Pretty Miss Emma

I'm new to having to find my way around shows, and there seems to be little information provided ahead of time. So anyway tomorrow I have the BC open show & Scottish Breeds show at KCC Park. How do I know where these will be? How do I know if they are inside or outside? Is there somewhere that you can find out this sort of information about shows? I have been to one other show there and also that time was playing it very much by ear as it seems unless you already know all this the information isn't out there! I just like to be organised and know where I'm going!

The rules regarding housing/keeping are made by DPI (state government) and are policed by local council (who may have some additional local laws that they also police).

Hamish loves cats and he tries to play with them (I think he thinks they are puppies!). So everytime he looks at a new cat I tell him good and he runs to me for a treat. So now he does a lot of looking at cats and running to me for treats, and very little chasing and "playing". But, to get to this point... he was restricted access to cats eg at work he had to stay on lead until the cats were in the office and safely on their trees. I also have 2 cats at home, one of which has taught him cats are not for playing in no uncertain terms. This has helped!

Hmm so what is the treatment and/or preventative? Now you've made me paranoid as Hamish is a chronic snail collector! I take them off him as soon as I see them, but I think it's impossible to stop him getting every snail in my garden!

At the moment I make my dogs "icy poles" - chinese food container with a few chunkers or bits of liver, or whatever and then frozen (they love them!!!). When out walking in the heat (or training) then I use cool coats, but you have to monitor that they don't get too cool. But I try not to walk too much in the heat as I don't want them getting burnt paws. I find that my 2 both prefer to be able to dig a cool spot under the trees, they dig down a little bit til they get to the cooler dirt and then just lie in that. Or they like to be inside on the tiles or under the fan!

Get some fake grass for him to use as an inside toilet while training, while it isn't the same as real grass it is much closer than newspaper. If he's allowed to go on newspaper now there is a possibility he will always think that newspaper is a good place to go. Put some fake grass over the newspaper so that at least it is simulating real grass. I had Hamish sleeping in a crate from the day I got him. The first week he would wake up once in the night and tell me he needed to toilet, but after that he started sleeping through the whole night (11pm-6am), mind you he is my easy puppy! Now both my dogs will only go outside unless they really can't hold on and can't get out (I have a dog door, so it is very rare that they couldn't get out whenever they needed to).

I have a friend who has recently started a grooming business in Williamstown. It is called Jolley Good Dog Grooming. He's groomed mine and my friends dogs and we love him! Jolley Good Dog Grooming

Looks pretty similar to how my set up for Hamish was!!! Good going!

When I got Kenzie she screamed every time she was put in her crate or playpen for around 2-3 weeks!!! The first few days the screaming went on for around 45 minutes or so. Later the duration was much shorter thank goodness!!! Hamish, hasn't cared since day 1. Not necessarily impressed and will have a whinge but no real crying. I definitely agree about having a good roof/top on a playpen. Hamish managed to figure out how to escape his playpen after 2 days at home - I kept coming home from work to find a gorgeous puppy sleeping on my bed!!! Good thing he was well behaved and didn't toilet inside! So I ended up having to set up a C-crate, attach his sleeping crate and then also have some extra wire to block any gaps (and all of this was held together by dog clips!). With about3 versions of this set up I had something escape proof!!!

For those last couple of questions you need to give us a bit of a better idea of where in Melbourne you are! But your list looks like you will have a little spoiled puppy!!! Do you need to block off any areas of the house - will a baby gate or playpen be needed? Do you need to organise an indoor toileting space for when you have to leave pup? My dogs crates are in the living area and that is also where they eat their dinner. In my room they each have a bed (they also have beds in the living area - yes my house is just full of dog beds and toys!!!!). When Hamish was little I actually had a crate in my room and the living room - that way over night he couldn't have accidents but I was also able to get him used to being in the crate while he was awake by it being in the living room eg walk past give him treats in it, etc. If you are close to Strathmore the pet warehouse on Pascoe Vale Rd has a grooming table on sale for $70 (old shop use), well it did this afternoon! If you want a grooming table. I must say since using the top of my crate it has been much easier to groom the dogs. Have you and your housemate come up with a plan on how to manage 2 pups in the one house? I'm just thinking along the lines of making sure they bond with their humans rather than each other too strongly, and making sure they have apart time from each other so that they don't become reliant on each other, and things along those lines (which may or may not be issues). Something else I found invaluable with a puppy/dog in the house was Biozet!! Dilute it down and if they have an accident thoroughly wash the area with it as it removes the smell (even to their noses!). It is useful for accidents and also if they vomit - and the carpet comes up really clean!! It also works on hard surfaces that may be porous. I've found with both my 2 that they really want hard things to chew on like wood and such (there is a lot less in my garden now that a certain someone has brought it all inside to chew on!), so it might be useful to have some really hard chewy things and also bones that are appropriate to his size for chewing. Oh and things to keep him busy when you go out (I always used food treat dispensers - the really expensive sort like toilet rolls with the ends stuffed with newspaper and soft drink bottles!!!). They're just the other things off the top of my head. Have fun getting ready for the baby!!!!!

