RiverStar-Aura

Red pandas are my most favourite wild animals in the world. I recently went to Mogo Zoo and saw the red pandas there and OMG Looks like a trip to Taronga is in the making!!

It's certainly tough choosing a dog bed because I bought Zeus a Dreamtime bed from Big W thinking it looked good only to have it not last a night. He dug a hole right though the middle. He's certainly a destructo-dog!! How have people found the Snooza D1000s? Are they tough as they look because they seem quite good but I'm also a bad judge of things. Do you recommend them?

It depends on what I'm after but I generally love eBay and Amazon, especially now the USD is so weak at the moment.

That's such a sweet and thoughtful present. The best gifts are ones from the heart and this artwork sure is that. Very lovely!!

This is a tough one because some dogs just bark in play. There's a rescue dog at my local dog park who's a mix of herding breeds and he just circles everyone barking and barking; it's not annoying, it's just what he does. The ones I find annoying are the dogs who sit at your feet and bark for attention because they want patting; not a fan of that. I admit I spend a LOT of time yelling at Zeus because he gets in such disobedient moods sometimes, however, I always intervene with any bad behaviour. When he's at home he's an angel but when he's off leash and there are distractions ... he's almost a different dog. We've got to learn somewhere and if not at an off leash area, then where? Never seen this happen -- my dog park has a nice little community of regular go-ers and we go to socialise ourselves as much as our dogs. It should come as a surprise that people do this but it's not. I don't really like this, especially if the dogs have been for a swim in the creek, which backs onto the park but hey, this is why I don't don my Sunday Best. I expect to get dirty when there are animals involved! People do this on purpose? Some people are just jerks, end of story. We do have a man who likes to "play golf" in the middle of the off leash park during park rush hour but he's always careful to set up away from everyone and never aims at anyone. Don't have this happen because the local park is set up with a playground further away so if the kids want to muck around, they go there. Plus uber cool dragon in the playround, another bonus! Zeus is one of these dogs but I ALWAYS put a stop to it. I'll growl at him then walk over and pull him off and make him sit (if he's persistent it's on the lead buster). Usually he knows that I'm about to stop him so he ducks and runs away but at least I've stopped the behaviour. Mounting other dogs is something I've been struggling with and am working on it with him. I don't find it amusing though, mostly it just p1sses me off. These ones bugs me a bit because Zeus has a favourite toy (it's a yellow duck from Pet Barn that makes the most awesome duck quack!!) and he loves to play fetch with it. If I have this toy he tends to be focused on it and runs off less, however, there's a dog at the park who, if he gets a hold of it, won't give it back then proceeds to rip it to shreds. I understand that some dogs are like this but I only bring the toy because it holds Zeus's interest and allows me to work on his recall training (he's not too bad, it's only once he catches a scent he follows his nose then completely ignores me). The trouble with this particular toy stealer is that he comes over and tries to sniff and scratch the toy out of the bag I've hidden it in and the duck isn't cheap either ($15 or so). One thing that also annoys me is when dogs come over looking for the treats I've brought as a training aid for Zeus. Zeus is pretty okay and obedient when there's no other distractions around but put him in the mix with other dogs and food smells and he's only obedient for probably 80% of the time so I need treats to work on training him. I get annoyed that owners don't call their dogs away when they start nosing my treat bag or following me around when I'm trying to train Zeus. I usually end up having to put the treats in my bag (then the taller dogs start pushing at it with their noses) and their owners just laugh and say I should know not to bring food to the dog park. How else am I supposed to get training in?

I am so sorry to hear about this and can't even begin to imagine how you and your family are feeling. Am sending hugs and thoughts to you all and I hope that dear sweet Odie and Jazz are happy where they are. RIP darlings :) Hugs to you and your family. :)

That's so cool! I can just imagine seeing the wicker-wolf through the morning fog. Thanks for sharing this Willow!!

It certainly makes me wonder about all the cross breeds. Since there seems to be so few pure bred Maltese around the crosses must be starting to get very diluted in the gene pool. Originally I'm assuming that a pure bred Maltese would've been used to create the cross but nowadays, would it be safer to assume that "breeders" are mating the Maltese x with another Maltese x? It is a shame because they seem like such sweet little dogs and from what GayleK has just said, they're also reasonably priced. One thing about the Maltese being a toy breed though, isn't the Yorkshire Terrier considered a toy breed? So is it possible to be both a terrier and a toy or am I wrong in thinking the Yorkie is a toy breed too?

