PuddleDuck

'A dogs purpose' and the sequel 'a dogs journey' are lovely too.

I can almost check doof for a tick without touching him, within a few hours his bark changes and becomes raspy, even if he has a tick that falls off or gets scratched out

I just read the raine Stockton dog mystery series, it was quite good!

She's had a few days of rest and painkillers and seems to be getting better but is thoroughly depressed that she hasn't been allowed on the slide, trampoline or to play 'chase the water' while the girlchild plays with her water squirty toys. And I've had to hide all the tennis balls. She still limps a bit at night but it's definitely improving. It does amuse me that she couldn't care less about missing walks but if the girlchild has a turn on the slide and bear doesn't get to go after her it's the saddest most terrible thing that ever happened :laugh:

She's only 5 so I don't think it's arthritic changes but I will keep an eye on that leg in particular.

Thanks guys! Any tips on how to cheer her up? :laugh:

I've had full on arguments when people ask what breed bear is.

Me: 'she's a *deep breath* Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever'.

Nutcase: A what?

Me: Toller, we call them Tollers

Nutcase: bahahaha you must be stupid, there is no such thing

Me: they are a real breed I assure you, you just don't see many of them

Nutcase: you have been scammed. I know dogs, that's a border collie

Me: she isn't, she's a toller

Nutcase: listen, I knowEVERYTHING about dogs and there is no such dog as a grover scott duck tigger

Me: you are absolutely right, there is no such dog as a Grover Scott duck tigger, have a great day **runs for it**

Jelly all my love to you and Roo. I commend you for the extent you were willing to go to try and obtain a decent life for Roo and totally support you in this decision when all avenues have been exhausted and it is clear Roo cannot live comfortably. My heart goes out to you.

Exactly this....I couldn't have said it better

I tend to agree with you there :) I'm thinking I might take the girlchild out a bit over the next few days so bear can get some rest. Poor lil toller!!!

Could be perse. I find it odd because when I'm sick I find that as soon as the girlchild's head hits the mattress I feel sooo much sicker, so I guess I was pondering if bear is kinda doing the same thing. They are truly obsessed with each other :)

This seems a bit weird, so I thought I would ask here

Last night, after we put the girlchild went to bed, bear came out of her room limping on her right front leg. I checked it out and there is a bit of heat and stiffness in the wrist joint but she wasn't too upset about it (she has absolutely no pain tolerance) so I figured we'd keep an eye on it and go to the vet today.

This morning, she was fine, no limping or stiffness and spent the day merrily playing away with the girlchild, running and jumping and everything so we figured she was ok and we'd miss the vet. But tonight, after bear and I came out from putting the girlchild to bed, she's limping again and the joint is stiff and warm again.

I'm really a bit confused because she ONLY limps after the girlchild goes to bed. Bear is obsessed with the girlchild but this just seems odd. I'm thinking I'll keep the kid out tomorrow so she can rest, but thought I'd ask here and see if anyone has any theories on why she would only be lame at night?

My dad owned a sailing school when I was young and used to go there by boat from our house most days (around a 20 minute boat trip at a reasonable pace). Our dog riff would chase the boat to work most days, dad would get to work and riff would be swimming along happily behind the boat or he would pass dad and wait on the wharf for him to arrive :laugh:

Thanks, YG !! :) ... having never ever set my sights on a particular type/breed of dog - I'm enjoying this :)

( Mind you , fate has some funny ideas ..and it could well send me some large boofer with bear claws and a deadly tail - oh, wait_ that's already happened ! ... anyhow .. dreams are to be enjoyed ;) )

Yay perse! I spent 7 years dreaming between meeting my first toller and getting one of my own...it's nice when dreams do come true :)

There have been instances in the past where melamine has been added to protein sourced from china which then caused kidney/liver damage in dogs and cats (google menu foods recall). I do worry about treats made in china now and tend to avoid them

she's gorgeous!!!

Could I order a teacup version please, I don't have room for a big one but he is cool looking and I think will be the next big thing. Thank you :D

Only if it comes in pink :laugh:

I know who would have bred him. :cool:

Are they open for Christmas orders yet?

