tikira

Happy mothers day to all our DOL doggy mums Di

You may think that you picked me From the litter you came to view. But it was completely the other way round It was I, who in fact, picked you! There was just something about you That really appealed to me From your face, I could just tell That you'd love and look after me. So I threw myself all over you Would not let you be - Wagged my tail and gave you puppy dog eyes So you'd fall in love with me. But no matter how I got here When all is said and done I so very happy to be here And so glad that you are my MUM To all doggy mum's- have a great day with your loved ones. Di This poem was written by K. Howard and can be found at www.say-it-in-verse.com

Thanks for sharing Pers, it is a gorgeous photo, and so very true. How wonderful it would be if this photo gave just one dog a look that contented, and just one human a feeling like no other in this world.... of course, more would be better than one, but one step at a time :) Di

Well, another "first" to cope with. My first "Mothers Day" without my boy jumping all over me and shoving a special toy in my face, as he escorted my husband and the breakfast in bed I have had for the previous 10 years. This year it was just Kira and me, as Wayne is away, so it is very sad. Two months ago today, my world was rocked, and I still am not coping well, but one foot in front of the other, and maybe soon it will get a little better. I hope so, I miss my "crazy dog" like crazy. Di

Thanks Rozzie. It looks like Hill End is just as stunning as anywhere in the New England region. Isn't autumn the most beautiful season Di

I was Really sorry to hear about Piper. She was a beautiful girl, and one of my favourite dogs to see piccies ofon DOL. Take care of yourself, and cry as much as you need to. Di

Rozzie, this is a lovely image. Is it in the New England arae, the colours here have been incredible this year, and we tried to make the most of it photographically, but sadly there is less and less now. I really like the great line to infinity formed by the road. It feels like you could just keep walking. Do you have more to share? I would love to see more. Di

This sounds great Sheena. I am sure it will get people in,especially the "dogs playing snooker" part- very clever. I am sure no-one will go away disappointed. We are trying to arrange our schedule so we can get there to watch, and maybe take some snaps of a sport we really have not tried to photograph before. Di

Hi Danny's darling The UNE were I think, adding Omega 3 to their diet and that sort of thing, and I guess selling the eggs, nothing sinister, but it was christmas holiday time, and I guess they didn't want to have to care for them. Their condition was the same as a lot of battery hens, they cut their beaks to prevent pecking each other in their 4 to a tiny pen cage, and the hens pull their own and each others feathers out.

I just wanted to say to anyone thinking of rescuing ex battery hens, it is the BEST feeling ever. We rescued 20 from the UNE here at Armidale years ago, and they came to us in the worst condition, they had few feathers and cut beaks. They weren't game to move and could not roost on the perches, but it was incredible to watch them stretch their wings a bit, then some more as they realised they had freedom, then scratch in the dirt for the first time, then to have their first dust bath- they soon became so happy and contented, and rewarded us with eggs, and happy clucking. They idolised us humans, it was like they knew that we had rescued them, and were grateful. Do it, you will never regret the commitment. Di

Thank you all so much, you are presenting some very pertinent points. Research and individual compatibility is, as we thought, the key here, but it is very interesting to see how much individualism there is among breeds. Tip and Kira were a perfect match, (not through our good management I might add, and this time we want to go in fully aware of the potential issues. Knowing Kira and the things we will have in place for puppy introduction, we really don't think we will have any problem, but blind optimism is not in my DNA, I like to know risks as well as the good news stories, even though that worries me. We have the space and inclination to set up a puppy pen in our dining room with access through the dog door to a separate enclosed part of the back deck, and an area of grass to allow alone time and for when I am out (3 hours per week only, except for when we take out Kira for separate time). We also intend to crate train. Obviously these will be only occasionally used, as our dogs are fully part of our family, and have free reign of the house and yard as they see fit- Puppy will be no exception once he is responsible enough. Whether we go an 8 week old puppy, or an older rescue, we will have done our research, and be aware of the correct way to introduce them. It does make it way more difficult given we are in Armidale NSW, but as you have all said, the "right" one will come along, and he will be welcomes into our family. Di

We have spoken to Jill, and she has been great, and her dogs are adorable, but as we keep going back to the fact that we are still grieving, and it probably is too soon, we will just keep an eye on JRT Rescue. We will also look at registered breeder pages as the months go by to see if one of them may be "our" new boy. Our only criteria at this stage is a male short coat Jack Russell or Parson Russell. I doubt this will change, but who knows! Di

Love the cross selling Michellva, but if you could talk my hubby into it, it would be a miracle bigger than the one you just pulled off. :laugh: Don't tempt me though...... Di

On behalf of the ragdoll, and the life she will not have as a breeding machine, thankyou! What lovely, caring people you all are. The Ragdpll broke my heart to think of her as a breeding machine, if I could ever have a cat it would be a ragdoll I think, but I firmly believe cats should not roam, and our household is impossible to set up that way at the moment.... hmm, we are adding a room soon, perhaps it could be a cat room- Now to convince hubby that is a good idea! :laugh: Di

