BarbedWire

I've been taught that all caps is both SHOUTING and hard to read. I personally find it rude or ignorant (if you knew better you wouldn't do it) and hard to read.

Really old computer systems - only had upper case. But I can't see that excuse holding up these days.

It's good in selected spots for emphasis but not for whole blocks of text...

I'd rewrite like this - I'd put the email instruction at the beginning of a line. And the last thing on the bit of blurb - cos sometimes that's all they remember. I have a habit of tuning out headers... they're just labels not relevant info, right? Until someone puts the important stuff in the header and then I'm stuffed.

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If you would like to know more about Angus

EMAIL ME, email is good.

please include

* a description of a day at your place

* how long Angus would be on his own each day

* how active you are - how often do you go for walks or runs

* how many in your home including kids - how old the kids are

* other pets you have

* anything else that helps me decide if Angus is a good fit for your family.

* any questions you have about Angus

and repeating - please * email * me.

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I guess it's exasperating and I am hardly the go to person for creative writing... But I have been writing instructions for morons (computers and their users) for years - and I have a good understanding of what stuff just doesn't get noticed.

The best way is to pay attention to what enquiries you get - and tweak your blurb accordingly. Try different blurbs with different dogs and see what phrasing gets the best results for you.

I have heard of people putting deliberate spelling mistakes into their advertising boards - because people will come into their shop - just to point that out and maybe they will buy something too. And if you say - thank you so much for pointing that out - they feel a bit "special" and even more inclined to return to your shop. Which is good if you don't mind Spelling Fanatics for customers...

Bolded part :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: especially the last sentence

Maybe taking enquiries is a good way for some of the elderly to help out with rescues. They are usually considered too old to foster and this is a way they can be useful.

Also perhaps the rescue description could include a link to one of those sites where they help people work out what sort of dog would suit them.

Such as this site although it is meant for purebreds.

My link

The other side of the coin.

Before I got Thumper, my last dog, some rescues probably thought I was a time waster. Some of the Pet Rescue listings (I'm sure this doesn't include the OP's rescue group) are very generic and not very helpful and sometimes when you first start looking you are not really sure what you are looking for anyway. I made many enquiries and was totally turned off by rude replies or no reply at all. I would never go near those groups again nor would I recommend them to anyone else. I finally did find what I was looking for and we are a perfect match.

IMO rescue groups should not shut out the so called time wasters.

When you hear about abuse cases and the child was living with mother and stepfather I always wonder when real father comes on the scene after child is dead and threatens violence to stepfather. Where was he when the child needed him? Perhaps I am wrong to think this. I have had no real experience. I know I could not sleep if I knew a child of my acquaintance was possibly being abused.

I recently paid just over $500 with a pensioner discount for a 12 year old dog to have his teeth cleaned and two removed. I noticed on the bill that they said something about anaesthetizing an elderly dog which I assumed cost more. I think what you have been quoted is reasonable.

I would be taking her to another vets.

You should know if she had an anaesthetic. They should have told you re aftercare ?

If she was conscious having her nails cut like that would have been extremely painful She should have been put in a cage that she couldn't escape from.

Can she undo latches or weren't they closed properly ?

The whole experience would have been frightening for her.

She may or may not need to have a soft muzzle at another vet but you won't know until you try. Buy a soft fabric one that fits. They are only a few dollars at the cheap variety stores & quite adequate for a small dog.

I understood that she had an anaesthetic. From memory she had nothing to eat that morning. I was a bit puzzled that the first time the quick was left intact and the second time it was cut off at the base and the wound took ages to heal. She had to wear a collar which she was not happy about at all.

I have ordered a muzzle already. The vet said she undid the latch of the cage. I have been going to this vet practice for a long time, over 20 years. It has grown from a one vet practice to now about 8 vets. I have wondered if different vets strip nails differently.

Thankyou HW. I will get one of those. The ones the vet used were different and I felt did not really fit her which made me uncomfortable. If I arrive at the vet with an already muzzled dog I will be much more relaxed about everything which will help her as well. I will also try some desensitization although the vet is not close to my home. I do weigh my dogs regularly at the vets though so when I weigh her I will give her some treats and use my enthusiastic happy voice. :)

Thankyou everyone. I will try some of the suggestions. The issue is not just her nails. Her anxiety started before she had the second nail removed too. I think she just doesn't like being poked and prodded. Recently I took her to the vet because she was holding her head to one side and I thought she might have something in it. At the vets she was extremely agitated but mainly as soon as I put her up on the table and once off the table she settled down.

