pawsaroundoz

I have found that almost all the dogs I have ever owned have felt uncomfortable if approached by people obviously drunk...this may be because I do feel a heightened sense of awareness in the same situation though. Connor is really fazed by kids on those scooters that have to be zig zagged to move, he feels unsure about which way to go and if approached by one we simply stand to one side and allow it to go past. annie

with space in the motorhome being somewhat limited I use 2 3.5 kg plastic square shaped containers with secure clip on lids, I only have the 2 Whippets and this system works well for me. Annie

so sorry for you, I have just been down that same path and know how much it hurts, loving thoughts for you and yours... annie

well, Clancy (my 9.5 yr old Whippet) as a puppy 'stole' my then partners newly acquired prosthetic leg, luckily Clancy did not chew it up but he did drag it down the hall way....thus leaving partner 'stranded' in his recliner for the afternoon until I returned from work!

thank you for all the information, it has helped me, Clancy is due back to the vets next week for the 'sign off' on the first leg so I will be able to have a good discussion with surgery nurse and vet. he has put weight down on the other leg again but is still very shaky and wobbly, I have cut back his walks a bit again. Finding the dollars will not be easy but as long as he will be able to still enjoy his life I will...somehow! my boys are my only family. Hopefully the news next week will not be that bad... thanks again folks annie

Hi, My 9.5yr old Whippet had a cruciate ligament op just over 10 weeks ago, from which he appears to be recovering reasonably well although he has had days when he has not been happy at all and has also had spells of shivering, regardless of temp. but I think that op went reasonably well....but last night for no apparent reason he started limping on the other back leg, no accident or injury, but even this am he has been carrying the leg....I am concerned that: 1. This may be having a bad affect on the leg that is still recovering from the op. 2. If I somehow manage to find the 2 thousand dollars + to have the second leg fixed if this too is a cruciate ligament realistically will he have any sort of chance to be able to at least wander around a park ar whatever in a fairly normal way and still enjoy being a Whippet? If anyone has been through all of this could you please give me some info....? Clancy is much loved and I will go the big dollar route if required but I want to know if I do he will have some sort of enjoyable life still.... Thanks Annie

I love the way that my younger boy Connor always ends up sleeping with his head on my shoulder....it's like he just has to be sure that I am always aware he is there for me day and night. With my older boy Clancy I love the way that now as a 9 year old with failing sight he has become so mellow and such a beautiful soul,he has sort of grown into himself. Love them both to bits! Annie

I just love all the games based training in the SG course, they work wonders for my 2 boys, they keep them motivated to be with me and have resulted in me being able to run them, off leash, even when I am in really remote areas (think ginormous cattle stations in NT) without them taking off never to be seen again! When we are play-training though I do watch for any signal that either boy is getting tired or turning off, then it's a quick recall, tons of praise/reward...and clips on. Now that Clancy is going blind I do have to be selective as to where we play train though, nice large open spaces where he will not run into anything are best. We don't trial. Annie

I am 'away' all the time...my Whippets and I live in a motorhome pretty much full time, this year we began house / pet sitting and it working out wonderfully well thus far....I am now 'Auntie Annie' to several more Whippets and an Italian Greyhound as well as 7 cats, 2 Labradors and Lewis! I regualr updates on what all my temporary charges are up to and it is lovely, my 2 Whippets are enjoying it now they have got used to the idea of sharing me some of the time. Having said all that I really don't think I could put my boys in kennels or even have someone look after them in their own home.....I would fret too much, they would be fine. But then it is a bit different for me coz I am on my own so going away on my own without the 'boys' would be a lonely experience. What I am really saying is that it can be done!

HI As long as your motorhome hire company is dog friendly go for it! My 2 Whippets and I live in a motorhome full time, as do many other friends and their humans, and we have very little issues at all! Will pm you with some of the camps I know of in the area. But a heads up, Gt Ocn Rd is not only not very pet friendly, it is not very motorhome friendly either unless you stay in CP's just about all the time, or so I have found. Generally speaking, the less 'iconic' 1st class, well travelled, main stream touristy a place is the more you meet nice people, enjoy un-trendy but really interesting places and the more laid back people are about dogs... Some of my friends have been living on the road for in excess of 10 years with their dogs.... Annie

Where do you live and when do you need a sitter? If you have a driveway that will take a motorhome and if I am not already booked for the period you need a sitter I could probably help, I do house/pet sitting and can supply refrences. Annie

