crash. Wellington must have read the book about being a Golden Retriever, he was a beautiful soul. Both Welly and Crash are at the bridge now. I will dig up some pics of my Whippets soon!

Clancy and Connor doing the Christmas Photo shoot thing! I was trying to include as much of the H.on.W (that is Whippet speak for House on Wheels) as I could for another message board...and of course so that Santa Paws knows where we are! Annie

One persons ugly is anothers drop dead lovely! But I agree that the best promotion for well bred sound in body and mind pedigree dogs is having them out and about doing things and meeting lots of people - the usual line about visiting a dog show to meet ant talk with the breeders always makes me cringe, from my experiance of dog shows that could well put a lot of people off! Think about it, think about some of the conversations that can be overheard, think about the groups of people sitting under their tents in what a visitor to a dog sho would perceive to be a 'clique' rightly or wrongly....what dog shows could really do with are some people on hand at a desk or the show office to escort visitors to the breeders of the breed/breeds of their choice and to actually introduce them so that it is not such a daunting situation. If you are walking your fit healthy friendly and sound pedigree dog and some one approaches you take the time to talk or if you are in a genuine hurry maybe have a card handy to pass on (even if you are not a breeder yourself) so that you can talk to the person later.

Hi Steve This is something I feel quite strongly about but as I am so far away I am not sure if I will be much use....except maybe in a bit of brain storming (if only I could remember where I left it lol) Annie

This was at Finke River, just South of Alice Springs and there was water in the river! This was at Lake Hart, about an hour or so North of Pt Augusta, there was water here too and wildflowers, emus,wallabies, and lots of really smelly stuff for Whippets to roll in too.

Not such a silly question! I accidentally left mine at home on my recent holidays so had to find a small one for Clancy as we were doing some OT's whilst down South, visited several pet shops of the large chain variety and the sales people did not even know what a dumbell was, in fact at one store they didn't know what an OT was either....... :D Solved my problem by popping down to an obediance club and buying one at their sales desk - Thanks Werribee! Annie

ice cream containers - of course it does mean that every now and then I have to buy 2 or 4 ltr ice cream tubs, much to the dogs consternation and out of consideration for their health I eat it or better still make iced coffees but these are just some of the hardships we dog people put ourselves through for our dogs annie

Is there any club in Melbourne doing Rally O? I would love to see it in action when I am on holidays in September. A friend and I do a sort of Rally O work out with our dogs every week or two interspersed with general training and it really perks them up! annie

Hi Whipitgood Have only just read your post. As you may remember I am travelling long term with spells in Darwin on a regular basis to look out for an old friend! I travel with my dogs, although my dear old labbie Carlin has become so much my friends shadow and what with both of them having health issues Carlin will now stay with my friend when I go away. For me as a solo traveller I find the campervan (now updated to a small motorhome) and a small lite trailer fine, suits me. I also have a bike and k9 carrier now. For 2 adults and children and dogs I think you would have to go for a very big bus/motor home to be comfy and really feel you would probably be better off with a good tow vehicle and a caravan, with an awning or annex for longer stays in any one place. You could also take bicycles for children and at least 1 adult as an extra form of transport. It is a fantastic lifestyle choice and be warned highly addctive! I plan to live this way until I can no longer drive! I'll just have to find a caravan park to stay in then as I have no other home! As 1 friend tells people 'I'm not on a holiday, I'm on a lifestyle'!! Oh and the Whippets love it, especially the coffee shops and bakeries! Annie

Yes we walk in the rain, the boyz don't like it to begin with and always want to go back to bed! But since once we are in The Wet it lasts for 4 months they have to walk! I think like me if it looks bleak and grey and very wet they keep thinking it will be cold out there.....it is still a surprise to get out in the rain and it is warm! annie