OSoSwift

I do 7kms of biking then around 4kms of walking. Lewis doesn't seem to have a recovery time as, well, he doesn't pant or look tired at all, his heart rate is up slightly for a short time. Usually we come back to the house (we are on a farm and the house yard is 5 acres) and I take his collar off and he is usually running around playing with Rommi and will go on to chase the ball flat out until I call a halt as he is THEN puffing and panting. He doesn't even seem to want a drink after the 7 km ride and 4 km walk and only does because I tell him too. Hope that means he is getting enough exercise??????? We walk on the off day, so ride and walk one day, walk and play chase each other and the ball around the 5 acres on the other day.

Fingers crossed for Kenz, hope the news is good news!

She looks fine to me. Do you have a picture from over the top of her?? over her waist? I think all bar a few LAbs I have seen are overweight to some degree, some disgustingly so. The photo PF posted is how they should look. HOnestly I almost get a tear in my eye on the rare occassion I see a Lab in that condition. Your girl is only 14 months old and she will fill out and muscle up a bit yet. Due to the fact she is lean and fit she will a whole lot less likely to suffer joint and cruciate issues. Keep doing what you are doing. If her mum and siblings are of similar build then she is alsways going to be a lnakier Lab. As mentioned by PF if there are more than 2 to three ribs visable and the spine or hips are prominant then yes she could use some more weight. I saw a photo the otehr day of a VERY overweight Pug (being shown) it's neck was wider than it's head - what are people thinking!

Glad to help oh and the fabric softener and not putting them in the dryer helps as well as someone else suggested

I to have been on the recieving end of such kindness from a Doler. I was sent some stuff to help with my old boys arthtitis. And I have other people help me out with information and training DVD's. There are some very wonderful people on here. I thank every single one of you :D

Thank you for that Sherel, although I am not sure why the continuing inuendo from some posters. You make a great product and my dogs and many others thrive on it. My boy is currently training for his ET title and looks a treat being feed Black Hawk.

Oh a positive step forward, come on little girl there is a big hairy dog that needs you more than you could know. Sending lots of healing vibes to little Astrid. Fingers crossed she keeps improving.

YOu may get more response if you post in the Breeders section.

I think it is fairly common. I think sometimes we put them on a bit of a pedestal and when they arrive and reality kicks in that they are not perfect and you have gotten up during the night for the 5th time and you just want to relax but you can't because this mad thing wants to play, you think what was I thinking!!! When I got Rommi I had a 5 month old, a 2 year old and mentally wasn't in the best place I have been. Even though I had a baby that slept through and then got a puppy who didn't, I really connected with her as she was something so different from all the other stuff that I was doing every day and I really needed that. I desperately needed something to think about other than the same movie rolling over and over in my head We had training sessions and I got to do things other than wash and change kids bums, so it was the escape I needed. Lewis slotted in like he had always been here, he was almost 8 months old though. In the past I have had "what the hell did I do this for?" moments when it had all seemed to go to crap and there was yet another toilet mishap on the floor and all I wanted to do was sit down. I also think that other factors such as recently losing a dog etc can play a part in it as well.

I wash mine if they have a trial or going to do something in public - I like them to look sparkly. If they go to the beach sometimes they get a wash if they haven't had one for a while, or they get a rinse with plain water. I wash them more now as I have Lewis and I like his white to look sparkly occassionaly. BUt it would probably be every few months at the most. They are inside a lot and they don't have any doggy smell.

Great to hear Indie is eating, so very very sorry about Astrid, you just cannot get a break at the moment. We are sending get well vibes to little Astrid, puppy cuddles to Indie and a to you and your family.

Put a small amount of moisturiser on your hands and very lightly wipe it over their coat. DOn't need much and you don't want them greasy.

It's FINALLY raining here as well. Thank goodness, was going to get rather desperate soon. My 4 loads of clothes are getting wet on the line and I don't care one bit! Not sure how training will go though???

LOve love love Mare Rays work. And wow with the judges scrutiny, they were looking for any point or part of a point to take off weren't they. Someone I aspire to, such happy precise dogs.

It's okay I sent her my sits stays to borrow for a few weeks, so when Soggy is done with it Sandi will send it back in time for our trial

Our laundromat says that you are not allowed to wash horse or dog blankets in their machines

My then two year old had my eyes taken of him for literaly seconds and I heard a growl - we hadn't had Lewis long - I was shocked and spun around to see the then 2 yo laying flat on poor Lewis. The only consequence in our house was the child got a smack to try and instill really quickly there is no laying on any animal. He was trying to him a big love as he loved him, but he had been warned in the past and got into a situation that could have got him bitten. The interesting thing was he was near the dog for some time before that and had been doing as he was supposed to it, it was when my eyes were taken off him by a boiling over pot that he moved in for the mug. I was very pleased with Lewis as he hadn't moved but given a definate warning for something that was not acceptable and was hurting him. He didn't do it again, so yes consequences in this house - for the child that is mugging the dog!

My then two year old had my eyes taken of him for literaly seconds and I heard a growl - we hadn't had Lewis long - I was shocked and spun around to see the then 2 yo laying flat on poor Lewis. The only consequence in our house was the child got a smack to try and instil really quickly there is no laying on any animal. He was trying to him him a big love as he loved him, but he had been warned in the past and got into a situation that could have got him bitten. The interesting thing was he was near the dog for some time before that and had been doing as he was supposed to it, it was when my eyes were taken off him by a boiling over pot that he moved in for the mug. I was very pleased with Lewis as he hadn't moved but given a definate warning for something that was not acceptable and was hurting him. He didn't do it again, so yes consequences in this house - for the child that is mugging the dog!

Be happy to send some Murve!! Hope it dries out for you.

Personally as a pet a very small amount of white is really not worth even thinking about, never mind worrying about. If he is sound physicallya nd mentally and the breeder does all the health checks and you have the breeder back up, then take the pupppy. A good dog cannot be a bad colour! If he was for showing purposes then I would wait until a correctly marked puppy was available.

I have an 8 kg top loader Hoover. I have washed light horse rugs, dog coats and blankets etc for the last 10 years or more. I have always had short coated dogs though. I wash them with BioZet and use Canasten Rinse in the final rinse. They smell nice and I like the fact that any germs have been nuked. If the blankets for any reason are really gross they get thrown out and replaced. They are polar fleece and coats are polar fleece, some are water proof. All but the water proof go into the drier if really needed, other than that they go on the line as I like they way they smell when they have been on the line outside. I have never had the machine blocked as yet!

ST so sorry to hear about you little baby lost. RIP little baby

RS Rommi was playing crash cars with Lewis and has ended up with tendonitis in the tendon that goes from the Gracillius muscle to the bone, but it did take a little while to figure that one out. One another occassion she strained her cruciate and partially dislocate a toe on the same leg, trying to hip and shoulder Lewis-again!- and after months of rehab totally dislocated the toe trotting around, which I then accidentaly relocated, but that was good after only a few weeks. Tounching wood big time!! She now tried to avoid high speed hip and shoulder manouvers on a dog bigger than her and has been sound for quite some time!! I really hope I don't jynx myself here!

RIP Tip, So sorry Teebs, he knew love and you did everything you could. I think someone else decided he was too good for this earth

WHat a great story and yes it is good to feel appreciated