Tim'sMum

CC....you are not the type of person that people are complaining about here, in regards to moving. You have done the hardest thing but also the right thing in responsibly rehoming your dogs to wonderful homes, because it was the best thing for the dogs, not you. Good luck with the move to Australia. Many years ago a good friend had to move and couldn't take her dog. She surrendered him to the pound. I couldn't take him and neither could anyone else...her mother refused. :D This lady's OH had walked out suddenly, leaving her with a hefty rent, a baby, and a dog...and no income. She was facing eviction because the rent was behind and she could not find a new, more affordable rental which would allow the dog. It broke her heart to surrender that dog but the alternative was living in the car with the dog and the baby. As for taking a dog out of Australia....there is a process involved, which can be a little daunting and confusing, depending on where you are going. A friend moved back to Sweden and her dog, Jack, had to have rabies shots (as well as the standard vacs) according to AQUIS. He did not need to be quarantined once there though. She discovered that the rabies vac was not a necessity though in Sweden, unless the dog was coming in from a Meditteranean country, some other parts of Europe and other areas of the world where rabies is endemic. By the way, Jack was an AWL surrender due to a messy marriage break up. When my friend adopted him from the AWL she had no idea she would be moving back to Sweden. We rehomed her Cockatiel with a wonderful DOLer.

Thanks for the update Toohey. Thinking about you every day Jed.

Thinking of you Jed.

Wondering now too Clyde? The one that is half way between your place and mine? Can you PM me the name of the sore Lovemesideways? I know you are not far from me.

Nah...it's me that's got the flower obsession Pers. A friend of OH's has worked in a local camera shop for years. When I started enjoying macro with my old Kodak I asked him what he recommended as good for macro and he suggested Ricoh. I looked online and bought a magazine comparing all the different compact cameras and again Ricoh came up as brilliant for macro. I couldn't afford a DSLR at the time and still can't but one day.....!

Same as Persephone....no DSLR here either. Love the Nasturtium droplet Pers. I use a Ricoh R10...with 10 megapixels and a 7.1 Optical wide zoom lens. Ricoh actually use a different lens system in their compact cameras to other brands and it is more suited to macro than others. I bought it for that reason....and am not that fussed that 'normal' photography is only average with it. I love what I can do with my Ricoh.

Beautiful Iltby! I think I have got to the point where I can't take any shots other than macro....it's an addiction.

For Jed...... "When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark At the end of the storm Is a golden sky And the sweet silver song of the lark Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on walk on with hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone You'll never walk alone When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark At the end of the storm Is a golden sky And the sweet silver song of the lark Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on walk on with hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone You'll never walk You'll never walk You'll never walk alone."

Click on the link below to view my Red Bubble page.

It's wonderful that the cat has been found uninjured. Thinking of you Jed.

My contribution....hopefully within the criteria of the challenge?

RIP Magnus, Meg and the other much loved dogs. I can't imagine what hell Jed went through. She is such a brave lady.

When I say a frustrated working breed. I mean a breed who is made for work, such as this kelpie cross. With no outlet for anything. Definition of Frustration is "a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems." I believe that dogs, especially the highly active breeds such as this kelpie cross, need a job to do. As the owner of a Kelpie X (probably GSD) I do have to agree. They are highly intelligent and active dogs. Many dogs were bred as working dogs, not just the herding dogs such as Kelpie's, Bordie Collies etc. and although any dog needs mental stimulation as well as exercise, Kelpies probably need just that little bit more mental stimulation....which is why they can have problems when left in a suburban backyard much of the time...barking, digging etc.. The excitement of a dog park, with so many other dogs around can be overwhelming and overstimulating to a Kelpie who is possibly bored the rest of the day, or week.....which may be the situation with this dog? The owner however should have apologised to you and accepted that her dog's behaviour was at fault. Tim, my Kelpie X loves the Frenchs Forest dog park. He is very sociable with other dogs and is pretty much ball addicted so between ball chasing, he happily blends with 'the pack'. The only problem I have had there was a GR who insisted on humping him as we were trying to leave through the gate...Tim objected. The owner was nowhere to be seen and I pushed the GR away with my ball thrower. I actually have more a problem with my Staffy, Danni. I keep her on lead usually, as she finds it a bit overwhelming. One lady asked me why I brought my 'aggressive' dog there because she had her hackles up. My response...."Ummm.....when she is intimidated by so many dogs and unsure of herself, and when we first arrive she has her hackles up (she settles down after about 20 minutes)....which is why I have her beside me on a short lead and away from the big packs of people and dogs." We go for Tim's sake more than Danni's. She would be happy just walking the streets, which we do on days when they don't go to the park, but Tim needs more exercise...and it is a safe fenced enclosure to throw a ball for him. A friend, who lives two streets away from me and has 2 BCs, now always drives up to St Ives....and finds it better, with more 'dog savvy' people there as Clyde mentioned. I haven't been there so can't give an opinion.

