Wobbly

Eventually she will, but it can take a long time (like 30 minutes or more). What she REALLY wants is for me to play tug with the frisbee. She loves that most, but I can't get the frisbee off her - she's too strong, so it just becomes a battle of wills, she won't let go, I won't let go, I get bored more quickly with than she does, so she "wins" by default. For this reason I don't play tug with the frisbee with her anymore, I don't want her to "win" such a precious resource so much. Initially I did though - when I was working to build the frisbee love I would let her "win" all the time. Now we only play tug with stuff I can get off her more easily, balls are actually very good for this I find. The bigness of them means she can't get as firm clamp on them as with a frisbee. So I usually "win" quickly, she knows I'm "letting" her hold on, rather than it being an equal contest, if that makes sense. We also use one of those rope tug toys that we play fetch with as well (like the balls she has free access to these in the house, so they are not super high value like the frisbee is.) Rereading that, it sounds like the problem is perhaps that it's too much like our tug is a competitive contest? But since I don't have "out" I guess "winning" is the only possible outcome. Could that be contributing to the problem? It should be more a collaborative game I think? So she will bring the frisbee to me hoping to goad me into a game of tug. If I won't play tug she will sit in from of me & chew it (I get them in packs of 10, they don't last that long). If I walk off she will walk with me carrying the frisbee, eventually she'll drop it to go and smell something long enough for me to get it from her (she hasn't forgotten about it though, she just forgets I'm hovering, waiting to snatch it up when she drops it, she'll come back to get it once she's done with her sniffing so I have to be quick.) :laugh: If she's on the leash and can't go off sniffing, she never gets bored of carrying it, she seems very proud of carrying it around. Normally what happens is this: -We are walking in our off leash spot and someone brings in another dog, or on their dirt bikes or something (she likes to chase motorbikes in our walk spot, interestingly she has no interest in them in other contexts, it's specifically only there she wants to chase them). -I pull out the frisbee, throw it into the middle of the dam, she swims out to grab it. -She brings it back to me delighted with herself -She realises I'm not playing tug, so she lies down and proceeds to chew -If she's calm I will get out a treat and hold it far enough away that it gives me a chance to get the frisbee quickly while she's busy going for the treat. This is becoming less and less effective. -alternatively i will bring out the other frisbee and tease her with that and when she goes to get that, I grab HER frisbee & I keep the other one. :laugh: -I have a few other tricks I use to get it off her too: If I can cover the whole frisbee with my hands (and even feet) while she's repositioning her bite on it then I can get it too. -Also with the fabric frisbee I can progressively squish it in my hands making the bite surface ever smaller till eventually she has no spot on it to bite. -Also she doesn't like sand in her mouth, so getting the frisbee off is easy if I make the frisbee sandy and keep her excitement level low enough that she notices the sand in her mouth. NO tug, because that's the most exciting thing, and she won't notice sand, or food or anything else except the game. Letting her walk around with the frisbee for a bit usually works, she goes "eww sandy", and spits it out and is reluctant to rebite. Part of the reason for swimming tug, apart from the fact she loves swimming, and it tires her out, is rinsing the sand off it. It's why we're all about swim fetch really. I hope I'm making sense! I'm trying to describe all the stuff that's maybe important properly. Oh thank god you said that, it's not just me! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I thought I best be honest. XD I see little kids playing fetch with their dogs and I wonder why is that your average 11 year old can teach their dog the rules of fetch so easily and I can't? The other stuff I got right MUST be sheer fluke. :laugh: I sort of know that in theory, but I'm unsure exactly how to go about it in practice. I think it's lack of a solid plan that has stopped me, I really need to develop one. OK how does this sound to start - Normally when we play fetch with the ball, once I lose interest in playing, and she realises I won't play anymore, she will drop the ball. OK so next time that happens, I say "Good!" ("Good" is our TOT marker - I haven't been consistent enough with marking to be honest, but she does understand that "Good" said in that tone of voice I use for TOT means "treats incoming".) so she will learn to see dropping the ball as a way to make me give her treats. Then I can start the game up again and repeat the process? Does that sound like a good start? I add the "Out" command once we've developed a rhythm with this just as she is dropping the ball so she gets the association right? Will that work do you think? I can't believe I've left it this long to train this. Better late than never I guess.

