tdierikx

My tugs arrived yesterday and were waiting on my doorstep when I got home from work... Thank you so much nikivds... my babies love them. I'll have to try to get some photos this afternoon after work of my foster pups enjoying them, OK? T.

If it's not a healthy dog, then wait... which seems to be what the OP is having issues with - the rescue want the dogs turned around and out the door as quick as possible so that they can get another out of the pound and into care... not sure I like the inference of that myself... T.

I have two 10kg Advance tubs with screwtop lids... just the right size to move around if I have to... T.

Did I read right that they had a dog out in foster care with a possible case of Parvo? or had Parvo-like symptoms? and they wanted it desexed and out the door quickly? Ummm... Danger Will Robinson!! I'd disassociate myself from that particular group methinks... T.

A drop of peppermint oil on the collar can work quite well - just make sure that you don't get it directly on the dog's skin until it's dried... T.

I've had my own crossbreed and my other flatmate's 2 cattle dogs stand between me and a flatmate wielding a knife... none were trained in protection or guard work... and the cattle dogs were not mine. They saw where the threat was coming from, and diffused the situation by getting between me and the crazy guy and letting him know in no uncertain terms that they would do something if he came any closer to me. I would have no hesitation in believing that my current 2 dogs would do the same thing... but thankfully we haven't had to test that... *grin* T.

My take on "heart dog" is the dog that grabs yer heart the moment you meet... and breaks your heart when they have to leave forever... Ahhh hell... now I'm crying... and I'm at work too... T.

My 2 foster puppies can pee like there is no tomorrow - mainly smaller ones wherever they may be at the time of need... you don't even want to know how much they can do in their crates overnight... but at least they are now not doing number 2's in there as well... *grin* My own experience is that puppies can pee a lot more often than adult dogs - and unless it is excessive even for the pup in question (as all can be different), and the pup seems otherwise completely fine, then the watch and wait principle applies... T.

That is so wrong on so many levels... yet hilariously funny... *giggle* If I knew which hard drive I had the one of my Rottie as a pup fast asleep with a rubber chicken between his legs, a beer can and pack of cigs nearby... I post it... T.

Awesome! PM sent... You rock nikivds! T.

Not enough info in the article to establish any real theory as to why they attacked and killed their owner. T.

Awesome!!! I'd love a couple for my foster babies... how much would you sell them for? T.

I'm all for anything that comes down hard on owners who leave their dogs barking at everything and anything all night long - but during the day? If it ticks you off, don't stand there and annoy the dog further... leave, and it will shut up... The dog that lives next door to me will run up the fence line and bark at me when I open my lounge room windows - fair enough, he's telling me not to come over the fence. I tell him he's a good boy, and then move out of his sight, and he shuts up and goes back to whatever he was doing. Sometimes, if my foster pups or my adult dogs are in my back yard, he will have a little bark or a whine, but my dogs don't react, and he quiets down again. His owners have him inside at night (as I do mine) so we don't have any night time barking... I have good neighbours... My older girl will "greet" people at my front screen door with a full on display, but she stops when told and is as friendly as all get out when I let people in. Most of my friends are fine with this - and I don't really care what the doorknockers who want to sell me stuff I don't want think... hehe! Dogs barking at a back yard fence being declared "menacing" is stupid... T.

Ever since I could crawl, my Mum reckons I started bringing "stray" animals in... a wide and varied lot I can tell you! My Mum actually said no to the octopus though... lol! I've brought home dogs, kittens, mice, rats, snakes, birds, lizards, rabbits, the octopus, a baby fruit bat... and I'm sure Mum could fill in some other categories... Once when I was about 5, we lived in Alice Springs, and some of my parents' friends did wildlife rehab. Well - there was a "nice doggy" on a run out the back, and I just had to go and pat/cuddle it... the horrified and anxious looks on the adults' faces as they tried to get me to come back away from the "doggy" was totally lost on me, and I kept up the cuddling until I was good and ready to make my way back to the house. Guess who got their hide tanned for approaching the wild and injured Dingo? Apparently he wasn't all that friendly to anyone else... errr! At least the Dingo enjoyed it, and he went on to be released back to the wild with no major issues... *grin* I'm now in my 40's and have shared my life with mainly large breed dogs - my fave are Rotties, but I currently have a Rottie/Pittie and a Labrador... and I foster care large breed puppies for rescue. T.

Even the stray dogs that end up in my street come to my door... that must get me a CDL title too... *grin* T.

"good carpet, bewdiful animal we breed to make carpet, for you I make special deal" I can donate some yellow hair - you can make multicolour carpet... T.

Kelpie cros Yoda? hehe! Whatever she is, it's a very pretty mix... T.

Pups are docked somewhere between birth and 3 days, so how were they playing happily afterwards ? You know what I mean SBT123 - they didn't show any signs of trauma during or after the procedure, OK? T.

It's an amazingly varied list as to why people "discard" their pets in the numbers they do... it's hard to pinpoint any particular type of dog (or cat) that ends up in a pound - different pounds may see different "breeds" predominately, depending on the areas they service and the types of dog generally preferred in those areas... T.

I'm sure that's the same vet that docked my (then current, now ex) boyfriend's litter of Rottie pups... but it was legal to do so here in NSW at that time. He did a very nice neat job, and the pups didn't appear to even feel it (we were present during the ops)... and afterwards, they were playing happily with no sign of any pain or trauma either... T.

As I said before, I like to use a check chain when training my dogs. I also prefer to use praise rather than food for said training. My local all breeds training club has food reward as their preferred training method. I explained when I first started taking my Labrador pup there that I would prefer her not to expect food rewards when she did the right thing - however quite a few of the trainers would still give her treats from their bum bags - even after my repeated requests for them not to. The one 100% thing that my girl learned from that was that bum bags have food in them... grrr! This got so bad at one stage that we were asked to not come back until her fascination for bum bags and their contents was under control. My older Rottie X girl was not so fussed on the group training idea, and refused all attempts at food treating by the same trainers - however, she was happy to do anything and everything I asked of her - and she really loved learning to use some of the agility equipment... all for praise only... Both of my dogs have also had some training sessions with professional trainers - more for my benefit than theirs, may I add... *grin*... and having 2 dogs with totally different motivations can be interesting when you try to teach them the basics of obedience. Each dog had totally different methods used to gain the exact same results... confusing ain't it? T.

I prefer to use a check chain for my dogs when doing class oriented training... however, each dog is fitted with a chain that is the right link size and length for them. I prefer a heavier link as it tends to be less likely to pinch the dog or catch their fur. 99% of the training session will be with the chain loose - correction is only a very light tug, enough for the chain to make a noise, rather than digging into the dog's neck with "vigour" (for want of a better way of saying it). If I have a dog that is a "puller", I don't use the chain - it's pretty ineffective in training if they are already pulling at it - so other methods are employed then - under the supervision of a dog training professional. I do not use prong collars - luckily I have never had a dog that one was recommended for... T.

I'd love to know the OP's thoughts on the "value" of rescue dogs... they can be all ages... T.

I'd be more worried about him digging a nice hole and making himself into a mud pie... that's what my Lab would do if left outside in the rain... T.

The hackles thing can be misleading also... I've actually noticed that when my foster pups play with each other (all thoroughly enjoying themselves with no aggression), that their hackles can be raised down the entire length of their bodies... however, when the hackles are only raised at the shoulder area, that is when we can see the play turn into a less friendly situation. My adult Lab also raises her hackles down the entire length of her body when playing... T.