tikira

Great to hear, and as Pers says... lots of clicking. Practice is the key, and experimentation costs nothing! I can't wait to see photo's! Cheers Di

Great to hear things are working out, and we really appreciate a candid look at the pro's and cons of an additional dog, too many people gloss over the hard parts, which really gives a skewed picture of reality. In every situation here is an adjustment period, and people looking to do what you have done need to be aware of this, and know it will take time to work through the changes and to find a new "normal"... but it can be so worth the anxt! Keep updating us through this time, and tell us again in six months if you think it was worth it.... you too will say a huge YES in a heartbeat! I know this because we have had the same issues, and I am sure so has everyone else here! Cheers Di

Hi White Shepherd Mom. I just wanted to say congratulations on once again having a furry friend around the house. I know that you will be the best Foster Family to Jack, and all your experience with Casper and Bella will bubble to the top once again, and you will all settle into the new routine quickly. The advice given so far once again shows the experience and helpfulness of our DOL community. Good luck (though I know you won't need it) Cheers Di

You would never see me taking embarrassing photo's of my pooches.... I do it in secret!!! We just raided the people section of the cheap shops, and came up with this! I swear this is not my fault, it is the photographers! lol! It is a good thing Kira just sighs and says.... just do it!

Jingo's fav is the "go go" game. I ask if he wants to play, he bolts to the back door and waits for me.I stand at the sliding door and ask if he is ready.... really ready, then go, go, go. He bounds off the deck, and tears around the garden shed, and bounds back up to the back door, ready to go again! Kira waits at the Garden shed, and spins as he is bolting towards her.... repeat until batteries are flat! (usually mine!, lol)

https://www.facebook.com/White-Shepherd-Rescue-Australia-340098516060013/ This may help. Good luck Cheers Di

Yes, I agree it is the hardest thing to handle, the guilt, the haunting visions, the helplessness,everything. I will never get over my own loss, and live in terror as soon as snake season comes around. We try so hard to keep our Dogs safe, but still it happens. A friend found 4 baby snakes in town in Armidale a week or so ago. Keep safe everyone, and my condolences to Swazzies friend, and I hope her other one will be okay. Di

Jack Russells- By far the worst thing about them is their insistance that if it moves.... chase it! It is not so strong in Jingo, but Tip was bad.... rwally bad. We could not trust him off lead, as he would find something... a bunny, a bird, a cat, a rodent, a lizard, and sadly, yes, snakes!

You just have to look at Stan's handsome face to know the wealth he has bought to his family Happy Gotcha day for the 8th Stan

I am so sorry you have to go through this Ray. Rest assured, we on DOL understand exactly how you are feeling right now, just the emotional title of you post told us that. The emptiness and sadness will remain for a long time, and I know after a time some of your aquaintenances will not understand why you "are still grieving", but never us on this forum. Grieve as long,as hard and loud, and in whichever way feels best to you, there is no set way, or time. I surrounded myself with photo's and wrote down everything I felt and all that I remembered, I was terrified of forgetting my boy, but three years later, sometimes I just dissolve in uncontollable tears, and then wallow in the memories for a time, and still recall random things about Tip that I also write down. What I can tell you is slowly the happy memories start to sneak into your brain, and one day you will think of Greta and smile about her life, rather than cry about her passing. She was loved above all else, and she passed away in the place that she loved above all else, in the arms of her family, as she deserved. Keep posting about your girl, it really does help. We are there in this virtual way for you. Hugs to you and your family at this incredibly sad time Di

Jingo and my afternoon ritual is to have a nap together, so as soon as I turn off the computer they both rush to the baby gate and wait. Once I am snuggled in, he slides down beside my back, nosing the blankets to get to my feet. Then when it is time to wake up, he crawls halfway up my back and stretches out for another 5 minutes, then it is on.... he bounces, jumps, smothers me, sniffs ears, noses eyes, and woo-woo's at me until I get up! So I get a hot water bottle, a snooze alarm, and then a full on siren!

