chelle~aussie~dragon

I'm so sorry for your loss

To worry about your child no matter their age...if thats obsessed then all parents are probably labelled as such. As I only have a 7 year old daughter, not an adult I don't know how I would act in this case but having to support my parents at the moment through the death of both of their sons, I think there should be no end to what a parent would do to protect their child.My parents have to live with the fact that they think they should have done more.I would rather be labelled obsessive then live with that guilt. I think honesty is always the best policy but tactful in the way you do it.If you are close to your daughter, she will probably want to talk about it but she probably feels an inner conflict that she is betraying him when she vents to you.My parents haven't always agreed with my decisions with my partner but they have always been there for me.I would just be careful in how you word things so there isn't a time where you have made a line in the sand and can't back over it.These two puppies are there now and she has bonded with them.I would think reporting the BYB is something that may alieniate you to daughter if she already wont give you the details.Is that worth doing the right thing? Personally I would be nice as pie to the guy even if it kills you.Confuse the life out of him and how can he then biatch about you to daughter? I presume I will have many sleepless nights in the years to come, at the end of the day, their your children, what can you do but love them and fingers crossed everything turns out alright.

My Dad rang me the other day about to explode as he had to put the dogs away in the shed while he went to work and when he got home the dogs had been chasing mice and got into his near new ride on mower and pulled all the electricals out,chewed the front fender off and ate half the seat. Must have been some mouse.

I'm really disapointed to hear this.I remember reading an article about the work he does with his family with Aboriginal communities and thought well of him despite the fact I can't watch Bondi Vet cause it just screams corny drama. I understand the guy needs to make a living from promotion but being a vet theres no way you couldn't know where the dogs come from in most pet stores.Theres always a line in the sand with ethicial issues such as this and as a Vet and someone who obviously has an image of a protector of animals, he has basically given the thumbs up to puppy farms.

Wow there is some forthright people out there.I've lived in a fair few areas across the country and haven't really come across anyone having a go at any of my dogs regardless of their ancestory.Me opening my big mouth on getting a breed wrong though.... Now I admit while I know a fair few breeds I'm not too great on the smaller breeds...it took me a rather confusing time to realise that there were Cavalier King Charles and King Charles Cavalier and embaressed myself a few times with breeders while trying to figure that out. One afternoon while in my yard the two most goegeous little dogs came in and I grabbed them thinking they were a certain breed and very nice ones at that and chucked them on leads and started walking back up the road thinking there was probably someone frantically looking them...which there was, one very worried looking lady.I told her she could keep the leads and return them another day and little bit of chit chat untill I said something along the lines of what beautiful Scotties they were. Well that did it, I got a cold "Their schnauzer's!" and that was that.Made me feel like a bumbling idiot.Beautiful, beautiful dogs though!I always, always make a compliement with a slight question mark on the end these days, lesson learn't! If however anyone ever, ever called my daughter a bastard because I don't believe in marriage, not a violent person but I'd flatten them...hell of a difference between calling a dog a mongrel and a child a term that is completely outdated and used as a more offensive term these days.

As someone who has been raised on a farm and has had most animals from a kangeroo to horses I often laugh about the fact that my OH has absolutely no interest in having pets.I would actually say one of my hobbies or passions in life is my animals where as OH has no attachment to any of our pets.Love him to death though as he never says a word each time the zoo grows, even with the last pet, a lorikeit when he has a phobia about birds!!!! As for myself I used to go to hospital a lot as a child.On one visit someone had brought in their Dalmatian and I was smitten.Since that day I have loved the breed which was about 22 years ago.My parents bought me a beautiful, little, liver girl from wonderful breeders who took me under their wing.I also ended up with her sister who was pick of the litter a bit later on, on breeders terms and kept one of her sons. So untill I went to uni and shareliving I had a Dal in my life.Suddenly I had nothing...very depressing and so as soon as my OH and I moved to a rural area and I had enough backyard for a bigger dog, I went looking for another Dal and got Dragon.I think his personality is the male Dal to a T.Though he will bark at boogiemen I always say if a burgular walked onto the property Dragon would wag his tail and point to where I am, "She's that way Sir!".He is my shadow and ALWAYS, ALWAYS greets me after I have driven in the driveway, open the door and he pops his head in so glad to see me. I searched for a smaller breed when Emily was a toddler so she could have a dog to grow up with.I found the Cavalier and just adore them for their nature.My parents caught the bug and now they have three cavs themselves.I reckon thats the way its is with cavs...you can't stop at one!

What a great thread.Very, very in awe of photographers on here, hence why I don't post my work.I feel very embaressed that I have been obsessed with photography from my first dslr in 2004 and am still at the same level really. I love the bit about being embaressed to admit being a photographer to people.I was always running around after my daughter at school functions/events and it went from happy to pass along pics to other parents of their kids to now being the unofficial 'offical' school photographer and I cringe at every event when the principle commends me on it.I keep thinking that if only the other parents really knew! My last event was taking the pics of Preps (kindy) and year 1's for the local paper and upon final editing was so upset about the result I wanted to redo the whole shoot but was too late.I had put it out of my mind untill I got a call from a friend who said the pics looked great and i had to take a step back and think that it wasn't about me really...it was about the kids seeing themselves. That graph is going up on my office wall...brillant.

yay!!! I could understand someone putting to sleep an aged pet that hasn't quality of life but to give up an animal that has been in your life for 11 years for a puppy???? I don't know how those people could even admit that was their reason...I can imagine the reaction they got!

