Little Gifts

Umm, they don't really miss out on anything. When my son was in Iraq, I kept asking him what did he want me to send him....and everything I suggested, he said was easy to get over there. He had plenty of Aussie food, and really the only thing he wanted was some Bonds T-shirts as he had to have sleeves and he'd only taken singlets, and a couple of motorbike mags.

Pretty much everything else was quite readily available.

i don't think it is so much that they are missing out on stuff as much as it is about people back here in aus thinking about them,

a package at christmas for a soldier who has no one thinking of him/her at christmas would surely cheer some one up who is in such a god for saken place, some one taking a little time out of their life to think of someone else makes that someone else feel quite special - even if it is a complete stranger.

thats how i feel about it anyway, so many other posters obviously feel the same way,

would you not feel special to wake up one day and have someone deliver to you for no other reason than "because they could" a hamper full of stuff that you never asked for, stuff to spoil yourself with???

There would still have to be soldiers not lucky enough to have someone at home willing and able to send them surprise packages and I would assume that the soldiers already receiving stuff from home will be less likely to take one of the boxes we send anyway.

It is the gesture that says we are thinking about them as well as the contents inside the box. I am going to try and make mine more festive now so it really is about spoiling someone. Or I might do something silly like say "There was a christmas raffle at work and you won it!" or do a 12 Days of Christmas kind of thing. I'm sure they will be well fed on Christmas Day but I'd like them to open up these boxes and go "OMG! Look at what someone has sent me!" Even if they don't use all the items they can swap or give them away.

Melz I was thinking about your last lot of questions. In our household we have a husky/shep cross bitch of 7. She came to the house with my sister who has her very well trained and responsive. But this dog thinks it is her role to discipline the other 2 dogs (as well as friends dogs when they are all together). We call her the fun police because she is always trying to stop play between the other two and if the younger one is playing by herself tries to stop that as well. She does other things like stopping the dogs from moving through doorways or up the stairs or from getting on the furniture without permission. She basically makes a high pitched bark noise and kind of snaps at them (but doesn't connect with them) and then looks to us (for praise or ????). Whenever she does it we correct her calmly, remove her from the situation and encourage the other dogs to continue playing. It has never escalated anything between any of the dogs but we feel it is not her role to discipline the others - it is ours. It is like she is dobbing on them for doing something she doesn't feel is right.

Given I own dogs as pets and not for breeding or any other purpose, if I had to keep dogs seperate from each other to avoid the fights and injuries then I would have to rehome the dog causing it to an only dog home as obviously the environment I could offer it was not right. It would break my heart to do it but I think it would feel that I was failing it otherwise. But that is just me - I know there are others (like tdierikx) who have the strength and skill to manage it.

My two staffy bitches would fight until someone gave in and unfortunately for one of them to give in it would only be because they were seriously injured. I usually don't go mad on either dog. I immediately seperate them. I check the most injured one first simply cleaning up their wounds and seeing if vet treatment is necessary. Then I do the same with the other. I don't talk to them during this. Once I am satisfied that they are both ok physically and have both gone back to their usual calm selves I simply open the doors and release them into the main part of the house with everyone else. They usually go to each other and sniff each other and then lie with each other calmly. We have never had a situation where a fight has started again quickly after a previous fight.

I am also like Erny though - I am the top dog in this household. I don't mind my dogs on the lounge or bed but if they want up they only get it when I say it is ok. They only get special treats and toys when I say it is ok and I give them out in the order I want to based on how well they are behaving and what we are doing.

In relation to meals though we have a routine that works well and it is linked to how fast they all eat. The slowest has her bowl down first then the next fastest, etc. That way they finish at the same time and go out to toilet afterwards. If the young one is showing any signs of mania in her eyes while I am preparing dinner then I stop and go and do something else. And we have also done gesture eating for all the dogs and topped up the youngest ones bowl while she was eating so she can see that food comes from me - not the other dogs.

We follow a similar thing with visitors. The young girl gets very worked up with excitement at the front door when someone she loves arrives and I will often shut the door again and send her away if she is struggling to behave. She calms down and can come and greet whoever it is with some control otherwise she would be snapping at the others and jumping over them to get closest, which is not acceptable to me.

Basically I don't want any of the dogs to see themselves as higher than the others. I am the top and that should be all that matters to them. Our routines are about keeping things calm rather than reinforcing one dog over another.

The other thing we will be starting soon is seperate one on one exercise/walks. Play is often only with the younger dog (the others are not into toys) but we have always walked and exercised them together and with other dogs we know. As the old girl can't walk as far now and wont use her dog pram we are going to try seperate walk times and see if this upsets or alters anything. I'm hoping it might reinforce that I am the one to look up to.

