tdierikx

But think about the breeds of dog you have at your place LG... I'm sure most of us wouldn't recognise many signals a Pei displays... so you can give yourself a 5 point head start on everyone else, OK? T.

One employer gave me 2 days compassionate leave when my heart dog passed... but to be fair, I was a complete mess, and wouldn't have been very productive at work when that happened... I've usually used annual leave days (most employers have been OK with 1 day at short notice) for other pet illnesses/injuries. My current job is working with farm animals, so if I had to, I could bring an ill dog to work with me.... I'm already allowed to bring my foster pups... *grin* T.

Nawww... my handsome man! T.

Oh Bubbity... my heart hurts for you... Fly with the angels now sweet Bubby... and watch over mummy, daddy, and Puppas until you all meet again... T.

15/19 T.

This one sentence made my eyes leak... *sob* T.

OK - turns out that the collars we had were samples of a first run. Issues were relayed to them, and have apparently been fixed. So go ahead and buy those collars... they are truly beautiful and also sturdier than the ones we had. T.

The beds are good though... *grin* T.

2 of my fosters are poster children for this brand of gear... Bandit and Apollo... We got a few collars and other stuff, and I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the collars... the D-rings that you clip the lead onto all came off within a few uses... and that was on puppies weighing only around 5-6 kgs... errr! The beds are great though... T.

I use a check chain with my dogs, but not recommended for a dog that likes to pull hard on the lead, or in inexperienced trainer hands ... maybe a martingale style collar would work better for your dog? They are limited slip, so tend to tighten less on the neck. As for getting your dog's focus, you will need something he values higher than the objects he's excited by... yummy treats usually work well - the smellier the better - and let him know you have them by showing them to him often. Reward him with one when he's focusing on you, and whenever he does what he's asked... Start with small things, like just getting his attention when he's doing something else - can start off doing this in your own yard with few distractions... and work your way up to working around distractions once you have an idea of what gets his attention back onto you... T.

Baby browns do NOT look like their adult counterparts... eastern brown young can have a black head, orange neck ring, and stripes on the body... pretty but deadly, and feisty as all getout! As for the OP's question about walking a dog after a snake bite... not a good idea, as it will increase blood flow around the body, and the venom will take action much faster. Better to carry a pressure bandage to use on the affected area, and a mobile phone with plenty of charge to call for immediate help to get your dog and self to a vet ASAP. T.

Another guess Amstaff/Kelpie here... gorgeous looking old girl... so sorry for your loss... Fly free with the angels sweet Ivy... T.

My first dog when I left home looked like Madi... but Rebel was border collie marked (black and white). Mum was a GR, and no-one knew what dad was... lol! T.

... and they finally have the approval to start building it... yay! T.

I have a suspicion that most of the animals fo the new Sydney Zoo may be coming from sources other than Australia... just a suspicion mind... T.

I'm starting to think Taronga might be giving up on the merging of the 2 groups now... some of the girls have it in for the new girls, and Furahi and Kuma could do real damage to Lubutu if Furahi decides he's going to be the alpha of the whole lot - there aren't many that will take on Kuma - and that means all the boys too - she's scary strong and not afraid of anyone or anything... I'm just hoping that Mogo changes their mind about having chimps and our mutual friend gets to do what she does best with a bunch of the Taronga chimps... that will take a huge load off Taronga... so that's my Christmas wish... T.

Zombi is doing an awesome job, isn't she? Two perfect happy and healthy young ones... and good looking too! The latest from Taronga is that we should have ourselves another little one very soon - Lani is about to pop any day now... and fingers are crossed that there may be a couple more pregnancies happening too... Samaki has been a very busy boy... *grin* T.

Wonder if the breeder knows about the Gumtree ads? T.

Seeing as the ad is posted word for word twice... and has some glaring spelling/grammar issues...and the photos are of adult dogs, and other coloured dogs... I'd say it was a scam ad... T.

Keep your grass short during tick season... as short as you can keep it. Also be aware that you can bring things back from your own travels... one of my dogs managed to get a tick that had hitched a ride home with me from the northern beaches where I'd been bushwalking with a friend... luckily it was only a grass tick, as she had a rather nasty allergic reaction to it... grrr! T.

Pip, the littlest one, is still smaller than everyone else... Fern, the one with the white face is still deadly cheeky, and not too big... and Rupert, the white one is about 3 times the size he was in these photos. T.

On the farm, we used to treat demodex with sump oil and sulphur powder- mix into a paste and smear it on... it effectively smothers the mites and the sulphur promotes new hair growth. Sarcopses and other nasties can be effectively treated with Revolution spot on... Ringworm can be treated with Canestan - get the once a day stuff from the chemist, and it works faster too... All the above can be sourced without needing a vet... but if you want a confirmed diagnosis of exactly what it is, a vet visit would be first point of call on my list... T.

If you are going to the vet, check for demodex mites, and for ringworm... may as well rule out all types of nasties. Ringworm doesn't always present as a circle... as I found out when I got it once... ewww! T.

He could also have shoved his head into something causing small wounds/abrasions... as the first photo looks to have at the site of the larger balding patch... Staffords are inquisitive buggers... *grin* T.

* waits patiently for baby Rotti photos * T.