We are beginning the process of researching and choosing another Jack Russell for a household of two people (in our 40's) and an 8 year old Border Collie. We always thought it was best to introduce a puppy into a house with an older dog, as they would accept the pup better than an adult, but today we were told an older dog would be accepted better.... but wouldn't that create potential problems two ways? We were also told that Jack Russell's may have a problem with a border Collie..... Oh we are so confused. We really want to train from puppyhood, but if that is going to be a problem for Kira, then that is not going to work either. An older (up to 2)year old would maybe be a option, but I feel we would need to know it's previous history, and whether it had any training. We would reluctantly decide against another dog or puppy at all if that was what was best for Kira, but a one dog household seems unthinkable. How much of a potential problem could all this be, I know a lot of DOLers have faced the same decision, how did it work out for you. Kira is eight, and has only ever known two terrier's in her house. She was boss dog with Tip,but never had to prove it. they played well together, and never had an argument, but when she finished the game, Tip knew. With our nephew's dog who spends a lot of time here, she is so gentle and caring. We will be talking to the dOLer who was our puppy trainer, and knows a lot about dogs, but wanted others experiences too. We really value everyone's point of view here, and it seems the logical place to mull things over. Please ask if you want more info before giving an opinion. Di

These are lovely photo's and the edits do them justice, Snook really did a great job there. Di

Hi JRT Lover and welcome to DOL I am sorry about your little dog, I really feel your pain, as we lost our Jack in March, and are having a similar issue. Your head knows you should wait, but oh, the loneliness without my sleep buddy is awful. While we don't have children to consider, we do have another dog to add to the equation, so we have scoured the net for the solution. We have considered a registered breed puppy, and older puppy, and an adult dog, and have been in contact with JRT Rescue, who have a lot of dogs and puppies on their website. I know people very much against back yard bred puppies, but maybe look at Gumtree type ads etc for a little bit older dog, which would give a dog that is already here another chance at a happy home, and be a companion for your children as they grow. Then when your kids are a little older, consider whether to add a puppy to your family. On the question of breed, I have found our JRT was incredible with children and as all JRT owners know, it is hard to think of any of any other breed once you have loved one, but any dog can be great, IF it is the right dog. One that has been with children could perhaps be the best way to go. Always be cautious of these ads though, scammers are everywhere these days. Give yourself a little more time to grieve, he/she was obviously such an important part of your family, all of us here understand that feeling. It is such a hard time for you, so let the tears flow, and maybe a Rainbow Bridge thread would be a special thing to do for him/her, I found it helped. Good luck with your decision, only you and your loved ones know what will be best for you, but we are all here cheering for you as you go through this horrible time. Di

Thanks all for your replies so far. Just to make things a little clearer for you- IF we chose to get a puppy before September ( or it chose us), the family members would be staying at the house. While in the past we have gone away and left our dogs for short periods, we would never do that with a puppy, that only happened with our other two after many years. It seems there are a lot of different thoughts on this, and we welcome other input. We have some thinking to do, which is a good thing- but oh it is hard to wait when it is so quiet here...... :)

A Bundle of Unconditional Love “Don’t be sad, he’s only a dog, you can replace him, get another one” I wouldn’t think to say that to you, if you had lost a daughter or a son! Think carefully, is there really any difference between the love we knew? Except our family member had four legs, and yours have only two. We were terrified that first day, as we bought our tiny bundle home, We had dreams, but no idea what the future held, no clue of trials to come, We agonised over what to call him, just like you did I am sure, Wondered when to get his shots, those jabs hurt me to the core. We had “play dates”, sleepovers, and we educated him at school, We were proud when he graduated; it proved he was no fool. We sat up with him for hours on end when his temperature was not right, We had his vet on speed-dial, in case his condition worsened overnight, We were embarrassed when he misbehaved and thrilled when he acted well, We gave him treats, and sometimes time-outs when our high standards fell. We taught him right from wrong, and to participate in the wider world, Scared when we thought we lost him, relieved to find him in his bed all curled. We taught him not to back chat, a hard lesson for a dog to learn But we persevered - and eventually, we saw his behaviour turn. We played with him until we were exhausted and could take no more, Then had to put up with sad eyes and tantrums, as “sad sack” hit the floor. Is there anything you have done for your children that we did not do? Are there any thoughts or feelings you had that we really never knew? Just like a child a dog is a special gift, entrusted by the Lord above, And I wish one day that everyone will know a puppy’s unconditional love. Tikira 2013

