tdierikx

I think that you will find that ALL pups of any breed or mix, have increased in price since the pandemic started... just stating a fact there. Also, with the lockdown in Melbourne, you are going to be hard pressed for anyone to allow you to come and physically view any pups they may have on offer... maybe Zoom viewings would help there? At least you will know that you are talking real time with a real person who has real pups available. You may also want to drop the attitude that most breeders are only after large prices for their pups... it will show through in your correspondence, and will only serve to make them less inclined to want to deal with your enquiries. T.

I agree wholeheartedly with this point... T.

Eating, or even just mouthing, lizards and the like can also give your dog a nasty bout of Salmonella poisoning... another issue you could be facing... with the vet bills to match... She may need to be put on a run, or penned when she can't be supervised... better still @Rebanne's advice is solid - tire her out mentally as well as physically - she could just be bored... T.

The only caveat in POCTAA is that the method of euthanasia is quick and as painless as possible... still allows scope for shooting an animal as a means to that end. I don't agree with it, but I can see how the powers that be could argue their reason for ordering a single person to shoot the dogs in question, rather than having at least 2 people achieve the same end via the usual/preferred method. It takes a vet to deliver the injection, and another person to restrain that animal in order for the injection to be given - which definitely means those 2 people would be well within each other's personal space. Stupid council regulations in regard to "covid safety" were averse to the presence of a rescuer coming to take the dogs, which would have resulted in less close contact between the parties present for the handover than that required for the general public's preferred method of euthanasia, so you could see the thought process in the order to shoot the dogs instead... however misguided and callous it may look to the outside world. I am in no way condoning the action taken... just posing thoughts on how some public servant came to the conclusion to order these dogs to be shot, rather than allowing rescue to take them, or to be destroyed by more "acceptable" methods. T.

You'd be amazed at the actual scope of their powers to seize animals... and even evidence from treating vets falls on deaf ears... been there, and it's completely soul crushing what they get away with... grrr! T.

@Megan MOrton... my family live up your way, and my brother has fostered for Friends of the Pound a few times... maybe try them? https://friendsofthepound.com/adopt/ T.

Today I received an awesome care package from an amazing DOLer with the biggest heart... and it included freshly baked (still warm) scones, home made jam, and cream... YUMMO!! It also had some treats for Harper... which she is really excited about... lol! We have a large number of pretty amazing people here... and for that, I am forever grateful. T.

Don is such a handsome gentleman... *swoon* Naughty Pudden... lol! T.

Pickles has gone to join Trouble and Zeddy at the Rainbow Bridge... Pickles seemed a bit off on Friday, refusing food and just acting a bit flat, but otherwise acting normally... she has done that a few times over the years, so it was no really huge concern at the time. She had been fine on Thursday, eating her dinner with her usual gusto, etc... Yesterday she started to deteriorate in her mood, and started wanting to drink copious amounts of water, but still refusing any solids... and in the afternoon she vomited up lots of water with blood in it... so I took her to VSOS emergency vets in Miranda. Unfortunately it looks like her pica (eating objects that aren't food) may have caught up with her, as she had an obstruction that seems to have caused a rupture somewhere. There were no reasonable guarantees of a viable recovery even with surgical intervention and prolonged treatments, so the hardest decision had to be made to let her go with the dignity she deserved. She passed peacefully in my arms with help from the lovely vet. Pickles was my 46th foster puppy way back when... and my first foster failure. She was "broken" - having a strange way of walking and reduced feeling in her legs - but she never knew that fact. In her eyes she was perfect, and no-one ever told her any different. She lived her life to the fullest at every stage, being an awesome little helper with many more foster pups, fox kits, and dingo pups over the years. She was Trouble's biggest fan, and missed her terribly when she passed not too long ago. She never took a shine to Harper though, and they had to be kept separate to keep the peace. Pickles... I love you to the moon and back my little spazz... you showed everyone you met that having a disability was never something to hold you back from living a full life and just enjoying every moment of it. T.

