Little Gifts

I really think some dogs just feel more comfortable in a pack. I had one old girl just fade away in front of me after her son (both through rescue at different times) died. I had a pup come through for emergency care 6 weeks later and it gave her day purpose again (got to keep a pup in line!). We ended up turning into a 4 dog house a few months later and she ruled the lot right for about another 4 years. It has to be right for your household though, not just the pining dog.

So perhaps the OP doesn't like confrontation or wasn't sure how to handle the situation because this is a new experience for them? In their own words the breeder decided to keep the pup and in the breeder world that says to me that the pup shows promise either in the ring or to be bred from in the future. Or perhaps there was the loss of a pup from that litter and someone else had already been waiting in line before the OP so the breeder wanted to honour a commitment to them first. Or perhaps that particular pup is showing signs of not being a good match for the OP at all and it is in the pup's best interests to go with another family. So many things can happen in those first few weeks of raising new life. But the breeder didn't phone the OP and start a discussion either - they text them to say they were changing what the OP believes to be a contractual arrangement so they are left confused and unhappy. If I was in the OPs situation I'd be asking advice too before having further discussion with the breeder. A person to person discussion does need to be had (once you feel informed and ready) and if you end up with a different pup from that litter then open yourself and your home to it. A good breeder is able to match a dog to a home well and that is far more important than looks in the long term. I'm sorry what should be a positive experience has turned sour for you but it isn't all over yet. A wonderful pup could still come your way from this litter.

I have supported several rescue groups over the years and been a foster carer for 2. I have also done numerous home assessments for potential adoptions for interstate groups. I have loads of rescue groups I have liked on Facebook. One day I saw a story about a particular shar pei that touched me. We weren't actively looking for another dog but had space for another and have experience with pei. It was with a group I had not been involved with before so I knew noone connected to them. I followed his progress/recovery. When he became available for adoption I submitted an application. I tried to be honest and provide as much information as I could because I believe they know what is best for the dog in question and can't consider my appropriateness without useful information. The waiting to see if I was shortlisted killed me! We had a meet and greet but there was no connection between us and the dog. I also knew he needed more activity than we could give him. I told the coordinator that straight away. Another family came to see him and he was adopted soon after. From the photos on Facebook I can see he found the right home. So my advice is to be honest and thorough in your application and trust the adoption coordinator knows what the dog needs (which may not be you). Make sure you meet the dog and if you already have pets make sure they all meet too. The cuteness of a dog does not automatically make them a good match for your household. You have needs but so does the dog. Don't pursue any animal based on looks alone - read what they say about it! Listen to what the foster carer says about it! Don't waste everybody's time! Be patient - coordinators have a lot on their plates and will get to you when they can. Oh and not all rescue groups are created equal. Those of us who have been around for a while have all experienced the dodgy side of rescue. Check out their value statements and their history because in effect you are doing business with them and you want it to be reliable and stress free. Also be respectful of the foster carer and their home - they put a lot into caring for some dogs and it can be an emotional experience. They want to see their foster go to a great home as much as anyone but they are invested and how you behave around them and the dog matters.

Love your updates! Gosh Monkey is a happy dawg and I love Willow's spooning pictures! Your work is amazing!!!!

You're doing such a great job PM! It still makes me wonder how much effort to understand her other people have put in.

Yep it worked Bulldog.

Hopefully someone on DOL will be showing and have more info. This is all I could find online. It only says they are in ring 1 between 9 and 5 on that date. https://www.ekka.com.au/animals-and-displays/animal-competitions/dogs/

I have reflector arm bands from Katmandu that I put around the leash. Shine a torch and you can see the dog. I also bought tiny clip on collar lights off Ebay that use watch batteries. You could always attach several to one collar at different points. Not rechargeable of course but the batteries in them seem to last forever and can of course be replaced when they die.

See it just takes time. You have to wonder how many previous owners or carers forced her to do something she was scared of and just reinforced she was right to be so cautious. So pleased for you both!

That is good news PM!

Gosh it has gone fast. I miss hearing about your rescues and your boys. Apart from missing your girl I hope all is going well. XXX

Nothing says 'love' like a rainbow!

Sending love Grumpette. A good dog is hard to let go from your heart. XXX

That pic gave me the feels!

I had several petrified pei here. I let them follow the other dogs to learn the household routine rather than overwhelming them with information. They had free run of the house/yard and a private place to eat their meals. Initially they were allowed to sleep wherever they were most comfortable and often they chose a protected bed in the lounge room at night where they could see everyone. I'd sit beside the bed every night, not looking at them and just start rubbing and massaging. I might only get a back leg at first but as the days went on they'd move under my hands allowing me to touch them in other places. It seemed to help develop trust between us so that within a week or so we could touch them without clear fear. I'd also sit near them when I could without engaging or looking so we got used to each other's space, even if they were in the yard. Maybe you could try both these things and see if she naturally wants to be where you are inside the house? We also used lots of higher pitched happy sounds around them and reduced shouting and loud activities amongst us humans. Lots of praise during any training or when they made good choices themselves. One boy we had to leave a leash on for days and when we needed to get close I'd need to step on the end of the leash. He'd just go into statue mode when scared. Over a couple of weeks when they had a handle on their new environment I started to introduce a crate and we'd do group training and walks with the other dogs. I still had to go gentle as a lot of dogs in that situation hate the focus ever being on them, probably because that has previously resulted in something bad happening. Give her time and a stable environment and her natural curiosity could see her actively engaging more and wanting to be part of the household. At the moment she's waiting for something bad to happen.