Very nice images...I'm having such a frustraing time at the moment as the dogs wont sit still long enough to take decent portraits shots.Your are just lovely.

Just read all this from start to finish...hate to sound all mushy but I swear reading that was like feeding my soul a little bit...I'm going to bed happy tonight in knowledge that there is a Luki and K9angel.

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but as long as its not going to kill them I'm fine with it...they eat many things they shouldn't with me.I'll admit I'm not very strict with their diet at all between meals, though meals themselves are pretty strict.Yes I know...rather stupid of me and I am paying the price with Dragon's weight. With my parents I don't mind either, its not worth to me getting in an argument and I tend to give into their dogs aswell....except one of their cavs who can put on weight like nothing else...she is never allowed treats and fed seperately. The only thing I would worry about is with Dragon he has a tendancy to grab...not nasty or anything.Emily knows if she wants to give him something she will tell him to sit and hold it slowly towards him saying wait.He will not grab the food then and be more gentle.If a small child gave him something I would want to make sure he was told the commands first. Have never had anyone walk past and try and feed them...not that I know at any rate. Only friends and my daughter's friends who come on playdates and as long as they don't feed them choc/lollies which Em knows not to do...its ok. So I guess if I was out with them and someone wanted to feed them something, as long as it isn't choc/lollies I wouldn't mind.

lanabanana even so, if their not doing anything about it, their still neglecting the dog. Sorry but I might be labelled a criminal for thinking this but I would rather take the dog and quietly/quicky find another home for her.

Wow he is beautiful but so big already!

I rent but can completely understand why home owners wouldn't want animals in their homes.They say kids and pets are being knocked back at the moment, presuming for the same reasons, the mess they can make. I guess there has been numerous situations where the renters have left the property in appalling conditions and its not worth the home owners time to consider pets when there is plenty of renters who don't have pets.

Looking at this post with interest.Dragon is chubby but as I feed both dogs together I always worry about Aussie not getting enough.I am going to try the vegies and start seperating the boys for feeding.With this cold weather I don't really want Dragon to feel like he is starving so filling up with empty calories sounds like a good idea.

I suppose a lot of people have noticed odd situations with animals...if all people ignored their instincts and went on their merry way because they didn't want to be seen as making trouble a hell of a lot of animals would suffer needlessly. I think reading someone's post online it can be hard to get the same picture, that the OP actually sees and is troubled by.I highly doubt anyone would want to go to all the trouble of 'dobbing' on someone for the sheer hell of it...most people just can't be bothered even when they know for sure...I have a recent new neighbour bothering the hell out of me for weeks about their barking dog but it took being taken to the absolute limit for me to say something as I didn't want to be seen as causing trouble... I was reading between the lines of some reply posts on here that maybe people were thinking the OP was making a mountain out of a molehill to gain attention/sympathy on here for 'her' cause....the thing is I think thats a very rare person who wants to do that and if it is, then it will come out sooner then later and I highly doubt it in this instance. The OP took a risk, yes she might have had a chance of getting it wrong...the worst there would be making an apology to the owners and RSPCA for making a mistake but on the other hand, if dogs is not being looked after properly, then this has helped the situation. Lets hope the dog is happy and comfy tonight.

Oh dear...going from happy tears in seeing your first message, to sad tears now after finishing up. Memories can be such joyful experiences but can also bring the worst pain of grief.I hope the burden you feel right now is less with the knowledge that so many people are weeping with you, some may not understand the depth of pain but we can emphasise. Very humbled by the posts that I've read and also makes me realise how lucky I am with my lot in life, that the days I wanna have a sook, I need to instead give myself a kick up the behind.Goodluck Jed with everything, I wish you all the best.

I love all of them...I can see what sets a great photographer apart from a good one...it must be that same creative genius gene that famous musicians and artists have.I love taking my photo's but acknowledge for me my gift is literature which comes so naturally...at photography I have to work at getting that same 'spark' of orginality and just don't feel it most of the time. I reckon just from looking at those photo's that you guys have that special something that sets you apart.

I really like these shots, just a quick edit to lighten them up and your good to go.

I'm glad the dogs are getting a chance.

Yeah Lily is a Tonkinese, about 9 months old now.She is EXTREMELY friendly and I think thats why they get on so well. She is constantly beside our side or on our lap and sleeps on either my or Emily's chest at night...I have always had cats and out of all the breeds I have owned she is just something else, I cannot recommend the breed enough.The Lorikeit on the otherhand thinks he rules the household and heaven help us if we dont cater for his every whim!The fact that he has it over the dogs aswell is hilarious. The latest adventure is I've started giving Lily a t-bone to have a gnaw on once a week...PJ lines up with her and has a munch aswell...I'm presuming it wont hurt him but thats just bizzare!

In scene 2, do you notice in the first pic,Lily's look at me...wearied patience/sigh here we go again!

"weeeeeeee!"

Everyday its crazy antics...but I swear half the time they know when I have the camera and look at me all innocently...untill I put it back away and its on! Cat and bird, scene 2: