spottychick

Oh that's a shame. Pity they can't keep the idiots out.

Yes that's true kirov! THere's no such thing as "only" a baby when it comes to snakes

Hmmm I've never seen a green snake Sounds lovely! Mine are all tigers and browns. But they really don't want to confront people and dogs etc if they can avoid it. I've had one that I came across when I first moved in, just a metre or so from my back door. A beautiful black snake with a red belly. It was just a couple of feet in front of me before I saw it and stopped dead! My two dogs had run out onto the right side lawn ahead of me and missed seeing it (thank Dog). I called them to me and held their collars and we all stood very still. THe snake looked at us (it was side on) and then moved away very slowly keeping it's eye on us all the way. Frightening but sort of beautiful at the same time - but clear to me the snake did NOT want to attack - he/she just wanted to be left alone. The snake eventually went out the front fence and on it's merry way - but that's why I check carefully now before I let the dogs out this time of year.

Sounds like somewhere I'd like :D Does it have live music? Do Irish musicians busk there? It sounds like that kind of place

THe best fencing for keeping snakes out is colorbond type fencing that is buried in the ground about a foot (so they can't go under it. If you have a small yard and are in a snake area it's worth investing in a proper fence. But if you're like me with a huge block and no budget to colorbond fence the lot then it's a little trickier. I generally just keep the dogs inside during snake mating season (ie now) unless I'm outside with them. I will also check around the yard before I let them out and there's a few places where I can check for snake "tracks" to see if they're around. Mostly they use my place as a shortcut/thoroughfare to the creek behind me and have no reason to hang around my house so I just leave them be. Unfortunately my neighbours will kill them on sight tho.

LOL But it's kinda funny. He was probably drunk and feeling all soft and stupid hahahahahaa Yeah I know he shouldn't approach a working dog in any way but how funny to be charged with kissing a dog

Oh that is so very sad. You must all be so devastated. Poor little guy -

Me too!! We musta both been looking in the wrong place

LOL Too funny. It looks like a nice bed too - or it WAS anyway. I agree that he may not have known it was a bed and thought it was a really big toy for him to play with He looks very comfy sitting on it anyway hee hee

Still got everything crossed over here in Tassie. Sounds encouraging tho

It's the same as the stuff you bath her with. You have to dilute it and put it in a bottle with a nozzle that will let you squeeze it into her ear.

I have become an expert at squeezing the damn things because Pepper seems to keep getting them blocked. I have no idea why - I've never had a dog with this problem before and she also gets bones etc so it shouldn't be a problem. There is a nack to it and you do need to be careful and not squeeze too hard or in the wrong place. Also don't position yourself in the "firing line" LOL You will regret it! There are lots of videos online showing how to do it if you run a google search. I use disposable gloves and put her on a towel and wipe with tissue.

Yes, when it comes to ears you can have several things going on at once. Usually one thing triggers another. The second vet recommending SD food sounds odd to me - but some vets do tend to push their sponsored dog food as a solution (sorry but they do!!). Does she go swimming? If her ears keep getting wet it might be causing it. My dallys have constant problems with their ears which I try to keep under control with malaseb (diluted as per instructions and used as an ear wash) and/or Thornit. It could be allergies - could be a combination of things. WIth my dogs even grass allergies can start it.

awwww don't be so hard on yourself!!!

Yep, they are just trying to survive. Where do these people who "abandon" them THINK they're going to get food from?

Oh dear! I wonder if part of the weight-bearing thing is just related to the loss of so much blood.... I don't know much about it tho. I am keeping him in my thoughts.

What do they mean "the police are still considering whether to lay charges"!!! The man is not only a violent menace, he's a rich man who thinks he has a right to do whatever he likes. His comments clearly show he thinks he is above the law and he has no remorse whatsoever. He should be locked up for a very long time. I'd also love to see his property taken off him but he has a family who need it so I can't really wish for that. As for the man who owned all those dogs - I wonder what sort of conditions they were living in......

Hang in there all of you. What a terrible thing to be going through. And he does look like a lovely boy. I have only just found this thread too but will be popping back to see how he is. Sending my healing thoughts to him too.

Agree with all the above. Plus, another option for healthy treats is apple. I would try a few different "treats" and see what they like. I use celery, carrot, apple, ryvita, cracker biscuits - for both my dogs. My boy dally is being trained and has been under-nourished so he gets the healthiest treats I can come up with. He loves everything I give him. My girl dally is currently on a diet and she THINKS she's being starved. So she is so desperate for food (and this is a dog who used to be totally NOT food oriented) that she will get excited about treats now that she wasn't interested in before. If they are hungry they will eat whatever you give them. But if you are using treats in training as a reward it's better to use high value treats, such as roast chicken/liver/cheese, and like people have said, use them wisely and take them into account when you feed them their regular meals.

And how appalling is it that she just sees it as an amusing anecdote about her hilariously "quirky" life? Ho ho ho So freakin funny - NOT!!!

Well it's not clear that the dog actually attacked - the details are a bit vague to say the least. It sounds like the other dog didn't even have a collar on tho (owner grabbed it "around the neck) and must have acted in an aggressive way of some kind (barking etc) to cause the guide dog to react. The owner of the other dog sounds like a complete moron. I hope they find her but don't blame the dog - the woman was the idiot in this scenario. Poor guy - hope he gets thru this okay.

Some of the comments on those articles are simply beyond comprehension. Suggesting the dog should be put down as a menace and comparing what she did to killing a koala!!!????? Did people suddenly become stupid or have only just noticed it? ETA: I just watched the vid - I'm a little disturbed by the fact that the dog is running around with the snake with the head of the snake still attached. My understanding is that snakes teeth remain venomous and dangerous AFTER they have died. I would never let a dog do that. Pepper actually grabbed a snakes head at a local park the other day and I immediately got her to drop it for that reason. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

but if you feed pumpkin/potatoes - cook them first I put carrots and other fresh veggies in a processor and just make them into a massive pulp and throw that in with the meat.

Nah that wasn't aggression!! He's just playing. If he was being aggressive the cat would be seriously hurt and he wouldn't have stopped when the cat squeaked and you asked him to stop. Sounds like the two of them will get along famously in the long run - your pup is just treating the cat like a fellow pup and doesn't understand yet what he can do with his teeth etc. I wouldn't intefere too much or you could destroy the bond their creating. Of course if it's getting too rough you need to gently teach both of them how not to hurt each other - rather like you would with a couple of overly boisterous but nice kids - but mostly they will sort it out themselves. I'd be more concerned about what the cat can do to the puppy!!!! As for the pink-nose = aggressive people in the park comment - Pah! Bollocks

Oh it's definitely not something to punish him for!! I think all dogs do it for one reason or another. Sometimes they eat grass because they don't feel well. It's a natural response to an upset tummy - I've been told several theories on this - one is that they are trying to rid themselves of something in the tummy by making themselves vomit and another is they're looking for particular nutrients in the vegetation. Either way I have seen my dogs eat grass when they are ill on many occassions. Have you thought about giving him a bit more variety in his diet? Some fresh pulped veggies would be good for example and/or cooked pumpkin (good for their tummies) or sweet potato. He might be having digestion problems so a probiotic could also help. ETA: I should point out my dogs have also been known to eat grass just coz they're bored tho LOL, so it doesn't ALWAYS mean anything is wrong. It's just a good thing to keep in mind.