percyk

really sorry this happened horrid

we have one dog here he is absolutely mine he is beautiful regal takes my breath away when i wrap my arms around him....i just feel locked in with him....just feeling his heart beating makes me feel...dont know...surreal? somewhere other than here no matter what happens in my life...this boy is my one connection to this life...through thick and thin i love him more than he loves me i give him more than he gives me and thats the beauty of it

hmmm ive never had any conditions placed all my breeders came from the showring thats where i met them so theyre into their dogs but not one has asked much of me at all mind you i do a lot of the talking beforehand tell em i dont want to breed have been buying boys anyway and that i dont want to show but that temp is important thats about it i tell em i train the dogs...and what i have already at home the list you have is a strange one dont get the bit about the groomer or the vet

it is getting colder i dont know but i hate the cold we have three dogs we coat here...and they have coats on tonight...just the polar fleece ones over the weekend one of them wouldnt settle i put an extra blanket on him and he slept right through til 8am then...could be coincidence i dont know maybe im coddling our dogs but i just hate the idea of them struggling to keep warm...maybe i need to read more about this...maybe im doing them harm perhaps someone will enlighten here i dont want my dogs to be toughened up..i want them to be comfortable...bellies full...warm and safe after a good long walk that gives me enormous satisfaction

heres the way i decide what we get for the family it may be a bit different from your list but something here might trigger a thought we like most breeds but avoid the fighting breeds dont want anything fiesty cos we have cats and always have multiples so everyone has to be on the mellow side...we can afford to have one prima donna but thats about it i dont like dog odour and so we pick dogs with the drier type coat i dont like dog hair and find that lots of the short haired/smooth coats shed more and more often i personally like soft coated dogs ...nice to touch so terriers are out for us for the most....the scruffy dogs i wont have a dog with a wet face...the type that has a lot of fur round its mouth...im tired of cleaning that bit and really love the smooth faced breeds wont go for brachy dogs...so all short snouts are off the list now...used to really want a bulldog but wont have anything that has trouble breathing same with dachshunds...wont go for the low lying breeds lol... can live with barking to an extent so watchdogs are ok but id mix it with sighthounds so there isnt a total cacophony every time the doorbell rings love loyal dogs but the aloofness of sighthounds again appeals if you mix some of the breeds ...ie i wouldnt just have sighthounds and i wouldnt just have the more devoted breeds a bit of both to suit the moods of the family wont have a working dog...have to be realistic about its needs but i love the intelligence of these guys been around for a while on this planet so ive tried lots of breeds...used to love spaniels but nice to have something else for a change but i love their look and variety and softness dont so much go for the common breeds either...dont go for vanilla icecream ...dont go for labradors and goldies anymore...but still remember with great fondness the wonderful wonderful nature of goldies and they still elicit a smile when i see a family with one of these fantastic dogs my tastes have changed and i guess with age so have my capabilities so the big boys are out woulda loved to have fitted in a borzoi but i dont know that ill be able to... maybe maybe but have to do what is best for the dog

ours get necks about four times a week as a whole meal i supervise the whole meal never leave them with any bone mine can handle the necks big or small evenour tiniest dog can consume two easily all of our dogs crunch them ...theres no wolfing down i dont know that theyre the best of bones for teeth cleaning though but i dont have big bones around cos of the fear i have with fighting when one of ours used to bury hers in the garden thered be a virtual minefield of trouble if any of the dogs ventured close to the hidden treasures and unfortunately there was always a bone buried ...nothing was ever chewed and just abandoned

yeah it s abit of a toughie here a bit of pride on both sides hey what would i do? let me think and try to be honest..cos it is hard if youre not in the situation the right thing woulld be just to forget it and get onwith it but thats a hard thing to do lol not when someone has been rude to you so id probably do the wrong thing and go look for another butcher...cutting my nose to spite my face but OH would steer me back.....hes a blessed relationship textbook on legs and is always counselling me as to how to do it right lol OH Has learned his lessons on this planet and wont be coming back i on the otherhand am a slow learner and will be back to this planet to start over bugger look go back and keep buying the bones and make sure the old hairyeyed one sees you buying a family roast occasionally be the bigger person go on lol you go first

it bugs some breeders to their marrow some get very indignant if you start poking about in their colour range dont care i like what i like and i havent always got what i really wanted hmmmm i dont think ive ever got exactly what i wanted but yep i like my colours and i like breeds that come in different colours the patchier the better i like the randomness the uniqueness so breeds like vizslas though i like and the rhodesians have got to be married with piebald or a patchy cow so i get something i can truly admire i do like white dogs though so the ice beauty of white shepherds and samoyeds very much appeals to me i like other animals that are white, too but not albinos so i opt for darkeyed white varieties in cavies and birds

intelligence devotion beauty= sheltie then go get yourself a collie rough

Thanks for starting this thread. I have enjoyed reading others' stories.