:D There's a lady at work we call the Terrier but that's another story completely. Aren't they a terrier at all? I've always thought they were classified as terriers and I've often heard them referred to as Maltese Terriers. Is this wrong is it? Well, I've learned something new today! :p

As I was on my way to work this morning I was struck with a curious thought: what happened to the pure bred Maltese Terrier? You often see Maltese x *insert breed of choice* but I must admit that I don't think I've ever seen a pure bred Maltese and I find that sad. It's almost as though they've become the ultimate dog to cross-breed but as a stand-alone breed, they seem to have disappeared. Are there any pure-bred Maltese owners on the forum and if so, how many? And do you know why your breed has all but disappeared from the pure-bred circuit?

I've tried everything with Zeus so I've just decided he prefers to be cold. I've had him in coats which he destroys and he prefers to drag his warm fleece-y blankets around the backyard and not use them. *sigh* I'd give him a hot water bottle but he'd eat that too and I'm not sure about a heated dog bed. Do they get plugged in like human electric blankets? Oh and not to mention that I've got a Dreamtime bed for him too but he digs his way through the middle of the cover leaving a huge hole in the middle so that's not even an option.

Gorgeous Aussie Tees Nik!! ;) I agree that ATs have a tendency to nick off; Poochie always just decided to take herself on a merry trot by herself if she escaped and she never wanted to come back because running off was a fun game!! They're such cheeky buggers!! Nothing wrong with Bruce as a pet name it's just not something I'd personally consider because I do prefer obscure names. It's always been how I've named things (I once had a fighter fish named Sundance aka Cassidy).

Aussie Tees are such fantastic dogs Nik ... can I ask why you moved on to the Aussie sheps? Do you find yourself ever wanting another AT? Ned Kelly is a cute name too, but I'd end up calling him Ned. Our very first AT was called Brutus and biy did that name suit him!

My Poochie pie was about $350-$400 a good 17 years ago and she came from a registered breeder. She had no major health issues with the exception of seasonal mange mites that her immune system didn't fight off and at age 15 she had an ovarian tumour removed and she was PTS a year later due to kidney failure. Zeus (beagle x JRT) on the other hand was a pet shop puppy and his asking price was $900, however, because he was considered "old" by pet shop standards at 11 weeks I negotiated his price down to $400, which included a collar, leash, puppy blanket, a month's supply of advance puppy food and they also paid for his next puppy vaccine. He was the last of his litter and if I could turn back the clock, I'd still buy him, however, I might've done a bit more research into what type of dog he'd turn out to be. My next puppy is coming from a registered breeder and she'll be sold on main register for a very reasonable price. It's what I'd expect to pay although for a fantastic dog, I'd be willing to pay anything!!

It's good to hear Emma's on the road to wellness but it does seem odd she took sickly like she did. Was it maybe a severe allergic reaction to something? What a horrible thing to go through and hugs all around!! :thumbsup:

Great suggestions everyone, although I'm very tempted to use the name "Oi" because it's very Aussie. I have fallen in love with the idea of using Aboriginal names so I've been researching some and have found some to be quite lovely: Akala: parrot Arika: waterlily Kaiya: type of spear (sounds pretty though) Kala: fire Kirra: a leaf Kora: a companion (this has become my favourite name so far) Merri: a stone Miah: the moon Kyrra/Kyrrah: magpie Lira: wren Yani: peaceful Minya: small And I'm never calling a dog Bruce!

It might be spelled "Loke" but I figured I'd change it to "Loki" otherwise I'd have people pronounding it "lowk" or something utterly ridiculous! Balder/Baldur is cool for a boy so I'll add it to my list and I was thinking the same about Freya (and I also wasn't sure I really liked it much). Vali I think is cute! You've picked out two of my favourites RubyStar, Ilyia's been slowly creeping towards the top of my list!

I've been owner to a traditionally docked Aussie Terrier and will soon be getting my first full tailed Aussie Terrier (I'm having trouble calling them just Aussies because that seems to be the name for the Aussie Sheps too! ). I loved Poochie's docked tail and she was so adorable with her lil stumpy (as I called it) going a million miles an hour when she wagged it, however, after having Zeus (my first dog with a full tail) and after seeing my pups' mums with full tails I must say they're very endearing. I love how they stand with their chests puffed out and their little tails stuck up in the air -- so proud! I'm pleased docking was banned if only to see the Aussie Tees with tails. But I agree with some others, seeing Dobes with full tails is weird but I think that's because I'm used to them being docked. Rotties with full bushy tails ... :D

Hi all, In about 10 weeks' time I'll be bringing home my new Aussie Terrier pup and I'm still no closer to finding a name (I usually have a few narrowed down by this point). The litters haven't been born (1st litter is one and a half weeks away) so I'm not 100% sure what gender I'll be getting. A female is my preference but I'm just waiting to see. I love to use mythologies as a basis for my pets' names -- so far I've got Calypso (cat) and Zeus (dog) and I was hoping to keep this theme going but am open to other suggestions. Names have always been a weak point for me and even Zeus didn't like what I'd picked out. He was going to be Loki (Loh-key), the Norse God of mischief, which would've suited him down to the ground, however, he refused to answer to it and so he became Zeus. The names on my "maybe" list are as follows: Boys: Loki (I really love this name and am determined to use it one day!!) Odin Thor Pooka Balder/Baldur (courtesy of fuzzy82) Girls: Freya Vali Ilyia (Eel-ee-ah) Leto Leda Maia/Maya Koko Nari Kala Lani Halia (Hawaiian: remembrance of a loved one) Kiana Keiki (Kay-ee-key) or (Kay-key) (Hawaiian: child) Kanani (Hawaiian: beautiful) Kana Kiki Vivi Tippie/Tippi/Tippy (from Disney's Fluppy Dogs) Binka Kyrie/Kirrie Not all of the above are from mythologies but I've selected them because I love how they sound and how they roll of the tongue. What do you all think? Are there any stand-out names and if so, which ones? Also I'm happy for any other suggestions!

Beagles do love their food!! Then again I haven't really met a dog who hasn't! I get surprised at how slow some people walk their dogs too and it makes me wonder sometimes if there's even any point to some people heading out on a walk. But I can understand how there are people out there who are incapable of walking fast and are doing the best they can.

I can totally agree with everything said here from both POVs. I live at home with the 'rents and mum's always had a rule of no dogs in the house and as much as I'd love to bring Zeus in and let him sleep in my room, I know it's not possible (or wise) so I don't try. Besides, at the moment he's much to hyper to even think of being inside so it's no big deal that he stays outside. On the flip side though I have a lot of dog-friendly friends who are quite happy for me to bring Zeus over because he's a playmate for their own dogs. Although when they invite me over I *always* ask if Zeus is welcome, (every single time) because there might just be one day where it's not suitable for him to visit (eg if a very young and small cousin is over visiting). I'm happy for people to tell me not to bring Zeus with me, although I only ever take him to the dog park or to my dog-friendly friends' places.

I'd probably average at about 6 to 10 kilometres an hour but as I'm trying to get fit, I alternate between a fast walk and jogging (and the length of each interval depends on the weather and my asthma). Zeus being a beagle cross needs a LOT of running around and like some others have mentioned, purely running just doesn't tire him out. For the lady with the over-weight beagle I'd like to suggest taking it to an off-leash park and letting it run around with other dogs (if this is a viable option because I know how hard some beagles are to have off lead). There have been afternoons at the dog park where Zeus has zoomed around for well over 3 hours and still shows no signs of slowing. He's massively hyper-energy and wears me out just watching his zoomies. I love Zeus though because he's exactly the type of dog I was after when I wanted a puppy. My purpose was to buy a dog I could take out for jogs/runs in an attempt to get me fit as Poochie got too old for anything other than an amble down the road. Beagle x JRT ... no idea of the concept of "walk"!!

Vesper you've proven me wrong. That guy looks so much like a black airdale it's not funny and doesn't really look schnauzer at all. BRTs seem to be a really fascinating breed but I know from the sounds of things not my type of dog. Maybe later in life but I think they're a bit too big for me. I'll stick with my Aussie Terriers; much more Riverstar friendly!!

This seems like such a fascinating breed and may I just say their name is so totally deceiving! I was thinking maybe on the larger side of terrier but nothing *that* huge! BRTs seem to be growing in popularity on this board -- well there seems to more of an interest in them anyway. I can't believe just how much like giant schnauzers they look but there's definite newfie in there too. Can't really see the airdale though, however, that could be because when I hear airdale I picture a black and tan, curly coated square-faced dog. Didn't read some of the longer posts so I apologise if this has already been answered. I saw that much care needs to be taken during the growing ages (much like newfies) but can they be entered in competitions like flyball or agility or are these sports too strenuous for them? Keep the pics coming because I'm loving all the photos and more puppy photos too because I bet they're quite darling!!!

Personally I've never understood the whole "animal wedding" thing. I'm pretty sure the dogs have no idea what the bru-ha-ha was about let alone understand the concept of marriage themselves. It's a huge waste of money but then again, some people do have more money than sense! And if they really wanted to do something for their special pets, why not donate the money to a worthy cause in the dogs' names instead?