Little Gifts

So much love...too many tears....make sure you come back again Bubby....

We've got new neighbours up the street - corner block with not a skerrick of fencing and one side the road that goes to a busy school so lots of traffic. Yet it is always filled with renters with dogs, usually left to roam or confined on a line of some kind. The current neighbours have rigged up a portable fence against the side fence and initially I thought good on them for caring about their dogs. But everytime I drive by 1 large and 1 small dog are in that pen. No shade except for the 2 kennels taking up pen space and just metal bowls lying on what still is some grass. We are already getting in the high 30s here. My car is getting repaired so I walked home this morning and the larger dog was crying and barking at the house. The people were home sitting in the shade under their front verandah. I saw how little the run was for 2 dogs that seem to be permanently kept in there. How little shade those poor dogs had at only 10.30 on a moderate Spring morning. I saw how small that metal water dish was with nothing stopping it from tipping over. They were desperate to be with their humans. It made me so sad because this is just so common for so many dogs! I wish people would put themselves in the same position as their dogs and see how comfortable and comforting their set up is. Then you have people who use the opposite argument for not containing their cats - their cat wouldn't like it! But apparently it is perfectly fine for a dog?

Willow is so cute! And I always love your adoption updates. You should be so proud of yourself for what you have achieved for these dogs cause you rock!

I don't mind snakes but get frightened if they are too close to me (or my animals). I am saddened to say that many years ago I was on my hands and knees digging in my garden and came across what I thought was a baby snake. I panicked, went into a frenzy and hacked it to death with the trowel I had in my hand. It was an instant reaction because I'd touched it and expected it to attack me. When I calmed down I realised it was a legless lizard. I still feel a great deal of remorse over it. As a kid we always had deadly snakes in the bush or by the creek and a fear was instilled in us that has stayed with me. I know I have them in my yard now. I just prefer we don't see each other!

People have been posting their pei crosses on a FB page and I am now convinced a shar pei will breed with anything! Some of the crosses are hilarious! Scooty-Blues is in that category! And yes, imagine him as a moody teen - intelligent, bored, stubborn. He's going to need some challenges and a job to keep him busy!

Look how tiny she is!

Dear Dog! I can't unsee that! Almost puked!

Stussy goes straight for the brain! I only give her stuffed toys that don't look like real animals because skin mummy can't deal with all the disfigurement. She really gets crazy face the minute she sees a stuffed toy so I appreciate Sharpie's fear!

Oh Loki! You were a star on this earth and now you are a star in the night sky! Gone but never forgotten! Big hugs to you Cannibal.....

I was horrified at how animals AND humans were treated in the wake of Katrina. I think it was a demographics thing. I still remember reports of awful/criminal things happening at the stadium people were sardined into and people on the streets dead and others desperate for water. So many homes have still never been rebuilt. That just tells you how little money went back into rescue and recovery down there. I used to do disaster recovery in QLD and have seen some heartbreaking stuff involving animals that I wont go into. It's why I would choose to do a preventative evacuation under my own steam and just get the hell out of Dodge before a forced evacuation was necessary. It's why I own a station wagon and a shit load of camping and dog gear. Other family are the same and loaded their gear and animals up and evacced to higher ground a couple of years ago when a cyclone passed through and flooded their town out.

I'm so sorry Boronia. It's not fair that we have the good ones for so little time. Your house must be feeling very empty. Big hugs to you. XXX

I never look in the breeders section because I can't post there and it frustrates me if I see something gorgeous or exciting and I can't express my appreciation!

Those dogs have the best life! I love how Jonah always secures the most comfy spot he can! And I'm loving all your pics. I travelled around Australia visiting a lot of the same places as you have over time (but living in a tent) many moons ago so the pics bring back fond memories. I had to leave my OES at home back then as you could hardly take your dog anywhere. You take amazing photos!

Thanks PK. All useful stuff for me to check out.

Thanks everyone. Seems like a few things might trigger the fear. I didnt see her do any ear swivelling but didnt think to look for her smelling the storm. Having had a boy so scared of storms I so don't want this to be a thing for her now.

What is it that upsets them though? Is it the noise or atmospheric pressure or something else? She settled quickly both times after the storm stopped. Was sooky la la all day and wouldn't eat much dinner. Quiet and sleeping for most of tonight. My sister was the one home this afternoon (I called as soon as I heard the thunder) and by the time I got home a few hours later she was all over me like a rash wanting serious cuddles. Very unlike her but good to know she trusts me enough to seek comfort. Good idea about the rescue remedy. I always have that on hand.

Afternoon storm is rolling in and she is doing the same thing. I'm so sad for her!

