LizT

You sound like a lovely person with a beautiful attitude and I'm sure you teach your children the correct way to behave around small (and large) animals. My three children all grew up around animals and I was always most careful to protect both puppies (and foals) and children from each other. Never unsupervised play or left alone together. The same goes for adult pets too. I would have no qualms selling a puppy (that was not an introvert or outwardly shy dog, they all have there own personalities) to someone who understood the importance of teaching children to be gentle with animals. Certainly children over 5 is a good guideline but I've seen some lovely young children and some real noisey horrors that even the most stoic animal would have trouble being around. Certainly the breeder has the right to decide but you certainly sound aware of what would be required of both your children and puppies best interest. I'm sorry I don't have any puppies to sell at the moment. Don't give up, Cavaliers a great family pets, particulary with kids. Interestingly my sister encountered a similar predjudice about working and not being at home all day when looking to buy a Cavalier puppy in England??? Also food for thought....little puppies aren't really little for that long (sadly)

Ah yeah, I can relate to that! Lili drops it back right into my hands every time, beacuse she wants me to throw it again! Yes, I used to think of it as the "I don't have to get of my arse to exercise my dog" rountine. Although I'd often lose my page and spill my drink

Young dogs are often destructive. Even when given ample chew and stimulating toys. They choose what they find interesting. It's very frustrating. Our younger GSD seemed to have a checklist of things to destroy. There isn't much you can do unless you actually catch them in the act! Eventually he grew out of it. It's so frustrating you get to the point where you thing 'stuff him he can sleep on the floor!' When chewing releases seratonin it makes them happy. This is often the case when left alone. It relieves boredom and anxiety. It's just a bit tricky helping them understand what's okay to chew and what's not. I think the problem with bed chewing as it close and handy. Lot's of good advice on this thread. I think some of us have tried all in various combinations. Our younger Cav is like a toddler, Even a 15 months (although much improved) she is still "Chrissy the destroyer"! We have to watch her like a hawk, she is forever picking things up in her mouth. I found her chewing on a paper clip the other day. Also pulling threads out of the flywire screens is a great lark for her. A common statement in our home is "What's Chrissy got in her mouth now?" She's scary.

I have read that some breeds are more the "fetch' types than others. I think the hunting and herding dogs are very fetch orientated. I've read and noted that Spaniels love to fetch. It's interesting that some dogs will fetch but not return??!! Both my GSD's have been big on the pursuit but not keen to give the item back, although if I ignored the old boy he'd come over and drop the ball on my lap when I was trying to read. My border Collie X Heeler couldn't give a rats and was never interested but got annoyed at the GSD when he took off after his ball and used to 'beat him up' over it! Do all retrievers retrieve?? I worry about fetch games with young dogs as there is a lot of rapid stops. I had a Obedience Trainer that would not allow us (her students) to play fetch ball games with our dogs (or tug games for that matter) as she said it created "Hysterical idiots".

I used to "fast" my dogs one day per week 20 years ago (as per the guide dogs, so I was told)??? It made sense as wild dogs are not guaranteed regular meals and it does give the digestion a break. For some reason I stopped doing it??? I wish I wasn't so regular with meal times as the German Shepherd carries on a treat at 4.30 pm on the dot and it's a pain! I don't know if my Cavaliers would let me skip a meal either. They get so little I think they would miss it greatly!! I've never FORGOTTEN to feed them though ! BUT I had forgotten to give the kids lunch on one occassion!!! BAD MOTHER!!! We'd had a big breakfast and were all outdoors doing work ALL DAY, and then went inside, got cleaned up and went to their Grandparents for Sunday dinner. As I watched them hoeing into their meals I realise I hadn't given them lunch! Although there had been some 'grazing' on apples and yogurts and biscuits when we had a coffee break. Grandparents probably thought "What good little eaters they were!"

My OH is happy I have what he calls "a healthy past time". He feels that my having Dogs and Horses is still cheaper than what some women spend on say, HAIR ACRYLIC NAILS CLOTHES EATING OUT CIGARETTES ALCOHOL THE LATEST DECOR ART CLASSES BALLET LESSON FOR THE KIDS PRIVATE SCHOOLS BOTOX GEE I'M GLAD MY SISTER DOESN'T READ DOL

Shhh....better not let PETA see it! They'll petition to close that circus down.