Jingo is a dag! Fullstop! :D Why, well a million reasons but one is he has decided that going out the laundry door instead of the back door or his doggy door is the best thing ever, obviously a whole different garden ou there (it isn't. He rushes there whenever I go into the laundry, waits to be let out, tears around through the dog door and waits again at the laundry door. Easy exercise :)

These are Jingo with his "sister" Kira, and with his best buddy, Big Barney

We had a very active Jack Russell when we got our Border Collie. They loved each other and played really well together. The Jack Russell dominated our Border for a while, until Kira grew, and they rumbled equally. It was a perfect match.Tip's best friends were a German Shepherd, a white Shepherd, two goldens, a Bernese Mountain dog and a Husky (all at once, but he had an extroadinary personality, and really considered himself a big dog! Then Tip passed away from snakebite, and we agonised over this decision.... should we go another Jack Russell? Kira does give "the Collie Eye", and can be grumbly with other dogs of any size. We knew our girl, and trusted she would be good with another small dog and decided to get Jingo. We chose him specifically as he had spent his first 8 weeks with big dogs, and respected them, but was not afraid. The first two weeks were bad, and they were separated unless supervised, but one day Kira remembered how to play, and they do zoomies together, chase each other and rumble (gently on Kira's end, crazily on Jingo's part)Jingo's other best friend is a huge dog, who could snap him in two easily, but plays so gently with little dogs, it is sweet to see. So it depends on the dogs! Yes, it can work if you know your Lab really well. I suggest you think this over long and hard, before making a decision. The important thing is to keep your dogs safe, so if it works for you, maybe see how your dog interacts with little dogs. Also work closely with the breeder, they will have a good idea about their litters personalities. We do not separate them, and have not after those first two weeks. We are definitely sold on one big, one small, it works for us. I hope this helps Cheers Di

Kira, our Border Collie, fades into the sofa, and snoozes in the face of the crazy Jingo Jack Russell demanding to be on my lap, fed, etc. Kira patiently watches, and when Jingo gets a treat, simply waits for me to walk over to her and hand feed her hers. She is such an easy going girl that I need to constantly be aware I must interact with her. She is happy to be within 3 feet of me! and between Tip passing away,and Jingo arriving, Kira did not change her personality at all,even given the extra attention she got, so it is her choice! The combination of two personalitiies suits us all,

It is hard to believe it has been two years since Tip left me, but I still tear up when I speak of him.... except in my (very vivid) dreams Keep chasing those rabbits, and please, never stop visiting me in the still of the pre dawn.... I wait for those times with excitement! Di

My thoughs are with you on two years without your girl. They really do leave pawmarks on your heart, and two years sometimes feels like forever, sometimes like a blink of an eye. Two years ago on the 8th March, I had no idea I had just 6 more days with my boy. I understand how hard it will be on every anniversary. Di

Great to hear you have a great outcome, I think a lot of people here on DOL are very happy to hear the result. I am pleased that you did not try to keep this dilemma all bottled up inside yourself, but rather laid your quandry out here, I am sure it helped you to sort things in your own mind, and Doler's like to be able to support their friends here, even if it can only be with words and virtual hugs. Yes, we do need piccies of happy dogs in what sounds like a great place. Di

Wow, how lucky are you to have "hard Rubbish" throwouts. We are in Armidale NSW, and the council simply refuse to allow this sort of thing, it would cost them too much to dispose of it and cut back on people going to the dump! However, we do make the most of it when travelling through towns that do have it. I cannot stand "throw-away" society, it saddens and angers me. Surely it is not that hard to attempt to reuse, recycle or give things away? Great haul, Kirislin. Di

Kato will always be a pup! Congratulations to the most talented trio I know, and to their "boss". The result does not surprise anyone who knows this team! Di

Sad to hear nothing has worked.... so make it a feature, lol!. Get lots of oil and let the dogs go crazy, who knows it may become a new fashion, and Puck may become the next Pro Hart ? I hope that someone can come up with a solution.

I didn't think Jingo was a woos dog but.... this afternoon he showed this side. We play the go-go game, where I raz the dogs up asking if they are ready, then opening the back door. They tear out to the tree and bark at the birds, usually. This afternoon Jingo belted outside, and I swear he did a 180 degree turn in mid air...it was raining!. He took one almighty leap back onto the deck, and then inched along it's length, sticking his nose out every few steps. Nope, wet there too! so he retreated to the lounge!Toilet will need to wait. I am loving this thread, we seem to all have quirky companions, and isn't it great! Di

Tip definitely comes to me in dreams. I cherish those moments.

awww, now I need my own pudding.... wait Wayne loves pudding, perhaps if I am ambiguous with him I can get my very own choccky pudding just like this one! :laugh:

Vicks worked for us, but beware you might never get a cuddle again when you have a cold, lol!