Little Gifts

Hmmm I wonder who Ruby was getting around with?

Fingers and toes crossed here for them!

Our dogs want to go in and out and in and out and in and out all night every night. Unless it's raining then they are wont even go out to pee. My sister thinks we should get a doggy door installed but I reckon the door banging would be even more irritating. My shar pei girl needs to be fed at exactly 7am and 6pm every single day. She is certain that she will die if this doesn't occur and takes all necessary measures to bring it to our urgent attention. And it seems everyone needs to bark with fervour at nothing whenever I'm on the phone. After hanging up the phone because I couldn't hear the other night when they wouldn't shut up I screamed a high pitch and long scream while looking at them and they finally stopped barking but looked at me like I was crazy.

I love that very first pic of Tango - either he was trying to smile for the camera or he was thinking of something naughty!

Yep this is the zoomie routine in our house. It includes leaping and flying on and off lounge furniture up in the front room and lounge room and my bed and the lounge in there. Flying also occurs over the 3 stairs that go down to the lounge room. I have never seen them do outside zoomies. Outside is only for sunbaking and dirt digging! :D

I wont pretend there is scientific evidence to support what I'm going to tell you but here goes. We have a foster failure - shar pei. She had some trauma in a trial placement which is why she is staying with us - seems she had already picked us as her forever home. We love her to pieces of course so it wasn't even something we had to discuss. Anyway she carries on like a chook whenever something is happening that she is unsure of - even when I would take out my rescue shirt she would get a worried look on her face and start crying thinking I was taking her to a meet and greet. We happened to have the opportunity to meet with an animal communicator and she told us that Tempeh needs us to tell her what we are doing and how it might relate to her - sort of like you would a flat mate. So we do. It's like "Tempeh, I'm having a shower now because I have to go to the Dr. I will be gone for at least 2 hours and then I will be home. You will stay here with the other dogs and I look forward to seeing you when I get home." (One of the other dogs has no clue what I am trying to tell her while the other one simply doesn't care!) I felt like a crazy person when I started doing it but it seems to calm her down. You might also feel a little silly telling your boy you are going to work, will be gone 9 hours, hope he has a nice day and you will enjoy seeing him again when you get home but hey it's free!

I think my adrenelin would've had me in there punching and kicking my dog off the one it was hurting but once you seperate them you do need to put distance between both dogs so I can imagine myself calling for help to leash and confine my dog on the sand but still within talking or yelling distance from the owner so we could communicate what then to do to help their dog. And if I had a car with me I'd get my dog in the car and race right back to the scene of the crime. I'd be crying right along with them but still wanting to help their fatally injured dog above my own needs or that of my dog. I think the owners would be able to identify my own honest distress and concern for what had happened and I would take whatever punishment from them or the legal system that came my way. That's because I love animals and care for the distress of my fellow human beings. Slinking away simply doesn't cut it for me. He could've tethered his dog and come straight back. Even if he got scared and took off he could've fessed up later and tried to clean up the mess left behind. Just makes me sad when people avoid responsibility for things even if they were an accident or a one off. I don't think that kind of denial is healthy - loss/loss situation.

I honestly can't understand how the owner of the aggressive dog could see what his dog did and do the bolt. How could he ignore the screams of Elfie and her owners? How could he overlook blood on the sand and all over his dog? How could he not be heartbroken by what his dog did to another? If a dog in my care did that it would change my life forever and that dog would've been taken straight to the vet and euthanised. I could not excuse or justify that attack in any kind of way, nor could I ever make it up to Elfie's family. How does that man sleep at night?

Hi everyone, I just wanted to bump this thread. In case anyone is after Valentine's Day or other general purpose cards the two non-Christmas cards (in post one) are still available in packs or individually. These cards will raise much needed money for Peiradise. They are made of a top quality high gloss D5 card and include envelopes. The inside is blank so you may write whatever you wish. Prices are $2 each or $15 for 10. Cards are currently done in packs with five of each image. Postage is additional (I am still to work out the price). If you would like to support Peiradise and have some wonderful cards please pm me (not Ams) with how many, which ones and your address. I can then provide you with bank account details. These cards have been sponsored by Zoo Studio - Animal Art Photography and Foundations Physiotherapy (Physio for 2 legs and 4 legs). Thank you for supporting the pei! Edited to add - here is a link to my new FB page where I will be adding loads of gift items for sale (including these cards) to benefit the Peiradise dogs. My link

Bugger Julie I keep forgetting to finish it! It's on my immediate list of things to do. Told you I was slow!

I think it is ok to feel miffed. You do a lot more than most foster carers and given there are only two of you in the rescue how hard is it to thank the person who does at least half the work. Some people just don't think - I've had this happen to me in the workplace when one person took all the pats on the back for a project even though they didn't even attend all the meetings. It is also so common in the working world that the only time you get any feedback is when you do something wrong. I am lucky to feel appreciated by a whole heap of people in my rescue group and they embrace all my quirks even though some must be irritating (Ams calls me 'methodical' when she really means 'slow'!). The dogs we've fostered though don't give a hoot about us once they've gone on to their forever homes!

Tempeh was randomly peeing on my sister's bed. She has this foam overlay thing that is under the sheet so every single morning when she gets out of bed she flips the overlay and sheets back over the pillow area. No peeing on the mattress by Miss T but how my sister can be bothered doing that every day is beyond me (she's been doing it for a couple of months now). Tempeh sleeps in her open crate in my room every night but if she is running around with anything she shouldn't then it is always something my sister has worn on her body or feet - never anything of mine.

