Rascalmyshadow

I have been on the forums long enough to see nasty posts directed at cats by dog people. If the cat has been traumatised by kids in the past it's no wonder it is behaving this way, it is not common for cats to go out of their way to attack people so something isn't right. No animal should be allowed to be a danger but how about considering it from the animals side of things but I guess that's too hard for some people.

On short/smooth coated dogs I prefer blue brindle or tiger brindle. On long haired dogs my favourite is any shade of red to fawn with black tips.

Has anyone ever thought since the cat lives near a school maybe it has been terrorised by kids in the past? Amazes me how many dog people think its ok to be cruel to cats. Do the right thing and call the council it's not the poor cats fault.

I wasn't implying all pedigrees are bad but just that there is no guarantee either way. I work with dogs every day, I have owned a few pedigrees and we have rehomed a lot of rescues over the years. I also have two kids and most weekends have between 5 - 7 kids at the house so far the mutts have been the best with the kids. I also found my purebreds cost me a lot more in vet bills. I think one of each is the best way to go. I don't mean to offend any breeders but I am yet to see the advantages of spending a fortune on a pedigree.

Fostering for a reputable rescue group while waiting for your puppy would be a great way to find your perfect dog without having to commit if it isn't suitable. Almost all of the dogs we have rescued in the past have been given up because they were incompatible with their owners. We have matched them up to suitable homes and so far only one didn't work out, he went on to another home and fitted in beautifully. I personally think if you have the time and patience it is more rewarding seeing progress in a rescue dog than a purchased puppy. It is also far from true that you will get a perfectly suitable dog just because it comes from a registered breeder. I had my dream dog PTS about 18 months ago it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. We did all our research,went to a good breeder,paid over $1000, took her to training etc did as much as we could to try and socialise her but even after all that her temperament was so bad in the end after 6 1/2 years we couldn't manage her any longer and due to her fear aggression she couldn't be rehomed. After having such a traumatic experience we decided to go back to owning mutts, I still have 1old purebred poodle but the younger 3 are all cross breeds and they all have wonderful temperaments.

I have just finished taking my tree down.lol it lasted about two weeks before half the decorations were chewed, the cable to the lights was eaten through and the boys thought it was a great spot to cock their legs if the back door was shut.

I'm in Melbourne and there is no way I would pay that amount if it is just a clean with no extractions or bloods especially when many vets get the nurses to do it and they just check it over. The vet I used to work at charges somewhere between 400-500. My 13 year old cat had his teeth done about 3 weeks ago, he had bloods but no extractions, he weighs 6kg and it was around $240 I would have been happy to pay up to $350

We have had a multi dog and cat household for my entire life without too much issues,the only exception being a GSD we had as kids that was safe with adult cats but not kittens. At the moment we have four of each, the oldest being 13 years and the youngest about 10 months and they are always together but there are areas the cats can go that the dogs can't get to.

We have had our 4 dogs on black hawk and I am not impressed, my old poodle has dandruff for the first time in her life and all the dogs coats are drier than normal. Two of the four now refuse to eat it. I also tried a sample of the cat food and not one of our four cats would touch it. Complete waste if money we will be going back to the Purina small breed from the supermarket.

Queen size bed, I have my OH, 4 small dogs weight combined is around 22kg and most nights our 2 boy cats which are 6kg each. Also my 5 year old daughter has a tendency to sneak in during the night. I wonder why i need to see my Chiro every 3 weeks lol.

I would be considering the food as a possible problem, we had the same thing happen with 3 of our 4 dogs we had put them on to black hawk dry food thinking it was a great product and they all started to scratch and chew themselves. At first I thought it was fleas or mites and spent a fortune on products until I worked out when it all started. We stopped the food and within a fortnight they all stopped scratching. Just incase it's not the food I would stop using frontline ( the stuff is useless) and use either revolution or advantage. I would also advise bathing in PAW nutriderm replenishing shampoo and conditioner, it's a great product and so far has worked great for one of my own dogs and also many sensitive grooming customers.

