Little Gifts

I personally could not look at adopting a dog from a shelter whose values and methods of operation I didn't support. I would not be entering their premises or their websites so would be unlikely to see the animals and fall in love with one because I agree, it is not the dogs fault who it ends up being rescued by. Given a lot of dogs are advertised on Pet Rescue these days I would be looking at dogs only attached to specific rescue groups that I was comfortable with rather than doing general dog searches. My reason for this is linked to my view that if we continue to support what we don't like then it will never change or go away. If people stopped buying cute puppies at exorbitant prices from pet shop windows then pet shops would cease stocking them and puppy farmers would reduce their breeding rates if they had less outlets to sell through. If a dodgy shelter had a poor turnover of dogs then they could take less new dogs on and at some point might have to look at why they weren't being utilised by the public and address the criticisms raised with them or cease to operate.

I just don't understand the purpose of stealing a puppy like this and not caring for it. Do these tools think puppies look after themselves? And surely the signs of her deteriorating health were noticeable and they could've dumped her at a pound or taken her to a vet and said they found her or done something, anything other than just continuing to neglect her? I don't understand human beings and how they can let innocent creatures suffer to the point of permanent disability or death. Dogs have emotions. They cry in pain. They look to people with pleading eyes when they are in need. No creature deserves a short and horrible life like this. I don't know how her family can endure the pain of knowing what their beautiful girl experienced. I know some would not agree that punishments for animal abusers should be tougher but if a person can do this to an animal (a baby one at that) they can do it to a human. Unnessecary cruelty is simply that and it shouldn't matter what species the victim was. We can't condone people like this walking around in our society.

It's like she's saying "Look! I cleaned up for you a bit!" She looks very proud of her handiwork!

My old sbt Ricky (RIP 2011) was nearly all black brindle in her youth but by the time she left this world, just shy of 17 that white hair was everywhere! Even her girly bits! And skin tags were everywhere! Plus lumps and bumps replaced her once taut frame. I love watching them age. I just found this old photo! I think it would've been winter 2010, about a year before we lost her because she left us just before winter 2011. She wore baby socks because she dragged her feet causing the back toes to bleed, so this was our attempt to address that. She was actually quite happy and lively to the end but was a tough dog and hated having her pic taken when she was in a coat, let alone socks! She'd go outside in winter with a coat on and be embarrassed in case a neighbour saw her, but she needed it to keep her warm. The house is still full of great memories of our old girl!

I had the opposite problem at training with my heart girl. She simply would not settle (think ear piercing barks) until she had 'met' all the other dogs in the room with her. I understood that two dogs (sisters) were there because they had some DA issues and that another swf hated having dogs in her face but after several weeks of the barking and her not paying attention and distracting everyone else one of the DA dogs got loose, ran over to her, said hello and the trainers realised that the best thing for all of us was to let mine say hello to the other two so we could just all get on with it. I was terribly embarrassed but she and the DA dogs got on very well from then on so it was also quite beneficial for them. I just had to keep apologising to the lady who owned the swf who remained unimpressed that each week my dog had to come and say hello to all her new friends before we could all get down to business. I think my dog is just nosy like her mum! :D

The funny one we get when my sister and I walk a husky/shep cross, sbt and a pei is "could you not decide on a breed?" I must admit though that I am a fan of bright, colourful matching leashes and collars even on my fosters and even with harnesses, because I've always felt those big studded collars on sbt's make them look scarier than they might be. I have been known to struggle to leave the house when I can't find the right lead for the collar the dog is sporting even though I am aware the dogs don't give a toss!

I'm an expert on selecting the correct treat from several different packets and containers of treats to get new dogs to be comfortable with me. What I fail at is storing said treats safely from my own dog. Yet again tonight she jumped onto the dog fridge, picked out a brand new bottle of yoghurt drops, chewed the screw top lid off and inhaled the lot secretly on my bed! I hope her fat belly hurts!

