poochiemama

Charlie is great, he pretty much ignores them or is very easily redirected. The kittens are around 5 months old now I think. I think they are trying to play with the dogs now, darting in between their legs, playing peekaboo behind the curtain etc .

In answer to some of your questions, yes the cats have plenty of hiding spaces and scratching posts they can climb etc

Hi guys. I have a 10 year old golden retriever Hannah and chocolate lab Charlie. We recently got 2 new Burmese kittens. When we first got them, we got a dog trainer in to help us with introductions. Hannah was very stiff, licking lips etc, so the dog trainer suggested muzzling her and doing regular training sessions until she is more comfortable. Well things have improved a lot. Over the last few weeks, her body language has softened totally. She approaches them tail wagging, relaxed, loose mouth. It helps they are not skittish and very self assured cats. She has stated pawing at them every now and then playfully. We have got rid of the muzzle and leash and she only has a collar now. The only issue is that she is constantly following them around. Like constantly. Always at a respectful distance (she matches her pace to theirs and doesn’t chase). She sometimes sniffs their bum. If they turn around, sometimes they touch noses. The cats are very bold around her now, for instance rolling around on her bed right in front of her and she lets them, tail wagging still. Occasionally if they suddlenly appear out of nowhere she may stiffen up again for a short while but then relaxes. My question is - are we right to be more comfortable with letting her around the cats? Is her following them around normal ? I even wondered if it was a maternal thing, like she wants to guard them or something. She never attempts to lunge, never growls, but we are still so anxious as when the dog trainer first came, he thought she had a high prey drive because of how she would stiffen up and stare at them, and once she tried to chase them. But we have been working very hard since then with regular exposure to the cats so I feel things have shifted.

Hi team, I have recently moved from Melbourne to Adelaide and I am keen on personal recommendations for a great kennel or dog sitter . I was very spoilt in Melbourne as we had a wonderful kennel to board my dogs and I'm very fussy About where I put them! I saw the Adelaide Hills Pet Resort looked good but some very mixed reviews online. Would welcome your suggestions!

Thanks again everyone...I have had a more peaceful day today after following your advice :)

Thank you for your very thoughtful posts ... I think it's so true about remembering many of these organisations have agendas. Listening to the horror stories gives a skewed picture and you start to believe it's all doom and gloom.

Thanks Tara...yup, I often find myself more traumatised by the stories of animal cruelty than cruelty to humans...it's irrational, but it's the way it is. I feel somehow responsible for the atrocities of the world, because I'm part of the human race. But then I think of all the beautiful people out there who love animals, and my heart lifts a little. I was a bit nervous about writing this post, but I'm glad I did, because it helped me get some perspective. Also, who knows, maybe someone out there who is in a similar boat might read this thread and feel comforted.

Thanks Bc Crazy...that's good advice. Things often do seem a little brighter during the day than at night. I'm watching something funny on youtube right now and it's helping :) I really appreciate everyone's support tonight. It's been a long time since I've been on dolforums but these forums have taught me so much ...

It makes me mad too that there is no warning for those news reports...What if a child saw that? How in the world do you explain this kind of thing to a kid? DD darling, how sad that the dog you walked/loved/played with had to be euthanised...but how sweet that the dog got to experience that with you. I guess that's what I'm trying to remind myself...that we can make a difference in our own way.

Yes Bjelkier, I think I need to switch off from it...although it's getting harder to do now with these types of images all over the internet, news, and randomly popping up on facebook status updates. But for my own sanity, I need to literally distract myself . It helps when I feel like I'm taking good care of my own dogs...I can't save the world.

Thanks BCCrazy...I felt so alone with all this, and it really helped me to know others feel the same.

Thanks for all your words which have given me some comfort tonight...also, it gave me relief to think of all the dog lovers on this forum, who care so much for their pets. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that even though the world can be cruel, there are also a lot of good people out there.

Unfortunately , I recently saw something about animal abuse on TV and for the past few days, can't get the disturbing images out of my mind/feeling tearful/constantly worried about the fate of animals. Of course I know this sort of thing goes on, but for some reason it really hit me hard this time. How do you all, being animal lovers, cope? Especially those in rescue...I've always wanted to volunteer at a shelter, but I just get so traumatised by these kinds of stories. Sorry for the depressing post, just needed some support.

Haha I don't think anyone will ever think of fava beans the same way again after that movie!

I'm starting a little veggie patch in our yard and have sown some fava beans (broad beans) . But there are some reports that dogs don't digest fava beans very well. Has anyone had any experience with this? I am afraid my lab will inadvertently eat some. If it's a problem, I will add an enclosure around the beans.

I can also recommend the Ruthless leather range. Her customer service is excellent and the products are strong for big dogs, not to mention GORGEOUS.

I'm a big fan of the k9pro collars and leads. I especially love the leads, have been using them for years; I've got other leads which might be considered 'prettier' with more embellishments and things, but I always reach for the K9pro leads because they're just divine to touch, classic and strong.

Mornington Lodge is lovely.

she's a dream! love cavs.

hi guys, I've added quite a few new articles, some humorous and some more serious. Have a look if you have time. I have taken all your advice on board, eg did a 'cheat-sheet' on toilet training. going to do a post on crates in next few weeks too. thanks again for your help and advice. I have taken the focus off 'rescue' per se, as I can see that some people were offended that I didn't have the experience to write on that; I think that was a fair point.

You won't find me arguing about Cosmolo - they're amazing and worked wonders with my own dogs. I have a huge amount of respect for the work that they do. They've taught us so much, and have always been stunningly professional. Thanks again Cosmolo.

Just to add...I think there's some misunderstanding that i'm proclaiming to be an expert on dog rescue. Not at all and I don't claim that anywhere on the site. I'm writing as a lay person, who is finding out information from the various sources available. What I've written about were my own personal challenges when my dogs were growing up. I have just written a post about a book that I found very moving - my own personal reflections on that book along with links to more expert information about puppy mills etc. So it's really my personal reflections and pointing people to where they can find the advice. I hope that makes sense. I think cosmolo and nicB, your question about who the 'target' audience is , is very important and I'll give some thought to that. I have taken your advice on board and updated my 'so you want a dog' page to reflect that there are some solutions to the common problems that I listed.

Thanks Cosmolo and NicB . I think you are right in that 'the bad' and the ugly does not make it clear that there are good solutions to the issues (which of course there are). I will make this clearer and hopefully in future I can write about how some of those challenges can be met. Will be writing myself but like I said, any contributions are welcome and I will provide abundant links so it's not just my opinion.

Thanks NicB. I will be including stuff on crate training etc with time. Like you say, there is so much scope. I have asked advice on what sort of things you would like to see and have received some great advice. I do think comments like 'your messy dog' and 'faker' are offensive and unhelpful.

Hi greytmate. I think I've been pretty clear that I am linking to articles and that I plan for rescuers to contribute their experiences to the website. I think you have been quite personal in your comments eg calling it fakery. I have been very respectful towards you and others, but I feel you are turning it into a personal attack. As I said, I respect your expertise and opinions which is why I came here in the first place.