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Little Gifts

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Posts posted by Little Gifts

  1. @WanaHavanese Two buttons I'd like for Jonah are actually please and bored. He is such a gentleman with lots of self imposed good boi rules that I'd love to see if he uses/thinks please (it may have been taught to him before he came to live with us). And bored because he seems pretty cruisy in his old age and isn't into toys or much cuddles. I can't even really encourage him to come for a walk around our big yard like our other dog either. But he loves car rides, outings and of course walks. If I take him to an appointment I try to find a different and empty dog park for us to try out on the way home and I can almost see his little mind thinking oooh where are we going now! I want his life to be as full as I can offer. A treat button would be worn out in a week. He already has a strategy for this that he thinks we don't see right through!

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  2. You can only control so much. I'd like to think they gave her a great life for most of that time and then their circumstances changed so drastically they did the right thing and rehomed her as soon as they could. You and I might have handled it differently but that is the part we can't control.

     

    One thing I'm thinking a breeder could always do maybe 3 months after rehoming/selling/adopting out a dog is to check the microchip transfer has been successfully done. I'm seeing it with lost and found dogs on FB all the time - still in breeders name years after rehoming. Could be an indication of people who say all the right things but don't live it or could just be a technical issue but either way it is not ideal for the dog. And it actually happened to me too. There was a hiccup on paperwork with one of mine and the microchip people never contacted anyone about it so my doggo was in limbo land in their system for over a year.

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  3. 12 hours ago, Powerlegs said:

    Medical testing, I get it. It still breaks my heart knowing what happens. :( 

     

    But mascara and lipstick ingredients, seriously?! Why are we still doing this?!

    I still vividly remember going to an info session on laboratory testing on animals back in the late 70s as a teen. I don't know if all the things I saw were true (and I wont explain them here) but I was horrified at the blatant suffering, particularly in regards to cosmetics testing. I really thought we'd stepped away from some of it and found new ways. 4,000 beagles say obviously not.

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  4. @Anne I've watched lots of Bunny vids over the years as I find it fascinating. She does actually seem to understand words and sentence structures and communicate back. There are more dogs and vids besides Bunny too when you start down the rabbit hole.

     

    I've actually thought about trying it with Jonah for a while now. He is a dog with supposedly simply needs but I know he has a lot of rules for himself too and really seems to conciously think and choose his behaviours at times. Not sure if that was due to how Duane trained him but pei are also known to be an intelligent thinking breed. He has a particular strategy he tries on every night for a treat and we can literally see him thinking he's won and suckered us in again! If he had a treat button would he just push it or would he go through his ritual of deceit first? I'd like to see if I can discover some of what goes on in his head.

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  5. I was using Canidae kibble but keeping some Black Hawk tinned on hand. All of a sudden I can't buy Canidae so have gone back to Black Hawk kibble this time around. Waiting for it to arrive so will let you know what I think. We stopped buying it because the quality seemed to be waning (we found some weird stuff inside the bag once too).

  6. It's funny how different our dogs can be socially. If we go to a pei meet up Jonah has to circumnavigate the whole park and pee on every single little thing while Stussy has to run straight into the biggest pile of dogs to say hello. Eventually Jonah comes back to say hello to the humans and sniff his doggy mates and Stussy needs a time out in a quiet corner because she's gotten way too excited with all her new friends. The outcome is of course the same - two very tired dogs!

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  7. 4 hours ago, tdierikx said:

    Harper was socialised as a pup, with other pups, older dogs, foster pups, foxes, dingo pups, people, public and social settings, etc... but she still decided once she got to a certain age, that she doesn't like going for walks, meeting new people, etc. Her preferred state of being is ensconced on the lounge or my bed. She has a large back yard with 24/7 access, that she only wants to go out in to toilet. She isn't interested in toys - never was, even as a little pup with her siblings. I don't treat her as a surrogate human child by any stretch of the imagination... but she is well loved and cared for in such a way that suits her particular needs.

     

    Dogs are dogs... each individual is also different... and we should just be mindful of that, yes?