I'm sure some days the same old same old just feels intolerable. I know I used to be a doofus who went up to say a great dane owner and was like "Oh my dog, your dog is huge!" Well der, state the obvious! Since being around pei and people constantly referring to them as those 'roly dogs from the toilet paper ad' I try and say something more unique if I want to engage with someone like "Your dog has the most beautiful coat!" or "He/she looks like they are really enjoying their walk today!" so to someone like you Cyn who is capable of walking more than two dogs at the same time (I can't) I would say something like "I admire your ability to be able to walk your dogs together!" Because that would be the truth. I'd hope in return you might say something like "Oh this isn't all of them!" (and we'd have a laugh) or "We don't get far but they still enjoy it!" and we'd both walk on. It's like at dog shows when a professional photographer is always looking for that cutesy photo of the biggest and littlest dog together like only cliche's are interesting to the general public. I really don't think people who don't own dogs or who aren't around them just don't realise they are stating something you have heard time and time again. They just say the first thing that comes to mind. I know I used to think all kinds of stupid things about certain breeds because my experiences were so limited. Now I just love how different they all are and try and comment on their own individual beauty and personality.

Having a pei cross in my care at present I can say I think this little one also has some pei in it based on the front end but it would have to be a cross because the snout is the wrong shape, there's not enough head wrinkles at that age, it is also big looking for that age and the ears are too big. Is there any curl to the tail? Usually the ears are just triangles without the extra bit at the bottom to pop them up. The eyes look like my girl here, as does the coat, including the large freckles on the back leg that I can see. Usually there is curl in the tail with the bum always clearly on display. Hair wise it sounds exactly like mine - spiky on the body but short and soft around the head and neck. And I've seen a couple of pei-staffy crosses now but they didn't look like this. My foster is around 6 months old now and all legs. We think her daddy was a bull arab. She is currently just a smidge taller than my sbt but wont grow much bigger. Her head is like a big rectangle and she loves a smooch! Ams will be able to tell you for sure if she sees this thread.

Lots of small dogs of other breeds come to the park and the worst that happens is they get covered in a bit of slobber. Pei don't seem to discriminate over size when it comes to who they will drool on. Plus they are only a knee height dog so not as large as some people think. We do get a couple of mastiffs that sometimes come but they are the gentlest dogs you have ever encountered. Lots of lovin' at Peinics!

And sorry I just have to brag but the Christmas Angel was my foster boy Dweeb, now happily living on the Gold Coast and known as Roan. Miss Christimas Cuddles and Froggy Lover is Delilah who has grown into a beautiful young lady also residing on the Gold Coast. The Confetti Kid is Chakita!

Nom nom on the Pom-Pom!

Donatella I can tell you that every Peinic I have been to there have been oodles of pei and other random dogs who don't know each other there, but there have been no fights or heart stopping moments. It seems to be a place of just hanging out and enjoying yourself for the dogs. And there is certainly a strange mix of dogs who turn up there with their poor owners going WTH when they see 30 shar pei in the same place. The dogs can also go in the water if they are so inclined. I always have a great time, as do any foster dogs/puppies I take with me. Last time I took my sister (she's usually working) and for the Christmas one I'm going to bring my parents along as that many happy pei in one place is certainly an experience! It starts at 2pm and we usually stay 2 - 3 hours. PS I've met and LOVE Ruby Rose! She's such a cutie! There are Peinic pics of her on FB!

This whole fostering business is dangerous. My friend fosters for the RSPCA and I was over there last night and she'd just gotten a shitzu cross with the biggest eyes, terribly underweight as found on the street as a stray. I picked that swf up and it did not leave my chest the whole night! I cradled it like a baby for hours and talked to it telling it (Poppy-Blossom) that it would all be alright! I've never even been into swf's - I started as an SBT girl and now I adore pei and now it is swf's! I'm ruined! Actually it was given the name Pauline because it has some ginger spots on its back, then someone decided Melba (what the?) but once I called it Poppy-Blossom it came to that new name every time so if it doesn't stay that name I'm going over to dognap it and ransom it back till they call her the correct name! Fostering is causing me to develop some issues....

This strange phenomena happened to me recently - I bought a stuffed toy home specifically for the purpose of destuffing by Stussy. Stuffed toy was takenly delicately outside and left there UNTOUCHED. Stuffed toy was left in limbo land outside (moved here are there so it didn't get sunburnt) for one whole day before it was brought back inside, beheaded and it began to snow. I really thought my dog was broken.

Thanks for clarifying Ruthless! I didn't know Plan B was linked to Bull Breeds in Need or you to them! Must pay more attention!!!!!

:heart: :heart: Sage and Toby!

