Little Gifts

Makes me so angry. Puppy farmers not only cost dogs their lives but they are costing taxpayers, donators and rescue groups a lot of money cleaning up their messes. The only people getting anything out of this is the puppy farmers themselves. How many other 'businesses' get away with this kind of thing?

I had a foster vomit up worms too and I agree it was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Cleaning that up had me almost puking too! He had also been wormed maybe the week before. I felt terrible knowing they were in his tummy but could've done without seeing the evidence! I love a shiny black dog. I'm sure there will be someone else at there who falls in love with Evie too and is just the right human for her!

If this is such a big issue for the RSPCA then why aren't they doing more as our national body to end puppy farming? And where is the educational information out in the public domain to help people know the difference between a legitimate breeder or a well bred dog and one that has been puppy farmed or back yard bred? I've seen them spend plenty of money on mail outs and events to raise money so why aren't they at least using those as an educational tool as well as a begging strategy? The RSPCA and current governments have not even scratched the surface in ending this horrific money maker. There is still nothing stopping any old Joe from breeding animals and selling them. And as we have discussed many times before, there are lots of DOLers who own dogs (through rescue and other means) who would never have made it through an RSPCA behavioural or health assessment. What hope do long term puppy farm breeding dogs have in their care? They mislead people to think all those harmed animals have gone on to new and wonderful lives. That's the hidden tragedy of puppy farming - the loss of life, not how much money it costs the RSPCA.

Fevah your froggy stretch sounds familiar. Stussy can't dismount from furniture normally. She goes to the ends and stretches over and slides to the floor giving herself a furniture belly rub as she goes. At the end of my bed is a lounge usually covered in clean washing. She does the same thing over that when getting off my bed. Oozes up over the pillows, back of the lounge, clean washing, front edge of the lounge and then hits the floor, covering everything in fur. Lucky I love her!

Sid looks very handsome and stylish!

Huga that's so similar to the Cold Frog! Like the clip idea! Did you make the pattern or use a commercial one?

Strangely I just found a pic of 2 I've made. For Temp I make longer necks and more underbelly coverage but this is what the person who ordered these wanted. I named the coat style Cold Frog. The dog in the blue and black is male so his underbelly section was shorter. Both dogs had arthritis and the owner wanted a blanket type effect around their back legs when they lay down so the back areas are quite full. So many things can be easily changed when you get a custom coat. I wish more people did it for a reasonable price.

Not sure why I have this box above but it doesn't want to go away! All these issues are why I used to custom make dog coats (sewn and knitted in a myriad of fashion AND weather styles). So few dogs are standard shaped or sized. I really need to find time to make more for Tempeh this winter as her last years ones are again a tad small. Last night it was chillier than expected and she cried and carried on all night because she was cold (blankets falling off creating first world problems). The link below is to a coat style that helped me come up with a simpler, more streamlined design I am now using for Temp to create maximum coverage for warmth. I make mine with more coverage around the armpit, belly and bum/thigh area and finish with a velcro section over the spine. I think it is a good style for a cold dog who doesn't like or suit pyjamas and the under section wrap part can be made shorter for boy dogs. I've made them with a plain fleece for the under section and a matching print over the back and they look pretty good. A bit tricky to pattern design for a good fit but worth it for a cold dog in need of extra coverage. I don't have any pics of mine on hand but you get the idea. Not sure who sells similar out here but I started with this image and a commercial dog coat pattern (the red and black style) so I can't be the only one who has had this idea! http://www.chillydogs.ca/coat/30

I'll be honest - I never get why people go for short cute coats that don't cover the butt and thighs of a dog. If I were a dog I'd want as much of me as possible covered and toasty warm! It's a bit like a human wearing a fluffy jumper and bikini bottoms!

I can usually tell by Tempeh being unsettled that she is cold. She has no fur and prefers to be quite warm when she sleeps. So if she is wandering around carrying on at night rather than fast asleep straight after dinner I try a coat on and off to bed she goes. Usually 15 degrees and under is coat weather for her but I don't have a thermometer so let her guide me. Tonight it will get to 10 degrees and I know that means she will need a double coat to stay warm enough. As for Stussy well she has lovely thick fur but will nudge for a coat plus sleep in it under the doona if she feels like it.

Moosmum that reminds me of something Stussy does - also self taught and unasked. She does a batch of rollovers pretty much every night in the lounge room. She flings herself into them though from a standing position and has been known to take out furniture in the process.It's like watching a gymnast practise a floor routine on a too small mat. I tried to make her do them on command but she looked at me like I was a crazy person speaking with my hands in Italian. Malcolm is a legend!

These are all making me laugh!

Tempeh (shar pei) is the Queen of Quirks but tonight I was reminded of her most baffling one. She has very little hair or fat so once the temperature drops below 15 she needs a coat on or can't settle. Every cold night the ritual is the same - I pick the coat up, she runs off, I chase her around the house for a bit, she assumes the statue position, I put the coat on and then she waddles off like a drunken sailor with back legs that don't work. I must've put a coat on her hundreds of times by now and it is always the same. The back legs make me laugh every time. It's like that Shrek scene where Donkey is yelling "I can't feel my legs!". Her other silly thing is she can't keep a coat on properly. I make them to suit her body so they are not the wrong size yet it doesn't matter how it is fastened it will end up twisted and draped over one side or the other or around her front. No idea how she manages it but it's a real skill! What dumb stuff do your dogs do?

You share with us the most amazing pics and stories! Working dogs in rescue are very lucky to have you!

One of mine loves to destroy toys so one of the best gifts I got her was one of those mesh style treat dispensing balls (I'd have to check brand name). I stuff hers full of dead soft toys and fleece fabric strips and she spends ages pulling everything out through the holes. If you are crafty make yourself a couple of food puzzles cheaply and give it a try. My girl took several tries before she understood what was happening. She now gets quite excited to see what puzzle we will be using and I stay with her and offer encouragement and point out bits she has missed. I'm not sure how she would go if left unattended - I think our one on one interaction is part of the fun for her. Could be the same for your boy. And she just gets her normal kibble in the puzzles - no treats. She eats like that most meals now. Perhaps you could also try hiding small toys in the puzzles for your boy? Maybe make a snuffle mat to hide things in as a starter?

There are people on here with skill in this area who will respond but I have a couple of little bits of advice for you based on my own experiences with a difficult dog and using behaviourists. 1. Over time you may need to try a different behaviourist. I've used three and they have all been invaluable and helped us through different issues. No one person may have all the answers. Also if your dog is like ours his behaviours will keep changing over time and your strategies will need to change too. 2. Regardless of the activities you would like to do with him, if your dog cannot be exercised outside of your property for various reasons then you need to find ways to be physically active at home. Our girl stress poos and vomits when she leaves the property so we simply stopped putting her through that as she wasn't enjoying it. What's the point in making her do something that causes her stress when there are other ways to 'exercise' through play or games in the backyard? 3. Tire his mind out too. Our girl is always alert too and needs her brain challenged as much as her body. She now gets all her meals through puzzles. Some I bought second hand and others I've made so it hasn't cost me a lot of money. It takes maybe 5 more minutes at meal times but it has made a huge difference in our house. Our next step is to try nosework at home with a view to hopefully doing it outside the house if she can become focussed enough to not be stressed about not being at home. 4. Routine is good. Some dogs need routine to feel safe. Your boy could be one of them (my girl is). 5. Your boy might need a job. All of ours have jobs that match their natural tendencies and we support them in doing it. Don't give them a job they are not capable of doing or you are setting them up for failure. And by jobs I mean he might be good at alerting you to things going on outside your house (as opposed to guarding which I don't think is a good job for an anxious dog but alerting can be rewarding for a naturally vigilant dog). One of mine is really nosy and always has her nose in something so her job is to let me know if we have something unusual going on around our house (mice for instance). She gets a lot out of doing something she is naturally good at for her pack. 6. Always remain vigilant and de-escalate as soon as you see anything of concern happening for your boy. Don't let him grandstand for your attention. You have to stay one step ahead of them and not get lax and let things go back the way they were. It's baby steps forward at all times.

