Little Gifts

Know the feeling Yep, been there got the t-shirt too. Very disappointed to see you join in this silliness, Little Gifts. Be disappointed. I have my reasons for saying that too and apologies don't mean much when the same thing happens over and over.

Know the feeling Yep, been there got the t-shirt too.

That was just the most amazing memorial to two very special and different girls. What a full life they have had with you and so many funny and wonderful memories you made together. Such a tragedy to lose them so close together but maybe Daisy had to make the way for Penny. Wherever they are at least they have each other. I'm sorry for your pain.

Were they bantams because it sounds very appropriate for a lot of scary bantam roosters my mother owned over the years! Feisty little buggers!

Met 2 deaf cattle dogs at a rescue event called Stone (adult) and Pebbles (puppy).

I desperately want to name a dog Floki (with accent!) from Vikings! It would have to be a 'special' dog just like his namesake. Chimmy - When I was a toddler we had a JRT called this which came from the chimney sweep song in Mary Poppins which came out around the same time. Phobie - My very first dog of my own was an OES who I named Phobie (said Fobie) as I thought that was how you spelt and said the name Phoebe. Hey Dog/Gordon/Ian - One of the funniest we had was a corgi/shephard cross I took on as an adult who had been named Hey Dog by his previous teenage owner who had sensory and intellectual disabilities. Over the years he lived with us he also responded to Ian and Gordon which were names of friends we had back then. No idea why but maybe they were also trialled by the original owners before Hey Dog stuck. Ricky - Female SBT named after Ricki Lake by the original owner. Bundy - Male SBT also named by the original owner because he was born in Queensland but relocated to Vic. Stussy- My current SBT arrived with no name (and had never had one apparently). She wouldn't respond to all the girly names I wanted. In desperation my friends and I were sitting around saying names at her and someone said the surf clothing brand name Stussy and she responded. Tempeh - Our shar pei was Dimples as a foster and when she became a foster fail I wanted to give her a Cantonese name that described her personality. I did loads of research but she was having none of it. We came up with Tempeh Soya Bean Dean (Tempeh being an asian food item made from soya beans and Dean being our surname) and because the 'temp' and 'dimp' sounds are similar. She also responds equally to her nickname Doodle Bug. If anyone ever hears of another Tempeh I'd love to know. I wasn't planning on having a food named dog but it happened!

When snarly faces and bum holes collide!

Now I know who is who I can confirm I am a member of Sargent Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band! He is divine!

I'm confused. Is the one with the white socks, chest, around the snozz and stripe up the face Sargent Pepper (first photo in post 46)? So very cute! I was so excited there is a a Rocky as Rocky Raccoon is my all time favourite Beatles song and I don't think it is that well known as it is one of their sillier tunes. If I had Rocky I tell him how a very famous band wrote a song for him once, a long time ago.... Promise me you are singing Beatles songs to them!

My neighbour walks in the morning and I walk in the afternoon. We don't live on the same street but he passes both our houses every walk and if either of us are out in our cars we often come across him too (as well as on our own walks when we cross paths). We have both seen his dog try to stop to poo and been made to walk on. We have both seen the dog drop poo and the owner make no effort to stop or pick it up. He wears summer/minimal clothing all year round and I've never seen a poo bag dispenser on him or the leash or dog so even if he does keep a couple in his pocket both of us have seen pooing and no stopping and picking up. Never said anything to him about it as the poo is usually on the bitumen rather than people's front yards or pathways. My neighbour and I saw them recently go by her house on a midday walk, in the rain and the poor dog looked desperate to poop. The look on its face made us both burst out laughing. That's what got us talking about what we see of his dog walking regime compared to ours (ours aren't the same either but we have different breeds who have different stimulation outside of walks as well).

Seriously? I can't talk to a dog loving neighbour about another dog owning neighbour and ponder the difference in our exercise regimes? I was just wondering what others think and do. The differences in what people do have been quite interesting. It has started me thinking I should vary the intensity on our walks so we have some fun sniffing stuff and some more serious focused exercise. And have you ever lived in Queensland during summer? I never leave the house myself without water and if I think my dogs need a small drink on a hot day to tide them over till we get home then they get one out of my bottle. It is still winter here yet next week it will be 27 degrees. Perhaps you can't imagine what it must be like in summer in the middle of the day with no shade doing exercise on a hot surface? That's about the only actual issue I have with this situation and if I ever saw him or his dog in distress I would offer assistance and not berate him. PS I have edited the title to better reflect my actual ponderings as I don't think he is over exercising his dog in distance terms but can't personally support exercising any dog in the heat during the middle of the day.

Really interesting to hear all the different thoughts and practices on exercise. And I agree, I have no idea what this specific dog's issues and needs are and apart from the walking in the heat on the hot bitumen issue (and lack of poo bags or water on his person when they walk) I was pondering the difference between what I do and what he does (we have a big park right behind us and I've never seen them there with or without a leash) and whether there was any 'right'. I suspect I walk my dogs like I would like to be walked if I was a dog - off exploring and checking things out, never following the same route day in, day out, making our own fun as we go. Nothing purposeful happening here!

