OSoSwift

There is rehoming with careful consideration to the right home for the dog then there is getting rid of the dog to the first person who shows up and then it's not your problem. If there was a case of a dog who had been a really big aprt of a person's life but had known issues especially with children I would prefer that dog be rehomed with due consideration or euthed. There is no point holding onto the dog just because and it having it's life turned upside down and barely interacting with it's family once a baby is there. When I ahd kids I had dogs who did spend a vast majority of their time outside so whilst I did chang things to reduce lengths or walks and did them at irregular times it wasn't as much as a change for them. And yes dogs can live lostly outside and still have very enriched full lives.

Recently I was talking to someone who's dog I board. They said it was fantastic I was here now as they didnt have to go to their other kennel 4 hours awsy. When they told me the name I tried not to grimace and said oh okay, just be a bit careful with your boy there, especially as he is getting older. She said oh why because he has lost some dogs, yes he told us that. Lost dogs to escaping and being killed, not to mention injured. They still think the facility is great because he is on acerage like at home. I am on acerage but they do not free range. I dont know how you can ne told a business has lost dogs and still happuly take your dog there. I just couldn't do it.

And people wonder why I do not run dogs from different families together. There is no way a Cav should be in with a Stafford or any of those other large dogs. I have broken up fights between dogs from the same household - boarding can put pressure on a tenuous relationship. You just could not break up a fight with that many dogs. One of them is going to end up as this boy did. All it takes is one chomp from a larger dog and the little one is dead. I have seen that happen on many occassions when working at a vet hospital. I would not risk my boarding dogs in this way, I couldn't, they are part of my extended family and it is a big responsibilty to be looking after someones precious family member. They yrust you to keep them safe. This makes me incredibly upset. The way that dog died would have been horrendous.

I also thought artic breed as it seems with young babies they are highly represented. Your dog can be around your baby child, get used to noises etc SAFELY. This means no free access to the child, it's pram, cot or room. All dogs have the potential and merely supervising isn't enough, in the time it takes a dog to bite and severly injuryor kill a child you would barely have stood up.

For me personally I just want to get them out and about, not playing with otehr dogs/small children etc. Just seeing them and not caring. With mine I will drive say to the middle of town and carry them aroudn giving them the odd treat, but not putting them down. These days most vets use a vacc at 10 weeks that gives them immunity by 11 weeks so I would be doing that and then putting them down and getting them out. As you have two, crate in the car while it's cool and then wander around with one then the other. If you wish to have people talk to them/pat them then great most will happily oblidge. Take some super yummy treats and they can give them the odd one of those as well. I prefer to neutralise them to the environment and get them to the point odd things happen aorund them but they don't care or if they do they look to me and I become the vending machine of all things good. I don't want you to be upset so

That is the stuff the lady with the Dobe used! He is going very well

Get coats that don't need his legs threaded through and by a basket muzzle. He can pant and drink if it needs to be left on for slightly longer periods. I have never had any issues with my dogs in this resepct adn I am not sure if it is just ebcasue my personality is a stronger one and I expect certain levels of behaviour and they are pulled up very short if they do not meet those levels. I do not see myself as a pack leader but I am where all food pats and good things come from, its my house and my rules, don't like it you get put outside to thinka bout it. You growl at the dog getting ont he lounge at my invitation? you get dumped off onto your bed on the floor and stay there. Not sure if people agree with me but so far 20 odd years many dogs and of a few different breeds and we don't have issues apart from minor ones.

I know of someone recently used corn pads on a Dobe who had corns on his feet from an abnormal gait due to arthritic joints. They were very painful for him. The corn pads got them out and then she applied a foot specific cream to keep it soft and they have not come back. They were between his toes as opposed to on his pads.

As said find a breeder, develop a relationship and then you can go on their list of buyers. I think the issue is you are waiting to see pups available now and then either missing out due to thinking about it, or distance. Get onto the loop well before. Also you may well pick up a lovely young adult or retired show dog. Many of us fly our puppies and developing a relationship with the breeder prior and getting recommendations etc or seeing other pups they have sold mean that we are often happy to buy sight unseen, yes its a risk but of you take the time and do the research it can be a well calculated one. Dogs fly the length and breedth of the country every day.

