hortfurball

Bugger! There's never a date when EVERYONE can meet up. Have a great trip!

Just in case you guys don't look in Social events, a christmas do sort of developed, so please try to come if you can, details here: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/228245-perth-dol-christmas-dinner/ Rusky, bummer of a day, I wouldn't worry too much about PJ's, about 10 years ago when Kuges got out early in the morning I was running down the road in my mens flannelette PJs pulling my fluffy bedsocks off as I ran. Two workmen in a ditch grabbed him for me and said "Nice PJs!" laced with sarcasm of course But it gets better! ;) The first time my housemate invited her new boyfriend over she didn't warn me he was coming and I had already changed into my fluffy purple and turquoise cookie monster PJ pants.

This restaurant came up in another thread, and before we knew it, we'd organised a DOL Christmas dinner. So who's in? :D OHs welcome (encouraged even, or mine will feel rather surrounded by mad dog women! ;) ), or a friend in the case of singles. Eat Greek is a restaurant that has a set-price all-you-can-eat buffet, including salads, hot dishes and desserts. They make their own bread rolls and lebanese breads and they are yummy. There's a choice of about ten different salads, a selection of seafood, stuffed vine leaves and other things. When we went the hot foods include moussaka, curry, beef stew, a lamb dish, a couple of types of pasta, kebabs, grilled fish, prawns, calamari, lemon chicken, a few different vegie dishes including mediterranean roast vegies and undoubtably more that I've forgotten. The dessert bar had soft serve icecream with a choice of toppings, cheesecake, apple crumble, chocolate mousse, creme brulee, trifle, a lemon dessert and rice pudding. About 9.30pm they have a display of traditional Greek dancing, complete with plate smashing, and then they invite the diners to join them! It's lots of fun to watch but I haven't been game to join in - two left feet! Date: Saturday 19th November Time: 8pm Cost: Set price buffet $44-90 per head, drinks not included. No separate billing so please bring cash on the night, including extra for drinks. No BYO. Venue: Eat Greek, 110 Riverside Road East Fremantle, http://www.eatgreek.com.au/ Ask for the DOL table Confirmed attendees (will be updated as we go) please advise if bringing someone, thanks Horty and OH RubyStar and Amypie ;) Mirawee ChristineX ncarter Emery That's it, I have now confirmed numbers with the restaurant as they have a waiting list, so looks like 8 of us are going to have an awesome time.

1 mutt (kelpie x dobe x ?) 10 yo female Lost my old boy earlier this year but like Allerzeit, can't bear to remove him from my sig. He was also a mutt (great dane x lab) In the future will be getting a dane for me and a lab for my OH (either black or chocolate) Grew up with a few different dogs, including an English shepherd, a BC x collie and an English cocker spaniel.

Welcome to WA Cresties, sorry you had to leave some of your crew behind. I can imagine how upsetting that must have been. How long have you been here? Ooh really? Damn! I thought about going to the show just to see the dogs but didn't get around to it. Which pup was it? A local or one from the east? Can you remember the prefix? Are they on DOL breed pages? I've been eyeing off a few danes over east as the 'potential parents of my future dane', LOL. I know there aren't that many danes being bred in WA and most are fawns from what I know. I like the blacks and some brindles (the dark chocolatey ones like Kuges was) cos I have to be difficult! This is the boy I like, being shown at the Melbourne Royal. Lapsewood Purple Rain (Coal), he's 10 months old. He was imported from NZ by Rhonda from Underane (who used to have the stunning Underane Barberosa until he sadly passed away too young due to ill health caused by a previous snake bite) and the two oLapsewood siblings I've seen pics of (they are still in NZ) are also drop dead gorgeous. Coal is the first black in the pics. second row - third and fourth pics, third row - first and second pics. Isn't he a honey! Must run, work calls!

Cresties, where is 'back home'? Eastern states or overseas? Fingers crossed for your feline furbabies. A catless catmad woman sounds perfect. Where do you guys all do show/trial/obedience? Sounds like it's all at the same place. Are there great danes showing regularly? I'd love to come and see them shown. I've never been to a dog show.

Rusky, congrats on your new addition, what a cutie! I don't normally look into this thread, but I noticed that there have been no DOL meets mentioned in the social events forum going back as far as February! So I thought I'd come straight to the source! My gosh look at Mason - he's all grown up! And what a stunning boy he grew into...but he has a BROTHER!!! When did that happen? I need to keep in touch more I really have to beg, grovel and plead for a DOL meet so that my man can meet Mason, but be warned, there may be drool involved, he's as nuts for black labs as I am for great danes. I also need to be bowled over, drooled on and have muddy paws on me 'cos it's been a while since the last one and I'm having withdrawals from being sat on by various dogs. There are also heaps of DOL dogs and people that I still haven't met yet...

That's your own fault, you are a victim of your own choices, if you'd chosen one of the others of hundreds of breeds available to you, instead of a derivative of a "bull" breed you wouldn't have this restriction. Your situation is a result of your own choices, stop trying to blame some-one else You have just been extremely rude to someone without actually knowing the most basic facts. For all you knew, her crossbreed was as innocuous as the crossbreeds you have, and yet you declared that she has made a questionable choice and accuse her of throwing the blame? Like you have a clue? And you wonder why people have said that you are deliberately stirring for a reaction. I'm not a 'Pitbull advocate', have never been to an anti BSL rally, nor even usually come to this section of DOL (until recently due to the new Vic legislation), and I was annoyed by your accusatory tone and absolute non-grasp of the situation you were addressing. As Mrs Rusty Bucket pointed out (one of the posts you didn't bother to respond to), you are in EXACTLY the same position as she is regarding your dogs, so if you question her choices, you also question your own. Every finger you point points straight back at you. Best you find out about this new legislation and why it makes us all so nervous before your short haired and muscular kelpie x jack russell or your short haired and muscular ridgie x whippet are placed at risk, which is exactly the point that we are all trying to make, and which seems inexplicably hidden from you. Regarding the unfortunate death of Darla Napora, until someone can explain to me why the female pitbull was 'cowering in the corner', I'm in no position to presume what happened and what caused the attack, and nor is anyone else alive on this planet. The only person who could have told us what really happened is dead, and I'm not about to blame thousands of dogs for what one did, the same as I'm not about to blame thousands of humans because someone murdered someone. If we apply BSL principles to everything, then we should ban all cars, planes, boats, sports. I do believe that on occasion a rogue racehorse jumps the railings and at least once has killed someone so lets get rid of all horses. People kill people so ALL people should be kept in secure enclosures and forbidden from breeding... If you will go so far for 2 pitbull caused deaths, why won't you go so far to stop humans killing humans? Are the victims of humans less important than those killed by dogs? And why dismiss the other victims of dog attacks so easily? You talk as if everyone here is making light of two deaths, while you blithely dismiss all others and talk as if only those two deaths matter. BSL is a stupid lolly and icecream approach that solves nothing, but makes the kids feel better.

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this sad news. One of the truly memorable DOL dogs. Huge hugs to all who will miss his funny faces Run free gorgeous boy

You are years too late. That happened when BSL started.

I would like to know where you have found this information. Please can you back up your assertion with actual statistics (and please don't quote from the latest 'news' which is ONLY listing 'pit bull-type' dog attacks for the last five years and failing to even mention any others in some of the most biased journalism I've seen in recent years) Is it correct for me to say it's a fact that if humans did not exist, that those dogs including the culprit who took the little girl's life couldn't have done the deed if they (humans) didn't exist? So does this mean that the real answer to dog attacks is to get rid of humans? Using your logic it would have a 100% success rate. Is it also a fact that if the owners of this dog had a DIFFERENT individual dog of the SAME breed and type, that it's impossible to prove that an attack would still have occurred with the same outcome? Your questions are worded in such a way as to make certain of an affirmative answer, but they prove nothing. With a couple of small changes, your questions can be completely turned around because your arguments are not based on fact but on word games. I'm surprised the owners of the high drive extensively trained working dogs haven't popped in to put you straight on this one. They are some of the LEAST likely to savagely maul a child to death on command or otherwise. I think you need to do a little research on what their training involves. The type of predatory aggression that the dog you refer to displayed has been shown by individual dogs from a broad cross section of the dog world, from huskies to retrievers to dobermanns to bullmastiffs to ACDs to various completely random crossbreeds, some of which look like bull breeds and some of which don't. Pitbulls and bull breeds don't have the monopoly on aggression, they are, as many others have said, just unfortunate enough to appeal to the sort of lowlifes who ruin a dog. I say bring on legislation to prosecute owners of dogs who attack for manslaughter. If you had to go to jail for your dog's crimes, wouldn't you think twice about how you trained it? Here are some examples of the other side of pitbulls: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383608/Pit-bull-Diamond-saved-girl-burning-house-wins-National-Hero-Dog-Award.html http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/articles/norton.html http://saveabull.com/2008/pitbull-heroes/ http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/articles/dixie.html http://saveabull.com/2010/pitbull-chihuahua-love/ http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/pospress.php http://saveabull.com/2011/pitbull-attacks-baby-kitten/ Don't be put off by the title, this dog has the patience of a saint! (and is incredibly good looking to boot!) WARNING! Graphic photo - Chief gave his life saving his family from a cobra http://insolublevitality.com/735-2/ Plenty more where they came from, just google 'hero pitbull'. Whilst this is good in theory, what if the dog is nervous in strange surroundings and looks fearful, and this is taken as aggression by a council member untrained in interpretation of dog body language? So many things could go wrong with this scenario.

So sorry Benshiva. I looked at his breed profile page, what a lovely boy he was. Too many heart dogs have gone to the bridge this year. Only time can dull the pain. Run free Webster

Same. You may find the bond with the others grows. I know my bond with Ella has. ...and THAT is why we have more than one! Nothing smothers tears better than a dog's fur.

Sheridan, it is my understanding that Rimadyl is only an issue for side effects if given continuously (ie. daily) for a period of time. I spoke at length with my vet about this as they gave me Rimadyl for Kuga's bad days. He was also on Cartrophen injections and Joint Guard. So long as the Rimadyl is no more often than every second day, it is supposed to be ok. Kuga had a Rimadyl tablet on his bad days for eight years. Admittedly he went all summer without them, and most of autumn and spring. I learned to judge when he would have a bad time of it (usually a change of weather would mean a bad day.) I would never give him Rimadyl for more than three consecutive days, and never more than four pills in a single week, and he lived to be 16 and showed no bad effects from taking them.

K9Angel, I have just read this thread through and am in tears for you...serious snuffling nose-blowing tears. I try not to visit the rainbow bridge forum as it upsets me, but on the 20th it was six months since I lost my boy and I was very aware of that date over the last few weeks. So here I am, reading your thread, and just devastated for you to have lost three of your babies so close together, one of them your extra special girl. My heart goes out to you and I hope you can get through this, it sounds like you are still really feeling it a couple of months down the track. Maybe as others have suggested, it might help you to get some grief councelling. You have lost more at once than most of us, and might be in special need of some real help. They are never with us for long enough, we know when we first welcome them into our lives that we are always destined to lose them sooner or later, we just need to find efficient coping mechanisms for that. One way is to try to be thankful for the time we had with them, rather than dwell on the loss, which is inevitable from the start. In your case I would be so thankful that it was quick for her and it sounds like she didn't suffer. She passed in your arms, which is a gift that many doting owners only wish they could have had. I would have hated to have been at work or asleep when my boy went, sometimes in his later years I dreaded going to work 'just in case' - it is just so special to be with them at the end and to be able to hold them and say goodbye. Then after their bodies are gone, finally we must let their spirits go, wrap their memories up treasured, cosy and warm in a little place in our heart but at the same time set our beloved babies free to run joyfully over the bridge and not cling so that they are unrestful. If you need help to do this then please find it. Rest now Gypsy, you were well loved

Lizandel, so sorry for your loss. It seemes like you'll never get through it at first but the pain does dull with time. This is why DOL is so good - you are surrounded here by fellow dog lovers who understand the pain you feel at losing a furry family member. You are not alone. Many of us have gone through what you are now going through, and while it seems like it can never get better, over the next few weeks you will have good days and bad, but eventually you will think of Elly without the intense pain you feel right now. R.I.P. Elly

From Kuga's thread: Sorry I didn't post in your thread earlier HH, I just popped back to the rainbow bridge for the six month anniversary of Kuga's loss and didn't really feel up to posting much. I try not to come here too often because I always end up in tears. Reading about someone else's pain always freshens mine. Your beautiful poem brought tears. To answer what I quoted above, the searing and all-encompassing pain of the first few weeks over the next few months becomes a dull ache that occasionally flares. Like me, you had your girl so long that she was thoroughly entwined into your memories of all the milestones in your life for the last 16+ years. Kuges saw me through pretty much my entire adulthood til now so I didn't know what it was to 'be' without him. It still seems slightly surreal that he's not here. Your pain will gradually ease but you will never forget your girl and what she meant to you for so long, and yes, by 6 months, I can think of my boy without bursting into tears, so presumably will you be able to think of Sally sometimes with joy, sometimes with sadness but without the dreadful pain of the new loss. You are surrounded here by likeminded people who understand the bond you had and the pain you feel at her loss. We know what it is like to lose a family member with fur. To you and any others reading this Run free little Sally

Me too. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story of your wonderful girl Run free Emma

Cheapest Joint Guard for dogs I ever found was online at greyhoundproductsdirect.com.au, if you can't figure out the amount of horse stuff to give. Quite a bit cheaper than anywhere else particularly if you get the larger tub.

Tip 1: I built a wide, low extra step at the back door so that Kuges didn't have to take the big step (for anyone who doesn't have a handy B-I-L to build them ramps) Tip 2: I found that Kuga's back legs slipped backwards when he ate, particularly as his head was down to eat, so I moved his dinner bowl from the tiled laundry and set it up on the raised hearth so that he was standing on a rug and didn't have to lower his head so much to his bowl, which seemed to help his balance. As he worsened, I held the bowl on my knees at his nose level tilted slightly towards him so that he didn't have to put his head down at all. In the final weeks, I encouraged him to stay in a drop position and placed the bowl between his front feet and held it still for him so that it didn't slide away. Tip 3: In all honesty he had very few walks in his last 6 months as he wasn't really up to more than 100m. By the time we got to the park in the car he'd pretty much had his excitement and was ready to go home. Don't feel you have to walk your old dog if they don't seem that keen. Sometimes they'd just rather rest and it doesn't make you a bad owner if you don't walk them regularly at that stage. Tip 4: (for VERY unsteady dogs) When Kuges had a bout of geriatric vestibular syndrome, which meant his balance was way off, I would always walk beside him on the patio, leaning over enough to have one hand by his far side until he got to the grass, where it was softer if he fell. That way, while we were on the paving, if he swayed one way my leg would steady him, and if he swayed the other, my hand would steady him. Kuges stopped lifting his leg too Sheridan. He adapted to something that resembled a slightly stiffer legged version of the puppy squat.

Six months today baby boy. I haven't forgotten you. Your photo still has pride of place on my desktop so I can look into your eyes and bid you goodnight every night as I turn off the computer. Somehow that way I miss you a little less.

More tears - another beautiful tribute for a much loved girl. Hugs to you Dogslife

That brought tears. So sorry Horus that you have lost all three of your spotty ones so close together. Run free Toby, reunited with your four legged besties.

Dogslife, your story brought tears to my eyes, what a gorgeous tribute. I didn't know her whole story before, just that she was much loved. My heart is just breaking for you at the moment with the loss of two of your beautiful girls so close together. Run free Chantie and Nala

Oh no Ozjen I'm so sorry, I've only just seen this! Gizmo was such a gorgeous little man, so many people threatened to tuck him into their backpacks and abscond with him, including me! He was a total poppet and will be sadly missed. Huge hugs to you Ozjen. Run free little Gizzie