Dust Angel

There are several of these threads around. It really depends on where you are wanting to drive. If you are just doing a day trip you can head through Cooma to Adaminaby and up over through Kiandra and towards Tumut. You are still in National Park but there are no park gates or fees. There are several areas you can turn of the road and walk if you like, dogs are not permitted in National Parks but provided you have him on lead we have never had a problem. We have always just used the excuse that we needed to stretch legs. There are no shops or anything past Adaminaby. If you go the other way either towards Thredbo or Perisher most of the time you are in the National Park before you even see snow, there is much more traffic and many more National Park Vehicles. Obviously it all depends on the weather and what month you head up here :D If there is a big dump and you have a 4wd you can take the backroad from behind Canberra (Thowra) into Cooma, we took this road last week to avoid a car accident that had the road shut down and there was still patches of snow around This road can be done with a 2wd most of the time but it can be very muddy, icy and lots of branches down over the road - if there was a dump of snow you would definatley need a 4wd.

Flute would totally have a listhp and talk in very excited child like voice. For some reason Sienna has the voice of Dawn French from the Vicar of Dibly and talks to Flute much like the vicar talks to Alice I have no idea why as Flute is quite smart, but in my head this it is!

I am so very sorry for your loss, rest in peace at the bridge Isabella.

Wow, as a result of this thread i was reminded to send some updated photos of Flute, i hadnt sent some in about six months. The breeder sent me back a delightful reply with a compliment so nice it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you to the OP for making both mine and my breeders day!

Mine get ice cream as an occasional treat and I generally save the last lick or two of the stick :D the only dental problems we have ever encountered are on rescues that come through ;)

This poem was shared recently on my work message boards and i thought that there would be some here that may not have read it and may appreciate and enjoy it as much as i did. Why I became a Police Dog Handler A torch & a radio hang off my belt In winter I freeze, in summer I melt. I’m awake all night, I’m asleep all day, Will I patrol my life away? Ours is to see, and not to be seen, That black & tan shepherd with the handler in green. If you don’t see us, the man or the dog, Rest assured we’re doing our job. Those long conversations where nothing is said, Where he lifts his paw & I pat his head. He gets all the attention, and deservedly so, He’s the most courageous creature I know. He’ll sit, down or stay, or rip off your legs, One word from his handler, and he’ll tear you to shreds. When he brings down a man, his tail will be wagging, Though seldom in anger, more likely just bragging. My big furry playmate, so fearsome & tough, And I’ll never tell you how much is bluff. All that excitement by the light of the moon, We’ve waited for months, it’s all over too soon. This same old patrol is becoming a habit, The only excitement, a cat or a rabbit. From sunburn to frostbite, from mozzies to flies, To the wind in your face and the sun in your eyes. We’ve braved all the elements to make piles of money, The piles I’ve got, and the pay just ain’t funny. So why you may ask do I favour this life, Where I talk more to ‘him’ than I do to the wife. If it isn’t the pay, the perks or conditions, Then what is the reason for this silly rendition? The reason I stay here, and the reason I slog, Is not for the money, but for the love of a dog. So why, you may ask when you quiz, Is the friendship between us so fine, Because the life he lays down will be his, And the life that he saves will be mine. Grant Teeboon - April 1987 (The above poem may be reproduced provided that it is not altered in any way and that Grant Teeboon is clearly acknowledged as the author in all circumstances)

So very very cute, but i have to say all i could think of was Its Fizgig! Much better groomed though I love this thread!

As always i adore your photos! Thank you for sharing. I shall wait patiently for more

Im about 8 hours out of Melbourne... can i still come? Ill bring GSP's

A gorgeous video, i will be sharing on Facebook. Thank you for sharing and it certainly had me in tears and i had to go hug my dogs for a while.

I see you already have a bowl but for the others who are having issues i will put in another vote for the Scoff Stopper Sienna is a bolter and its made a big difference to her. I have another one on order for Flute so she has rocks in her bowl at the moment

I often wonder about dogs taste buds, Flute once ate some hair removal cream ... a whole packet of it. I rang the vet in a panic, he is used to these calls now and when i told him who it was, he asked me "whats Flute eaten now", i told him and he laughed! I asked if it would hurt her and he said he didn't think so. I asked if she was going to go bald and he said id find out in a week or so! No ill effects in the end. Another vote for keeping the camera on stand by for hyperactive whippet zoomies!

