RiverStar-Aura

It really is amazing just how intuitive dogs can be and I'm so glad that you've both got a special little guy to help you through this tough time. Little Maui will be the perfect distraction for your hubby and it's great that he has something to focus on when life gets crappy. Hope things start to look up for you both!!

He's such a sweetie Whitka!! Makes me want to squish him!!

Thanks for your explanation Espinay2; it has me realising that I've worded my original post wrong. I was after solutions on how to make Zeus eat slower although I was concerned that he swallowed some rather large kibble bits whole (I've since given them to my friend to use as rat treats and they love them!). Does anyone know if dogs' metabolisms work like a human's? You know how if a human scoffs their food their body doesn't have time to register that it's full? I'm just curious about this.

I tried out the egg ring idea tonight at dinner time and OMG! Zeus actually tasted his food for probably the first time in his life. I got my dad to help me cut slits in 2 egg rings and joined them together so they interlock creating three little wells for the food to sit in and it took Zeus about 2 minutes to eat his dinner rather than the 2 or so seconds. Had to put the rings inside one he'd finished though because knowing him, he'd run them around the backyard thinking they're a great new toy! Thanks for the fantastic idea Dxenion!!

Completely OT here but seriously, why would anyone want to cross breed an Aussie Terrier anyway? They're the perfect dogs and don't need to be crossed ... especially a JRT anyway! (and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with JRTs as I think they're awesome little guys too!).

Zeus gulps his food and I've tried all sorts of things to try and get him to chew but nothing works. Most of the dry food brands seem to have these really, really tiny kibble bits, which don't seem to promote chewing and when I tried giving him some Science Diet Oral food (it's to help clean teeth apparently) as a one off treat (after doing training) he swallowed those whole too! I'm sure that if he chewed his food he'd be less fart-y but even when I add things like tuna or sardines he still tends to swallow whole. Is he still getting enough nutrients and things by gulping his food because I'm just worried that he's not properly digesting because he doesn't chew. He does get bones to gnaw on and the occasional Pedigree Denta Stix, which he LOVES, but he's generally on a dry food diet of Royal Canin for Medium Dogs.

I took Zeus to the South Coast Dog Training and had a fantastic time there. They've got an off-leash section at the back so I used to go early, let Zeus burn off his energy so he could concentrate on the lessons. Then after the class I'd let him off again as a reward for his hard work! Once we graduated from the beginner class to Class 1, however, I did struggle a lot with the class size. There were around 30 to 40 people in Class 1, which was then divided into 4 or so groups (depending on how many teachers were available each week). Zeus has a problem of not being able to concentrate unless he's said "hello" to ever single dog around, which was something I was hoping to work at. It didn't happen though because I work in retail and was offered permanent part-time, which means working 3 weekends a month and going to obedience training once a month wasn't beneficial. The other problem I found was the fact that the training ground is where the Dapto Markets are held so Zeus, being part beagle, did nothing but sniff out the food left rotting on the ground (once the little bugger picked up a leftover corn cob and wouldn't let it go!). He also found all the different smells much more interesting than listening to me trying to teach him things and again, I couldn't work with this because we had to give it up. One dog training I'd like to try out though is a 6 or 8 week course at Naughty Dog School, which is held at Poplar Food Produce in Kembla Grange. Has anyone here tried it out because it sounds really good and the classes are small so it might work in mine and Zeus's favour. Either that or I might organise in home training sessions as they offer that too. Oh and the other thing with South Coast Dog Training obedience is that after Zeus and I had the basics I didn't feel the need to really carry on with what they were teaching. They seem to teach things for those who want to compete in obedience -- not that there's anything wrong with that, I just didn't see the need for having Zeus learn these little obedience routines when I wasn't planning on competing.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've been told that my future puppy will be registered with Dogs NSW on the Main Register but I had no idea what that meant and I've heard that pure bred puppies come with papers but have never really known what they were. I now understand!! Was just worried that my pup was being sold without papers!

Not wanting to sound like a moron but like the topic title asks, what are these "papers" pure bred dogs should come with? And what does it mean for a dog to be registered with Dogs NSW on the "main register"? I'm new to all this stuff and I'm still learning. Poochie wasn't registered and I'm not sure if she should've been. When did the registering laws come into effect? Thanks in advance!

ESS make for some of the most cute puppies. I went to puppy school with a liver and white one and she was gorgeous and oh so soft!! But hands down, my Zeusling is the cutest ever (even if he is a mongrel!)

