spottychick

Agreed! I didn't expect to see photos quite like that and was a bit shocked. Absolutely sickening. I sure hope there is Karma in this world.

I hope you've found a better vet.

Exactly!!! I've actually given up trips away because of the kennels insistence on yearly vaccination certs.

I stopped vaccinating annually many years ago, after talking with my vet. The dogs still went to the vets for checkups etc. My old girl who died at nearly 19 years old didn't have any vaccinations for the last 8 years of her life. However, the puppy was given all her initial vaccinations and then no more after that. Then a couple of years ago I was planning on going away and knew I might need to board the dogs. I had the remaining two dogs vaccinated ONLY because I knew the kennels would demand it. A few months later the older male developed a problem in his shoulder (right where the vaccine was injected) and 5 months after that he was dead from cancer of the muscle that started in his shoulder and spread to his spine. I don't "know" for sure that the vaccine caused it but I can tell you - I still feel like I pretty much caused the death of my own beautiful boy by getting him vaccinated. T-testing seems to me to be the sensible way to approach the problem and more vets should be offering that instead of annual vaccines.

It certainly is a relief!! Bit warmer tonight with a roaring fire going - will wait till bedtime to see if he's really 'down with the whole blanket thing' now! Gotta love Pepper - no such issues with her - she's always completely invisible under piles of blankets and will ferret her own way under them (she even does it in summer - for about 5 mins until she comes bursting out all panting and overly hot, silly goose!). Many's the time Tango has accidentally jumped into a dog bed not realising she was in there LMAO

Oh sorry! I missed your two responses - that "view new posts" gizmo isn't always accurate I think I'm glad these posts make you smile - that's why I write them - I just get so thrilled with it all LOL Dogs are fabulous and I just love how much you get back from them when you just show them even a bit of love and security. ETA I am actually preparing a doggie site at the moment which will have a little feature of Tango's Blog or something. I might move the posts from here to there.

Hi Lhok Despite the flippant way I wrote about it - I did actually approach it with a bit of a strategy LOL. I've been gradually trying to get him used to the idea over a period of a couple of months. I do sit on the floor next to him and pat him a lot - which at first he was really suspicious of but now he loves it. After he got used to that I moved on to "getting a blanket on him" WHen he was relaxed with me patting him I'd just gently pull a light blanket over the back end of him or over a foot, leg or whatever was easiest and least fuss. I tried to do it without him noticing - no jerky movements or leaning over etc. Just stayed looking at him, patting his head and sneakily pulling a bit of blanket over a bit of him. Then I'd pretend nothing had happened and keep patting him. I'd try not to break the rythm of patting at all. Hope that makes sense. A few times he still leapt up and I had to leave it. I wouldn't push it and I didn't insist. Gradually I was able to put a little more over him at a time and then he'd leave it on him until I stopped patting him and got into bed. THen instead of leaping up etc he began to stand up, shake the blanket off and lie down again. I waited till he'd leave the blanket on say - his foot - for a few minutes and then next time I'd try putting it over a bit more of his leg. So all I can say is - patience - lots of it, don't make too big a fuss about what you're doing with the blanket, act casual at all times LOL and do it in tiny increments - and expect set backs. I believe he started to realise what the blanket did once I had progressed to getting it across almost half the back end of his body. He actually left it there for a few minutes a couple of times and you could see him looking at the blanket trying to work out if it was friend or foe LOL He could probably feel the warmth tho and so he was sort of in "two minds" about it all. I also think having Pepper totally covered in a blanket all the time - and him seeing that - seeing that she was happy and safe with the blanket on - might have helped. But I'm just guessing.

LMAO Ari - he was so content and warm he didn't even get up when I went to bed. I usually bring the dogs beds into the bedroom and Pepper was in there but Tango wouldn't budge hahahaha. He didn't move till I got up this morning hee hee It's absolutely wonderful for me to see that! I can't express what it means - trust and confidence and all sorts of wonderful things

Ohhhh Look at that! A dog under a blanket. Is it really Tango? Yep! Dog is officially a sooky-lala YAY!!!!

