tdierikx

My Zeddy (Rottie/Pittie cross) will come to Mummy (me) if she needs comforting for any reason... apparently I can make anything better... *sigh* Trouble (Lab cross) couldn't care less... Pickles (Camp Dog) has limited feeling in her legs, and sometimes I think her brain doesn't turn on in the mornings - so she is pretty blase about injuries... but I keep checking her feet regularly in case she does any injuries she can't feel... T.

I love the sound of your dogs... or lack of sound... *grin* Don't let their quietness belie the fact that they would probably quite happily defend you with whatever force is necessary if there ever was a need for it... As for which sex might be the "better" guard/alert dog... it depends on how you train them... however, I have found that my females are more into that "training" than my males. P.S. Do you want my Zeddy? She puts on the most terrifying display when strangers come to the door... but she is really the biggest cuddle tart you'll ever find... *hehe* T.

If Harold and Alaska have found their perfect homes, then there is definitely going to be one for Lani eventually... she really is a sweet and playful young girl under that slightly wary exterior... oh - and remember how she reacted to me when I brought out the treats? She was quite happy for me to play with her once I'd given her treats and a gentle word... T.

Way to go Alaska!!! Well worth waiting to find your perfect forever home! Great job Rach!! T.

Another vote for 2 wire crates... you could put them side-by-side if your dogs like to feel that they have company. I have a dog here that actually managed to destroy a wire crate and get out... so they aren't completely indestructible if the dog is truly committed to getting out... errr! (she sleeps on the bed now... grrr!) T.

You could try PM'ing Ruthless, she makes awesome custom collars... T.

Some of my fosters playing... James and his 3 little girlfriends Petal, Flower, and Blossom James was the most gentle boy - he didn't have a nasty bone in his body. In that photo he weighs in at 35kgs and his girlfriends were 2.5 kgs... T.

By "breeders" they mean "commercial breeders" - basically places that produce lots of designer cross puppies for an ever demanding public... call them what you will... *sigh* T.

It's not so bad if the waste isn't sloppy and stinky... *grin* T.

When my Lab girl had 9 pups we fed her lots of chicken wings and puppy milk formula (Biolac or Di-Vetelact can be bought in big tins from pet supply places like Petbarn). Keep an eye on the smaller or weaker pups and try to make sure they get as much mum's milk as possible - if you can convince the larger and stronger ones to have some formula once or twice a day, that will make them less pushy with the littler ones and will take some of the pressure off mum dog's milk supply. Also feel up mum dog's teats daily to make sure she doesn't develop any hard or hot spots, those can be signs of mastitis, and you definitely don't want that... hand feeding 11 pups is no walk in the park... A vet check of mum and pups in the next few days will also put your mind at rest as far as everyone's health is concerned. Congratulations on your new arrivals... and don't be shy to yell if you need any help, OK? T.

Sounds quite normal to me... ... but I'm a crazy dog lady... *grin* T.

My Lab is crated during the day while I'm at work, and the other 2 dogs are loose in the kitchen. The Rottie X girl is segregated in a spare room at night and the Lab is loose with the other dog. The Rottie X will happily go in a crate, but she is fine in the spare room also. Both older dogs had never been crated until they were 5 and 11 respectively. Pickles the foster failure does NOT do crates - she has actually destroyed one by chewing the steel bars enough to get herself half out of it! All of my fosters are crate trained. T.

My girls don't fancy other adult dogs as fosters, but are fine with pups up to about 12 months old... so that's what I tend to foster... *grin* T.

My Zeddy will carry on like a great big vicious dog when anyone comes to the front door, but as soon as I say hello and let the person in, she is the biggest tart demanding cuddles... Recently I was very sick and had to call an ambulance to take me to hospital... I actually dragged myself around to get the dogs contained before they arrived... *sigh* T.

The last line of the Eulogy link posted in the OP sums it up... “Marley, you are a great dog.” Anyone who has had a slightly incorrigible dog can identify with the book... I laughed so hard in parts I nearly peed myself, and then a few pages later I would be in tears. John Grogan truly loved Marley and that shines through in his writing. Probably one of the best books I've read ever. The movie really didn't do it for me the same way as the book did in that sense... Oh - and Marley ain't the only dog that has been expelled from group training... I've had 2 of those myself... but both settled as they got older and learned the basics perfectly. T.

Looks like there are no courses available right now - TAFE website says not, but you could ring and ask if there may be one coming up... The AWL sometimes runs them too - could check with them... T.

Oh JulesP! Big hugs from me and mine to you and yours... T.

No insights... just eye candy... *grin* T.

Was there ever any real doubt that he'd worm his way into the hearts of your pack Ruthless? T.

Anyone here remember the Chesty Bond adverts? Hehe!! T.

Do Atlas's jammies come in a larger size for Madam Zeddy? Miss Pickles says that if Mummy doesn't mow the lawn short enough, she'll get surprises in the house... Pickles doesn't like long wet grass tickling her tummy BEFORE she squats! Or Miss Pickles will just dump on the steps at the back door... errr! T.

I can only think of one use for the vet in this show... and it's not treating my dogs... *grin* T.

My neighbour put me onto this place when she also "recruited" me to foster a rescue dog... now you are stuck with me... *grin* T.

The key word here is "asymptomatic" methinks... unless tested, you ain't going to know it's there until it's too late... Without knowing the breeding background of the tested dogs in the study, it's a little hard to draw absolute conclusions as to the prevalence of this disease in the breed. How many of the dogs were sourced from ethical registered breeders who screen their breeding stock regularly, for example... ?? Add to the above the fact that research is usually undergone to prove or disprove a particular theory... well... T.

Another vote for Annandale vet here... excellent service and wonderful vets and staff... worth the extra few minutes to get to... T.