dee lee

I got a cheapish slicker brush from PetBarn. Cost me about $15, works a treat. LOVE the look of that Chris Christensen brush Yonjuro posted though!!! Maybe one day...

I agree, it's not a one answer fits all dogs scenario. My previous DA dog would go from growl to lunge nearly every time, I preempted the situation whenever any dog approached. My current sweet tempered dog gets grumpy with inappropriate obnoxious play & I fully back her up. Every time it has been justified. Usually the other dog owner is surprised by her growl & occasional snap, because she really is very sweet & gentle, but generally they are aware their dog annoyed her. I will always intervene by stopping the other dog from coming near, never punish my dog.

My parents have never been the biggest dog lovers, always wondered why I had dogs, would fuss when I brought them with me to visit them. Generally negatively judged me over anything I did regarding the dog- spoilt was the word often said. My sister and her family with 3 young boys are currently living with them & offered (with my parents permission) to look after Honey while I was away o/s for 2 weeks. They have a big enclosed yard and I knew the boys would love the opportunity, so I agreed as I figured the worst that would happen is that Honey would spend 2 weeks outside in the day, because my parents would fuss. Better than a kennel though. By the time I got home, Honey had converted them all!!! :laugh: She had been spoilt rotten- and fed so much that my Dad ( ) went to PetBarn and bought her some more premium food! He did comment on the cost- but as I pointed out, USUALLY it lasts me about 3 months!! :laugh: He raved & raved about what a wonderful dog she is. :D Funnily, now she's at home, Honey has been extremely well behaved- I think she was glad to escape the constant loving!! :laugh: Anyway, now I'm thrilled that I can boast of a family who loves my dog!! (My husband could still do with some improvement though!)

Oh PuddleDuck, I'm so sorry. I am hopeless with explanations like this with young children, some others have made good suggestions though. Just know that your daughter will bounce back pretty quickly. Much quicker than you will, I'm afraid. But time does dull that deep painful sorrow of saying goodbye. Thinking of you. D x

Advocate is a good 3 in one product, I use it monthly for my Goldie. I also keep supplies of Advantix to use additionally whenever we go to a tick prone area. Personally, unless you live in a tick prone area, I wouldn't use Advantix as the only product, as you need to use it every 2 weeks to protect from ticks. Oh and if you have a cat you need to be especially careful with it as the ingredients are toxic to cats.

Considering it's the smaller kids who are the target, it might be an idea to focus on getting your dog in a drop stay for a meet & greet, not a sit. Lower to the ground is less frightening for little kids (at their level) & it's harder for your dog to move away from the drop. My dog is older & quite calm, but I find doing this stops the littlies running away screaming, which is what is so enticing to young dogs.

Honestly, it sounds like you would be the ideal home for any breed! But since youve mentioned them & are asking for advice... You can't beat a Goldie as a family dog with young kids, in my opinion. :D My GR has the most divine temperament, sweet as they come (not called Honey for nothing :laugh: ), adores everyone, is a total sook. Yet puts on the big guard dog voice when anyone comes to the door. Exercise wise, she is very fit- runs several times a week with me, but she would love to be a bit lazier. Grooming wise, she's been so easy since I started using the right brush- once a week & she's done. Not destructive, aside from the odd texta or Barbie doll (human training required there. Extremely gentle with young children- especially those bearing food. :laugh: Seriously, such an easy dog to live with- & all the many GRs I've met are pretty similar.

That's great news! Very interesting about both the corn silk & sweet potato.

Provide the address to the paper & invite them to take a photo of the house.

I live in innercity sydney & the trendy dogs at the moment are dachshunds. Frenchies are so 2012. :laugh: Increasingly I'm seeing Berners, maybe they'll be the next "It" dog? The rest are the usual posh dog mix (as my friend says :laugh: ) of Retrievers (all types), Viszlas, 'oodles, Great Danes, plus the ubiquitous Staffys, a few Border collies & kelpies & a bunch of random unusual breeds.

Me too! :laugh:

Yes- & confirm the conditions are acceptable BEFORE moving in!! :) This is a lesson to not sign anything you feel uncomfortable about. Leases are legally binding contracts.

