Little Gifts

Back in 1979 my father bought me an Old English Sheepdog pup from a breeder in the Tweed Heads area for $150. I'm sure they'd spent much more than that on a siamese cat for mum a decade before. My dog was apparently pure bred but had no papers that I recall. She was a beautiful animal that thought she was human and she never once came into season and back then desexing wasn't something you thought much about. All other dogs I've had since then have been 'free' rescues, some of who have cost me a fortune in health and wellbeing care!

It's KMart Anne - $12. They always have them up here and the fabric and style looks exactly the same as the pics I saw of the $7 ones. We have the KMart ones here and I haven't noticed them slippery. They wash well and are one of the few that haven't been taste tested in this house!

Bye Beautiful Girl! If you see a big, boofy bundle of fur called Phobie up there tell her we still think about her and miss her. She was also a special girl who was always doing something stoopid.

I just went to the vet this morn and we got given cortisone tabs and he clearly told me it will increase her thirst and hunger.

My sister and I got very excited by free spoons (that you could get engraved for a fee) at the last event we went to in Brisbane but it was all cramped together in the hot sun around the stage and it was all too much for one of my dogs so we went and played in the shade. I'd really love to go to an event that was a bit more homestyle/homemade fete type event. I can go to the shops and corporate events for all the regular stuff but would love to be exposed to some new products including homemade toys, collars, leashes, clothes, blankies, beds, grooming products, treats. I am likely to spend more money too when I see kind of original stuff. One idea I've always had for a stall is to either make your own tuggy or ask for a tuggy to be made up on the spot in the colours you want. There are so many different style of tuggy and the strands could be cut in advance and it might be something cute for kids to do as well? Or even for kids you could do the old cover a doggy cupcake stall? Things like that would be easy fundraisers for say a rescue group. We've lost the fun feel at a lot of these events and we all seem to go home with brochures and other shite that is only suitable for the bin.

I remember one of my dogs escaping from the kennels at the sound of my car coming into the driveway. I opened the car door got out and a white blur flew in behind me and glued itself to the back seat. Very funny given the kennel staff thought that he'd done a runner on the same day as I was due to pick him up. My sister's dog is part cat and if she spends even a night away she gets serious cold shoulder treatment for days afterwards. I think it's hilarious but then it's not my heart dog doing it to me! Mine are always very excited to see me when I get home from trips. Everyone crowds round like they are waiting to hear all about it and see what presents I bought!

I think the owner just wanted 15 minutes of fame for herself and didn't have anything else to offer the world but an expensive dog wedding. When she put her make up on she should've drawn a big L on her forehead at the same time. Horrible waste of money.

Let us know how you go. I have one terror here who at the ages of your dogs would've wrecked everything she could get her gob around so I'd be more worried about damage to the house than to the dogs!

I'm facing THE big decision again. I'm really hating this ageing dog thing. Ricky had a pts appointment for 29/01 after she had a couple of small strokes but by the time of the appointment a few days later was doing well. Since then she is off her dementia meds and I've had to change her diet and she has been as happy and active as ever. But her back legs are really giving out on her now. One in particular is always stiffened out straight and she will often walk on the toes on that side. I have to follow her up and down the three stairs we have in case the back legs don't keep up with the front, always lift her on and off the bed/lounge and sometimes hold her upright to eat and drink as her legs want to slide into splits. We give her pain meds when we think she needs it (daily now) as she has always had a high pain threshold and rarely exhibits any signs of it herself. So back to the vet this weekend for another serious discussion. This all sucks when otherwise I have a dog loving her older years, still eating and drinking well, still nosy and annoying, still playing everyday with the younger one and still finding things exciting enough for an aeroplane tail effort. Even with the problem she has standing and walking it still doesn't stop her following us from room to room and being at the front door when we get home. But of course I don't want her to have an accident and be seriously hurt in a fall and at her age with this stiffened leg that is very possible.

Itsmeg here on DOL makes them in summer and winter weights and is selling them in the Members Marketplace. I don't think you have enough posts for there yet so why not PM Itsmeg instead. She makes them to size and colour options and is very reasonably priced.

That last photo is just magical!

Sorry Fuzzy but if you were to go into the rescue forums you will see a very different picture. Dogs do not always come from good homes. There are many examples of neglected and abused animals in pounds. Many examples of dogs whose owners don't bother to come and spring them from the pound. Healthy rehomable dogs are put to sleep by pounds every day because a rescue group has nowhere to place them. There is a mad scamble by many rescuers right up until the last minute to save as many of these dogs as possible but the problem is always not having enough places (carers or temp kennelling) for them to go to. And there are always puppies around but a shelter isn't the best place for them - they tend to go in to foster care and are often not made available until they are old enough to have their breeds and personalities identified and so they can be desexed before rehoming. The best place to find a rescue dog is more likely to be the Pet Rescue website than visiting a shelter.

I agree with the sentiment behind this and feel there has to be a positive outcome for rescue and a reduction in the number of healthy rehomable animals pts if more animals were desexed. The animals I am talking about are those where the owners can't or wont protect them from breeding and can't or wont responsibly raise and rehome a litter those pets might 'accidentally' have. So if by 'mass desexing' it means taking 'free or very cheap desexing to the masses' then I support it. I'd actually like to see all the camp dogs in remote communities desexed under a program like this. I don't have any stats for animals but if the human life expectancy in these communities is low (which is a fact from health reports) then it is likely to be reflected in the camp dogs stats as well. I also support a responsible owner determining the age of desexing or whether they even wish to desex. But a responsible owner would probably be able to fund their own desexing and not need a free or cheap program anyway. I know I'd prefer to pay so I can choose the vet who does the surgery. I don't think a one size fits all approach ever works for any problem and certainly support any org, including the RSPCA educating 'the masses' about responsible pet ownership at its most basic level.

