Yonjuro

A great fun morning was had at the river with Tigger. A bit of rain was no problem

Oh no, hoping for the best. Fingers and paws crossed.

Dunno much about them except for the fact that they make excellent sled dogs :)

Here's a link this experiment was done 27th December 2014 & yes Raw does digest slower then kibble & here's the experiment done on a Borozi 16 month old intact male.. http://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/ That is a great link Sueang :thumbsup: I really enjoyed reading it and thanks so much for sharing. FWIW, I fed mixed to my puppy from the word go as advised by our breeder, he has been of fully raw for the last 9 months. The only thing I would say to mixers is to be aware that kibble is balance, raw butchers mince for example is not balanced so together the entire meal is not balanced. The phosphorus from the meat can inhibit the calcium from the kibble. So make sure that you add some edible bone as part of your mixed diet, and preferably a small amount or liver and other organs :)

Just gorgeous. I gotta get me a grey one day! Thanks Westiemum :) I am currently trying to get a couple of friends and my parents to adopt :D Wonderful Westiemum The leather couch has proved to be a godsend for easy removal of husky fur :)Yep I've got a new leather lounge on the way - if I ever get this house finished! Sarah is a real wretch - trying to get her off the bed in the morning is a real battle!! Her majesty does like her luxuries ! Oh I can relate - King Ronin does like his spot on his throne. Leather is great though

I am pretty full on in my natural remedies, but the monthly flea and wormer is the only thing I use that I suppose would be classified by most as a chemical treatment. I use Panoramis. I think Shalarm (DoLer Steve) has an oil product that you can use as a spray/ spritz - I haven't tried it so can't comment of the efficacy. http://www.shalarm.com.au/index.php/shop/dogs/flea-from-me-essential-oil-blend-detail

I go to an off lead fenced in dog park and have been going for around 13 months now. I have met some lovely Staffies that have been very social dogs with great owners. I have however met an equal number of bad ones and I am mainly talking about the owners who happened to have some overly muscular staffies that were anti-social. I will admit my view might be skewed due to the fact that the only fights I have seen have all involved these dogs and owned by people who don't seem to give a stuff. The only time my Husky has been attacked at the park was with such dogs. I have found that they are great if they are getting it all their own way, but if they don't then all hell breaks loose. Last week a very muscular blue staffie with a studded collar was all good and running around, but when it jumped on the back of my dog and bit into his fur, my dog snarled at him to back off and it went nuts. I was in there breaking it up and trying to get my dog the hell out of there. The owner did nothing except say "oi!" when I used my leg to block it. Thankfully my dogs double coat protected him, I put my boy on lead and walked to the other side of the park. This owner did nothing. It did go again when my boy was running, this time Ronin shouldered it and must have stepped in a hole as it hurt its leg and they left. His parting comment was "at least they got some exercise" The only other time was when 2 sibling staffies went at my dog from either side. Again the owner was too far away and one of the dogs choked and spewed my dogs fur from its mouth! I also had to rescue a pug cross for the pair when the sibling went savage at it. I had to boot one of the dogs and wrestle the other off the pug X. Suffice it to say I was furious, not at the dogs really but the bloody owner as this is not the first time it has happened. Poor pug x owner doesn't come back anymore and it loved to run with my husky and his greyhound mate. So my limited experience tells me that they don't like it when a dog doesn't submit to their behaviour and two together can be double trouble - again this is a generalisation.

:rofl:

... I haven't taken many pics or vids lately so this is just a small phone pic from this morning

Our breeder loves the updates, in fact I started making vids so she could see Ronin. Rarely does a week go by without some communication and Ronin is around 16 months old now :D I also love seeing updates of Ronin's sister Layla which she kept from the same litter and who is so similar in looks and antics to Ronin It is lovely to see the mum and dad too.

+1 If I had a small dog and wanted to feed pre-packed then Ziwipeak would be my first choice. I use it as treats when I don't have any of my homemade ready :) I found TOTW very good when I fed kibble - from memory I think the first 4 ingredients are meat based.

I think the only place they are meant to wander around is in the separate VID (very important dog) courtyard :) I haven't seen any off-lead in the main courtyard. Anyway it is a great place and most people are very good. I must have been around 20 times since it opened and haven't seen any real nasty incidents. Certainly some situations that I think are worrisome and highlight the potential dangers of letting on-lead dogs get in anothers' face and space. But my comments are really just a general impression and really nothing to do with this excellent establishment :)

I like your style - well done

Yeah, I think this is the main point of the thread - It is not funny when a little dog gets snappy to a big dog. It is not cool for any dog to be snappy to any dog regardless of the size.

