casowner

I love my DOL cookbook and just bought a slow cooker so can't wait :D

I wouldn't know a show quality stafford from a pet, clearly the OP loves her pup regardless and I remember her thread when she mentioned she was getting a blue that it got heated too (as most blue stafford threads do). I do have a question though to the stafford people, why would a pup be sold on mains register if it is not show quality? I know that the ready answer is extra $$$ but would it also be that you do not know the pups full potential until he/she matures. Do breeders of blues advise puppy owners that the slate nose is generally not an acceptable breed trait especially in showing and if so again why are they sold on mains registers? To the OP your pup is definately cute and I am sure that you adore him. I can see the reason why people are drawn to the colour but I always wonder if the breeders of this colour advises puppy buyers on the problems (health and showing) that they may face in the future. To the OP and this is a genuine question so please do not take offence at all but if you didn't want to show the pup why did you get mains papers rather than just limited?

I met someone just recently who has an Ovtcharka. He guards their property which was somewhere near the Blue Mtns. He was HUGE! Apparently a lovely dog though. Not only a good guard dog but he loves checking in at home to see the family. The only breed for me and my home until the Caucasian is available and then I will have both My beloved Jake :p

Well back to rare coloured - the rare tri coloured westie

That red kee is stunning, are there any in Australia?

Not a dog but a piebald eastern grey kangaroo - gorgeous

A white keeshond - not samoyed

Don't know if it is acceptable or not but this parti/piebald dachshund is gorgeous

What an odd little dog. What is it? Looks like a clipped off peke?

Poodlefan does that brindle poodle have something over it's muzzle, just looks a little strange?

What would you do then to get the terrier to let go? Maybe use the hose so not only would he have to deal with the dog bite but he would have shrinkage also - ouchy Urm I probably wouldnt have done anything to make the little terrier let go. I would have let him go for his life on the chipolata. You could at least offer the terrier a hot dog bun and some sauce to put the frankfurter in to make it a complete meal for the little mite

What would you do then to get the terrier to let go? Maybe use the hose so not only would he have to deal with the dog bite but he would have shrinkage also - ouchy

He may have had his hand on something else so his arm was down not just by his sides

I am so sorry Kirty, know that you made the decision out of your love for her. You showed true compassion for her, it was a very selfless act. At least she was born into a home with love and she probably experienced more in her short life than most others do that live until an old age

I have always had large breeds mainly GSD's and Great Danes then we got Jake our CASD (RIP My darling boy), we will never have another breed and will be waiting for probably a long time for a pup as they are a rare breed. He was perfect for our home and lifestyle, we lost him 3 weeks ago and already the foxes have started coming back. My heart now lies with these big boofy, aloof, depressed looking chunks of absolute loyalty

He has got a gorgeous, smooshy, rasberry kissing face

Jakey, Our joy at the arrival of the baby is bittersweet coming home without you here, last night your daddy asked what you would have thought of the baby and it just broke my heart to hear those words and not have an answer. You are still in our thoughts and our hearts everyday big man

Dear CnB, No words can offer you comfort, I know this only too well. Having those taken so fast and without warning is cruel and leaves us with too many unanswered questions. My thoughts are with you at this most difficult of times and like me I hope you can look back at those special times that you shared with him and realise just how blessed we are to have been able to share a part of our lives with these incredible animals

We have 3ft ones at work , no bull :D

It was the KraMar chicken breast strips but the ones one the shelves now are fine, they are starting to make them in Australia I believe

Today has been a day of tears and reflection, we picked up the boy's ashes and reality hit in. My OH and I had very different ideas when it came down to his remains. I wanted an urn as I do with my others so I can take them with me wherever I live. My OH wanted to bury him (cremates) on the property where he loved overlooking the valley. We compromised and I got my urn and he has cremates to bury and he is getting a large cross and plaque made for him, somewhere he can go and be with him. I feel immense guilt for separating his remains but I believe that for peace and closure it had to be done this way so we can both deal with our grief in our own individual ways. I keep hearing him bark when motorbikes go past and then go to the door to scold him, I know it is my memory playing tricks on me but it feels so real. I started going outside to spend time with the other animals like I have always done today but found myself looking around for him. It will get easier I know, I never fully comprehended what an integral part of our family he was. What an amazing ambassador for his breed he was as our hearts will always belong to the stoic CASD livestock guardian dog

