Two Best Dogs!

I feel better this morning I certainly dont blame Thistle and have given her lots of love and attention, just frustrated because she's making my head hurt and I'm upset over my grandmother. I checked them out but I'm iffy about how the kennels are set up so the dogs can see each other through the fence? IDK, she's doing well but I'm not at the stage where I want unsupervised interactions with other dogs even through a fence, especially when she's stressed and away from me. Too much potential to undo all our progress of the past month when we're still reinforcing it. Unfortunately I dont know if we will ever progress much on the stranger-danger side. I'll wait and see what the dates are and all the prices, then see if I can get A (her emergency contact) to drop by the house and feed her. At least then it is not different to when I'm at work, which she handles fine. I only get 3 days leave for death I think so not overly long. Thanks all quiet day today for us I think

I don't know who that is Jules, is that a company? My concern with boarding is the distress it's give the dog. Even if the boarders listen to me and leave her alone I do not think it would be good for her to be kept in a strange place with strange ppl. It'd undo all the work The best option I think is house sitters or someone dropping by and feeding so she's at least at home. It's moot anyway since I can't really afford more flights right now. Idk. I'll try to work it out when dates are given. I'm just so upset that this trip just done was so short. And emotionally burnt out.

Can I admit something here? It's not her fault, but I'm really frustrated with Thistle right now. I just did a 36 hour round trip where I flew down to tassie at night, slept, woke up, went and said goodbye to my dying grandmother and sick grandfather, basically said quick hello to family members I haven't seen in years on my little sisters birthday before flying home again because the house sitter couldnt' stay longer than she did (left mid today, unable to stay longer) And I feel like shit because I can't board Thistle, I can't put her with her emergency contact cause I'm not convinced she won't jump the fence and run away so I need a housesitter, even one she wont go closer than 1 metre too when I'm gone. I just wanted to stay a little longer and catch up/mourn with people I haven't seen in a decade and I can't because she needs me. It's so frustrating and I feel like a shitty person for only being there so briefly. Even though she's doing so well. I don't even know what to do about the funeral, I likely can't afford to go down and dad said that's okay but I just feel shitty not being there when the rest of my family is because my dog is so insecure when i'm not there.

Good luck!

I'm sorry

Perhaps the dog was already having kidney issues unknown to the owners and the algae was the final kick. Did the dog swim in the lake a lot? One swim might be fine but if he did it a lot and quite frequently then there could have been a toxic build up. That can happen to people too. Was it actually the algae or was it coincidence the dog had kidney failure after swimming? I'll assume the autopsy is correct though but it's a bit of Chinese whispers as to how and what exactly. How much. Small dog. Dog age. Condition of kidneys etc etc Makes sense to warn ppl against swimming in it while investigating a report. It'd be irresponsible not to advise.

This Facebook is amazing, I'm quite envious!

This gives me ideas then I remember how damn heavy those things are.

Glad it's working out!

Nooooo I don't need it nooo

Oh that tummy! I think whippets might be becoming my favourite dog to see puppies of!

That's a lovely bunch of relaxations. The Griffith park one sounds like it's going to be a disaster in my experience (I've been to parks like that before, no-one obeyed the offlead-time rules and I never went back) but the rest will open up more places for people to walk.

Look at them! I was going to ask if a bit of a lurcher :D gorgeous photos of gorgeous dogs!

Ernie the Dog Bloke is my assessor/behaviourist and for behavioural training I use Positive K9 training in Kew. I have been very happy with them, I think Geraldine is the one they usually recommend for aggressive dogs but I'd suggest calling up to discuss the situation and even a one-on-one in the home. But yeah obviously rule out all the medical and pain things first, good luck!

Aww that sounds like the most ideal, lovely way to spend the day with a dog - even if he didn't want to go on a walk-walk. Just chilling and havign a sniff :D

Well done!!!

Oh what a lucky pair!

I'm going to need more talie - she just stands up to look out the next but now XD damn roof to floor Windows. Thinking coloured ones for up top so I get nice lighting. Bunnings also sells them but so $$$ and boring patterns But better than cardboard because don't think she realises there is a barrier!

This sounds like the mini sessions I get in class sometimes (for teaching the dog not to bark at people to make them go away). She picks it up pretty quickly, the trainer walks past and the minute she starts barking he will stay there - but he won't move away cause that's what she wants. Instead, to make him go away she needs to stop barking and look at me - the second that happens I turn around and walk away. Her reward is us going away from the man + loads of verbal praise. We let her make the choice to look at me "to make him go away" then reward. We also did this with dogs in the early stages of training and with the behavourist. If she wants something to "go away" all she's got to do is look at me calmly and generally I'll move on. Catches on to it pretty quickly, but harder to reinforce outside of controlled environments. (I am popping in and popping out whenever I recognise something lol)

That's exhausting! I wish I could wave my fingers and send some of our luck your way! At least he's not like he was on the meds? Bad as it is to see him so scared at sight of dog or voices You're both amazing inspirations though! To keep on trying and getting every step forward

Oh poor Justice Could be he is just slower to recover? But look how you've stablisied him, even if you get him back to pre-whippet it is better than if you just leave him? It is awfully hard to avoid even seeing dogs

Grinder's are intimidating, go Dozer! What a great start to the year!

We don't meet all the criteria, or we would. Alas, the unknown first 6 months of life in a different state

I fear I would slowly go nuts, persephone! XD I cannot stand constant barking without reason (in my books, possums, roos, cats, people passing by...none of those are good reason! Someone coming up the driveway is, but lets not carry on). Probably a carryover from my brother's dog who would bark ALL NIGHT and MORNING under my bedroom window, giving me little sleep. I have quite a dislike for it in my house now XD One had a neighbour with a big lab who would bark and bark and bark. My housemate and I were both doing graveyard shifts so we had to ask them to shush him. They did train it out of him eventually, whew! :) I find I much prefer the quieter noises of them eating/drinking/wagging/snuffling/walking around. I consider myself lucky that I seem to have gotten a naturally quiet dog with a big heavy thumpy tail :laugh: and I also live in the city now, so the quieter the better. I am impressed at how few dogs around here are barking constantly, barring New Years Eve.

The terms get all mixed up in my head! I am much better at just remembering the gist and the why XD Like standing at the door and not going anywhere until pup sits or drops calmly then reward by allowing out but no commands makes for a life habit XD When the square happens I get confused...then people bring in the acronyms and I go sit in my corner and puzzle the gist out ;) but maybe once I finish building up my base habits like the dogs I can start bringing in the words and queues for me! :D Building up that relationship so the dog knows you're just chatting is nice...but to be more careful in actual training. Back to my corner, just wanted to see if I was recognising the methods right ;)