dee lee

Are the ebay ones just as good as the full price ones? Its a huge price difference!

I desperately need something to help with Honey's shedding and I'm told the Furminator is the best- they are pricey though, has anyone bought one cheaply? If so where?

I agree, when I had my staffy x, I had to be really tough on her before she would heed a correction. She had a neck tough as a rhino! The (short and hard) corrections were necessary and not extreme for her. It is only now with my new dog, Honey (a GR) that I can truly appreciate the HUGE range of sensitivity in individual dogs/breeds- I do not need to correct her at all, I can train her using predominantly positive methods. It is not me, it is the different dogs. My current experience has only made me feel more comfortable and justified in the way I had to train my staffy x- which, to someone who did not know us, may have appeared rather harsh.

Oh hon, it must be awful having him so unwell. ;) Hugs to you.

Thanks guys!

I hope this isnt too offtopic but, how did you fix your phobia? My daughter sounds exactly the same (except with our dog) and I want to help her before she gets worse. Any advice?

Thanks JulesP I am loving dog ownership these days, Honey is such a blessing! Dova, I was eyeing off the advance classes and imagining us in them, so I think you may be right.

In the past I havent logistically been able to get to training classes and also, with my past dog being DA, was not comfortable going anywhere where I knew there would be lots of dogs (after today I am glad I didnt try with her!!). However my circumstances have changed and Honey and I are both in need of some training reminders so... I got my butt out of bed this morning and for the first time registered for classes at my local Dog training club! Twas certainly an eye opener- SO many dogs!! So many naughty dogs!! We have to start at the bottom but Honey was such an angel I dont think it will be long before we move up. The gorgeous girl got so many compliments on her fit and svelte figure and sweet and calm nature, I hope it doesnt go to her head (or mine!! ) Looking forward to next week! Just had to share. :D

I say GSP most owner's should in theory know what you mean Thanks! I was going to say that but then thought I'd really look like a fool if he had no idea what I was talking about!! ;) GSPs are my next dog breed for when the kids are older! That or a Viz. Or both...

Sorry, Offtopic but what do you call GSP's in conversation? I saw a beautiful solid liver pup at the park and was talking to his owner and couldn't bring myself to say "I love the liver German Short Haired Pointers"- it was such a mouthful to say!! ;)

Wow there are a lot of "purebred"s on that site!! I have wondered about this kind of thing before- if it works for the DD brigade why not use the same terminology for rescue dogs? I suspect some people might be more likely to buy a (cheaper) Labradoodle or Spoodle from a rescue organisation than a pet shop. For one thing, (and I am not condoning DD puppy farming etc) there will always be people who feel that they cant find exactly what they are after in any one breed. I can understand wanting a lab but not wanting the hair everywhere and also not liking poodles. Why not take advantage of this demand, call the crosses DD names and solve the surplus of lab x poodles etc in pounds?

The LH Weis are stunning! Do they shed like a golden?

Ok, I'll play devils advocate. I have a couple of separate acquaintances who own Manchester terriers. All 3 dogs have DA issues that emerged when they reached maturity, none are allowed offlead as they tend to stalk and attack other dogs, particularly the 2 that live together. According to the owners it is a breed tendency, so yes I would imagine that socialisation would be extremely important. All of these dogs are quite feisty. Just wanted to put that out there as its good to hear the not so good traits too. Forewarned is forearmed and all. They are lovely looking dogs.

This wouldn't be the same mob who are ringing around to anyone with kennels and asking if they'd take in a DA "Boxer cross", is it? T. Oh I wouldnt know about that, T. Thats awful! The gist of the conversation led me to believe these two incidents were not isolated cases and that other organisations are aware (and disapproving of) this is going on. Im not naming names because its just my opinion that this organisation seems to be more intent on saving all dogs than ensuring both dogs and adoptees are suited and/or safe. From personal experience I think its a very bad way to go.

