Little Gifts

I've custom made quite a few coats for cold dogs and can double layer them wherever it is needed. I have several different styles now too as not all dogs like or can wear the pj style but still need good fabric coverage on the back thighs or belly. I aim for cuteness and comfort! Go to the link below, check out the Custom Made Coats photo album and all the styles are there. I base my price on how much fabric is needed.

We have 3 girls - 2 are desexed. Their ages are 11, 7 and 2. It was not my preference to get a third female as we had three girls before and the youngest was always trying to fight with the oldest (the oldest never lost a tussle). We had to get assistance from a behaviourist and really keep on top of the youngest's behaviours. Now the youngest is the middle child and yes, she remains the one we have to be the most vigilant with. It is not because there are three girls, but because that particular dog gets over stimulated and upsets the apple cart with the others. If I had a choice I would have two spunky girls and a sooky la la boy for some balance, but dogs tend to choose us, not the other way around. I really do think personality matching is more important than what sex the dogs all are.

I'll be up front about what I've been given/charged. $100 per week. I will do whatever is needed and look after however many animals is necessary (14 pups and 4 adults is my top score!) - for me it is all about keeping things stable and routine for the animals, I come second. I will also visit you and your dogs several times before you go away (if needed) and like to stay the day/night before with you so the transition is easier on the dogs. I will eat food from your fridge and freezer but I will also give the house a clean before you get home, wash the linens I have used etc, as well as play and exercise the dogs, pick up poo, clean their runs while I'm there, etc. If needed I do airport runs and will leave you a meal ready for your first night home if you get home late. On the down side I am heaving handed on the washing powder and always seem to break something! (nothing valuable I promise!) I love all breeds of dogs so pretty much do it to learn a bit more about dogs and gain a new experience. I wish I started when I was young and could've done it for a living.

Do you know anyone who knits? I have a fairly simple pattern that goes up to quite large sizes that I'm happy to share with you. I only ever knit dog coats in 100% wool because it will keep a dog warm even if the knitted coat gets wet. I buy my wool at Spotlight or Lincraft when it is on special so it might take time to knit a big coat but it doesn't have to cost a lot. There will be a large temperature difference between what Nixon was used to in Cairns and down here in Brisbane but hopefully he will make the adjustment naturally, growing a thicker coat. It doesn't really get cold enough here (I'm Brissy southside) for dog coats on a healthy young lab but I know I have an SBT that has always loved wearing coats in winter and will even crawl under all my blankets to sleep while wearing one. No idea how she doesn't overheat because she is well furred. Hopefully you will be able to tell by how Nixon is when you get home whether the cold and wet has been too much for him? He'd be all shaky if he had trouble warming back up after getting wet. As long as he has somewhere dry to hide out if it rains then he should be ok.

Warms the heart!

Good on you both!

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I will tell her about rose hip vital as that sounds right up her alley. My sister was determined to get a magnetic mat to try and has now bought one. We are also covering her dog up at night when she has settled with blankets and will be trying those doggy heating pads tonight too. She is mobile enough to move away from any heat source if it is too much. Unfortunately our heated dog bed that I bought last year for Tempeh got nibbled on while unplugged but at least the heating discs survived last winter unscathed! And even though she has a good natural coat I am going to make her up a fleece coat to see if that makes any difference. The pain seems to be mostly in her neck. She let out a couple of squeals last night and one today so we can at least tell the vet the problem area at the next visit. She is not accustomed to pain and is not shy in letting us know when she is suffering the slightest twinge. You ought to see the faces she's already been pulling for sympathy!

I've sought advice from you wonderful DOLers before about my sister's dog. She is a husky/shep cross, just turned 11 and has really only started developing health problems over the last year. She is quite mobile and active but was showing signs of stiffness and some stair stumbling. She's recently been diagnosed with arthritis but was having weekly injections for a month and has Sascha's Blend every night. She has no problem getting on and off furniture or in and out of the car. We have had a sudden cold snap and last night she cried in pain when one of the dogs bashed into her in excitement. She was very stiff this morning in the neck and legs but let me give her a bit of a massive to lengthen out her spine. She has a very full coat. She sleeps either on our beds, on the carpet or on the timber floor at night, depending on how she feels. She is not a fan of having a blanket over her and doesn't need a fleece coat but my sister wondered if there could be any benefits to her sleeping on a magnetised blanket. People do it so I wondered if anyone had tried anything similar for their dog and found it beneficial? People might laugh but my old Stafford girl who was almost 17 when she was pts used to wear a magnetised hematite necklace. It started as a joke when I got given it one Christmas and stuck it on her but it really did seem to help her mobility and it's not like she knew what she was wearing it for. I've been trying to find where I put her old necklace (no luck just yet) so I can remake it to fit my sister's dog to see if it assists her too. Anyone else ever tried this or other crystals on their dogs?

How old do they usually live in captivity T? I can't imagine caring for an animal (especially a primate) for all of your career then losing it. It would be like losing a family member. RIP Lulu.

All will look and feel better tomorrow. Sleep tight boys!

I wish I'd thought to spell her name like that DDD! Actually I probably would've called her Pompei if I had've thought of it - she is a little unpredictable!

I now know from DOL it happens but I never even would've thought a vet would not do what you asked and paid for when it came to the best interests of your dog. If a vet disagreed with the wishes of a client then I would expect them to say that, refuse to pts or offer other options, but not to do this behind an owner's back, with complete disregard for the dog itself. Just evil. I'd even feel sick if I thought my dog had received blood taken from another dog in this way.