It was a Saturday, a special one. My 14th birthday. Id wanted a dog, ached for dog. I was sick with the type of longing that only the truly possessed-obsessed can recognise. Suffering a madness born of despair and true hopelessness. "Getover 75% in maths and we will talk about it' Dad had said. My constant but subtle appeals for a puppy had no effect. I might as well have been told to bounce over the moon. Unaided. 75% wasnt a possibility for my mathematically impaired brain. It was a cruel, impossible challenge that set a firm cap on my dreams. And that was it. Dad was a stern but loving figure. Full of fun sometimes, even. Negotiations werent part of the family vocabulary. He was an animal lover but we lived in a flat. No room for a dog. Maybe even against the rules. I didnt care about the whyfores, the wherehows. The result was the same. I was dogless and, in maths, stilluseless. My brother was studying at his desk. I was lying on his narrow bed, contorting my body into a variety of shapes, consumed with a mix of grief and murderous thoughts. Grief at the loss of another opportunity for my Dad to present me with a puppy and evil thoughts of how he should be punished. The garage door creaked itsmiserable announcement: my father had arrived from his Saturday shift at work. Early for my birthday celebrations. I assembled my face into a smile (pointless and dangerous to appear unappreciative on my birthday, I knew that much). Dutifully, I walked to the front door, a panelled affair with opaque glass. I saw the silhouette of my father. An unwelcome sight. I opened the door, called out a greeting and turned away to walk back into my brother's room. Dad called my name. What now, I thought. He wants a kiss. Better give him a kiss. Be nice. It's your birthday. Dressed in his usual navy coveralls, my Dad stood at the door. Back to the light. In the dim light of our loungeroom I could make out a shape. ( My heart is beating faster even now at the memory). A tiny head.Brown, pointy snout. Soft, long ears. A puppy. Numbness. Disbelief. I had,indeed,been bounced over the moon.Unaided. Gently, Dad unclipped his coveralls and with one hand scooped the pup out from its niche. With no hesitation, the puppy trotted straight to me. We had met before. In dreams. I didnt know him to be a tan standard dachshund back then. Because it didnt matter. It still didnt matter. I had a dog. "He wasnt the best of the litter," Dad was saying. "But I grabbed him,anyway. Missed out on the black and tan one I wanted to get you." I was hearing it through a fog. Dazed, I gawped at my puppy. "We'll call him Percy, hey?'"Dad went on. I didnt care. Call him Horatio. Porteous. Mustard Milkshake for all I cared. I was happy, deeply happy. The type of serious 'happy' that is born of true longing, madness and despair. Happy,just to call him M I N E (Thankyou dearest Daddy. Long departed. I hope that I have thanked you for that truly wondrous moment so long ago. My first encounter with deep fulfilment. Miss you both.See you some time. Over the moon.)

if i had a sole dog...id go for a bitch ...probably....cos now we are surrounded by boys and the devotion is incredible but again it depends on the breed doesnt it two bitches id say no weve had three dogs here one time...two bitches and a boy the first bitch was much older...some ten years she was a sweet tolerant matriarch the boy bowed to her and the younger girl supported her til the old bitch really started getting on years and then the boy would start taking her on over food and the younger bitch would take cheap shots at her too the dynamics really changed over the years if i had only two dogs...id get a boy...first and add a girl later in your case..id still get a boy and dont let anyone tell you that they wont fight and that the boy will just not retaliate males and females do fight even desexed ones so it really is luck....selecting the right combo ...but i just think there will be fewer problems with opposite genders

my sil wanted to breed their staffy girl to some other dog in the neighbourhood i just said loudly in front of their son that their could be complications during the birth and they could lose their beloved pet...was it worth the risk the 17 year old son.. my nephew quickly said' 'we are not breeding her mum' and that was it

your situation sounds intolerable so dont feel guilty big boisterous dog round kids is stressful ...full stop you have to do whats right for the fam....it is a pity but thats the way it worked out so hes better off with a young couple with no kids

too much cuteness for her own good! have fun!

lovely to read good news!

