mita

If I were to use a raw diet, then what would this encompass, He already eats plenty of chicken necks with his kibble. Are the vegies raw also? No, the chicken is very lightly cooked in a dry pan (just a bit browned on the surface) . The sweet potato is diced & cooked (not over-cooked) in the microwave. The vet & breeders strongly recommended the addition of sweet potato, plenty of it. As the vet pointed out, it's highly nutritious.....being a staple food for the brawny, strong rugby players from the Pacific Islands! I even keep some of the cubes of cooked sweet potato in the fridge & my tibbie girls eat them instead of treats (to my surprise!).

Exactly! Depending on which groomer I go to they can end up looking like totally different dogs! And not in a good way either. I agree. The groomer has to know the various breeds well. First time I took my tibbie to this groomer, she immediately told me that any grooming work must never stop this p/b from looking like a fine example of her tibetan spaniel breed. And that's what she produces.... with a stripping of the double coat, the lightest tidy around pantaloons, tummy, ears & slippered pointed feet. It'd be so easy for a groomer who doesn't know the breed 'look' so well, to give a generic little fluffy dog 'cut'. I hope you find the same type of groomer for your havanese.

My tibbie girl, last year, started to get troubled with constant bowel upsets. Lot of vet work done to try to isolate the problem. IBD? Food intolerance? All the digestive friendly kibble was tried. Often made it worse. Certainly made no difference. Trial & error, vet support & lots of advice from breeders....and a 'natural' diet came out as best. I've stuck to it & the problem has not shown itself any more. When I'd thought it looked like being here for life. No processed food (& that includes any kibble), chicken breast fillet, sweet potato, fish a couple of times a week, plain yoghurt, sprinkling of physillium, chicken neck for teeth. Interesting side-effect. Since Annie's been on that diet, the groomer has remarked, 'What do your feed this dog? Her coat is so healthy.'

Yes, nearly every state has a Hills district. I'm guessing tho' you mean Sydney? I wish you meant the Hills district near me in Brisbane area (Arana Hills, Everton Hills, Ferny Hills). I have a superb groomer here, highly experienced & knowledgeable about the various breeds. Only yesterday, I took my tibetan spaniel, Annie, for coat stripping & tidy-up. Usual outcome, Annie looks gorgeous. When I said so, the groomers said...'It's in the breeding!' Yes, but as the OP found out, scissors & clippers in the wrong hands can make the loveliest of breeds look dreadful. (For any NW Brisbane person, this is Aunty Marg's Clipping & Grooming Service).

I'm glad you posted this thread. Someone here said he heard a brief comment on a news item that there was a dog in the raiding party. This confirms he heard right! Here's the original article in The New York Times, that mentions the dog. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/as...laden-dead.html

Bump for May 29.

We had a sheltie girl, Shelley, who was a committed greenie. She hated anyone trimming branches off a tree or bush....or, worse still, cutting it down. It had nothing to do with noise, because she hated it, even if the person was pulling off branches with their hands. She'd retreat up onto the deck with head & long nose stuck around the doorway, with a look of outraged horror on her face. The man next door used to apologise to Shelley as he trimmed down the boundary trees & bushes. He used to say it was tough living next door to a dog that was a card-carrying member of the green movement. :D

Alyra & Katdogs, the same vet told me with allergy-prone pets, to keep watch on the inside of their ears. He said that a simmering allergic reaction showed up first there with a bright pink colour. It can help in getting treatment going early, like ridding of the even 1 flea which is triggering it, popping an antihistamine etc.

Kaffy, the vet advised me about the polaramine, for an emergency when you can't get to the clinic to check if a cortisone shot is necessary. See if your vet agrees next time you see him or her. If so, check the dose. Maybe 1/4 tablet would be better for a fine-boned little pap. I'm glad your pap is a bit more comfy this morning. it's amazing, isn't it, how fast & nasty those flea allergy flare-ups are. And they always come on public holidays!

A vet once advised me to give 1/2 Polaramine tablet for a small dog. Available from chemists.

I couldn't agree more.

I even found a Tibetan Spaniel in Iran, named Piko. The owner's profile says that he or she is a veterinarian. http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/g...y/dogs/4855.htm

The Humane Society International has reported periodic flare-ups of anti-pet (especially dogs) moves by the iranian Government. Last one, around 2007, was countered with a letter from the Humane Society International to the Iranian officials at the United Nations... & also a broadcast in the Farsi language over Voice of America radio. The 'reading' re dogs being unclean as household pets was questioned in terms of what the Islamic texts actually say. Cats get better acceptance as it was said the Prophet dearly loved his cats. HSI reports that a welfare group had started up in Iran, with a shelter rescuing dogs, desexing, vaccinating & rehoming. If that welfare group still exists, I'd imagine they'd be speaking out on behalf of pet owners & their dogs. The HSI also reported (in 2007) there were the seeds of support for animal welfare across to Egypt & north Africa (tho' these are now the areas hit with unrest). http://www.hsi.org/news/news/2009/04/iran_...ers_042909.html I found a link to that animal welfare shelter in Iran. Those who are working at changing attitudes towards pet dogs, deserve praise & support. They have a hard row to hoe. There's a summary about dogs in the history of Iran. And also current news how there are supporters of this Iranian animal shelter in the USA. With pics showing an Iranian dog, Lucy, on her way for adoption in the US. Kind Iranian travellers agreed to 'tag' her on their plane ticket. Then final pic of Lucy with her US foster-carers. http://vafaanimalshelter.blogspot.com/

Yes, they've done fantastic research on hearing.

