silentchild

I like no. 2, love the expression on the face.

I feed pretty much the same as you, raw, K9 Natural and Ziwipeak. :D Love the stuff.

I am so sorry Pheebs. You made the right choice. Run free gorgeous girl.

First family dog for me was a Pomeranian named Gina, which completely cemented into me the love for the breed. She was the best dog ever and was perfect for us to grow up with. She was a right real diva, true to the Spitz attitude, but she had a soft spot for us children and would spend hours tirelessly playing and tolerating all our shenanigans. She would nap on my lap and hide under the table at mealtimes for me to sneak her morsels of food of my plate. Every day after school she would be at the door to welcome us with the cutest little vocalizations that sounded like "Aroo-roo! Aroo-roo!" I had her until I was a teenager and she taught me how to love and treat dogs. After her the family dog was a crossbreed who was much bigger and saw me into adulthood - he was my teacher for teaching me how to deal with entire dominant male dogs and I loved him to bits - unfortunately he went missing after I left home. First adult dog away from home was the gorgeous Rottie Emma in my sig, but she was shared with my OH at the time. She led me into the wonderful world of Rotties and threw me on a rollercoaster ride of caring for a dog that was constantly plagued with health problems. The first dog I've had that is truly 100% mine (not shared with anyone, not a family dog, completely my own, etc) is my current Aussie Shepherd, my heart dog. :) She has thrown me headlong into the world of pedigree dogs and trialling and serious training and I have been on a steep learning curve since I got her, and thoroughly enjoying the journey. Every dog I have had has taught me something or other. I think it would depend on the temperament of the dog as to whether or not it would be suitable to a first time dog owner - pomeranians can be stubborn little things but my old girl was so easy to live with and her laidback temperament would have easily suited a novice owner. My Aussie would be a bit more challenging for a novice simply in terms of the amount of commitment needed to provide her (a working breed) with the adequate enrichment, however she too has a very sweet and easy temperament so again I think a committed novice owner could cope. However I do know of Aussies that are far more difficult and challenging than her (I was very lucky) so again, it comes down to the temperament of the individual dog and how much the person is willing to learn and commit. TLDR; it depends on the person.

Done.

That is just awesome, well done!

My old Rottie girl was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 8 years of age. We did not amputate and managed her with palliative care - she was with us for around another 8 months before PTS. Looking back I don't regret waiting that long - she was still bright and happy and was not in severe pain before she was euthanized, so I was glad to be able to let her go before it got too bad. However if I ever had to face the same decision again with another dog I might handle it differently. I think now I would PTS much earlier - maybe a few days after diagnosis if the outcome is not looking good. That said I have heard of many dogs doing well with chemo. I think when the time comes, you will know. Big hugs to you. If you are interested our osteo thread is here in the Palliative care forum. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/239708-our-battle-with-osteosarcoma/

I love my K9 Pro leather trial leash... so soft and light and I especially love that the buckle is small and compact too not one of those huge chunky ones that bash into the dog with every step! For everyday walking I use their Syntek leash, also very nice on the hands.

What a great initiative, the contributions of our service animals are often overlooked.

I thought I'd go for a sighthound too like a Saluki, but on second thought, nope I will still choose my Aussie - she may not be fast enough to catch small things (or maybe she will be?!) but she will keep me warm, protected from danger and comforted with love until I die a slow yet fulfilled death. (so morbid :D) Plus she will always let me know if there is a duck around so maybe I might have a chance at catching one myself!

Yes, you are doing OK, you are doing great. No he doesn't constantly need to be with you, he knows how to be alone and that is good. Don't worry about what that "trainer" said. You are doing a good job and seem to care for him very much. :)

It doesn't sound very bad to me. It looks like he's inside with you most of the day on weekdays and he gets plenty of stimulation. Is he giving you problems in any way?? If he seems happy and you are happy - why would you want to rehome him?

For anyone interested Crazysales has the Hurrta ones for sale but only in two sizes. I'm tempted to try one, but the material looks quite thick. We go hiking a fair bit so I might prefer something a bit lighter and doesn't have to be wet all the time - though they would be great for trialling I might get one if we trialled more often in summer. :laugh: Will the chillybuddies get too hot if used dry? Holding out for Clean Run to have their Chrissy free shipping please!!!

I just wanted to say he sounds absolutely hilarious. :laugh: How about core strengthening sort of stuff that you can do at home - Fitpaws, peanut, balancing on things, etc. Or nosework / scent detection? All he needs to do is sniff things. :laugh:

I find this is becoming increasingly the case at many many on leash parks around Melbourne. It's very frustrating. Sometimes I really just want to walk my dog in peace without interacting with other dogs or humans, even if she is friendly. I took my girl to Albert Park lake one time, looking up online beforehand which parts were on leash only. Yeah, so much for that. Off leash dogs everywhere, even in very clearly signed areas, and one particularly out of control one gave my girl a nasty fall and a muscle injury, putting her out of action for weeks. I'm so fed up of people not following the leash laws it's not even funny.

Breeze being very sad when I was packing to go overseas last month.

I found Ricketts Point very rocky, not sure now if I went to the right beach? I am still struggling to find a quiet beach this side of Melbourne.

This article has been posted a few places and I was interested in the opinions of the more experienced and knowledgeable members here about it. I am not a breeder so absolutely have no idea, and I am interested in learning more. What do you think of this article? Is it correct? http://www.institute...st-can-be-worse

I'm currently in Japan and there are Shiba Inus everywhere!!! Almost every Japanese person has one!! I've got to cuddle quite a few and have to say now I am very interested in the breed, I love their personality and they are much smaller than I expected! Just gorgeous dogs.

You should be proud of Seven, and proud of yourself too, Starkehre!! She is a magnificent dog and you are a magnificent owner. Your hard work and dedication towards your dogs is truly admirable, not to mention all the hours and miles you've spent driving all over the country to campaign Seven and all the fitness, conditioning and training you have put in. More importantly to me I am very proud to be your friend and to be able to soak up all your infinite knowledge and share in your ups and lows. :) Very very proud of you and the royal Seven!!!

This entire thread is enabler alert!!!!! So many toys, so little money....

Stumbled upon this today and found it interesting. A little bit skeptical if it will work? What do you think? Link HERE. Your dog can be healthy in every way and still end up with a skeletal problem called hip dysplasia. Dogs have about an 8 percent chance of developing this heritable condition, which affects the hip joint. In the condition, the place where the leg's femur bone fits into the pelvis develops abnormally. Over time, the bone can pop out of the joint and become disconnected from the pelvic bone, wear it down. This can cause the dog pain and reduce its ability to walk or run. Industrial designer Galia Weiss wanted to address this problem. In response, she developed a harness called the Hipster, which not only prevents the joint from disconnecting but also helps strengthen the surrounding muscles. Once strengthened, those muscles keep the femur bone in place and prevent it from popping out. Hipster is comprised of a lightweight frame with adjustable straps and velcro designed to put resistance on the leg muscles to strengthen them while preventing any weight from burdening the dog's hips and bottom. The harness is machine washable and available in multiple colors. Weiss thinks the Hipster can improve any pet's condition after a month of wear. This video below provides more details. https://www.youtube....d&v=O6zJW-0K8B4

My 4yo spayed bitch does it too, after dinner every night it's play and hump time. :laugh: It's a combination of feel good and excitement for her. I find it hilarious and it doesn't bother me.

My dog knows... as soon as the game starts up she picks herself up and goes to her crate, even if the tv had been on normal programming just before. She just knows. She doesn't like the video games - I'm thinking it has something to do with the sounds.

I dump my fat cat on top of my K9 Soft Dog Crate, does that count as a 'heavy load'? Just another voice adding to the glowing reviews of the K9 crates here, love mine, wouldn't have any other brand and so worth the money.