I messed up. I'm not sure how badly, quite badly I think. I'm not sure how to fix this, or even if it is fixable. I decided I needed a really reliable recall, and the best way to do it was with a tug toy/frisbee. So I really worked on making my dog frisbee obsessed, I was more successful with this than I had bargained for. :laugh: So the good thing is, the frisbee is the best thing in the whole world, more interesting than any cat/possum/other dog etc could ever be. It's great for recall. Any frisbee will do the job, no matter the colour or material (I do prefer fabric or rubber though). I like this bit about what I've done. If I need an emergency recall and I'm competing with something super interesting I just call "Frisbee" and she comes running to me so I can put the leash on, then give her the frisbee for a reward. If she's holding the frisbee she has no interest in other dogs or cats or anything else, and trots happily by my side, frisbee proudly in her mouth. So that is great and I want to preserve that. But the bad part is, I'm not a dog behaviourist, in fact I'm pretty clueless really (I get by on dumb luck mostly I think), so I didn't go about it the right way..... I was so concerned with building up drive, and making her love tug o war and frisbee fetch, that I left out that very, very important bit about giving me the frisbee back. When I first started to teach her to tug, she was hesitant so I figured I'd build the drive first and work on the finer points like "out", later. Which I now know was a huge mistake - 20/20 hindsight. "Out" should have been amongst the first and foremost things I taught, I realise now. Alas the damage is done, I have absolutely nothing in the way of "out". So it's not too terrible, I can get the frisbee off her using a combination of stealth and subterfuge. I mostly use 2 frisbees for a bait & switch or if she's not too excited I can distract her with treats & get the frisbee off her while she's busy taking the treat. She's wise to this last trick though, it used to work great, but as time progresses it's becoming less and less effective, the frisbee is worth way more than the food to her, and the gap seems to be widening. it's not an awful situation, my bait & switch technique with 2 frisbees is pretty good, but it would be MUCH, MUCH nicer if I could just command her to give it to me & she did. You know, like every other normal dog does as a matter of course. :laugh: I think I have to get her to see that giving me the frisbee is good because it means I will throw the frisbee/play tug with her as a reward for giving it too me. Would that be the correct way to see it? I'm not sure how to go about about teaching her that. She likes balls too, but because she has free access to balls at home they aren't so high value, she will happily chase them and retrieve them though, and we have a lot of fun playing fetch with them in the lounge room most evenings. I have to take the ball off her though, she won't give it to me ofc. But maybe I could use a ball as a start? She will drop the ball if I don't continue playing, so that is probably an angle I can use. She is food driven, food is more interesting than balls, another potential angle to use? But I'm not really sure how to begin, or whether if it worked it would transfer to frisbees anyway. I know, I messed up. My dog doesn't do "out", Mea Culpa. Can I rehabilitate the mess I've made here? Any suggestions or advice would be very welcome.

My husband and I have a recall game. We both get a good handful of treats and stand a good distance away from each other (maybe 30 - 40 metres) he calls her and she runs to him for a treat, I call her so she runs to me for a treat, back and forth back and forth. We still do it these days, even though she has fantastic recall now because it's a great way of burning off her excess energy. She LOVES food, so she runs as fast as she can between us to get her treats. It's great because it tires her out and reinforces the recall. A lot of the time my husband won't come on walks, but she knows the game so well we can do it alone - I call her and she comes to me for treats, then I point to where he normally stands and she runs over there so I can call her back for more treats. And so on. She's very well conditioned to come when she's called by sheer force of repetition with it. If I'm competing with something really interesting for attention (a cat or another dog or something, though I rarely come across either of these when we're off leash) food isn't as interesting so I have to pull out my secret weapon - the frisbee, which is far more interesting than anything else in the world. But it's still the same game - come when you're called. We started doing it in the house when we first got her to teach her recall, now it's one of her favourite games (anything that involves food is a favourite game for her XD). It's funny, when i was a little kid, my dogs would ALWAYS come when they were called - it was just a given natural law - dogs always come when they're called. As an adult I realise why that is - when I was a kid and I called my dogs I was ALWAYS calling them because I wanted to play with them - chasies, tug o war, wrestling etc - kids who love to play with dogs are really fun for dogs, so dog will always come when called to see what excitement is in the offing. IDk there might be better ways, but making recall a game is what works for me. EDIT - and rereading your post I have totally not answered the question! :laugh: I'd say the game aspect is still relevant, you could try keeping him engaged with you when he's off leash - throw balls and frisbees for him the whole time he is off leash? That way his attention will never waver from you.