Tempeh has the bark of a much bigger dog too. Must be a pei thing - when they bark they like it to count! At least no-one is going to mess with all your gear while you sleep!

Just when you think you've seen and heard it all a human comes up with another way to abuse animals. He kept it alive for 6 months! I don't understand how he can be pretending to save some people's pets while doing that behind the scenes. Wrong in so many ways. That man should not be allowed to practice anymore let alone own an animal. Imagine all the excuses he will give for his appalling behaviour. He is no better than those people who kidnap kids and keep them in basements for years for their own amusement. The only reason he has stopped is because he got caught. The worst kind of person if you ask me because he doesn't see he is doing anything wrong.

I have photos of Perlubie Landing that look identical but were taken back when we all had old fashioned film cameras! Australia itself is such a country of extremes once you travel around it. Just look at the colours in some of the photos - red dirt, snow white rocks, dark blue ocean, crystal clear skies. Nature is a wonder and there is still so much of this beautiful country that is its natural self. I love that Jonah seems to be enjoying his trip, like it is all about him!

By my comment I meant that I know rescues who have so many dogs coming through the door that they retrieve from pounds and the dogs are transported straight to a carer's house. I think that is fine for some carers but not all. Certainly not fine for me and probably not for Henrietta. For the safety of this house I need to know a smidge about the dog in care. I don't care if that knowledge has been gained from a short quarantine stay, long kennel stay or even through another placement. Each carer has a certain range of valuable skills to offer a foster and a good match at that stage, where possible, benefits everybody, including the dog most in need. Plus no-one wants to see dogs bounce from foster to foster because it is a poor fit.

And here she is doing what she likes to does best - making nests on my bed! (her stick collection is just out of camera range, on 'her' side of the bed)

Tempeh was the dog we were never meant to have but I couldn't imagine life without her. She is full of life, terribly funny and the quirkiest dog I've ever had in my home. Even at two she is constantly evolving, which keeps us on our toes. Love you Doodle Bug! Here's a pic I took of her with her beloved skin grandma yesterday.

How do you know that? You sniff dog paws? :) When I first joined DOL there was a thread about paw smells, which of course prompted me to smell my own dogs paws, and they smell surprisingly lovely. I now sniff mine regularly if we are having lying down cuddles! So how many of you went and had a sniff after I mentioned popcorn????

Is this scent why their feet smell like popcorn?

Cane Toad when you are settled I'll have to get your addy so I can post Jonah's altered jammies. He'll be needing them this winter. Miss you guys!

Well you will never know what Abby is capable of until you try. I went back to fostering after our old Stafford girl left us. As we had two other female dogs I asked to only foster males, either teenaged or adult. Both our dogs were brilliant with the fosters, giving them comfort and an understanding of how we do things around here in a way I couldn't. I discovered our youngest stafford did really well with fosters who lacked confidence or who were sad. She's far more protective and nurturing than I realised. Our older dog is kind of aloof and a dibber dobber but she was good with monitoring, doggy discipline and general teaching. The key is to find a rescue group who wont just dump dogs on you but who will let you have a say in the sex and behaviours that might suit Abby and your household best. Our only problem here was with a dominant male, but sick ones, untrained ones, despondent ones seem to do well here and it wasn't hard to find a foster who needed what we had to offer. Oh and our two never seemed to be sad when the foster left either. It was like they understood we were just helping them find their forever home. Our two also really enjoyed all the extra activities that always took place with a new foster. Command training, learning to play with toys, lots of handling and touching, exposure to new things - all the stuff you might have to do with a new foster they were part of each time, leading the way! I think it was a really positive experience for all of us. The only reason we stopped was because we had a foster failure and have a full house.

You must live in the same street as me, except it is inbreeding Chihuahuas! Adults always home, visitors coming and going at all hours, dogs always outside and always bark, bark, bark, bark. Except for the 12 hours of the day where the front gate is open and they wander the streets and bark and attack me, the postie, anyone who dares walk down our street, etc. I can always tell when they go on one of their extended OS trips because the barking is even worse. They leave them there and a family member comes by once a day to put some food down. The place is always dark and the dogs don't settle the entire time they are gone (maybe months). Makes me want to scream.

It kind of makes me feel better to know that other people have experienced serious fights, sometimes over something very small, but are still managing to keep their dogs safe. Because I know it was my heart girl who started our fight I've always felt if she ever did it again I would have to pts. I couldn't let another innocent dog suffer simply because my heart would break if I had to euth her. But the experiences on here help me realise that there are other options if I am prepared to commit to them. Of course I wont reduce my vigilance or the strategies we are using now that are working, but I can see my thinking doesn't need to be as black and white.

I bought kids disposable nappies (based on weight) and cut a cross for the tail (easier than a hole). I was using them for an incontinent old girl dog but it would be the same. The pee gets absorbed straight away and makes the pants heavy and droopy so it's pretty easy to tell they've done wees and need a change. As the nappies are not a snug fit the poos also just sort of drops into the pants. I never had any escape. Also never had any scalding from the pee. My girl tended to just stand up and go wherever she was so we usually saw her and changed her straight away. Oh and I put them on back to front - closure tabs on my dogs back rather than belly. I don't think it made any difference to absorbency. I did also buy some washable kids waterproof pants and was going to cut a hole and overlock around it, just adding like Tena Ladies pads, but I decided they may not be as absorbent given I couldn't guarantee all the pee would hit the pad. At least with a nappy the whole thing is absorbent and waterproof/poo proof!