Hmm this is True Warlock looks suspiciously light hearted this morning So the vote seems to be unanimous so ill punish the cat, however Zulu doesnt seem to be around so i told Silver id punish him instead.

Me: So guys .... anyone know who might have taken the box of bread mix and spread it all over the carpet whilst i was feeding the horses? Flute: Im pretty sure it was George the JRT Monty: Yup it was George for sure, you'd be amazed at how well that little guy can jump Me: You know im not sure George can jump that high and he has never been able to steal things of the bench before Flute: Then um maybe Sienna or Lunar, oh oh maybe it was Zulu (the cat) Monty: Now you say it im pretty sure it was Zulu Me: Actually you know guys, you two are the ONLY ones that have flour all over their faces Both together: Um er that's cause ... cause we were totally helping clean up the mess, we didn't want ANYONE to get in trouble Flute: On a totally unrelated note, did you know that bread mix and water make glue? This is possibly why i am slowly going crazy! Oh and on a completely different note, Monty the foster is still looking for his forever home .... any takers.... is that Crickets i hear? *sigh* im pretty sure he is here to stay!

I think you would be hard pressed to find someone on this forum who will willingly go in and support a pet shop and by proxy the byb who bred these dogs. If all the puppies find homes quickly and easily then the store will have no hesitations in sourcing and selling similar breeds in the future. Sadly once again its only the dogs that suffer, my only hope is that the puppies end up in a decent rescue before too much damage is done to them, either from a long term stay in a pet shop or due to ignorant owners not familiar with the needs of this type of dog. Damn shame and so heartbreaking.

Ahh yes smart dogs are a menace. Sienna has perfect the art of distraction to work in her favor. Our house is set up so that the lounge room is furthest room from the front door, we rely on the dogs to let us know when someone is here (we live rurally on a property). I sit down to a lovely dinner and Sienna goes running to the door barking and indicating that someone is here, getting all the other dogs involved on the way. I get up to see who is at the door and come back to Sienna licking my plate clean She will do it other times as well, if Flute is getting some one on one cuddles, Sienna will do the bark run to the door thing or pick up a toy and throw it about a bit, bingo Flute jumps up to get involved and Sienna steals the cuddles. Sienna is also a dobber, anytime any of the others is doing something they shouldn't Sen will come and tell us, we are not sure if its to get the other party in trouble or assure us of her innocence! Funniest thing i have ever seen though was from my old Foxie X Banjo when i was a kid. My stepdad a Border Collie (Storm) who had ear troubles, Storm hated the drops though and would hit the deck and crawl for the door. Storm jumps off the couch one day, directly onto Banjo. Banjo has a bit of a snarl, jumps up and dissapears into the study, climbs up onto the chair, then the table and then the bookshelves, grabs Storms drops and brings them out to give to my dad! Id never have believed it if i hadn't seen it. I have found a variety of strange things in my bed, but have yet to find an Orange

Firstly good on you for doing your research upfront! GSP's are amazing dogs,they should come with a warning though, its really hard to stop at one! We have three, they are very smart and can be very challenging. During the puppy stage they can be very destructive if not given enough stimulation! They are a dog that needs to be part of the family, they are not a breed that does well being a back yard pet left to their own devices. Given the appropriate amount of training and exercise they are incredibly loyal and smart dog and a fantastic member of the family. We have three (one is a rescue two we have had from pups) and they are fabulous with cats, horses, kids, babies and well everything except birds. They can be very boisterous and it does take them a while to grow up (I have doubts that one of mine ever will ) but they will entertain you with their antics and they really do have a willingness to please. Exercise twice a day would be perfect for this breed, they also do well at lots of the dog sports available. You should come join the GSP thread in the breed sub forum! Edit to fix embarrassing typo!