Happy Gotcha Day Ziggy! I know he has done great work with you and the fosters Staffyluv so if he's a fool then he's a wonderful one!

Thanks for clarifying M-sass. I'm sure my dogs would retreat if someone turned on them because they lack that basic 'mean-ness' (for want of a better word). Another key reason why dogs should be restrained in a motor vehicle relates to accidents. If you were in a car accident your dog could become a very lethal projectile. I don't think anyone wants to imagine their dog going through the windscreen but they can also 'hit' other passengers in the car fatally injuring them too. Small dogs between the feet of front passengers in an accident are also at risk of being squashed depending on where the car is hit. And I think many of us have heard horror stories of dogs on the backs of utes falling off or being on leads that are too long and being trailled behind the moving vehicle.

I think Bull Breeds in Need on FB have a calendar but I would highly recommend Peiradise's Christmas cards as one features my beautiful foster boy Dweeb! (now Roan)

From what I heard through Tapua by email yours is the largest one so perhaps Piglet could be his bubby nickname!

Aren't dogs meant to be restrained when they are in cars anyway? Yep on leash when not on their own property. I live in QLD and it is my understanding that dogs have to be restrained in motor vehicles up here. We use seat belt clips - simple and effective. And M-Sass - my dogs weren't stranger aggressive. They were mother and son rescues and the son had serious anxiety as a result of being epileptic and heavily medicated during his early years so was more likely to be hiding from strangers. The mother would lick most people to death. Yet both dogs rose to the occassion making noises and taking action I have never seen before to get the intrudurs from my house then return to my side without any instruction from me. I was too busy trembling and panicking to be in control of any part of the situation. I actually just grabbed my phone to call the police and ran into my backyard without a thought for them at all. They decided I was more important than chasing after running bad men.

I am a foster carer for a breed specific group in Qld. If a potential adopter is interested in the dog I foster they come for a visit and stay for as long as they want. They can interact with the dog however they want (I assist with treats and toys and supervise). We talk about the dog and the things that I know (good and the bad, the quirks and the potential). If they remain interested they complete an adoption application. It is a long document but matching families and dogs is very important! We all want the match to be a forever and positive one! Sometimes potential adopters come back for a second visit or they bring other family members. Sometimes they have to fix fences or get body corporate approval so they can visit again while that happens. If they had a dog already I'd probably arrange to meet at a park and introduce the two dogs. If that went well we could go back to my place or to their place and see how it was going there as well. They can call me with questions or email me at anytime also. I give honest feedback on any visits to the person who owns/runs the rescue. They give final approval on adopting that dog. They also provide lifetime back up support to the adopting family as needed so if any behavioural or health issues show up then you have an immediate support network in place. A lot of adopters then become part of our extended family and come to our get togethers where we get to see how the rescue dogs are doing in their new homes. So this is what can happen to ensure a great match is made but of course it can all happen simply after one successful meeting and filling out an application! With our breed they often choose the people they like as much as the people choose them and at each meeting I see their behaviour change towards them and it is very heartwarming. So the best advice I can offer you is to be honest about your circumstances and needs (and don't ever be apologetic about it!) because a good group is looking to make good matches and overcome any minor barriers rather than find bland reasons to say no. They will work with you. And if they can't be bothered answering your questions then they may not be the right group for you either. If you become keen on a particular breed then don't get disheartened if you don't find the right dog straight away because new dogs are coming through every day and a rescue group will also know if a potentially suitable dog is waiting behind the scenes to have vet or other work done before being available for adoption. Good luck!!!! I fall in love with all my fosters but am still overjoyed when they find the perfect forever home!

I'll have to email the new human parents and congratulate them! You will not be dissappointed with a Tapua dog!

My old SBT girl refused to use the steps I bought so I had to continue with the butt lift technique (she could put her front paws up on the bed and lounge still) but when she wanted to get down she'd cry until I woke up. It was usually so she could go outside to do her hundreth pee so it didn't really matter. Later my new pup ate part of the stairs anyway. I actually thought the step treads were too shallow for an SBT sized dog so consider that and the height of the steps and last step to the bed for your dog's size too. I bought mine from Deals Direct and they were a timber frame covered in a suede type fabric that you could zip on and off to wash. It got eaten before it got washed! So take advice from people who already have steps and whose dogs use them easily rather than focus on price or they will be a waste of money and take up space.