Mooper

BMP, I remember getting teary the second time Jack failed advanced. Then I just got used to it! In the end, I came to the conclusion that passing or failing means nothing. Nessie was *perfect* at the Million Paws Walk with all those doggies and people! With your patience and gentle nature, she's come a mighty long way. As long as you're enjoying taking her to training, and she's enjoying being there, I wouldn't even bother doing the assessment if it stresses her out so much. Just go to training for the socialisation aspect and for the sake of expanding your knowledge (says me, who hasn't been to training so far this year thanks to long working hours )

Jack the boofer got the hang of the clicker within minutes. If he can do it, any dog can! Now he's freezer-trained (open the chest freezer and he comes running), microwave-trained (*DING!* means dinner is thawed, according to Jack) and he's trained to detect the difference between work shoes and the sound my sneakers make when I'm getting ready for a walk! Or maybe it's me who is trained ... :D I think so.

I hope Lilly slept like a babe!

Your attitude is spot-on, Jodie Fantastic news that Ollie's chemo went ahead and even better to hear that he's scoffing down his food! Goooooo Ollie!! ;) (edited the you're to your )

Hamish at West Queanbeyan? Yep, ARF highly recommend him. And Staffyluv takes Ollie to Hamish So Lilly is in good hands, and it sounds like she's on the path to recovery. So sorry that you and everyone else in the clinic had to witness the outcome of the horrible dog attack What a nightmare for all concerned! Do you know whether the owners are charging the owners of the loose dog? So many people seem to think that a loose dog is fine :D I heard on the radio this morning that two dogs were frolicking around Beasley Dr and Athlon Dr near Phillip. One was hit and traffic was backed up for miles It sent chills down my spine, and all the colour went out of my OH's face. News like that affects all dog-lovers.

Give the spoilt boofer a cuddle from me

Hey Kavik, my dopey ACD X worked it out pretty quickly Give it a go!

C'mon Ollie! You can bounce right back, happy fella!!

I'm another who swears by the tiniest ball of mince with the pill in the middle. It has never failed me! This morning, all I had on-hand was frozen lamb mince. Looks like I'm cooking something with mince for dinner tonight, having thawed the whole lot of it for a tablespoon of the stuff!

Don't forget a bit of the old quid pro quo, GP. Ask the suppliers whether they will consider offering discounted or free stock (in the case of damaged bags) in return for you displaying their business cards at the Pound, their flyer on the wall, their food drums visible to the public from behind a locked kennel door, that sort of thing. It usually helps and is no skin off your nose.

Such a short life. Rest in true peace, Tex. Dig up the garden at the rainbow bridge.

Oh, boy, I got goosebumps when I saw the title of this thread. I'm so sorry, Allerzeit, that you had to let Stewie go. He was a gorgeous boy, whose smiling face will be sorely missed on DOL and at shows, I'm sure. Enjoy the next stage of your being pain-free, Stewie :rolleyes:

I'm pretty sure that one of ARF's foster carers (not on DOL) said she gets a 20kg bag of Bonnie for about $20 from the Bungendore stockfeed store. Is there an equivalent place in Griffith that can offer such a deal?

Aww, that's such wonderful news! Ooh, ooh, I get Ollie cuddles when I pick you up tomorrow night :) What a star he is.

Thanks very much for the clarification I'll have to watch the video again for more signals.

If you decide a puppy is too much work, you can always rescue a dog from the pound or from a foster carer :rolleyes: That's what we did, so I'm afraid I can't offer any advice on puppies!

m-j, by calming signals, do you mean the yawn when the dog was dropped on the road (:rolleyes:) after the 'interruption'? Just interested to learn more And what are 'r+ dogs' ? It sounds like BL's problems are sorted for now, but for what it's worth, I had the same thing with Jack when we first brought him home from the pound, two years ago at age four. He would anticipate the problem houses and would start pulling on lead and panting as we approached. I always made an effort to go past calmly, and we worked a lot on his focus on me. The clicker really helped reinforce this. Now when we walks past manic dogs, he sometimes gives them a casual glance over his shoulder as if to say 'what's your problem?' and we continue strolling along (with praise from me for ignoring the stimulus). The cheeky bugger trots along, wagging his tail, if the dog behind the fence gets in trouble from the owners! I swear he has the mentality of a Year 9 boy

Stony Batter, where on Earth is that?! Well done finding a place, wherever it is! I was going to suggest the Shiralee Motel on the New England Hwy in Guyra. It's run by two lovely gay blokes, and I seem to recall they say 'pet-friendly with conditions' in the Holidaying with Dogs book. I would offer a room at my in-law's place but they will have hopefully sold their house by then and moved into an aged care facility (it's time) But you've found a place now, so all is well!

If you don't mind a stopover in Newcastle, there's a great-sounding place in Denison St, Hamilton, where the dogs are welcome inside with you. It's on the www.holidayingwithdogs.com.au webpage so it may have been included after the last edition of the book came out. The owners have beagles, I think. It's about 5 to 5.5 hours' drive from Canberra, so not a bad spot to stop. And there are dog-friendly beaches in Newcastle where Perry could have a run early the next morning before you head off again. I know the Jelly Bean Van Park in Guyra (past Armidale) allows dogs, but like everyone else, I think it's outdoors only ... even in their chilly winter! Brrr.

Catch up with you soon, Jodie and Ollie dog ;) Great to hear the puppyness is still there.

Bye bye, cheeky Buster. Enjoy playing with the ratties at the bridge.

Rest in peace, Scruffy. You've gone to a happy place, where your friends and family will one day join you.

Gooooooooo, Ollie!

Triangle of Temptation is a feeding and respect program that I believe Steve (K9Force) developed and uses. He used to have a page about it on his website but I couldn't find it. He's in the Kurrajong area, I think, so you may be able to organise a consultation with him in the not-too-distant future if he isn't booked out! You should also find some info here on DOL if you conduct a search

Slighty OT, but I think any dog and handler will benefit from obedience training -- it gets you both out and about, is a great opportunity to socialise the dog, gives you two a better bond, and leads to better manners. I'd say go for it. My boy was four and pretty badly behaved when we brought him home from the pound. Now, at age six, he's still learning but always getting better. I'm still learning too! If you're worried about your dog's manners at an off-leash park, you're making the right decision to not let him off-leash until both his manners and recall improve. That's not to say you shouldn't take him there. You can keep him on-lead or on a long line for recall practice. Not being a Sydneysider, I'm not sure which council you come under. But the council or your local vet should be able to point you to any local obedience classes. You can also look at the Delta Society Australia website for accredited instructors in your area. Good luck and, most importantly, have fun!