Little Gifts

I was just thinking back to how I exercised my dogs when I lived on acreage and realised we went for very long off leash meanders most days then. The area I lived in was being developed and I used to like to go and check out the new houses being built. There was zero traffic so we'd just go walking and being nosy until it starting getting dark and then head back home. The dogs would be running here and there chasing things in the long grass and checking to see if there were any horse hoove clippings to eat. I'm lucky here in the suburbs now to have a very large park and creek right near me so I don't have to walk past houses with dogs barking at fences. I have had to split walks now though because I have a 16+ staffy that loves to walk but can't go far. We bought her a dog pram so she could come with the other dogs but she refuses to use it. She tends to just get a slow walk around the block and lord knows where she gets all that piddle from but she makes it last the whole walk!

Our dogs don't get walked everyday mainly because sometimes it isn't light enough (I don't feel safe night walking and I am not a morning person) or like now when it is constantly raining. But we have play time with all three dogs morning and night either in the yard or house using whatever thing stimulates them the most (one loves being chased with toys and playing tug). In the mornings play is always followed by a a body massage. So walks and outings are always on top of the daily play. We do try and have a special outing with all 3 dogs every weekend to an agility park or the beach or to a park where they get to play in water. Often we will meet up with friends who also have dogs at these outings.

Thanks for the online info Mystiqview. In my head I was picturing these BYB's and puppy farmers having their own websites with page upon page of the pups they have for sale. Didn't even think about the obvious 'for sale' sites but shouldn't be surprised - maintaining your own website would eat into those puppy farming profits! I don't trust BYB's, puppy farms or pet shop owners when it comes to honesty over money so can imagine them working together to ensure a supply of popular breeds is available, so I can imagine the misrepresentation of a breed or cross breeds happening from both sides. Two pet shops local to me regularly advertise litteras of pups as pure breeds and there have been occasions when I can easily tell by looking at them that they can't be. They put whopping big prices on them because of this and I think it is wrong and that it can have repercussions for the animal. Unless the parent dogs were both guaranteed pure breed then they shouldn't be claiming a pup is. I'm not saying it needs to say it is a cross breed, but it shouldn't say pure breed. As for cross breeds there have been several 'what breed am I' threads on DOL from people who bought a pup and it has grown to look like something other than what the pet shop said was in it. I think this is a risk for anyone buying a cross breed dog of course given we know a bitch can whelp pups that have different dads. But say mum was a dalmation then advertising a pup as dalmation cross is the best that can probably be done. And a cross breed is a cross breed and sale price should reflect that. So many people actually think designer dogs are an actual breed and that their moodle is a pure breed dog!

Mystiqview I have no idea how a normal person can buy a puppy online. I wouldn't even buy plants for my fish tank online let alone a companion animal! But if that does happen then an outcome may be that less people see a cute puppy at a shop and buy it on the spur of the moment without considering the realities of dog ownership. And if you buy a dog online I'm assuming you may have to wade your way through the choices and wait for delivery so some people might also be put off by that. Or is that just me being a wishful thinker? The other thing for me is that if I see animals in a pet shop in poor condition not only can I complain about the pet shop but I can also make a complaint about the 'breeder' (using that term very loosely). If that 'breeder' gets enough complaints then maybe they get put out of business? And it's not just the health of an animal but even the breeds they list them as. That pet shop owner was already saying he didn't want amstaff's so I can already see 'breeder's trying to pass off amstaffs as SBT's (just one example). That is not right for the dog, the new owner or reputable breeders of either breed. And if I see anything saying it is pure bred when it clearly isn't then I will also be complaining about that kind of misrepresentation. A cross breed is a cross breed and people shouldn't be paying for a pure bred if they aren't getting it. Surely that has to be some kind of legal misrepresentation of goods?

Just some veyr quick tips for right now. If you touch your dog to get its attention then I suggest 2 light taps each time - anywhere but on the head. If you only do one the dog may be unsure if you just bumped into it so always two so it can differentiate. I don't recommend your dog be off leash until she has visual recall because you can't call her back if there is danger. So I'd avoid that for the saftety of your dog at present including in your driveway, near roads or on walks. Be careful around other dogs as your dog wont be able to hear them giving her back off growls. If you have timber floors at home stamping your feet will get her attention. I still talk to deaf dogs as I think they still respond to the positive body language and expressions. The key is having that dogs focus on you wherever possible so it can learn and follow hand commands. I have a deaf dog (due to age) and recently met two wonderful deaf ACD's who were very obediant (one only a young pup). One thing I've noticed though is if a deaf dog gets in trouble from their human they can make a hell of a racket. Tell your neighbours your dog is deaf in case it gets out of the yard or in case it kicks up a stink sometime and they think you are trying to throttle it! Good luck with your girl!

