MissAloof

what about bicarb soda? It can be added to water or brushed through dry. It's super safe on humans (including babies) and gets rid of just about any smell around (in washing, fridges etc) so it might work. It's also good for itchy skin. Maybe you could test patch a small area and if all is ok then just bathe the area with a wet cloth with some bicarb added to the water. I had a quick look on the net and most uses were for getting rid of urine smells on carpets but it could be worth a try.

I know exactly how you feel, when I got mine it was cold in Canberra, really not hanging around in the yard late at night weather (or early morning, for that matter, brrrr). One thing I did that made my dog's system move a bit (not great for night, though) was throw a ball or something, get her to run a little bit. When she's done the right thing, praise her and put her back to bed, you don't have to stay up playing. Same as out walking, if she has a little gallop in that time she does more wees.

Maybe so, I just tried to read her body language and work out what suited her. She never backed off or shivered, the opposite actually, wanted cuddles which she also got and still does. I didn't have to squat her much really - taking her out and repeating the word was more of what I did a lot. She also got the message seeing the adult dog do things, I think. On the other hand, trying to get her into the crate did upset her. She really does not like it.

I tried butchers' bones down here and was disgusted, they were huge, not the best looking but worst - I thought they were off. literally. I tried a few butchers and gave up. My mum was getting chicken flesh/bone mix from a chicken shop for me, and my dog loved it. I managed to get her on raw quickly and she loves BARF too. The other day I was in Coles checking out their stuff and found a lot of little meat and bones suitable for little dogs. They had little bags of smaller bones (ie not too huge for my kid to pick up, which the others were) and they also had small packs of neck bones which have gone down a treat, just the right size, nice quantity of meat and fresh and clean looking too. I'd also earlier found smallish bones at another supermarket, so if your butchers don't please you, poke around at some different supermarkets to get what you need. It took me a while but I found the right stuff in the end.

I've got one of those. My girl was a little bit older when I got her, she'd been wormed, vaccinated, all of that. And not toilet trained. My SIL drove to pick my dog up, she was in a crate but scared stiff so softy me carried her on my lap back home and she was fine within minutes, shivering and stuff but started licking my hand quickly and settled. We got home to a bunch of human kids and an adult Shi Tzu, all were excited and happy, including puppy. I fed her puppy kibble from the beginning but she liked getting into the "big" dog's food bowl too. I had to toilet train her quickly as there was a doggy door at my brother's (where we were staying in a spare room for a little while). I religiously took her outside often, repeated "toilet" over and over. If she didn't get the message I forced her butt down, spread her back legs and held her tail up. She started doing what I wanted before long, and now knows the word toilet. She also did copy the adult dog too, so that helped. And taught herself the doggy door one day when it started raining. She kept on excitement weeing too, when the kids got up in the morning, when I came home, but she finally worked it all out and has been great since aged about 5 months in our own house, was rather good before then but still prone to excitement accidents. (She also hates the crate and goes nuts if she is put in it). I found it all a bit hard as all previous dogs had lived outside. I took her for a vet check as soon as I could and they checked everything and booked her in for desexing when they felt she was old enough. I'd advise the vet check, and would expect the vet can supply all the info needed about vaccinations, worming, feeding and all of that. You also have the net, and here, for more information. I have to tell you, my girl has the sweetest disposition ever. She's a darling. Loves everybody and all other dogs. I'd also not forget the socialisation. And it will need regular clipping, my girl has soft curly silky hair and is getting quite hot while I have trouble getting a groomer to fit with my work hours.

Definitely, just the same as you'd freeze your own food. No probs at all. I started my kid on necks and she's now progressed to wings, chomps her way through them with great gusto. Once or twice in this heat a wing I've given hasn't been totally soft and defrosted, she sniffs a bit then eating as usual.

