Little Gifts

I had a really active SBT - always jumping, twisting and running. He had a lot of anxiety as well and never really rested - always on the alert and on his feet if I moved. When he was around 10 I started giving him morning massages while he was still a little sleepy, mainly to keep him relaxed him. I started the same with his mother who was 11. He was PTS from an injury a couple of years later and his mum was PTS shy of her 17th birthday. Neither had any age related arthritis or joint issues but the old girl developed some nerve problems in the last 6 months or so. I really believe the morning massages kind of warmed up their bodies, stretched their muscles and loosened things before they started their busy day. A bit like athletes warm up before they exercise. Can't prove it medically but I've continued the process with all the dogs I have had since then, including my current foster boy. The massages have helped him develop trust in us as he was hand shy and very nervous of unknown things. We do his at night as that is when he is most sleepy. So it has several benefits, plus it doesn't cost anything and the dogs don't say no! And my sister moved in with me 4 years ago and when her husky/shep cross lets me I massage her as well. At 8 she is showing no joint issues for a large and active dog. She is still doing zoomies with the younger two, bouncing off the furniture and flying over the stairs. Again I don't know if the massaging has helped her but it certainly hasn't hurt. I figure dogs must get a bit achy just like us at times from over exertion? Good luck with Penny. The oldies are precious!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-16/celebrity-rabbit-squashed-to-death/3893558 Did anyone else see the irony in this? If it had ears it would've heard the cameraman. And I know this makes me seem so evil but I kept picturing the cameraman as Mr Bean going "Oh dear" and slinking quickly away from the scene of the crime. The whole situation was just so absurd it would make a terrible comedy scene in a movie.

So cuuuuute!

Ams I was hoping it might even be possible for me to bring him out to see you next month if all goes well with his training. Noisy Mina has given me two good, large size dog mattresses with covers, several larger dog coats, loads of towels, a tin bowl and some buckets, plus I have those rope tug toys and replacement bed covers (if the sizes suit any of your frames) and you can have any of it for your rescue kids that you need. Anything you don't need I'll pass on to BFR because I've also got stuffed toys for them that were already promised (more suited to smaller dogs). So if I come out I can just bring it all with me and take home anything not useful. And of course you are free to visit here anytime as well! You'll be able to see better than us how much he has grown. I'm sure he will go all silly when he sees you again!

Clancy eating lamb puff off Dannie's nose as requested!

Hi Jen! Missing you!!!!

It's taken a while but Clancy had his first walk outside the house this afternoon. We took the other two as well in the hope he'd feed off their excitement. He got anxious at times and just lay down but lamb puffs soon had him back looking at me and moving in the direction we wanted to go. He met and engaged with 3 new humans, was near 3 loose dogs, another 2 on leads walking and 4 barked at him from behind fences. There was also a cat walking around. At no time did he over react or try and chase any of them. He got introduced to 2 of the loose dogs with the assistance of their humans. One growled at him but he was calm the whole time, let them sniff him, then sniffed them and went about his business. I'm very proud of him! Then when we got home I accidentally taught them all to eat lamb puffs off my nose. I don't know they needed much encouragement. Those things sell themselves. Might have to try a bit and see what all the fuss is about!

"ickle bickle"? I didn't read that command in my training manual!

I've never even bothered to feel on any dog, including mine. Never even bothered to ask where they are usually inserted either! Next tme I'm at the vet I'll get my girl scanned to see where it is.

What a great collection!

I LOVE your photos!

Very exciting!

Ricky - SBT rescue - PTS at 16 years 9 months May 2011. We had been managing pancreatitis for quite a while, then came cancer, then old age blindness and deafness, then dementia, then some minor strokes and mobility issues. She probably would've kept going but she was becoming an accident risk anytime we weren't home. Miss you still old girl. Bundy - SBT Rescue - PTS at 12 years 4 months. Bundy was Ricky's son. She gave birth to him the day she entered my temp care. He was rehomed but came back to me at 6 months old with severe epilepsy as the owner was going to PTS him. I worked closely for 3 years with a naturopath and my vet and he eventually ceased fitting and came off the drugs that kept him in a constant stupor. Unfortunately he had fairly extreme seperation anxiety and was terrified of oh so many common noises. He was PTS because something had scared him while I was at work one day and he'd gotten his legs tangled into wire fencing that he tore from the garage trying to escape to help. It damaged the nerves in his spine and wasn't fixable. Even my vet was very sad but she put him on pain meds and we spent one more day together just lying on the bed cuddling and enjoying his company before we took him in to PTS late in the afternoon. He's finally at rest. Rest in Peace Budda-Boo.