Glad you've gotten away form Dog Central!! If you are looking for boarding kennels I had a thread on Melbourne boarding kennels about 2 years ago and got some good recommendations (will find it for you). But you may find that they are all booked out over christmas. Something to consider as an alternative might be someone who does home visits to look after your animals or a house sitter. Here it is it's not an exhaustive list and I had a special needs dog so people did recommend taking that in to consideration but it's a starting point! There is also Hanrob Hotel at the airport and Kepala which I don't think are mentioned in that thread.

Good that you're confirming my thoughts!! Dancinbcs, I'm lucky in that all I have to do is say ahah and he stops pretty much straight away so I don't even need to intervene that much to distract him which is convenient!

Who knew that a simple question of black and white shampoos would turn into such a long (and to me interesting!) thread!!

The more I meet Hamish's Dad the more I see of him in Hamish even though Hamish was not raised anywhere near his Dad!!!

I just buy a length of polar fleece and then cut holes where needed. The idea of the picnic rug underneath is good though to stop the little bits that fall through!!

I believe that temperament is both geneetic and environment working together. As for which is easier to bring home, I think that depends on the dog. I got my old girl Emma when she was 9 years old and she settled in to the house and routine within about 2 hours. Kenzie I got as a pup and I found it took her a long time to settle in (a bit different to Em but still felt it took a little while). Hamish also got as a pup and he settled straight away in to my life. So I think it just depends on the dog/pup.

I don't have a breed recommendation but I will second the idea of getting an older dog first. My first dog was only a few years ago, she was 9 years old when I got her. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time together (3.5 years only ) but she was a brilliant introduction to life with a dog. She was trained, she was beautiful and she taught me a lot about the breed - so much so that she got me addicted and now I have 2 young ones!! I found it really good to experience life with a dog before having to deal with life with a puppy - so much more of a handful!!! I have to say I'd love to be in a situation to also add a GAP greyhound to my family but that would be a while off - I'll just try to talk some of my friends/family in to that so I can get a fix!!

So Hamish is the first boy dog I've ever owned (and in my family I didn't grow up with dogs, but now it is all females anyway!). I did once have a cat that used to like to hump a toy cat that I had, but that's the extent of my experience in this area! Anyway, Hamish is now 7.5 months old. We don't really have a problem with humping but I'm wanting to make sure it stays that way. he has only once tried to hump a human leg, and that was abruptly put to a stop. He's really good in terms of if I tell him "no" he will stop what he's doing and then comes and sits at my feet waiting for a treat. So that one was dealt with easily, and obviously if he tries it again he will keep learning that it is not a profitable action. I'm lucky at home with kenzie, because if he tries this on her at all he is very firmly told that it is inappropriate behaviour and she puts him squarely back in his box!!! If he does it to other dogs, I always stop him and redirect him to doing something else - in general this is working well. But, humping his bed... Do I stop this or do I not worry about it? Part of me thinks I should stop him (which is currently what I do) because if I don't then he thinks it is an acceptable behaviour and maybe he will try doing this to other "things" which are definitely not appropriate. And then part of me wonders does it matter? I am well and truely leaning to the side of stopping him any time I catch him doing it to anything/one. But just wondered others thoughts on this!

Here in Melbourne we have Kepala, which is essentially what you describe above! I'm always cautious about letting my dogs off-leash, so while I live near Kepala I try to get out there every so often as I have no hesitation about using any of their facilities as it boked for your own sole use!

