RuralPug

We do worry if we are being selfish when it comes to that stage.When they have more bad days than good, that is the time to let them go. My rule is to keep notes on a calendar - if at bedtime I think that dog has had a good or a reasonable day, it's a plus marked on next to their initial. If I think they've had a miserable day, it''s a minus. When they have more minuses than pluses in a week and you can't see any chance for improvement, you know it's time. Sometimes they make up their own minds and let you know, but not always. Hugs to you. It's so hard at this stage.

LIKE. Also some people do NOT have good intentions and these are the ones that often go to great lengths to convince you otherwise, some of the wisest and most thoughtful breeders have been deceived in the past - some of them are giving you the advice now that if the pup is not specifically requested for showing/breeding purposes (in which case you need a mentor relationship) then put it on limited register. Learn from other people's mistakes. Good on you for asking. Also learn to beware kennel blindness - just because a litter is well bred does not automatically mean that every pup in it is show quality. IMO limited register does not mean pet QUALITY it just means pet OWNERSHIP.

**sigh*** another funeral to attend. Off to Adelaide again tomorrow, hope it's not heavy rain all the way over. Will be praying for good weather for the MPWs everywhere this weekend.

A friend of mine in Canada posted this elsewhere and had us all ROFL. So, with her permission I am sharing with DOL...this is so funny because it is true!!! Old dogs learn fine....it's the old owner who is struggling. It's been years since I did any clicker or target training with my dogs and I, foolishly, thought I'd get back into the swing of it with no problems. What I forgot is how much I forget. List of items needed: Target stick, clicker, treat bag, dog and some idea of why I want to do this. So I pulled out all my old training equipment. Guess what? I can no longer manage a target stick AND a clicker AND a treat bag with any efficiency. So I bought a target stick with a clicker on it. Now I'm cooking. Then realized that I need to have the treats broken up in advance AND in my other hand. The secret to clicker training is to reward IMMEDIATELY after the click. I don't do anything immediately these days. There's the necessary cogitating on where I left whatever it is, then the fumbling around to get it out, etc, etc. You get the picture. And while all this fumbling around is going on, time is passing and the dog who has done exactly what I wanted them to is sitting there patiently wondering why this numbskull is juggling objects, patting her pockets frantically and saying things like "Just a minute, Lukie. I'm looking. I know I have a treat here somewhere". Usually at this point I also drop the clicker/target stick (either on the ground or as was the case this morning--on Luke's head which made him afraid of the target stick). Poor old Tank picked up the target/click/treat idea quickly and just as quickly realized that he might as well lie down while the "trainer" fumbles around. God love Tank. He sussed out the fact that the trainer was a weak reed quickly. So he does what's asked, watches for the fumbling, then lies down and waits until Madame Demento Trainer has all her gear and then he gets back into position..... Luke just looks increasingly worried. He knows that somehow all of this ends up with a treat. But he's decided that waiting for the treat is best done about 8 ft away from the "trainer" in case the old coot drops the target stick clicker on him again..... The old dogs learn just fine. It's the old owner who is ready for a nap.

No, I found the snakes later curled up on the back of the TV (warm!) and saw the mouse again this morning. Dear oh dear, JJ, you know what went wrong don't you? Next time let loose a hungry snake...

o lord this thread needs a tissue alert now. I am so sorry this has happened but am so glad for the little one that you have decided that quality of life is more important. I honour you for choosing to end his pain and for dedicating yourself to treat him as a king for his last few days. Many many to you and to him.

Let us know what the dermatologist says, please? Also if you can get pure cotton baby socks (the ones with little lacy ties are ideal) and tie them on his feet he will do less damage with his scratching.

x1 x 2 I do watch RMBs that have a lot of marrow though, those are very rich and I usually remove most of the marrow, except in high growth stages.

I was going to say Tenties, those power leads and monitor leads are pretty much one size fits all, I have heaps here but I see your son has come to the rescue. Are you running XP or Windows 7??? (If you're running Vista, all I can say is poor you!) Hope you get it all sorted soon - if your OS won't launch properly there could be a conflict in your power saving set-up? Check your system date/time too. Best of luck! EF afterthought

I read it as she wanted another breed that would be able to keep up with her current dog, exercise wise, but wouldn't need the working dog-style enrichment they require to be non-destructive (blatant generalisation but border collie, kelpie and Australian Shepherd owners will know exactly what I mean!!) I love the dinkum little Aussies (the terrier, not the US herder) and exercise wise they will keep up, but they need a fair amount of enrichment too. A bored dinkum aussie is a menace to your pot plants and laundry!!!! LOL!!! Also even though they are super tough little buggers I would be a little worried about the size discrepancy given that kelpies and their crosses tend to play very very hard. I wouldn't be letting them run together unsupervised until the terrier was a full-size adult. (trust me, I have an 11 month old kelpie cross here at the moment and she knocks me flying in her happy play!) Also it might ease her burden a little to find out about enrichment toys for her current dog - simple stuff like puzzle food dispensers (a few treats inside an unlidded plastic soft drink bottle work wonders) etc. There been a few threads on those you could search and pass on to her. I am starting to wonder if she is wanting the second dog mostly to keep the first dog busy - she is probably best seeking an adult or young adult and for the first few months at the very least she will have to put more time into the dogs to ensure harmony. It might be a better idea to spend a little extra time on the first dog now before looking for a second? Or I am I misinterpreting here? EF typos

The Big Black Dog syndrome in rescue is very much true. These are always the hardest dogs to place. There are people that believe black dogs are mean-tempered, though personally I have never ever seen any evidence that the colour makes a difference. Personally, the only hassle I have ever found with black dogs is that they are damn near invisible in the dark!