Sorry but that made me laugh!

I think I'm a bit in love with whatever he is! I think he should be temporarily named Spunky!

I read this sentence: "The State Government is examining a Dog and Cat Management Board proposal to compulsorily desex dogs unless they pass a good-character test." And immediately thought they were going to do some kind of tart/playa test. "Yes, he looks like he'd shag anything on 4 legs." "Nope, she's so fluffy you'd never even find her girly bits." I am one of those people that think we need to consider the impact of unplanned or money making litters on euthanasia rates. I am all for good breeders continuing to do what they do well and I also appreciate the working dog breeding issue. I don't have anything to do with the show world but accept that is also important to some pure bred dog owners. I absolutely do not support puppy farming or regular BYBs. And I don't think Joe Public needs an undesexed dog because there are still stupid perceptions that their dog is so cute it should have puppies or that it is good for them to have one litter before desexing or that it will emasculate it or when they find out their dog is pregnant they say they don't have a clue how it happened yet they have crap fencing and an entire male of another breed lives next door! I don't like laws that control our lives unnesecarily but unless there is a benefit to the breed's future then I'd presonally like to see less dogs being income makers and euthanasia stats. There are so many people who own pets and don't really manage them. It is certainly not that hard either - we have an entire 9 yo female and 2 desexed females in our household. We've also fostered dogs - every one a male except one. Yet no pregnancies because of our fencing, monitoring the entire female's seasons for outings and not taking in any undesexed male fosters. It is not rocket science yet so many people seem to be ignorant, in denial or simply don't care. I'd like to see them more educated rather than the people doing the right thing being hindered. Not sure how you do it though!

I had a 13 year old sct who lost her 12 son one December and she aged overnight. She'd just lay looking out the back glass doors crying. It was terrible to see. She was the type of dog who enjoyed being part of a pack and had never been an only dog before coming to me at age 1 or after. In the January an older sbt pup needed a carer and my old girl doted on her, showing her doggy social skills, grooming her, showing her the routine, etc. The pup ended up being my heart girl and has remained here even though my old girl had to be pts in mid 2011 just before her 17th b'day. I am not suggesting you get another dog unless that is what you want and can manage but some dogs find comfort in a companion or being part of a pack. In my case I had no plans to get another dog and certainly not so soon after losing our boy - it is just how things worked out. I also think in your case you would need to get an adult rather than a puppy and at least your dog could meet another potential new dog to see if they are compatible first. As Tazar said continue with your regular routine and perhaps engage your boy in more activities he likes where possible. This will tire him out physically and he will get caught up in the game. Certainly don't baby him when he seems blue as you can reinforce this behaviour.

He's lost his chubby cheeks!

If I look at pics of dogs labelled pit bulls in America they look quite different to my untrained eye to the Am Staff pics of dogs out here in Oz. It is almost like I can see a little boxer in the physique,height and head/jawbone of the US pitbulls. This will make me sound stupid but is the red nose common in Am Staffs? If I see a dog with a red nose I don't assume it is PB (red kelpies commonly have the same nose look but different body and head shapes, even in crosses) but I will look at it more closely to try and identify for my own curiosity what breed/s it might be. I can't understand how so called educated professionals can lump a breed in as dangerous especially when it seems clear to everyone in the dog world that aggression also relates to how you train, manage and treat your dog regardless of breed.

Awww that's beautiful! Welcome to the world of foster failures - we have one too!

Lollipop you need to grab Noodle and run right now! We can hide you both out for a bit and I'm sure other DOLers will help. And we wont tell....

I just read this and was going to post a link! This following quote from the Mayor got me - how many Tosa's and Dogo's even exist in Australia let alone Moreton Bay? I've never seen either breed in person and don't recall them being in the news for vicious attacks?? "I shudder when I see these dogs walking along the bike paths. In a suburban built-up area like Moreton Bay, breeds like the Japanese Tosa and Dogo Argentino, this is not the place for them.''

Caz I have a ceramic angel wings heart shaped container that my sister gave me and it contains all kinds of silly things from my old girl - the last socks she wore because she dragged her back feet, a whisker I found on the bed, some hair, council tag, name tag. I'd have added a tooth if she left me one! It sits on the coffee table that is behind me in our front room. I still think about her regularly (with fondness rather than sadness now) and it is 1 1/2 years now. They never need to leave our hearts and memories. So who cares if you never mow a little patch of grass where he wee'd again!

Here are two extra cutie patooties - foster shar pei pups. The one in the front became an FF and is now known as Tempeh. She's not a big smiler but gives the best kisses and protects us Monday to Friday by inspecting the mail before we are allowed to open it. She also talks a lot and ensures my bed is always full of things to chew on - dirty washing, work shoes, smelly tuggies, sticks,.... And another of Tempeh dressed up for Halloween.

Such a beautiful story Megan - here's to at least another 5 years with your wonderful boy!

I had her for almost 16 years (a rescue) plus her son came to live with me as well when he was about 6 months old. He lived to 12 1/2. The old girl was full of cancer, deaf, blind, dementia, incontinence the whole works but she never stopped being an active part of the pack. She still loved a game of bitey face and was always in the thick of things rather than just sleeping her days away. She also had a doggy pram but so she could still come on walks and get put in the pram when she got tired. On her last day she was out in the backyard doing doggy paintings (which hang in our lounge room). She could've lived till 17, maybe longer, but we were getting incresingly worried that we'd come home to find her stuck somewhere or injured. She was the toughest dog I've ever known.