     

    T.

    This was Tempeh too. Hated leaving the house! We just worked around it and found other ways to exercise her physically and mentally at home - why torture her with something she doesn't like? I do regret not trying Nosework stuff with her though - I think she would've enjoyed that but again, it would have to be at home.

     

    One human thing I did start doing with her though was talking to her a lot. I've never talked to my dogs before but we saw some animal communicator (I know, I know....) and they said she would benefit from being talked to. She did and now I talk to all my dogs far more than is probably normal! Stussy of course is deaf and Jonah doesn't care but I still do it! That is probably the most humanising crime I still commit.

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  8. One thing I have always been confused about is people who walk their dogs simply to physically exercise them. They aren't allowed to stop and sniff things - they are pulled to go from A to B in a set amount of time. I've always let my dogs meander wherever they want on our walks (as long as safety is maintained). Jonah in particular loves a good sniff and it really gets his saliva going so he always needs a good clean up around the chops. Stussy just wants to be out front seeing everything. I normally have one arm pulled in her direction and the other out behind me while Jonah is still standing somewhere soaking up the odours. It's their walk, not mine. I want all their senses to be engaged.

     

    And both mine have jobs - jobs they are naturally inclined to that suit our household and fit their personalities. How boring would their lives be if they couldn't get excited about something or feel they had a purpose in our packs?

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  9. I look at it this way. Anything 'created' with quality materials by a skilled craftsperson should have a higher value than something mass produced by unskilled labourers. Few corners are cut and they take their time to produce a final product that is both fit for purpose and intended to have a long and useful/enjoyable life. We pay more money for quality goods all the time - furniture, cars, clothes, handbags, shoes, homes, holidays, hell I even spend more on certain plants for my garden. Why would living creatures be any different? Farmers do it all the time too to secure just the right stock.

     

    So it amazes me some of the prices people pay for poorly bred or fancy cross bred puppies. Sadly price indicates nothing about quality and skill in the companion animal world.

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  10. People wrongly assume the microchip system works like magic but it also relies on new owners to ensure their pet is both chipped in their name and that address and phone information is kept up to date at all times.

     

    I had a foster dog transferred over to me (had all the paperwork) and a post came up about checking your pet's micro-chip details. My doggo was not there so I rang the company and was told there was something wrong with the paperwork so it never went through properly. But they never bothered to contact me on the info provided or the rescue group or even the vet who did the micro-chipping. I'd had the dog permanently about 7 months by then. And on lost and found pages you regularly hear about lost dogs with no collar on and the owner saying they've recently moved (although you'd assume the mobile number was still the same). So we also need to take personal responsibility for ensuring those chip details are always current.

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  11. I'm so very sorry Rascal but don't regret for a single minute that you took her into your hearts and lives and gave her the love and care she deserved, even if it was just for a few short weeks. Run free now beautiful girl.

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  12. The info about affidavits disheartens me a lot. Actually it hurts. I'm a Commissioner for Declarations and got it a long time ago so I could sign work affidavits (which I did multiple times a day for many years). I took those documents very seriously. The staff who had written them took them very seriously too because our aim before the courts was to prove harms had occurred to children and to keep them away from that situation so that no further harm could occur. If it was not spelt out in those documents then we would be laughed out of court and the suffering of those children was on us. So shame on any person in power not making the same effort. Change your job if you don't care enough.

  13. Oh Rascal what a wonderful thing you and your daughter have done! Welcome to your new life, Katie!

     

    And just a suggestion for the arthritis if you need it - Golden Paste and Antinol Rapid are keeping our old girl very nimble and pain free still even though she has a lot of arthritis.

