tdierikx

... and he holds his poo all night and runs outside to do it when I let him out in the morning... easiest toilet training foster I've ever had... at only 10 weeks old too! T.

This guy has eyes bigger than stomach methinks... lol! Lucky Mr Hobbs isn't a narky bugger... T.

Young Ru has been having long sessions of being allowed run of the house the past few days, and has been really good about toiletting. My back door is always open to allow the dogs free access to the yard, and Ru has worked this out all by himself and takes himself off outside to do his business without any prompting - and it's only day 3! Day 1 had 2 wees and one poo near the back door, day 2 had a couple of wees only, and yesterday had nothing done inside at all! What a little legend! Pickles is still being a bitch and actually bit him yesterday, so Ru gives her a wide berth... but Trouble is warming to him more and allows him to interact when he's being calm about it. He's also becoming a lot less bitey when being handled, and understands that "uhh" means let go of my pants leg... lol! He's so good at entertaining himself too, toddling off outside to run in the grass (which needs mowing), or playing with his toys. He settles fine when put in his pen in the evening - only about a minute of howling, then he goes off to sleep. Play sessions with Harper are still supervised, as she's pretty full on and he gets cranky with her at first, but settles down to the rough and tumble style after a few minutes and they have a complete ball together. Considering he has had little interaction with other dogs since he came into care at 3 weeks of age, he's doing well so far at learning to socialise with other dogs. It's lovely to see him trying to get Trouble's attention just like a normal puppy now... as when he first came to my place, he had no idea what to do and tended to ignore them and seek me out to play with instead... T.

hm, that sparks a business idea:...how about a pick-up service :D ?...you just have to follow the daily routes of dog owners that hire you... *giggle* I think I'll pass on the idea though thanks Willem... *grin* T.

Haha! Love Child Catcher William... cheeky sod! I love watching the Taronga chimps interact with young children through the glass areas of their enclosure... both sides of the glass are truly fascinated by each other, that's for sure! T.

How much has Zuri grown lately? She's looking so grown up! T.

I have student work placement at a wildlife rehab centre, and we get ravens into care at times. I seriously can't see one being able to cart off a 400g wriggling animal of any type... T.

All 3 of my dogs eat poo... and it's a learned behaviour in their case... T.

As HW says... just because a dog is more food motivated (be it by a genetic quirk or not), it doesn't mean you have to feed them more... My Lab would walk through fire for food, but as I'm the one responsible for what goes down her throat, I just make allowances for that fact and keep her at a nice weight of around 23-25 kgs (she's one of the smaller and more compact Lab types). I don't weigh her often, but go by her body condition to dictate what's a healthy range for her particular build and activity levels. T.

Awww... Pudden is such a derp! T.

The ones of the Enzi "sandwich" are to die for... gorgeous! T.

I think you are very right there Katdogs... they are really pretty amazing critters when you get to know them and their peculiarities... *grin* I love pretty much all critters... except Huntsman spiders... hehe! T.

Foxes can be funny buggers... many hand reared ones tend to be pretty friendly with their regular carers, but quite stand-offish with new people. Roxy was a bit like that, and it was a massive priviledge to have her decide that I was one of "her" people... the first time we met, she tried to bite me... lol! Massive kudos to Fox Rescue keeping her comfortable and safe so that her old carer (before she came to fox rescue) could make the trip from London to see her one last time and be there as she got her wings. T.

Nawww... just as gorgeous as her mummy... T.

Rupert (I call him Ru) is having his first time inside the house today. So far he's been really good - not trying to chew things he shouldn't, and generally loving the freedom to run around like a little lunatic. Pickles is playing the fun police, stealing all his toys and not sharing, and Trouble is pointedly ignoring him... lol! Ru hasn't been with other dogs since he was 3 weeks old, so he's not overly interested in annoying the girls like most pups do... so this is part of his socialisation training, and I think it's going well so far. And no accidents in the house yet either! T.