I agree 100% with your comments Sars. I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and try and make a friendly joke, but if someone is making a macho comment/joke about their big tough dog, then it is probably an indication that they should be avoided.

Yeah good points Dory , I mainly get worried about the tripping over of a small dog or it getting hurt in a game of chase. I watched in horror on Sunday morning a few dogs playing chase, with a Whippet in the lead. A kelpie cross and Ronin were coming second. The kelpie x clipped the whipped and it did a full on somersault on the ground. Thankfully it wasn't hurt and I am also it wasn't mine that caused the stack... but it easily could have been him, but he seems to have an awesome ability to jump clear over most dogs and turn very quickly to avoid collision.

If you are referring to my comment that said 'crush' (not eat) then it was merely used as an example of how dangerous it could potentially be for a small dog to jump on a big dogs face. Dangerous for both parties. FWIW, My previous and much loved and missed dog was a miniature Schnauzer. My parents dog that passed away last week was a Mini Schnauzer too and prior to that a Maltese Terrier - so I have great affection for small dogs :) Was not referring to any particular posters in this thread :) Cheers Sars :) Actually it is quite ironic that last week a lady at the off-lead park with a small cross said to Tiggers owner and I, that our dogs could easily eat hers I don't know if she was just joking or half serious? Either way I couldn't help myself and reassured her smiling that both had already had their breakfast. She was carrying her dog in her arms , so we were both very friendly and explained that dogs may be inquisitive and want to jump up if she is carrying it and suggested she either put it on the ground or maybe it wasn't a good idea. Anyway there was no dramas our boys basically ignored it. She was pleased at the outcome, but an almost frantic owner bringing in a very nervous dog just doesn't make much sense to me? Kind of off topic, but I always feel sad when a new person comes in with a petrified dog saying - well they have to learn to socialise I have seen a husky puppy pissing itself in fear, and seen a dobe, foaming at the mouth cowering. For these reasons I pick and choose my times carefully. I have gently suggested that I didn't think this environment would be positive under the circumstances to the extreme cases, but it is difficult when faced with the 'they have to learn' or righteous responses. Eventually they all go or I go as I can't stand to see a very unhappy and frightened dog, but I wonder what damage has been done to the poor pups in the process ??? :(

If you are referring to my comment that said 'crush' (not eat) then it was merely used as an example of how dangerous it could potentially be for a small dog to jump on a big dogs face. Dangerous for both parties. FWIW, My previous and much loved and missed dog was a miniature Schnauzer. My parents dog that passed away last week was a Mini Schnauzer too and prior to that a Maltese Terrier - so I have great affection for small dogs :)

I used to get a chicken loin and bash it flat (5mm) between some baking paper. I would coat in honey and gently bake in folded baking paper for 20 mins. Allow to cool and the pop in the fridge. When chilled you can cut into 5mm cubes that don't break apart or get messy. Freeze what you don't need for the day. :)

I'm going a bit OT, but I know Yonjuro won't mind :D Mumsie your post interested me because of my experience with a tiny little rescue dog of mine, Myrtie. Because of her extreme reactivity, I decided join a dog training club simply to try the "flooding" method. Well, she didn't bat an eyelid. We walked into this large park where the training was held, dogs everywhere, all sorts and all sizes and I honestly expected Myrtie to either die of fright or start a stampede. Neither. Her insouciance was amazing, almost embarrassing LOL. I also found the same when I took her to a dog park. I was waiting for my Pink Slip so decided to walk to the nearby dog park. I chatted for a while through the fence while Myrtie ignored all the other dogs and just sniffed around. When I finally bit the bullet and went inside -- same thing. She totally ignored all the other dogs and just sniffed around to her heart's content. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to do much dog training with her as she died of Pulmonary Hypertension in the middle of last year. I always believed that Myrtie's reactivity was caused through fright and, because she was a brave little thing, her attitude was: I'm going to get you before you get me. And it didn't matter the size of the dog. Despite this, she was the best little dog at home, full of vip and vim and lots of personality. Oh DDD, that is lovely and sad at the same time due to the passing last year and thank you for sharing your story. I have met some little dogs that fit exactly like you describe at the fenced in dog park and have always had great experiences with dogs with this attitude. When a little one gives the "p1ss off" to an obnoxious bigger dog coming into their space (mine included on occasion) there seems to be a level of respect that comes from it. However when someone has a small and very afraid dog that yelps and runs away in terror - this can be dangerous, and I watch the first bit of interaction to see what might happen and often put the lead on just in case. Tiggers owner and I will often smile at each other and say "hmmm, might be time to leave while still on a positive note" :)