Arrggghhh. I go to that off leash park sometimes (it's 5 minutes from me) and there are so many dogs...dogs get over stimulated in a way because there can be so many dogs there at one time. I notice groups of people happily chatting away and not watching theiir dogs too much. Sorry you had a rotten experience.

I only just saw this Horus. I'm so sorry that you have lost Ellie....she was a lucky spotty girl to have found you and was much loved for those 7 years. RIP Ellie for you B.

I know some people are concerned about the rubbing of a collar on a show coat, or it catching on something and the dog strangling....but I think collars on all the time are a great idea. Having been a 'Lost Dog Magnet' for years...it makes it so much easier to catch and return a lost or straying dog if it has a collar and tag. Pound fees are so expensive and if you can save another dog owner some money, all the better...especially when it is an accident that the dog is out. eg: tradesmen leaving the gate open. If there is no collar or no tag, I always take a dog to the Vet to be scanned...but if all the Vets are closed I have had to call the Ranger (and still ended up keeping dogs overnight).

It's easy to change the flyscreen on any screen door, even old ones. You shouldn't need to saw into it....just pull out the tubing that holds the screen in and replace the lot, screen and tubing. Vinegar is pretty good on tom-cat pee....or dog if that is the case. Tom-cat pee has a very distinctive smell, far worse than dog pee.

Being a Staffy, and in my experience they have rather sensitive skin....be very careful about what you put on her, and also check her skin over the next few days for any redness, blistering or reaction to what sounds like some sort of chemical. Probably best to ensure she can't get back to the area where she rolled in whatever substance this was.

In an ideal world.....kids and dogs should be together. Every kid should either have a dog or be exposed to dogs and taught how to interact with them. It's one of life's joys. It's not the kids that are the problem....it's the parents!

Yes....for what I considered to be personal, rather nasty attacks.....rather than constructive criticism. For those that are unaware...you can also block other forum members, so they can't PM you, or you can block so you don't see their posts....if they annoy you that much.

She was far too young Wendy. At only 12 months old to have a massive tumour, as large as her heart? The Vet was going to do an autopsy as he wanted to know what it was...rather unusual I gather. We were all holding back tears on Tuesday...it was hard.

My boss's dog died this morning from cancer. She was a beautiful dog, lovely natured and only 12 months old. I will miss her joyful entry into the office, her playful nature and the quick cuddle we had when time allowed away from the phone and computer. Your life was far too short but you were much loved. Run free Omaha. You are in pain no longer sweet girl.

Exactly what a dog owner, who I met regularly at the park where we used to live, was told. She bought the puppy from a pet shop....supposedly a Mini-Poodle x 'Mini' Curly Coated Retreiver....yep sure! She was also told by the pet shop staff that his coat was 'low maintenance' and that all he would need was an occasional trim with scissors (by her) on his tummy....yep sure! She didn't believe me when I said that she would have to take him to a groomer on a regular basis. It didn't take long for her to realise that I was right. His coat is diabolical. It makes me wonder.....????? Stores cannot sell products that are labelled incorrectly about the care and maintenance of that product, yet pet shops can sell a 'product', a puppy, and tell the purchaser blatant lies about the care and maintenance? Surely a case for Fair Trading?

Same here. It's been a few years since we had any sort of break but have had one week a year in a dog friendly holiday house up the coast before that. It was lovely and the dogs loved being able to play at the beach...which is not something that happens in our part of Sydney. The only problem we did have was with our Kelpie X, who insists on biting at the waves on the beach and ends up swallowing a lot of salt water....with the inevitable result....'squirties' from both ends.

Along with a plague of paralysis ticks I suspect we are 'Sydney FW Central' on the Norther Beaches. They love damp sloping banks and you will often find an area that is totally riddled with their holes. A friend grew up on the shores of Pittwater at the back of Newport. There was a little grassed area on the shore and walking back up the slope to her house you could see literally hundreds of FW holes. As kids, they learnt not to play there. Another lady I know lived on a sloping block at Narraweena. Her front yard wa a total no-go zone for her grandkids due to a major infestation of FWs. She weeded there in leather gauntlet gloves and gumboots.