tdierikx

I don't have any problem with the fact that he was fed to the other animals... meat is meat. What I have a big problem with is the public spectacle that was made of this regal animals unfortunate demise and then of his disposal... T.

You don't make the slaughtering and butchery an "event". Ditto... T.

I was thoroughly in my element cuddling all of the large dogs I was allowed to... which was pretty much all of them... *grin* I don't have slobber-phobia, which was a pretty good thing when I got to the Saint Bernards and Neos... hahaha! T.

Well - they know where to look for plenty of "stock" now... lol! T.

I had to take a rescue pup away from her mother at 4 weeks... but I took another smallish pup from the same litter to be company for her while her condition improved. This was on vet recommendation - but he would never have said it was OK to send any pup off to a new home at that age... I've had the pleasure of taking on a litter of nine 4 week old pups that had been dumped at the pound also... thank dog for my older dogs being such great foster aunties. That litter was probably the most temperamentally balanced bunch I've ever had... *grin* Rehoming single pups to new homes really shouldn't be done until they are socially ready for it... which in a lot of cases may be 8 weeks... and in some cases even older. T.

Awesome! T.

I can see the reasoning behind feeding the remains of a healthy dead animal to the other animals... but I'm a little shocked that they made such a public spectacle of it... Not too sure whether I'm more disgusted at the staff that made it a public event - or the public thronging to watch it. T.

Sometimes it's meant to be that they come back to the one place that is the best for them... T.

I thought having quite a few breeds of dogs there that most people wouldn't have any other contact with was awesome... I only really went to indulge my need for doggy cuddles... and was well satisfied! T.

I shouldn't have looked at the video... that is truly bizarre to be disecting him in front of an audience like that... T.

Renbury Farm... www.renbury.com.au - my neighbour uses them, and her boy comes home happy and healthy... the staff there are second to none. T.

Dodger is definitely a handsome lad... so what if he seems to know it... lol! T.

Lamb puffs (dried lamb lung)... stinky and they love it! T.

I can handle the little spiders that stay on the plants and stuff... it's really only Huntsmans that give me the total heebies... T.

Bugger the suit HW... the huge smile of satisfaction after a great day showing really shines! The dog looks suitably proud of himself too... *grin* T.

Awesome capture perse! T.

All of my photos are handheld Roova... I've built some nice biceps from holding the camera and big lens up for hours taking photos. I don't think of it as very heavy nowadays... but I really notice the difference if I put the shorter lens on - it all feels so light then! After the first day i went out with the 100-400mm lens, my hands and arms siezed up due to the strain I'd put on them by shooting handheld with 2kg of equipment - but I went out the next day and spent another fair few hours telling them they were going to handle it... never had an issue since. I prefer handheld because it gives me many more options where and how I point the camera - especially if the subject it moving about... T.

A smarter move may have been to desex and move on to another zoo willing to take him... he doesn't have to be a breeder to be kept alive... T.

I didn't need the T-shirt... it was kind of obvious already... lol! T.

I only went because I knew there would be lots of dogs to pat... wasn't really interested in much else... *grin* Can anyone say "crazy dog lady"? T.

OMG! Isn't Daisy just the cutest little thing? Won't be too long now that they are stronger and can do more feeding from Reba themselves... hang in there! T.

10/2 - Black Breasted Turkey Buzzard at Fetherdale Wildlife Park - doing his best "Do ya think I'm sexy?" look... 01-02-2014-featherdale 716 by tdierikx, on Flickr T.

They were really polite and asked really nicely... and were thrilled when I said it was fine to use my photos as long as I was named as the photographer... Here's the one they used on the Taronga site... https://taronga.org.au/blog/2014-01-29/adventures-babysitting I asked if they'd like a larger sized file for the image, and they were fully thrilled at that, so I sent them the original also. I also sent them the link to my Flickr sets page in case they were interested in any other photos - and said all they have to do is to ask if they'd like to use any more. Who knows, if they want to use more photos, I may negotiate for a free annual pass next time... *grin* T.

Labs and Goldens are quite different once they mature some - both can be quite a handful as pups/teens... and I swear that Labs actually shed MORE than Goldens... My Lab is not well bred - and her name is Trouble for a reason. She turned 8 yesterday, and is still as nutty as she was the day we got her at 10 weeks of age. I had a thought... would your family be amenable to a rescue Golden? You won't necessarily be getting a puppy, but you will get a gorgeous dog that will be a great fit for your lifestyle and family. Goldie Rescue does have plenty of young adult Goldens that may be perfect for your situation... http://www.grr.org.au/ - Wendy and Trish are amazing people, and have rehomed many awesome Goldens over the years to families just like yours. Well worth giving them a call IMHO. T.

I'd be cutting my losses and walking away from getting one of these pups. T.