Little Gifts

I was on an international shar pei site on FB and a post came up from here: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyItalyDesigns OH.MY.DOG! They have the most beautiful, personalised sterling silver, gem stone and dog breed jewellery! They also have a website (www.simplyitalydesigns.com) but the work up on FB is to die for! The prices seem fine given the materials they are using and the uniqueness of the items (they also do stuff for men and number holders). For the same price they will make the jewellery using your dog's images too! I've asked on FB whether they ship to Australia (you can choose prices in AUD so I think that means yes)) and an idea of the shipping rates for purchases. They do indicate on their web page some shipping prices but they don't say if they are international and what currency these prices are in. I suspect I will be getting something made - probably some earrings!!!!!

JulesP I once had to delay putting one of my old dogs to sleep by 24 hours because my vet and the head vet nurse weren't emotionally ready to say goodbye to him! All three of us were bawling! And neither of them were there to see him off the next day for the same reason. I think their staff told them their sobbing with the client wasn't professional!

Pretty sure this is on FB too. I'll share it with my Beenleigh based vet as we are not too far from Jimboomba suburb wise.

Poor boy. What a nightmare!

Thanks everyone - keep the advice coming!

I used to go overseas every 2 years for around 3 months at a time but once my sbt girl hit 14 I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving her and putting someone else in the position of having to make that final decision in my absence (if it happened). It really is a gut thing but a holiday would mean nothing to me if I came home to find one of my fur babies left without me by their side.

Hi everyone, we are looking at upgrading a few pieces of equipment out at Peiradise and I was after your suggestions on a couple of items, bearing in mind that they will be used in a multi dog household and used more frequently than your average household. I have been trawling the internet but thought some feedback from DOLers already using similar products might help narrow things down. I would like to buy Australian where possible. 1. Steam mop - I'm assuming we need something heavy duty. Needs to clean tiles and have washable/changeable cloth heads/covers. 2. 10kg top loading washing machine that can handle doggy hair AND which has good water rating (currently looking at an F&P product) 3. 9kg auto sense dryer (currently looking at an LG product) 4. Steel framed dog beds (large size) that we can also remove and wash the covers on and buy new covers when needed. Looking more for the mesh type stuff rather than canvas or those heavy bag types. Don't want beds where the legs screw on either - needs to be welded. (currently looking at Superior Pet Goods beds) 5. Indoor pet toilets. Have looked at the Pet Loo online but I'm wondering if the clean up of these loos is worse than just disinfecting and steam mopping after any indoor accidents???? Thank you everyone!!!!

Is it no wonder we love dogs? They are so resilient and forgiving! I hope you can now see all the colours of the rainbow and hear all the sounds you've missed beautiful boy!

I'm so very sorry Ash for you and for Smudge. I am glad you have some closure, even though it is not what any of us wanted for you.

Just saw it! So cool!

Look at Jack and Bailey's faces though too - not sure who was more excited over the table spread! I love that you go to so much trouble for your fur and skin kids Rach!

YAY!!!!!

Thank you Swayd! I just learnt off FB that my old friend Wajoma did really well but I wanted to check out the pei results but didn't know where to look!

If she brings her dinner up and eats it again I don't want to know!

Too early for tick season so might be kennel cough?

Tempeh's shivering from the cold could shake the whole bed. She just didn't seem to know how to make herself warm by burrowing into bedding (inc the heated stuff) in her crate, lying next to me or one of the other dogs or how to shape her body to protect it from the cold. I've never had a dog who didn't know how to warm itself before! She is a horse coated pei (surrendered to rescue as a pup) so has very little fur on two thirds of her body and none on the other third. She was miserable being cold and wasn't sleeping (neither was I worrying about her). Here she is fast asleep in one of the coats I made her, and on my bed. Also a hint of snuggling with a blanket! All new experiences for her and I am so proud of what she has achieved! My sbt girl Stussy on the other hand demanded coats from when she was a puppy as I used to put them on my old sbt girl when she started losing her hair with age and Stussy would be nudging the coats and sticking her paws up wanting one on too. Stussy has always had a very healthy and thick coat but not only likes a fleece coat on in winter but also gets under all the doonas and blankets and lies right next to me. No idea how she breathes under there and sometimes she makes it very hot. She'll even lie on top of me but under a blanket on the lounge, with the heater going and a coat on.

