halfthewords

They are not fit to be pets either A girl I know has one and he was a chronic escape artist, regularly scaling fences and getting out near a very busy road, until one day he was actually hit by a car and sustained serious damage. Plenty of domestic dogs do exactly the same thing, and plenty of Dingoes kept as pets don't. This dog was on another level to any domesticated breed I've ever met. It killed livestock in suburbia on multiple occasions, too.

They are not fit to be pets either A girl I know has one and he was a chronic escape artist, regularly scaling fences and getting out near a very busy road, until one day he was actually hit by a car and sustained serious damage.

Depends on who's home. Our dogs only roughhouse inside so it can't disturb the neighbours, but my dad and mum get kinda annoyed when Jag and Carl start up while they're watching the evening news. :p It's always when they're seemingly tired from their walk too!!

Jag hated having his legs (and especially paws) done when we first got him. Suspect he'd never had a brush in his life by the way he looked when we got him from the pound. I attempted clipping him myself the first few times and he had to be taken to my sister's work to be sedated and the job finished when he became too difficult for me to do on my own. However, after a few grooms at Scoobydoo's on the northern beaches (Brookvale), he's excellent about his legs now. I can do it on my own these days. :)

Done! Thanks :)

Anyone have a good rec for a canine chiro on the Northern Beaches? Willing to travel as far as the North Shore if I have to. :)

Jag :) please excuse the feral foot Carl, Mischa and Pippin the bird scratching his head in the corner :laugh:

Demented. I can't believe anyone in their right mind would allow a dog to live like this - sure, for a few years the dog will "enjoy" its life, but in its later years, it's bound to suffer.

Our first Bichon Frise was around 10 when she started to slow down, and died when she was just over 12. She had heart problems and a bad knee besides. Unrelated, but my beautiful Rory pictured below was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma at only 1.5 years old and was PTS last year 12/12/12... I can't believe it's been a year already.

All of mine react appropriately to boisterous/rude dogs and puppies. Carl will growl and lift his lip, and if the hint isn't taken, he'll air snap. Mischa doesn't mess around and lets any rude dog know straight off the bat that she won't tolerate anything less than respect (for a 3kg creature, she's terrifying). Jag is a little more laid back, as he will generally remove himself from situations that make him uncomfortable before he reacts. :) I generally never reprimand them for telling off dogs with no manners. All of them are respectful to other dogs. In your situation OP, you definitely weren't wrong.

I worked for a pet minding company (as in going to other people's places while they're away, not minding other dogs in your own home - which imo is recipe for disaster) and during holiday periods what most people wanted was an AM and a PM feed, cleaning up of the yard and a walk (for dogs). It was around $35 plus an additional 15 per additional dog. For a once day visit to single/multiple cats inc cleaning litter tray etc, it was a lot cheaper, around $25. I always included play sessions for the active kitties, of course. :D How separate are you able to keep birds? Obviously you are aware of the major quarantine issues - it sounds like a headache! Having to disinfect everything and keep all supplies separate, constant washing of hands etc.. I don't even like my parrot going on branches outdoors when he goes for walks :laugh:

Jag person: no dogs: no, he is incredibly submissive and very good at sucking up :laugh: other animals: no Carl people: an unknown number of bites when he was living at the rescue shelter I worked at. He was super fear aggressive back then. once he was lying on the floor with my sister and she leaned over the top of him to turn the page of a newspaper; he got her face, but it was more of a snap, no marks left. dogs: he had one scrap with Jag recently while he was really hyped up and jumping on the trampoline. Jag slammed into him during zoomies and Carl gave him a bit of lip, but no damage done. other animals: never, he thinks he's mother goose. He'll nurture kittens, baby birds, possums, you name it. :laugh: Mischa people: bit my sister's friend on the face when the friend picked her up and tried to lean in to kiss Mischa's face against my advice.. it punctured skin and it bled. She deserved it. :) dogs: nup, she couldn't give half a stuff about other dogs. other animals: yes, sadly. RIP many birds, lizards, geckoes, and her worst enemy, bees

My dogs are in the boot (hatchback - I took the parcel thing off so there's enough room for 4 of them back there). Unrestrained, usually, because there's no way to restrain them back there at all. They can't get into the backseat either. In my mum's 4wd I use the crate because it fits.

