Starkehre

Borzoi, cause I want one... or some :laugh: Absolutely love 'em!!!

SC, how is Emma going if you don't mind me asking? :)

Oh, that is just gorgeous... too many * squee*'s. That is the cutest thing I have heard all day, you are adorable :) You poor sausage. I do feel more men having to tolerate all our "feelings" and stuff.

+1 Some dogs reverse sneeze more often in allergy times of the year, so now is the time they might start if they are that way inclined.

Great news BB. It is often a simple thing :)

Added to this, if he is not fully emptying his bladder, I find this can be sometimes caused by owners praising their dogs the second they start peeing. What I ensure i do when teaching my pups to empty on command is say the command, then wait, do not stare them down, just check peripherally, then ensure I am dead still and quiet whilst they are eliminating. Only praise and big fuss once they are finished. if you praise too early, they stop and come running for treat or going back indoors. If you are not doing this, give it a try perhaps. Personally I would be crating when inside or certainly only allowing the dog a small area unless 100% fully supervised (as in when you can and will see the dog showing signs of being about to pee and know you can stop it in time) for a while until the issue is sorted. Good luck.

We have a Fitfurlife Superior and are very happy with it. You cannot safely use a human treadmill for a Lab, as even on the biggest, most expensive human treddy, the deck is not long enough for a Lab to gait properly and comfortably. It will restrict movement and totally defeat your purpose. I don't think it is expensive. It is a quality unit and I actually thought it was quite inexpensive for what it is. Marian the rep is very helpful and friendly and it was really easy for us to arrange getting one.

Naww!!! Isn't Emma just beautiful, and what a lucky girl she is to have received such yummy treats. She is such a special girl. I am so glad she is cruising along well and thank you for the updates SC.

Agreed, no fetch and certainly not for 10 mins. That run in drive, sharp stop, twist and run again is a recipe for disaster. Smooth forward movement on giving surfaces, and not too much is more appropriate. If he should be resting, then he really should be doing just that, resting. cd01, I am glad you have really learnt so much regarding the correct raising of puppies regarding exercise and realise where things went wrong, but I am also very disappointed for you that there appears to be damaged caused from the earlier exercise you were doing with your pup. Hopefully there will not be any long term damage to Calvin. We all live and learn and often it is the hard way. Best of luck with him.

I am allergic to dog saliva. I only realised this about 5 years ago. I just never bothered putting two and two together as I suffer with eczema anyway. For forty odd years I struggled with bad rashes and didn't realise why. We have always owned dogs :laugh: My most sensitive areas are the inside of my arms and my neck, which are the two places that dogs tend to lick you if you are patting and having cuddles. Within minutes of this contact I break out in an eczema type rash which is intolerably itchy. I have had to teach all my dogs not to lick me and I am mindful of keeping my sensitive areas away from their mouths as much as I can. If I get licked I rinse the area under running water straight away and I won't break out. For me I believe it is the acid in the saliva as I am not affected by baby puppies. It is not until their saliva becomes more acidic that it is an issue for me. The older the dog is, the worse my reaction to it. Yep, take her to the GP, get relevant allergy testing done and hopefully it can be resolved or you can find a way to work around it. I feel for you and your daughter. Allergies can be very frustrating. Best of luck getting to the bottom of it.

Dr, I am so sorry to hear Bison has relapsed. I know you will ensure that each day he has will be wonderful for both of you. He is a lucky boy to have had you there for him throughout his life and during his illness. You are lucky to have each other. I will be thinking of you both during this difficult time ahead.

Just popping by to let you know I am thinking of you and Emma, SC.

Not sure where you are, but if you ever get stuck again, and if Mornington is not too far away for you, we always have stock of all 20kg bags. - $75 Lamb & Rice and Chicken & Rice. $80 Puppy and Feline. Pick up by appointment, happy to do outside business hrs. www.k9softdogcrates.com.au 0412 070 866

Drive and only stop for fuel and emptying yourself and the dogs every 4-6 hrs. There is every chance the cat will cry the whole way, it will drive you nuts. But there is every chance it will cry all night in a motel or B & B also. It is not a long trip. I do this trip on my ear, drive it alone with the dogs and float, and only stop two or three times Melbourne to Sydney. The more you stop, the more you disturb the resting pets. whilst driving the car can be kept at a cool temperature inside and all will be well. I do suggest you have extra clothing for yourself in the car handy. The pets often hot when stressed or travelling, so you may need to turn the air-con up for them and rug yourself up. I don;t normally feel the cold much, but I have had to do this many times to keep my dogs cool.

Yes cyclosporine is the one you have to wear gloves for. My bitch was on this, along with several other drugs. One of my dogs was treated at home, the one that died (but her platelet count had not dropped as low as my other dog), the other was hospitalised for over a week in emergency, then once she came out we were at Melb Referal Centre every other day for months. It is long long road to recovery.

