RiverStar-Aura

I guess like dogs of any group there are quite different personalities. We've only really had Aussie Terriers and Poochie was as laid back as anything when it came to cats, birds, chickens etc. but put her with mice or lizards and she'd turn on her terrier ratting instincts. She wasn't fussed over rabbits either; in fact, my family found one on the vacant block next to us, put it in a box ready to take to the vet and Poochie chewed through the box and helped it escape. Kirah on the other hand, if it moves, she'll chase and want to eat it. Wild birds, mice, lizards, cats ... She'll chase anything and eat it. Regarding terriers being yappy dogs, I haven't found that to be true. Sure, a lot of them can be yappy, but if they're properly stimulated, again like any dog, barking shouldn't be a problem. Kirah does have a tendency to bark a bit more than Poochie did, but she's not as laid back as Poochie was and stays more alert.

I've been here since '07 and have witnessed some truly amazing things and some truly sad things. I remember being a new member still when DOL lost an inspired woman. I sadly can't remember her username but her passing left a whole in the hearts of many. I've seen the amazing results PACERS was able to achieve and I've also witnessed some person to person nastiness. The good far outweighs it though. I'm thankful to DOL to being amongst the top 5 pages listed on google searches and I'm grateful people are stoping in to ask for advice.

My thoughts are with you guys and Astro. Hoping like hell he pulls through!

I guess the first thing, I would've observed the owner being OUTSIDE the dog park fence then turned around and left. By ignoring his dog, the cattle owner was being irresponsible and was just begging for problems. You need to learn to start assessing situations before they occur in order to protect your pup; it will come with time and experience. Dog owners who leave their dogs unsupervised in parks need to be avoided, as with those who are standing at one end of a park whilst their dog is up the other end. Regarding the two dogs who later rushed Vinnie, don't be shy in protecting him. If turning around quickly and escaping isn't an option sometimes aiming kicks or stomping the ground are other options. Has Vinnie finished his course of puppy vacs? I would've thought that 11 weeks is still too young to be out at dog parks.

My two are hilarious with the TV. Zeus loves watching regardless of what's on, but Kirah's mostly interested in animals (especially birds and insects -- she's a terrier!). I once tuned into David Attenborough and he was talking about sea birds and Kirah wanted to eat them. Both of mine also recognise photos of dogs -- Zeus once barked at the photo of a German Shep on a box for a doggy door when I took him into Pet Barn. Kirah recognises the cartoon dog face on their signs and barks at them -- she also loves to snap at the fish in our tanks, but Zeus couldn't care less about them.

Every time I see this video I can't help but get annoyed at the owner. Sure, Tank's expression is hilarious, however, it should be bad owner not bad Tank. If you don't want your dogs getting into certain things when you're out, keep them out of reach.

Was in Pet Barn this afternoon and saw this new range of Hills dog food. Just wondering if anyone here has tried it out. The ingredient list looks okay, but either way, I'm still happy with my dogs' current diet.

The poor darling, she must really be hurting. I agree to visit a chiro ASAP and not wait. Hope Maggie starts to feel better soon.

I'm like TSD, in that the only commercial treats I use are Nature's Gift. They're Aussie owned and made and my guys love the chicken ones. I also use fresh, locally made liver treats a friend sources through her work -- but these are only a sometimes treat. Frozen chicken wings and turkey wings are given every few days.

:laugh: I'm loving the Pee Pee (Penny Perambulator)!! All you need to install in it now is remote control steering then you'll be all set!

Nek's post is full of awesome!! I agree with EVERYTHING she's said and my own two dogs are the perfect example of the grossly excessive feeding guide on dog food packets. My medium size dog should be given 2 cups a day, he gets 1/4 cup twice daily and astonishingly, my small breed terrier who should get around 3/4 cup daily gets 1 TABLESPOON twice daily. I do weigh my guys monthly because I like to know but with the exception of 200g gain/loss every so often, they've both been the same weight for years. Definitely try switching to adult food and cut back to 2 meals and see how you go.

Zeus does that lying down, throwing a tantie on his back thing too, only without the noise. He does it at bath time. I actually kill myself laughing when Zeus does this because he pins his back to the ground and knows I can't possibly lift him from that position. It's annoying, amusing and very smart. I don't think the dog is stressed, more just acting like a petulant child! And no, I didn't find this particular funny -- I'm just glad I'm not the only person with a dog like this!

You should try it Animalia. I'm still surprised at how fresh Kirah is still smelling and how clean she's looking. Being an outside dog she'd usually be starting to get her doggy smell again by now!

I'd love to go but will be out of the country. What exactly happens at the pet expo coz I've never been before.

It's supposed to be really soothing to itchy skin Rosie. It's quite soothing and I'm guessing it's similar to how cold black tea is soothing to sunburn as its tannin draws the heat out. Teas can do remarkable things!!