Lana I think you have to trust what you know about your dogs to date. You can't predict or prevent everything. The only other issue we ever had was a rescue staffy and her litter who took a disliking to a particular female pup. I was wanting to keep the pup but given I'd already determined the mother would stay with me that pup was rehomed. She never hurt the pup but growled at it to stay away from her.

So now to have a 3 year old desexed staffy bitch who is a little unpredictable is a bit of a shock, but the issues showed up when she was about 6 months old so we have worked on managing them. She generally is very social with other dogs and people and incredibly cuddly but there is something inside her that causes her to lose the plot if she feels she is not getting her share of something or if she gets overly excited. I see it in her face and have to caution her immediately to make her refocus. And even after the fights she and the older dog will lie next to each other sniffing each others wounds so I know it isn't a true hate fest. The test for us will be after the old girl passes on as we will attempt to go back to fostering but only younger males. If she remains the same then we will know it is an ongoing problem and not related to a specific dog.

Don't some of our core body muscles go a bit lax with age causing incontinence? Maybe it is the same with dogs? While sleeping everything just kind of loosens up and if a bit of poop is hanging around in there it just kind of rolls out while they sleep? If they were awake they'd be more concious of it I guess?

Yep, that is a wonderful idea and I'm going to spread the word through my workplace to do something as well. They will only send to the soldiers as I figure us DOLers will cover the dogs.

This is a practical way of showing our support. I for one have no real idea of how hard it is for them over there and what they do without.

I have 2 desexed SBT bitches. Once the youngest one hit sexual maturity she kept challenging the older girl. Their last fight was only about a year ago and even though the older girl is now over 16 the young one still never got the upper hand on her. It is the worst experience trying to seperate 2 dogs neither who are prepared to give in. I just crash in a heap afterwards and have had some finger injuries from trying to seperate them. As we have 3 bitches in this house we got a behaviouralist in and we are fully aware of the signs of a fight from the young one and get her under control immediately. Injuries since we had the behaviouralist in have been very minimal but before then they would both have pulpy lips and ears from biting and shaking each other. Just awful. And they are fine together most of the time - they groom each other and sleep together but if the young one thinks the old one is getting something she isn't she gets on the defensive and it can be on. She has tried the same thing with the husky for the same reasons but with all the hair she never gets a hold and the husky just retreats to safety so we get things under control very quickly.

I have to wonder what role us humans play in this though because we have never come home to evidence of a scrap. Surely if it was a straight dominance issue they would fight while we were absent as well?

Micro suede here too. I hate chunky/heavy furniture and have not personally found leather to my liking in the hot QLD weather.

I used to have a fabric 6 by 6 foor corner lounge and the toenails tore it to pieces (then someone started eatng the foam out of it!). I bought 3 x 6 foot lounges in an almost navy blue color from Super A Mart. They also fold out to be very comfy double beds for our frequent visitors. We have a white staffy, a black staffy and a husky/shep and I simply vacuum the lounges and wipe them over with a damp cloth and they look new again. Had them a year now and they always have dogs on them but no holes or stains. Each one cost me $299.

As a member of a profession much maligned in this forum I would like to thank you for reminding us that most of our clients do appreciate us! In return I would like to reassure you that the vast majority of vets love their job and their patients and are trying their best for them at all times.

I think that's really sad but of course I appreciate that a lot of people hate spending money on their pets and aren't regulars at their vets so go on about the cost. Hey if they took some preventative measures for their pet from the get go then maybe they wouldn't have expensive vet bills!

I personally have never felt over charged or that my concerns weren't treated as valid. I get follow up phone calls, I know all the staff and they know me and I know them. They always squeeze me in if I feel it is urgent and they will give me over the phone advice and let me pick up medication (that the dogs have had previously) without another appointment. That's a lot more than I get from my own doctor who I have been seeing for the past 10 years!

So Vetrg - thank you for all you do. There are those of us who really appreciate the efforts of a good vet and their staff.

Mine both sleep on the bed with me but mornings can start differently.

If my sister goes to work before me then she opens my door and her big hairy beast come and sleeps on the bed with us till it is time for my alarm to go off. Then she is all business, getting the other two off the bed and out of my room ready for their morning toilet break. then all into the kitchen where they can watch all the exits in case I try and sneak out of the house without giving them breakfast (which of course never happens).

Some mornings my old girl wakes between 4 and 6 and decides she's awake for the day. Usually she does this when she has kept me awake all night wanting to get on and off the bed for a drink or toilet break (she has dementia). So these days the younger one (usually under my doona fast asleep) and I usually groan and try and ignore her as best we can while she walks all over us, tries to make us play, licks us, barks at us and is generally a pest until we get up. Whilst I do scream at her to leave me alone she is deaf so it makes no difference!

