Brandiandwe

I think I've been lucky, but a couple of times, Brandi has gotten between me and a person shouting at me while out walking (and minding my own business). Boo is a complete softy, but for some reason a big-ish red brindle muzzled greyhound barking, lunging (up and not forwards) and snarling has the effect of making people back away and leave me alone. I always feels safe with my hounds and DH feels safe leaving me with them when he goes away for work. My two girls pulled me through a bout of severe clinical depression as well. Dark times but they were always there for me.

In order we got them: Brandi: she is just so anxious to please and so full of love for me that she can't stay still when she thinks I want something. She quivers and when she gets some attention, she explodes with love and joy. Of course, the greyhound brain fart generally means that she interprets everything I want as 'do mad zoomies around the garden and dig that trench' but she tries nonetheless. Paige: that I am completely her human and she adores me, BUT that she's still an independent miss and will do things only if they don't interfere with her own schedule. Hermon: how happy he makes my husband. DH had never had a dog of his own before and the girls were always 'my' dogs. Hermon is definitely DH's and is the first to greet him when he gets home. My boys together make me smile. Benny: the way he burrows his head into you or under you when he wants attention and then wiggles his butt around in the air as he burrows until he overbalances on top of you and lies there demanding smooches. Going to the pound that day was one of the best things we ever did.

I don't do it unless it is the morning of collection and the truck is in sight. Otherwise, I plan my walks past a council bin or carry it home to our special 'poo bin' with a sealed lid and plastic bag lining that gets replaced every week. I also feed my dogs raw and, while at the time they don't smell, after a week, they do. So I wouldn't leave it in someone else's bin and would be mightily annoyed if someone did it to me.

That's great!!!

Not my story but told on another dog forum. Happy couple gets married and are taken to the reception with all their luggage in the car. This included some ready prepared dry food meals for their hound in plastic bags. When they get back to the car, the food has gone, so they reorganise the feeding of their hound for their honeymoon and head away. When they return, they are complimented on their unusual choice of bar nibbles at the reception. Given they hadn't provided said dry nibbles, cautious inquiries were made of the MOH, who explained that she had helped when she found the nibbles in plastic bags in the car and given them to the caterers to put in bowls on the bar where they went down a treat. It was decided that it was a case of least said, soonest mended.

I'll ask the other half tonight just to tee things up. Good luck Monday. Go Poochie!

I'm in Sydney, and might be able to get in touch with the engineers who do explosive detection. I just don't know whether they are still looking. Steve would be the better contact, but if you need help, let me know.

Can I just say that, although trainibg is key, if he goes over threshold too quickly for trainibg to be effective, it might be worth investigating DAP or other options to be used in conjunction with training?

Deleted for double post.

Depending where you are (am on phone so can't see) and what kind of detection I might also be able to help.

The Spook Harness is used by people with galgos and other houdini sighthounds. But galgos are apparently notorious for just .... dematerialising .... and then reappearing out of the harness.My link

I enjoyed the Great Dane.

How do dogs react to levitating hot dogs?

You guys must live right near me because we have two different fluffies who have done the same thing. In one case, they now carry a retractable leash. Which makes everything ok. Sigh. I didn't see Bondi a Vet, but how nice to hear about some more balanced reporting.

Keep in mind that you need to be a member BUT you can pay the membership, go in and shop then resign your membership for a refund immediately after! I've kept it because we find it cheaper to stock up, but its saved is 100s in dog beds alone. The Zeel you need to get online and it pays to do some research too.

I give our boys Zeel tablets, one per day. It's a human supplement but the vet recommended it as an anti-inflammatory for Brandi's bladder and system and it also is used for arthritis relief. Hermon no longer limps on his injured leg and Benny is going great guns. The dogs also love the Costco memory foam beds - they are the bed of choice in this house and seem to give a really good amount of both cushioning and support and big enough for Hermon to stretch out.

Personally I haven't met any that I like. But I live in suburbia where most of them live in their backyards, with inadequate exercise, socialisation or training, stimulation and company. So when they aren't in their backyards, they are dragging their owners all over the place, or off leash and menacing my dogs. Hermon has dealt with one very effectively by flipping it onto its back and holding it there with his paw, but he shouldn't have to. So, in summary, no good experiences here, but that's more about the owners than the dogs. I'd love to meet a few though. I love watching them work. ETA: that based on where I live, I don't meet many dogs that I actually like, although there are plenty I feel sorry for. Which is mainly because of the way they are looked after (or not). So one of my favourites is the doodle up the street, although I think it looks ridiculous, because it is so clearly part of the family, very much loved and well looked after. So it behaves itself as well as it is able (at the irrepressible puppy stage right now).

???? That surely depends on the male but my two male greys who were neutered at 4 and 6 ish have never shown any such inclination. I'd go with a male personally. 2 girls are tough enough.

The only issue if they're all sharing the bowl, is whether you've got one who has increased their intake - will you be able to notice it? Or will it be masked by four dogs all drinking together. NB mine all share a bowl as well, and I keep an eye on it, but it does concern me so I try to keep a check on who goes to the bowl when and how often to establish 'normal' so if one does up their water intake through incdreased trips to the water I'll notice.

I walk four dogs by myself but fortunately I've got them all trained. I do remember saying to one young woman I know who is very petite that your dog shouldn't have shoulders broader than your own. Particularly when it's your first dog. And especially if considering a strong or guarding breed.

Yes, this. When we're out in public, and I give the dogs to DH to hold, I watch them and they never take their eyes off me, or check up constantly where I am. Waking in the morning, you'd think we'd been separated for days (and they sleep in our room) with cold noses and wagging tails. And seeing my crew at the park trotting around then suddenly looking for me. When they see me, the head comes up and they begin running, then the tail and head go down and they really take off.... It's very special being owned by a dog.

Paige spent the first three weeks with us in her own world. She tolerated being touched, walked, fed but gave us no acknowledgement. She was also very high prey and was a nightmare whenever she saw other dogs or small animals. I was sitting on the sofa looking at her and feeling defeated. She was just totally shut down and I didn't think I could handle a dog like that. She looked up at me, straight in the eye as I was thinking about sending her back. She got off her bed, and walked over to me, and climbed very slowly onto the couch like she was carrying the world on her shoulders. She circled once, lay down and rested her head on my arm, and then she gave a huge sigh. I felt her whole body relax and realised she'd been just holding it together till she knew she could trust me. Since then, she's slept at my side, eats only for me and is my heart. I love all of my dogs, but she is my heart. And I am hers. Brandi works as a therapy dog, and watching her work always stops me. But one moment made me connect with her, when I saw her work with a woman with severe dementia. The woman is known as almost completely unresponsive. Brandi approached this woman's chair and raised her head. The two made eye contact and held it, as the woman reached out and touched Brandi then everything went still. No one moved for fifteen or twenty seconds. Then Brandi moved on and the woman shut down again. Seeing Benny settle in with us, but his delight at running into the bedroom and finding us all there and the wiggle he gives. Every day with him, I'm glad and thankful we went to that pound. Watching Hermon and my husband develop their relationship is an ongoing joy. I have three dogs, hubby has one, but their connection is very deep.

The right greyhound might work. Our two boys are awesome with kids, only a bit stubborn and really don't need much exercise. But it would have to be the right one and agility might be a challenge in terms of training and recall.

We have one of those. VERY popular in this household.