Thank you all for your very kind words they have made me cry everytime I read them. Yes we lost our precious boy to bloat, we put him to bed after midnight. We had been calling him for a couple of hours and I thought he had gone next door to be with the sheep as some new lambs have been born in the last couple of days and he likes to be with them. He came home and in the morning while I was still asleep my OH let him out. A few hours later we were about to go out and couldn't find him so cursing we went next door and searched for ages to no avail. When we called back home I was cursing him as we had to cancel our plans and then I said lets just have a really good look here for him as it is very out of character for him not to either be with the stock or at one of his guarding points at home (mainly laying on the high side of the corner by the joeys). We found him right under a bush and I knew immediately what it was. The vet said that he had probably been sick the night before which explains why he didn't come when called for several hours but with him he never showed when he was sick or hurt. He had survived so much longer than he should have and I know in my heart he wanted us to find him before he left us. It is a guilt that I will carry my entire life, something my head knows I couldn't have known but when it comes to grief rationality has no place with me. I had been so angry at him for what I thought was him being naughty when in fact he had tried to do everything to be with us, there are too many "what if's" and "if only's" but I can not take any of them back. I do know that we were with him at the end, he didn't die alone and that he knew how much we loved him. I can not bear to move his bowl or bed which is by the back door, his food bowl is getting emptier because the birds are eating it and everytime I walk outside I still believe he is here and go to feed him. The house no longer feels safe, you do not realise the comfort that he had brought us until he is gone. I am changing my routines as I am thinking about things differently now all because of this void that we have been left with. It is so true that you never know what you have got until it is gone, and what we had will remain a part of our hearts forever.

Jake, I have spent my first (of many to come) sleepless nights knowing that you are no longer here watching over our family and the animals, it is an emptiness that I can't begin to describe. Your breeder said to me yesterday that the Central Asian is a breed that you do not realise how much they worm their way into your heart until it is too late, she is so right. You were always just there, the ever present loyal guardian keeping watch over our family and animals. You were unlike any other dog that I have met, I sometimes questioned whether you even liked us as you seemed content just to make sure where we were and that we were safe. You weren't overtly affectionate but for the last couple of months since I have been pregnant you have wanted to be inside with the family until bedtime. I do know you loved your daddy and he loved you just as much. Yesterday I know you waited for us to find you, so stoic and loyal to the end. I have this image of you trying to get into the car to be with Ben and you hated the car, we had to always lift all 80kgs of you into it and it was always a battle. But there you were while we were trying to get organised you were desperately trying to heave your body onto the seat but it was just too weak. Seeing you lying there with one paw on the step and your head resting on the seat next to Ben breaks my heart. Your daddy said that he will always remember that when you heard the motorbike drive past when you were in the back you lifted your head, your favouritte thing to do was to fence run with the motorbikes. Your spirit was amazing right up to the end. Ben told me that yesterday was the worst day of his life, he is 8 years old and seeing his utter grief at your passing showed me how important you were to all of us. Your daddy is simply inconsolable, you are the only animal that he has ever truly bonded with and I don't know how I can get him through the pain. You have given us so much more than we deserved, you have shown us what true loyalty is and you have been a perfect example of your breed. There can and will never be another like you my boy, your pawprint will remain on our hearts forever and the memory of our stoic guardian overlooking our property is one that we will treasure forever. Until we meet again my friend please take care of all of those that we have loved and lost as you protected them in life as I know you will in death.

Jake I feel as if I have failed you, you were only 3 1/2 and our lives have been totally changed from today. You were our guardian, our best friend and most importantly our family. I can not find the words to express how I feel or what I have lost. When I can think I promise to come back and write the words that you truly deserve but for now my darling all I can say is thank you and I love you

That is what I would be including in the letter, it was unprofessional behaviour on behalf of people representing the Council in a public arena