My dog loving neighbour and I were talking about another newish neighbour. He has a labrador who he is very regimented with. I'd estimate the dog to be about 5 years old. He walks it at least 3 times every single day for at least a half hour each time, rain, hail or shine. Where possible he walks it on the bitumen at a brisk pace on a tight leash. The dog is not allowed to meander and sniff things - it is all about exercise. He doesn't even carry poo bags with him because the dog is not allowed to slow down enough to poop. The only time they stop is for traffic. The owner would be in his 50s, he's very lean and always walks in shorts and thongs. I don't know how much distance they travel during their half hour brisk walk and I guess that in itself is not taxing physically. I do worry a lot about him walking the dog in the heat of a summer day, especially on bitumen. And I do wonder about whether that kind of focused walking meets a dogs stimulation needs. Mine meander when they walk, sniffing and checking things out and we have a couple of different routes we use so take different amounts of time depending on how distracted they are. I never walk them in the middle of the day (and only have time for once a day) and we aim for a mix of grass, path and road (the latter two being for nails). We also stop to poo and pee and pick up said poo. For me the walks are about the dogs and not me. We have other outings in the car and play a lot at home. Well Stussy does - Tempeh hates leaving the house but that's another story. Anyway it got me thinking about how you know if you are under or over exercising your dog? Is 3 times a day too much? Is once a day too little? Or does it really depend on what you are doing during that period of exercise and what else you are doing at home? And how far distance wise should we be aiming for? Are there guides for different dog sizes and breeds? I know what under exercising can lead to but what are the physical risks for over exercising?

This is what she advised re food: "If you decide to take the course you will need to feed her the smallest amount of food like enough to just cover the palm of your hand the night before we start and nothing at all on the day. We need her to be very, very hungry...." If I did this from the night before all hell would break loose before we even went to bed that night! She's not so much food orientated but has a tendency to get an upset stomach if not fed regularly. Food is just an important part of her day and night and once she is satiated she stops eating. I don't even need to feed her high value food when she is hungry to get her to do a puzzle. Most mornings she just does it with her regular kibble. So I think I'll just feed her normally until that evening meal and just cut that right back (and only kibble) so by the time we are at class she thinks she is getting the rest and the best. I can't see her behaving at all on an empty stomach - she would be having a total tantie.

I got the Nosework info from All Paws and my sister and I both broke up laughing at the advice to not feed our dog that day before the class so that they are very, very hungry. If Tempeh was forced to go without food for even one meal she'd find a way to get hold of an RSPCA Inspector and have the situation immediately rectified! I suspect I'll have to go with half meals on class days if our neighbourhood values its peace and quiet. Hangry doesn't even come close to describing her if meals are served late.

I still remember an adopter of one of Michael Vick's pitbulls saying her dog didn't need time to be rehabilitated - she needed time to recover from what had happened to her. I like to think about most rescue's in that way now. They don't need to be fixed, they just need time to find themselves again after what they have been through. Many rescue dogs (even puppies) have passed through half a dozen sets of hands before they find a forever home. They might be caring hands but they still belong to strangers. And whilst I do have a couple of breeds on my wish list I haven't been owned by anything other than homeless and rescue animals since I was a teenager. So many healthy, beautiful animals are out there needing their own person to love.

I got a message through to All Paws and she is sending me more info. Next free starter class is in Oct. She said even if Tempeh is uncomfortable coming to the classes what she gives us can be done at home instead. So yay! I think we'll be part of Team Nosework this year too! THANK YOU RUMOUR!!!!!!!!

No words. Another bright star in the sky. XXX

All Paws Paradise at Pimpama :) Also hosting Fred Helfers from the US for Nosework seminars at the beginning of October. Rumour they have no course listed since June (also nothing on their FB page since June). I tried to email and it bounced back saying it wasn't a valid address. I will try the number tomorrow during business hours to see what's going on. I was all excited and then let down. And Scottsmum it's funny you say that about Fenzi. I found their website and was trying to find out where they were based and where they run classes and it took me forever to realise they send you the course material to do at home. Well I think that's what I'm deducing from your post? So if I can't even work that out easily I'm about worried about the course material and being able to follow it!

Tempeh already gets most of her kibble meals through puzzle toys but I see Nosework as taking it to a new level. I really want to try this but still haven't been able to find anyone up this way doing it (except for the RSPCA but I can't bring myself to use them).

Team Bart have said not an option (due to freight and storage) but ARA have been sharing it around so hopefully someone through them can take these boxes off your hands and use them.

But I for one am very excited about your arrivals T! I miss my foster puppy fix!

SAS I'm going to let Animal Rescue Appeal and Team Bart To The Rescue know about this as either group could take them off your hands and distribute them to various rescue groups across the country who could use them.

Aren't dogs just the best!

I so want to find someone who does this up my way as I really think this will be good for Tempeh.