Fingers crossed :) She uses corn pads but I can't rememebr what she does after that :)

I think what he does is great. A description is bad enough I do not need to see photos.

Yep I was wondering about that as well

It could well be food he has been given adn can take few weeks to properly get out of their system. I would also get his anal glands checked

I dont know her, is she on DOL? She is on FB WHippet pages. I can send you a message via FB PM Sent you a message it will be in your others folder

I was going to suggest these or baby socks.

It is rare for male dogs to suffer from incontinence. Females yes I would call it spey incontinence, but a boy.......I would be getting a second opinion

OUrs is around $60

Yes contact Jo Boyes, she has had much success treating them on a dog she had.

People can only see what is in front of them. If the dog is as skinny as is stated then I would report it. If it is under vet care then no worries, if not, dog is rescued. I would report to the rspca

Sheridan, you owned Grumpy, this will be a walk in the park :) But yes I do agree with the socilaisation v parvo risk. There are safer ways of getting them out and about, especially needed with terriers.

I do think that is being unreasonable. I agree. You shouldn't be above the rules just because you are a long term client. Just to clarify I think in this case the kennel was being unreasonable.

I am there as in we are home but not sitting in the kennel building and it is a little way away from the house. The other kennel in town is in the industrial area and has no-one onsite

Thanks AB, I think I have read your webite in my internet trawling but will go and look again. My kids are part of a Remote Car club and they race on Sunday mornings from 9 to 12. One good thing about having no opening hours on a Sunday morning is it is a day I can get up do the dogs a bit earlier and then take the kids to soccer or RC club or whatever. I also occasionally attned Equestrian club days which are also a Sunday, start 9am finish by 12. I have had people get cranky because I am not in the office at specific times they call and I am like well I don't sit there from 7 to 7 just incase someone calls!!! But yes a small business means we get to know your dogs very well there are not large numbers of staff where communication can be easily lost. It also means that we are human and cannot be there 24/7. Yes I have been asked if I sleep at the kennels, and if not who was going to be watching their dog overnightas in, in the kennel building while the dogs slept.

Well you can get buckets of warm water and towels!!!!! Just out of interest in the last two days had I done every out of hours convenience call for those that asked I would have been at the keenels on 5 occassions outside my normal hours. On the two days I actually get time to do stuff with my kids. None were an emergency, all were just because it was convienient for the owner, they wanted to leave a bit earlier or a lack of foresight and planning. I thank you all for your input

Yes I fully understand that. In the case of this afternoon they had a 2 hour drive with no small children etc. When I said I had another appointment they were happy with that. The other people have been interesting from the start when they told me they would drop their dog off at such and such time and pick it up at such and such time. One time was within my hours, the other 2.5hours earlier than my opening hours. I gave them the earliest time they could pick the dog up and they did say okay. The booking came through my webpage which has my opening hours on it and they are not hard to find. I often get people say well we want to leave for the city by 6am at the latest or we have a flight at 7.30am can we drop them off prior to that? Um no, drop them in the evening before. I have no issues with people taking their dogs out. I often have people pick them up at say 8.30 and dropping them back at 10, or taking them out for the day. I have had some who drop them in each evening and picking them up first thing. I have people that visit dogs and walk them on our property. I have built a large yard and one of the reasons so people could visit their dogs if they couldn't take them out and play with them and the dogs could have a good run around. I do not hold dogs to ransom, you own them and they are yours. If a dog was very upset I would discuss this with the owner. I haven't had an issue with a dog being upset by allowing them to either be visited or go out so don't see me stopping that any time soon. Other than this particular person saying they hadn't estimated how much time travelling with the dogs would take their was no other explanation. If they said for example, we have had a breakdown/flat tire/sick child/dog etc then fine. The impression I got (which may be incorrect) was that they had planned to drop the dogs off as late as possible withing my hours and then had chosen to or needed to stop more often than they thought and therefore were going to be outside my hours by 1.5hours minimum. Of course people are under no obligation to tell you why they will be late. I try to be accomodating and mostly I am, but three seperate occassions on one day got me wondering if I was being too unreasonable.