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  14. There was a case in QLD I was following - a once well respected rescue who I think got in over their heads and when that happens who do they go to for actual help? Anyway the person running the group had many charges, one of their children (who lived on the premises) had just turned 18 and was also charged with multiple offences. Case was in and out of court up here for at least 2 years and suddenly the main person plead guilty to a portion of the charges, the rest were dropped and surprisingly all the charges against the 18 were dropped too. I'm not saying the main person wasn't guilty of some of these charges and needed to have done something to address an untenable situation before the RSPCA got involved but their previously well respected life was turned upside down, and that of her two young adult children. As a case winning strategy the RSPCA would've dragged it out as long as they could, this person had no hope of getting a job (or her adult child probably) during that time, they lost their accom when the shit hit the fan, they lost their small income, high needs animals who had been in their care for a very long time and of course a lot of long term supporters, so pleading guilty was the only realistic way forward. 

     

    Was justice served for the animals? I doubt it. There is no deterent for this person to not start rescuing, working with or owning animals again at some point in the future with her skills and contacts and if things go wrong again they would do even more to hide it. Instead of upholding the law the RSPCA focus on manipulating the system and that is doing very little in terms of punishing or reforming the guilty, deterring others from committing harm to animals and it sure as shit isn't saving many animals before things get to the point that permanent damage is done.

     

    And don't get me wrong - I believe this person has caused harm to vulnerable animals in her care and was doing an awful lot to hide it, but I also know they did a lot of good for quite a while prior and had their been options or supports to help them at a critical time I don't think things would have deteriorated to the point they did. But who could they even talk to? The signs were there and building but it's all got to get critical for the poor animals before the RSPCA even bothers to step in. I also think this person needs some form of punishment so they never go down this path again but to strangle their entire lives and that of their children and just keep them in limbo for several years just disables people from doing better and finding rehabilitation. It creates bitterness and inertia. It's all kinds of messed up and again when are the animals being put first in any of these scenarios?

     

    RSPCA blame the legal system for lenient punishments and tying their hands but they also have the power to seek amendments to the legislation they use if that legislation is not keeping up with the times and public expectations. And they also have the ability to build a stronger case as soon as possible after the investigation commences and primary information is gathered. How a case is stronger before the courts after one or two years is beyond me. If it was shocking enough on site to remove animals (and put them to sleep because they were too harmed) then it is strong enough to take before the courts for a decision within 6 months. You owe the animals who lost their lives that.

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  15. I used to volunteer at their old Fairfield shelter in QLD. Things could be different now (doubt it) but the seized animals were kept in small concrete runs all locked away down the back. We could see the entry area quiet clearly but I don't know any volunteer who was allowed to go down there and clean, feed or exercise those animals and I never ever saw a staff member down their either. I mean you could hardly find a staff member in the areas you did need them so you can just imagine how little contact and stimulation those poor seized animals were getting. Not their fault they were part of an investigation but they were certainly suffering for it. How can they 'save' an animal from a bad situation and just put them in another? How can they have the audacity to charge that kind of money and provide so little as far as assisting that animal to recover from the alleged neglect or abuse? Bloody terrible. Just one in a long list of reasons I stopped volunteering for them. So much unnessecary suffering and negligent decision making for the animals in their care.

     

    Another thing that bugs me about them in QLD is all the govt money they put in for and receive from the gambling funds (mainly for equipment and buildings). I used to know someone who processed those and one of the approvers on the panel favoured the RSPCA so they got money every single round they put in for. Hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. Probably still happening too.

     

    But it's all bullshit. Imagine the work independant rescues could be achieving for actual animals if they had even a tenth of the same incoming funds as RSPCA. The organisation either needs an entire overhaul (at their bloody expense with all their millions in the bank!) or they should be shut down. I think it should be the latter. They lost their way a long, long time ago.

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  16. It's incredibly hard! I've gone from having this tough nut who hated personal space and loved everything and every one to one that still wants to be who she is but who feels frail and vulnerable within herself and doesn't know where to turn. Things that never caused her angst are now real fears and she doesn't know how to calm them. So many things she used to take for granted now frighten her. But having said that her good times far outweigh the bad stuff still. She spends her days chasing birds from the yard and following Jonah everywhere (she doesn't want to miss out). She still loves her walks but is getting bowled over at the dog park now with her back legs so weak and having lost weight (she has to be in the thick of the scrum) and gets sensory overload after about half an hour and tilts towards crazy (off home we go!). She prefers my sister over me when she is distressed but still sleeps with me again part of the night. Loves her food, still trying to get to the compost for a snack!