Yeah Megan, finding a place to exercise could be a problem, depending on where R8chel lives. I was lucky to be able to find a place near me that was perfect (that said I didn't have to worry about my girl being aggressive toward people, only other dogs). R8chel, there is a very interesting thread on this forum that deals with the exercising of dogs with aggressive tendencies. One of the things I've realised from this thread is that sometimes it's NOT the owners fault the dog is so difficult. All the owners in that thread are dedicated, they put in the time, research and the effort to do the best for their dogs. The fact is that dogs are individuals and sometimes it's not the owners fault (ofc sometimes it is) the dog may simply have bad genetics, it may have had a bad experience that warped it's psychology - sometimes accidents happen, we can't control everything in life. Anyway, you might find some useful ideas and conversation there - I'm particularly interested in some of the training methods like BAT & LAT people use in this thread. It may be a good thread for you to find helpful practical solutions to some of your problems, appropriate training programs and discussions with people who are understanding of your predicament. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/232274-exercising-reactive-dogs-thread/ In fact that entire Training subforum is a great section to read, so many interesting discussions about dog training there. There are also a few very good behaviourists and trainers who post there too, and they regularly give very good advice to people. http://www.dolforums.com.au/forum/9-training-obedience-dog-sports/ And of course that forum section is home to the absolutely amazing Triangle of Temptation thread, which I'll link again because IMO you can never link it too often. It's such an easy to do training program that produces outstanding results. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/64101-triangle-of-temptation/ I would urge you to look beyond the people here who are criticising you in this thread, and take into account that there is a community here that can be very helpful. There is the odd prickly personality or two and disagreements will happen - but they happen in every community, both online and offline. Overall though, the discussions and information you can get here can really make all the difference to the way you approach your dog's issues, and help you end up with a great dog that you're proud to own. The amount of knowledge about dogs in general, and my own dog I've gotten from this forum is huge, and I'm profoundly grateful for it. I do hope you will continue to post here and let us know how your appointment with the behaviourist goes and how things are progressing. Will you see Jane Harper? It's actually pretty exciting to get the opportunity to work with an expert professional behaviourist, it's a really fantastic opportunity to learn about dog behaviour and psychology from the best in the field. It's worth every penny when you can get a really good training and behaviour expert to teach you the ropes. Good luck and keep us posted!

Wasn't that a labrador which went ballistic last year and attacked its owners ? Or was that a Golden Retriever. Labradors and Retrievers were always higher on the bite stat lists than APBT - before the bans, obviously, and now. There was a fatal attack on a child by a Lab x Golden in South Carolina in April of this year. I'm not going to link it because I don't think it's correct to single out any breed. The problem is with individual dogs (or more correctly that individual dog's owner). Labs & Goldens are only high on the bite stats list because they're such popular pets, given the huge population of both breeds there's bound to be more attacks by them. If the size of the labrador & golden retriever population were controlled for, then statistically they'd be no more or less dangerous than ANY other breed. Fundamentally a dog is a dog is a dog. They all have teeth, they can all bite and if any breed turns on a child, it can all too easily and often be fatal.