I'm so sorry Rach. Have fun at the rainbow bridge Tess. There will be lots of other lovely doggies there waiting to show you the place.

I used to have a store dummy in my lounge room that I'd dress up. My dog at the time was very wary of it because it looked like a human but did not smell like one!

I am constantly amazed at how forgiving and resiliant dogs are. From those first photos by Carlo to those by Kelscats now she is always looking as content and happy as she can be given her health issues. She has always seemed to have such a beautiful nature so I can't fathom why her original owners wouldn't have wanted the best for such a wonderful dog? And not only neighbours didn't do anything about her long and painful neglect neither did any visitors to that home until Carlo. That shocks me a little. I can only imagine what a horrible end she would've had if left there - probably her uterus infection would've slowly and painfully killed her. Both of you are amazing for all the effort you have been putting in to return her to the best health possible.

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Everything is better with a friend!

That is hilarious!

My new foster boy is quite keen on tv. He likes The Idiot Abroad but I fear he sits too close to the screen and will damage his eyesight.

Ams we love our little boy! Give me a dog with some personality any day! I just took Stussy to the vet for a quick check on something and in the 20 mins we were gone Clancy cried the whole time. I like to think he was missing me but I think it was more likely his partner in crime he was pining for. I'm not sure if he has put on weight but he is now taller than Stussy so he's had a growth spurt too. Stussy has lost some weight from all the extra crazy time. We also had a salesman here today and Clancy was all over him like a rash, batting those little eyelashes for a scratch! Slobbered on his briefcase a bit too.

Thank you to Melzawelza for explaining why this photograph might even exist because I couldn't for the life of me understand the point of having a photo taken holding up an animal with a rope around its neck. The photo seemed very African safari to me and I thought we'd moved past those days. I'd find anything strung up by a rope disturbing to be honest. It just seems so grotesque and unnessecary. A photo of it even worse.

I don't want to keep talking about Clancy in poor Charlie Brown's thread! Clancy was a bit naughty last night - his first time testing my patience so really in the scheme of things we have been blessed with him. Last weekend I was sick and in bed and my sister was working so he got very little attention. Sure he got on my bed a couple of times to see if I was still alive and chew off any corners of the doona covers that Stussy hadn't already eaten but hey, a dog's gotta keep himself occupied! But last night he refused to come into the house and was being all snoopy and hidey. My sister and I were in and out of the house for hours with torches and leashes trying to round him up and he'd let us get oh so close then run off again! Of course it was all wet out there as well and I'm sure he was on a toad hunt so I couldn't give up. One time he made me scream in fright when I was looking for him in one direction and he came up behind me and licked behind my knees (before running off again). At that stage I knew it was deliberate! We eventually faked giving up, left the back door open for the mozzies and he sauntered into the house, got a rub down and promptly fell asleep. So in the scheme of things not so terrible, but he had a look on his face that was kind of like "I no longer answer to the name of Clancy, humans! Try and discover my superhero name if you dare!" I do have to take some footage of Clancy and Stussy doing their soft toy routine. Stussy waggles a soft toy in front of Clancy's face. He latches on and she drags him around the lounge room until he lets go again. They even change directions! I do worry when she drags him when he is lying flat on his belly with his frog legs akimbo - doodle carpet burns.....

The photo is disturbing. Many feral animals are problematic in Australia and need to be culled to keep things in balance. But someone in a position such as that standing there wearing a grin while holding up a dead cat with a rope tied around its neck conjures up the wrong image. A dead cat, feral or domestic is hardly a hunting prize. I would feel the same if he was holding up a wild rabbit or a large marlin. What is there to show off about killing? Edited to add I don't know if it is a friend or the head of the PIAA holding the cat but it is still inappropriate and not necessary.

Nah, it is really his first time deliberately ignoring us so he has been a very good boy really. I'm blaming it on the rain!