Mine won't let me walk them separately God forbid I leave Mischa behind!! I did have to keep her home while I walked Carl after she had a sore back for a month and she didn't like it one bit... Luckily though she's a lot smaller than him she keeps up just as well. In fact, she's faster! Sometimes if I walk them twice I will leave Misch at home as I don't like to overstress over joints now she's getting older, but she doesn't like it at all.

Mischa will sleep on my bed if the mood strikes her, but generally she sleeps curled up on my clothes or in the dog bed under my desk. Carl has slept on my bed since the day I adopted him :laugh: Jag when he sleeps in my room is on the bed as well, down by my feet, because Carl hogs the pillows.

The Husky's behaviour was way OTT and the owner should have called it off. A dog persisting in trying to sniff or interact with another dog who is clearly uncomfortable and trying to remove itself from the situation is a) dangerous because of the prey-drive overstimulation, and b) rude in general. I don't like spitz breeds or the way they present to other dogs, and actively avoid them at the dog park. My friend's Jap Spitz behaves just like the Husky when she's overstimulated and personally I find it annoying. No manners. The little dog has no business in being at the dog park either... Bright spark of an owner!

Agree with Haredown Whippets on this topic, despite owning a staffy/Cairn Terrier mix who is a lot heavier than my 3kg Miniature Pinscher. It's just better not to take risks with larger dogs, particularly an unknown bull breed, because they have such variable personalities and obviously the size difference presents a problem. Having said that, I avoid anything larger than 10-15kg altogether because Mischa is 11, and all it takes is a big dog to step on her and she would have serious injuries. It isn't even worth it. No more dog parks for us (except on rare occasions late at night or early morning).

Oodles and mongrels everywhere. It makes me depressed! A few people I know own papered purebreds, but the ratio of them to BYB is 1/20.

I'm a dog and a cat person, of course, but I have a special place in my heart for horses, having grown up owning one and riding since I could walk. But my other passion is birds, and my parrot in particular. He's a whole other level of intelligent and amazing

This entire thread I too am a weirdo who kinda enjoys the satisfaction of emptying full anal glands Carl's need doing every couple of weeks, or else he 'leaks'...and he sleeps in my bed. It's such an easy thing to learn to do, though. I just do it when he has a bath, no mess, (almost) no smell!

Hey guys, my almost 11yo Min Pin, Mischa, has just been diagnosed with arthritis. She has it quite bad mid-spine and the vet has recommended crate confinement for a month, as well as no walks... You'd think that being an older lady might slow her down, but she's used to walking 5+ kms daily. She's not food oriented at all, either, so clicker training isn't going to occupy her very long, and she puts on weight easily so I don't know that giving her bones or chews is a good idea (plus she won't eat them, just stare at them). Any ideas?? She is super high energy and I just envision her developing self-mutilating habits or something!

Scalibor tick collar + Advantix + daily checks, and a permoxin rinse every now and then wouldn't go astray. :) The Scalibor needs to be put on about 2/3 weeks before you go away, though, as it takes a while to get absorbed through the coat.

Name + a kissy noise and a whistle. Never need more than that with Carl and Mischa, but sometimes Jag's recall involves "HERE PUP PUP PUP!!!"

Our dogs (4, two girls + two boys, ranging in age between 4 and 11) have access to inside and outside, 24/7 as they please. They have a dog door which they can use as they please, and a massive backyard with a garden for them to dig in (they never do :laugh:) and a pool as well. Indoors they have upstairs and downstairs, with no restrictions as to where they are allowed to go (except my sister's bedroom, as the kitten decided that is his new kitty litter tray so door stays shut). All of them sleep in their 'person's' respective bedrooms. Carl and Mischa sleep with me. When I'm not home, they're asleep on my bed in the sun. When I am home, they're wherever I am. :D

The northern beaches is a cesspool of mongrels - mostly "oodles", pug, beagle or cavalier crosses. Everyone thinks they're a special snowflake so they own whatever the latest DD is - at the moment, it seems to be cavalier x poodles. It makes me sick. Very rarely do you see a well bred, reg dog here. However I have come across some lovely Lagottos, a Large Munsterlander, occasionally a Stafford without a brick for a head, British Bulldogs, etc.