This is a discussion I would normally stay out of but I do not agree that better dogs come from registered breeders, nor do they come with less health problems. We have had quite a few purebreds over the years, mostly poodles but also a couple of other breeds. Through that time the cost of vet bills was through the roof, so much so that I would be lucky to have my vet account to zero for more than a couple of months. We have lost 3 different breed pedigree dogs (all from well known breeders) before the age of 2. 1 to severe hip dysplasia, 1 to meningitis and 1 to renal failure. Last year my beautiful pedigree standard poodle was PTS at age 7 because of severe fear aggression that we with styled with for most of her life, that is something I will never get over. Due to having so many bad experiences we now have our old purebred poodle and the other three are all byb crosses. They all have beautiful temperaments and my vet bills have dropped dramatically. I have also done a lot of poodle rescue over they years and the worst one was a registered breeder that is still breeding, anyone in the poodle world will know who she is. I took on four of her dogs all in appalling condition, her propery is a standard block in suburbia and she had approximately 50 poodles maybe more. I might sound like I'm against all registered breeders but I'm not, I just think there is many that are no better than puppy farms and there are byb's like that also, but there are some great ethical registered and byb's breeders. I think we need to be concentrating more on puppy farms and pet stores and not the pet owners that have a litter and do mostly the right thing, there will always be a market for x breeds they all deserve wonderful homes.

I think your reaction has been unfair and rude to people who are probably just trying to be friendly. My oldest is a black mini poodle ( a very long lived breed) she turned 11 earlier this year, we always call her our old girl. People often think she's a young dog even though she's going grey, she's full of arthritis and she has PRA so has lost a lot of her eyesight. Out in public in the daytime you would never know, she bounces around like a young dog but in the evening she gets stiff and sore same first thing in the morning. This is when we realise she really is old, even of she lives to 15 or over.

I have had 3 children and always had a multi dog house, on top of fostering rescue dogs and grooming dogs for a living with taking very little time off before and after pregnancy. I had days where I wanted to strangle my dogs because all they seemed to do was add a lot of extra work. I also didn't like the mess they would make but it was just sleep deprivation and hormones causing havoc. Having children is the most emotionally and physically draining thing a person can go through, your wife's behaviour is not a choice and it should pass once bub is a little older and less demanding. If you can try to do as much for them as possible and make sure they are not creating more work for her. She sounds very overwhelmed try having a chat to her about it. Keep a watch to make sure she's not suffering from post natal depression.

We live in Seaford which comes under frankston council. We had a 5 dog permit for years we have now dropped it to 3. The permit was quite easy to get you need signatures from your surrounding neighbours, they send a ranger to inspect the property and you pay your fee. They will keep the permit going as long as there are no complaints, dogs on the permit can be changed without much hassle as long as the breed doesn't differ too much. Frankston CBD is a no dog zone but the rest of the areas are quite dog friendly. We have 5 off leash areas within walking distance from our house.

Using clip on combs is far easier and safer than using a metal blade. A Laube 2 comb is only a fraction longer than an Oster metal 4 and will go through most small knots with a much nicer finish. A 10 blade can be used under the comb then can also be used under the belly and armpits. Why would anyone recommend a novice to use blades as dangerous as a 5 or 7.

I would recommend Andis clippers, Wahl are harder to handle, they don't last as long and don't leave as nicer finish. Start off by using blocking blades (plastic combs) over a 30 or 40 blade, a Laube no.2 would be ideal. Once your confident you can go to a metal 4 or 5 blade.

The people that say they don't condition because it softens the coat etc what about the conditioners that are designed not to change the coat texture. I use these on poodles, terriers etc with great results

I condition all my dogs with every bath, I also do the same with my grooming clients dogs. I have a few different conditioners to suit every kind of coat. That includes the poodles. I find it makes the coats easier to manage, leaves a nicer finish and helps repel dirt ect between grooms.

Bugger we are about to try our boy on Valium to see if we can get him riding in the back, maybe that's worth a try.

One of our dogs gets horribly car sick, it was the main reason his original owners no longer wanted him. We have found if he rides in the front he's ok but as soon as he's in the back he vomits.

I have heard good things from other dog owners but I think they are over priced.

Bump Bump

dianed: Sounds like a possible option can you let me know asap. Christina:I should be able to get more info on the cats tomorrow when I get to work, all the animals have had their vetwork done at my clinic. Are there many cornish breeders in WA?

Sorry for lack of details, Bogart is a black mini, he is 13years old but he acts a lot younger, anyone that meets him would probably assume he is no more than 8 years. Kirty thankyou so much if no rescue group can help I will give you a call. There are also 2 cornish rex cats aprox. 4 years old, brother and sister. They are currently in a cattery and also have no where to go. They have also had all vet work done.