Westiemum I have an SBT who is heading on for 17. She was diagnosed with dementia last year and we also went on the vivitonin. It made a noticeable difference. My old girl had some minor strokes in January this year and I made a pts appointment for the end of the month but she picked up again. In Feb I was in Cairns doing recovery work after the cyclone. It wasn't till March that I realised we had run out of vivitonin. I asked my sister when and she said while I was away in Feb. So my old girl probably hasn't had any meds for at least 6 weeks and is bright as a button again, better than pre-dementia. I'm thinking that one of the strokes may have unblocked a blockage that was interfering with brain messages. Her dementia was lots of aimless wandering and staring and toileting without thinking where she was. I'll tell the vet at our next monthly appointment but if she says to leave her off them then I will.

This only works for small dogs but I'll attach a picture of my boy in his jammies. It's a $5 babies onesie from Kmart. Just put it on backwards and the snaps do up along their back. Shaar, what a fantastic idea! What size do you get for a CC? And you just cut the feet off by the look of it? Maybe I'll look at getting some of those on special for the rescue dogs. Perhaps while I'm hemming the back legs where the feet have been cut off I can cut out a hole for peeing and pooping. They look cosy and comfy!

I've added a pic Of Ricky in her pj's Clyde. They're hot pink with black trim and black paw prints on the butt. No point me selling them as I have another female SBT who will wear them this year as she has outgrown some of the stuff she fitted into last year. I was also keen to keep them for the pattern as I have been collecting fleece with the plan of making some for rescue when I can pull my finger out. Full of ideas with no follow through unfortunately!

I got some off ebay from a lady here in Australia late last winter. I contacted her and told her my dog details and colour I was after and she made them and put the ad on ebay, I paid and they arrived quickly in the mail. Easy peasy and good price. My dog wont wear the damn things though because she doesn't like all 4 legs being lifted anymore. She's old so she gets a say. Sorry mumsy but she is only an SBT so they wont fit your boxer!

Oh Kirty that is so sad. Thank you for being there for Rex and showing him the love and care he deserved.

It is amazing how forgiving animals are to us humans. I don't know how long he was down that chute but I imagine it was dark and airless and very confined down there. It's like being buried alive. I don't understand the thought processes of some human beings when a phone call to a shelter could've taken the dog off her hands if she no longer wanted it. Patrick, I hope you live a long and healthy life with people who love you.

Mine all get invited up before jumping on the bed or any furniture. We are shorties in this house and I must admit all our lounges and beds were purchased because they suited our height (ie legs don't dangle in the air when you sit on any of them) so perhaps they are a little shorter than what some have? I have never even thought of the damage jumping off might do. I bought some stairs for my old girl a few years back but she refused to use them so I gave up. She is now lifted on and off the bed as she doesn't have the strength in her back legs anymore. Does anyone else have a dog that kind of oozes off the lounge onto the carpet giving themselves a stretch and belly rub on the lounge as they go? I can't be the only one with a goober like that.

We had a rescue staffy of 12 weeks come to live with a rescue staffy of 13 years. They are now almost 4 and 17 respectively and they still play rough, bashing into each other, mouthing (teeth bared bitey face!), heavy nudging with snouts and paws, gruff barking, all that. They play on the bed first thing in the morning and at night while we are trying to watch tv. We have had no accidental injuries in either dog, no yelping when things got out of hand and the games tend to be ended by the older dog making a more agressive bark or walking away. As the play seems to happen in front of us there is always a human to stop things if they got out of control, particularly with one dog being so old now, but the dogs themselves have managed naturally with very little intervention from us. We also have an 8 year old husky x shep and she and the younger dog playing are the ones we have to watch. The husky closes her jaw around the younger one's snout and when the younger one tries to wiggle it out she gets little scratches on her face. Plus the husky grabs her inner back leg and flips her like a poddy calf. There is more of a power struggle going on in their play so we watch it closely and stop it with commands to the husky when she is getting a certain look on her face. It seems more power play than natural play and there is some squealing from the younger dog when she wants to 'give in'. Mind you she is drawn to playing with this dog but again it happens when we are around so we monitor it. The husky doesn't like the older staffy either and does air nips at her when she walks too close. They have never played together or even as a group of three, but travel in the car together, walk together and share a bed together. No fights. I think it is more an age thing between them.

We had a corgi x GSD rescue. He looked like a long haired GSD puppy as an adult with a slightly longer wheel base. Don't know much about corgi temperaments but this boy was playful, dog friendly, nosy, liked to be guard dog (but not aggressive) and also liked his comfort and cuddles. We'd often find him stretched out on someone's bed with his head on the pillow thinking he was invisible. He did have arthritis problems in his back legs as he aged. Because he was a rescue he came to three names - Gordon, Ian and Hey Dog (all discovered by accident).

Tunagirll please tell your sister to do two things. One - If she and her child have asthma then it is important to know what their triggers are so they can be managed. People die from attacks. And Two - given she is after a family pet, she should look for a breed of dog that is suitable to her family, household set up, activity levels, etc and work with the breeder to identify a pup that is the right fit, ie a dog with the temperament or attitude that her family will love and care for for the next 10+ years. Colour is the last thing that people should use to choose a pet. Just my opinion of course but I think focussing on colour can mean a person misses the right dog for them. I hope it all works out for her, but seriously she needs to know what her asthma triggers are regardless of what she does with the dog situation.

They look like the same ones I buy from KMart for $12. They dry quickly and mine have stayed fluffed up despite repeated washings. I have been happy with them and you can never have too many dog beds!

I'm very happy about Di and AWDR! I met her and her husband and some of the dogs late last year and she does a great job coordinating a rescue service from Cairns that operates across the country! Simple and effective idea!