I was wondering about the diet change too, last night I gave my puppy some raw chicken mince - flesh and bones mince, not a lot - and she loved it. Had been a bit off colour on Saturday but seemed fine until a storm hit last night, then the usual shivering and shaking. When we went to bed she kept on doing the shivering thing and started breaking wind. Soundless, but .... oooh, lethal. At one stage I wanted to chuck her out of the bedroom. I wondered if it was the raw stuff. But today she seems fine. Hasn't got the runs or anything, but gee whiz. Stink bomb! And she wanted to kiss me after one of 'em. oooooh!

thanks for replies. The thing that turned me off the RSPA was their prices, maybe I read it wrong but it seems you get 1 course with them for the price of a year with the other two places, and she's a very social puppy, loves other dogs and people. And she seems to have a lot of energy. I thought lhasas were supposed to be couch potatoes. ha ha. when we go for walks lately (except when it's too hot) she starts galloping. Hilarious except I'm not fit enough or young enough to handle it well. So I'd like her to get that extra interaction the clubs apparently have with some sort of play area. CDC does seem good, but only 7ks to Tuggers is appealing as well. (We live at Calwell).

With the new year it's time to get my dog into obedience school - the last class for last year was around the time she was desexed so we missed that. I'm thinking either Tuggeranong or the Symonston ones. Does anyone have any experience with either of them? At the moment the main difference for me is distance, Tuggeranong is much closer. Are there any pros and cons of either place? thanks

Buju's had them for ages too, and loves them. She seems to know the words too (or just wishful thinking on my part). She starts crunching at one end and continually crunches until she's mashed the whole thing up. I do keep half an eye on her just in case though. I also gave her a chicken wing a while ago and she chewed and crunched that the same way.

thanks for that laeral, good time to buy a blender now too, with the sales on, I'll look this week.

I forgot to add, when I used to take her outside (staying at my brother's) I'd repeat like a mantra - toilet, toilet. She took a while at first and used to wander around smelling the mulch etc, if she took too long I'd stop her, squash her rear end down and repeat - toilet. Now I can just say that word and if she needs to go she will. Before bed I don't even say it, she knows what we go out for. When she was did it inside I'd stop her, point to it and say - toilet OUTSIDE, take her out and repeat - toilet. Hell, I had no idea how to housetrain a puppy and as there was an adult dog in the house with a doggy door I found it hard, but she learnt. (She's a Lhasa/Maltese cross).

No offence, but I'd let the puppy "grow up" a bit. I got mine at 3.5 months, religiously took her out for toilet time but she still wet around my brother's house, mainly when she got excited. Rarely wet at night. Learnt the doggy door from an adult dog they have, then she and I moved a month later into our own house. We had a doggy door within a week. She is now 7.5 months and I let her do her own thing - she sleeps virtually anywhere she likes, and definitely does her own toileting. She still likes me to take her out before we go to bed at night, then she takes care of herself in the morning. She can run around the back yard and house as she likes. I've only had a rare wee accident when there's a severe storm or fireworks, and not even that on NY eve this last week. Funny though, she did wee in the bedroom my mother was staying in the other day, but apart from that she is marvellous. So I'd try giving her a bit more freedom, they do like it and can do the right thing.

I gave Buju one last night. She initially ignored it, then picked it up and looked at me as if I was a nut. Took it outside, played with it on the deck and left it there. I guess she's not impressed.

reading this with interest and have a couple of questions - how long do sardines keep for? I have seafood allergy and don't touch the stuff so I know nothing about it. Do they keep for a couple of days? Do I buy the ones in oil or....? Also, with the veg, I'll need to buy a blender (got rid of nearly all my belongings when I went o/s and haven't replaced everything yet) - do dogs usually like this veggie mix more than individual veg? My puppy likes spinach, pumpkin, a little bit of carrot, but not much else - fruit, zucchini, etc all get taken out of her food bowl and dumped on the floor. If she doesn't like this mix is it ok to play around with the ingredients?

20 mintues? maybe your dog's just not food oriented. Sometimes I barely get into another room and sit down and my girl's charging in next to me. My girl eats her food really quickly, eats what she wants and drops the rest on the floor - as if saying, don't give me that again. I don't want to hijack this thread but how do you know the right amounts to give young dogs? Does that mentioned book go into all that?

by wholemeal rice do you mean brown? If so, that is supposed to have a lot of roughage, much more than white. Supposed to make humans "go" so it could be making the dogs burp.

I was thinking what a great idea as my puppy does like carrot. But if it comes out undigested at the other end - does that mean for a little dog I need to be giving her a little carrot? um, hope you know what I mean

I just looked down at her now, she's napping next to my chair in one of her favourite poses - flat on her back in that really inelegant doggy pose, back legs spread wide apart, with the breeze blowing over her abdomen - so that too makes me think it's a cool-ness thing.