Having now returned to Victoria I have decided to rejoin Dogs Victoria, got all my paperwork together but.....my boys pedigree got wet and has disintegrated.....how do I go about getting a replacement copy? Does anyone know? Thanks Annie

So sorry for your loss Kirislin, thnking of you and Kibah annie and the boys

Clancy and Connor, being Grey Nomad dogs (it's me that qualifies as a GN, not them) are well used to being cafe dogs, they see it as their civic duty to clean up all those unsightly crumbs left under the table or to lay quietly at my side in case I should drop a morsel of something scrumptious, they often talk about these outings with other travelling GN dogs on their blogs....! They were rather taken with the idea of actually going to school to learn all this....they thought it just came natural! annie

Kirislin, the boys and I are thinking of you and Kibah, sending healing thoughts. annie

Connor is usually a good little bed Whippet but every so often he will kick out, luckily I do not have a partner to enquire as to the origin of the bruises in personal places!

Last year after having a slightly sore eye around June that healed up nicely with some ointment, just before Christmas the same eye went from fine to causing a lot of pain and clouding over completely in the space of less than 2 days. Result was the eye had to be removed - no obvious sign of any damage caused from the outside but the inner working were not good at all. This evening I returned home to find same dog with a very sore, weeping remaining eye - obviously he is going to vet tomorrow but I am packing it, scared for my boy and for what is going on....again, no signs of any damage from outside of the eye such as an accident.... If ( and I am really hoping this is not the case) it is something similer and worse case scenario that the other eye has to be removed too.....do people think an 8 yr old Whippet could manage (with much care and attention from me and his Whippet companion)to live a good life without sight or would that just be too cruel for a sight hound? thanks annie

Quite a few clubs I have been involved with have used the red ribbon as a general warning that the dog needs space for a variety of reasons, other club members know what it means but it would need a major publicity campaign to impact on the general population. One danger is that some people may be under the impression that this means they no longer have to be vigilent and take care of their own dogs welfare. As for the poster who made the muzzle comments, not all dogs who need space are uncontrollable biters, try not to be quite so blinkered. My older boy has lost an eye and understandably feels threatened if a dog come up on his blind side, my younger boy was attacked 3 times prior to turning 3 yrs of age, he is very nervous of dogs that race up to him in a really boisterous manner, although he is now learning that most are just wanting to play. annie

I know the problems here, my youngster (soon to be 4 yr old) had been attacked 3 times before he was 3, twice by dogs off leash whilst he was on leash in street situations, twice involving lengthy vet intervention and me donating quite a sizable number of them pesky$$'s to vets next bmw! Connor is slowly getting better, still very scared of dogs his size or larger but now accepts and plays with small dogs....a lot of my fellow motorhomer people have small dogs and Connor takes great delight in 'teaching' them how to play the 'race game' Last Sunday evening we had a bit of a break through as I took both my boys to "WILLY WHIPPETS" a social group of Whippets and their people who meet at Newport, he (vocally) loved it! He told everyone else how much he loved it and had sniffs and plays and 'just hanging out-as blokes do' sessions with all the other Whippets there and along with the others seemed to gain some courage when other larger breeds came into our corner of the park. I am so happy about this and hope that regular Sunday afternoons will make him even more confident with other dogs. annie

Thank Sheridan, did your friend use a specialist travel agent guru or do it all him/her self? annie

I thought The Lab looked maybe a tad too round, but I also thought he was a bit sort of short in neck when one considers the game he would be expected to retrieve he were doing what his breed is designed to do....but yes I have seen fatter ones here and Labs with hardly any neck at all. annie

Thanks Sheridan! Did your friend use a specialist travel guru here or do it all herself/himself? annie

I am planning a trip to uk next year, would love to time it to be able to go to Crufts....anyone know of a travel co. who do that sort of thing or a web site for crufts or uk kennel club so as I can book tickets ? Anyone else going next year? annie

Does anyone here have the web address for Crufts or for the kennel club uk? I am wanting to travel to the uk next year and would like to time my trip with Crufts. annie

When Clancy (Whippet) was a puppy in orer to ensure he had my full attention he would come through my legs from the back and then just stand there peering up at my face.....'well come on pats please', that used to crack me up, started doing it when I came home for lunch and got such a good reaction he does it still (over 7.5 yrs now. When Clancy was joined by Connor (Whippet) Connor watched this move for a bit and decided it was worth doing but he did not get his choreography quite right and he goes front to back, usually as Clancy is coming through the other way! So then I have one rear end to scratch and one head! Now that really cracks me up! annie