BDJ

sending virtual hugs

No words except so sorry, it is a horrible situation. It is wonderful that he is surrounded by love (2 and 4 legged) and he still has good days - but from experience I know that it is both bittersweet and heartbreaking at the same time, so at the moment it is just crushing

Yikes - that footage was both interesting and confronting (interesting as in these types of things are rarely captured on film). My takeouts were: Twat of a dog owner - can't even start to list how stupid, irresponsible and *&*^ he is. Damn good horse. So calm at the beginning and even when the dog got to him and was between his legs he was still so well behaved (not pulling back etc) Horse in the video is different to the one the guy was laying on (bay V chestnut, different markings etc) - I am guessing the story was mixed up somehow Wonderful how many people were actively trying to catch the dog, great community spirit as having a snapping dog and flying hooves can be confronting The dog was seriously determined. There was no 'playing' involved, it was serious in its intent. That is one dog who should never be allowed around stock ever. I fear that even if leashed next time it could be repeated - either the lead will break or it will simply pull away/be too strong (anyone dumb enough to take a dog the dog off leash to start with will either put a cheap and nasty lead/collar on or hold it with 2 fingers

This morning was beautiful at the beach. I missed the focus (damn) but love her joy

@WanaHavanese - I think you have summed it up perfectly - sometimes a purebred is difficult, and in a world that is difficult on many levels, sometimes it is 'a bridge too far'. Don't get me wrong - I applaud breeders have their dogs best interest at heart, but sometimes that comes at a cost. A balance is what is needed. You were darn lucky that your girl is perfect for you. Cross breds (oodles or whatever) are a bit of a lottery for health and temperament. I have seen both the wonderful and the heartbreaking. Congrats to you and your girl - sounds like she is in the perfect home and you have the perfect dog

I don't have any advice specific to your situation - but I am wondering if you have taken your older girl to the vet and if so, what the outcome was. I am thinking that ... (a) diminished senses (sight, hearing smell) can cause a loss of confidence and an increased startle response (it may be all the time, or only in some situations - eg: when you were taking her out to the toilet and the youngster barked, perhaps her hearing is dropping and her sight is worse in low light - so she didn't see/hear the pup when it was asleep (she probably could have done both when she was younger), was a bit worried anyway, and then suddenly heard a dog bark and couldn't work out who it was - so became scared. (b) arthritis/bad teeth/whatever can mean she is sore (either all over or somewhere specific [sore teeth = don't want pup near face as when it came up before it banged her mouth and hurt her]. Think about when you have had a sore neck (or whatever) - the last thing you wanted was someone coming near you. In fact, how often are people in a foul mood 'because they have a headache' etc Animals are very adept at hiding symptoms and compensating. Your old lady may seem fine and happy etc, while at the same time be either in pain, or have very limited sight etc.

I can't help re the amount to use (I used it so long ago on dogs I can't really remember - I *think* it was about a couple of teaspoons for a 30(ish)kg dog - but that is really a tiny voice quietly saying 'maybe' in the back of my brain ) But I can confirm that the result is to darken and 'strengthen/deepen' the colour of coats. I have used it on both dogs and horses. Not much change to coat colour for the dogs (but they were dark/solid colours anyway - I used it for pigmentation on eye lids etc). It certainly made the horses coat darker/more depth/more vibrant - they were chestnuts and buckskins. Could not use it on palominos as it made them smutty. No idea what it would do on the coat color of a creme whippet (it does reverse if you stop using it, but not quickly)