This makes me angry for other reasons. Appalling conditions don't suddenly happen overnight. Rundown kennels deteriorate over time. Emaciation, pressure sores and rotting teeth don't instantly appear either - they are gradual declines that have repeated opportunities to be addressed if an owner cares enough. This is the same bullshit the RSPCA pulls. Puppy farms pass inspections and all of a sudden 100 critically ill animals are pulled from deplorable conditions. How? In this instance, 10 months after passing an inspection 9 greyhounds are dead and another 12 have been seriously neglected and apparently the conditions they are living in has become appalling. Again, how? How did they pass last year? How has so much bad happened mysteriously? Or were there issues that were not rectified and followed up on again by inspectors? If so what is the point? We now have two governing bodies failing these dogs. Great job. Things should not have to get to the point of animals lives being lost or in danger of being lost for governing bodies to start taking their responsibilities seriously.

I've sat in on many parliamentary sittings in my day (QLD so state not federal). Ministers let themselves be briefed on anything of specific interest to them or to their constituents regardless of whose portfolio it belongs to. If they are not interested they don't ask for it because the amount of paper involved is astronomical and they never have even time. They can choose to not even be in the room when something of no interest is scheduled. I've seen Minister's doing their big speil to an empty chamber. There is no requirement for them (at least in QLD) to be briefed in any way about everything being presented to parliament at that sitting. But if it is a hot issue or they are interested their demand for information borders on excessive. It can all go from one extreme to the other.

If the RSPCA was doing everything everyone thinks they are doing with all the donations and government funding they receive there would be no point in thousands of other rescue groups being in operation around this country. But those thousands of other groups are not duplicating services - they are filling in the gaps and they are giving animals a chance that the RSPCA wouldn't. And they are doing it with none of the money RSPCA gets. Do people also know that the RSPCA moves animals on to other not for profit rescue groups (no funding or support comes with it) to rehabilitate, vet check and rehome? It probably also uses them in their success stats even though they did little and expended very little monies. Do people know just how often the RSPCA has already killed the poster animals it uses to donation drive? Do people know how much govt money they apply for (and often receive at least here in QLD) for bigger infrastructure projects? Have you or anyone you know been successful in having the support of the RSPCA in a cruelty case? Have you or anyone you know been successful in identifying your lost animal through the RSPCA? You can't even get anyone to answer the phone! I'm sure workers love animals but the bureacratic bullshit that resulted in a lack of attention to actual individual animals needs in the time I volunteered and fostered for them stopped me being their supporter. If independent rescue groups can do more with far less funding then the RSPCA need to have a serious look at their 'achievements' and value base.

I am so sorry you and your family are going through this. I didn't know this myself and have a dog who is notorious for eating things she shouldn't so it's a very real risk in this household. We are careful about how low anything remotely edible is left. Thank you for this information. Take care of yourselves.

Stussy has been doing a similar thing now for about a year. She is 11 in October. The vet couldn't find anything so I've been told to document and if possible film the episodes as that is helpful for the vet to determine what might be going on. Hers happen maybe every 3 or so months and she might be asleep and suddenly start moving around unable to settle and panting and then starts having full body tremors. She can't focus on anything and seems to need contact/comfort. No sign of pain and no whining but definately something not quite right. She gets quite tired and clingy afterwards. I previously had an epileptic dog so it is not a seizure of the same severity but something is definately not right for her.

Great survey (sorry I'm late!).

T has always taken the best puppy photos! I used to love her rescue thread photos of pups with wafty hair and wonky ears! Of course it helps with such beautiful subjects!

There is a gorgeous westie embroidered hand towel coming up tonight too! Not made by me of course. Also MTD does the most beautiful animal themed accessories. We are very fond of our individualised poo bag holders in this house!

Big JW fans in this house. Stussy loves the Hollee Roller! I stuff with stuffing and strips of fleece and she gets in there and rips it all out and I stuff it all back in and put it back in the cupboard! Craft for Paws also have snuffle mats and more recently someone is making snuffle balls.

I make 3 different types that sell on Craft for Paws, who raise money for 11 different animal rescue groups. All the ones I make are made from fleece fabric. I make a pom pom ball (for a dog who likes balls but doesn't like hard rubber ones) for $5, a squeaky stuffed dog bone for $5 and my latest is a crinkle chew which is a large bone shaped toy with a plait tug off the bottom, stuffed corners and you can put an empty water bottle inside the back of it for $10. I've added a link to the last album. If you like any and want any in a certain colour or print I'd be happy to make and send to you for a like donation to Craft for Paws (also tax deductible). You will see some other dog toys in the album. Mine will be be listed as 'Made by Alyson Dean'. You'll need to scroll down to the sold section to find them (if you can't find let me know and I'll post pics of them here). New items are loaded every Sunday night at 8pm. People buy straight away but as I said, happy to make for you for the same donation if you like the look of the toys I am currently making.