The blanket The beds

One or two of you might remember I made a request a while ago for a coat for my dog Tango. Ever since I got him we've been struggling with the Tassie cold weather (well - since winter set in of course). The problem is Tango has some wierd "quirks" - for example he hates water to the point that he'll climb through thorny thickets to avoid a small puddle or runaway and hide if you so much as walk toward him with a bottle of water. He also has a strange aversion to blankets or any kind of covering. And he freaks out at Pepper trying to snuggle into bed with him. But the main issue atm is that he won't let me put a blanket over him - his reaction - leaping up at the mere sight of the blanket moving toward him and running from the room - was extreme. He wouldn't wear a coat. He'd pace around in it and refuse to go to bed until I took it off him again. I had occassionally managed to get a tiny bit of the corner of a blanket over his foot or something and I'd pat him and reassure him (trying to get him slowly acclimatised) but as soon as I stopped patting him and walked away - he'd jump up and get the bit of blanket off him again. Then he'd curl up with his nose under his tail and shiver. We had made some progress I guess. The fact that I could actually pat him in his bed without him attempting to take a chunk out of me was, I consider a major achievement! But he was freezing at night in our chilly tasmanian winter - poor little dude was constantly shivering and would be icey cold when I touched him in his bed - and that is not a good thing for a fella who needs to gain weight!! Here he is in bed - cold and miserable - despite my efforts SO anyway, recently I bought MYSELF a double layered minky blanket. Very garish and a stupid pink colour that I usually hate - but it was SO WARM and SOFT. I needed it. But, sucker that I am, I lost it to the dogs in under two days. I realised how it would get very warm just from touching it so I put it on the floor one day and Tango immediately hopped on and slept on it. The side of Tango that was against the blanket was exceptionally warm. So I put in in his bed so that it would be around his sides - and sure enough. He was MUCH warmer. He loved it and would sit on/in it wherever it happened to be. But Pepper wanted it too. She is happy to share but he isnt so they would argue over who got to have it. Fortunately it's very large so I started spreading it across both their beds. (Getting these two closer together every day). On really cold nights Pepper would get a blanket over her - and Tango would watch me cover her and look longingly at her all snug and warm. Occassionally he'd try to pinch her bed - it was as if he understood she was warmer so he thought he'd take her spot. But the instant I try to tuck him in - up he gets! Runs out of the room and wont come back till I look like I'm doing something else. So he wasn't understanding that it was the blanket making her warmer. Or something. Very odd. So. We come to last night. It was particularly cold here. Ice on the damn windows, fog as thick as anything and my house has no insulation. We've run out of firewood and all I have is a pathetic fan heater. I was freezing even in several layers, gloves and beanie. Tango was shivering so hard he was shaking the wooden floor. So I decided firm action was needed and I think Tango finally decided enough is enough. Long story short - I'll post the rest in pictures

Geez!! That's awful! I'm glad the wee dogs are okay - but your sister sounds like she was badly hurt! IS she okay. I hope they find those dogs soon - for everyones sake.

Doesnt look silly to me! Looks like he's got the best spot. My cat used to think she was "one of the dogs" - even insisted on coming for long walks with us. Maybe that's what this is about!

Just brilliant!

FHRP - what do you normally feed your dogs?

I got the sample pack - it's very small and with my two it's barely enough for one handful each. But they like it - which is no surprise - they like anything LOL It is very small - not good for Tango who has been fed watery rice all his life so he tries to lick small kibble like rice and ends up choking if you put an amount in his bowl. But fine for treating while training. He actually took a piece out of my fingers so carefully his teeth barely touched me - that's new for a dog who usually approaches treats in fingers like a whale shark It was very cute watching him lift his lip a little and gingerly reach with the front of his teeth for the tiny morsel in my fingers. I think the kibble just trained him not to grab!!

Chelle - my impression was that the "owner" had absolutely no ability to feel empathy for those dogs. Like some kind of adult crack baby - only he probably doesn't even have that excuse. A scarey sort of person I reckon. ANd yes - those dogs were the friendliest little dears!

The dogs names were Brodie and Jerry I think. The most beautiful gentle natured happy dogs. Oh and there was another one that they rescued intially who went back to the scumbag owner the first time but I cant remember his name. Lovely black boy. They were all taken off the owner so hopefully he was rescued too. I don't know if you can watch it online. ETA The black one might have been a girl actually...

Oh phew! They sucked me in LOL The law changed the second time round (thank God! What a stupid law) and they got to hang on to the dogs for 2 years of litigation (Still ridiculous) but at least the outcome was good. Especially the 10 year ban on owning dogs. Boy I'm such a sucker - I'm all teary watching Jerry at his new home etc ;) I wonder what the laws are in other states. And I'm still curious about how you get to run a guard dog business and if there's any requirements placed on those businesses. If there were it would make the process of doing something about this sort of appalling behaviour quicker and easier.

Do people who supply guard dogs have to have some sort of quality assurance and licensing etc???? Clearly they just want profit without spending anything on the dogs.

Oh Jerry is so cute - and that vet is holding his hand right around the dogs waist. THis is outrageous! Who do I write to?????

Flaves that woman was a brick short of a barby I thought. Of course they're going to breed. YOU'RE the one who's supposed to know how and when to stop them. But I am totally INFURIATED at the stupidity of laws that FORCE the RSPCA to return those dogs to someone who clearly treats them like some sort of alarm system (ie doesn't feed them etc). His comment was basically - "they're still moving around so there's nothing wrong with them"!!!! OMG!!!! And the dogs end up abused again. This is APPALLING!!! I don't understand how this can happen. So do they now have to give the dogs back AGAIN. And when does this end? When the dog dies?

Great point LMS - that's what I'd be trying before I used squirting etc. They need to understand what's expected of them first otherwise anything "aversive" just frightens and confuses them.

Sorry - someone who thinks like this should not be let lose into society. He is clearly a disturbed personality so it's not just about never letting him near an animal again - he should not be let near anything animate unsupervised again - ever.

Hi there What a beautiful dog Angel was. I am sorry you lost her so suddenly but thank you for your lovely story. I havent had any experience like that with my dogs - I wish I had. I miss them so much. My beautiful Lotta and sweet boy Guiness. But an American Indian friend of mine, who had conducted healing ceremonies over Guiness when he was ill, told me Guiness had visited him after he died (this man lived across the road from me and was a "medicine man"). The wierd thing was that Guiness had "told" him something only I knew about (to do with his favourite spot in the garden to sit and chew bones). Guiness' spirit - according to my friend - hung around for a few days after he died to see if I was okay.