What kind of chores must they do to receive their pocket money? In my house it is: 1. eat less doonas and pillows 2. don't pee in the human undercover area when it is raining 3. don't poop on the tent I left to dry/air against the fence that just happened to fall over while I was out 4. don't back roll and drag your bits all over the carpet I just shampooed, and 5. get your own kibble when mummy needs a sleep in. Sadly, my dogs are underachievers and have very little savings to date!

As Katdogs would know (her Sammy is a Tapua boy) the Tapua labs are an amazing group of dogs. I house and kennel sat them before (I'm Alyson) and I had the best time! The dogs have a routine and are very well behaved but also a lot of fun to just be around. They are treated like part of the family so there is lots of cuddle and play time to be had and you will never be without a furry friend at your side. They all have different personalities and Croftie is your guard dog who will keep you alert to anything you might need to know (he kind of runs the place!). The house/town is lovely and very peaceful. I would be down there again in a flash if I didn't already have some important commitments throughout October. I'd recommend it as an experience to anyone who is interested in seeing how a greet breeder operates, someone who might be interested in working with dogs as a career or even someone who could use a break from the big smoke to hang out with some wonderful dogs and breathe in some great country air. I learnt so much from my time there and it gave me a lot more confidence managing larger groups of dogs. You wont regret the experience and it will also enable Pete and Pauline to go and do some important work elsewhere!

Tempeh was quite terrified of having anything over her body. Last winter she was a pup and with litter mates for warmth but this winter with us she had no clue about how to get warm and she was shivering constantly in her blanket fortified soft crate. I bought a heat bed, a reflective heat pad, those heating discs, I tried to cover her with a light blanket (panic!), I tried to get her onto my bed and snuggle into her, I tried to build blankets around her, I tried to put a light coat on her (panic!). Peristence and colder weather is all that worked for us. Now she sleeps on the bed with me and Stussy and snuggles so close I often find myself without leg room. After making coats specifically for her that are warm but lightweight, can be put on very quickly and easily, leaving them lying around her a lot and just sleeping with them myself we got one on her. She has 3 now that I can get her to sit (rather than run and hide) and put on over her head and tie around her belly. She needs to sniff them first and they need to smell like everything else (rather than new). I also leave them lying around the bedroom. If she is not cold enough though she will avoid me if I have the coat so I just leave her be. I can now also get a light fleece blanket draped over her body and I can cuddle around her without her jumping up and running off the bed. It has taken us months of work to get to this stage but I am very pleased with her progress because she was so cold and just didn't seem to know how to warm herself.

Get better soon girl! The rural doggies need you!

Aloysha did they remember each other at all? They really are beautiful looking dogs.

I'm keeping you and little Smudge in my thoughts, Ash. You are going through the most horrible experience and there is not much any of us can do but hope for the best and keep sharing the info.

Those photos of Karta and Funi!

I love how you have bonded with being a frequent flyer at Taronga, T! You know if the poor parvo pups hadn't happened then perhaps your zoo trips would not have been possible time wise? Maybe you could ask to become a zoo volunteer or even guide too until you can go back to being a foster mummy????

Sorry if it was anything I said or suggested? I tried to look at it from the perspective that for whatever reason it is these specific 2 new dogs causing a problem for you and your dogs and by the sound of it their owner is not going to do anything different so you may have to given you care about your dogs and how they are reacting. You clearly don't want to see any of the dogs getting hurt and want to do something to address the situation, even if your neighbours aren't on the same page. It is good that your dogs respond to your commands when you are there but obviously you are still concerned about what might happen when you are not home. I personally think all you can do is reinforce or protect this area of the fence and keep giving the commands you want your dogs to follow when you see them do something you don't want them to do. It is unlikely that you will get your neighbour to do much in relation to training their dogs to stop rushing at the fence first but perhaps if you do get some spare, cheap tin you could offer it to your neighbour so they can cover their side of the fence as well? Not everyone thinks as pro-actively as you. I live across from a fortified property yet because the owners spend all their time on the median strip (front gate open) so does their angry little chi. It drives my dogs spare. It always comes onto my front lawn to poop. 13 long years of it. We tried a meet and greet and all the little rotter did was lunge at me and my dogs. The owners are lovely people but just don't get it so all I can do is work with my dogs and how they react.