mita

I thought Angus looks great for 16 yrs, too. Wonderful if an experienced Westie owner puts up their hand for him. Just looked at Donna's offer. I love the condition she makes.... so long as Angus is happy to sleep in her bed!!!! I'd say Angus would be in like a shot for these cold nights. :)

Wobbly, you've put so well some of the things I was thinking.

My golly, she's beautiful, isn't she!

You're right. That's great info.

BabyMed site says the same as you, for humans: .Use the cabbage leaves for about 2 days or until the engorgement gets better.. .If you use the cabbage leaves to decrease engorgement while breastfeeding, you need to be cautious with prolonged use, because it may decrease milk supply.

The American Kennel Club-sourced article wasn't joking about using cabbage leaves with dogs...applied using vet wrap. They say there's anecdotal evidence so has been used with dogs. But it's telling that study with humans showed hot & cold compresses worked as well ... & better for the pain.

Another story from the Sheriff's Office in Oklahoma City. The Sheriff Deputies found a little black dog, mud splattered & frightened, but firmly sitting with the wreckage of his house. Much later, they found he was guarding the body of his deceased owner which was why he wouldn't leave. The Deputies took the dog to safety.... & one of them intends to adopt him, if possible. http://www.news9.com/story/22368308/oklahoma-county-sheriff-mans-best-friend-guards-owners-body#.UZvg6HrrINI.facebook

Ah! Well this Scrooge McDuck will be heading for the KMart in the next suburb. :)

I didn't know KMart sold it. So thanks heaps for that!

Just lovely. He seems to have heard his owner's voice being interviewed & struggled towards it.

The cabbage leaves are mentioned in this article that's associated with the Amercan Kennel Club Health Foundation: Cooked white cabbage leaves applied to the glands then wrapped with vet wrap for two hours is anecdotally reported to help draw out fluids and infection. The author has not used this therapy and no studies have been done in dogs and cats however a few promising studies have been done in women [5]. Unpublished anecdotal reports suggest it may help. http://www.uskbtc.com/article.php/467 ADDED: I found a study which compared use of cold cabbage leaves and hot & cold compresses ... with women. Both worked similarly for the engorgement ... but the compresses worked better to relieve pain. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763679/ Another study found both cold & room temperature cabbage leaves worked equally well with women: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7669238

Yes, after using other types of litter, I've found the crystals best all round. Economical, too. I get the Coles own brand. I put the litter tray on a 'carpet' of newspaper & the stray bits just tend to go on there.

All the photos posted are just gorgeous. :)

Age & frailty couldn't take Sweetie's gentleness & big attitude away from her. And NSWAR folk loved her for it. She'd expect you to continue how she trained you .... to get those doggie meals served on the dot. Here's something to remind you that her wonderful spirit will never leave (click to enlarge):

If the lady turns out to be The One, she may need to be warned that Princess Narla has an extensive fan club. :) Seriously, just wonderful for her to get the best of homes that she deserves.

CHOICE (the Australian Consumers' Association) has a well-researched report on Pet Insurance. But people have to purchase (or subscribe) to get it. I have a lot of respect for CHOICE. Their research is objective & thorough. http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/money/insurance/personal/pet-insurance-policies-review-and-compare.aspx?gclid=cmof2ftxo7ccfwy8pgodyw0aqa&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=australia%20pet%20insurance&utm_campaign=generic

I think it would be. I can't think of any word starting with Gn- where the 'g' isn't silent. ADDED: Looked it up & found: There are some ‘gn’ words from Greek; these preserve the /g/ when it follows a vowel (agnostic, anagnorosis), but not at the beginning of a word (gnostic, gnome). Not suggesting it.... but seems if there were an 'A' starting her name, the 'g' would only then be pronounced.

You may be 'aware of all that'.... but you don't grasp it. You need to think about what socialisation entails. What is enabled in home-style settings, allows for it (the evidence is in), but those factors are not present in large-scale commercial settings to allow for it (the evidence is in). I follow the evidence. End of story. Except for consumer action. The pet buying public needs to be made aware of the evidence.... which isn't rocket science. And vote with their feet. It's as much a consumer issue as a welfare problem Presently, the large scale commercial puppy farms are seen as 'all business is good'.... & some state governments' legislation is working on that financial benefits model. But, amazingly, at the same time, they're wrestling with the high costs associated with the dumping of dogs in pounds/shelters .... as well as trying to make the community safer from dog bites/attacks. It needs to be pointed out to them that they can save in both areas, if they track back to associated causes. Again, the evidence is in....lack of socialisation of puppies is associated with later dog 'problems' that lead to dumping. So, down the track, any 'business' financial benefits from 'farming' dogs gets translated into local government & community costs.