Here's some contacts for good behaviourists, it's important to find a good one, there are some terrible ones out there who will waste your money & perhaps even make the problem worse, so you really need to make sure you get a good one. Sydney (Blue Mountains) Steve Courtney - http://k9pro.com.au/services/services/behaviour-consultation/ Brisbane - Jane Harper - http://www.dogsontrack.com.au/index.htm Victoria - Tamara Jackson - http://www.underdogtraining.com.au/index.html In the interim, use this training program for feeding, it really is gold, it should help you, although is not a substitute for professional advice for an aggressive dog: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/64101-triangle-of-temptation/

I have one of these, they can be incredibly unruly adolescents, the amount of times I could have throttled my dog when she was a teen - she was so incredibly hyper. I don't think you can reasonably expect to get away with less than 2 hours HARD exercise every day. Not a casual walk, it has to be a serious fast paced, frisbee throwing, ball throwing, swimming workout. At least that's how I handled it, I also saw a behaviourist, I didn't have aggression issues with my dog, she was always sweet as pie temperament wise, but the hyperactivity, lack of focus and tendency to get so over excited she seemed out of her mind at times, made her a really tough teen to manage. They are the best dogs in the world once they mature and settle down, but you really have to put a lot of time and effort (and did I mention massive amounts of exercise?) into getting them there. The aggression issue is a real worry, it's not normal temperament for a Pit, please do see a reputable behaviourist. If he concludes the problem is brain damage or poor temperament, you may have to consider putting him to sleep, these dogs are so strong, and so determined, when they go bad it can have tragic results. Perhaps if you tell us what state/area you're in someone can reccommend someone? I saw Steve Courtenay near Sydney, he trains police dogs. He's not cheap, but very good value, I'm glad I saw him. I have a good dog now, and I think his advice made all the difference in the world. She's such a lovely dog now, sometimes it's hard to reconcile the great house pet she is now with the wild animal she was just a few years ago. Yes, pig hunting. He knows what my dog is like he would be a pet to him not a working dog If the guy is genuinely a keen pig hunter and experienced with hunting dogs, this sounds like a good idea. The dog will love it, he sounds like he's dying to burn up all that excess energy with some hard work like that. See a behaviourist first though, you don't want to pass on a dog who is brain damaged or flat out has a poor temperament to your friend. Good luck! Let us know how you go.

I keep thinking some sort of Spitz with those great big radar ears and the way they're set, but he just doesn't seem hirsute enough.

Heheh Weasels. You got me good. I'm totally drawing a blank on Teddybear dog Rozzie, and my awesome google images martial arts skills are failing me too. If I had to guess for a microchip I'd probably say ACD cross, but I don't think that really qualifies as a rare breed.

Tricksy! XD

Canaan has a curly tail I think? I still go with Swiss Shep.

Swiss Shepard weasels?

Oh I am going to try to make this. Shame they don't want the dogs there too, a big gathering of bully breed lovers, so many potential pats and ear scratches - my dog would be in seventh heaven at it.