I had a discussion with someone on this exact topic last week. We both knew of dogs that adopted out by a certain rescuer, neither were temp tested and when the dogs had issues crop up this rescuer gave no back-up and reprimanded the adoptees for not wanting to put up with the issues. Disgraceful. It certainly makes it hard for the rescue people who are doing the right thing.

I was using Royal Canin Golden Retriever for my dog but I wasnt happy with her weight on it (she is too active for it i suspect) so decided to try Artemis after reading so many great recommendations. So far so good, but one thing I have noticed is that her breath is a LOT less smelly now!! Before it was pretty bad (yes, her teeth have been checked), but now I barely notice it. It has to be the Artemis, its the only thing that is different. Aside from that I have only been using it for a week so I cant really say if its better or not yet.

Its before as well as after isnt it? I have been told its because it works on the dog's natural oils and water strips this.

Ok, I can no longer ignore Honey's recall issues. Just had to retrieve her from a group of deadbeat drunks drinking in the park. My bad.

Interesting... The biggest issue I have with Honey is recall (mostly she is reliable just not perfectly so) and yep, not only is she also a goldie but she is also a rescue dog. However, I think that I do need to take responsibilty for not dealing with it. Generally speaking she such a pleasure to have around, and after having such a hard time with my last dog I have just been enjoying her. Its nice not to live in permanent bootcamp. I know I am spoiling her (The OH has told me so! .) Even so she is still beautifully behaved. Mostly. I know that were I to get tough and try harder in training her I could fix any niggling bad behaviours. The fact that she is not the sharpest tool in the shed ( ) and is not as responsive to training makes me a little bit lazy too. New years resolution #543- get training!!!

We (ok, my OH ) used to jog with our previous dog- they were both very fit and would jog hard. When we adopted Honey she was a different proposition, she was unfit, a little overweight and it was suspected she had spent most of her life in a backyard. A half hour walk knocked her out. I decided she and I would both get fit by jogging together- at first she did the sad brown eyes but I would just do the little bit of jogging, then some walking over and over for an hour. Its been over a month now and she LOVES it now!! When we go for a jog she trots next to me happily (whether on or offlead). We walk less and less, but the easing in has been great for both of us. Maybe your dog just isnt fit yet?

Thats a bugger Ruth. Hope it heals quickly. Now you have me worried about Honey... Maybe I'll cut back on the fetch - Oh well, I need to do more jogging anyway. :D

Oh you are all SO lucky! My courtyard is TINY! :D Possibly about 12m square max. Our Golden Retriever barely even steps foot in it, she spends all her time inside, even when we go out. However we are lucky enough to live right in the middle of a ring of large offlead parks where I take her for a jog or she chases balls for an hour each morning. Then in the afternoon I take her to a little park around the corner for some ball chasing. She is a very fit and happy dog. Honestly she could live in an apartment, she even refuses to use the courtyard as a toilet!! (That has both its pros and cons )

Choosing is SOOO hard!! I managed to reduce my loooooong list to about 3 "sensible" choices. I wanted a Golden Retriever but felt a pup would not suit my family. A English Springer was an option but OH didnt like them so much. A Finnish Lapphund was on my list but no litters were available when I thought we'd be ready. Then fate stepped in and we were offered a young adult Golden and we now have the perfect dog for us!!

There is a huge range in the caring vs money thing. I found it particularly clear when I called my old vet (who I had long suspected was overcharging me) in tears enquiring about euthanasia and costs. They quoted me $350 for the basic service- I was shocked. It wasnt just the money that I had a problem with, I was prepared to pay whatever it cost in order to be there, but the taking advantage of people in their time of grief. I thought that was truly appalling. To confirm my suspicions, I called up a new local vet who only charged me the cost of the injection ($75), held my hand (I bawled from the moment I walked in) and was so kind throughout. I felt here was someone who really cared about the service he provided. I have since heard other wonderful stories and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone.

Thanks Serket, had a look and it does sound more cost effective, not to mention the raves about it on DOL are very convincing. I will give it a shot.