This was put on one of my work message boards, i could see Sienna and Flute doing this For those who have never read it, here is a bit of humour for Fri afternoon (and yes, this is a verified and real story!) http://www.webtree.ca/tree/keeper/dogs_in_elk.htm Ok I have copied it here so people can read it a little easier: Anne V - Okay - I know how to take meat away from a dog. How do I take a dog away from meat? This is not, unfortunately, a joke. AmyC - Um, can you give us a few more specifics here? Anne V - They're inside of it. They crawled inside, and now I have a giant incredibly heavy piece of carcass in my yard, with 2 dogs inside of it, and they are NOT getting bored of it and coming out. One of them is snoring. I have company arriving in three hours, and my current plan is to 1. put up a tent over said carcass and 2. hang thousands of fly strips inside it. This has been going on since about 6:40 this morning. AmyC - Oh. My. God. What sort of carcass is big enough to hold a couple of dogs inside? Given the situation, I'm afraid you're not going to be create enough of a diversion to get the dogs out of the carrion, unless they like greeting company as much as they like rolling around in dead stuff. Which seems unlikely. Can you turn a hose on the festivities? Ase Innes-Ker - I'm sorry Anne. I know this is a problem (and it would have driven me crazy), but it is also incredibly funny. Anne V - Elk. Elk are very big this year, because of the rain and good grazing and so forth. They aren't rolling. They are alternately napping and eating. They each have a ribcage. Other dogs are working on them from the outside. It's all way too primal in my yard right now. We tried the hose trick. At someone elses house, which is where they climbed in and began to refuse to come out. Many hours ago. I think that the hose mostly helps keep them cool and dislodges little moist snacks for them. hose failed. My new hope is that if they all continue to eat at this rate, they will be finished before the houseguests arrive. The very urban houseguests. Oh, god - I know it's funny. It's appalling, and funny, and completely entirely representative of life with dogs. Kristen R. - I'm so glad I read this thread, dogless as I am. Dogs in elk. Dogs in elk. Anne V - It's like that childrens book out there - dogs in elk, dogs on elk, dogs around elk, dogs outside elk. And there is some elk inside of, as well as on, each dog at this point. Elizabeth K - Anne, aren't you in Arizona or Nevada? There are elk there? I'm so confused! We definately need to see pics of Gus Pong and Jake in the elk carcass. Anne V - I am in New Mexico, but there are elk in both arizona and nevada, yes. There are elk all over the da*n place. They don't look out very often. If you stand the ribcage on end they scramble to the top and look out, all red. Otherwise, you kinda have to get in there a little bit yourself to really see them. So I think there will not be pictures. CoseyMo - "all red;" I'm not sure the deeper horror of all this was fully borne in upon me till I saw that little phrase. Anne V - Well, you know, the Basenji (that would be Jake) is a desert dog, naturally, and infamous for it's aversion to water. And then, Gus Pong (who is coming to us, live, unamplified and with a terrific reverb which is making me a little dizzy) really doesn't mind water, but hates to be cold. Or soapy. And both of them can really run. Sprints of up to 35 mph have been clocked. So. If ever they come out, catching them and returning them to a condition where they can be considered house pets is not going to be, shall we say, pleasant. CoseyMo - What if you stand the ribcage on end, wait for them to look out, grab them when they do and pull? Anne V - They wedge their toes between the ribs. And scream. We tried that before we brought the elk home from the mountain with dogs inside. Jake nearly took my friends arm off. He's already short a toe, so he cherishes the 15 that remain. Linda Hewitt - Have you thought about calling your friendly vet and paying him to come pick up the dogs, elk and letting the dogs stay at the vets overnight. If anyone would know what to do, it would be your vet. It might cost some money, but it would solve the immediate crisis. Keep us posted. ChristiPeters - Yikes! My sympathy! When I lived in New Mexico, my best friend's dog (the escape artist) was continually bringing home road kill. When there was no road kill convenient, he would visit the neighbor's house. Said neighbor slaughtered his own beef. The dog found all kinds of impossibly gross toys in the neighbor's trash pit. I have always had medium to large dogs. The smallest dog I ever had was a mutt from the SPCA who matured out at just above knee high and about 55 pounds. Our current dog (daughter's choice) is a Pomeranian.A very small Pomeranian. She's 8 months old now and not quite 4 pounds. I'm afraid I'll break her. Lori Shiraishi - Bet you could fit a whole lot of Pomeranians in that there elk carcass! Anne - my condolences on what must be an unbelievable situation! Anne V - I did call my vet. He laughed until he was gagging and breathless. He says a lot of things, which can be summed as *what did you expect?