grumpette

You can get bagged sandpit sand from Bunnings. This is what we use in our clam shells. The dogs love to dig in them and lie in them to stay cool in the afternoon as they are shaded by the water tank. Partially thawed meaty bones are brilliant on hot days. They need to be partially thawed so that the dogs wet tongues do not stick to the bone when they start eating them. If your dog loves food, hide a portion of their daily meal around the backyard and tell them to "find". You may have to direct them to sniff on the ground at first, but once they realise that sniffing around when told to "find" means food they will amuse themselves for a while, and then sleep because they have had to use their brains. This is more tiring than chasing balls.

OMG are you serious?? It is not PP friend's fault. It is the idiot owning/walking the dog that is at fault. The owner obviously knew the dog was reactive to strangers, so they should have moved off the path and correctly restrained/controlled their dog until the person had passed. Whenever walking my dogs, they are instructed to sit or drop to allow the passing people room to move, but also to instil in the general public confidence that my dogs are under control and well behaved. As megan said people appreciate this. A bit of common courtesy goes a long way, and prevents many problems for me and my chosen breed.

DLL you can get covers for the collars so that the general public does not recognise them. Ask Steve about them. He will know where you can get them.

This is the only exercise our dogs get on really hot days these days, and it involves lots of grass and water :D

Absolutely brilliant news. What a fantastic effort by members of the community, who no doubt Mr M now regards as friends.

OK another dumb question............. Why is the poodle corded? Is that style of presentation allowed in the breed standard?

OK a dumb question from the owner of a short coated wash and wear breed........ how on earth do your remove the burrs and grass seeds from the coats during summer time?

Black and Tan with absolutely NO WHITE, which is a throw back to the Bernese Mountain Dog in their ancestry

Bloody irresponsible owners. Some people should not have dogs, let alone dogs that require owners with dedication and maturity. I hope the owners and the Staffies recover quickly and completely http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/woman-speaks-of-dog-mauling/xiojys9?cpkey=6360763e-d002-4461-9d86-414438b86d22%7c%7c%7c%7c

I would not be concerned at all. :D I have two leaners and toy nutters here, yet they will obey all commands and cease toy spitting when told to do so. They will only get up on furniture when invited and will get off when told. They will wait at the door until I go out and then go where directed, because they have been trained to and they know that non-compliance means back in the house and no walk, car ride or trip next door to the neighbours. It is all about setting boundaries and being consistent. If you like your dog close to you then I don't see a problem, especially if it is on your terms. If your dog loves to interact with you, I don't see a problem as you can use that to train the behaviours you want and thus set boundaries. It is only a problem when you become a resource that needs to be guarded, which can happen with our middle dog from time to time. When she growls when the Old Girl comes near me while she is under the computer table she gets told to go away, and she does. When she ignores the Old Girl approaching she gets praise. Enjoy your leaner and toy/ball crazy dog. They are much easier to live with and train than an aloof dog is.

Currently $18 in Bunnings for those in Victoria

We have the problem of too much dog, not enough pool in our house I suggest that you put something in the pool, like a step, that allows your dog to climb on and be able to get in and out easily if you are leaving them unsupervised.

Release word is "free" and it means a ball game to Zeph, but never until after the recall or the stays. For Dee it means food, and the same timing applies.

Stay means stay, unless a helicopter flies over low and your sitting on a 94/100 :rolleyes: . Then it means get up from a down stay and walk very slowly over to mum Boy dogs are so sooky when girl dogs are in season

Are we talking about the whole cloves that you put in the boiling water when making silverside?

I have been with my current vet for the last 6 years and she is brilliant. Kate worked for 6 months after the fires with no income just to ensure that the remaining pets and wildlife were looked after. When she found out that the burnt down clinic that she worked for was not going to re-establish she set up a clinic of her own. Kate still finds it funny that when I first walked into the surgery with Baylee, just for a visit and weigh in, that I was giving them a trial run and checking out how they interacted with a Rottweiler. Many vets will not touch Rottweilers, which makes it impossible for them to provide proper medical care, let alone diagnose anything. This is a real problem when Baylee has a grade 4 heart murmur. One vet missed an ear infection and a rash because she refused to touch Dee when she was 7 months old. Kate and Baylee had an instant rapport. Baylee was comfortable and Kate was engaged and interested in my dog from a holistic viewpoint including activities, diet and alternative therapies, so she passed with flying colours. Our other vets of choice are an hours drive away, which is 86 km one way. Glenn and Dennis are brilliant, even if Dennis has the bedside manner of Doc Martin, and have treated our dogs for the last 15 years. They have seen five litters arrive, been there when they have needed emergency surgery, and have said goodbye when beloved dogs have gone to the Bridge. Brilliant vets are so hard to find, but your dogs will tell you when you have found one.

Oh Jodie I am so very sorry that Ollie has found his way to the Bridge. He was a true legend that never let anything, let alone cancer, get the better of him or stop him from doing the things he loved, walks and chasing balls. Huge hugs to you RIP Ollie Dog

I love it. :D I take the Rotties down to Yarra Glen race track and they pretend that they are greyhounds racing down the straight when they see the rabbits at the other end of the track. Certainly not as graceful or fast, but just as determined and enthusiastic none the less. Yes Pers the jump at the finish was a nice touch

Read the information on this website and start preparing early. http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/pets/environment-and-community/we-are-family

http://au.news.yahoo.com/local/vic/ The second video. It goes for about 1 and half minutes which is fantastic

Excellent coverage on channel 7 news. It was the third item in. Vision of the dogs that attended, a pitty, a Rotty, a GSD. A group shot on the steps of Parliment House and a few sound bites from a pitty owner and the vet and Brad. An excellent job done by the organisers, and a fantastic effort by all those that attended.

You also need to add the following options: :D - as a huge source of entertainment - a fantastic way to procrastinate when uni work or house work or paid work should be done - a great escape when requiring those mental health moments, thanks to general and OT

From the HS website. They sort of got it right :rolleyes: Hopefully they hang around and report on the correct reason for the protest

Thanks haven. I thought that might be the case. All the best of luck to the organisers. May the sun shine on you and the media be kind. I have organised a few people to attend as unfortunately I have to work.