The legwarmers are something I use because he obsessively licks his legs unless they are covered :)

He is still very active and never was one to sleep in the one spot all night - he will wonder around then plop somewhere else.

My old boy licks his legs obsessively when his arthritis is causing him pain. It might be worth talking to the vet about pain management meds for him

All in a day's work for the Police Officer then.

"Oh hello dear, what did you do at work today?"

"Not much, just shot a family pet whom the whole neighbourhood new and loved. It was owned by an old, disabled woman. She can always get another one"

Does it worry you at all that you're conducting a systematic public character assassination of a person you've never met and whose side of the story you've never heard?

I guess not.

Just try to get your head around this would you?

No. Try not. Do or do not.

The dog did not have a gun.

Your statement that the Police Officer believed the dog was approaching with lethal force is laudible.

There is data based evidence to verify the contrary - the neighbours knew the dog and vouchsafed that it was harmless.

I lived next to a guy that beat the crap out of his wife and I can tell you there were about 10 neighbours who until it came out would've sworn on a stack of bibles that the dude was just a lovely, kind, family guy. You know, until he tried to kill her....

For all we know the cops were there the week before and the dog went ballistic and had to be restrained....so they were already wary of it. I'm sure there will be an investigation into it, it strikes me that the cops can't go around shooting at things without being accountable...

I use dog food 2 u as well and they're great. As far as I know it's owned by leopard industries which is the wholesaler pet barn use for all this stuff, and the prices are really good!

Don't you love the way they didn't notice until the son pointed out the 'lion' was barking?

We thought ours would hate it and the first trip they did we took rugs, towels, booties and bandages for feet. We stopped the car and got them out to get dressed and they just lost it before we could get anything on them! Doof started frantically eating snow and bear went crazy with the zoomies then shoved her head into every teeny hole she could find. It went on for the whole week :laugh: if we did take them out in their coats they were miserable so we just left them nekkid

such a fuzzball furpants!!!!

Miss16 is hoping to start bachelor of science (animal behaviour)in 2015. She is currently picking subjects for year 12.

Anyone do this degree and end up working with horses?

The one through Macquarie?

Just a thought but if he seems otherwise calm maybe he enjoys looking out the window.

Yep, my toller is like a cat, she looooves to sit and stare out the window for ages, even if we are sitting beside her :laugh:

My 23 month old daughter is my toller Bear's heart person. Has been from the moment I got pregnant, bears head was on my belly every time I sat down and now they do everything together....bear taught herself to use the slide so they can go down together, pretends to eat the plastic food when they play picnics and insists on being the first one in the room when my daughter wakes. It's amazing

I loved my childhood dogs, but none of them were what I would describe as my heart dogs. My two now I love to pieces, and I think I've slipped up once or twice and referred to once of them as my heart dog and I hated myself for it. I love them both, and if anything happened to either of them I'd be devastated and lose a piece of myself, but they have complete different personalities and one is perhaps 'easier' and one is super high maintenance and I wonder if this influences my feelings for them sometimes. By calling one my heart dog I feel like I'm betraying the other one and feel omg so guilty, so I just can't use that term (even though maybe it's true).

I feel the same way :)

Doof is 12 1/2 now and I got him at 14 months. He's a nutbag and back then, I was happy with a totally neurotic nutcase by my side in everything I did. It's harder now, with a toddler, because it is beyond him to be calm and I have to watch him around her 24/7 (he'd never be one to bite but he's crazy and will knock her down if you don't stay on top of him).

Bear on the other hand, my baby toller I had dreamed of for 7 years, and when I saw a photo at 4 weeks I had a lightning bolt to the heart moment and turned to my colleague and went 'That's my dog' despite not knowing if we were anywhere near the top of the list. And I was right, she's mine. She's an amazing dog but more than that she has been my daughters best, most loyal friend and protector from before I knew I was pregnant. They've had a connection from the start, my daughters first word was bear and she is just a seamless, easy fit into our family. I don't know if that makes her my heart dog but bloody hell life wouldn't be the same without her