Where would I get a muzzle? I don't know anything about them.

Thankyou for those posts. Kirty I assumed that when her nails were cut back she was anaesthetized. That was my understanding. Kavik I will have a go at desensitizing her, but I do hate seeing her muzzled. She really is a sweet girl just very frightened, and I feel guilty that she doesn't trust me to keep her safe and that she has to look out for herself. Perhaps that's just my issues though.

THanks VM. She doesn't just have her nails trimmed they are cut right back to the base which last time included the quick because the outer nail shell had split. The first time t he vet just removed the outer nail and left the quick intact. She has a problem that the sides of her nails grow unevenly. I have to keep filing them back.

By telling her to behave just means me being the one in charge with ultra calm strong body language which usually works with her when she is being a bit stroppy with other dogs.

My smaller dog, Missy, a mixed breed, has taken a strong dislike to vets. Over the last twelve months she has become more and more anxious. When I put her up on the table she growls when the vet approaches, and most of the vets want to muzzle her. She hasn't always been like this and has never taken exception to anyone else approaching her and was always good at the 'Stand for Exam' at obedience trials. That being said she is however an anxious hyper sort of dog. I don't like her being muzzled because I think it makes her more fearful and the first time she was muzzled it didn't fit properly and it seemed to me to be pressing on her eye. Perhaps she is just sensing my tension.

It's a group practice and it isn't only the one vet she is reacting to, but several. However she is better with some of them. I keep wondering if something frightening has happened to her there. She has trouble with her nails which split right down to the base and I have left her there to have a couple cut right back which I thought was done under anaesthetic. Does anyone know what happens when their nails are cut right back? The last time when I picked her up the discharging vet said they had had some problems with her because she had escaped from her cage.

I am not sure what to do. ATM I try to avoid taking her to a vet at all which is probably not a good thing. Should I change vets? Should I just tell her to behave herself? How do your dogs behave at the vets?

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Lovely KK. He was a lucky dog. And so were you. RIP little man.

The most important thing I've learnt is to be aware of my body language and what it is saying to the dog.

Dogmad I can't get this little girl out of my mind. How long do you expect to have her? How much does she weigh? You may have said in an earlier post but I don't know how to go back and check without losing this post, but how old is she?

Thankyou Mita. They are gorgeous little dogs. I am not looking for a new dog atm, but maybe after Christmas.

It'll be a lucky little (or big!) dog, whatever it is or wherever it comes from. Dogs are so lucky to be adopted by dog savvy & caring people. :)

Thankyou so much Mita. That means so much to me. :)

Voted. Keep up the good work.

When I brought home a puppy, a female and my resident dog was also female, I first introduced them to each other in the street with both on lead. I then brought the puppy into my yard and made a fuss of the older dog who was still on lead, but the pup was now loose. I then took the older dog inside and left the pup alone for about ten minutes. I then let the older dog outside and let them meet while I stayed around. Everything was okay.

Over the following days I made sure I fed them separately always feeding the older dog first and I gave the older dog time with me by herself. I also made sure she could escape the pup when it was hassling her too much by having a high place where the pup could not reach her.

They became best mates.

Thankyou Mita. They are gorgeous little dogs. I am not looking for a new dog atm, but maybe after Christmas.

I am also looking forward to more pics. She is a gorgeous little dog. Her eyes are so patient.

Sorry for being dense but a tibbie is a Tibetan spaniel? Right?

Well done boronia. Your friend is lucky.

I have never seen a live Tibetan terrier. (I'm assuming a tibbie is a Tibetan terrier.) They look gorgeous. Those eyes!!! Do they need a lot of grooming and do they have any health issues?

You say something or report it, that simple.

I assume your post is referring to my post.

I wish it were that simple. Sometimes it's easier to just not notice things.

Just because it's easier to ignore it doesn't make it right.

I agree Snook. But sometimes it's easier to not notice something than to do the right thing. I admit that I don't always do the right thing. I don't think that makes me a bad person. It's just expedient.

You say something or report it, that simple.

I assume your post is referring to my post.

I wish it were that simple. Sometimes it's easier to just not notice things.

Twodoggies I have seen dogs being mistreated when the handler did know better. Once at an obedience trial I was a spectator and as the dogs were lining up for their stays I saw a handler twisting his dog's ear. I did point it out to whoever was sitting beside me but I don't know if she did anything. I didn't because obedience trials can be quite formidable, and I would only have made myself unpopular which is a no no if you want to do well yourself. The handler in question won the ring with a perfect score.