grizabella

34/56 Enzi is a good boy while Zombi cleans behind his ears Zombi and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr 35/56 Saluki boy Bowie is growing up fast, and getting super handsome! Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

33/56 Beautiful Zuri on her sixth birthday. Zuri by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

Some photos of the chimps from today. Enzi, Zombi and Zuri by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Gombe, Boyd and Sandali by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Hannah by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Lani by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zombi and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zuri by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Tsotsi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zuri by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Sandali by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

Perse, those are gorgeous! Euros have always been one of my favourite macropods; they have such friendly-looking faces.

Some more chimp pictures from yesterday. Galatea by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Gombe by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Hannah, Boyd and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Boyd, Tsotsi, Gombe, Sandali and Galatea by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zuri and Lani by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zuri by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Boyd by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Gombe by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Hannah by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Lani by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

Enzi is getting to be a big boy! He seem to have inherited his dad's way with the ladies. Zombi and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zombi and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Lani and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Lani and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Lani and Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

31/56 Mama Zombi Zombi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr 32/56 Gali Galatea by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

Beach time. Bella by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

If your old girl would do better with company, I agree with juice that going with a mature adult would be a good way to go. The older dog could be a great role model to a pup, but retriever pups can be little whirlwinds and could be overwhelming. I definitely would steer clear of a young lab/poodle mix in this situation; all the ones I've met (including professionally as a dog washer) have been very bouncy and energetic, often extremely so. As you don't know for sure what you'd get temperamentally, it'd be a gamble, but both labs and standard poodles can be full-on while they're growing up. In your situation, I'd look at contacting breeders with regards to a mature adult of a breed that suits.

I would steer well clear. What does the breeder require of the dog that makes them sure they are breeding quality (health tests, structural soundness, sporting ability, temperament)? Three-four litters within the first five years of a dog's life is huge- most breeders I know would wait until a bitch is at least four (so fully mature) to have a first litter, and there would be gaps between litters of over a year. Aside from the fact that this breeder sounds very profit-driven from the little information given, with that number of puppies being bred I'd wonder how committed the breeder is with regards to lifetime support for the dog. Obviously, with 'doodles' there is a great deal of variation in size, temperament and coat type, which is really something to consider. Everything about this has me seeing red flags up. What are you actually looking for in a second dog? What draws you particularly to poodle/lab mixes, or is it more to do with the timing of this particular puppy? This being a purebred forum, I doubt anyone will recommend you go down this route, but could assist with finding a dog from a reputable source.

Week 30/56... just a bit of Bella Bella by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

They're amazing!! They are most definitely not the average dog personality wise, but I find there's something about them that just stirs the soul- they get so in tune to you emotionally, and it means a lot as they are not remotely slavish. Not for everyone, but they are just beautiful in so many ways.

Bowie's only sweet and innocent because he's realised he's met his match! He can hoon with the best of them when he's got his cat brother to play with- it'll be no time at all before he's giving Bella a run for her money. I love how Bella's still a complete nutbag at seven, entering middle age with all of her puppy crazies still intact. And no one does regal like Bella does regal!

Yes, he will be feathered. I’m expecting him to be very hairy as he’s already a fuzz ball. :D He’s a totally charming little man.

Some photos of Bella, and a load of her gorgeous new friend who's moved in down the road. She's still a bit boisterous for young Bowie, but they're going to have regular playdates which will be great for them both. The ugly fencing and surroundings of the local play space make photography a challenge, but I'm quite pleased with these regardless. Bella by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie and Bella by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie and Bella by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie and Bella by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

This thread is getting awfully cute! And it's about to get even cuter! 29/56: Baby Bowie, Bella's new friend who lives down the road. Bowie by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

Prime100 does a lamb single protein BARF diet. They also have a crocodile variety, which might also work as a novel protein source. They're usually available at PetSTOCK or PetBarn. http://prime100.com.au/where-to-buy/

28/56: The sunlight was horribly harsh for photography, but he's cute nonetheless. Enzi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

I haven't fed Frontier Pets for a while; it's a bit out of my price range at the moment, but would definitely feed again if money wasn't an issue.

