halfthewords

A HUMAN BEING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY DOG. Not my neighbours' kids, that's for damn sure!

Ours have access to inside and outside via doggie door. They are only ever outside when the cleaner comes, which is once a fortnight. Fortunately my schedule allows me to be home a lot, but on particularly hot days, I leave the fan on my room on (where they both sleep) and a bowl of cold water from the fridge as well.

We just have the Min Pins, they're more than enough of a handful for me! I've seen a GP at the park before - gorgeous creatures! But then, I'm biased. :D

They can be. Someone I know lost two to a brown snake. yip - my mini schnauzer girl has a very high prey drive. I wouldn't trust her around a snake at all. They are smart so they are easy to train, but they need a lot of training and boundaries because they are smart (if you know what I mean). Smart dogs outsmart owners pretty quickly. I love my dogs but they can be very bossy (in a subtle way) and manipulative because they are smart and feisty. ETA: The different schnauzer sizes are VERY different dogs. Just because someone would be ideal for a mini, doesn't mean that they'd be ideal for a std schnauzer. The standard schnauzers that I know are very beautiful dogs - but with very different temperaments to minis. I agree with all that! My aunt has a bunch of schnauzers who are very well-socialised, live with ferrets (who have supervised 'free time' inside the house every day') and there are feral cats everywhere on their property, the dogs take no notice of them. The cats have no fear, they strut right across the yard while the dogs are on the porch.

My aunt has four mini schnauzers who live on acreage in Richmond. The property is almost overrun with feral cats, the dogs don't even blink.

To the OP, have you considered a Schnauzer (of any size) or a Staffy? Schnauzers don't have the typical 'terrier' temperament, and if socialised early on, make fantastic kids pets and coexist well with other small animals. They aren't so brazen as to attack a snake, and they aren't big barkers, diggers or havoc-creators! They are also easy to train, loyal, nonshedding and from what I have seen, adaptable to your energy levels. Staffies are similar when raised correctly. I've never met a staffy who didn't live with at least one other dog or cat. Plus they are bombproof when it comes to kids. There might be an issue with the snake thing, though - they're ballsy enough to take one on!

Paw paw ointment or Ilium Neocort will do wonders! You can buy them both quite cheaply in bulk.

I'm loving all the photos, especially the staffy ones! I'll have to dig some up of my lot.

I agree with RSG. I work at a dog rescue and 60% of our dogs are malt/shih crosses. Some of the dogs who look more Shih Tzus have terrible duck feet and are typically long and short vs long/tall so they are disproportionate. Many come in with patella problems, overgrown toenails embedded in pads and neck/back issues from their head carriage.

The 4 dogs we got after our first Bichon girl all copied her as pups to use the doggie door, none of them ever had accidents inside. Two of them are male rescue dogs who mark everywhere outside but wouldn't dream of doing it indoors. I believe this is one of their learned behaviours from each other, on top of dog-to-dog interaction - one is super tolerant and a fair alpha male, the other male follows his lead. He used to be slightly DA to outside dogs.

Now that I think about it, Carl also does this. He has zero retrieving in him, being staffy x terrier! When I get home, he knows he isn't allowed to jump all over me unless I crouch and invite him, but I don't until he is calm... So he grabs one of his fluffer toys and drags it all over the place.

Both my long-coated dogs are kept clipped shot to a #10 during spring/summer. Carl had a paralysis tick in January 09 and the experience was so awful that I take every precaution. They wear tick collars all year round, I apply Advantix during warm months, they are bathed in permoxin/tick repellent shampoo and I check them over every day.

He should be fine! My dog sometimes drinks sea water but he is always fine.

Seconding the Min Pin! We have two; they make great playmates for bigger dogs as long as the play is a bit modified for their size. :rolleyes: My girl plays with my staffy non-stop. They live with three large Huskies also. Absolutely fearless, respond well to training (consistent from a young age but as with any dog), they are eager to please, will handle as much exercise as you give them and they are not over the top barkers. They love to burrow and are definitely lapdogs even though they're a vermin-hunting breed.