It's a big ask of an open adoptee but obviously dogs with issues like this sometimes become foster fails if they have other redeeming qualities. I'd put Tempeh in this category. We manage because she chose us when we were fostering her and we felt like her best forever option with her issues. She is quirky and loveable in her own way and luckily as she ages and we keep her fears under control she is mellowing. As anyone with a difficult dog knows it takes commitment. How many committed open adoptees exist for dogs like this though and where do you find them?

I'm so mindful of doona issues since you posted this. We've only recently had a cold snap requiring doggy coats and extra blankets. Over the past week Stussy has managed to burrow into a doona cover. She slept there all night and I only noticed when she tried to jump off the bed in the morning wearing all the bed linen. Last night Tempeh kept waking me because her coat kept twisting around leaving her bum cold (poor love). At one point I got up and put the light on to fix it and noticed that Stussy was under a heavy fleece blanket and it was all wrapped tightly around her head. No idea how she managed it but she was quite happy. I have no idea how she is breathing fresh oxygen in these enclosed places but she seems to enjoy being confined. She just barrels her way out when she gets too hot but obviously this is going to be an issue now she is a senior girl. More things to worry about!

DDD you are hilarious! It's only temporary. Pfft!

I live in Logan and can recommend Jane Harper with Dogs On Track. She is based on the Sunshine Coast but travels. We had made a decision to put to sleep one of our dogs for unpredictable serious attacks on our other dog and at the eleventh hour I decided to give it one more chance with a different professional. She had been kept crated since the last emergency vet visit for them both. Jane was brilliant and she gave us strategies that were very manageable. We have two different dogs today - some is due to age and some is due to the changes we have all made. We have also lost another dog from our pack (cancer, not aggression) and Jane was on hand to give us advice on additional changes that needed to be made to rebalance the two in question - a good behaviouralist does not just come in once and then leave again. We have not even come close to their being another incident and it is about 16 months on now since the last major fight. We are all much happier but we did make a serious commitment to implementing the recommendations and sticking to them. That is the key. You understand your dogs better and remain vigilant to triggers and divert them immediately before they escalate. So if it is not a medical issue causing the behavioural problems then you need to be in this for the remainder of your dog's life. Also I don't think the fee a behaviouralist like Jane charges is excessive for the outcomes that are possible. If your dog is injured or injures another animal it costs a lot more in vet fees! So off to the vet first for a full check up then check out Jane (or someone like her) and see what can be offered to manage the behaviours and get things back on track for your bubba. Using this approach has saved both our dogs lives.

I too just saw that Scotty is gone. Gosh, what love you had for this little man! I'm so sorry for all the pain you are going through. Your poor heart. But he's free now and not suffering anymore. Big hugs to you SM - it's ok to feel as you are - Scotty was a huge part of your world.

Gosh what a fright! I'm so glad she rallied around. I found the hardest thing about caring for a nearly 17 year old girl was preempting the situations she might get herself into when noone was home (or when we were asleep like what happened to you). At least you can make adjustments to avoid this again. And as I have a doona diver getting on in years it is something I will be mindful of too. Not your time yet Miss Feather!

My kitchen bin has lived in the spare sink in the laundry ever since Naughty Stussy arrived some 9 years ago. Still can't leave any food lower than bench height anywhere in the kitchen so our potatoes and bananas live in a drawer!

And Anna please do some homework on the prices for papered and guaranteed purebred chi's so you can compare it with situations like this where it is likely you will get neither. Don't go paying a silly price for a dog that someone just says is purebred. That is how new owners get ripped off and why the backyard breeder industry continues to flourish. I hope you find the pup for you!

I assume so. I was in Hong Kong and China back in the early 80s and dog meat was a staple. So common you had no idea that you were even eating it. Even in HK people who lived on boats commonly raised dogs for slaughter in the same way some people might raise fowl to fatten up for the table. As for China - my experience was they would eat anything and not only that they would eat every part of everything. I also remember some of the things my Asian partner's father told me about delicacies he had eaten over the years. I wont horrify you with details. So much of China is still not westernised (or affected by western norms) so why wouldn't this still be a cultural thing?