Then other days it is the young girl who decides I should be up (those days I don't have work and would like a sleep in). She has been known to sit on my chest (18kgs), lick my face, scratch the doona off me, bark at me, whatever it takes. Then once I give in and wake up she flops herself over my body and wants either chest or inner thigh scratches. I only know which by her back legs kicking me in the relevant direction. If I don't properly commit to morning scratches and start falling asleep again she pokes or licks my face. Then once I am out of the bed she and the older girl play fight until I open my door and my sister's dog comes in and rouses on them for being 'naughty' and drives them out for a pee.

I wonder why I'm tired.....

My young staffy girl has been out of sorts all day and hasn't eaten or drunk anything despite my efforts. I've been checking her for a stomach upset, temp, tick, gums, bowel blockage and got no indicators of anything specific. Then she started to tremble and get all clumsy on the floor so I raced her to the vet. Of course by the time we got there the fact she had her walking harness on and had been for a car ride pepped her right up!

My vet is hilarious and such an animal lover herself. I have been seeing her for 22 years now and she has no filter on what she says - if you've been a bad owner you hear about it! I once got in a lot of trouble when she found a flea on one of my dogs! So she checked Stussy over for all the usual suspects and there were indications of a temp and bladder infection so out she went with me to try for a pee sample. We walked and chatted and walked and chatted but no pee. In her german accent out the front of the vet she is going "Go wee wees dahling!" Stussy was very upset to be going back into the surgery so she gave her some treats while we discussed what to do. Then Stussy started carrying on like an evil witch in a forest. It got worse when we went back out into the waiting area to pay the bill because another dog was there. So my vet just comes back out, taps me on the shoulder and tells me to pay next time I'm in so I can get my sick girl home and calm her back down. What a sweetheart!

Mind you I spend so much money there I have a VIP card so I guess she knows I'll be back for something else and paying the bill any day now!

I've just come back from an emergency trip to the vets myself but our outcome was good. I'm so very sorry you had this horrific experience with your lovely boy and I hope he pulls through and you find out what caused it. Even if they can't find a bite mark I think they can tell from how the dogs body is reacting. My vet just did those checks on my dog (gums, lymph nodes) but said there were no signs relevant to a tick or a snake bite.

I would also think the symptoms of a snake bite would show up fairly quickly as it moves through the blood stream. I've had 3 spider bites myself and with the worst one the affect happened within minutes in the local area and not long after throughout other areas of my body.

I'll be sending healing thoughts Chase's way. Poor bubba.

My old staffy girl got diagnosed in 2000 - she turned 16 in August this year! She was incredibly ill and I never even knew dogs could get this problem. Apparently it is incredibly painful. We always keep some nux vomica bolle on hand (from my vet) in case she has a flare up but there has been no problem now for years. The most important thing I've found is controlling her food. She went straight on Hills Prescription W/D (tins and dry) and her quantities have always been measured. Her only treat items are bits of my toast crust (no topping), raw carrots, vegetarian pigs ears and dog choc chip cookies (one small one every morning). We have been very strict with people trying to give her tid bits from the table. She stopped trying to scab scraps or other treats many years ago and always eats her W/D heartily. We also monitor once she has finished eating so she doesn't try and lick the other dogs empty bowls. I would love to give her other things but this has worked so well for her. She has cancer now and is still doing very well. I don't want to temp fate by changing things.

Good luck with Casey - ours has certainly been manageable. We have 3 dogs who all eat different things but you get into a routine and it doesn't take long.

No it isn't kennel cough...

My old staffy girl has mammary cancer and the vet advised me earlier this year that it will next turn up in her lungs. Her cancer is untreatable and she hates the vet so my vet supports me keeping her happy and pain free and only making appointments when I think it is necessary. She is still very active and part of pack. Her weight has dropped and she is not as flexible but apart from that she is doing well.

My problem is that when she eats her dinner at night she has started kind of choking - a bit like if a person was eating something and it went down the wrong hole (as we say in my family). With a person you would pat them on the back and give them a drink of water and they would keep on eating. What I have been doing with my girl is pat her over her rib area on both sides until she settles down. Then she finishes her meal. It dawned on me though that I have no idea where it is best to pat a dog who might be choking. Patting her on her back/spine doesn't seem right. Obviously I am not talking about serious choking and she is not rushing her food - it's just like she needs a little help to keep it moving downwards. She choking seems in her upper chest rather than her throat area and only lasts for 5 seconds. She is always supervised while she eats.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where best to pat her? Or should I start elevating her dish when she eats? It never happens when she drinks water and never when she is eating her biscuits in the morning. Her dinner meal is a mix of biscuits and tinned (all Hills Prescription W/D). If the situation gets worse or she takes too long to get things under control I will of course take her into the vet but she is due for her 6 month check up in a couple of weeks so I want to hold off causing her extra trauma.