This is an almost daily occurrence for me no matter where I go. Not only is my Min Pin (either of them) mistaken for a Chihuahua constantly, people are always fawning over them. That's fine from a distance, but neither of them are good with strangers (breed trait), much less unfamiliar kids. My youngest sibling is 14 and has never given the dogs a second thought. :D I always put myself between a kid running ahead of their parents at the park/on the street/at the beach because I can almost guarantee there would be biting. I have a stern word to the kid if they try to touch (it helps that Mischa always ducks behind me when I use the 'tone' ) and try to educate the parents. A lot of the time they don't want to listen, but what can you do? I always try to turn it into a learning experience; our recent pound rescue is unflappable and loves *everybody*. So while the other three are antisocial, he laps it all up. When I was maybe 4 or 5, I approached a lady at the beach with a German Shepherd on the lead. I remember trying to pet it and getting yelled at by the lady. And props to her, I learned my lesson! My mother also caught what was happening and made sure that I understood not to ever pet someone else's dog without checking first. Carl is famous for not liking kids (well, everybody, but kids especially since they're loud/bouncing/moving fast). He has bitten 5 or 6 kids in the time I've had him. :D He tends to shut down when he is afraid and if they get close, he launches. I personally don't give a stuff. If some parent is stupid enough to let their kid touch my obviously terrified dog, they get what they deserve. (Note all these incidents happened without me seeing; most times I am able to intercept but Carl wanders off at the park.)

Hey guys, sad update, but I spent most of the day running back and forth trying to find an option for this dog temporarily. They refused to keep it any longer and I already have too many at my house. She was PTS though I tried to reason with the BF. He simply has something against the dog, and was the only one really vouching to have her PTS. The parents didn't really care though she has attacked them over the years. I am horrified that her life was treated so carelessly. She could not help who owned her, and I have seen enough aggro dogs come good that I believe she could have made improvements. At least she is at peace now and will not have to know anything but what they taught her. Tragic. Greytmate, I do agree with you to an extent - if she truly made no progress after some behavioural sessions or a month with me, I would have been quiet about them wanting to PTS. However after seeing the dog in person, I am almost certain she was within reach of help.

Sorry, guys, need to have a bit of a rant. My friend caught me on Facebook chat this morning to say her boyfriend's (Josh) dog attacked his mother (and previously attacked his sister and father) and was to be put to sleep today. I didn't know Josh even had dogs. For some backstory, this friend one whose Cheasapeake Bay Retriever had testicular cancer but she refused to have it removed because he would "lose his manliness." I finally convinced her to have him desexed and he's been cancer-free for a year. Anyway, for the rest of the info: the dog is a "schnoodle." I patiently explained about BYBs, and how "schnoodles" are not a breed. She's six years old and lives with another schauzer/poodle mix who is apparently docile and "dumb." My friend Tish said the dog has always been aggressive, but admits that she is "spoilt." She has had "tons of chances to redeem herself" because dogs can do that on their own. NOT. I suggested a behaviourist and said euth was a bit harsh considering she has not known anything but getting her own way. Tish said the dog will snarl across the room at you, and does not like any dog except the one she lives with. I offered to take the dog for a month to see if I could help, as I am housesitting for a month in December. One of my own dogs has helped me rehabilitate aggressive rescue dogs and I was confident he could help her. He is completely non-reactive, tolerant, avoids any triggers that would lead to a fight, etc. Friend says no, the dog is being PTS simply because the bf "hates her and thinks she needs to get what she deserves." I am appalled. A family pet whose aggression they created and have lived with this long, and yet they did not take a vet's suggestion of a behaviourist, or my offer. My friend knows about the work I put into rescue dogs and I helped her own dog become non-aggro to others. It sickens me to think that the bf's grudge against this dog is the main reason for its destruction; Tish said that if the family got home before the bf, it probably wouldn't happen. Then she said, "Gotta go dig a hole. Bye!" GRRRRR PEOPLE.

The Miniature Pinschers: * that they don't need a lot of exercise because they are small. In actuality they DO require a lot of exercise (+ mental stimulation, they're intelligent), or at least mine do. * that they can be carried everywhere and treated like a toy. They are not a lapdog breed like a Lhasa Apso or Maltese; they were bred with the purpose of hunting vermin. They need to feel like they have a 'task' or that energy goes back into your YARD! * that they are robust. Neither of mine particularly enjoys rough and tumble games; they're built quite delicately and they are often jumping out of the way of Carl and Jag during playing. The Bichon Frise: * that they require a ton of grooming. They don't! At least not when you keep them shaved. * that they are a great 'family' dog. Au contraire, they can be tough little things to train, stubborn and willful.

