persephone

That annoys me ..... *thinks back* I deliberately used to call Kieran 'puppy' in public, as he was a 45 kg 36 inch high brindle beast ...and could appear scary to some ..so , he had flowers painted on his collar, and was nicknamed "puppy" we got lots of smiles that way

My brother, "The Boss'. who absolutely abhors the 'fur baby' thing often say to his dogs if they are barking or acting up "Daddy will come out there" ..but NOT because he sees them as his offspring - LOL just because "daddy" is seen as the purveyor of discipline ....

me either ...

Four years of Rottie 'Heaven' ENJOY!

He looks amaazing!! His Dads must be so proud They have done well . You gave him that huge boost of a good start - and they have now given him a home and all the TLC he can ever hope for . What a lovely story .

The cheaper the toy, the faster it will be chewed up . Sadly, the good toys are not cheap, but will last for ages, and are especially made for dogs- not to appeal so much to human aesthetics Don't forget to give your pup lots of brainwork every day as well... then he will need to rest & recover. two or three training sesssions..a long leash walk ..this will help him settle & release tension . here are some links for tough toys. LINK LINK LINK

I heartily agree with this Butchers & supermarkets often sell raw meaty bones/offcuts which are good value , too.

link to graphic video but amazing story . "Jacqueline Durand's face was nearly erased two days before Christmas and one day before her 22nd birthday. It happened when a dog sitting job in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, went terribly wrong. The instant after Durand opened the front door of Justin and Ashley Bishop's home, the dogs were not like the "lovely" dogs that she said she had met once before. The dogs dragged her from the front door to the living room. Lucy, a German Shepard mix, and Bender, a boxer and pitbull mix, pinned her down, tore off her nose, ears, lips and cheeks to the bone. "I thought I was going to die," she told CBS News."

Aah..didn't notice that thanks. Great footage .

the vet may need to do skin scrapings to find out what is happening ... skin problems are usually frustrating. Best of luck.

Well, I had absolutely no idea! Thank you for that very informative read - and the fascinating little bit of film ! Did you notice the brawl(dogs) at the end of the race ?

the remedy will be different, depending on the cause of the skin problem A diagnosis needs to come first . "Skin problems" could be hormonal, allergic reactions, parasitic problems, bacterial or fungal infections.... all with a different way of being treated. Asking a vet would be the best course of action , I think.

We have a working Koolie who regularly gets a phantom pregnancy . We don't "treat it" as such - she has a toy she carries around, sometimes she won't eat for a night when the due date is ..she never usually has a huge milk supply - we just cut her food back, increase exercise and give her lots of bones/chewy things to distract her . She mothers her toy for some time, then one day decides it is "weaned" ...and is back to normal. You may want to discuss things with your vet if it is a problem .

That's a good update

With boots on, swimming will be made difficult as she won't have the flexibility to extend her toes and use the webbing between the toes that is essential in swimming! She may have trouble staying afloat You have the problem that m,any of us WISH we had - short nails! Unless they are bleeding and painful, don't worry. if they are bleeding and painful - restrict her access to the pool area ....

Lucifer was definitely too much dog for sheep work - will do well with Frank

yes!! A walk, and a run in a dog park (shivers) does not constitute "working dog things"

I would recommend these breeds for experienced dedicated owners. they need a lot of brainwork, and a fair bit of physical work , firm boundaries, and consistency. Great start- doing research here is some more reading for you ..and a little video ;) CLICK HERE for link 1 CLICK HERE for link 2 CLICK HERE for video

She is just beautiful I hope you both slept well!

dammit, my eyes are leaking.....

Awww, T , I am sorry, Pickle's passing was such a drama neither of you needed that Vets are only human, and some are not as compassionate as others.

At least she didn't attempt and bungle them....

It would be the same as a car- decent clip-in harness, I would think.

..and when it is unexpected..., just the shock is hard to cope with.

They are such a credit to your love and dedication !