Malamum

I'd tell him that there are plenty of people who have smoked all their lives and are "fine" but that's no consolation to the people who have developed emphysema. Same goes with cooked bones - they were just lucky previously. Just because it didn't happen to them it doesn't mean that cooked bones can't splinter and cause issues. It's just an unnecessary risk in my opinion.

I use a car harness which has a D ring on the back. I then feed a leash, clip through the handle so it's secure around the D ring and then clip the end of the leash to one of the anchor points on the floor of the cargo area.

Glad to hear Honey was not injured or too phased by the attack. Good on you for reporting it. I really don't understand why people feel the need to let their dogs roam and wander around off leash. What's the point supposed to be as I'm sure the dogs in question really don't feel like they get some super privilege that our on leash and under control dogs don't get. Are the owners just that dumb and really believe something like that?

RIP Benson

I'm a little late but wanted to offer my condolences for the loss of Cordelia.

I'm not sure why it would be illegal. I sometimes tether our dogs on our front veranda. Admittedly I only do this when we are home and the front door is open so I know exactly what's going on out there at all times but it still blocks access to the front door.

I'm so sorry for your loss Jules.

The sun could be something but they still favour the one the left at night. I actually think it might be because the wall on the left backs onto the lounge room so they may be trying to be closer to us. However the one on the left still seems to be the first choice even when we are not home. They quite like their own space and Indy tends to get narky if he thinks Kira is invading his space. If I put them both in the crates side by side I think I'd just be opening us up to a whole lot of carry on and I also don't think they'd voluntarily lie in them that close together Nope. Thanks for the suggestions. It's not something I'm overly worried about - more just curious.

We have two dogs so therefore two crates. Both crates are the same brand and the same make, however as one dog is a fair bit bigger than the other the crates are a size apart (one large and one extra large). Both crates also have the same bedding and are placed at the same end of the room, just on opposite sides. So with two almost identical options why do my dogs only ever want to go in the one on the left hand side of the room? We will have one dog in a crate and the other lying forlornly on the floor looking neglected rather than get in the other one. The other day we even had Indy growling at Kira telling her to get out so he could get in. The smaller crate used to be on the left so I though maybe they preferred the smaller one. However I swapped them over a week or so ago and they are still preferring the one on the left which is now the larger of the two. Am I inadvertently disobeying one of the canine feng shui rules of crate placement?

Owners of breeds that fail to acknowledge the heritage of their beloved breed, fail to acknowledge the percentage breakdown of personalities attracted to their breed of choice are more likely to make biased comments. Some people do themselves no favours with head in the sand attitudes of what their breed is capable of without correct training, and using their own insular experience with their own dogs to say that people are unjustified to be wary of breeds which they HAVE had exposure too, even if it is just at the dog park. need that like button again... :D

Are you sure it always was in a state of alter? Akitas have prick ears and curled tails, it's just how they are. Doesn't mean that they are a state of alert all the time.

Luckily this is something that I have not had to worry about so I have no idea about what the laws are or what the local process is like. Our dogs don't really bark at all so we have no issue with our own dogs. Our neighbours over the back have a dog can be a bit of a barker but it's a fairly infrequent occurrence and hasn't become nuisance behaviour.

Our gorgeous Malamute girl was free. We weren't looking for a free dog, we just wanted a slightly older dog that would get along with our current one. We offered the person money and they wouldn't take it, they just wanted the dog to go to a good home. I can understand your friend not being able to spend thousands buying a pure breed from a registered breeder and I'm sure there are plenty of nice rescue dogs out there that would be suitable. She may need to alter her criteria slightly though and not be so set on a pure breed GSD or be prepared to wait a while. I would be cautious about people offering free puppies though. Lastly as others have mentioned, does she have plans in place for food, vet care and boarding etc if she is so reliant on her parents? Also, what about when she moves out of home, does she plan to take the dog, is she planning on doing any extensive travel etc? I must admit teenagers getting dogs make me nervous as I'm not sure all of them grasp the concept of a 15 year commitment.

I'm cautious around all dogs. I have two dogs who don't like their personal space invaded by other dogs and they hate being rushed at (regardless of how "friendly" the other dog is). Based on my own experience I would actually be cautious of my own breed and never just assume that a Malamute is friendly with other dogs until proven otherwise. I actually think I'll probably be like this for the rest of my life now and only ever let dogs interact with a proper supervised introduction. No free for alls on my watch. :D

I also took Indy to Gladesville years ago when he needed acupuncture.

He is just adorable. Congratulations.

So adorable. :D

I'm another one who thinks dogs shouldn't be walked off leash and allowed to just walk up to anyone they please. Doesn't mean I think the dog deserves to be stabbed, however dogs should not be allowed to just approach people or other dogs.

I totally agree and was going to say something similar. I'd take breeds and any preconceived ideas of breeds out of the equation for now and just worry about what you both want in a dog and then take it from there. Luckily the OH and I both had similar preferences. We both wanted a large boof-head type breed and his first preference was an Alaskan Malamute which ended up suiting me too.

Our dogs don't have "bedtime" or a specific sleeping routine. They just do whatever they want when it comes to sleeping. Sometimes they sleep in their crates, sometimes just on the kitchen floor and other times outside.

This is my favourite photo too. He is so adorable.

We are the same. The OH and I say it in a very light-hearted way when we are talking to the dogs about the other person. We never ever say it in the presence of anyone but each other though. I never refer to them as kids though. It's generally just P1 and P2 (pest 1 & 2 )

I know the feeling. When we walk at dusk we often see lots of rabbits. The dogs are kept on very short leashes and right by my side as we walk past the bunny hangout.

People always comment on how pretty Kira is. One lady specifically stopped her car the other day to wind her window down and comment on how beautiful she was. Indy's size puts people off I think so we don't often get people approaching us. They just comment on Kira from afar In regards to Indy I ofen hear people talk amongst themselves and comment on his size.

She is not going to get cold. If anything she is probably too hot on her bed and prefers the concrete as it's cool. I bought numerous beds over the years and none of them ever got slept on. If I put the bed in the favourite sleeping spot then it would just get dragged out the way so the tiles could be slept on as per usuual. We've put beds in the dogs crates and they sleep in there in Winter but hardly every in Summer.