Myopixia had such a great passion. I miss talking with her very much. There's so very much I'd love to tell her about. I'd definitely recommend looking at her photos if you're interested in primates; she gave a great insight into Taronga's chimps and gorillas.

PossumCorner, that's lovely!

Galatea has long been a favourite of mine. There's something so soulful about her face, and I just love how brilliant she is with the little ones. She's a darl! That's such a lovely shot, Perse, looks like a special moment you shared. Galatea by Amy Atherton, on Flickr I was fortunate enough to visit Burgers' Zoo's renowned chimpanzee community late last year. Zombi, Galatea, and the late Zwala all came from Burgers, and Galatea's mum, dad and younger brother are still there. It was lovely to see a bit of Gali in their faces! <3 The photos are pretty poor as it was a dark, wintry Dutch day, and everyone was indoors, but sharing anyway because Galatea has some admirers. Mum Gaby (who Galatea clearly gets her eyes from) Gaby and Moni by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Dad Fons (who is also the father of Zwala, who passed away in 2014) Fons by Amy Atherton, on Flickr and younger brother Ghineau Ghineau by Amy Atherton, on Flickr @persephone I should be able to come up- it'd be lovely to meet you. Thank you; it's very easy to get sucked into their little world. They are a fascinating bunch. I haven't read that, but looking it up, it sounds really interesting. I'll have to add that to my list.

It can definitely be related to stress or boredom; I've known some self-pluckers who've picked up the behaviours due to poor living conditions and an inadequate social background, but it can (as shown by Tsotsi) be something linked more to social over-enthusiasm or cultural grooming patterns. Tsotsi's hair loss occurred very quickly after he was introduced to the other three males. Here he is in early 2010, about three months after meeting Boyd and Gombe. &quot;You looking at me?&quot; by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Zombi is absolutely gorgeous. She's got a beautiful personality, very gentle and steady. I do wonder what she'd look like with more hair! Zombi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr The chimps aren't viewed from the bus; there's a viewing deck which looks over the outdoor enclosure as well as the indoor day room. It's nice because you can quite comfortably hang around there for hours and watch the animals.

Gosh, yes. I was in Spain for a few months, and the amount of galgos and podencos (and Ibizan hounds) in desperate need was heartbreaking. We actually had a beautiful galgo found roaming on the grounds of the wildlife sanctuary I was at, presumed abandoned (the amount of dogs being dumped is devastating). She was captured and fostered by one of our primate carers before finding a new home in Germany. Prima galgo was just the most beautiful dog, sweet and sensitive. I can tell you, I was wishing I had the unlimited funds to take a couple of Spanish hounds home with me. Prima by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Prima by Amy Atherton, on Flickr

There's been a lot going on with them recently, with two new females having joined the family in March. The introduction has been a great success, but everyone's been very busy socially while the new girls find their place in the group. Now two of the females (Galatea and Hannah) are not on contraception, and another (Lani) is on the pill but still showing visual signs of being receptive, so the boys are very much occupied in that regard. Tsots isn't really that old, he's just prematurely grey. The lack of hair is more due to either over-grooming or hair-plucking. Over-grooming can be a cultural thing in some captive chimp groups, so something that Sandali likely brought with him from Taronga Zoo. Prior to coming to Monarto Zoo, Tsotsi was completely hairy, but his hair became patchier when he was introduced into a more natural social group (with three males from groups where over-grooming is rife). Mama Zombi stands out with her bald arms, which she plucked as an adolescent after the death of her mother, as a stress release. I've never seen her plucking in the eight years she's been here, and the keepers suspect it's simply never grown back. Zombi's kids have patterns of hair loss where she's over-groomed them; you can see where Zombi grooms Enzi on the side of his face while he nurses (Zuri had a similar hairstyle when she was young and nursing). I have noticed recently Zuri's chest has gotten quite bare, but I'm not sure what the origin of that is. Here is Tsotsi when he lived at Adelaide Zoo (2007) with just his mother and sister. He had a very boring life, especially socially, but his hair was great. He was less than twenty here, but already very grey. Tsotsi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr Tsotsi by Amy Atherton, on Flickr