RubyStar

Oh noes I hope a fortnight's rest does her good. I know how hard it is to keep them quiet then when they look like they're ok, we ease up a bit! I went retrieving training with both girls this morning. I was a bit cautious to let Ruby do anything on land (I had planned on doing water stuff only) but as the vet said I shouldn't restrict her exercise and she's been good this week, I let her do one land retrieve. So after a little bit of hooning around this morning, she still seems fine so I am crossing all my crossables it stays that way!!!!

Or get arrested

It is a PITA to get the crate in and out, and it smells so doggy so my whole car just stinks of dog!!! I was just whinging to Mum about it. I could probably get someone to make me the doors to go on the back, but having a divider probably wouldn't work because then they'd have hardly any room. But if I don't divide it, then Millie will STILL try to be the first to squeeze out the door when I open it, even if I was to have a door on each side. It's just her style to push past Ruby and Ruby is too much of a pushover to stop it (but I'm glad about that, it could cause fights if Ruby stood up to Millie). So it does come down to me needing the divider to make it useful. I need to be able to determine which dog I want out at a time! I could always cover Millie's crate door over with a towel. Way to go, Strauss! Wish I could title a Lab that quickly! Not many more for you to go now, Strauss!! :D

My choc lab has half her tail bleached like that, and when she is losing coat. But when the coat drops, she is back to rich chocolate (minus the bottom half of her tail!) I might try Livamol, but how much should I be giving and where do I get it from? I could also give it to my yellow lab right? Edit: what is it? A liquid form or something else?

Talk about an effort No thanks :D I did actually buy one for that exact reason when I first got my car but as mentioned, what a PITA to get the ramp in and out and the dogs wouldn't wait for that, they'd just jump out! And Ruby refuses to use it, I tried to train her to use it and she was too scared (hence why we still have dogwalk phobia in agility). I have put it down my back step though so Ruby doesn't put unnecessary weight on her sore leg as she goes down the step out the back door and even though it is wobbly under her feet, she's starting to get used to it even when it slips off the step

I guess coming from a Getz, you'd see the length difference with a station wagon My problem though is coming from a Tucson, I don't want a car that sits so low on the ground again I like sitting high! But I'm not a fan of my dogs having to jump so high to get in and out. I might ask Steve next week if he thinks anything can be done for my car, but I won't hold my breath.

But then I can't take passengers Not that I ever do apart from my mum

There's a dog debarked near my parents house. This house fronts onto a public park, the front yard is fully fenced with wrought iron bars so you can see the park from the front, and their 2 dogs are kept in the front yard all the time. Rather than relocating the dogs to the backyard, they opted to debark the dog who must have barked the most at all the people in the park.

No, I don't think I can. The depth of the boot is too small, and the wheel arches interfere with the width of my boot room. I want the seats permanently up, too. I wonder what the average depth measurements need to be to make it work. I would much prefer to keep my car, but I just fear the boot isn't big enough, especially if I get another dog in a couple of years. Oh and it's already so high for them to jump, a false floor would make it harder for them I'd imagine.

I'm thinking of trading my car in for a new one I'm so sick of it not being suited to my doggy lifestyle. Love it to bits, have only had it 2 years but it just doesn't work for me! I want a car that I can have inbuilt crates in the back while keeping the back seats up for human passengers, and a raised bottom under the crates so I can carry stuff. I don't want to transport dog stuff in my back seats anymore and I want the back divided into 2 sections because Millie is such a little miss and needs to be contained in her own section so if I want to get Ruby out, I don't have to struggle with her! I've tried so much to get her to behave in the back when getting them in and out, but she seriously has a screw loose in her head! She just isn't capable of functioning normally when the excitement of the car is there. And poor Ruby slinks into herself because she can't cope with it, either. Her personality only shines when she doesn't have psycho Millie in her face! So what does everyone here drive? Or do you have any recommendations for a car that suits my needs? I am not a fan of stationwagons but I am thinking I may have to go this way. The Hyundai i30 wagon is so far winning the race, but I don't really know what else is out there. I don't want something high again where the dogs have to jump too high to get into it. Hoping some of you can help, or I may start a new thread

I have looked at many breeds and would love to own a few, but I always keep coming back to my Labs I'll always have one I think. Woohoo!! Way to go, Scoota!! OMG! Poor Toby. Hope he feels better soon and stops getting into the wars!!!

