MadWoofter

Oh Boronia, not Mac too. Your heartbreak must be unimaginable. Sending strength & hugs to you

Thanks for the tips. He had a thorough vet check just a few weeks ago including all the kidney & level markers and everything was OK. He's due back late next week for a follow-up so I'll bring it up with the vet then in case anything has changed in the last few weeks. I think the bolded bit from Trifecta hits most of it on the head, but I will definitely not be ignoring raising it with the vet as well. I just need to be a bit more vigilant in taking him out more often

Fleming is now an old dog Apart from the general health issues age brings (which are being managed), I've noticed that he is forgetting the cues he usually gives me to let me know that he wants to go out to toilet. Last night he weed in the back room even though the back door was open for him to go into the yard (his sight is going so maybe he didn't realise it was open). I am re-starting basic toilet training, so taking him out when he wakes and after he's eaten. Is there any way I can help him remember the cues he used to give me? (ie he'd go to the back door and bark to be let out was the main one). Any other suggestions? Something else which may be not helping is that he is inside all day when I'm at work, and he doesn't hold on to toilet as long as he used to. He has access to the back room and I don't have an issue with him weeing in that room (the floors are rubbish anyway), so I am quite prepared to deal with wee when I leave him inside for long periods of time. It is cleaned up as soon as I come home, or as soon as I find an accident with floor wash, vinegar and nil-odour. Maybe weeing here is becoming a habit? (it's only been going on for a few weeks). Is there anything else I can add (or remove from) the floor wash to get rid of the smell?

I was there on the Saturday and had a great day. I even recommended it to a few people who also went and loved it :) Tried to stop Huski but you were surrounded :D If I'd known there were DOLers on stands I would have stopped properly to say hello. I definitely stopped at the Dobes but it was pretty busy so I just got a quick pat in. I did spend quite a bit of time with the Wolfies, Rotties and the Bullmastiffs :D Fleming has lots of lovely samples of kibble to try (I mix small amounts in with his 'normal' food for a treat), and some treats as well. Funnily enough the cat likes the treats better than he does ! Although that might be more that she thinks she's missing out rather than actually liking them

Thank you ???? He is such a joy

And another one :)

My boy Fleming. Truly a DOL dog, his rescue was organised by a DOL Breeder, he went to a DOLer's rescue and to me as foster carer. He never left :D Not exactly sure of his age, but he's around 14. He suffered a bit this winter with arthritis which is being managed, but apart from that he is in fantastic health.

So sorry to hear this Anne. Hugs to you. RIP Olivia

So sorry for your loss, I remember your posts when he first arrived. What a fabulous few years he has had with you. RIP Benny

Every year during June Sydney puts on the Vivid Festival of Light. It was a beautiful mild evening yesterday so I took my new phone (with a decent camera) out to see the sights. I thought some of you might like to see some photos They're a bit small sorry, I had to resize them maybe I went a bit to far !!

So sorry for your loss. Those heartfelt words are beautiful. Big hugs to you

Sending big hugs to you all Huga. It's such a hard decision to make, and the ache doesn't go for a very long time, but as others have said letting her go now is the right thing to do. I hope Sid recovers soon, if it's any consolation Fleming really suffered when Tess went, and wouldn't even eat, but the worst of it only lasted a few days then he gradually perked up. RIP Lola, may you find many sunny patches over the bridge.

I've been on hols for a fortnight and missed so much. Happy belated Birthday beautiful boy :birthday:

What a dear little girl and such a happy face !! I agree, ignore Perse and post more pics please :)

Sending hugs to you NAO. RIP Ziggy

I got a couple of foam single mattresses from gumtree / freecycle when Tess was in need of them. Didn't cost me anything except a cheapy doona cover from Kmart to cover them in. Might be an option too look at.

Oh my dawd, they are just so gorgeous ! As someone who has never been around tiny puppies and only see photos here, I often find that as cute as they are I generally can't tell what breed they are, but in some of these pics they look like little rotties already.

They are just scrumptious !! Congrats to you & Seven. Looking forward to seeing more pictures :)

Fleming loves the water and doesn't care if it's ocean, creek or muddy puddle. He & Tess used to have a great time when we went to the beach - she'd chase a toy, and Fleming would chase her !! Until he tired out then he's just wallow in the shallows :) We haven't been to the beach for ages, the good (ish) dog one near me is no longer, but here's an old one....

So sorry for you loss Eza. I love her cross-legged pose

Well you're all a pack of enablers, that's all I can say :laugh: He always gets squeaky balls from the $2 shop (which he destroys in seconds) but he gets those pretty well every week, so now he's getting an extra special present - a cool mat is on it's way for my old boy.

Nothing to add, just hope the boy is getting better and better.

Oh wow, what a milestone !! Happy Birthday Penny

Sending hugs to you WM. It is such a tough decision to make, but I know that when I made it with Tess (and I literally only had a few hours to make it in) there was a bit of relief that came with the decision and some peace. There will probably also be feelings of guilt (I left it too long, to I did it too early), so be prepared for those. One thing I went through a few weeks after Tess passed, which caused me huge problems with guilt, was the feeling of weight being lifted from my shoulders. As they get progressively worse you just get on with the small changes you make to your life, but when they're gone it's like this massive relief. I could sleep through the night, I wasn't coming home from work worried about how she would be, I wasn't having to clean up the messes every day, and having that huge amount of stress removed from my life was wonderful, which then made me sad and guilty about how wonderful it was not to have to deal with all of that, even though I was missing her desperately. Take care of yourself. I agree with keeping the other dogs away, but be prepared for them to grieve in their own way as well. Gentle hugs to Mac from me. Tess will be looking out for him

One of the benefits of having an older dog and not needing as much exercise. I leave between 7 and 8 and get home anywhere from 5.30 to 7.30. Fleming goes out every morning with me for 10 minutes for a sniff & a widdle (literally just the little section of 3-4 houses between mine), then of an evening we go for a walk around the block. About twice a week the evening walk is extended to either a longer walk, or a short walk and 15 minutes off-leash in the park. Now it's daylight savings we do the short walk & park a lot more often, and the longer walk when it's dark. On weekends he gets a longer play in the park, and every couple of weeks we go for a drive to a big dog park where I meet a friend and we walk and stop for coffee. We're out for well over an hour and he sleeps all weekend after that ! I also 'play' with him every evening - throwing toys, playing tug, hiding toys and getting him to find them. I'll do this over the course of the evening so he may not be getting much 'exercise' but he's getting brain activity.