And the big problem of course is that the owner has become so attached to the dog, it's unlikely they could bear to put the animal down, even if intellectually they may know that's the most sensible option. They desperately want to be the saviour of the dog they've come to love, and can't countenance the possibility that may be impossible. Another reality too, that's perhaps not so clear to people with more dog knowledge and experience, is the average person with little experience who wants a rescue dog will probably fall for the 1st dog that they're introduced too, no matter how unsuitable that dog is for them. All the best intentions of getting a suitable dog will be swept away by the first set of melting brown eyes we see. I know that's absolutely true because it happened to me. Lucky for me the first dog I met (at the pound) didn't have any real deep seated issues. If she had been fearful it would have tugged at the heart strings even harder and made me even more determined to give her a home and try to rehabilitate her. I would have thought: "Hey I had family dogs when I was a kid! I love dogs, I have a real rapport with them! of course I MUST help this dog!", and really believed that, I wouldn't have realised until too late that I completely lacked the skills to provide adequate, effective help. My friend's brother had the most awful new pet ownership experience I've ever seen (i've seen a few pet acquisitons go really bad, and I'm just an average joe, I can only imagine what professional trainers and behaviourists must see). The dog was a huge entire male Rotti, I saw him go from sweet as pie to snarling maniac in a heartbeat (resource guarding) and it was terrifying. He gave the dog away eventually, he had to, the problem escalated, none of us even knew dog behaviourists existed. He gave the dog to someone who said they could cope with it, without knowing how to check if that was true. And that is a fate probably all too common for problem dogs, owners think they can manage at first, realise they can't and so pass the problem on to someone equally ill-equipped. Awful for everyone involved, most of all for the dog itself. When it comes down to it, we (average clueless prospective rescue dog owners) decide to get a dog because we want a happy, healthy dog to share our lives with - what we want is an already well adjusted dog, or a dog that is within our power to help to become become well-adjusted. We want to save a dog's life, and we seek to add value to our own lives with that choice. When prospective owners fall for a dog that has truly serious issues, they usually don't know what it is they're really signing up for. They don't realise that perhaps they never will be able to enjoy those long walks with the dog they dreamed of, or many of the other normal activities that most people take for granted with their dogs. So with that in mind it really IS up to rescues, who have more experience and thus better judgement, to save prospective dog owners from the folly of their own ignorance. And no matter how much we, the prospective dog owners try to convince you we can truly help that fearful problem dog we just fell in love with, just because we believe it so vehemently, doesn't make it true, and rescuers need to be really aware of that. Make sure the dog you let them fall for is within their capacity to manage, for everyone's sake. If you must save a real problem dog, realise that the best outcome is probably a foster failure - you can't pass a serious problem like that onto someone else, it's unfair to all involved, most of all the dog itself, who may face being rehomed again and again. The irony of this thread though is that it's directed at people who likely won't ever see it. On the whole DoL rescuers will probably be aware of all this anyway, because they read the forums and have seen the new dog owners who sign up to make "HELP" posts. You post, compare notes, give eachother reality checks and share the heartbreaking stories when it goes wrong. It's the rescuers that don't post or read here and inform themselves of the aftermath, that are probably the ones who need to read this thread but never will.

Quite terrifying, depending on the sizes of the dogs and how scared they are. I find it particularly disturbing when Bully breeds are adopted out like that, it's the very last thing we need in the current BSL climate. So awful for the owners too, who most likely adopted the dogs with visions of enjoying long walks/runs with a their new companion, only to find leaving the house with the dog is a terrifying ordeal. At least they have found their way to you, that's a good start, I hope you can get a good outcome for these dogs and their owners. Here is a link to the "Exercising Reactive Dogs" thread so people can access it easily. It starts off positively enough, but reading on and seeing the problems these owners face is just heartbreaking. They love their dogs so much, but unfortunately love just isn't enough sometimes. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/232274-exercising-reactive-dogs-thread/

I am being realistic. In this case that translates to being harsh.

Because you are, as you've stated, a non permanent resident. That means at some point, you will have to leave Australia. What happens to the dog then? How can they ensure you will honour your agreement? They can't. The only sure thing from their point of view is that you will be leaving the country, so it's a sensible decision they've made in light of that fact. Personally I agree with the RSPCA's decision on this. I don't see why you refuse to accept their perspective, it's the most sensible decision in terms of the dog's welfare. What is so hard to understand about the fact they don't want to risk you abandoning the dog when you inevitably go home. What if you are called home to an emergency or family issue? What happens to the dog then? Do you even care enough about what happens to the dog to consider what could go wrong here? You are being incredibly selfish, one track minded and shortsighted. Reading your posts makes me hope that if the RSPCA doesn't have an official policy regarding not giving dogs to non-permanent residents, they develop one ASAP. Lots of other good options suggested in the thread, try building a rapport with a rescue organisation, a smaller organisation can assess your individual situation better than a large bureaucratic-laden organisation like the RSPCA can.