I'd have it checked out. My old girl Poochie was never desexed and due to having a large family (5 young kids) my parents assumed she had been as she never came into heat. I remember once seeing a few blood spots in her bed as a young dog then nothing again. She hit about 15 when she started hunching over and groaning when you touched her stomach. Turns out she had a massive ovarian tumour that had spread to her kidneys and it was the size of a rockmelon when taken out. Poochie was an Aussie Terrier so a small breed dog. She got through everything fine but I'm willing to bet she'd had the tumour growing since being a young dog and that's why she never came into season. Hard to know but for peace of mind, I'd def have your girl checked out to be safe.

My local Go Vita store sells a few different brands but if you're after organic, Enry recommended this site: World Par Tea

I'd just like to extend my thanks to Erny for sharing her knowledge on using Calendula Tea as a rinse, rather than using a shampoo. I've just given my two dogs a calendula bath and OMG! Their coats have come up looking absobloodylutely AMAZING!! Kirah's wire coat has kept all its coarse wire texture but it smells so fresh and looks so clean. Zeus has always had a shiny coat but because it's so hot today, I gave him a cool rinse too and again, his coat just looks wonderful. Thank you so much Erny for letting DOLers know about this wonderful tea and its benefits as both a rinse and itch/allergy treatment!!

Oh how I wish you didn't mention the Saluki. They're currently sitting equal first on my list along with another Aussie Terrier. Aussies will always be my heart breed -- they have such wonderful spirits and such toughness and loyalty -- but owning Zeus my beagle cross, I've developed such a love of sighthounds and Zeus acts far more like one than a scent hound. He's tall and lanky, built like a Saluki and he's got a keen eye and tends to search by sight rather than scent. If it moves, he chases, but when he's still, he's just so lazy and chilled out! He loves to just lie and sleep next to his favourite humans, but boy can he motor when his legs get going. I guess I still really REALLY want another dog, but now is not the time.

My goals for 2014 are to work up to getting Zeus to the possibility of a novice agility title. So far we're just complete noobs to the sport but he's a fast learner and I'm hoping with hard work I'll be trialling by the end of the year. Kirah, I'm determined will learn to sit and stay for longer than 3 seconds and to stop her annoying bum shuffling closer to me! I'm undecided if I want to try her in agility classes again or to trial her in obedience.

I've been contemplating adding a third dog to my family but have hit a stumbling block. I have a few breeds narrowed down but that's not really my issue. The more I think about adding a dog, the more I'm wondering if I really want/need another one, or whether I want another one for the sake of getting another. My logic side is saying that I already have two youngish dogs (one is 4 1/2 the other 2 1/2) who still need a lot of work, then on the other side, the work I need to do with them involves one-on-one sessions that I'm struggling with because I hate the idea of leaving one behind alone. Kirah, the youngest one, has never really done anything without myself and Zeus present so she's used to us being around. Because of this, I'm always feeling guilty when I leave one or the other behind alone. Having said that, I've been getting more and more interested in the world of showing and would really like to give this a go and the more reading of show results I do, the more and more I want to show. Kirah is on limited reg so not a show prospect and Zeus is a cross breed. Annoyingly there's a flip side to this too; I've just really started getting into agility with Zeus and he's loving it and absolutely thriving. I've been trying to get Zeus into agility for about 2 1/2 years now and have only just really found a club I like. Kirah I wish I could get into agility but I'm such a useless owner when it comes to her that I just don't think it's something she's destined for. She's very stubborn and strong-willed and I'm not determined or strong enough to put her in her place! In the grand scheme of things I guess I've answered my own questions here that no I'm not ready to add another dog, I guess I just needed to write this stuff down. I think I'd be much better off working hard with the two I currently have and maximising their full potential. They're both great dogs but I think it's the fact that the dog world is so much larger than I'd ever realised that is so tempting. I love dogs and all they're capable of achieving that it's hard to not want to be a huge part of it! Thanks for letting me get this post off my chest -- it doesn't require comments or thoughts but they'd be appreciated nonetheless!

Bull Arabs have amazing speed and agility for their size -- I'm laughing hard that your vet thinks he'll be slower and calmer, Esky. BAs are a gorgeous breed in the making!!

It depends where specifically you're looking. If you want Wollongong CBD there won't be much but I know there is dog friendly accom in Albion Park.

I tend to just Google the particular item I'm after then see what pops up. I narrow the search to Australian pages first then if I'm not happy I'll expand to world-wide. My Miki stripping blade came from a site in England but mostly I'm happy with the generic brands found in places like Pet Stock etc. Oh, I did by a natural boar bristle brush from Priceline though!

I also bought the Ivory Coat sensitive from Pet Barn because I like trying out new shampoos on Zeus because I'm still trying to find one I like the smell of -- not because he has skin allergies. It lathers nicely but is very runny, however, I've found the scent disappointing; Zeus still smells like Aloveen from his previous bath. Not that smelling like Aloveen is a bad thing, I was just hoping to see what the new one smells like. ETA: I keep forgetting that I've got calendula tea in the pantry to try as a wash/rinse too. Will have to remember for their next bath in a few months time.