There is only a teensy bit of non-dog stuff in my house and I get to share that with cat!! The real problem to store is the spare dog beds and blankets/towels - they are soooooo bulky. I have been seriously considering getting one of those lawnmower/bicycle outdoor storage boxes for the back deck, just for beds, towels and blankets.

It is a hell of a lot better than I could ever do, but I wouldn't pick it for a GSD - not a show quality one anyway... Something about the proportions of muzzle/ears/skull seems off? I'd give you a great big encouragement award anyway!!!! :D

OK that makes sense, she doesn't want another dog with a high enrichment requirement - I am imagining busy mum with young 'uns left with 2 x destructo dog if they don't get their needs met sort of thing. :D Maybe one of the spaniels then or the dedicated retrieving gundogs? Not one of the multi-purpose gundogs, (Vizlas or Wei for instance seem to need just as much busywork as a herding breed) but something like a Pointer or Setter? One of the larger Spaniels??? Curlycoats might tick the non-shedding box too! Unfortunately all those breeds I've mentioned are not exactly easy to aquire these days...if we totally ignore the shedding bit, then labrador or golden retreiver might suit. Of course most dogs in general, go through a goofy destructo puppy stage which is almost as bad as a bored working dog-type, an adult might work better. Of course the previously mentioned greyhound would probably be ideal and there are plenty of adults available through grey rescue!! ETA - hey, Dalmation might work well here too!

:D I'm not sure why she's looking for a low exercise-needs dog here - wouldn't it make more sense to have one that pretty much matched the exercise and enrichment need of her current dog? That way she could exercise them together (no extra time there)and off lead in a secure yard togther thay might exercise each other a little as well, which may not happen if you have two dogs with widely varying requirements in that area. Can you help me understand why she doesn't want to partner her dog with one of similar activity levels? Maybe if I could grasp the reasoning behind that it would help in figuring out some recommendations.

Champs Dad, that is the very same link that ~Anne~ posted above so you both must be in agreement that it is appropos here!! Maybe you guys are right, we should perhaps ask Troy to consider pinning that thread?

Re-train your brain to look first at which forum it's in before opening it, it's easy to skip that way but you can still see the titles so if they really interest you, then have a look. If you ask Troy to shut it off, I don't think you will see any of the titles...but if that's what you really want, then go for it.

Just adding my gratitude to Julie, Jaxx and the whole team of helpers And for Julie & Jaxx.....much deserved...... :D fifi seconded heartily!

The basic fold out house should be straightforward and velcro strips/dots would help a lot in fastening the movable dolls etc. The hard part, I imagine would be sourcing appropriate sized bowls, leashes etc. Or could you just buy some polly pocket sort of stuff and add that in yourself???? Maybe if you collected all the accessories yourself and then just got a crafty person to do the fold out house and glue on the velcro bits? Just a suggestion...

Oh the visual...Mick in a morning suit driving a forklift, ogling fillies!!!!!

Wow ! Good on you! 24 hours can sometimes make all the difference in a time pressure situation like this.

Kirty, you need to email directly to julie @ mbda.net.au. She is doing a fantastic job bringing together everything in an impossible timeframe, so it does help if you can email her directly rather than wait for her to check this thread.

The Bunnings compost bins are the go for puppy pens - those ones that are four wire panels. Buy two and you can configure them however you like. You might have to order them in.

Pugs are notorious for grain allergies and reacting to starches. Of animal proteins, the fattier ones like chicken and lamb are often the culprits, but once the immune system has become unbalanced, they can react to any protein they have been eating for a while. Given what you have been feeding him and his worsening condition I would remove all grains from his diet immediately. It's elimination time, so start with a single protein (roo or rabbit mince (raw) or canned sardines/mackerel - pick one only) with pureed steamed leafy green vegies and an immune system booster such as Missing Link. I would also add a little powdered kelp just in case his thyroid levels are off. This will do until you have had your consult with the dermatologist. In fact, for the short time until you do see the dermatologist you can omit the booster powder. Meanwhile, the calendula tea wash is very soothing and if you can, keep him off the carpet in case he's reacting to the floor coverings. PM me if you want more information on allergy pugs - there is a lot of experience across the globe, unfortunately.

I should have known there would be a thread on DOL!! DOLer's are great!! Yep, I have been in touch with Julie. I have a 4 berth trailer and a station wagon ready to go on short notice. JJ if you end up taking some fosters it will be nice to be doing a 4-legged animal transport for you instead of a no-legged one! I can deliver these to your door instead of a furtive Macca's car park swap! In case anyone else is dithering I can deliver to Melbourne or anywhere in Western or Central Vic, so email Julie if you can help.