Last one - having a rest after lunch:

Aeroplane tail!

And of course Silly Stussy. All of these could be considered out takes - there is nothing she couldn't do in her frock!

Now our old girl Ricky:

All our dogs got washed yesterday so we could do Christmas pics but the weather was so dark and awful it didn't happen. And with so much going on today we couldn't organise all the dogs in one place at the one time so it was just mostly ribbons around the neck and random photos. Stussy (my silly heart girl) wore her christmas fairy dress all day and was hilarious. First here is my sister's dog Wolf:

I've got a pied staffy girl who I think is the most beautiful dog in the world but she hates the camera so I always get scared face. It sucks when you can't capture the essence of your dogs so I feel your pain! Stanley looks like a proud chap in his pics above!

What happens under the doona stays under the doona......

I was reading up about this after reading this story and there are organisations researching this issue. It has links to OCD and the people think the animals need them and they have no idea that they are actually harming these animals. They are generally living in as much squallor as the animals themselves. Cats are hoarded a lot because they can be hidden behind closed doors. Recidivism rates are very high with hoarders which means that they need to be closely monitored after being caught. Most of the animals removed from hoarders have to be pts. Generally only young animals can be brought to health and a social level needed for rehoming. Oh and it is not uncommon for people to start out as rescuers, working closely with pounds and shelters and turn into hoarders. More common with single women but not restricted to this demographic.

That's a lot of cats to have gotten hold of and I wondered whether some would've even been people's beloved missing pets? Imagine your cat goes missing and that's where it ends up? That would crush me. I wonder what kind of research has been or is being done into animal hoarding? It does seem to be more of a female issue but many of these people have family who also live in the house, including smaller children, so I doubt it is about being lonely or needing something to care for. Apart from the dangers to the poor animals I think it is an interesting mental health issue and there must be a way of helping these people lead normal animal free lives again.

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She sounds like a beautiful girl and you gave her a great life in her older years.

I've got a hero tale. I had mother and son rescue staffies (mother is still with me). I lived on acreage and had been sick with the flu. My parents lived on the property next to me so I was going to walk next door to show them I was getting better. But when I went to walk down my front stairs one leg went between the stairs and I flipped down them, knocking myself out on the side wall of the house and landing on the pavers. The mother dog who is not very smoochy stayed quietly with me. Her son who was a bag of nerves over even blowing leaves ran next door to my parents house and alerted them that something was wrong. They ran over and found me and got medical assistance - I injured both arms and legs and was concussed. Still have a big stair dent in one leg. I would not have been able to get help myself and no-one would've heard me shout. I could've been there for hours or even overnight if it wasn't for the dogs. I was so proud of those two for what they did!

Happy birthday Kuga! my old girl turned 16 in August so I know what owning an old dog is about - some of them just keep going and going and I do believe willpower and love has a lot to do with it. You go big fella!

I've done something terribly silly. I get very jealous of all these people whose dogs like to wear Christmas attire and pose. Yesterday I was at Big W and bought a girls Christmas Fairy dress (with wings and headband!) in size 6 - 8. I took it home and put it on one of my staffies and it fit! She hates headwear but seems to love dresses! She was strutting around, tripping over the chiffon skirt all proudly! So all dogs will be getting a bath on the weekend and we will be attempting photos. Probably more out takes than good ones given that my girl actually looks like a bloke dressing as a woman in her frock but dammit, I want Christmas pics!

Goodbye big boy. You will be sadly missed.

My older girl was 13 and her son was 12 when he had to be pts after an accident. Sorry to say she aged before my eyes after it happened. They had been together for nearly all their lives (both had previous owners but reunited in my care as rescues) but didn't seem that dependant on each other. I took in another rescue several months after the son went and my older girl devoted herself to this new pup. We currently have 3 dogs including the old girl who is almost 16 and a half now. I think my older girl is just a dog used to being part of a pack and doesn't do well as an only dog. I understand you may not be in a position to get another dog, but if you do make sure it is one suitable to Tara's needs and temperament as well. My old girl is deaf and blind but new dogs of any age don't phase her at all. She still likes rough one on one playing but the risk for her is mainly when all the dogs are being too active together she gets bowled over as her back legs aren't as strong as they used to be. Others will have different advice for you as well - this is simply what worked in our household for this particular dog. Very sorry for your loss of Sam.

I feel truly sick about this one. That has to be a horrific way to die as it is neither quick or painless. Whoever did this is a real danger to society.