When I was growing up all our dogs were strictly outside dogs, they all had a kennel but none except the last one ever slept in the kennels, the rest just slept anywhere in the yard they felt like. Even in winter. They may or may not scoot into the kennel during storms but that was all. Now I've got a little indoors puppy, she comes and goes as she likes - Lhasa cross. When we moved into this house a few months back it was starting to get warmer and she'd bolt in and out at bedtime and quite often sleep outside, either on the wooden deck or on a padded deck loungechair. Usually she'd come inside about 3am and continue sleeping on her bed. Now she often starts off in one of the hallways, still goes in and out, and still ends up on her bed during the cooler morning hours. I'm guessing they do it to be a bit cooler. My puppy also gets huge energy bursts when there's a cool breeze blowing and tries to gallop on her walks - full of the joy of living!

I use the Fadden one, Tuggeranong Vet Hospital it's called. My SIL recommended it to me, and they live nearby, so I started there when staying with brother/SIL. They apparently saw Malcolm from years back with a dog they had.

So, even if we've had written permission before the by law was passed, we still don't stand a chance? Unfortunately out of the 18 units in our block only 3 -4 units don't mind dogs. I will post the wording tonight however I am not convinced our Strata Mgr is telling us the truth when he said "animals" (exact wording in By-law) does not include caged animals such as birds or rabbits which are animals the other 2 units have. Is this right? I attended the meeting that they passed the By Law and was outnumbered. How much do Strata Lawyers charge per minute/hour? We know we won't win but thought we'd go through the mediation anyway and in the meantime searching for place to move to. I am in NSW. By posting the wording of the By Law, am I at any risks? My experience has been that a new by-law overides any older stuff - in my place up north I had a new by-law done regarding some of the common property. That wiped out anything that previously existed. Though in that case it was easy, only 2 strata lots so we had 50-50 for agreement and arguments. From previous places, to make a decision a quorum was needed, I think that means a majority or something similar - I don't have that info at hand - best bet is as Trish suggested, get someone who does know the finer details. Some places I've lived in, the residents have had birds in cages. They were allowed, cats were not (becase they really do usually stink up the common areas and owners won't clean up after them). Never heard about rabbits though, last I heard about them was they were only allowed if the local council allowed them - which some still don't. I think you can go online and get a copy of strata laws and animals, if you want to make a point of that. DFT used to have all sorts of info to download. That's just my 2cents worth, I'm not a solicitor but lived in NSW strata blocks for decades. And had a lot of dealings with strata managers, BCs, and the DFT regarding it all.

The By Law 16 was only passed after we've had our pets and my husband is on the committee but he wasn't even notified about the action they were taking until we received a letter from our Strata Mgr. It's common to first know of a matter when notified by Strata management, unless an owner is more involved with the goings-on of the building (and that brings its own hassles). Even though the decades I lived in different strata blocks it was always the older "no pets allowed" if your place only introduced a by-law about it recently that's a different thing. In hindsight, it probably would've been the time to contact DFT back then. I'd give them a call ASAP. I've found them really good. My dealings with CTTT have not been though, they're useless and told me they only answer to themselves. Also, have a talk to your Strata Managers. Most of them too have a sloppy reputation but they may be able to give you some advice. You mention another owner - do they have a pet too? If so, try and get them on side. Good luck. Fighting BC can be awful.

Going decades back when strata units were new in NSW, not allowing pets was one common by-law. I heard there was some change a couple of years back that did allow them, but the BC could change that or stick to the original. I've also heard that some modern apartment blocks are allowing pets nowadays. Reading that link to the NSW Law Society I notice there's at least one ambiguous bit of info in the rental section, which makes me wonder what else they've not made clear. I'm confused by your post - if the BC is invoking a by-law or clause that already existed, does that mean you got the dog when it wasn't allowed? If so, I don't understand why you'd do that. Or is this a new by-law they've made? One reason I think to be on the Committee, at least you get a say in what goes on.

Goodness, I never thought about poultry products from China being available here, and I wonder why they would be. When I was living o/s a few years back there was constant international news about bird flu. But just now checking the packs, and yep, as mentioned, one is made in China (in microscopic sized print) and another is made in Oz from Oz poultry. I'll be checking what I buy from now on.