aliwake

I've been using Livamol for about a month, and my chocolate lab pup is looking beautiful :)

Nixon doesn't take stuff off benches unless he can then take it outside to hoard... So, for us, he's either inside or outside and rarely has free run of both together. It's a recipe for disaster!!

I think my lab pup was about 5kgs at that age. It's taken me a while to stop obsessing over weight, and just worry about him looking healthy. If yours look fine, then I'm sure they are! Lovely big healthy pups! p.s. I think we need pics...

Comfortis doesn't cover ticks. I use scalibor and panoramis, so I hope it's ok!

Ah, we use our bath for shoe storage... He hasn't made it in yet though. I'm constantly relieved he underestimates his jumping ability!

Scary news! Thanks for sharing. Where are you located?

He's a pup, and we started using it within a few days of getting him, so it's hard to say. But, we do live in a paralysis tick area, and he does socialise a lot with other dogs and get walked through park areas, and swim in the river, so I think he would have a had a few opportunities to get even normal brown ticks.

We just take our scalibor off before swimming, then put it on again afterwards. We haven't seen a tick in the 5+ months we've been using it.

Lisa I'm sorry sorry to hear all your crap news Breaking up after that long must be unbelievably hard! I'm sure Nova is being a great comfort though. Congratulations on his graduation! I have no doubt he was the star pupil. Hankodie, that guy sounds like a total douche but good on you for being motivated to get up early to do some training! Hank is definitely an amazing poser!! He is super cute as always.

Those numbers seem low to me. Our insurance is $50/month, and food around $90/month (will drop as he gets older, he's still a pup). They're our biggest ongoing expenses, but everything else on your list adds up too.

Steph, that pic is hilarious!!

check with your neighbours first. Would not be a short fuse if he barked for most of the 2 hrs you were gone. I've already spoken to all my immediate neighbours, but I knew it wouldn't be them. They'd all be more likely to just talk to him and tell him to be quiet. My next door neighbour just came over to reassure me again - her mother has been home all day every day for the last week for school holidays and wanted her to tell me she never hears Nixon, and he's the quietest dog in the neighbourhood. Was really kind or her to be concerned for us! I truly think it was an exceptional circumstance that got him quite distressed (ie the bird). Normally when he sees birds he chases them, but doesn't bark, but I can imagine he'd be pretty outraged if one knocked itself out in the yard.

Well, we had two more negative milestones yesterday: Our first (rather nasty) anonymous barking letter.... We were out for less than 2 hours, and gave him a bone when we left, so someone has a rather short fuse I suspect. Any of our immediate neighbours would have talked to me, or at least talked to Nixon to calm him down, so I'm guessing someone from the street behind. The second, was our first birdur, which I suspect was the cause of the barking. I don't think he's fast enough to get one on his own, so I think it may have flown into a window or something... I've always asked my neighbours fairly often about nuisance barking, and they've said he's good most of the time, so I'm hoping it was an extraordinary circumstance! Getting the letter was a real kick in the guts though - I was shaking for hours after getting it. Will probably call the council tomorrow to pre-empt any complaints

I usually just use some lovely little lamb marrow bones. Nixon goes mad for them, and it takes a while to get through them. they're a good size for a pup too. It sounds like bigger bones might be better for Hank, given his tendency to gobble things down. If it's a big bone, he'll have to put a lot of effort into chewing, and he shouldn't be able to get any big bits off to choke on - at least, not straight away.

I'd be trusting your own judgement over that of a random stranger. If you're worried, up his food a little bit for a week or two (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 cup), and see what you think? You can always drop it back down again later. I've read a lot on here about feeding guidelines on packs being excessive, but I've stuck pretty closely to what was recommended and I think Nixon looks about right. I think I probably need to start dropping it down a little, but the pack suggested that at this age too, so it's been fairly accurate so far.

Oh, she is so pretty!! Her markings are lovely! And I can't believe how big Gus is now too!!

just saw these baby gates when I was looking for that playpen: http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/safety-gate-extra-tall-71-82cm-black/ seems a very good price for one with the extra height! You'll probably need it if your pup's a jumper :)

This is the toilet we used: http://www.topbuy.com.au/tbcart/pc/Extra-Large-Pet-Indoor-Dog-Potty-Training-Toilet-Loo-Pad-3-Tier-76x51cm-p187234.htm It was a pain in the butt to clean, but worked well. He always did #2 there without training, but still wee'd elsewhere on occasion. You could probably put kitty litter in the tray underneath, which might make it a bit easier to manage (hindsight is great!) I think this was the playpen we bought: http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/8-panels-pet-exercise-playpen-1/ It was good, but was difficult to anchor inside. we had it secured to laundry cabinets on every side in the end, to stop him from dragging it around.

lol he'll grow into them eventually! I hope not! They're too cute as is :)

I agree with the others re amount of time off work, and also about not letting a pup that young have the run of the house! Unless you don't like ANY of your furniture, and have hard floors everywhere. You're also making a big assumption about the pup and cat getting along... We originally had our pup in a playpen during the day when we were at work, but he absolutely hated it, and was never very happy (we had a webcam to check on him). He was reluctant to settle, and was always trying to break out. I don't think he was getting anywhere near enough sleep! Now he's bigger, he's outside all day, and so much happier! I still wouldn't have put him outside in the beginning, but I wish we'd done it sooner than we did. I know you have concerns about outside, but don't dismiss it altogether. We have locks on both gates, and there is minimal visibility into the yard from the street, and these things make me more confident to leave him out there. I also have great neighbours on both sides who will talk to him if he's being a ratbag, so he does have occasional human contact during the day :) I'm really sorry you're in such a crappy situation Your pup is going to be such a happy influence for you though! But, I really think pups tend to pick up on your concerns and magnify them, so you need to come up with a scenario you're happy and confident with, and stick to it. ETA, sorry, was writing this while you posted about why you're taking leave etc. It all makes a lot of sense, however it is going to be a huge challenge not to play with your gorgeous pup all day if you're at home! I'd try to plan a few activities for yourself that take you completely out of the house sometimes, while you're having your break. Fingers crossed you can find a better job closer to home in the meantime though - sounds like you deserve a break!

OMG his ears are adorable!!

Ps I went home at lunch, and Nixon's paws were dry, but cool, so I think he'd been in the pool earlier. He also had all his favourite toys (including the hose trigger fitting he destroyed last week) clustered around the pool, and he'd been chewing on the edge of it... typical. How do you explain to a pup that they'll have no more pool to play in if they chew it to bits?!!

Does sound like a dramatic time!!! Congrats on the new job! You now know we're eagerly waiting for pics, so I'll stop nagging you :)

Um, Steph... we're still waiting for pics of your new addition!!!

Oh yeah - he's hilarious! He kept popping outside during the evening for another water digging session. Will be very interested to see if he's wet when I get home. Hoping he'll figure out he can lie down in it to cool down.