Thank you for any advice!

The thing for me is that I want to feel outraged and I want others to as well. I work in child protection and there are numerous large agencies out there advocating against child abuse and domestic violence but what do animals get? We have no strong advocating body nationally (although there may be pockets locally). Outrage that leads to people power can be a useful tool to ensure public opinion is known and influences legislation for these crimes.

There is clear evidence that people (particularly children) who sadistically abuse animals will go on to commit heinous crimes against humans. So for our own safety alone we should be outraged and we should demand strong sentences against animal abusers. What kind of specific treatment options are even out there for animal abusers or even hoarders? I don't personally know of any. Basically incidents of animal abuse is an indicator for the future health and wellbeing for this country. How much are we all willing to tolerate?

And as an Autralian Citizen I believe I have a right to complain if I think a person's sentence is not strong enough and there was one recently that I felt did not fit the crime. I consider that person a risk to any community he lives in. Would you and your dogs like to live next door to a serious animal abuser who just got a fine?

Mark I am so very sorry for your loss. It sounds so unexpected. Frenchies are big dogs in little bodies so I understand how empty the house must feel without Herbert.

RIP little man.

I was on call for potential Y2K disasters like our office security failing. I had to have a special survival kit for it. I'm very glad it didn't have the impact anticipated but when you are a big organisation it would be negligent to not do any risk management planning. Given the ABC is a 24 hour service I guess the bunker was to protect staff and possibly some precious files if something did happen. How would we be feeling if something did happen? The big govt building I work in now has lots of basement bunker type rooms but I doubt they'll be inviting me into them - I'm not important enough!

Boo hoo - cheap as chips are not in QLD.....they are incredibly cheap!

My girl was only 4 months and had to have an op to remove a grass seed that got infected over her knee. Seemed to happen overnight. Full and quick recovery. My vets have moved premises and at their old place they had a special good bye room for animals getting pts. I have another dog on a special diet so I seemed to be at the vet every other week for something. For a long period of time every single time I went there a dog was being pts from old age or an accident. I felt like a jinx.

My girl stuck everything in her mouth for a taste until she was just over 2. We learnt very quickly not to leave anything at low levels and still live like that (just in case). Remotes still don't stay on the coffee table and my shoes do not come out of the wardrobe until I am putting them on my feet. She still has problems with pillows and doonas so she gets one large stuffed toy a month to destroy and once she is done it is all cleaned up. She does get playtime every single night with things like tug toys as well and I taught her 'leave' very early on so we could salvage things she shouldn't have.

You really have to be vigilant as they don't know they shouldn't be chewing certain things - everything is just so interesting to them at that age. I know it is harder with flatmates but once you get used to it it becomes quite automatic. You'd do the same thing if you had a toddler getting into stuff!

Furminators are on Catch of the Day today for $9.90 plus postage.

Glad it has worked for you Mumsie!

This is so very sad. My old girl has always struggled when we've lost a dog from the pack and whilst some would probably say not to molly coddle them to make it worse and to just go about things normally I know I spent a lot more time with her while she was grieving. We had lots of one on one and I used the time to do more nurturing things - lots of massages and talking to her and doing more activity with her. After her last loss she turned into a really old dog overnight and after almost 2 months we got another rescue pup who has stayed. It made a huge difference to her and she spent lots of time mothering and playing with it. We have since got a third dog into the house. I think she is a dog that is used to being in a pack. If getting another dog is not an option what about some play dates or starting some new training with Billy to give him a new focus?

I'm sure others on here will have some sound advice for you.

I don't really have the words to express how I feel and I can't see to type very well through my tears. April was a special girl and represents the wonderful and sorrowful sides of rescue. She was with the most amazing family for those last few days. It is a true tragedy that her life wasn't longer and happier.

I'm sorry for the sadness in your household from her loss.

RIP Sweet Girl

xxx

PS I think her cross is beautiful - the work of Leah?

What if your dogs have their own fridge, freezer and food cupboard and thats what your check 1st before you go out to see if anything is needed.

+1

You only go food shopping when the dogs have run out

You buy an expensive new storage cupboard for all your dog stuff but buy a second hand chipboard one off ebay for the people stuff

You spend more on underwear for your incontinent old dog than you have ever spent on yourself

Your dogs own more (soft) blankets and towels than you do

Your dogs paperwork is more organised than your own

I'm all teary seeing how content she looks! Such a big journey for her and a risk for you but it has all fallen into place! Well once Cullen comes to terms with the changes.

Thank you for posting Eileen - we all love this little girl and hoped someone like you was out there waiting for her!