Couldn't have put it better! First update, I thought she'd grown pretty. But now.... she's a knockout. I'm no help with the puppies' names. All I can think of is Lucky 1, Lucky 2, Lucky 3 etc. Lucky their mum came into your care. PS I'm wondering about a more feminine name for Gnarla, too.

Samford Pet Resort. Only place we'd ever take our shelties.... & now, our tibbies.... to. They have a vet on staff. Read the clients' feedback on their website. Fits exactly with what we've found. http://www.samfordpetresort.com.au/

There's evidence, not assumptions, that commercial places which supply petshops, do not tend to socialise their puppies well. The evidence that such puppies are less well socialised is quoted in the AVA paper I referred to. And how many times do I have to point out there's also research showing that the puppies' socialisation is linked with the degree of same of the mother dog. Amazingly, the paper demonstrating that research is quoted among the References in the Victorian Draft document. But, equally amazingly, whoever wrote the paper doesn't appear to have read it.... or understood it. The evidence points clearly to the fact that neglect of socialisation is equally a welfare problem as neglect of physical care & surrounds. Which means that even if physical care & surroundings are in order.... but socialisation is not .... then those 'farms' are releasing puppies of higher risk into the community. And, again, the evidence is clear that puppies bred & raised in more 'homestyle' settings tend to be better socialised & hence tend to have less problems (AVA paper quoted that). Think about what a 'homestyle' setting would be.... & there's no comparison with a 'farm' that runs 80 dogs (could be 150). You wouldn't have to look far for examples of such settings. Research at UQ found that registered breeders (who are largely hobby, not commercial breeders) tend to do socialisation well. Seems we have 'farmed-style' bred/raised puppies & 'home-style' bred/raised puppies. And evidence from studies points to the latter as tending to develop into better socialised companion dogs.

You're right, felix. Both the proposed frameworks for dog breeding in New South Wales & Victoria, either ignore socialisation or get it wrong. Yet, there's clear research on the matter & its importance for producing sound companion dogs. It's not obscure rocket science. It seems that a 'business' model is being supported where large-scale commercial puppy farms are the only financially viable way of doing things. But this is not only failing the welfare of dogs.... it's pushing puppies out into the community who lack the foundation for being well socialised companion dogs. RSPCA Qld said years ago, following their many experiences with rescuing dogs from puppy farms.... the hardest thing to 'heal' was the 'scarring' from being unsocialised. Many cases it's impossible.

The tragedy is that these places are within the law, as it currently stands. Incidentally, another sentence stood out: Currently holding 80 breeders and sires with council approval and infrastructure to expand to 150 No matter how 'clean' places like this are ... & how much 'physical' care is given ... they are puppy farms, breeding dogs for sale as companion dogs, as if they were livestock. The socialisation needs of puppies .... & of the parent dogs.... cannot be met with this large-scale 'livestock' farming of dogs. And under-socialised puppies develop with higher risk of aggression & timidity problems because of fear & anxiety around the unfamiliar. Closer ties with humans & their lifestyles are needed for socialisation. Which is why dogs do better in more homestyle breeding/raising/managing settings. The Australian Veterinary Association, in their paper on dog aggression, points to research that dogs are far less likely to show problems like biting when they come from 'homestyle' places. And it's not only necessary for the puppies to be well socialised by people in the critical early weeks of life... but the degree of domestication of the mother dog is also associated with sound development. These 'puppy farms' of such size do not & can not provide those conditions. So they produce puppies less likely to develop into sound companion dogs. Neglect of socialisation should be regarded the same as neglect of physical care, under the law.

Our Tibetan Spaniel, Angel, was brought up with her breeder's Tibetan Mastiff. They were fine... as are a Brisbane couple's Tibetan Mastiff & their Tibbie. Here's a little one between his owner's 2 Tibetan Mastiffs. Click to enlarge:

You got the outburst dealt with, as it deserved, by consulting your lawyer. Your comment above is decent & rational. I dips my lid to you.