A friend of mine had been 'sort of thinking' about a dog for a while, and then saw a young dog that they absolutely fell in love with and had a good chat with the owners. Responsible people so did all the homework and talked it through - and decided yes, it was time and that is what they wanted. It was a purebred and they rang a couple of breeders and ended up speaking to the breeder of the dog they fell in love with. Timing was perfect and the breeder had another litter due in a few months and they they now have a perfect pet. Change it to 'fell in love with oodle/crossbred' and don't know what the outcome would have been. So yes - word of mouth and good quality product are the two golden rules of marketing. Availability V exclusivity is always interesting. Exclusivity is only a positive if the advertising and 'desire' is done right, just having no product does not equate to exclusivity. If the 'competition' (aka oodles, crossbreds etc) is doing the advertising, has availability and meets the 'cute' requirement, baffles with bullshit (hybrid vigour etc), then is it any surprise that their popularity continues to arise. (I have deliberately stayed away from the health and general WTF are some breeds being turned in to when looking at some show stock. Bad breeding occurs across the board (pure and cross) - but it certainly doesn't help that some breeds are riddled with health issues [gives the oodle/crossbred advocates free goals]) Disclaimer - I don't consider a dog the same as a car/fridge/whatever - the reference to 'product' relates to human nature

Agree - Joe Public often doesn't worry or care about specific breeds. Some do, but others don't. And to a degree I understand that. I have only had one crossbred in my life, and he was pretty much a perfect dog. BUT, I know I was bloody luck in the nature side of things, and had the experience to make the nurture side of it work. For a lot of people, (a) waiting 12 months for a dog (b) developing a relationship with a breeder and (c) navigating the questions/unanswered questions/showiness (with its real or perceived 'elitism') is not what they want. They have lost their dog, or decided that now is the time to get a dog - and that is what they want. I know that my next dog will be a sheltie. Decision made re breed and gender (female - I just prefer them) and I have no preference re colour or puppy/adult. The decision will come down to temperament and availability. I am firm with what I want, but completely understand others who are not set on a breed will look at a crossbred as much as purebred - often the criteria comes down to maintenance, family friendliness, looks and availability. I honestly don't understand why the purebred world have moved to a thought process of 'should only breed when they want a pup'. In my opinion, responsibly bred, well raised pups who are representative of the breed (type, temperament etc) - who are bred for the 'pet market' are a credit to their breed and the breeder. They should be accepted not chastised. Disclaimer - at this point I am talking about pet/family friendly breeds and lines. Additional disclaimer - I am not endorsing unethical breeding practices.

Thank you for the update

not sure what 'sound' you are looking for, but a couple of words in Hungarian Huseges (means 'faithful' or 'loyal') Mutato (means 'pointer') Piros (means 'red') Jokepu (means 'handsome')

great article, thanks for sharing

** I just read this on FB - it said 'copied from an unknown source' so I can't quote the author unfortunately ** "COPIED from an unknown source." The other day I was at the local public park (not a dog park, but dogs are allowed there). We were walking along in a high movement area so I had my dog a leash. Another dog, off leash, sees us and starts approaching. My dog needs her space so we start moving away, but the dog got to us before we could leave. My dog was stressing a little so I politely said to the woman, sorry my dog doesn't want to play and ushered her dog away. Her dog gets the message and moves on. Quite good, right? Here comes the juicy part: As I'm leaving the owner comes to me with a speech more or less like this: Hey, if your dog is nervous and doesn't even want to play with other dogs, go somewhere else! Don't come to the park and ruin other dogs fun. I heard this and a wave of fury started taking over, but suddenly I think I had a lightbulb moment and switched gears completely. With the biggest, friendliest smile, I opened my arms as wide as I could and said Ohhhhh! Come here... I want to give you a BIG hug! With panic in her eyes she backs up, speechless and quickly starts walking away. I said "Hey, don't run, I'm so friendly, come on, I only want to give you a hug! I'm friendly I promise... I just want to Hug You!" Still speechless and backing away with terror now, I said "Wait, You don't want my friendly hug?" She yelled No! I said "Well neither does my dog! Have a nice day.!!!" As I walked away, I saw her just standing there, speechless and she was leashing her dog! I think I'll try this approach more often

