Erny

Somewhere with a hot running shower. Oh ..... and a toilet that flushes.

I'm so sorry, CnR. I only accidentally tumbled upon your thread here. Tears that streak my cheeks for your sad news mingle in amongst those I shed for my girl, gone not long ago. You did a kind and most selfless thing. It is the greatest last gift we can give our beloved canine companions. Chance will have known your love. RIP Chance. And for you, CnR ... I wish you peace at heart.

I actually commented at the time that the dam would be something you'd be particularly interested in. Maybe we should double up a SARDA & Retrieval weekend? :p

Then he's not proofed in this yet.

It will become a "worship" emoticon once you've seen LL and her dogs working. Of course, if LL goes to NSW for a trial, she'll need her trusty "assistant" to go with her. Won't you, Lablover? ;) :mad I will carry the bumpers for you.

I've got half your black labs over at my place, LL. On my white jacket from when I visited! Maybe I could use the hair to knit myself a puppy! I'm minding a friend's lab at the moment ..... so it seems that my "path" is taking me down the labrador trail. Not a bad thing at all, given the skill of the SARDOGS - "River" & "Gus" as well as those of LL's - "Stamp", "Pepper", "Yank" & "Yo" (not to forget "Cracker", who loves to get on camera But eventually, once I've got my SARDOG puppy up and trained, I'd still like to add a Ridgy pup to my family.

You think they'll all believe us, LL?

I was thinking about Ollie dog these last couple of days. I'm celebrating , but consider me not celebrating. :wink:

Thank goodness. I was getting a bit 'over' this "earn your rewards" thing.

Dang it!!!! I missed it. Didn't realise what time you'd be on the radio, M-J! Not even sure if I would be able to tune in to that station from down here. Is it available to down-load from the net, does anyone know? Who said what to who and what were the responses? Good for you, M-J. VERY pro-active lady that you are. And to Jade - don't blame you re the bickies . Scrumptious to say the least. Sigh - have to wait for next time for some more .... assuming Pat will do them again???? Clever lady, Pat is. Knows her stuff on the SAR side of things too. She has lots of info and I appreciate her answering some of my throng of questions.

:p You think he'll buy the "saving money by spending it" bit? Of course, you could suggest they were purchased to hold up your fridge door. :rofl: Good for you LL ..... I'll be reading them over your shoulder.

:p I kept saying that I needed to wrap a few up for you. I think Jade absconded with them? ....... well, the last time I saw THE bicky tin was when her car was being packed up. Hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm ..... Jade? Come on. Stand and Deliver. PS - Good news re Stamp's bloods, LL.

In Vic, they've banned prong collars. In Vic, they've restricted the use of e-collars (must have permission from Vet - the one's I've spoken to when I needed permission didn't even know how they worked or that the dog should have the right temperament for one). Now you want to ban check chains? Don't you realise that the irresponsible dog owners are going to find/use something else (or use these tools privately) and won't be coming out to look for guidance if the view is to simply ban the "tools"??? But of course, then you could ban all dogs and that would solve the problem. Target the owners who use these tools incorrectly. Work to educate them. And I agree to Myszka's questioning? What is it that the Police Force have done wrongly with the "tools" the RSPCA speak of? How have they been used incorrectly? No way am I thinking the "tools" have been to blame.

SM .... this is where it becomes difficult to steer you without me knowing/observing the dog. I'm going to PM you.

Or perhaps it's because we recognise a person's views; the written expression of them is very good; some great and very valid points have been raised; the views are supported. So what's wrong with crediting someone with something we wish to acknowledge? You speak of Myszka being "rude" (by the way, you speak of knowledge of how the e-collar works .... "complex path for current .... etc" - but not once do I see where you mention "how dog's learn" as being part of the equation), but IMO your comment above is condescending towards any of us who express a view which is not like yours. Manners?

Nekhbet - for your last post. RSPCA MIGHT do a few things that are good, but IMO they've done and do too many BIG things WRONG and DETRIMENTAL in the dog world for me to be able to trust them enough to take THEIR opinion on face value. Say "RSPCA" and I can't help thinking "politician boot lickers brownie point collectors". Unfair? Maybe. But that's my opinion - wonder how I developed that?

Nutritional intake might need some investigation/adjustment also, as ingesting these things CAN be indicative of nutritional deficiency/absorption malfunction. ETA: Oops! Sorry - didn't read every single post before I came in here and now note that Nekhbet has already mentioned the possibility of diet being the culprit.

I whole-heartedly agree with your applause to Julie, Andrew, Pat and the SARdogs - River and Gus, for showing and teaching us more of the skills and know-how involved in the various Search & Rescue scenario's. There is so much "behind the scenes" work and talent involved, but the results they achieve are not short of tremendous and awe-inspiring. The work these guys do is so excellent and so worthy - they deserve alot of support. But M-J ....... you too should be up there taking a bow. The organisation you put in for the months before this weekend, not to mention the running around on the weekend itself to ensure it ran as smoothly as it did, did not go unnoticed and is something for which we all who were there, are very appreciative. Thank you. You did a fantastic job! :p :p And to Robyn - photographer extraordinaire! I have already had a 'taste' of some of the shots you took and look forward to seeing some of the same and more here on DOL. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend learning more into the depths of SARdog training. I'm only hoping I'm going to be able to get my head around the technological side of things - the many facets of which are somewhat daunting!!!! :rolleyes: It was great to get to know and share thoughts and talk with all those there. The 'social' aspect of the weekend was a blast. Thanks guys. Short of having to get a flat tyre mended and knowing that I need to quit smoking to be able to better scale those rocky mountains ( oh ......... ok ....., so it was only just a very big, steep hill :rolleyes: ), I'm already asking myself "what next" ...... ready to build and expand on what I've already learnt from the weekend. Thanks again.

Jodie - your recent post brings me joy and tears, at the same time. Yes - time is precious. Count the blessings for every day and week that Ollie dog is around you, but not so much so that you forget to enjoy each carefree moment for all the joys it brings you. for you and Ollie. So glad that the little tough guy is making it through - what a battle it has been for you both. Sheeeshz .... that guy's got spirit, don't he? ;)

I can just imagine the male lab lineup .... with them all sucking their beer bellies in, thrusting out their chests, poking their tails in the air, cocking their ears and puncing around in front of the girls.

Without making it too much of a 'big deal', but knowing she is looking and seeing you, throw a treat or two into the crate as you pass by it. Just let her go in and get the treat (and come out again if that's what she wants to do). This is the beginning of HER making the decision to enter the crate and also builds up positive association (ie "everytime I make the decision to go in the crate there are good things for me".)

I'm a bit concerned that you leave her with no water "when you have to go away from the house through the day". Assuming this is for a considerable period of time. There are different styles of water containers available. Some which hook onto the side of the cage a bit above floor level. Perhaps you can find one of a shape and size where she is unable to "use it as a swimming pool". I've also seen some people with water feeders such as are often used for rabbits, where it is more like a bottle and the water drips/trickles out when the dog licks at it. I would expect you'd have to teach your dog how to use these and whilst my preference is for the dog to be able to lap freely, this would be better than no water at all, IMO.

Based on your description, it sounds like it. This is why we should do independance training with our dogs. I'd suggest you consult with a reputable vet/behaviourist. Drugs may (or may not) be prescribed - this will depend on the severity of the problem. Either way, the behaviourist will be able to give you a program to follow to improve the situation. (Note: If drug therapy is prescribed, these MUST be in conjunction with a behaviour modification program.)

Has she finalised arrangements for her Melbourne visit yet? Any news?