It’s time to send you a gift He wandered towards them, there was excitement in the air, He said “I have a special friend, and I need someone to care” As He chatted at the Rainbow Bridge while sitting on the ground, One dog listened carefully as He spoke, he didn’t make a sound. The dog thought hard, considered it, before he finally spoke up, “I think I know the perfect family for this little pup. My humans are grieving me since I was called back home, But I know they need a friend, so they are not alone.” They need a companion, they have so much that they can give, And this dog needs a family, for as long as he shall live. This puppy needs a strong, loving, gentle and steady hand, Truly I can think of no better home, in the whole of the land. I know it will be hard for them, they loved me through the years, But honestly, I can’t stand to see them sad, I hate to see the tears. They may not think it now, but their heart will expand with love, When they meet this gift I want to send, straight from Heaven above. Tikira 2013

Hi everyone We lost our Jack Russell in March, and we still have an 8 year old Border Collie, who needs a companion- so do we, it is too quiet here. BUT We have a pre-booked holiday in September, and know the sensible thing is to wait until we return from that, but are not sure we can wait that long. We will be putting in a LOT of training for our new Jack Russell, we have experience in this area, but wonder if we went away, how much is he likely to go backwards? Has anyone had to go away while their puppy was under a year old? Did this affect their training much? We would hope to get family to pet sit, but they are not dog trainers, and would let him run amok. OR we could kennel him, but we have never kennelled our dogs, always choosing to have a trusted friend visit them in our very secure house and yard each day, which worked very well with our couch potato dogs. I think our Border would fret in a kennel situation. I recognise this would depend a lot on the puppy, but Kira is very mature and settled, so what do you think, should we wait, or should we take a risk with a family member- and leave them a LONG list of do's and dont's. Is four- five months long enough to instill the basics into a new puppy so that they will remember their routine when we get back? Thanks for your opinions, they will all be weighed carefully, against the backdrop of our own situation and knowledge of our own dogs. Di

I know some of you are torn to pieces wondering if you are betraying your dogs at the Bridge by welcoming a new one into your family, so here is a poem that is what I believe goes on up there when the time is right. Enjoy It’s time to send you a gift He wandered towards them, there was excitement in the air, He said “I have a special friend, and I need someone to care” As He chatted at the Rainbow Bridge while sitting on the ground, One dog listened carefully as He spoke, he didn’t make a sound. The dog thought hard, considered it, before he finally spoke up, “I think I know the perfect family for this little pup. My humans are grieving me since I was called back home, But I know they need a friend, so they are not alone.” They need a companion, they have so much that they can give, And this dog needs a family, for as long as he shall live. This puppy needs a strong, loving, gentle and steady hand, Truly I can think of no better home, in the whole of the land. I know it will be hard for them, they loved me through the years, But honestly, I can’t stand to see them sad, I hate to see the tears. They may not think it now, but their heart will expand with love, When they meet this gift I want to send, straight from Heaven above. Tikira 2013 I know Tippy will be bouncing around like the "Crazy dog" he was when he can finally see his Mum smile again. so we are waiting for his sign to us.

Great news Lisa, I am so happy to hear a happy outcome. Di

Thanks everyone. Snake Catcher- It looks like your boy was worth every cent of the money you spent,how happy is he to be alive.... I would give anything for my boy to be back if I could have. Bubitty, I can only imagine the comments you get- some people really don't understand, do they? Cheers all Di

Have you ever been told "it's only a dog" or felt non doggy people were thinking that? I have felt this, and penned this poem in reply. I am sure lots of animal lovers will agree with my thoughts. I recognise for many there is a difference, but I wonder how big that difference really is? I am sure it depends on each person and their individual circumstances. I just wish people in the wider community understood the bond we share with our pets. A Bundle of Unconditional Love “Don’t be sad, he’s only a dog, you can replace him, get another one” I wouldn’t think to say that to you, if you had lost a daughter or a son! Think carefully, is there really any difference between the love we knew? Except our family member had four legs, and yours have only two. We were terrified that first day, as we bought our tiny bundle home, We had dreams, but no idea what the future held, no clue of trials to come, We agonised over what to call him, just like you did I am sure, Wondered when to get his shots, those jabs hurt me to the core. We had “play dates”, sleepovers, and we educated him at school, We were proud when he graduated; it proved he was no fool. We sat up with him for hours on end when his temperature was not right, We had his vet on speed-dial, in case his condition worsened overnight, We were embarrassed when he misbehaved and thrilled when he acted well, We gave him treats, and sometimes time-outs when our high standards fell. We taught him right from wrong, and to participate in the wider world, Scared when we thought we lost him, relieved to find him in his bed all curled. We taught him not to back chat, a hard lesson for a dog to learn But we persevered - and eventually, we saw his behaviour turn. We played with him until we were exhausted and could take no more, Then had to put up with sad eyes and tantrums, as “sad sack” hit the floor. Is there anything you have done for your children that we did not do? Are there any thoughts or feelings you had that we really never knew? Just like a child a dog is a special gift, entrusted by the Lord above, And I wish one day that everyone will know a puppy’s unconditional love. Di Hoppe 2013 Enjoy Di