I really wasn't sure where to put this. We've had our pei Tempeh since she was about 4 - 5 months old (a foster fail). She's 4.5 now. This morning when we woke it was very overcast. I was at the computer and she started getting under the table and wanting me to squeeze her against the side. I could hear a bad storm coming. Then she had some shaking. Then she followed me everywhere and wanted me touching her. She is not a big fan of being confined or tightly cuddled or sometimes even being touched so none of this is normal for her. She even tried to come into the bathroom with me while I had a shower (even though she usually considers falling water akin to acid). I previously had an epileptic dog who got very scared during storms but he was like that all his life. His distress would rise with each thunder crack. Tempeh didn't shake or flinch with each thunder crack though so I was wondering - for some dogs is it about the atmospheric change rather than the noise? And this is one incident as an adult - does that have to mean she will be like this now every time there is a storm? This morning I chose to comfort and distract her and talked to her a lot (she likes to be talked to even though I'm not a huge fan of it). I don't want to reinforce the fears but since this was her first time like this I also didn't want her to feel abandoned when she was clearly seeking and needing comfort. Have other dog owners just had random instances like this or is this a sign that storms might now be an issue for her? My previous storm hater used to destroy things in a major way if there was a storm and no-one around. I often had to pick him up and take him back to work with me to keep him safe or my parents would come over and sit with him. I wouldn't wish that level of fear on another dog.

Dogs can definately have experiences that cause them to develop and carry fears. And if those fears can't be managed then I guess the level of anxiety when triggered will increase. I'm not sure I like the use of the term for animals but Isn't that relevant to PTSD in humans too? There are negative experiences and triggers that take them back to how they feel about those negative experiences? I still remember a lady on a doco talking about a Michael Vicks bait dog she'd adopted. She said her pit bull didn't need to be rehabilitated, it just needed time to recover from its ordeal. I think that is very true of some dogs who have experienced loss and pain. It's like they need to put distance between them and the incident and they need stability, support and guidance to rely on when their own instincts fail them. All that makes them quite vulnerable in their world. And given the bond dogs have with humans I can imagine some are really affected when their trust in a human is broken in a savage way. Imagine you are a dog thinking you are doing your job by protecting your property and you are rewarded for that by being threatened and injured and isolated from the family you care about most, all by us humans. It must be very confusing for some dogs. But is it PTSD as we know it in humans or does it just mimick it?

Look at that beautiful face with all that grey hair! Farewell beautiful girl. XXX

Your set up looks very comfy! Do strangers ever come up and ask you what breed Jonah is?

I know Tapua trains medical alert dogs. Hopefully she might come in here and give an indication of whether this figure sounds reasonable. I know a lot of skill and hard work goes into the training right from when the puppies are born and there is probably ongoing training and support necessary to make a new partnership as effective as it needs to be. Plus it is a specialist thing with a limited pool of dogs and trainers.

And another perspective for you is the breed (or mix of breeds). Staffies can be very social dogs who love, love, love people! Having human company can be the highlight of their day. They can also be talkers (the whining to let you know they want/need attention). Shar pei are known to bond very closely with their humans so being restricted in access to their humans is difficult for them to understand. They can also take their guard dog duties seriously so will map out their new environment and assess it. That can be a little scary I guess when you change environments. I have a pei who hates leaving the property so we do things together at home to tire her mentally and physically otherwise she misbehaves and seeks attention very negatively. Long walks would mean nothing to her. Being confined or moved to a new property would cause her a lot of anxiety. She doesn't like to be touched a lot and likes to sleep alone. My other dog is a stafford and fairly bullet proof. She still looks to me for guidance in new situations though and going for a walk is her idea of heaven but that doesn't mean she doesn't also want to play and hang out with her pack (human and dog) whenever she can. She wants to cuddle and smooch and she has to sleep touching me. So both my dogs have different needs but both my dogs (the other is a stafford) are also very routine orientated. They find comfort in getting their meals at the same time and having the same instructions for the same things. We do what works for us and you need to do what works for you, your dog and family. I don't think the lifestyle you are explaining is terrible but is it right for your particular dog? All I can suggest is thinking about your particular dog's likes and needs - are you meeting them? Could you make some changes to meet them better? Is she able to interact with other dogs (perhaps a local obedience club, agility or noseworks class)on a regular basis? Can you take her walking to different places to stimulate her senses? Can you leave her enrichment toys with treats when you go to school? Can you try sleeping with her on the verandah one night to make sure she really is as warm and cosy as you think? Same in summer - try staying out there with her and assessing how comfortable it really is. Get down on her level and see what she is seeing and see what you think about it from a fear and stimulation perspective. Most of us could change or improve our dog's lives with a bit more insight but make any change ones that meet their needs more, not your own, where possible. And you don't need to spend a lot of money on treats, toys, enrichment aides, bedding, protection, etc. The internet is full of ways to create all these things on a budget.

What confuses me is if you don't already own a pet (or haven't had one for a while) you might not even have a vet who knows you. Going to see a random vet you have no relationship with is a tad useless. He's hardly going to not upsell on a few things. But if you had pets and a vet relationship that was good it would be useful to talk to your vet about your interest in a new breed. A good vet might also know good breeders or give you advice on how to find a good breeder and develop a positive relationship with them. I know both my vets would be a useful sounding board but only because I have been using them for almost 30 years and they know me and my pet owning abilities. If a vet told you how much it could cost to own that puppy in the pet shop window they'd probably lose a customer! On the flip side, getting yourself a good vet once you do own a pet is very important and I agree with others who have mentioned getting your vet to check your new dog soon after you have brought it home.

That coat didn't move all night! (Neither did the dog!)