denali

Week 6: I am off to Costa Rica on Saturday morning for my photography retreat! I am SO excited. We will see what week 7 brings- though i may be late. I am not sure what time we have for actual uploading of photos. This is Kokoda- he will be turning 6 while i am away. I cant believe its been six years already!! He's starting to grey around his face quite a bit, like a wise old man. Not that he acts like it _MG_4338 by Gabby, on Flickr

Yes! He's all grown up now. And when i say that he is still miniature Just dont growing now. ill have to post in the cat chat

Wow- great shot BDJ.

Week 5: My cat Scrat

I have given up on assuming people are smart enough to know better!

I was wondering if you have noticed it where you are at all, but i am seeing a huge swing towards purebred dogs again. In the past fortnight i have seen (and all were younger dogs): - Irish setters - an english pointer - vizslas - a weimaraner - someone with a Newfie and st bernard - an irish wolfhound (i was driving, and wish i wasnt- would have loved a pat) - a malinois - a dalmatian - japanese spitz - greyhounds - scottish terriers - welsh springer spaniel - and a saluki! (Have never had the pleasure of meeting one of these, but ive always loved them, he was magnificent) And of course plenty of dachshunds It makes me so happy to see so many different types of dogs!

It varies so much within a breed too though, so it really is hard to say that the entire breed is smart. I have had 4 cavaliers personally, one- he is a genius (and not always in a good way ), very quick to pick up on things. Problem solve and very willing to work for me. one- he is the slowest dog i have ever owned. It takes him a really really long time to pick up on most things, but once he has. He doesnt forget it. one- he was very smart and easy to teach, willing to please, but never taught himself anything, so never got up to as much mischief as Kokoda does. And lastly- he is always questioning whether there is anything in it for him ad wont necessarily do it. But when he does want to, he picks things up very quickly. Thats just 4 dogs- but what it has taught me is that every single one of them is different. This is also a breed bred for sitting there and looking pretty

I splurged and bought actual containers- those clip top ones. Within those i store the meats, and i write on all the lids in a sharpie with its contents. Bones i store in freezer bags. Organs are a mix between ziploc and containers I dont meal prep perfect ratios into individual containers like some do, i dont have time for that! Or the storage space. I just take out some meat, some bones and some organs each week and balance over the week.

Week 4: Younger Sibling jʌŋ ˈsɪblɪŋ Noun: Annoying in every species. We went away for the weekend and spent some time at the beach. The dogs just love the beach. I wish i could go more often.

Yes, i was going to suggest a trailer, i have one for my guys You can get dog specific ones, but the child ones are often cheaper.

These are amazing Huga!

Wow!

Lovely shots PC. Amazing Canetoad. Obviously haven't seen the others but this one is divine! Great choice. Nice work Roova I love frangipannis. I was so sad when i moved house recently and left the huge frangipanis - i snapped a bit off of each that ive planted in my new house, but they are teeny tiny at the moment!

Yes! Off to costa rica. It's very extravagant, I originally heard about it and told myself no way. But i just kept going back to it (pretty much drooling!) and just decided why not. You only live once Though i think everyone else going is a professional photographer, so may be a bit out of my league- but am sure i will learn a lot.

Wow, amazing shots Teekay. I love that first one! Scotsmum- i love your week 2 photo. It is great And i really love ducks. Probably all the afternoons feeding them as a kid

I am terrible at being on time with these, but I am doing a pet photography workshop in Feb and am trying to improve my skills- so will try and get an image in each week starting form next week Ill start with an old one from the end of last year: Week 2 : Also old- from the end of December and my trip to Adelaide. Week 3: Armani- one of the dogs from work

I would kennel or leave with someone else. I have a lovely family who look after my dogs in their home for me when i go away- though obviously i wouldnt leave them with a stranger in this situation.

You may be able to find cheaper- but as the saying goes- you get what you pay for! Most will be $60 upwards for a full clip.

Yes- by feel. Or chuck them in the pool :D

Missed the groomer question: This depends on how much you do at home. If you comb and brush your dog frequently you can get as long as up to 12 weeks ( i wouldnt go any longer) if you do not they will need it more frequently. It also depends on how long you want to keep the hair. And in summer generally they need it more often to keep them comfortable compared to just a quick tidy up in winter.

It is perfectly balanced- i would just also make sure they were eating some sort of bones- as wet food everyday isnt great for dental hygiene

All of these stories make me so angry. I am also not a fan of the RSPCA With the amount of money they get- if they had the mindset of most small rescues everyone would be better of.

I dont have bichons, but do have cavaliers- which are toy breeds and said to have the same requirements re. human interaction. I got both my dogs whilst i was in high school, and Kokoda managed just fine alone for the day (though he did have a doggy door, was walked before and after school and left with kongs and things) and I got Deniki in grade 12- who was also fine (though did have a big brother for company Its definitely doable if you are committed.

Found it! Thanks guys. Izzy was the dog. However all links to the original story and the euthanasia report are now unable to be found- instead all i can get is this. https://www.rspcawa.asn.au/news/2014-02-10-izzy-and-her-family-the-truth and this http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/in-depth/former-boss-attacks-lost-rspca/news-story/981ed42960cb9277a87648f6bf279a93 So not sure what the truth is there!

For some reason i thought they were labs! But you are right