seapig

Been looking through the pages and most ppl are against insurance. It seems everyone has had bad experiences. Tragic really, but I think it is prudent to get one because you never know, right? I am researching now, but it would be helpful if people who've had no problems with their insurer can recommend theirs or if you know of people who will, so which one? A friend who's a breeder of champion Retrievers recommended PetPlan. Can anybody else recommend theirs? I am looking at a premium plan. I am also a realist so will expect some initial problems with any insurer. Thanks, Seapig

hi there, i am going to suggest that you be very careful in that dog park. there are way too many dogs in haberfield. i've only ever been there once with my pup. although we were there for only 1hr, the number of yelping, barking and therefore fighting dogs was amazing! i would feel very paranoid to let mine go off the leash for fear of getting bitten. my staffy was bitten in the ear by some dog in our local dog park. the dog was not local but was being looked after by a local. it happens, even in low-traffic parks. vigilance.

definitely remove the leash from your dogs mouth everytime. if the dog rolls, pick him up and stand him up. i did it after a bit of play before dinner in the evening. the treats shouldnt be too much that it becomes a substitute. the tiniest bit is just as tasty as a big bit!

hi, my 6month old staffy used to be sick in the car trips ranging from 5min to 30 min. poor thing. we tried everything, but what we found worked to ease her anxiety and give her security was having her bed in the car. we put it in the back seat and she went straight for it. she falls asleep within a few minutes. this has been a lifesaver. worth a try. we also tried to take her for really short trips - to the milkbar and the local dog park - 3-5 min. unfortunately, some dogs dont ever get over motion sickness. good luck.

We're lucky because our little Staffy took to a leash really quickly. The lady who took us through puppy pre-school told us to get a light lead and train her. If she croc-rolled, I picked her up each time and when she walked on her own - lots of praises. In the beginning, good to let her lead you because her not chewing the leash is already an accomplishment. Perseverance and practice 5-10 minutes each day. You'll be amazed how quickly they get with it. And if you havent got your dog used to a collar, put one on now.

Bones seem like a real good idea - dog EQUALS bones. Mine loves it for sure, BUT everytime we give her bones, she's had an upset tummy everytime. Diarrhea for a week each time, vomitting along with a few chunks of bones with it. So be careful. When we first got her, we bought her a fluffy kong toy and it is still in tact. She just likes squeezing it to make noise and she's a 6-month old Staffy! We've given her the plastic bottles, tug toys, squeaking rubber (non-toxic) ducks, balls and the kong treat dispenser which is awesome. This keeps her entertained for hours! We also put away the chew toys when we're around barr fluffy kong. The others come out to play when we leave her for extended periods.

We are very lucky to have an off-leash park down the road from us. Most dogs are very well socialised. It's usually not the dogs that are the problem, its their owners - they are a clique and if new, you feel odd because they never ask for your name; just the dog's. I found that the owners are extremely snobby towards xbreeds. And they hate white fluffy dogs. The off-leash park gets muddy, dusty etc so not good for little white fluffy things. Certainly not a reason to hate them though. Our little staffy loves going there. She is 6 months old and she is very playful, however the other day a visiting dog - someone was looking after it for her daughter along with two other dogs ours is used to playing with, bit her ears. She yelped of course and I have never seen her walk so fast towards me for comfort, but I thought it was just a scare. When I got home, my shirt and my neck was all bloody after all the hugs. I cant believe the woman didnt tell me mine was bleeding because I carried on talking to her. No wonder why she left shortly after that! Despite this experience - only two weeks ago and has left her with a few scars on her ears (I am hoping the hairs come back), we cannot bear not taking her back. She loves it there. Good luck, make sure yours has been fully vaccinated and always keep an eye out for your dog's safety! 16 weeks and I'd say plus 2 weeks just to make sure she is able to fight all the silent nasties.

I have to admit, I have left my 10 wk old puppy at home for 12hrs and 1 minute. I felt terrible. I have left her for 8hrs before that twice when she was only 8 1/2 weeks. She's a staffy. She has a huge run inside the house which we've covered in newspaper with a lot of toys to chew. We have antique furniture where she's kept and she has not chewed it ever! I hopeful that it will never happen. I feed her breakfast before leaving and taking her to the backyard for a walk. I clean her bowl and put food in it before we leave. When I get home, the food is usually pretty much gone. She is doing her no.1 and 2's in almost the same spot. I say almost because she's started going to an area she never used to visit. Generally, I take her to work everyday, but there will be plenty of times when this wont be possible. She is on the balcony behind me. As she is not fully vaccinated yet, she has to survive with having newspapers on the floor. Until she's good to go outside for a walk, she's not going to become truly toilet trained. I am a responsible pet owner, but as one responder said, we've gotto all go to work! We should't be too quick to judge others.

I took my little staffy to pre-school yesterday. She's 10 weeks old. I had her in my arms and she was shaking in her boots. She did lots of sniffing, lots of playing and barking. Also got squirted with lots of water for barking back at the other yappy pups. She learnt to sit and go rooouuunnnddd. It was her first day! Puppy parties is a great way to socialise them safely as they would be at about the same level vaccination! I am all for it.