I don't personally know anyone whose bitches have fought to the death. But then, not many of my friends have more than one dog. Our two desexed Min Pin bitches squabble occasionally. It's never serious, generally just noise and air-snapping. The younger, more submissive one (Cleo) usually starts it with a "look" and the older dominant bitch (Mischa) never misses a chance to put Cleo in her place. She tends to pin her down and just growl at her. It almost always is triggered around food/attention; if one is on the couch, the other one tends to bugger off. But if Cleo is higher than Mischa, she growls at her and it's on. They're 7 and 5 respectively and most of the time they are best friends - sleep together, play. We did have one incident where our elderly Bichon bitch Jessie (RIP) got stuck into Mischa while we weren't home; I found a flap of skin on a rather large wound on her neck. First and only incident like that. Our two desexed boys get along like a house on fire. Never argue, grumble, growl. They practically sleep entwined. :D Carl is the alpha so the others are careful around him but he's a very fair and tolerant guy. Our pack goes Carl --> Mischa --> Jag --> Cleo. Poor Cleo.

The sandpit idea is a great one, shelby! None of mine like to dig except at the beach...I suspect my mum would throttle them if they dug up the garden. To the OP, there is some great advice on here, particularly about what you can do to stop her from digging/things to provide her with. First we need more information, is she exercised every day? Training? The way to mentally exhaust a dog is through training and games, especially with kongs and toys where they have to "work" for the treat. You also have a fairly difficult cross in a kelpie/staffy; she has the drive of the kelpie to work and she is probably frustrated with the lack of a task. Apologies if any of this is incorrect and you are mentally/physically stimulating her as she needs.

When my lot get geriatric and lose the bounciness, I might invest in one of those! For now they all easily jump the 1m+ height to my bed.

We have carpet all upstairs except for tiles in the bathrooms (2). Downstairs is mostly tile with one room with polished timber floors. We do have some slippage when the boys decide to go zoomies after their bath, but they do most of it outside. Big backyard. We also have birds with clipped wings who spend most of their time on the tiles so they're easy to clean. Two rugs, one in the tiled living room and another in the timber-floor living room. Mostly for coffee tables and dogs having somewhere to lie, although they spend most of their time on couches and not their beds. Dogs have access to whole house 24/7 but all are toilet trained (though the Min Pins are touch and go ). We have the carpet steam-cleaned once a year (just yesterday actually!).

Ewww, hugs to you! Sounds like a creepy experience. Unfortunately scumbags like this guy do exist and it makes a lot of women feel like they can't go out in broad daylight. :D This is one of the reasons I never go for a walk with iPod headphones in - not being able to hear a car pull up, etc. I'm automatically suspcious of anyone who slows down near me on the road, even if they're just pulling into their own driveway I turn on the death glare. I was once approached by a guy wearing a trenchcoat who I suspect may have intended to flash his junk (uck) at me. Luckily my staffy x must have thought something was up because he snarled at the guy once and he went running. Carrying a stick helps ward off weird people as well as stray dogs! And make sure you always have a phone on you, that way you can take down a number plate or call cops. Good stuff.

I'm lucky none of mine need baths too often, because I couldn't be bothered! Carl is always clipped short but he swims almost every day in the ocean or creek, fortunately he smells like nothing most of the time. He gets a bit whiffy after he has a bone but generally he is clean. I bath him maybe once every 2 months? Unless we go out on a rainy day and he gets covered in mud; then he gets a quick rinse (water only). He is bathed either in the laundry sink or he showers with me. He happily stands under the spray while I do my thing. Jag is about the same but he's a grub. Rolls in everything. Bichon coats get dirty easily enough they warrant a bath at least once a week...too bad he has no hair! He gets his bath in the laundry sink. Mischa and Cleo only need baths once every 3 months or so. They are practically odourless. I wash them in the kitchen sink, sometimes both at once!

In my experience, the cheaper ones fall apart quicker, or don't work the way you want them to. It's wise to invest in a decent pair of clippers that will last you. I clip my two boys to a number 10 every couple weeks or so, depending on how fluffy they get (during hotter seasons) so I bought a Wahl, including oil, blade guards and other equipment. I have had them nearly 3 years and they work as well as they day I got them. I did make the mistake of buying a cheapo pair from the pet shop that busted after maybe 4 clips - and the steel got hot way too quickly. The Wahl or Oster brands will cost around $200 but think of what you'll save in grooming costs!