kiwioz

I have a cairn terrier and I only clip him once a year ;) I don't think you are meant to clip them at all if they are being shown, you are meant to strip them like sandra has described. Cal gets nice and shaggy and toasty warm for winter then I chop it all off for summer. He does seem much more comfortable and tears around the place after he gets clipped. Finn is a poodle cross and I clip him every few months, that is more to keep his coat manageable than for the heat though.

Oh hugs to you I worry about this. Cal is turning 13 in Jan so hopefully he still has a few more years in him yet, but Finn is sooo dependent on him I don't know how he'll cope. I think keeping to routine is a great idea but otherwise I'm not much help. Will be interested to see what others say - leaving Finn home alone is the bit i'll worry about too. Are there toys/blankets/objects that comfort her you could leave her with? TV for some background noise? Possibly things that people suggest for a young puppy might be helpful?

Finn is a TV watcher, but with no particular pattern. Often he'll pay no attention whatsoever, then all of a sudden he'll be watching really intently! Both of them sit up and take notice if a dog barks, but Cal never bothers otherwise. Finn looks oh so cute sitting up on the couch, cocking his head to the side :D

Aw, they're only little............surely you could manage them I managed my two...............................just Ahhh but you have a holder and a photographer! Keeping hats on my two, keeping them posing AND taking the photo truly would be a christmas miracle Yours look fantastic though!!! :D Love everyone's photos ;)

I'm thinking of buying Finn a paddling pool :D Both will get treats and chews and I'll probably get Finn another toy (Cal is welcome to play with it but isn't interested - same goes for the pool)

The photos in my new christmas sig were my best effort. No way was I managing both of them in a hat in the same photo Getting these ones was very entertaining!!

My routine is very similar to this. I have varied start times but walk my dogs for a minimum 25 minutes every morning - most of the time it is 40-50 (only on the really early shift do I have to do a short one). We get out of bed and walk straight away, then they potter inside with me while I get ready. I let them out for a quick loo stop as I'm leaving, then they stay inside for about 10 hours. In the evenings they have outside time playing with me, and just hang around with me in the house till bedtime. On the weekends I try and spend as much time with them as possible, but of course I have to go to the shops etc, and every few weeks I'll do a day volunteering at the zoo. Because I work a long way from home, sometimes if I have something on in the evening I can't come home in between. On those days I have a petsitter come for a couple of hours in the middle of the day to give them company, let them go to the toilet etc. This system is working well for me for now, they are happy Very much like my routine! Except mine's missing the volunteering at the zoo part, that would be nice!! Hehe it is good fun! It's quite nice reading that someone else does the same as me, even though I know it works for my dogs I do sometimes wonder if they're ok in for that long etc. But they are happy and healthy I'm working on trying to get a job closer to home too which would make it 8-9 hours and I wouldn't need the petsitter. I have my fingers crossed on a job that would mean I could pop home at lunchtime!! Bindii it is a struggle getting up early sometimes, but I don't have a lot of choice. Finn is up at 6am (or earlier) every day, and whilst it is a pain in the rear end at times (ie. sunday ) it does make me get up and go. It is just so much a part of my routine now that I don't even think twice, and I'd feel far too guilty not walking them as that is what they know and expect now. Only if it is absolutely hosing down do I miss a day.

My routine is very similar to this. I have varied start times but walk my dogs for a minimum 25 minutes every morning - most of the time it is 40-50 (only on the really early shift do I have to do a short one). We get out of bed and walk straight away, then they potter inside with me while I get ready. I let them out for a quick loo stop as I'm leaving, then they stay inside for about 10 hours. In the evenings they have outside time playing with me, and just hang around with me in the house till bedtime. On the weekends I try and spend as much time with them as possible, but of course I have to go to the shops etc, and every few weeks I'll do a day volunteering at the zoo. Because I work a long way from home, sometimes if I have something on in the evening I can't come home in between. On those days I have a petsitter come for a couple of hours in the middle of the day to give them company, let them go to the toilet etc. This system is working well for me for now, they are happy

Same. The owners comment it's only ever on grooming days It happens here! And I have two desexed boys Cal will not leave Finn alone after Finn gets a haircut, but it just lasts for that one day!

:vomit: That's me laughing at the idea of oodles having easy-care coats! Hehe I know cross breeding means they could come out with anything, and maybe some oodles out there do have low maintenance non shedding coats. But Finn's is a bit of a nightmare!! He has the super fine silky hair of a cavalier, which is curly like a poodle. I just look at it and it knots ;) It is absolutely gorgeous mind you, he looks very cute especially when his hair cut is just a little bit grown out, but it is a challenge. I keep it under control by clipping him short every 3 months or so. I don't brush him as much as I should but I try to keep the knots under control. The worst state he gets into is a one or two matts behind his ears or at the top of his tail by the time he gets to the groomer. Buying a Mars Coat King brush has certainly helped. Oh, and he DOES shed!! Cal just sheds hair all over the place, but Finn sheds these black clumps that stick to everything and are really hard to vacuum. Mind you it pretty much stops after he's had it chopped off so keeping him short is certainly the best method. ETA: One positive thing though, he doesn't really smell. Cal gets the typical 'doggy' smell if I leave him too long between baths, but Finn doesn't at all. He get his own slight smell, but it is not doggy and not unpleasant.

Loving this thread!! Here are a few of my faves: Finn as a wee puppy (he is so much bigger than that bowl now!) The two together - Finn idolised his big brother from day one Cal's super cute wee face Finn more recently, in his well loved hoodie I love the shots of them in my sig too. And just for fun, one of my foster greys on a bad day :D Ironically her name was Beauty! She normally lived up to it but not so much here

I'm also not exactly a training expert And my dogs have their fair share of issues. But after reading your post, I realised that they do at least know the house rules and routines well It sounds like yours have good manners, so definitely take that credit where it's due! And thanks for the reminder that I might have done a little bit to get my puppies under control

Hi Kiwioz sorry about the late response haven't been on the computer much. I hope you didn't substain too much damage I have heard from friends that they are still getting lots of aftershocks so no one is getting alot of sleep and the animals are very unsettled. I hope all the pets that have run off find their way safely home and everyone over there stays safe. The aftershocks are settling a lot now which is great, today we haven't had one since 11.40am! My dogs thankfully haven't reacted much at all, though Finn has an ongoing problem related to epilepsy and he has had a number of small 'episodes' since the quake. No damage here I was incredibly lucky! Some friends I know have had to sedate their dogs, but I haven't heard any bad stories of pets being lost, though a lot of cats did disappear for a few days. There have been a few ads and articles about getting animals properly cared for while houses are uninhabitable, hopefully people are thinking of their animals Lana we've been having heaps of aftershocks but that is very normal, the chances of another big one are so miniscule - particularly down here.

Hi ozjen, I didn't see this I've had a thread going in OT. I am about 10 kms from the epicentre of the quake, has been a very strange weekend!! There was an announcement put out by the SPCA earlier this afternoon about stray dogs and cats and what to do - I hope not too many pets have been hurt or lost

Oh I definitely get puppy clucky!! But out of the question for me for quite some time so I just have to deal with it for now Mind you Finn is so puppyish he can usually satiate me (he is nearly 4 )

When I was little I had an imaginary dog He looked just like Toto and was called Scruffy - and now I have my cairn terrier Cal

Well I have a pet shop oodle so I am overqualified to post in this thread I of course don't regret Finn, he is a very very special dog and I love him to bits and could not imagine my life without him. But I do wish I had known what I know now before contributing to the BYB/petshop/puppy farm problem He is not even 4 and has just developed issues in his brain and may be on medication for the rest of his life. He also has skin problems and a coat that is very difficult to manage. Occassionally I spare a thought for his two brothers - I hope they are in loving committed homes who won't be put off if the dogs have suffered similar problems as Finn.

Finn (poodle x) has been mistaken for a PWD before! It is quite flattering when it's that way around!

Finn tells me. Vocally. And extremely loudly :D I have to say I'm getting quite good at understanding him though! I now know the phrases "Hurry up" "Help" "I want to go outside" "Play with me Cal" and most noticeably since going on medication recently, "I'm hungry!" There is also "I want my hoodie on" but I have trouble distinguishing that one from outside and hunger

Yeah, but... She probably did approach the dog incorrectly, I've seen Animates staff do dumb things dogs many times before. But I think the owner needs to take some responsibility too. I've had Animates staff attempt to do dumb things to my dogs before too, but if I thought that there was any chance that my dogs would bite them for being dumb, then my dogs would NOT have been in the store at all. It is the owner's job to know the temperament of their dog and to keep the dog out of situations where it may feel compelled to defend itself. It is also the owner's job to intervene when the dog is looking uncomfortable, and tell the staff to back off. Oh sorry, just saw your second post. I am very unobservant today! Hehe no worries I agree that the owner has to take responsibility. The girl probably did the wrong thing, and I applaud her for standing up and saying that instead of just crying 'vicious dog'. But as you say, an owner should know their own dog.

Love it! I'm such an idiot though I didn't think of putting steps/box etc next to my bed - Cal is starting to have trouble getting up there by myself. He can do it with a running start just not from a stand still

I think this is a valid point, and they say that somewhere in the article I think. That if pitbulls are taken away, people would just find something else instead.

Oh I agree the dog should not have bitten her, I was just pointing out the girl's take on the situation.

My aunt saw this on the news last night and was telling me about it - the girl is taking full responsibility for the incident and admitting she approached the dog incorrectly.

I agree with your above points, and there is a lot (as usual) not to like. But I did think this was better than most, and at least made an attempt to portray the other side of the story. Also to me it didn't read as much like the author was trying to support one side or the other, he gave quotes from both parties in the debate. If a few people read the bits about BSL and take them on board, at least that is something. A lot of articles wouldn't go near BSL with a ten foot pole.