Little Gifts

We had 2 SBTs, a husky/shep cross and a foxy cross (supervised by 3 adults) down the leash free beach area. We'd been there for several hours just playing and enjoying the company of other lively doggies. Two SWFs came down the beach with their owners and once near our group came over snarling and carrying on so one of my SBTs defended us. Mine didn't go the other dogs but stood in front of us with her hackles up and fight face on. Of course the owners of the SWFs accused me of being a terrible owner letting a viscious dog loose on the beach. At first I felt guilty because I obviously have the stronger dog, but then I thought about it and told the guy that next time his dogs did that to me I wouldn't be calling mine off. Some people just don't realise that the behaviour of their dogs sets off the behaviour of other dogs. If a dog can't walk past another without a strong reaction then they should never be off leash regardless of size. And if you want to get your dog out of its fear and aggression habits then you need to put some effort into doing it safely and non-confrontationally in a controlled environment first. Off leash parks are not for experimenting.

I'm so jealous!!!!!!!! I live in Brissie too so I hope the business does a super trade and more jobs come up and I get one too! Although I am used to my rather pleasant salary and I expect they wont want to pay me as much for having fun! But still, there will be puppies to sniff.........

Rach I was hoping you wouldn't see this! I bet you run around the house hugging all your fur babies after reading it. Why couldn't they just rehome them? I hope they are found and are never able to own an animal again let alone profit from them.

Oh Cas you have been having a terrible time of it lately. It must seem like too much to bare, but once an animal lover, always an animal lover. I've had 2 nubians over the years, both raised from babies - Ba-Ha and George. Oh they were both so naughty but I loved them to pieces for their personalities, good looks and soft fur! Both had their fair share of serious scrapes so I know how you feel. Some of my favourite pictures of George involved him wearing a newspaper he had eaten or dragging a pot plant down the stairs for a secret snack. My most cringeworthy story is about how he got into a garbage bin full of alcoholic punch that my housemates had left on the back verandah to ferment. George did a fart and blew diareha (sp?) across the entire length of the back verandah. I was scrubbing for hours. So Donkey, say hi to George and Ba-Ha for me but don't join up and form a demolition gang or anything because we still need that Rainbow Bridge!

Raz (or maybe her husband?) came up with Roger Ramvet. The name I call him is the Bondi W*nker as I don't have that much confidence in him as a vet either. Actually I'm dissappointed because I think he could do so much better. You don't see my beloved Bionic Vet looking at the camera whilst standing over the operating table and saying "if we don't do something immediately then this dog is going to be in real trouble!" Der.......

A female vet I knew socially used to have a real issue with dead beat pet owners. I remember the story of a puppy who'd had it's leg broken when a door was closed on it. Instead of taking it to the vet the owner sticky taped paddle pop sticks to it. Of course the pup's health detiorated and by the time he took it to the vet it had been in incredible pain for a couple of weeks. My friend gave him an exorbitant price to repair the damage or the pup could be pts for free. He chose the latter as she knew he would. She said her conscience wouldn't let her fix that puppy and then send it home to an owner who would not follow whatever post op care was required. She said that pup was in for a life of neglect and suffering with a person like that and she didn't want the pup to suffer anymore. Not everyone will agree with this approach but that was how she took control and coped. I have had the same vet (and vet nurses) for 20 years. They adored one boy I took in to be pts and talked me out of it. They said they weren't ready for him to go. Sent me home with drugs and a new appointment time. I spent 2 lovely days just lying around enjoying his company and took him back and he passed over the bridge quietly and comfortably. They wrapped him in a colourful blanket I'd brought with me, took his collar off and then wrapped him in calico and then plastic and carried him to the car for me. No charge for the pts and the next work day flowers and a card arrived at home. All the staff had personally written on the card. Totally unexpected, but I've been at that surgery on numerous occassions when other people were bringing their beloved pets in for the last time. You can tell. I guess some vets and vet nurses are able to make something beautiful for the owner out of something so sad. Angels!