I'm an average pet owner so I can only give that perspective. I've seen the flack you've copped SAS, and IMO you are doing the right thing, the only responsible thing you can do considering the strength and size of your breed. There are so many good, sound dogs who need help and inevitably many of them (most of them in some areas) will be pts. It makes no sense to choose to rescue the unsound dogs while so many sound ones are pts for lack of people to help them. If you want to see the aftermath of rehoming an unsound dog, have a look at the "Exercising reactive dogs" thread in the training forum here - so much heartache for the owners of these dogs. And those are the unstable dogs lucky enough to have really good, caring responsible owners. Even if you rehome a problem dog to a good home, family illnesses or other crises can change people's capacity to look after a dog, especially a special needs dog. There are unforseeable circumstances that can force someone to give their dog away. Imagine what those unstable dogs would be like in less responsible homes (and most homes probably are too irresponsible for dogs like that). And remeber there is a possibility the dog you rehome to one home may end up in another at some point. Is it worth risking? IMO no. On the other hand, there are dogs who might unfairly be labelled "problems". I know my dog might have been one of these. Her issues stemmed from not having had a good stable home from puppyhood - she had been a stray and then endured the pound for over a month, she was unsocialised with dogs and people, and had learnt pushy, nippy behaviours. She did show mild emerging dog aggression, but it wasn't fear or anxiety triggered aggression, it was just normal Amstaff behaviour, so it was easily managed with good quality professional advice, even for an average, clueless dog owner like myself. Our dog trainer at the obedience class today even complimented her dog-dog greeting manners! It took a fair bit of time and effort to make her a good dog, but it was always a foregone conclusion she WOULD be fine with a bit of help because her fundamental temperament was always stable - there was no fear or anxiety or resource guarding or anything else that spoke of an unstable temperament. So I guess what I am saying is there are some behaviours that aren't going to present a risk, even if they might look a bit worrisome at first glance - dogs who just just may have had a bad start and learnt some bad behaviours, but show no anxiety or fear. With a bit of professional advice these dogs can be fine with an average owner. I'd put fence jumpers in this category too, it's not a temperament problem - just a personality that needs effective containment and it's not too difficult to achieve that - I know the bully breeds in particular do well in apartments and houses, they don't need a backyard if they get sufficient walks. But there are those dogs whose problems can't be reliably rehabilitated, the excessively nervous, excessively fearful dogs who are too far gone to be rehabilitated reliably and for those dogs, heartbreaking as it may be, it's not worth the risk IMO. Let them go and instead save your valuable time and energy to help the multitudes of abandoned dogs who can be reliably rehabilitated.

I guess a large organisation like the RSPCA might not have the time and resources to make absolutely sure an non-citizen will look after the dog forever and take it overseas with them when they return home. Perhaps they have had bad experiences in the past and developed this policy in response to it. I doubt very much it's racism, a massive amount of Australians have Asian backgrounds, the vast majority of the population is profoundly grateful for the richness of culture the ethnic diversity here gives us. I'd say she's just being very careful for the dog's future welfare and doesn't want to take chances. The RSPCA are on the frontline, dealing with heartbreak on a daily basis - people betray their commitments to dogs with depressing regularity so it's no wonder staff are very, very cautious. Andrew, if I were you I'd contact rescue groups, you can speak to some here on DOL in this sub forum: http://www.dolforums.com.au/forum/13-dog-rescue-general-rescue-discussion/ Perhaps it might be more appropriate for you to temporarily foster a dog or dogs, train them up and get them ready for their forever homes, that way you get canine company, an abandoned dog gets to live in a home environment while it waits for permanent adoption and if you have to leave Australia suddenly or some other unforseen problem that makes transporting a dog back to Singapore too difficult to do, it won't matter. I've been looking at bringing my dog overseas at some point in the future, it's a total PITA, you might be better to just get a dog in Singapore and foster for rescues while you are here?

BC Crazy, I guess how you handle it is your prerogative, but personally I'd never let my dog off lead around other dogs. I haven't had an incident of my dog being aggressive toward another dog in over 4 years (her aggression wasn't fear based, so was much easier to manage). But still, even after 4 years of her approaching other dogs in a friendly appropriate manner, I'd never let her off lead with unknown dogs. I have let her off lead here and there with dogs who I know are calm and well controlled and have owners I know well and have discussed potential outcomes with, it's always gone really well because I am so careful about it. My reasoning for never letting her off lead with other dogs is this: There is still the chance she could hurt another dog. If she hurts, or even just scares a very soft dog badly, it may cause that dog to become fear aggressive toward all other dogs for the rest of it's life. I would be responsible for ruining someone else's dog, and making them go through all the difficulties and heartbreak you ladies in this thread go through. I would feel so terrible, so it's not something I would risk. Jarrah has been so good with other dogs for so many years now, but I know all that progress could be set back to square 1 in the course of 1 incident. I'd consider her to be non-DA now, I would never risk ruining that. It's just my opinion, and ofc you know your dog best, but maybe some of these points are worth considering in respect to letting your dog off lead if he has shown aggression in the past?