OK so I went from ordering nothing from Clean Run, to now having the following in my cart: EZ Freeze Food Storage Container x 2 ($1 off each one when you buy 2 or more, so why not ) Road Refresher Non-spill Dog Bowl x 1 Collapsible Silicone Travel Bowls x 1

emery, what is the cornflour for? To stop bleeding if you cut too short, or something else?

I've got it, bought it ages ago, yet to read past the first few pages, though Just struggle to find time and motivation to read!

OK, the road refresher bowl I would put in the NEED basket too, so think I might order one as well Not sure what the space blanket is, I better go check that out. Shopping always makes me feel better, too

Aren't you meant to be saving money? :p Oh and "need"? ;) I just bought a 20kg bag of Black Hawk food to try, plus fish oil tablets, plus vet fees, and everything else And I already have 2 cool coats so I think I am safe from having a clean run spending spree!

Doesn't this vet surgery take bookings? Interesting approach! What happens if you are at the end of the queue and waiting for ages and it gets to 12 and he says no more patients??

Hi guys, in case anyone is interested and missed out last time, Clean Run have free shipping on their cool coats again (and some other stuff so maybe don't visit the website if you're trying to save money! )

Do you mind me asking what they cover and how much extra roughly it costs?

Video, or none of this happens

One of mine won't tug. I have half heartedly tried, but it came down to she doesn't want to, so why bother? I found other ways to reward her for agility (and obedience). Both mine love food, so a lot of what I have taught has been using food. I must say though, to teach weaves, even though using food is possible, finding a toy your dog likes to train it is worthwhile IMO (well I guess it depends on the method you teach it I guess). I can only imagine how many truckloads of food I would have had to go through with all the weaving repetitions in 2x2 training if both of mine weren't nuts about their squeaky ball! The cost and their waistlines, I'd hate to think

Question to those who also do obedience with their retrieving dogs.... for the directed retrieve in UD (gloves exercise), would you use the command "fetch" or "back"? I've been teaching my kids blind retrieves (still in sight) with "back", and now that I am starting gloves work for UD, I am wondering what the best command is to use (I use "fetch" for dumbell retrieves). The good news is because of the dummy work I've been doing with the kids, I've come back to gloves work and they have picked it up quite well!! Oh while I'm at it, another UD exercise which may conflict with retrieving. Directed jumping... I have only played a little with this, but was using "over" with my arm pointing in the direction of the jump I want them to take. Will this confuse my retrieving work when they're out in the field? Can I just use the same concept in retrieving, using "over" and my arm in the direction I want? I am bad with lefts and rights under pressure

You missed the biggest update - PHOTOS!!!!!!! Please :D

Not a great start to the morning. Some might remember me mentioning that last year I was bailed up by 2 vicious snarling dogs in my own street and one bit me, so ever since then I am extremely nervous about any offlead/roaming dogs. My street is probably the worst one for it, several houses just let their dogs out to roam by themselves. And I need to walk to the train every morning (and back again in the afternoon) so am constantly seeing roaming dogs in front yards with no owners in sight. This morning one was out (again), so I thought enough is enough, hopped on the phone to council to report it. Ranger found the dog, got in contact with the owner, and it turns out their fencing isn't good enough so she's issued a warning to get the fencing fixed. Owner was concerned dog was out and came straight home from work so at least they aren't in the group of morons who decide it's ok to let their dog wander out the front on their own. Now I'm on a doggy dobbing rampage! I am going to clean this suburb up of roaming dogs, one complaint at a time! Watch out Because until I do, my own dogs suffer and don't get walked around my neighbourhood!!! (and my walk every day to the train might eventually be uneventful).

What gave it away? Great pictures!! Just love them!! The colours are great, love the grass and the sky in the shot like that. Dammit wish I had been there for the photo shoot! When is your next session? ;) Good luck with your first day back to full time work! Thursday is a weird day to start!