Thought I would give an update on my boy (mainly because I hate following a thread and wondering how the pooch is later) I took him back to the vet for his check up last night, and she was very happy with how the eye is healing. He is quite perky in himself as well (thank goodness), so just a case of keeping up the ointment and anti-inflams/ABs for another few days, then fingers crossed it will be another drama he has gotten over.

thanks - yep, was definitely straight to vet She did an eye stain and it showed an ulcer. So eye ointment and anti inflams/painkillers for now. Check up next week to monitor (it should be starting to heal by then). If it looks worse in the interim it will be straight to the eye specialist to check eye pressure etc. (Dr Google sucks - spent time last night reading about glaucoma - why do the horror stories always appear first )

Hi all. My older (15yo) dog has a cloudy/inflamed/weepy eye, and I would appreciate some information from those with senior dogs. He has always had the 'little dog' moist eyes, but it has really blown up in the last 48 hours Some extra info: - he can't have an anaesthetic (he had a bad reaction to the premed last year when he was going to have his teeth cleaned - and vets recommendation at the time was no more anaesthetics for him as he would not make it) - he is on heart medication twice daily - his hearing and eye sight have deteriorated over the last couple of years. He still has some of both, but certainly less than when he was a young dog - over the past 12-18 months he has started having seizures. Totally random (can be twice in a week, then nothing for a month or so) - no triggers identified. Vet advice is not enough for medication - full blood tests done 3 months ago with no major call outs - overall he is healthy (even though it doesn't sound like it) - he is definitely slower and an elderly man who sleeps a lot more etc etc - but given everything he is 'well' (hope that makes sense) I am taking him to the vet tonight, but would love peoples thoughts as I have never had an animal with cataracts etc and would peoples opinions on whether he may be in pain/discomfort etc. He is a tough little bugger (the type who will scream the place down if I pick up nail clippers, but would get absolutely smashed in a dog game of chasey and not acknowledge it) - so if he is in pain he wouldn't tell me :-( thanks all

I am certainly no super slueth, so highly recommend ringing the NSW governing body, but I did find this information which backs up that the information is correct (but not that the advert is legitimate. Not saying it isn't - but I have seen some incredibly sophisticated scams, so I independently check information as a rule) https://www.myras.com.au/res/Results/ResultsSearch2.aspx?SY=2021&SN=35&EN=All Exhibitors&TN=All Towns&BR=KARELIAN BEAR DOG&PC1=&PC2=&CL1=&CL2=&EI=1&OR=1&CT=ALL&Type=9 (the website linked to the advert included that they won BOB at Sydney Royal

Agree with what Selkie has said above - unfortunately the question you are asking is not answerable as too broad. A bit like saying 'what is a fair price for a car' or 'what is a fair price for a house'? Without knowing the answer to all the clarifying questions it is not possible to give an answer. For a car - which make, which model, new or used, etc. For a house - where, how big, what condition etc. For a dog - what breed, where from, what health/temperament etc. There are as many variables for all of them. I would start by (a) doing health homework Finding out what health issues the breed is susceptible to Find out the impacts and prevalence of those health issues Find out what can be tested for, how accurate the testing is, when it should be done (aka age), should it be done generationally (or just on the individual) (b) asking several breeders of the breed (or breeds) you are interested in what is the cost of their pups what health checks do they do, and what are the results how do they raise their pups performance/temperament etc relevant to what you want to do what support do they provide (you may or may not want/need it - but it is a consideration both of price, and sometimes of quality) Then - weight that all up and work out what your not negotiables are, and what is the 'norm' for a pup that fits that criteria Some people charge way over the odds, but sometimes top $$ is understandable and definitely the way to go. Without knowing all of the above, then I cant think of a way to answer that.