There is nothing in the contract about the dogs not being inside - do the landlord is breaking the agreement, not the tenant. In Vic it is illegal for a landlord not to allow pets inside unless it is specifically outlined in the contract. It is specifically outlined in the agreement that they're not allowed inside the unit. We're lucky to have the garage that I can use as a cuddle area There's the answer. It's really unfortunate that you found out after the move though. If you moved out early, then as I said before, the terms of the lease would be broken and you would still have to pay the rent until a new tenant, approved by the landlord takes over. At least you have that cuddle area to be with your pups which is a good thing. I know it's hard, and others in this post have said to sneak them in, but if I were you, I'd be careful. You don't want to be caught out, especially when someone the landlord knows looking over y our shoulder. Twodoggies is right. Legally you don't have a leg to stand on. You should not have signed the lease if you didn't agree to the conditions. Now you are bound by them & thats exactly what the tribunal will say. With the owner's friends living upstairs, I'd resist the urge to bring the dogs in, you will get caught & then could be evicted and/or lose your bond. Legally.

Lol, this is getting to be a confusing thread for me. (Disclaimer- I have no connection with Lagotto breeders!)

I think it sounds like you've decided on a Lagotto! :laugh: Just my 2 cents worth re exercise, if you can commit to about an hour every day plus daily training, most breeds would cope with that when they are young. Personally, I've regretted being put off certain breeds because people insisted they needed unreasonable amounts of exercise. In hindsight, I would have been fine with a higher energy dog. How the dog interacts with your family is more important, in my opinion. I believe that if you are a motivated & active, you just make it work, whatever it takes. If it means an extra walk when you get home, well I reckon we could all benefit from that, couldn't we? :laugh: I daily see elderly people walking Border Collies, Vizslas, Tollers etc. Somehow they manage, I reckon a committed young family would have no problem. :)

I'll second the Keeshond- definitely worth investigating. I had one when I was a teenager & happy go lucky definitely is an apt description. They are such great family dogs, robust & fun loving & just made for cuddling! They are like happy little bears. :D Their fur does need a good brush through once or twice a week, but they don't shed a lot (unlike my Golden Retriever ).

And maybe arrange a meeting between the dogs, on neutral ground initially, to gauge reaction.

I have wondered the same about my 7 year old GR. We have run together for years but she has started to lag behind in the last year. Like Dogmad says, I just watch her & adjust our exercise according to her. I've stopped running her longer distances two days in a row. I find the temperature makes a difference too. Now that it's cooler, she seems better able to keep up.

If you are interested in adult rescue dogs, just inform the rescue org that you'd like a cat compatible dog. The foster carers will be aware of which of their dogs would work. Its also, as someone else said, dependant on the personality of the cat. Before we adopted our Goldie from GR rescue, the carer mentioned that she was concerned that, whilst she felt Honey was perfect for us in all other areas, she was concerned might chase our cat if she ran. Knowing our cat, I wasn't too concerned - she's a very tough character with lots of street savvy. Sure enough, after the initial interest from the dog & lots of disgusted glares and paw swipes from the cat, a hierarchy was established. Jaz the cat firmly on top. :laugh: Poor Honey has been booted out of her big bed by a 3 kg bully more times than I can count. :laugh:

You may find that something has happened before but no-one has reported it. When my dog was attacked a while back, I asked a number of locals if they'd had issues with the dog. Several had, but NONE had reported it. I then suggested they call the council, but was told by the ranger that no-one did. I hope your neighbours are different. One thing I did learn from my experience though, was to call the council EVERY time I saw the dog roaming. Eventually they were able to fine the owner & slap a nuisance order on the dog. Squeaky wheel & all that.

HW, did you tell the ranger what Melzawelza said? I'm wondering how he can justifying essentially ignoring what these dogs did. I would suggest contacting, by email (for an official record), the head ranger and also the Gosford Mayor with a full and detailed description of the incident. Outlining the legalities that Mel posted earlier. Insist on action, throw the mother of all tanties if they don't follow through. Don't let this woman get off Scott free! Then contact your local papers, I'm guessing they'll love a story like yours.

Oh what a shitty end to a shitty situation. I'm so sorry for all your trauma, HW! I hope Maddy makes a full recovery & that the owner gets a bad dose of karma.

Each breed type has known characteristics, there are ranges of personality, and no doubt training can compensate for some undesirable traits, but personally, I'd choose the known characteristics that suit you & go from there. Some breeds are more head strong, some more biddable, others have high energy needs etc. Match that to your requirements, then allow for a range of personality. But of all traits, if you got a known aloof breed & your dog was aloof, I'd doubt you could do much about it.

A BIG yay!!!!

Well, so that was Gary I saw up at kings cross on Saturday night. :laugh: Honestly what a silly thing to do.