I have just bought a roomba - one of those little auto vacuum things - why o why did they have to make it so frisbee shaped... :laugh: I haven't introduced Jarrah to it yet, she's gonna go think it's the best chasey toy EVER. :/ I'm still deliberating about how to go about the introduction. She's calmest from about 8pm onward, so good timing will probably help, and I will make sure she's had a lot of exercise so she's tired too. Beyond that I'm thinking I will get her to do her tricks for lots of awesome treats - sausage or something really good like that - at the other end of the room when I first switch it on in her presence. Fingers crossed. Hopefully our strategies work enough that your mannequins & my little robot vacuum can survive our canine friends unscathed.

Oh yeah, I used to get half chewed marrow bones deposited in my lap, I think Jarrah's reasoning was while she can't always get me to play fetch or tug with her usual toys, surely I couldn't possibly be able to resist a game with a delicious half chewed marrow bone. :laugh: Mercifully she's finally learnt marrow bones in the house are just not acceptable, so I don't get them dumped in my lap when I'm inside anymore. XD

One of Jarrah's favourite things in the world is sneaking into the guest room and stealing hairbrushes and tooth brushes. I always warn guests - keep your bedroom door closed, but inevitably they forget and you will see a streak of Jarrah racing through the house with toothbrush or hairbrush clamped firmly within a huge triumphant grin. And she slows down when she see us paying attention - as if to say "Look what I have and you don't!" and flicks her paws up as she trots over to her crate with it to give it a thorough chewing - you know that strut where they flick their paws up when they're so just utterly delighted with themselves. XD Its the little things like this that provide her with most joy in life. :laugh: All my friends and family have loving teethmarks all over their hairbrush handles, not sure what it is about hair brushes and toothbrushes in particular but I doubt any brush has ever escaped this house unmauled. XD

OMG yes, it was absolutely hilarious, Jarrah wasn't scared though - just desperate to find these weird scentless dog spirits of the mirror and televsion so she could play with them! She was sooo excited, she kept running behind the mirror, then back to the front of it again, back and forth till finally she realised there was no dog to play with, what a huge let down, same with the television. :laugh: Gus sounds really scared though, and Cheeky Monster has another dog who I suspect probably takes all these things completely in stride, so may as well use that advantage since it's there.

OH Don't let him suffer. Euthanasia is the only area in which animal rights outstrip human rights. He has had a wonderful life with you, and given you so much, let him go while the going is still not too horrific for him. Once the pain killers stop working, let him go. He's only a dog, he can't rationalise suffering, he can't understand it, all he knows is that it hurts and he wants the pain to stop. I know we let my mum's Burmese cat suffer too long, and I will regret that forever. I wish we had gotten him euthanised before he went through that last night. Myself and my mum sat up with him all night, poor beautiful creature, far too elegant and dignified to ever have suffered through that last horrible night, I wish I had taken him to the vet earlier so he wouldn't have had to suffer like that. We took him to the vet next day and he went so peacefully, such a blessed relief, we should have taken him in days earlier. I am so sorry Mr Minx. My childhood labrador we timed right. We saw the day the pain killers for her arthritis had killed her joy in the things she loved, the morning she couldn't stand up to greet us, to eat her breakfast. It was good timing, she didn't miss a day where she wagged her tail, and she never suffered horribly. I'm going to quote Canine fun sport's post here, it is good thing to bear in mind through this, and I hope it's something I can remember in 10 years or so time when my dog's day comes: Big hugs and much love to you, please don't let your animal suffer, this is something we owe to our animals - to never let them suffer horribly because we can't let go, we have the power to alleviate their suffering, to not make them go through days of hurt. You will know. Be strong for him.