Little Gifts

Steve I've got some hand knitted coats I will put up for auction very, very soon as I was also waiting for it to cool down. Coogie I will PM you re coats for Issy and Alf. But just so everyone else knows - I'm not really making them to sell. I'm just making a batch for some rescue dogs. I don't want to over commit and not do what I've already planned.

Hot pink with back legs coat mentioned in my post above.

I do have this pattern and will be using simpler variations on A and C for Ams and BFR (quick to sew and easy to get on and off) but I'm assuming you want one of the ones with back legs like this other one I have (hot pink one in post below)? I'd easily be able to make a pattern and enlarge it to suit Issy. The other thing I can suggest is that coats without legs that have longer backs and sides are also good for chilly dogs as when they lay down they kind of fan over them like a blanket without getting tangled when they try and stand again or move around. I bought the hot pink ones below for my old SBT and she hated me putting her back feet in them but loved the blanket kind of effect of a slightly larger coat.

Ams I've given up waiting for measurements - I'm just going to do my own thing! Got the last trim I wanted for the collars so it's all systems sew now! Coogie here is all the fleece fabric I have for coats so if there is anything you like you'd better say so quickly or it will be used for coats for Ams dogs (and some for BFR). Also I'd need to know how many you want/need and will need to srto out some measurements, particularly for the legs as I can't remember if Issy has chubby hocks like Oscar! But we'll get to that.

Have you worked out whether he likes burger rings yet?

He is very handsome and I love the name!

Woo hoo Teekay! How exciting! I have a friend (Helen/Wajoma) who breeds Aussies. Given your location I wonder if this was one of her pups?

Oh my goodness! I have plans to go down and see my sister in Woodstock but not till August. I would've loved to come and look after your lot for free as I would've just added it to my overall trip (which has no timeframes). If you want a break again in August I would be more than happy to help out. I've only cared for a max of 3 dogs at a time in a home based environment but I'm sure your dogs have a routine that I would be following. It's all about them you know!

Looking great Dulcie!!!

I love staffords and that is all I have had for many years, but I started fostering shar pei a couple of months back and oh my lordy now I loves me some wrinkly kisses and cuddles!

Nekhbet is the protective nature of the dog significantly different in an entire dog? With your training knowledge and skill I'm sure you would see both dogs trained specifically to protect (like guard dogs) as well as ones that have more of a protective instinct that would be good in the family home to ward off intruders. So I was just wondering whether the difference is great enough if a person is only wanting basic home protection? I only ask because I was a victim of a home invasion and at the time I had desexed mother and son SBT's who protected me and got three men out of the house. Their behaviour at the time was like nothing I have seen before or since. They identified danger, got rid of it then came right back to protect me. They did not bite them or run off after the men once they were out of the house. The same dogs also assisted me when I had a fall down my front stairs of another home (on acreage) and knocked myself unconcious. One stayed by my side on guard and the other ran to the property next door and got the neighbours to follow him back. Neither dog had any training in this kind of thing. They were both rescue dogs. I guess I thought protectiveness was something in the breed and personality of some dogs and didn't know there was a link to desexing. Do some dogs just connect with their owners in such a way that they are naturally protective reghardless of breed, training or being entire?

I've always wondered this too as all my dogs have done this. I also reach over and soothe them. At other times it seems like they are dreaming rather than having a nightmare. But are we allocating dogs a human experience or do they really do this when they sleep as well?

It seems like this was about unfortunate circumstances rather than deliberate neglect. I hope these beautiful boys are back to full health very soon.

That is just heartbreaking. I've got a pei boy here who was underweight and lifeless when he arrived but he was nowhere near that! He was eating every 2 or 3 hours over the first couple of days and it was probably 3 weeks until he stopped telling me that he needed more than 2 meals a day. Some days it is still 3 when he needs it. In a month he has gone from 19.8 to 21.6 today. I know the vet has advised 4 meals a day but the carer might want see what the dogs themselves need over the first few days? Once they have good food going in those boys will start to act more like themselves again. I'll have my fingers and toes crossed for their speedy recovery.

I think it was pretty clear when spanky new pink doggy accessories started to appear in your photos with Willow that she was a FF! Plus she is so terribly cute and special that I doubt any other carer would've let her go either! Maverick is a lucky boy!

Aw shucks....he's a wonderful boy and a pleasure to look after (and spoil)!

We were at Ams's Peinic yesterday and even though it felt somewhat OTT I took a fleece lined doggy raincoat with me just in case as Oscar hates the wet weather (no, he's not spoiled!). Well of course it poured and Oscar was busy pacing the fences and working out where he was, warm and dry except for his snozz. I think all the other wet dogs were terribly jealous! Their owners were probably quietly cursing as well when they went to put soggy dogs into their cars for the trip home!

Ams just had a beautiful Neo boy but I think he has gone to his forever home now. He'd still be in Brisbane though. Not sure if he does any tricks but he was a very calm boy.

I have a weakness for pied SBTs. I'm not sure why or how it started either but they all deserve hugs and kisses. I used to think my least favourite breed was anything that drools but so far I've owned an OES and am fostering shar peis and have come to love dribbly dna! On the bottom of my list right now are yappy, poorly trained chi (like the ones that live across the road from me and drive my dogs crazy with their wandering). I think all breeds have something beautiful and admirable about them when you get to know more about them. Dogs are just magical!

The nights are getting a little chilly so it's jammie time! I think purple could be his colour!

We go most years, because the message coming across at the event I go to is very positive, focussed on responsible dog ownership and giving rescue dogs a chance, whether they come from the RSPCA or not. The dog related activities on show are very interesting as well. The other one we used to go to is Bark in the Park. One year my dog was the worst behaved dog there so we stopped going. Oh the shame!

As a foster carer I'd be really upset to be excluded from fostering if I had an FF. I don't think carers can help developing a strong connection with certain animals but hopefully they are assessed as suitable adopters in the same way all other potential adopters are. Of course the number of dogs permanently in a household may then change a carer's capacity to continue fostering. Mind you, it still shocks me how many dogs some of you own/support in your households. I know three is my limit!

Go Molly! And yes, we need pics please!

Well that's rather wierd. Hopefully Pippa enjoyed the car ride though?

It was a great story and so refreshing to see that any dog could be special to one of these diggers. I know my girl is very in tune with my health and the moods I have related to it and does things to 'help'. Others have said the same about their dogs. How amazing if some of the wonderful rescue dogs out there could be connected with their heart human through this.