@Boroniais definitely the one to get advice from re finding a reputable rescue that may have the breeds that you are looking at... and Westies in particular... maybe she will be along soon... T.

Kammi is gorgeous! And Clive is one spoiled boy... lol! T.

It is a sh!t part of a vet's and nurse's job... make no bones about it... but it is still one of the most selfless things we can do for our ailing furry friends - regardless whether we can physically bear to be there at the moment they pass or not. During my vet nursing work placement, I was present/involved in more of these procedures than I care to count, and I can say that our clinic staff made sure that no animal was scared or distressed for the procedure - whether or not the owner was present at the time. I have had great big burly men sobbing on my shoulder after the passing of their best mate, and I've also had owners sobbing on me in the spare consult room while their little mate was passing in the next room and the owner couldn't bear to be physically present in that room. The toll of grief over the passing of a loved pet is not just borne by the owners... vet clinic staff are often emotionally invested in the pet also - as quite a few have been clients/patients for several years, and staff have formed bonds with the pet also (and possibly with the owners as well). Whether or not one can be physically present at the end is moot IMHO... the pain of that passing is just as strong either way. I don't think I'm "qualified" to pass judgement on how another person chooses to cope with that passing. T.

Back in the old days lots of (read most) pups went to new homes at his age, and most of those did just fine... so don't be put off by those berating you for taking him this young. Obviously the breeder didn't seem to care that he was very young and could have done with a couple more weeks with his mum and siblings to learn a few more social skills... but that is your job now... *grin* I must say that he is all levels of adorable from that gorgeous photo you have shared... I can see how you fell in love... I have raised more than my share of very young pups over the years (as a foster carer with rescue) - many whole litters, but also many singletons - and I pride myself that all of them learned the social skills they needed to go off to their forever homes with confidence. I really fell in love with crates in the bedroom to help them settle and stay that way overnight. The trick is positioning it so that they can see you in your bed, so they know that they aren't completely alone. I usually put in a tip-free bowl of water, a nice enclosing bed, and a teddy bear of roughly the same size as pup to snuggle up to... and I had very few pups that wouldn't settle and sleep pretty much the entire night just fine at your boy's age. Pop him in the crate only when you go to bed, so he learns that your bedtime is when he should be settling and going to bed too. For extended periods being left alone, I would make sure he has a few hardy toys and/or puzzle feeders like frozen kongs or the balls that he has to roll about to get kibble out of. A nice bed placed where he won't get too hot or cold or wet, with soft comfy bedding (as long as he's not a chewer). He may get bored with the same toys each day, so only put out a few, and alternate which ones he gets each day to stop him getting bored with them. When you get home, make sure that when you go to greet him, you make him sit and be a good boy before you give him his hello cuddles and kisses - that way he will also learn a bit of restraint to not jump all over you (or your friends/family) when people come to visit. Lots of evening couch cuddles in front of the TV is also a way to teach him to settle when you are home, and wind down time before bedtime. Cattle dogs are SMART... so anything that makes him have to think or earn treats/pats are a must... he will need a "job" to do, so finding something he likes to do that you can reward him by letting him do is recommended - even if it's a simple as retrieving a ball for 15-20 mins or so a couple of times a day. When he is older and fully vaccinated, he will love going for decent walks to sniff all the messages left by all the other dogs in the neighbourhood, and to learn good social skills navigating around other humans and dogs. Start out with shorter walks and build up to longer ones as he gets bigger and stronger... little pups don't need really long walks, but juvenile and adult dogs like to get out for longer and it is good exercise for you too... hehe! Overall, just enjoy your little man... he will be your faithful companion for a good 15+ years... Oh... we need to know his name... and more photos please! T.