* and *no, there is no such thing as too much elk meat for a dog.* He is planning to stop over and take a look on his way home. Thanks, Lori. I am almost surrendered to the absurdity of it. Lori Shiraishi - "He is planning to stop over and take a look on his way home." So he can fall down laughing in person? Anne V - Basically, yeah. That would be about it. AmyC - No, there is no such thing as too much elk meat for a dog." Oh, sweet lord, Anne. You have my deepest sympathies in this, perhaps the most peculiar of the Gus Pong Adventures. You are truly a woman of superhuman patience. wait -- you carried the carcass down from the mountains with the dogs inside? Anne V - The carcass down from the mountains with the dogs inside? no, well, sort of. My part in the whole thing was to get really stressed about a meeting that I had to go to, and say *yeah, ok, whatever* when it was suggested that the ribcages, since we couldn't get the dogs out of them and the dogs couldn't be left there, be brought to my house. Because, you know - I just thought they would get bored of it sooner or later. But it appears to be later, in the misty uncertain future, that they will get bored. Now, they are still interested. And very loud, one singing, one snoring. Lori Shiraishi - And very loud, one singing, one snoring. wow. I can't even begin to imagine the acoustics involved with singing from the inside of an elk. Anne V - Reverb. lots and lots of reverb. Anne V - I'll tell you the thing that is causing me to lose it again and again, and then I have to go back outside and stay there for a while. After the meeting, I said to my (extraordinary) boss, "look, I've gotta go home for the rest of the day, I think. Jake and Gus Pong are inside some elk ribcages, and my dad is coming tonight, so I've got to get them out somehow." And he said, pale and huge-eyed, "Annie, how did you explain the elk to the clients?" The poor, poor man thought I had the carcasses brought to work with me. For some reason, I find this deeply funny. (weekend pause) Anne V - So what we did was put the ribcages (containing dogs) on tarps and drag them around to the side yard, where I figured they would at least be harder to see, and then opened my bedroom window so that the dogs could let me know when they were ready to be plunged into a de-elking solution and let in the house. Then I went to the airport. Came home, no visible elk, no visible dogs. Peeked around the shrubs, and there they were, still in the elk. By this time, they had gnawed out some little portholes between some of the ribs, and you got the occasional very frightening glimpse of something moving around in there if you watched long enough. After a lot of agonizing, I went to bed. I closed the back door, made sure my window was open, talked to the dogs out of it until I was sure they knew it was open, and then I fell asleep. Sometimes, sleep is a mistake, no matter how tired you are. And especially if you are very very tired, and some of your dogs are outside, inside some elks. Because when you are that tired, you sleep through bumping kind of noises, or you kind of think that it's just the house guests. It was't the house guests. It was my dogs, having an attack of teamwork unprecedented in our domestic history. When I finally woke all the way up, it was to a horrible vision. Somehow, 3 dogs with a combined weight of about 90 pounds, managed to hoist one of the ribcages (the meatier one, of course) up 3 feet to rest on top of the swamp cooler outside the window, and push out the screen. What woke me was Gus Pong, howling in frustration from inside the ribcage, very close to my head, combined with feverish little grunts from Jake, who was standing on the nightstand, bracing himself against the curtains with remarkably bloody little feet. Here are some things I have learned, this Rosh Hashanah weekend: 1. almond milk removes elk blood from curtains and pillowcases, 2. We can all exercise superhuman strength when it comes to getting elk carcasses out of our yard, 3. The sight of elk ribcages hurtling over the fence really frightens the nice deputy sheriff who lives across the street, and 4. the dogs can pop the screens out of the windows, without damaging them, from either side. What I am is really grateful that they didn't actually get the damn thing in the window, which is clearly the direction they were going in. And that the nice deputy didn't arrest me for terrifying her with elk parts before dawn. Imagine waking up with a gnawed elk carcass in your bed, like a real-life "Godfather" with an all-dog cast. There is not enough almond milk in the world to solve an event of that kind.