Currently I've got my gorgeous 7 month old boy and my 3 year old girl to play with and do all our fun doggy activities. So no way am I looking at adding another dog in the near future - my time is already cut out for me!!! But I mentioned to a friend a few weeks ago that I was planning my next puppy. She was absolutely astounded because I have my hands full enough as it is right now. So she sort of asked the "what??!! when??!!". To which my response was in about 4 years. She was gobsmacked! :laugh: The reasons I'm starting to think of a puppy in around 4 years: - I will probably want another on the Main register so I can continue showing (I'm really enoying it!) so need to be speaking to people I might be interested in a dog from that I can get on main. - I may want a bitch (generally much harder to get on main as I don't really want to co-own), but haven't completely decided at the moment. - Kenzie will be about 7-ish then so I think she would still be able to deal well with a puppy. - Hamish will be around 4 then so hopefully will deal well with a puppy. - If I can have it I want some spacing between my dogs so that I'm not losing them in close succession (unless the unpredictable happens). So yes it is succession planning in a way both for my dogs and for me. Obviously sometimes fate just steps in and you end up with another dog. When I got my first beautiful girl Emma I had no idea I was getting a dog that week, but there was no way she wasn't coming home with me!! Kenzie was very well planned. Hamish, well I didn't know if I was ready for another dog after losing Emma but it had been 11 months and after I started thinking about it (even before meeting him!) I figured out yes I was; but he wasn't a planned arrival here until his litter was about 3-4 weeks old. So I'm wondering, do people plan their next dog (well best laid plans anyway!! :D )? If so how far ahead do you start thinking about it (eg looking at breeders, considering where it might come from, why you want it, getting things ready for it)? And what are (or in the past have been) your reasons behind the timeframe you've planned (or not planned!) your next dog? Just curious! :)

Don't understand if you wanted feedback on the first problem. But this problem... That is a council issue not an RSPCA one unless the owners are breaking POCTAA. And agression isn't covered by POCTAA but is covered by council laws. So the ranger/AMO/etc might take the dog to the RSPCA as a holding facility (in most states RSPCA shelters are pound holding facilities for some councils), it is not the RSPCA wanting to destroy the dog it would be the council - which as others have said unless they have evidence of the aggression they woudn't be able to do. The suggestion of getting the dog in to training, etc is a good one as it shows that they are proactivly trying to address any problem there may be which gives them more grounds to appeal any unfounded "decisions" or claims.

Group 1: 1-150 Group 2: 151-236 Group 3: 237-291 Group 4: 292-383 Group 5: 384-464 Group 6: 465-604 Group 7: 605-681

Kenzie has a toy "monkey", it was a soft toy from the baby section of a cheap shop - I think I literally bought out all Melbourne stores of the toy!! Anyway "monkey" (the original was a monkey but there are about 4 varieties all of which get called monkey!) is her absolute favourite. She carries it with her when she's really happy and when she's super contented she lies in her bed sucking on it. I have reached the scary stage of only having about 2 maybe 3 monkeys left in my stash!!! At some point they get used in a game of tug and monkey ends up dying. I don't know what is going to happen when I run out of monkeys!!!! I keep looking for more and for substitutes, but luck is not on my side with this one at the moment! So fingers crossed she and Hamish choose to not play tug with the ones I have left!!

Has anyone received numbers?

I have to say with Kenzie I spent quite a bit of time with her and tried to only leave her for short periods as a baby and I don't know if this has really worked to my advantage in the long term. Hamish different story, I spent 2 days leaving him for short periods (got him on a Friday night), then was back to work doing 1/2 days for 2 days and by the Wednesday/Thursday he was having full days on his own - that was just how it had to be because of my work. But, he is so tough and resilient and copes so well with being on his own and I'm pretty sure it's because I started him out like this straight away. Your pup will be fine!! It sounds like they've settled really well as it is so far. Don't worry about it, leave him with some things to keep him busy like a chewy or something. The set I had for Hamish was his crate (as a bed) and then a pen attached (probably like your playpen) where he had his water, toilet spot and toys. Puppies are much tougher than we give them credit, if you are consistent with what you do they adapt really well!