Extended on the 'we are humans' bit, we are also individuals, with our own quirks and personalities, strengths and weaknesses. I certainly don't see my dogs as humans but believe they also are individual within their pack, with their own quirks, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. The family I was raised in always had dogs. They were all outside dogs, including working dogs. Their basic care needs were met, some were dogs we played with and some were not. None were allowed in the house and all seemed to understand what they could and couldn't do. I got my first own dog that I chose as a teenager. She was and OES and she was one wierd dog! Even though she was an outside dog she was allowed to come into the loungeroom and stay on a specific mat for a period of time at night. She used to sit on a chair on the verandah and on the front steps like a human with her back legs dangling down. She loved baths (which she got a lot of as she was allows burying stuff in the dirt). She loved rides - in the car, in the wheelbarrow, on a trike we had since we were kids. And one year she was clipped back and kind of lost her mojo so we came up with the idea of her wearing an old woollen jumper of dad's. She lived in that thing and used to confuse the postman when she'd sit all human like on the top step of the verandah. She avoided all other dogs and animals. I'm really not sure she knew what she was. We didn't make her like this - this is who she was. Over the years I've had several more dogs and all bar one have been no frills type dogs who were not big on cuddles or mollycoddling, and certainly would not deem to don clothing even if I tried. But my most recent addition (an SBT) LOVES clothes on her body (but nothing on her head). She loves stuffed toys, and tug toys and balls. She is very inquisitive. She wants to smooch everyone and can't just sit like a normal dog - she needs to be draped over someone and covered by something. Again, I didn't teach her any of this and she also does the same behaviours with the other dogs, not just with humans. I love it because it is so different from what I am used to. Could it seem like I am humanising her? Yes, but I feel like she indicated to me this is what she likes and who she is. I feel like I'm just supporting her to be herself and she is a much more content and confident dog for it.

I watched the entire show ahhing at the puppies (it's my weakness) and cringing at Roger Ramvet's crap advice. The only useful thing he did show was the annual cost of owning a new dog. Hopefully the high figure will put off a few people whether it was accurate or not.

Happy Birthday Maxi! Mutta my girl Ricky is booked in for pts next Saturday as her time has come. She is 16.5 and the cancer growths in her joints are making it very difficult for her to walk now. I've been a bag of stress ever since I made the appointment and it is going to be a long awful week. Then the time after is going to be worse. She needs to go out with dignity, not be lying in her own poo. It still sucks and I know I just want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head already. It doesn't matter how long we have our fur babies for it never seems enough at the end. But my girl has only really deteriorated since last December so she's had a lot of great years. That's what I'll try to remember.

My neighbours directly across the street have always had the most feral group of chihuahuas, all interbreeding with each other. After 9 years of them running up and down the street attacking anything and everything, barking and snarling endlessly and causing my dogs to go spare I finally got jack of it last year when their behaviour caused a serious injury to my old dog which resulted in 2 leg wounds and 8 staples to close it. She could only have a local to have it fixed as well due to her advanced age. I spoke to the owners (who are lovely but from a non-English speaking background) and they just didn't get why I was so upset. So I rang the council. I told them all the incidents I could recall, including the numerous attacks on me when I was just getting out of my car and we are now down to only one chihuahua, one staffy and one furry cross breed, all behind a besser brick fence and steel gate. Also no more pregnancies/puppies. Every now and then there is an escape but it is a hell of a lot quieter in my street and I've noticed a lot more people walking their dogs up and down again. I can't believe no-one before me rang and complained about them. I waited so long because I chose to manage my dogs rather than create a problem with otherwise lovely neighbours. The wife still doesn't speak to me (and no xmas card last year!) because it means she can't just drive in and out of her yard without stopping to open and close the gate but the husband still says hello. So anyone who says a small dog can't cause havoc is full of it.

Another lovely tribute to an oldie. Go Abbey!

A beautiful, honest, heartfelt tribute for a wonderful girl! Bye Kassy!!!!!

Hugs to you Gayle. I kind of hope that's what will happen for me too.

Dollygirl you have had two very traumatic experiences and yes some people might say it is just a dog but to some of us dogs are a very special part of our lives. You need to grieve and be angry about what has happened and give the losses a place in your heart and your memories. Losing 2 dogs in the same way is simply a random tragedy. I've lived on acreage and in the suburbs and had snakes at both locations but have never lost a dog to one. My younger sister has had a cat and a dog bitten by snakes, also in the suburbs. Both survived. Who knows why? And it doesn't matter how long you have your dogs for - I have my old girl (almost 16 and a half) booked in to be pts on 29/1. It is her time. I have told everyone I don't want to talk about it because I want to enjoy the time we have left and not stress her out with my blubbering. Even after all these years with her I'm still not ready. 12 months or 12 years - it doesn't matter. We love them and they love us and there is never enough time together. Big hugs to you. Hopefully you will be able to open your heart up to another animal (even if it isn't a dog) sometime in the future.

My girl is booked in for her visit to the rainbow bridge on Sat 29/1. Her mobility has really gone downhill over the past 2 weeks. We have family flying in from all over the country for mum's b'day this weekend so the following weekend is the earliest I can do it and be a mess. Of course if she deteriorates significantly before then I will move it forward. Never thought I'd be planning ahead like this. Seems quite surreal. She will be a week short of 16 and a half.