     

    I know things will continue to change and possibly deteriorate but she's been such a great dog for me and all the fosters who have come through here that I want her life to be as pleasant and rich as it can be despite the changes. So I just want to do what I can to be there for her now when she has been there for all of us. One the hardest aspects for me is she did love verbal praise and being touched/manhandled/kissed. And she got praised a lot because she was still deep down a very naughty and easily distracted dog. So she can't hear any of that at the moment and she is still not liking much touching so I feel that is an important chunk of comforting and joy she is missing. Hopefully I can find a way to turn that around.

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  17. Thank you to you both. It feels like this time around with an oldie was so different to last time. Then I just responded as things changed but this is a different dog with different strengths, needs and weaknesses so I want to keep a few steps ahead and make transitioning a bit easier for her. She loves life and everything about it but has definately lost some confidence and developed a sort of vulnerability over the past couple of months. Safe and happy is what I'm aiming to maintain for as long as possible.

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  18. I've changed my touch to be very gentle now and that has worked. I'm also restricting to shoulder area. She was actually avoiding me and I had no idea why but I think my old way of interacting with her was just too rough for her old lady body. She'll sit on the lounge or sleep on the bed again with me now and I try to just leave her be. Just gentle rubs on her inner thighs (her sweet spot) when I can't help myself.

     

    With her outside barking this afternoon (twice) I just walked out like I was doing something else and she saw me and came running. Once she came running over to me and once she got close I acknowledged and rewarded her then she followed me straight back inside.

     

    And that fridge analogy is a great one. Luckily we don't use any personal perfumes or air fresheners but I am going to start kind of assessing our environment for odours that might be distracting. I brought flowers in tonight and now I'm thinking that could be confusing. I'll just keep working my way through it and keep doing what we can to make things easier for her.

     

    Thank you for your advice and expertise!

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  19. Interesting and useful info Dogsfevr. Never thought about it like that before. To be honest I was never much of a talker to my dogs and just gave hand and verbal commands. But then fostering shar pei who were often quite fearful I found myself talking calmly to them more as I couldn't always get close and often they lacked training to even know basic commands. But then when we foster failed Tempeh and an animal communicator said she would benefit from being talked to more (she was anxious about loads of stuff). The communicator was correct and I turned into one of those people who told my dogs everything! Now of course Stussy has no clue what I'm saying when I talk to her and she seems to find it very confusing - in her mind I just seem to be staring at her or going mad at her or something.

     

    I'm sure her hearing was diminishing but whatever she still had just went suddenly. We saw the vet straight away and had it confirmed that it can happen like that. Luckily there is someone home most of the time but the good thing is if she sees us go out the front door she stays inside waiting for us to come home- no wandering outside that I am aware of (our good neighbours would let us know). And we always check the weather before leaving so they have options. She's not yet wandering aimlessly but since we got the workshop/shed built (a year ago) she seems to have developed some confusion on which 'house' we are in, so she stands in the yard between the two and concern barks until someone turns up and waves at her (we do have a big empty L shaped yard). Then she comes running all smiles. I don't want to be seen as rewarding her new strategy but I'm also not sure what else to do. Unfortunately I think I've been trying to make a game of it to reduce her anxiety, like we've been playing hide and seek. Do I just go out casually so she can see me rather than go out and beckon her to come to me? So I guess I'm not rewarding what she's doing if I let her know where I am without actually engaging? It's so hard because I want to comfort her because she seems so confused, but I also don't understand why she has suddenly become unsure about which part of the 'house' we are in. She can literally be laying in the same room as me, get up and go outside to her new spot and I hear her barking. That to me is like her nose not working either? Poor bugger. 

     

    One good thing though if I go down the hand signals route is that Jonah is now 10 and we can teach him too so he might be better prepared. He already has one problematic eye that I make allowances for.

     

    Thank you everyone for all the useful information. I really appreciate it and am gathering it all to work out the best approach.

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