His age indicates to me that he may also be teething... which can be a bit rough on some pups... ask the vet to check his mouth thoroughly in case he has a teething issue going on. It may also be worth collecting some of his loose poo into a container and taking that the the vet with you - they can do a faecal float to see if there are any nasties happening in his gut. When was his last vaccination? And his last worming? What with? T.

Another thing to think about is veterinary costs over the dog's lifetime... the larger the dog, the costlier any surgical procedures will cost - including desexing, which is recommended if you are not looking to breed with the dog in question, and may soften any undesirable hormonal behaviours from developing. Also, Huskies, Malamutes, and German Shepherds are double coated breeds, so VERY regular coat maintenance will be mandatory - and they will drop their undercoats at least 1-2 times a year, which will require a LOT of grooming while this is happening, and you will have dog hair everywhere also. Larger breeds can also be prone to structural issues if not sourced from breeders who selectively breed to minimise this possibility - but there are no 100% guarantees that an issue will not happen, as there is always a environmental component in effect that can cause problems with fast growing larger breed pups. My advice is the same as some others here... look up DogsSA and find out when and where dog shows are happening, then go to a few and talk with some of the people there about the pros and cons of living with the breeds you are interested in. Find out from those who own them exactly what amount of work they will be to raise and keep happy and healthy - you won't find that level of experience or good advice in any book, that's for sure... All that said, my choice that may cover the reasons you want a dog (from your last post) would be a Rottweiler... I am a bit biased because they are my favourite breed, but if you source from a good/reputable breeder, you shouldn't be disappointed with what you get. T.

Lovely healthy bundles of puppy breath... Megs is doing a great job... T.

Jus came across a job ad for ARH Homebush, and it is listed as being Greencross... https://www.seek.com.au/job/52415605?type=standout#searchRequestToken=f5bec264-176f-4cdf-9199-90daba75dee8 T.

Until he realises that a 39 degree heat pillow is a good thing... lol! T.

Good boy Clive! Good girl Bobbin! Small steps forward in your blossoming friendship... Hey Bobbin... Clive will make an awesome warm snuggle buddy during the colder months... just sayin'... hehe! T.

Generally Kennel Cough sounds a lot worse than it actually is... I saw a lot of it when I worked in rescue, and as such it doesn't freak me out any more... *grin* Sometimes we get a bit overzealous with prescribing treatments for Kennel Cough because it is more distressing for us to see/hear them coughing like that than the actual effect on the dog in question. Personally, I tend to only be concerned if they develop a respiratory infection, evidenced by yellow or green snot/mucous, or the dog is very young (under 6 weeks old) or older (over 10 years). The cough usually only lasts for around 2 weeks, and most dogs deal with it and recover perfectly fine without medical intervention. The only thing to remember with Kennel Cough is that it is contagious still for up to 2 weeks AFTER the symptoms go away... you need to NOT take your dog out and about for at least 2 weeks after all symptoms have gone to make sure you aren't spreading it about for other dogs to catch. T.

Is Don... is good! Bobbin seems to be starting to understand that not all dogs are to be bashed up... good girl Bobbin! T.

Hmmm... it sounds a little hinky to me... due in 6 weeks? Dogs have a gestation of roughly 9 weeks, and I'm pretty sure it must be at least 4 weeks along before one can tell for sure if there are actually pups growing in there. At 3 weeks gestation, it would be nigh on impossible to tell exactly how many pups, nor to tell whether the bitch will carry to term. I wouldn't be handing over any money, that's for sure! If you are getting a vibe about this breeder, trust your gut and run a mile... T.

Bloody hell!!! That is just so sad... Massive hugs to you @Elle23... T.

Such happy shmooshy faces... I just wants to grab those cheeks and plant a kiss right between their eyes and on their gorgeous snouts... Methinks Apollo is going to be a very big boy when he finishes growing... *grin* Luckiest puppies having such an awesome place to live... T.

Go Bobbin! That's the spirit little lady! Good boy Clive!! T.