Not wanting to be bitchy perth-girl but I can't help but wonder that if you'd put in as much time as you've dedicated to this thread, you may well be on your way to owning a puppy right now. Making a quick phone call (as you were invited to do) to find out more info then saying a quick yes please or no thanks I'm not interested would've resolved all questions you have. If you don't like how this breeder has handled things then obviously they're not the breeder for you in which case you say "oh well" and move on (ie. get over this breeder and move on). All good breeders, as evidenced by the replies here, will have a set criteria for puppy adoptions and if you're not happy with having to meet their standards then maybe a pure bred pup isn't for you. So what if you have to do a bit of work, it seems only fair that a buyer needs to put in some effort; after all, the breeder is the one doing most of it: mating the bitch, looking after puppies, microchipping, worming, finding homes etc. And a buyer on the other hand, turns up, pays and takes the pup away. A bit of info about a potential home is the least in my mind.

Have been reading this thread with keen interest and was surprised with the troubles people have had in contacting breeders. I've been searching around for well over a year to find a suitable Aussie Terrier breeder for myself and I've had no trouble with the one I selected. I sent a nice brief e-mail outlining the loss of my beloved Aussie Poochie and also mentioned about living in her neighbourhood -- it later turns out I met one of her little boys at the local Pet Barn and he's a delightful little man. This happened a year ago. She currently had no litters available (her bitch had only just had them) but she kindly suggested other breeders (whose names I've heard floating around DOL) and also let me know her future litter plans. I let her know I wasn't in a hurry for a new puppy (I had Zeus who was just over a year old) so she promised to keep me updated. Fast forward 5 months and I received an e-mail saying her bitch had come into season and was being sent away to be mated. Nothing eventuated from the mating (phantom pregnancy) so I wished her darling well through the process and she asked if I was still interested. Of course! I'm in no real hurry; the right pup for me will be here eventually! About a month ago now I received yet another e-mail saying that both her bitches came into season together and I'm now waiting to see if I'll have 1 or 2 litters to choose a puppy from. PG, be patient with any breeder you choose; they're the people standing between you and a puppy. I agree that a responsible breeder wants the best for their puppies and as an animal lover myself, I understand completely. It's really no different to a mother putting her child up for adoption; they don't just pick any Tom, Dick or Harry and puppies should be no different. Like others have said, your forever friend will find you; it may just take a little time. Best of luck finding him/her though!

Aussie Terriers are the only dogs for me although I wouldn't mind owning a Norwich Terrier too. And there's totally a love of Aussie Shepherds on the board -- but they are a fantastic breed (just a little too active for me!!).

My Beagle x Zeus goes by: Zeus-ling, Ling/Ling-Ling, Bonehead, Goofy, Goofball, Darling, Sweetie, Helicopter (he wags his tail in circles) and "There he is" whenever he comes out of hiding.

It must be such a hard job PTS someone's beloved friend, which I should imagine would be made even harder by seeing the owner's undying love and devotion to their pet. When my family and I lost Poochie it was the most heartbreaking day of my life. We'd noticed she'd been having more trouble getting around than normal and had thought that perhaps the new puppy had jumped on her and hurt her back or something (she groaned/grunted when her back was touched). After a trip to the vets where she was given pain relief I thought all would be well. A week later she stopped eating -- and for our garbage guts, that meant something was very wrong. So I took her back (and at this stage PTS wasn't even in my mind as she'd pulled through so much already eg. massive uterine/ovarian tumour the size of a rockmelon) to see what else my vet could do for her. He took a blood test, which sadly showed her kidneys were shot and her end was near. I had to call my family and deliver the bad news and the vet kindly allowed me to wait whilst they all arrived so we could make the decision together: to PTS or to try dialysis. I even called my mum at work to get her opinion because Poochie was a family pet and I felt she needed to be involved too and of course to ask if she'd be ok if we had her PTS without her being able to say goodbye. In the end we decided it'd be best for my darling Poochie-Pie to cross the bridge as she'd feel much better even though I was losing my best friend. I was allowed to stay and pat my darling whilst it was being done but my goodness it wasn't easy. She was severely dehydrated and the vet had trouble finding a vein, which made Poochie distressed and snappy and I was upset even more seeing her this way. He ended up giving her a mild sedative for which I'm glad and the process went much more smoothly. The moment I lost it was when he rolled her on her side to check her heart and I saw her usually so sparkly eyes and strong head, flop to the side as he said she was gone. I went nuts with grief and was crying so much I thought I'd die myself from the pain in my heart. My family's most trying moment was to decide what to do with her because we'd never lost a pet before and as times have changed, there are a lot more options available. Our vet was so lovely in letting us know they'd be happy to hold onto her for us until we could reach a decision -- I couldn't even form a thought let-alone make a decision. It took 3 days for me to finally decide to have her cremated (my family and I had so many arguments over this (even longer story)) by Pets at Peace and placed in a lovely scatter box so I could scatter her ashes in her backyard because she would've liked that. I received a card in the mail about a week later and the next time I saw him (for Zeus's yearly check-up about a month later) he asked how I was going and we talked about Poochie's amazingly long and fantastic life. I still get sad (I'm even teary as I type this) but I know that in the end, the right decision was made. I'm glad my vet was there to support whatever decision was made and I'm really glad for his input too. Whilst deciding I'd asked what he thought and he explained Poochie's chances with dialysis and her quality of life and what it could mean and even though most of it when straight in and out again, I appreciated the info. I'm eternally grateful to H and all the staff for their kindness and support and I'm so glad they held onto Poochie for us so we could make a decision about what to do for her as a family. We were after all her family and it was only right she go with our support and love. :eek: P.S. Sorry for the epically long post!