Today I had the distinct priviledge to say my goodbyes to the oldest resident at Sydney Fox Rescue. Roxy didn't really think she was a fox, she thought she was a dog... and demanded tummy rubs from all her fave people regularly... and loudly! She was nearly 12 years old, which is an amazing innings for a fox - even in captivity. I feel honoured to have been counted as one of "her" people this past year, and have many fond memories of her tanties when I wasn't quick enough to respond to her tummy rub demands... foxes can get really LOUD, as Roxy could happily demonstrate... lol! During her recent annual checkup and dental clean, the vets found an aggressively malignant cancerous growth in her jaw, which was inoperable and untreatable by any method that would be well tolerated by an animal in their twilight years, so the hard decision was made to give her her wings with dignity and love. All her fave people came from far and wide for one last cuddle, and now she is at peace chasing bunnies at the Bridge (I'm sure they let in foxes who think they are dogs there)... I shall be looking out for a new star in the heavens tonight and raising a glass to sweet Roxy fox. T.

Oopsie! Norty Miss Molly! But kudos for her cutting skills... lol! T.

Pud is such a dope... lol! Is that Ash or Smoke? Don is just so darling... Miss Molly is definitely mummy's girl, isn't she? T.

Nahh... once they've taken yer money and approved your pet permit, they apparently tend to leave pet owners alone. They save their spot checks for the Fox Rescue premises... *sigh* I don't want to share my bed with them anyways... they do smell a bit... errr! T.

Gotta love Smoke... Master Puke... lol! One way to get to stay home with Mum all day... I hope you put the roo out of his misery quickly... T.

Hahaha! They have a distinct odour that would give away the game very quickly... lol! Besides, Trouble and Pickles may be a little miffed at sharing with Tom and Ghost... hehe! Harper would probably love to have them sleep in the crate with her - she's a bit besotted with them... T.

Up until December 2014, it was actually not illegal to keep a fox as a pet in NSW. In December 2014, the law changed on that, and now all pet foxes must have a permit from Local Land Services (LLS) and be kept securely contained like the requirements for a restricted breed dog. They are not allowed off your property except for vet visits, and then must only be accompanied by a designated handler experienced in foxes. Designated handlers are listed on your permit application, and ONLY those people may handle your foxes (I am listed on Fox Rescue's permits and a few of the other pet owners' permits). Same for designated vet clinics that have stated they will provide care/treatment must be listed on your permit (mine are Vineyard and West Cessnock). My guys' pen is on concrete, so that works well to keep their claws in check. I am allowed to have them out of the pen in my yard, but only securely harnessed and on lead - they are not allowed off the property unless in a travel crate to/from a vet for treatment. They are also not permitted inside any residential dwelling, so even if I wanted them to sleep on my bed, it's not allowed... grr! For activity levels and stimulation, their pen is set up with all sorts of climbing, hiding, and roosting apparatus, which gets changed around at regular intervals. Enrichment routines are paramount to keep them healthy, active, and mentally sound. My guys are around 20 months old, so pretty much fully grown, but still young adults. Seeing as I'm currently studying to be a zookeeper, it kinda goes with the territory to have an exotic pet or two, yes? And I figure that foxes are a little more exotic than reptiles or birds... *grin*... I'm also doing my major work for my course - a Husbandry Manual - on the Red Fox, so keeping my own really helps with that... Contrary to popular belief, Fox Rescue are not against farmers protecting their stock (or chickens) from foxes by shooting those that they catch raiding same. We'd prefer that means other than 1080 baiting were used to try to control foxes in the wild though... 1080 is not overly effective in any real sense, causes a slow and painful death, and is not safe for any animal that predates upon the corpse of a baited animal (native carnivores, raptors, etc). T.

Young Ash seems to have all the right drive to be a great working dog... but I think the Boss might need to have another little chat with the naughty bugger about waiting until you have some backup before trying to sort out wild goats... lol! Well done Merle! T.

I actually have just had my pen inspection for the 2 foxes I've got a pet permit in for... *grin* Here are some photos of Ghost - my Mr Sunshine... T.

Secret is the luckiest little girl ever to have you as a mummy... T.