Steph, it sounds to me as though you are pretty switched in and will make any breed work. That said I would suggest you avoid Terriers and Working dogs. I would also suggest you insist OH "lose" the wrestling. If you want a calm, quiet adult dog, raise it that way. Wrestling will almost definitely invite barking. Buy him a gym membership or a boxing bag instead perhaps :) I don't wrestle my dogs until they are old and mature enough to fully understand their off switch, "quiet" and "enough". That said, I am not really a fan of wrestling animals period. I know many are, and that's fine for them, but I think for your environment, it is important to keep the noise down as much as possible.

Yes, or Immune Mediated Thrombocytopaenia. I have had 2 dogs with it. One died. One survived. Both diseases are extremely nasty. The blood transfusions are to assist whilst the dogs immune system is becoming supressed by the drugs to stop it killing off platelets or cells. Blood transfusions can work, but not always. One of my bitches (the surviving one) had 5 blood transfusions and 3 plasma transfusions before she turned the corner... and even then it was still a long road to recover with sever muscle atrophy owing to the cortisone and also stomach ulcers owing to the drugs. But we did make it. There is hope, but it is a deadly disease. Every case is different. I wish them all the luck. Please let us know how they go.

In my experience most baby puppies wake around this time and they are also at their craziest. Having two and being litter siblings will only multiply this. I know you want to stay in bed, but being realistic it would be better to suck it up and rise when they do. Personally I find this morning crazy time the best training time for puppies. Their mind is alert and they have stacks of energy. I would be separating them (crate one) and train and play with each one individually for a few minutes, then give them breakfast. They will be ready for a 2 hr nap by around 8am. That is a pretty normal routine. It may keep them asleep for an additional half hr each morning if they are crated in separate rooms of the house also... worth a try if you are not doing this already. As they mature they will sleep less during the day and for longer at night and this is when you will be able to sleep in a bit more. Good luck. You certainly have your work cut out for you having litter sibling terrier puppies. :)

Congrats Reb. Awesome Hip and Elbow results. Gotta love the quick turn around.

I have a 9.5 year old Rottweiler, Dyzney whom I consider old, though she is not really old. I know some Rottis live til 12 and 13, not common but not that rare either. This does not mean I think she is about to pass away or that she can't still live a full and meaningful life. I love oldies. I love having an old dog and I enjoy people commenting on my oldie when they see her out and about. When I get comments on her relating to her being old, I love it. I do not consider it an insult or derogatory in any way. Dyz is still herding, doing agility, obedience, swimming and basically enjoying the hell out of life and if I can keep her as healthy, happy and fit further into old age, I will be proud and thrilled. I am unsure why you feel insulted by comments that your dog is old, it is, but it is not an insult, and I doubt such comments would be intended this way. When I see other older dogs out and about, I often comment and say what a gorgeous oldie they have and how much I love the oldies. I always receive kind, cheerful responses of likeminded owners. Oldies have a wistful worldiness, they are just magical. I have a huge amount of time and respect for them. If I was you, I would be proud that these people are noticing that you have a happy old dog that you obviously look after well.... but that's just me. :)

I know, hilarious isn't it?! Imagine how scary she would be if you threw a white sheet over her with the eyes cut out. Great for halloween. Oddly enough she cleared the jump fine.

Sorry to hijack your thread MUP, but now I have started laughing all over again, I can't stop... and this is the other photo that does it to me every time. This is my Fame. Hope you can see the crazy eyes

I know... so I am not that crazy :rofl: "dahhhh, are my teef OK sir???"

Yes, that is funny... and cute at the same time. ...And I know what you mean, cause when I saw this the other day, I could not stop laughing. It is gorgeous and sweet and all that, but for some reason I find it incredibly funny too.

Hi SC. Thank you for Emma's update. Give her a hug for me please Her bad day must have thrown you around a bit. And yes, it is worrying to know that it is likely there will be more of these to come and time goes on. The good days are gold. I am so glad you know how to cherish each of them and see them for exactly what they are. It is amazing how much these journeys in life help us to grow, learn to live more consciously and "wake up and smell the roses". I do "hear" this in each and every one of your posts. SC, you are like a whole new person, have you seen this in yourself. And whilst it is so sad to know you are going through something so overwhelmingly gut wrenching, it is also such a beautiful thing (yet bitter/sweet) to see this side of you awakened. I admire your inner strength and hope you are taking pride in the person you are. I am not surprised Emma is putting on a bit of weight. I know I wouldn't be able to help giving her extra special goodies if it was me :D It must be such a tricky juggling act for you. Sorry, I don't feed fresh sardines, just tinned ones, but I doubt I would gut them if I did. You are doing an amazing job SC. And though we enjoy and appreciate the updates, don't even feel under any pressure to post. :)