There was a purebred Maltese boy a little while back, whose owner was an elderly lady going into a nursing home. The lady's daughter posted on the DOL Rescue Forum, that the Malt boy needed a new home. I put her on to the person who does small poodle rescue (& who will take other small fluffies). She took the little bloke in....& said he was the nicest dog she'd had. None of the SWF stereotypes. He was intelligent, loving, calm, clean, quiet....the list of positives went on. Up until then, that poodle rescue lady had said the tibbies she'd taken in were the best dogs ever. So I had to take it on the chin...a p/b Maltie boy had gone on the top dog list. She knew immediately the perfect home for him. A semi-retired nurse who lives in a lovely Q'der house with a lovely garden, wanted a little companion dog. And hopefully one she could take to work with her 3 days a week at a nursing home. The nursing home readily gave permission for him to join the 'staff', when they met him & saw how wonderful he was. He really was the best of little dogs & now has a very happy life, at home & at 'work'. If there are any other purebred Maltese like him, out there, it'd be a crying shame to do any 'crossing'.

I'm so sorry for you loss. Sounds like Tia had the perfect puss life for 17 1/2 years.

Our tibbies always have been creatures of habit. As if they've got a routine program in their heads. As I'm clearing up after dinner, I always notice...No Tibbies. They've taken themselves off to bed & are sound asleep. Around about 10.30 pm, they get woken up to go outside to the toilet. As soon as they hear me say, 'Last trip to the toot!', they wake up & stagger out like sleepwalkers. Then they fall back into bed. They wake themselves about 6.00 am & can take themselves out thro the doggie door. Depends on the weather, what happens next. Cold, wet weather, back they go to bed. Lovely sunshiney morning, they go out to potter around the back yard. Annie lies patiently at the back fence waiting for her greyhound friends to get up. When we have other friends' tibbies come to stay, they automatically fall into the same routine. One reason why it's so easy to look after them. They look after each other.

Would AWL Qld, located at the Gold Coast, have some ideas about the cattle dog & pup needing exercise? The AWL asks people to contact them before things get to the stage of surrendering dogs, so they can work thro' a solution that keeps owners & pets together. O/T, but out of interest. I just read in the American Ladies Home Journal about an organisation in New Jersey, which helps pet owners in emergencies, economic crisis and disasters. They say they're flat out with requests for emergency care. The US Today Program did a segment on them. http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/pet...pettalk31_N.htm

The price asked by the registered breeders I've adopted adult dogs from, was...nothing. No money at all. They knew what kind of home would be offered here & that's all they wanted for their dogs. What did those breeders get, even tho' they'd asked for nothing? The price of a good-quality puppy of that breed. What do I think is reasonable? The little dogs we've got, have been beautiful, loving charmers who've lived up to their intelligent alert-dog traits to perform a few amazing jobs for us. Worth their weight in gold! :D

Consider finding a link with some local service in Townsville? For example, Townsville Hospital has an associated Pastoral Support Team, made up of volunteers from local churches. They visit patients in their homes, offering help & support. And might also have connections to youth groups.

I'm sure all will go well. I agree about taking the puppy's own bed & bed clothes. Also provide something that strongly has your scent on it. The owner's smell comforts a dog. One way is via an old unwashed t-shirt or rubbing the palms of your hands all over the doggie's toys. It's a good idea to get a puppy used to going away to somewhere that becomes familiar. I'd even let puppy go for some random weekends with 'grans' now & again. Makes it easier for the times when pup has to go.

Here's their website. An excellent organisation. That's such a good idea how reasonably minor assistance can help keep people & animals together. They also have animals for adoption when it's best to rehome. Lovely pusses available at the moment. http://www.bawcs.org.au/

....which illustrates how 'intelligence' is better defined as 'adaptable behaviour'. It's the extent to which thinking/action can be shaped in order to carry out certain tasks. And these tasks will vary according to what's required to survive & thrive. For domestic dogs, it depends on their 'tuning in' to human 'signals'. For the dingo, it depends on their being totally self-sufficient within the natural environment. This is sounding a lot like the debate in psychology about western definitions of intelligence compared to other cultural definitions of intelligence You're not wrong, Aidan. And it's not just western definition compared with other cultural definitions... it also applies to western sub-groups. Like middle-class bias. Even gets down as far as gender, re the differences between verbal & non-verbal components of traditional intelligence testing. With much debate around the issue if girl & boy babies/young children receive different 'learning environments' because the adults interact with them differently. I wonder if there's any evidence that pet owners interact differently with male & female puppies in domestic situations?????? Resulting in different behaviours? Now, all this is getting too, too deep. Happens when 'intelligence' pops up.

....which illustrates how 'intelligence' is better defined as 'adaptable behaviour'. It's the extent to which thinking/action can be shaped in order to carry out certain tasks. And these tasks will vary according to what's required to survive & thrive. For domestic dogs, it depends on their 'tuning in' to human 'signals'. For the dingo, it depends on their being totally self-sufficient within the natural environment.

'Intelligence' is a highly debated notion in human psychology as well. Intelligence is often described as 'adaptable behaviour', which implies being able to shape thinking & action in order to carry out different tasks. Measuring 'intelligence' in humans, has also generated much debate. So I guess it's bound to generate a lot of debate with dogs, too. There was an article in the New Scientist comparing how babies & toddlers learn to think & act, with how animals might do. If I remember correctly, dogs came out as the animal whose learning was like some of the earliest level learning of babies/toddlers. 'Imitation' was referred to. I'll see if I can find it. It's usually possible to read the articles on the NS website. New Scientist isn't a deep scientific journal, it's more a science magazine. But it's readable.