Aubrey

Hi Guys My 6 month old MS has been sneezing a lot over the past 2 days (Quite a lot last night in bed) This morning she is very quite and off her food Is it possible that she could have a cold? It could also be allergies...but she is not scratching at all...she is usually really hyper in the morning and she is now just sitting in a corner watching me :cool: Do u think I should take her to the vet or am I overeacting? Thanks Kellie

Were you in a dog park where the dog was allowed to be off leash, or were you walking in the street with your MS and the Dalmation just attacked? Dogs by nature can be dominant or agressive, it is the dog more than the owner, but the owner should be in control, or have the dog on a leash. I know there are leash laws that can give out fines, restrict dogs to private property etc etc, was the dalmation registered and did you get the tag numbers? We've introduced Aubrey to large and small dogs when on leash as well as dog parks, and she has been pretty good. Now she stays away from the larger dogs that she thinks might bowl her over, but she often plays with a Standard Schnauzer we see at the dog park regularly! However, if we see other agressive dogs with poorly behaved owners, we move Aubrey to another side of the park and practice call back, or we leave the park all together... not worth the risk, as unfortunately you found out. Hope your MS recovers, they are pretty hardy and confident little things :D

Small plug I know, but this forum / website is really good for hints / tips and some fun assignments etc to learn how to use the camera (which ever one you have!) http://digital-photography-school.com Enjoy Andrew

I got my camera from e-infotech for a lot less than Teds / Harvey Norman / Cemera Warehouse and then got 2 VR lenses from Discount Digital Photography for a lot less than the high street. The setback - waiting 2 days for delivery. As to warranty, if you get an issue with your HN/Teds etc. camera, they send it to Nikon in Sydney, if I get an issue with my Nikon camera I got online, even though it came from Taiwan, it goes back to Sydney. At the end of the day, all the cameras are made in the same factory, and if they need repairs, they all go to the same repair shop. Plus, with cameras, issues manifest in the first few weeks, and are then covered under the shop warranty, rather than Nikons. I thought long and hard over it, but then spending $700 for the camera, compared to $1200 in a high street for the same product made my mind up for me! As to the kit lenses, becareful as the kit lenses are often the non-VR lenses which sell for around $100 compared to the VR lenses which sell for nearly $300.... so whilst you have a camera and 2 lenses for $1500, if you bought them seperately as I did, you get the camera and 2 VR lenses for less I agree though, go to a camera shop and try each in your hand... the Nikon D80 felt the more robust, comfortable and easiest to use when in my hand.... try all the buttons, flicking the menu switches, adjusting the shutter speed, focus point (all 11 of them!) and other settings. I also tend to just have the 55-200 lens on the camera, with the 18-55 only coming out for the real close up shots... although I am looking at getting a Macro Lens and a 300 or 400 lens for the long distance... saving up for a 2.8 so it is a quick as can be. I used to use the Auto and Sports mode, but due to some training (and night classes beginging in October) I know pretty much use the Manual, A and P settings. They are though very good for getting some excellent shots and usually you get a selection to choose from, but now I use the A and P mode on burst shots and continous focus, I tend to take about 100 to 200 shots, of which I'll keep about 20, ahh the digital age. We've posted a few of the more recent ones under this section with Aubrey at the dog park as the title Not the best quality on here, but gives you and idea.

I have a Nikon D80 which I got imported and save '000s compared to high street prices. I also have a 18-55 and 55-200 VR Lens, saving up for a 400mm non-VR lens to get the really long distance shots. All in, I spent around $1400 on the 3 items, which have gone down in price now, and would still cost you over $2000 in a high street... There are some photos on the Photos Photos Photos pages that we took over the weekend, but aren't as good quality due to compression on here, PM me and I'll send you some of the "real pictures"

We have the same with Aubrey. She occasionally goes of the Hills and the Eagle Pack that we give her.... we've put in fish (tuna and sardines) as well as an egg, but some days she just doesn't fancy it. Other days though, it is a different story and she eats quite happily. We also give her tinned food from the Hills plan with the kibble. I have to agree with the previous post about the teething... I think this has been effecting Aubrey and her eating habbits too (I found a tooth on the floor the other day)... She just loves the softer foods all the time, but will happily eat the dry food when it isn't causing her any issues. We haven't worried though, and make sure she gets beef bones, chicken mince, chicken necks, carrots and other goodies that keep her healthy, as I am sure you are.

Can you let me know... ta! And me please.....

I got mine from http://d-d-photographics.com and from http://www.einfotech.com.au I went for the Nikon D80 with a 15-70 VR and 70-200 VR lens... fantastic value and saved me 000's compared to high street shops for the same model / kits. Warranty wise, if there is a problem, it still goes to Nikon in Sydney, the same as if you purchased it in a high street, so didn't both me! Andrew

Hi Raeviel and Brodie! Brodie is just adorable!! I totally understand your problem with Brodie! We are the owners of a 16 week old Mini Schnauzer Aubrey. She is exactly the same in the mornings. She wakes like clockwork at 7am each morning and wants to play...this has happened everyday since we got her almost 6 weeks ago. ;) She sleeps in our bedroom however in her little bed next to ours so we don't have a problem at night-time, if we turn of the light most of the time she will happily put herself into her bed and go to sleep. I get up most nights around 3ish so I take her out to the toilet even though she is not asking to go. I know that she can hold on for approx 5.5 hours so when 7am rolls around she doesn't want the toilet she just wants to play. She will prop her paws up on the bed and scratch and whine a little until we get up and play with her. This is especially annoying on weekends so we are trying to train her to get up when we do. If we ignore her sometimes she will go back to sleep but this only last about 20 minutes - a couple of times on the weekend myself or my OH have gotten up and played with her for about an hour and then taken her back to bed and she has slept for another 1.5 hours. I am a sucker for her cute little face looking up at me so often I will just get up on the weekends - I miss my sleep-ins though... We are hoping it is maybe a puppy-faze It seems to be a mini schnauzer thing waking up at 7am! Or are all puppies like this?? We are new to this If anyone else has any theories on how to get a puppy to sleep a bit longer in the mornings I would love to hear them too

It is good that you are already thinking about this and it was the one thing that concerned me and my wife before we got Aubrey, our Mini Schnauzer. We got her when she was 13 weeks old and picked her up on Tuesday night and then took the rest of the week off work to have her settle, so she had 5 days with her to get her used to us going out. Fortunately my wife works not too far away from our house so she was able to come home at lunch times for the first few weeks.... although I think that sometimes that coming home at lunch time got her excited and she was worse when we left to go back to work after 1/2 hour. We have lots of toys for her and rotate them daily, we also leave a treat ball and a stuffed kong for her to get some food from during the day. The turning point though was last weekend we got a doggy door and she took to it straight away, so we know she can go in and out of her area of the house to the garden when she wants - of course we made sure the garden is very secure and she can't dig her way out! My wife went home at lunch time yesterday and snuck around the back to check on her, rather than going through the door which she hears... she was asleep in her bed.... just goes to show, they don't get up to much all the time My advice, make sure it has plenty of toys, rotate them and also knows an area where to do its "business" and has water etc. Play with it each morning and evening, and spend lots of time with it at the weekend (down at the park, in the garden or just on walks). Good luck Andrew

Here is our new Miniature Schnauzer called Aubrey at 13 weeks!