grumpette

yes, how do you define intelligence? I agree with another poster who said that obedience doesn't equate intelligence. My three dogs, according to the list all dumb. Aussie Shepherd - very trainable, picks things up very quickly, very keen to please, very people focussed. GR x Samoyed - very amiable, easy to live with, very food motivated but still slow to pick things up. Siberian Husky - independent, not easy to train. A simple test for all of them. One of Those food puzzles where you have to turn the top plate to get the food out. This is how my three approached the challenge. Aussie - just scrabbled with his paws til the top moved and he could get to the treats, basically did this till it was empty. Not sure there was too much thought process going on. Seemed to get to the food more by luck than judgment. GR X Sammy - very food motivated, but sniffed at it a bit. Pawed at it a bit, then gave up and sat next to it Husky - sniffed it. Pawed gently, managed to move the lid then appeared to very easily and carefully rotate the lid to each section to get to the food. It was very interesting to see the different approaches and although the husky is the least obedient of the three I feel she is probably the most intelligent One more test I remember reading about a long time ago. Take a piece of food and make sure they are looking at it and drop it so it lands on a table. Supposedly a sign of intelligence is if the dogs gaze follows the food but stops at the table. Only my husky does this. The other two look straight to the floor expecting it to be there. And what about the dog that picks up the toy, turns it over, gives it a shake and gets all the treats out at once? Bloody evil genius. The same one that at lure coursing, worked out after one circuit that the lure comes out of the pipe, so went over to it and turned it over with their nose, expecting a whole family of lures to come out. Problem solving dogs are hard work. No wonder I have a coffee addiction.

Done for both monsters

Oh Snook, how heartbreaking for you and Justice. I am still really angry over what happened to you and Justice at the daycare centre, and now devastated for you both that it is still having a major impact on your lifes. All the hard work and stress. I can totally understand not wanting to go through all that again. I have to agree with those who have suggested that maybe Justice's eyesight is starting to fail. He is such a gorgeous dog, with such a funny personality. I wish you both a very happy and extremely long retirement. May you both enjoy your secret walks for many years to come. Jake was created because of his engaging personality :D Teekay, I really feel for you. It is awful to have to way up the consequences of getting medical treatment and not getting treatment. When Dee was at the emergency vets for a suspected bowel obstruction, they rang me first thing on Sunday morning to ask me to come and get her, because she was howling the place down, and causing the other dogs to join in. She is confident with me around, but not so if I am not there. I think Lukka's eye will be fine as there is no swelling and it is reacting to light correctly, there is no squinting or excessive tearing. Good luck.

Personally, I would not be taking a 3 month old puppy on a 2 km walk. It is too far for a 12 week old puppy to walk in one hit, and it will be at a pace that is faster than she will be able to walk for the whole way. You risk damaging her joints and causing problems in later life. Just my opinion.

They are beautiful Leah. What a fantastic sequence of photos.

You have to love a great Don story, with a bit of Smoke added for good measure. :D

There have been absolutely stunning photos posted over the last few weeks. Some to inspire the most homely hermit to travel, others capturing the heavens above, and yet others with the most divine creatures, just like Kito Well done Tay on Jess's win. I must get the camera out again, now that life has calmed down a bit, hopefully.

I have been thinking about the high court challenge over Izzy the SBT. I don't think that I could subject a dog of mine to living in a pound for two years while the legal wheels turned ever so slowly. Dee is reactive, with very high prey drive and not resilient. Being stuck in a pound environment would kill her, and if I ever got her back, she would never be the same dog as she was before she went in. She would be constantly going off at all the other dogs, trying to attack the smaller dogs, and be uncertain of the humans, to the point where she would eventually shut down. She is used to actively using her brain through training and outings. She is confident with unknown humans through constant socialisation and positive experiences. She sleeps indoors, even on the couch. Being in a pound for that long would kill her. The above terrifies me, so this is why I am so very strict with her management, and constantly watching her body language. What do you Ladies think? If an incident occurred and you were issued with a justified NOI, would you contest it?

Wow Better Late, that is a brilliant up date. I am rapt that your hard work and dedication is paying off. Yes, stupid people will never admit that it is their dog or themselves that are at fault.

Oh no, I missed this very special event as well. A Huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most gorgeous Stan.

So not Rotty proof then, Stressy?

That is very true HD. Abnormal dogs take up so much of our time and steal so much of our heart, that is what makes them special After Hank and Jake you would be a perfect Rottie owner.

Sounds interesting. Does he blog or post his tales/ideas anywhere? I am very interested in this as well. A link would be great please. :D

Dee will be 7 years old in July. So I have lived with and trained her for nearly 7 years. Do you think that I have worked out what makes her tick? Do I understand her thought processes? Nope! NFI at all!! She has been coming to water rescue with Zeph and I with the Newfie Club at Lilydale. She loves to swim and I cannot just leave her at home, because, as you Ladies have so beautifully put it, she is "special needs" and it would be easier to leave her home. However, she is crated up against a tree area out of the way, when I am not with her, and always on lead when swimming, to ensure the safety of the bird life, off lead dogs and small children. She will chase all of these due to very high prey drive. She is reactive to other dogs, especially other females. However, she does not react to the female Newfies that we train with. She will turn her head away and avoid them when in close proximity. I have not worked out if it is because they are much bigger than she is, or if it is because the dogs are not assertive or dominant in any way. Her prey drive has increased, so we need to practice more focus and work with more dog distractions. So just like Jake and HD, at training we will be standing there, long after the other dogs and handlers have finished their work, with me waiting for some focus before we can "end of exercise". She continues to do my head in. BCC, I so wish I had a snob dog. Zeph wants to say hello to every dog, and then lean against their owners for continuous pats. He is lots of hard work to get focus from at a trail, especially if there are interesting female dogs around. Thankfully fetching and swimming are more interesting than greeting other dogs, most of the time. I so miss my normal, loves to work and swim Miss Baylee.

That + a really good bribe. Their 'what's in it for me' attitude is awesome :laugh: Told you Jake was not stupid

Jake is certainly not stupid, and is great at working things to his advantage :laugh:

Trinabeen, imagine if your son grew at the same rate as Bruno Both of them are gorgeous. I love the little Elsie. SL I love how Ziggy developed stripes. You can just see them at 6 months. Super Minty is stunning. Bella is stunning. I love the feathered ears. So very pretty. I love the baby greyhounds, especially the ones in the box from kirislin. And who can not love the baby fluffies, the Aussie Shepherds, Lappies, GSD, Akita, Cocker Spaniels, Labs and LGD Oh and the most gorgeous Dallie puppy that I have seen in ages.

I so know that feeling Dee's ears now Even when wet

OMG Harper has a crazy ear as well. Love it :laugh: I love seeing the different breeds that DOLers have had. Owners of smaller breeds who previously owned larger breeds and vice versa.

I am so very glad that the Universe is on Smoke's side.

So many beautiful and extremely well loved puppies in here. Brilliant thread.

And of course, Mr Cool himself A baby Zeph at about 5 weeks Zeph at 9 weeks Zeph at 4 months, when he came to stay and never went home again

Dee at 9 weeks, when she came home Divine Dee at 4 months Delightful Dee at 9 months, then the ears went totally haywire and never came back

Baylee and her sister Bliss at 4 weeks My Beautiful Baylee at the age of 10 weeks Baylee at 4 months, being socialised at Sunbury Obedience Dog Club. It all started here :D Baylee at 14 months, with the very spunky Lexon PS: as you can see these are all pre DSLR

Tay, Jess looks like she may have water in her ear. Such a beautiful photo at a great looking beach. The water and beach is so clean.