Having an older staffy I started getting her fleecy coats in winter a couple of years back. Then I got another staffy pup and got her some winter gear as well. Then it all went downhill and the designs and colours got sillier. Then we moved on to hoodies (with pockets!) and pj's with legs and a raincoat similar to what RSG described - black with hot pink trim, t-shirts with bling on them, etc. Last xmas I bought a Christmas elf fairy dress (a girls dress) and put it on the younger one. She LOVED it! Wore it all day and was very sad when I took it off. She hates hats but loves things around her body even though she looks like a bloke in drag when she's frocked up! It is very addictive when you have a dog that likes to dress up!

Pauchel what brand is yours?

I'll be thinking of you and your girl Gayle. I am close to having to do that as well. My 16 and a half year old staffy had another turn the other day. Big hugs to you both. xxx

Bugger, I figured it got bumped altogether for the flood coverage. Didn't realise they'd put it on later.

Gwenneth the toileting probs relate to her dementia - not her old bladder. She's on vivitonin for the dementia. Plus she hates the rain and it has been raining non stop here since early December.

Meant to add I'm also in Beenleigh (like Troy) but have lost the backyard. It has been problematic for the last couple of weeks whenever the drainage gave up all the neighbours sludge has ended up in my back yard. Rest of the house is fine but I'm currently digging some more drains and sandbagging to keep the damage to a minimum.

Atua have you seen the other thread - there is someone desperate to move a horse to safer ground. Also been on Facebook.

Well I had a horribl, horrible night. I didn't even go to work today. I got my old girl peed on pretty much everything in the house last night as some kind of I know what you are thinking protest. We actually ran out of nappies and I spent the night cleaning behind her trying to remain patient. Anyway I sat with her and got her to sleep in the laundry last night and left my blankie with her thinking it had all our smells on it, but then the younger dog got upset she wasn't with us when we went to bed and started her up. Then she went back to sleep again. Ah yes it was all too easy. I woke at about 1am and she was very distressed so I raced in and peered over the door and she had literally torn the place up and peed on EVERYTHING. So I cleaned her up and fashioned a nappy and brought her back in with me. Of course the guilt was killing me and I lay there all night listening to her breathe thinking how distressed it still sounded, but she wouldn't let me touch her to calm her. She didn't get up to toilet again till 6.30 and by that stage I'd spent the night angry at myself thinking how terrible a doggy mother I was and thinking I'd almost killed my dog. So with no sleep and all the beating myself up I have been in a foul mood all day. I'm feeling a bit out of my depth with it all. The weather is not helping - it has been torrential rain all weekend with my backyard seeping silt under the back door again. We had to sandbag it before going to bed again. And my old girl hates going outside in the rain so of course her preference is to pee inside. I know it sounds selfish but floods permitting I have family travelling from two states for my mum's 80th in 2 weeks and no-one is going to be able to stay here with the place smelling of dog urine. So yep, all too much for me today! And thank you Rottifan for your messages. All our dogs are always massaged to keep things circulating (which may be why they all live so long) as we have a lot of family members (inc my sister who lives with me) involved in natural therapies and have used their services over the years when traditional vet treatment is not managing the issue. My vet also does homeopathic stuff now so I'm a great believer in trying more natural options.

Danielle I made a big decision today re my old girl and I hope I don't regret it or that it causes her to deteriorate more quickly than she would normally. Up until about 4 years ago my old girl (currently 16 years and 5 months) always used to sleep in the laundry at night. One very hot summer I brought all the dogs to sleep in my bedroom in the air cond and they have slept there ever since. My old girl drinks and pees a lot and that seems to have gotten worse after her recent turn. I reckon Thurs night she had me up 5 times to toilet and drink during my 8 hours of trying to sleep. Sleep is one thing I can't function at work without. I pretty much slept a full 24 hours from Friday night to catch up what I'd lost last week. So today, with a very heavy heart I made a decision. I went out and bought her a special bed and some waterproof mattress protectors for it and as of tonight she will be back sleeping in the laundry on the nights I have to work. I'll also put puppy training pads down so if she pees or poos in there it can be quickly cleaned up in the morning. And a night light for her so she can get used to her new surroundings with her poor vision (she still sees shadows). It means no more nappies for her at night which I think she'd prefer anyway (although I always take them off as soon as she goes in them and wipe her dry). The laundry has good circulation and is very large. It has two doors - one is right across from my bedroom doorway and the other is a half door so if she is too distressed I will be able to hear her. I'm going to sleep in there with her for a bit tonight to make sure she settles. I feel truly terrible and will feel even worse if she deteriorates because of it but I am not the nicest person to be around if I don't get my sleep so changing nappies and getting her on and off my bed throughout the night were not endearing her to me anyway and I don't want to lose my patience with her like that. I know she can't help it. She will still have nappies on while she is in the house at night before bed and on the days I don't work she can wear them and join us on the bed for a sleep in and cuddle. I have everything crossed that this isn't a bad decision for her.

That is the best news Puggerup!