Last photo of him I swear. This one is my absolute favourite. He's definitely my loveable goofball!!

Here's another shot of Zeus. You can see his body a bit better and the type of coat he has.

I was told he's a Beagle x JRT but I'm really not sure (I'll attach a picture at the end of the post). When I had him at the vet on Friday for his annual C5 booster he said Zeus looks more beagle x border collie and from his shape and size I tend to agree. His coat probably averages about 2 to 3cm long and sits nice and flat against his body. I'm not sure if he's double coated either. Is there a way to check this? And I'll definitely look into the Zoom Groom. Where's the best place to pick one up? I just looked at the site; thanks for the link because it looks like a really useful tool to have. I'll definitely look into the shedding tool because I've tried just about everything! I picked up a cheaper version of the Furminator from my vet (I think it was). It's black with red paw prints and works the same as the Furminator but I'm reluctant to use if for the very reason I could end up with a bald dog! Oh he's definitely healthy; he just came back from his C5 vaccination and vet check and other than a slightly high temperature (which I've been told is normal for very high active dogs) he's perfectly healthy. He may just be a shedder like you said! Where abouts did you find these gloves because they sound interesting and definitely worth a look. Would a place like maybe Pet Stock sell them because I know they do sell horse stuff (well one of my local ones might!). Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll definitely look into a few of these options!! This is my Zeus. What do you guys think he's crossed with? He's definitely beagle but JRT? I'm not sure!

What a gorgeous end to such a wonderful story!! Sapper is such a military name but it really seems to suit Dimples! I really hope Andrew continues to update Taupa with Sapper's progress so she can update us all too. I'd love to see how Sapper turns out and I'm sure he'll have a wonderfully fulfilling life! And I totally agree with Graysmum: This is more true than we do realise. Most people do assume it was their choice to serve and sure, it is, however, they're serving our country to keep it free and so that the rest of us don't have to serve. I take my hat off and thank all our service men and women (both past and present) from the bottom of my heart. I just wish that all communities could step up to help them out because they're so deserving of it! [/OT-ness]

Yeah I have tried a rubber grooming mitt but it never seems to remove all the hair and he still constantly sheds everywhere. I think I'm going to have to be resigned to vacuuming out my car every time he looks at it!

My dog Zeus is a constant shedder no matter how much I brush him. I've found that slickers are no good as they don't really remove the loose hair and I've found that undercoat brushes don't work because he's a short-coated dog. He's a beagle cross and I'm at my wits end trying to groom him because nothing seems to be working. Any advice or any grooming tool suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!!

This is a really good idea and I'm going to give it a go. Zeus has a habit of pulling clothes off the line in order to get at the pegs. For some reason he loves pegs and leaves the clothes once they're off the line!

I totally agree with you here! I have no tolerance for fussy eaters either and it's the same deal with my cat. If she turns her nose up at her food and refuses to eat it then tough, she goes hungry. Eventually she'll get hungry enough to eat what I've dished up and if not, maybe then I'd worry. Although I've never had a dog refuse its food; I tend to find that most dogs are happy to eat anything put in front of them. But if I did have a fussy dog I think I'd treat it the same way as the cat: not give it variety and let it realise that it's not getting anything different so it had better eat or starve!

It's just completely beyond my comprehension how people (and I use the term *very* loosely) can be such cruel bastards towards animals. Animals have unconditional love and trust for us and this is how some jerks repay their kindness and loyalty ... Gah! I'm so sickened by this I can't even form words. I really hope they catch the person(s) behind this!!

I really hope things go well with the meeting; I'm sure he'll fall in love with Dimples just like we've all fallen in love with this story. Please update us when you get the chance and best of luck to Andrew and Dimples!!