That photo of the man with the gun, the cat and the fish is the most poignant photo I have seen - heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. I saw a quote yesterday - 'war is worse than hell. Only bad people go to hell, but war kills and hurts the innocent' (both human and animal)

I have never understood being abusive to a vet. The most I have ever done was become 'firm' when my female cats desexing incision opened up the day after the surgery. When I took her back they started with the 'you must not have kept her cone on and she has licked/chewed it' - nope, didn't happen and I have seen enough wounds to know that was not the reason. After they realised that I would not accept that explanation, they started saying 'don't worry, once her hair grows back you won't notice it'. I wasn't worried about that, I wanted to know what happened. Eventually they admitted they left one of their trainie vet nurses to close and she didn't do it correctly But I was not rude, just persistent. (and yes - I found another wonderful place). I was seriously peeved that (a) they didn't supervise/check the work of a trainie and then (b) went straight in to excuse mode I didn't realise how unrealistic/unacceptable people were until last year when I took my other cat in for a dental. Post op issue where infection got in to the eye - no ones fault, one of those extremely rare risks - but it did result in me now having a one eyed cat (he is fine in every way). The vet was fantastic - zero complaints from me. What surprised me was the way that everyone in the practice thanked me for being understanding. Apparently when things go wrong most people crack it. Seriously, stuff happens - as long as people aren't negligent, have the best interests of my pet at heart and are caring and skilled - what reasonable person would lose it ???????

so sorry that you all did not have more time together. What an amazing number of gifts you have given her in the last few weeks - love, safety, care, tenderness, fun and happiness - and now you are giving her a final gift of her wings when they are needed. And she reciprocated with love

no helpful info for the OP, but Rebanne, that artist is amazing

We went to the beach yesterday - and it was a wonderful way to spend an hour or so. The little one is an absolute trooper - 14 years old, and nearly lost him a couple of months ago when he had an adverse reaction to the premed when he was to have a dental. Yet, he still goes anywhere (albeit a bit slower, the journeys are shorter and he needs a 'carry' every now and again - hang on, starting to sound like me )

I have a dog who thinks my floors are lava - watching a rough coat collie walk backwards navigating corners, chairs, tables and everything else is somewhere between hilarious and 'seriously - what the hell are you doing?'. If she is within a few feet of a rug/mat she will go backwards. Otherwise she is 'stuck'. She will only go forward on the floor if the doorbell rings (then she runs barking without any issues until she remembers where she is in which case she is 'stuck'.) And by stuck, I mean she will just stand totally stationary just moving her eyes - I left her there one day to see if she would work it out for herself (either backwards or forwards) - nope 30 mins later I gave her a carpet tile path (and now have one to the front door ) My solution is to have a couple of large rugs in the family room so she can lie down/play etc , and then use a series of carpet tiles to create 'pathways' throughout the house. The cheapest V nicest option I found was at Bunnings. They have squares and rectangles (both work, but I tend to use the rectangles). They are 1m x 25cm and have enough weight and a solid backing (thick rubber) that they don't move, but can easily be picked up and moved for floor washing and vacuuming. I have paths throughout the kitchen/dining/family room and up the 2 hallways. She is confident enough happily walks/trot around on them. Picture for example (please excuse grotty floor and the 'needs to be groomed' dog - we went to the beach this morning so didnt bother to do the floors until I bath one and brush the sand out of the other )

My 2c is that a breeder should not be opposed to price being discussed in the first contact (call or email) - as above, it is no good having a budget of $X and finding out 6 conversations later that the price is double that. To be honest, if I asked (appropriately) about cost and the breeder got cranky, that would be enough for me to walk away as I consider that as either 'mind games' or they are more sensitive/clicky/something than I care to engage with. Having said that, 'appropriate' is the key. I don't think it is appropriate to start a conversation with 'hi, I am Fred and looking for a pup - how much is it'. I see nothing wrong with 'hi, I am Fred, I am looking for a pup, this is me (where, why, what, who, history etc), I am hoping to do .........., ... ask questions you have about the pup and the breeder etc, and then say 'may I ask how much you are asking for him/her' ......'. Even if you have decided not to purchase, or they don't have anything suitable, it will give you an idea of the cost. That way you know if $X is realistic.