Simply Grand

He does, doesn't he! :laugh: He must be twice the size of Luke. Seems like he's done his uncle Jake proud :)

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before but I actually had someone tell me in a surrender interview that they were a family so they thought they "should" have a dog (yeah the dog they were now surrendering because she was too hard to walk, give enough time to etc etc)

That is awesome :rofl: I love that he lets his friends out The sensible part of me does think they were very lucky that there were no fights.

Great article and what a great program Dr Davey has set up. I didn't know about those suicide figures either but it certainly makes sense. Having to PTS animals that could be saved if the circumstances were different is certainly heart breaking and I imagine vets must have to very quickly adjust to the mindset that they can't save them all. In the example the young vet gave where they would have to PTS rather than do a surgery a client couldn't afford it must be very tempting to say I'll do it for free/cover the cost but you couldn't realistically do that for everyone and where do you draw the line... They would also be seeing the frustration of animals not being taken care of properly, through to down right abuse and are so limited in what they can do about it. Human doctors have places they can report concerns of such things to, things they can do to help, but vets are so limited by animal welfare laws and resources to investigate their concerns

Happy birthday gorgeous Lili!

Thank you so much for the advice, I will pass on that adult is probably the best of the 3 options to prevent them growing too fast. They are structurally sound after a preliminary vet check so hopefully they'll continue to grow soundly :)

They are getting a super premium food which has been donated, which is why the choices are limited to only normal puppy, active formula or normal adult. The plan was to give them normal puppy in the absence of large breed but I was concerned about what it would do to their growth. Unfortunately I don't know what they were being fed previously either so they may or may not be suddenly getting better nutrition with a higher quality food.

Thanks guys, they are not my pups, just pups I know of and there are limited feeding options. Sas, would you recommend adult over normal puppy formula for Danes?

Rotti!!! :p (this is what I plan on my next dog being) But I actually think you could find a suitable match in most, if not all, the breeds you like :)

Sorry to post in general, just after some quick help! 9 month old mastiffs, 1 male, 1 female. No access to large/giant breed puppy food at the moment, are they better off on normal puppy formula, active adult formula or normal adult? (dry food is the only option) Thanks for any advice :)

He shouldn't need to add water, dry should be fine by 6 weeks. I agree with kc, could definitely still be an element of have to get in quick before litter mates do. I'd suggest they feed her by staying with her and giving each meal bit by bit, give her a handful in her bowl, let her eat that then approach with the next handful, eventually add food to the bowl while she's eating etc so she gets used to people being near her food bowl being a good thing (ie less likely to resource guard from people).

Fair point, but a pure bred Fox Terrier is a very distinctive animal! I'm afraid I don't get that "logic" at all. Why can't the story about the animal say as much. Sorry, shaking my head. DDD, i'm not clear what logic it is that you don't get, is it what I said?

There are lots that would suit you I reckon! Yep, Aussie Shepherd. Labrador Golden Retriever Rottweiler also spring to mind :)

We nearly always put 'cross' on dogs, even if we are fairly confident they are pure as without confirmation we can't be sure and we want people to understand we are not guaranteeing that the dog is the breed we've put on it.

That seems huge although I think some people like to exaggerate the weights of their dogs coz bigger is cooler *eye roll* I agree, no point trying to talk them out of keeping her now, no doubt they're already in love and it sounds like they'll be good owners. As the others have said, food will be vital, she'll need a large breed puppy formula (or whatever experienced mastiff people recommend of course) and apparently it's really important to stick to the right amount and not overfeed or they grow too fast, bones get stretched and joints go all loose and wobbly, which then puts them at increased risk of breaks. They may notice funny growth and twisty legs if they put her onto better quality food than what the breeders were feeding so they'd need to wean her slowly over a good two or three weeks. Obviously training will be vital from right now too as she will be a big, strong girl :) And figure out pictures, she sounds adorable!

I know hankdog, that was actually my biggest motivation for not keeping her, I want to be able to do it for other dogs and I'm so lucky that my own dogs are cool with visiting dogs so I'm in a good position to be able to do it. I do think they'll enjoy having me back to themselves for a while tho :laugh:

Thanks guys :) I actually felt better about it than I thought I would, I didn't even cry! Her new family were so excited to take her home and I think they are a great match for her. Being through a shelter rather than a private rescue group we don't have as much control over where they go as we would often like to have so I was worried that someone I wasn't comfortable with would want her, I was especially worried that she might end up being an outside dog who didn't get the continuing training, structure and company she'll need in order to not turn into a brat ( she's a strong willed girl ;) ) but I'm confident these people will keep it up with her and they specifically wanted a dog that will enjoy lots of cuddles on the couch :D

Thanks CC, I'm already teary but I know it's best for her and for my 3 :)

Hi Ricey, Yes I'm reading, yes I care. What should I do now?

My beautiful foster puppy is due to go to her new home tomorrow :) I'm happy but sad, I'll miss her so much. This girl was born in the shelter I work at, was my first experience with whelping and knowing pups from the day they're born and she came home with me at 8 weeks old, when her siblings went home with their adoptive families. She's now 5.5 months old. She had health issues which are now resolved and I've worked hard on her training to make her a desirable adolescent mixed breed shelter dog ( they generally aren't desirable ) I'm so proud of her for the lovely young dog she has grown into and I think she is going to the right, loving home. It's so hard to let her go though, how do you do this?!? Ps. I'm just venting to people who will understand

Oh, I've just realised that one of mine has done this! I don't know which one as I've never seen anyone do it but I've just realised that I've found a couple of lumpy vomit things that would have been hair balls. I just never made the connection

Hugs ringer, I think your boy is lucky to have you, you are doing all you can for him. It sounds like you're pursuing all your options, keep us updated, we won't have all the answers but we're here to listen and help where we can :)

There's a big difference between not looking at you and turning head away and looking back out of the corner of the eye though. The sideways looking is generally a sign of fear and the OP is right to be concerned that if she pushes and the dog cannot get away he may well bite. We cannot possibly draw conclusions about why the dog is reacting differently to Ringer and her OH from the info here, there could be all sorts of subtle things influencing the dog's behaviour, not just the size and strength of the humans. Ringer, you've already done the vet check (how did it go?) and I agree you need a behaviourist assessment ASAP.

My 3yo Sheltie could easily jog 3-5kms occasionally or even every day :) I'm not sure why they wouldn't be suitable jogging companions, they are working dogs

Spoil sports! What's the story of the SS Dicky? I'm guessing a shipwreck, and that's the ghost of someone who died in it.