tdierikx

This is my BYB Lab at around age 4 - in prime condition and just the way I like her to be. Still looks very much the same but a bit more "solid" now at age 8... and weighs in at 26-27kg. I'd like to see some of the Labs I've seen in the showring (admittedly I've only seen them at the Sydney Royal) just a bit leaner looking - like this gorgeous looking girl... T.

The non-provision of papers doesn't stop people breeding from the dog... all it means is that you can't register the offspring as pedigreed with the ANKC. Same as with Limit Registered pups. I'd steer well clear of any registered breeder who sells unpapered pups as a matter of course... no matter what their reasoning for doing so is (or how convincing). It would make me wonder what other codes of conduct of the canine body in their state that they may be doing and end run around... T.

Oh, and I totally forgot to say that you have taken the most gorgeous photos with your new lens piper... I wish I'd taken them! T.

I think you may have found yourself your heart dog perse... or at the very least YOU are his heart person... T.

My zoo photo buddy has the Sigma 150-500mm... paired with her Canon 70D, it takes sublime photos... I actually considered the Sigma 50-500mmm when I was looking for a long lens, but ended up going with my Canon 100-400mm just because the Sigma/Tamron equivalents were rated marginally softer at the far end of the zoom range than the Canon. The Canon was also 600g lighter to carry about... *grin* Sometimes I think I should have gone for the Sigma 50-500mmm just for the sheer range it has... can get the closer shots if the animals are near the front of the exhibits, which I can have difficulty with using the 100-400mm. I need a minimum focusing distance of 6 feet with the 100-400mm which means that I can be trying to line up a shot of an animal close to the glass, and some other zoo visitor will inevitably decide to jump into the space (or push their child into it to bang on the glass and scare the animal away) and ruin my shot... T.

The internet - and Facebook in particular - seems to draw them out methinks... it allows those who wouldn't normally interact with others a place to exude their special brand of crazy. T.

Happy Birthday Hank!!! I hope you got some extra special treats today... T.

He's a very smart little chap, isn't he? And handsome to boot! T.

Pots and kettles come to mind here... Can remember being on the receiving end of some of her troll followers myself... not so cool when it's being done back at one now, is it? I definitely don't agree with the complete nutters who think it's OK to post people's private addresses and encouraging others to do them harm - no matter which side of the fence it comes from. T.

Vets are in the top 3 professions with extremely high suicide rates - I think they are only topped by those in the mental health care industry. Scary thought, isn't it? Being a vet was a consideration for me as a teen too - but same as dogmad, I knew for a fact that I would never be able to cope with death and cruelty cases on any kind of regular basis. Seriously, I have seen some nasty cruelty cases in rescue, and more often than not we have been able to rehabilitate and rehome the animals - but we also got to choose those we could take in and help - and I've also held those we couldn't as they went for their final sleep. T.

My dogs love and do well on Nutro, but also love and do well on Supercoat or Bonnie... do the maths to work out what they are being fed... *grin* When I was fostering pups for rescue, they got Royal Canin Junior, and they all did really well on that... a good solid start with great food is a must with the fosters IMHO - especially as you have no idea what, if anything, solid foods they have been on prior to coming into care. I do like the Royal Canin food, and the Nutro... but finances dictate Supercoat for mine at the moment. T.

Wicked photos! Well done! T.

What about Rhonda or Marshall? T.

Very wise words perse! T.

I found that too piper... looks like I'll need to give them a call or send an email to find out if/when they are on... T.

There aren't enough council rangers to go follow up on the sheer numbers of idiots crossbreeding anything with a pulse and calling it by some stupid name in order to try to squeeze a little more profit from it... T.

I Googled and didn't find much either piper... looks like the novelty wore off maybe? Farmer Dave's complex in Rouse Hill apparently has some fun dog sports going on, but I find his site rather hard to navigate to find any real details about the events. T.

Stopping the selling in petshops would have about the same effect on crap "pet market" breeders as taking a cupful of water from the ocean unfortunately. The internet has opened a much wider market for the sale of "pets"... and that's rarely policed... T.

Brindle is even more stunning on a coated breed, wouldn't you agree? T.

Guess who's going whale watching on Monday? Forcast is for yukky wet weather - so heaving seas and rain... methinks not a good place to start practising manual shooting... *grin* Might find some time before then... if there are breaks in the long weekend usual yukky weather. T.

I have a real thing for the many shades and patterns brindles come in... they are all so unique and different. T.

Chuckit tennis balls and large Cuz balls... both have survived the Labrador Chewer from Hell for 8 years... whereas the big black Kong was eaten in less than a day. T.

Kids can teach us many things, can't they? Just look at the expression on the face of a child seeing a rainbow for the first time... pure awe... yet we adults don't often stop to look at the amazing things around us... I know that ever since I started taking photos regularly, I have re-noticed the beauty in so many things... the sky, the scenery going by, etc... I've also become very good at spotting the elusive - from all the experience looking for sleeping/hiding zoo animals... lol! T.

Loving the brindle one... stunning! T.

... and she was allowed to keep operating after that? Or is that when she decided to literally "go underground"? T.