I'm embarassed to be of the same species as those that come up with these ideas!!!

At first glance at her photo I thought "ENGLISH Bull Terrier X STAFFORDSHIRE Bull Terrier" Mix in undisclosed portions. True she's a nice looking dog, hope he's desexed her though!

Thanks for the advice on lead clips Erny. I've had similar problems with horse leads, it's why I prefer putting a looped end lead through a rope halter -no clip to break if the horse pulls-. Oh, and a lot of the better silver clips are nickel plated over brass but are hard to tell apart from the 'cheap and nasty' (and not necessarily $$$$ cheap either!) nickel plated over crappy metal made in China ones.

Random Agi Show... 'Redgum' (band) T-Shirt, Blue baggy Camoflague jeans, cut out Sun-Peak Cap, thongs (the feet kind ) circa mid 1980's. Royal Melbourne Show....Mint Green Adidas Tracksuit and Blue Adidas Trackshoes. Also circa 1985.

And in th END (or is it the beginning?) only mongrel bred dogs that are ferrel will begin to hang around campsites and eat scraps thrown to them by the people. The people will befriend these creatures and so a bond that precludes all legislation and goes back 100's of thousands of years will reform and then man will begin to control the, what has been, until then, indistcriminate breeding of these wolves/dogs/dingoes and begin to create a "type" whcih is asthetically pleasing to his eye.

Go easy with it and do a bit at a time as the blade could irritate the skin if dragged across it repeatedly.

Don't be too hard on yourself....it's tricky walking multiple dogs. All can go well for ages and then...like this morning..one slip up combined with a broken clip and DOWN YOU GO. At least you didn't hurt yourself, I've seen sillier ways to break an ankle.

If you do add an egg, cook it slightly first so that the egg white becomes solid as dogs have a problem with raw egg white OR just give the yolk.

And you spent Sunday under two other persons gazebos. ;) :o Yeah, cos the Gazebos were bought for the dogs!!! :D :D PLUS The company is top class!

Interestingly this old book never claimed it as a "Flea repellent". It was said to be a vermifuge (internal parasites). But I agree that daily use would be too often although I know there are dog Naturopaths out there who use it in many of there daily "remedies" and tonics.

I assumed a teaspoon! Have to go easy on it though 'cos honey is a laxative!

I think in the past 18 months I have accumulated everything from a Gazebo, chairs, trolley and floor matting to silver mesh etc. etc. etc. Back in the 1980's when I showed my Schipperke all I had was Dog Lead Bag with brush, water and bowel and towel Me (dress very casually!) Now it seems to be all out. What changed????

Yeah, and it gives you the chance to go get the pooper scooper!!! Oh, you didn't mean THAT kind of movement!! LOL

Geez he loves the honey! I wouldn't have thought a dog would have a sweet tooth, especially one that NEVER has had anything sweet before?? Cough completely gone.

I fed garlic to my dogs for years as a Natural remedy for internal parasites. Found this out in a very old book about Herbal remedies for dogs. However I recently read in a Veterinary Journal Newsletter that Garlic makes dogs lethargic so I'm not sure. I have also and still do feed it to my horses.

Great idea, thanks Erny

If there is infection, I agree that antibiotics are likely to help. But if it is Canine Cough only, the antibiotics don't do anything for it because CC is viral. OT : Is it just me, or do I see Vets dishing out antibiotics as "just in case" measures, too quickly, easily and frequently? I agree they are getting to be like some GP's!!! Well it doesn't appear to be KC as it has almost stopped except for an occasional 'Ahemm' (throat clearing noise). I think the poor fellow was a bit sore when I put the tablet down his throat yesterday so he may have had something scratch or damage him so I guess the antibiotics will be useful to avoid an infection while he heals? Think I'll put the tablet in his food, doesn't have any problem with that! I had the feeling though that the antibiotics were IF HE HAD KENNEL COUGH?? And that's no better than giving antibiotics for a common cold which is what some GP's used to do. It would only help if there were an associated chest infection???

I keep a bottle of Liquid Stypic which you can get at the Barbers or a "Shaver Shop" which is always sitting there with a cotton ball handy when I do the claws "Just In Case" and it works immediately.