I must say that most of my experiences at our fenced in dog park and the cafe have been truly wonderful - i get so so much enjoyment from meeting other owners and dogs and wouldn't have some of the friends I have today if I completely avoided such places. I agree there will always be the odd knucklehead that may spoil an outing - but I won't allow this to dictate our lives nor ruin our times out in public together :) Each negative experience gives me the opportunity to learn more about behaviour, I guess I am lucky that Ronin is for the most part very good. Dogs won't pick on him. Slightly off topic, but there is a large intact GSD that frequents our park. I love GSDs by the way. He seems to have been getting more aggressive since visiting a daycare or a week with a live in trainer (sorry can't remember which it was). This dog has been getting too full on with Tigger (greyhound) of late and Tigger has been a bit afraid. This caused Tiggers owner and I some concern as we were worried that things may escalate due to the bond they have. Last week it started again, and Tigger was unhappy, so Ronin trots up, calm as you like and stands between the GSD and Tigger. The GSD postures but Ronin was unfazed and he is not small either and then luckily for everyone the GSD walked away. This also happened in a chase and again Ronin sensed Tiggers' worry and took off like lightening and when they stopped he again moved between them in a very calm manner and nothing escalated. However I am always there with lead in my hand ready to intervene if it looks likely to escalate. We also move our dogs to a different area so they can relax together. Sometimes if we see a dog come in that we think may be a problem, we will just leave. I will say that we mostly have our meet-ups in the morning during the week as we both work from home and there are very few others dogs there :)

Lots of great comments and not much to add :) I like JRTs This is pretty much what I do too for a peaceful walk. The smile and wave is what I do and it is always appreciated when it is returned. I have had many an 'across the road' chat with other dog owners. An older guy with two basenjis comes to mind, where we both chatted and admired each others dogs from a distance. He explained that his could be unpredictable in close proximity with others, so I was impressed with his attitude. I do however get many a scowl from small dog owners that seem to think that the path is their rightful domain and I shouldn't have a 'wolf' in public :laugh: I always buy one of their treats when I am there. The "pupsicle" they do is a chicken neck is in a little ice block made from light broth and a few bit of veggie - it is one of the joys of going. There is also room enough for dogs to be kept in their own space. My boy is not a resource guarder nor is he food aggressive - so I am not going to stop giving him his reward because of the actions of a few ignoramuses. Most people are good and respectful. Most of the small dog owners crap themselves when they see a husky anyway - which I can live with :)

Wonderful Westiemum The leather couch has proved to be a godsend for easy removal of husky fur :)

There never was such a rule in my house. In the beginning the dogs were too little (Maltese) to get onto the couch. When I brought Danny home (from a pound), he was so damned excited that I think he spent about the first hour leaping from chair to couch to chair, etc etc etc. But, I have to say, Ronin would enhance any couch. :laugh: :laugh: Ya know, if I am completely honest there was never any such rule from me, I actually have always loved having my dogs on the couch :laugh: My wife however wanted the rule enforced, but conceded in a short time :laugh: And thank you DDD, for saying such nice things about my boy, I really appreciate it :)

Thanks for the comments... Ya know, I kinda feel sorry for these small dogs - these people just don't seem to understand the potential danger. I am not referring to small dog owners on this forum, as most people here are very knowledgeable and vigorous in the care for their beloved dogs, regardless of the size. I must also say, that even though I am lucky with my boy, he is still a dog and even though I am pretty good at reading him, I am not a mind reader and he is not perfect. He may dislike a dog for an unknown reason or smell but I am always right there, especially in an off lead dog park with the lead in my hand and at the ready to remove him from any situation that looks troublesome. Anyway... I am preaching to the converted here, nothing bad happened in the end and I am just having a whinge :laugh: