hortfurball

I'll give you a run for your money in the bad owner awards...forget locking the kitten in the fridge, try between the outside door and the security screen! For a few hours! About 12 years ago we had a young kitten - didn't see the little tyke dash in when we shut the back door before going out. When we got home, heard the meowing, checked out all the cupboards in the back rooms, eventually narrowed the sound down to the laundry, looked behind the washing machine, IN the washing machine, half an hour after first hearing the meows we opened the door and she peeled herself off the security screen where she'd been plastered for 3 hours or so. Whoops. Your kelpies are broken. When I asked the vet once years ago how to stop my girl barking at people walking on the OTHER side of the street, he asked "Is she a kelpie? If so just get used to it." Having said that I think mine is broken too...I follow Jan Fennel methods, and the other day I had a couple of guests come over and Ella was barking as usual when someone arrives, so I put her in the bathroom. Technically when they are quiet you are supposed to let them out. She was quiet so I forgot her. For about two hours! JF method fail! Guests were leaving when I suddenly thought "Gees it's quiet, where's the dynamo?" Whoops number two.

Hi Deek, glad to hear you're doing ok bar those moments. (I totally relate!) I also have a second dog who was not coping so well initially, as having Kuges with her is all she's ever known since puppyhood. I am trying to act as normally as possible, not make too much fuss of her or spend a lot of time reassuring her. Clicker training is also something positive and fun. The collie in the link looks like a cutie. How old are your children? It sounds like they won't rehome to a home where there are young children.

Thank you everybody. I'm surprisingly ok. Obviously there's a huge void, and you do stupid things like listening for the clicking of claws on the floorboards down the hallway and going "7.30, time for his pill...oh" (5 years, twice a day - very ingrained habit) but the hardest part was making the decision, trying to objectively assess his condition in that last week while every fibre is saying "too soon, too soon" and the vet visit. I couldn't have kept him any longer, it would have been cruel, so I can't feel too sad for easing his burden. I'll miss him like hell, but the tears are only coming when some little thing sets me off (obviously writing his tribute was one such moment) and if I'm stupid enough to relive, even for a split second, any of that final vet visit in my head. The first 12 hours or so after the vet I had vivid snapshot-like flashbacks and they were devastatingly painful, like physical blows, but thank dog they have stopped. And there were many! He has a number of aunties (ex housemates and good friends of mine who came to love him over the years.) My BFF (the housemate he spent the first three years of his life with) came with us to the vet, along with my new(ish) man, who fell for Kuges in a matter of months. Another 'auntie' came to spend a few hours with us before the vet visit. He was one of those dogs who just seemed to endear himself to all he met with his greeting of "Herro, I wuv you, can I have a pat?" I remember one housemate whispering "Shhh, don't tell Ella but Kuges is my favourite!" An ex boyfriend who was scared of large dogs spent six months with Kuges and went and bought himself a flatcoat a couple of years later, not much smaller than Kuges. When they had playdates, she and Kuges used to do the most amazing body slams but he had the weight advantage and she went rolling! Yes...every 25 days I had to call the vet to order his heart pills. I remember one day when I called, the vet nurse said "OMG, is he STILL with us?" :D No points for tact but thankfully I saw the funny side of it. I had a 12th birthday party for him because I thought it would be his last, a 13th birthday party for him, a 14th birthday party. When he got to 15 I just said "Stuff it, he's going to outlive us all." We had many beautiful stolen years above and beyond all expectations, he defied the odds to stay with me as long as he did. He always did want to please. But I had to make the decision for him, it would have been selfish to keep him any longer. He looked kinda like yours in his last years with the way his face went silver! Almost perfect malamute/husky markings! :D

WEIA, what a stunning and talented boy! Sounds like an absolute character and gem of a dog. Sounds like we went through a similar experience. Hugs to you, I know just how devastating it is! How are you doing? Run free Rocky you gorgeous boy, keep an eye out for my Kuges, you guys should have fun together clowning around.

Caesar'smum, a number of us are going through the same thing, you are not alone! They have such an impact in our lives, and leave a huge hole when they are gone, but all we can do is be strong for them and let them go when it is time, and remember all the joyous memories they have given us over the years and the way they have enriched our lives beyond imagining. Run free gorgeous big fella, keep an eye out for my Kuges, and the other handful of much loved newbies there at the moment and keep each other company until we join you.

Hi Deek, you're among friends here. We all walk this path with you, as our beloved friends walk beside your Max. They'll keep each other company until we join them one day. Run free Max, look out for Kuges the big doofus.

What an adorable goofy face! So sorry Bartok. What lovely, caring owners you were to think of a way to make his last moments special, in the sun and with his ball, and how great of your vet to go above and beyond. Run free Sylvester, Kuges will keep you company.

My heartfelt sympathies RL, just been there myself and know exactly how you feel. :rolleyes: Someone once wrote "It is better to let them go a day too early than a day too late" and it is this thought that gives me comfort. I think we should be proud of ourselves for having the strength to put them before ourselves and not try to be selfish and keep them with us a little longer even though we may want to. Beautiful dogs, all three. Keep an eye out for my Kuges, Zara.

Kuges came to me as a 7 week old pup. A great dane x labrador, he had the softest nature - one day I found him in the back yard with a baby dove cradled between his front feet. It had obviously fallen out of its nest and he had been gently licking the poor thing for a while as it was saturated. He grew up with a rabbit that was initially bigger than he was, but it was only a couple of weeks before he overtook it. He then shared his life and home with a variety of housemates, kittens, puppies, another rabbit, a galah and even a couple of rats. He was gentle with them all, a real sweetheart. He wasn't perfect, but he was perfect to me. A big softie, he loved to please, he absolutely lived to please me. He was never the sharpest tool in the shed, but he always tried his best. He hated being bathed, but as soon as I took him into the bathroom and took his collar off, his ears would droop and he'd step slowly into the bathtub and stand head down, waiting for it to be over. People said I'd be lucky if he made it to 10 because of the breeds that were in him and his size. His heart condition was diagnosed when he was 11 and I was certain I'd only have another 6-18 months with him. I've been emotionally preparing myself to lose him since then, and telling myself to observe and be strong and not let it ever get to the point where I left it too long. Over the next 5 years, he lost condition in his rear end. We had a couple of false alarms over the last couple of years, the most notable when he had a bout of geriatric vestibular syndrome, which once we got over the fright, caused a bit of amusement while he recovered, and a couple of flat days that were probably heart related. But though his body gradually slowed, he was always happy and alert, and liked to follow me around the house and lie at my feet when I stopped. I was delighted when he reached his 16th birthday in December. Over the last few months however, things gradually declined, and in the last week they really got worse. The heart condition was finally depriving him of oxygen and he panted all the time, to the point where it became difficult for him to stop panting long enough to eat. This last week I really noticed he was tired. It was an effort for him to walk, and even just to stand. His back legs weakened, and after a couple of days of him walking slightly crouched, on Friday I made the hardest decision of my life, on Saturday I spoiled my boy rotten and cursed the wasp that stung him on the nose on Friday night and on Sunday I let my boy go, with love, comforting words and half a tissue box full of tears. I know that it was absolutely the right thing to do and exactly the right time. See you over the bridge one day, my beloved baby boy. Kuga 16/12/94 - 20/03/11 always in my heart

It was late when I posted, I forgot about this bit. I agree with the above posts.

Last idiot who let his off leash dog approach us saw me shorten Ella's leash and step between and yelled "It's ok, she's friendly". Should have seen him move when I replied "Mine's not"

Not necessarily. I had two desexed girls who didn't get on. They were fine until the youngest began to mature then it was on for young and old and I had to rehome the youngest as I couldn't keep them together. Like someone else said, I think it depends on the personalities of the dogs. My girl is very pushy, she gets on with some girls and some boys, and other dogs she seems to hate on sight. I did Mysticview's classic trick and picked the pups that came to me for my first two (male and female) and yep, they're both strong dogs. The second girl was a foster that I fell in love with so I never saw her with her littermates.

Perth_girl, I think you've taken their email the wrong way. Firstly, they didn't say you had to pay $100 before they'd talk to you, they merely asked if you'd like to go on the wait list. Your reply "Yes, I'd be willing to go on the wait list and pay a $100 deposit, please tell me more about your pups." But I'm getting ahead of myself here because to be quite honest, their email sounds like a carefully thought out standard response email that they automatically send out in response to any puppy enquiries to weed out the 'tyre kickers'. They have told you what their standard procedure is (the wait list), have volunteered the price and prompted you to contact them directly "If you wish other information, please phone *name and number here*" (The underlying message here is "We prefer to speak to you on the phone") What that says to me, especially in light of the fact that they have pups on the ground is "We don't have the time to trawl through hundreds of emails trying to determine who is genuine and answer all the questions, if you make the effort to pick up the phone, we'll make the effort to tell you whatever you'd like to know" Two different interpretations - just goes to show that the written word is never as clear as we think. If you want your pup, call them.

I don't check this forum very often, have only just seen this. So sorry Horus Thankfully you have such beautiful photographs of your spotty crew... Lucky will always be remembered, even by those like me who never got to meet him.

Also... http://clickerleash.wordpress.com/2009/08/...-reactive-dogs/

Oh wow, what fun for you. I had similar issues but spread over more than one dog. From my experience I'd say try not to dwell too much on it and over analyse everything, you'll do your own head in and your worrying won't help the dog but may escalate matters or make you second guess yourself too much. Deep breath, calm down and deal with it in small steps - sometimes it doesn't help to know all the whys and wherefores (or it is impossible to know for sure) you just have to commit to tackling it long term with a steady plan of action and a multi-pronged approach. It sounds to me like you are doing the right thing in the interim with your 'distract then treat for ignore' approach until you can see the behaviourist. You have been given some good advice on tackling the reactivity, from the behaviourist recommendations through dealing with it in the meantime, so the only other thing that hasn't yet been covered is pain relief. My little girl who had HD used to be fine and friendly with other dogs for the first lap of the park, but snappy on the second lap, so I knew her pain limits and simply took her home after one lap. Learn to read your dog's pain levels, and her reaction to pain escalation, and reduce the pain as best you can. I was managing my girl's HD with Joint Guard (ingredients include Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM) to help lubricate the joints and Cartrophen injections (speak to your vet about this - it is often recommended for dogs with arthritis and joint issues, and is usually given three times per year) as well as the swimming to strengthen the supporting muscles. She also had Rimadyl on the odd occasions in winter or changes in weather when she really struggled to rise so I could tell it was bad. My current dog reactive issues are slightly different to yours (my girl can't be trusted off leash so I keep her on leash and stick to places where it is unlikely other dogs will be off leash and able to approach her and I walk with eagle eyes ready to put my body between her and any approaching off leash dog) but I do sympathise, it was so nice to have a dog I could take to DOL meets for a while there. Now I just go dogless to some of the meets and pat everybody else's dogs. It's not fun having a reactive dog but you just have to find the methods that work best to reduce the likelihood of trouble without compromising the dog's quality of life. My girl simply is NEVER let off leash and only has occasional controlled on leash dog-dog socialisation with dogs that I judge to be outside her trigger range. Not the ideal dog life - no free running, but something that I had to commit to. I have a large yard so she gets her free running there. On the plus side it keeps me fit because I have to walk/jog with her. I also sympathise with the feeling you get when you leave one dog at home and go to leave with the second dog, and you get the 'sad eyes'. My old boy tires about 15 steps from the car so I leave him at home and try not to look at him as Ella and I go out the front door. Good luck, living with a reactive dog isn't as easy and carefree as a non reactive one, but with management, a little compromise and thinking outside the square can be equally rewarding, and the bond between you will be strong as you end up being the dog's main focus.

Thanks everyone, sounds like you're all pretty much on the same page - clam pool for feet and bellies, and air con! Ta for responding.

A friend of mine heard that you should have a swimming pool/water source available during summer for malamutes and huskies to self regulate their body temp, but someone else told him that a wet coat will lock in the heat and 'poach' the dog, so NOT a good thing. Which is correct? Thanks in advance.

Awww, thanks everyone, such nice messages to come home to after work, don't we both just feel so special now. He even got a birthday card! Thanks K9Angel! Well it's sausages and lasagne for dinner for the old boy. Usually I never spoil them with human food but I think this should be an exception!

Thanks everyone. I just lubs my boy to bits and am so happy! Yep, Amypie and Trixie met Kuges when Trixie was about the same size as his head! (she's not much bigger now! ) Whiteshepherdmom, it can happen. Everyone said I'd be lucky if he made it past 10, being a large dog, so I started emotionally preparing myself when he was about 9, and here we are seven years later and still going strong! (well maybe not strong, but not weak either yet) I was saying to a friend of mine the other day, I think Kuges is surviving through willpower and love.

My beloved old boy has surpassed all expectations and is still with me for his 16th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN! Kuges is (best guess) a great dane x lab. He was about 45 kilos for most of his life but is now about 40 kilos. Life expectancy for danes is about 8-10, labs about 12-13 so to still have him with me is just amazing, especially considering when his heart condition was diagnosed 5 years ago they said he had a 50/50 chance of making it through the week until the meds kicked in, and the meds weren't expected to buy him more than a year or two at most as they weren't the fountain of youth and he was already 11 at that point. He's still happy, alert, eating well and mobile, if a little slow, stiff and lazy. Big kisses and hugs to my boy. One of my favourite pics, taken a couple of years ago... and this one from Feb this year... and this one when he was 8 weeks old...

And I'm sorry but I'm so tired of this argument. Just because a puppy buyer doesn't know any better about the right and wrong place to buy their pets (you gotta start somewhere!), doesn't mean their crossbred dog they bought with all the love in the world is going to end up in the pound. Forgive my jaundice but it has been earned. While not every cross bred dog ends up in the pound, neither are all of them bought "with all the love in the world" For a lot of these dogs are reprehensible crosses and by that I mean dogs with conflicting instincts. These pups are then bought by people with very little dog savvy, just good intentions. A recipe for disaster for all concerned. In 1994, I was a person with little dog savvy, just good intentions. I read a book on dog breeds and narrowed it down to a few favourites, looked in the newspaper to see what was around (cos that's where you looked if you wanted a puppy), looked at one litter of cross bred puppies of the breeds I was interested in and then went to a pet shop that had advertised crossbred pups that were on my list, and walked out with Kuga, a supposed mastiff x st bernard who has turned out to be (best guess) great dane x labrador, possibly with something else in the mix too but who knows. Many years later he managed to win a third place ribbon in obedience with our local dog club. He's not perfect, has never had any clue about dog to dog etiquette, with sometimes scary results. The last five years or so has involved approximately $8000 in heart pills, not one penny of which I have begrudged to keep my beloved old man with me while his tail is still wagging. Today is his 16th birthday. Being a bit of a slow learner, in 2001 I decided to get a female to breed him with 'because everybody who met him fell in love with him' and I 'knew that I'd find homes for all of the pups'. I was such a slow learner that I got my second dog from a pet shop as well, supposedly a mastiff x rottweiler who turned out to be more of a kelpie x dobe x ? (possibly staffy?) and when it was clear that no way was she going to get anywhere near his size, I had her speyed for her own safety, and there endeth the dream of Kuga babies. So all of a sudden I had a young hyperactive destructive bitch with working breeds in her that was poles apart from my placid old man. She has proved to be a handful, I love her dearly (she does have her good points, she's belly laughingly funny sometimes and very affectionate) but nobody would willingly take her on - she's been described by a vet as the doggie equivalent of an ADHD child. She has had obedience training but no ribbon to show for it. Have I learned my lesson? Yes and no. I would never buy a puppy from a pet shop again on principle, and I would no longer ever consider breeding. I would like a purebred great dane or two one day but I would rescue a crossbreed if I fell for it because apparently I'm one of those owners who can adapt to suit the dog, within reason. I have one big, dumb, friendly lovable doofus, and one hyperactive, noisy lovable nutcase, and they both live in harmony with each other and with the cats. Sometimes 'people with very little dog savvy, just good intentions', while being a bit slow, can come to the party and respect that the commitment they've made is for life. Of course, a true love of dogs and the ability to fall in love with an individual dog is probably what made all the difference - you don't dump family members at the pound.

I have stalked your Kepala photo threads in the past, and I have to say there are about 30 odd photos that didn't even make it into the running that were AWESOME!! I vaguely remember some from when Echo and Hector were mere babes. Can't remember the exact photos but I remember thinking you guys had some brilliant photographers and very photogenic dogs! Regards, your friendly interstate stalker. Hehe

Hi MM, as Marley's not a large breed, I don't think the large breed rules apply here, so in my opinion 6 months is a perfect age to desex - he's not too young but is still young enough not to have developed any of the behaviours that go with being an entire male. In terms of 'desexing settling a male dog' I think that phrase is open to interpretation. My take is that whoever first said it meant that it will settle the dog's tendency to wander. Entire males are a little led by their hormones and are more likely (not written in stone, just more likely) to be wanderers and escape artists, especially if they can scent a female in season in the area. Desexing will also often help with male-male dog aggression, a desexed dog is less likely to have those issues, so in that sense, you could say "yes, it will settle the dog." Will it change him from a manic young juvenile into an instantaneous well behaved adult? Not a chance! And if his inherent nature is to be slightly nuts, then he will always be slightly nuts. My Ella is 8 going on 2. She's a hyperactive dag (yes I meant dag, not dog) but she's fun. Constantly challenging and not a dog for everybody (to the point of more than likely being non-rehomable, not that I ever would) but I love her to pieces. Training, training and more training will help to settle a dog down to an extent. It has the triple benefit of increasing the obedience factor and helping to create a good canine citizen, giving the dog valuable bonding time with the owner, and exercising both the dog's mind and body. BTW, I spotted you reading the M&M thread so thought I'd stalk you and check out some of your topics, which is how I found this one. Marley's a cutie pie that's for sure, and regarding the skittishness with cars, he may be going through one of his fear periods, someone more in the know can let you know about them or you can do a forum search. I can never remember the ages at which fear periods apply.

Gees Jed, you just put my shit into perspective. I feel ashamed for crumbling over the end of a relationship when you've faced such loss with such incredible fortitude and such a positive outlook and attitude - hats off to you, the ultimate example of how strong a woman really can be. You've always been an inspiration throughout your ordeal but now I need to really heed what you said just then and take it on board...after the effects of this afternoon's copious wine consumption wears off...