ive seen changes in a pup that my friend bought...just a bitzer...greyhound...maybe kelpie cross independent and very dominant in the beginning...growled and fought her the whole time she got some behaviourist advice and followed a routine...but the thing that seemed to change it the most was the NILF i saw a change in the dog myself when he was about 8months...when he started to lie down for his food and not touch it until a signal was given the daily walks on lead seemed to help too...lots of food rewards almost at each step ...he was growing up to be a strong tall dog...very greyhound looking and would pull if he wasnt checked all of the time incredibly the dog which seemed so aloof now cries for her if she stays overnight somewhere...goes round looking for her...sleeps on her bed...and is so much more affectionate still not much of a tail wagger but does enjoy cuddles a lot more the dog is now 2 and a bit i thought their relationship was doomed frankly...that shed made a mistake in getting the pup but it goes to show that training and routines and consistency and time can do wonders still not a perfect dog..he is still wilful and steals at every opportunity despite his perfect manners at dinner ...he is an opportunist in every sense! but he is a lovely dog to look at and she has just adjusted her expectations...hes no lassie or littlest hobo but hes pretty good for a dog that couldve ended up dumped in someones elses hands hang in there...keep giving it your best

hope it is nothing serious glad youre taking her to the vet morning is just too far away in these situations...when you dont know..its better to at least to phone a vet

our cats are ragdolls this time round have had moggies in the past the ragdolls are extremely relaxed...not skittish so they just hold their ground with the dogs some of our dogs are very respectful of the cats but the youngest will chase if the cat moves quickly...eg if the cat is going to be fed in another part of the yard and is eagerly trotting to that area this youngest dog will give chase but thats it inside they all ignore each other sometimes the older ragdoll will initiate play with out lowest in the hierarchy dog but thats not happening as frequently nowadays there is never anything but rough play with that younger dog i mentioned earlier...just goes for the tail ...he is the one dog that will pay attention to random cats on our walks though..so i dont know how the neighbourhood cats would fare if they ran our other dogs pay no mind to cats we meet on the street id hesitate to mind a strange cat...for the sake of the dogs' eyes

how frustrating for you to go through this...glad you have confidence in the vets...thats a big thing hope it all works out well and quickly for you!

i have seen the work of marissa the dog groomer who is on north rocks road north rocks i have friends who go there and say she is very kind and most reasonable and her work looks good she is attached to the back of the vets there..i dont know her number but if you looked up the vet theyd be able to give you her number...her salon is at the back of the vet i think she picks up

i agree we always feel selfish..dont we? OH just bought himself a car hes always wanted ....a boys toy that will sit in the garage on rainy days i thought we should sponsor another child....and said so but in the end..it is his choice...he works hard and doesnt spend much..it is for him just as my purebred expensive dog hobby is for me i also feel guilty not rescuing but in setting up the dog pack i was being careful what breeds to choose for the kids and what would go with what temperament wise i couldnt afford to take the risk of things not working out...and even getting them as puppies can also be a risk...no argument there so...im with all those who vote you buy what you want...maybe donate something to a shelter or adopt later

if i were a novice or even considering a breed ive never had id go and sit in a dog park for while...a few times and definitely got to a dog obedience place...a nice sunday arvo spent or evening class just sit and then talk to owners as for breeds affectionate breeds also include the collie rough...lassie yep theres coat but the loyalty is boundless i think the intelligent dogs are pretty good for novices so id explore the white gsds if you like them the worst thing for a novice is dog aggressive dogs so hard to handle goldies are nice...for sure..lots of shedding though but definitely a good starter dog hungarian vizslas are known to be velcro dogs...have heard only good things from owners but they are gun dogs and some people say they can be hard to train depends on how submissive and biddable the individual pup is i guess the only thing that i dont like about them is they come in just the one colour and i like markings samoyeds are nice dogs...lots of coat tho...but good allrounders...good with people and dogs id avoid staffies of any sort as a beginner tough to train..lovable for sure but very strong and can be stubborn

yep definitely feed separately we have a pack of dogs here and we feed them all together except for one yep there is the occasional growling and i feed them all one by one ...but theyre sitting in a row and if there are any little scraps i just put it down on a plate and they dig in after i make sure they have all had a decent feed would never introduce the other boy though cos theyd be a fight with any of them he is the pack leader even though he is the youngest and he will start a scrap with them over any food there might be left hanging round..like a bit of dry cat food dropped or whatever so we are careful it isnt to draw blood but sounds ferocious and theres no real animosity - we can walk all of them together and they cohabit nicely with bitches it can be hard and really it can be troublesome even if they are years apart all can go smoothly and then with the decline of one, the younger one can try to usurp the throne so to speak have seen that here with other packs we have had best thing is try to monitor and never assume if you think there could be trouble then dont risk it with two such big dogs if theres no blood drawn it is usually ok but if youre up for stitches for any of them then youll know there will be trouble likely in volatile situations such as feeding or with toys around etc...even buried bones can set off a fight be careful we arent all capable of being the cesars of the world who can feed 50 dogs at a time most of us cope with what we have acquired as pretty ordinary skills and many dogs remain beyond the control of the average owner unfortunately so we have to just use our senses and never let our guard down

oh good news! our old dog cocker used to help herself to chocolate ate her way through chocs left under a xmas tree without any effects must be the quality of the choc too...maybe theres not enough real chocolate in the majority of the stuff dark is worse i believe