I actually got sent one of these scams via snail mail last year and then i received one from a "hitman" that was hired to take me out, in a apparent moment of humanity he found he could not do it .... for a price. Of course should i go to the police i would be dead before i arrived (so apparently telepathic as well) Made me feel pretty important! ACMA deal with this type of thing and can only combat it if you forward them on to them Busted Up Cowgirl used to string them along and cost them money by making them call her and actually sending a cheque and if she can manage it two she is out of action now but one of her letters can be found on this LINK - its pretty funny ETA - its not the one of hers i thought it was, but humerous none the less.

I bought Sienna the Scoff Stopper and it works a treat, hers has been in use for about an year and a half and stands up to the rigorous meal time attention of GSP's. Pretty interested in the Kong Wobbler, how is it for durabilty? I reckon my two have staffies beat for destruction Sienna has a treat ball, the super large one, she has it figured out she knows how to open the door and then just rolls it round with her foot until they all fall out

So glad to hear - what a roller coaster ride! Really hope this is the start of a long happy life of friendship for her and Indie! Good advice, however Julz has posted that Inidie has been to the vet several times (a even a couple of differnt vets) and had a battery of tests! ;)

Well im a bit partially to those two GSP's in the middle :D but as usual they are all really great.

Brilliant news - what a roller coaster ride for you guys!

That is AMAZING good news. Im dreading the bad news though

Im so very sorry Teebs, you more then you know for little Tip, he experienced a warm bed, a warm hand and a warm heart before he went, perhaps he thought that was enough for one little pup. I know how much you must be hurting right now and i wish i had words to help. Rest In Peace little Tip. Unlike most days at RainBow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All the recent arrivals were confused and concerned. They had no idea what to think for they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had spent some time waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was happening and began to gather at the pathway leading to the Bridge to watch. They knew this was something special. It wasn't too long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung heavy and low with tail dragging along the ground. The other animals on the pathway...the ones who had been at RainBow Bridge for a while...knew the story of this sad creature immediately. They had seen it happen far too many times. Although it was obvious the animal's heart was leaden and he was totally overcome with emotional pain and hurt, there was no sign of injury or any illness. Unlike the pets waiting at the Bridge, this dog had not been restored to his prime. He was full of neither health nor vigor. He approached slowly and painfully, watching all the pets who were by now watching him. He knew he was out of place here. This was no resting place for him. He felt instinctively that the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But alas, as he came closer to the Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who spoke softly to the old dog and apologized sorrowfully, telling him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their special people could pass over the RainBow Bridge. And he had no special beloved people...not here at the Bridge nor on Earth below. With no place else to turn, the poor elderly dog looked toward the fields before the Bridge. There, in a separate area nearby, he spotted a group of other sad-eyed animals like himself...elderly and infirm. Unlike the pets waiting for their special people, these animals weren't playing, but simply lying on the green grass, forlornly and miserably staring out at the pathway leading to the Bridge. The recent arrival knew he had no choice but to join them. And so, he took his place among them, just watching the pathway and waiting. One of the newest arrivals at the Bridge, who was waiting for his special people, could not understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the pets who had been there for some time to explain it to him. "That poor dog was a rescue, sent to the pound when his owner grew tired of him. They way you see him now, with graying fur and sad, cloudy eyes, was exactly the way he was when he was put into the kennels. He never, ever made it out and passed on only with the love and comfort that the kennel workers could give him as he left his miserable and unloved existence on Earth for good. Because he had no family or special person to give his love, he has nobody to escort him across the Bridge." The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the all-invasive gloom lifted. Coming toward the Bridge could be seen a single figure...a person who, on Earth, had seemed quite ordinary...a person who, just like the elderly dog, had just left Earth forever. This figure turned toward a group of the sad animals and extended outstretched palms. The sweetest sounds they had ever heard echoed gently above them and all were bathed in a pure and golden light. Instantly, each was young and healthy again, just as they had been in the prime of life. From within the gathering of pets waiting for their special people, a group of animals emerged and moved toward the pathway. As they came close to the passing figure, each bowed low and each received a tender pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. Their eyes grew even brighter as the figure softly murmured each name. Then, the newly-restored pets fell into line behind the figure and quietly followed this person to the Bridge, where they all crossed together. The recent arrival who had been watching, was amazed. "What happened?" "That was a rescuer," came the answer. "That person spent a lifetime trying to help pets of all kinds. The ones you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of such unselfish work. They will cross when their families arrive. Those you saw restored were ones who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are permitted to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor pets that couldn't place on Earth across the Rainbow Bridge. You see, all animals are special to them...just as they are special to all animals." "I think I like rescuers," said the recent arrival. "So does God," was the reply. --Author Unknown--