yellowgirl

He is Enormous!! . I saw him last week and couldn't believe how much he'd grown! Still a big floppy, gorgeous goofball tho ;) Madeline & I should be able to make it. Is it a bbq meet this time or just a monthly get-together? Hope the weather holds out, a few showers are predicted for Sunday. Looking forward to meeting some new DOLers and their pooches

I think I know what my dogs would do but I'd be interested to know for sure. I would love to have some cameras set up at home to see what they get up to when I'm not there ;) . I used to think they slept most of the time but since Pepper joined us, I often come home to toys strewn all around the place and cushions and pillows on the floor. I really wonder what they've been doing, particularly since out of the three of them, two of them (including Pepper) are slow-poke seniors Tammie explains it at the end of the second youtube video . Had to laugh at the big wolfie dog trying to play with the 'stranger' when the owner left

What happened?

Welcome Yoshi.Maltese . How long have you had Yoshi for? Have you had him since a pup or just got him recently? I also had a very timid dog. My Madeline was terrified of everything when I got her about a year ago. I used a lot of positive reinforcement with her but didn't reward or acknowledge scared behaviour. She was too scared to go outside at first so I spent that time building her confidence indoors first, teaching her to sit, say 'please' and dance. This really helped her confidence and she loved the praise, cuddles and treats. It made a huge difference to her. I had friends and neighbours come into the house for about 10 minutes at a time, scatter treats, and sit on the floor with treats in their outstretched hands (face averted, arm to the side) and we just chatted to each other basically ignoring the dog. Eventually she realised that there was no threat and people weren't as scary as she thought. We started walks very gradually, going further each time, but to start with it was just to the end of the driveway and back. I kept up a sing-song conversation with myself the whole time, walking confidently and telling her what fun she was having. The neighbours thought I was barmey but it worked for Madeline. My voice and actions were happy and confident and she learned to trust that she was safe on a walk. A year later she has come such a long way. She's the first at the door to greet visitors now and has worked out that if she puts on her cute act and does her dancing that people will give her smiles and attention. She loves going for walks now, we have an occasional upset if she sees another dog but I just talk happy-happy all the way through it and keep walking. If we meet a person she's a bit reserved at first, but when she realises she's safe she wants to stop and say hi and do her dance for them. When I first got Madeline I didn't have much info and wasn't sure at first how to help build the confidence of such a terrified dog, but I thought about how she must be feeling in this new environment after 3 years of trying to protect herself from a scary life. My heart seemed to know what she needed and thankfully she responded. Mita's tips are spot on! It might be a good idea to print them out and share them with the family. One of the best things I learnt about were calming signals (lip licking, yawning, etc) and even now it helps me to tune in to how my dogs are feeling. I'm also a big fan of positive reward and reinforcement. Good luck with Yoshi, don't rush him or expect him to understand everything at once. He will be looking to you to guide him and to let him know that he is safe with you. It will take time

Good on you LMM!! Rescue needs more people like you to get the word out about rescue, puppy farms and BYBs. I have quite a bit of info on my Links page - Fido's Funhouse Links . Feel free to use anything there. One idea would be to print out A4 pics of dogs in puppy farm conditions with captions like ' buying a cute pup from a petshop ensures that the mother retains her life of misery on a puppy farm' . You can also have a list of websites for people to look at when they get home. Print out the list on small cards or paper and hand them out. Also you could print out a poster with pics and info about dogs currently in rescue who need homes. Have tear off strips at the bottom with a contact phone, email or website so people can take the info and enquire about a particular dog. Hope all goes well for you and well done for trying to educate others and make a difference

You're right Clover, I think Fuzz just desperately wants to be part of the family and the owners are a bit out of their depth with a rescue dog who needs extra training and attention. He's had a pretty hard time before coming to this family That would be a good start I think Personally i think having him desexed would have no bearing on how much he barks. Maybe he just needs more exercise and mental stimulation? If he isn't getting a daily walk or being kept occupied simply walking him, doing some training or giving him bones, kongs etc might not cure the barking but may help. Depending on how old he is I would also suggest that they have his eyes checked. Maybe he is going blind, and i think that can cause some dogs to bark unnecessarily. The crate is also a great idea so he can be with them more. Desexing might not even be an option now. Apparently due to the damage to his testicles it would be a major operation to remove them. He also has a twisted stomach. I know desexing can help to calm some dogs down but the more they tell me about him the more it sounds like Fuzz's problems are related to separation anxiety. I really think he needs to be feel safe inside with his people. They wanted to have a trainer come in and advise them but unfortunately they just can't afford it at the moment. I've offered them the use of my crate and to come up on Sunday and have a look at the situation. I've made it clear that I'm not a trainer and not an expert, I would just look at it as if it were my own situation and tell them what I would do if it were my dogs. They're also a bit lost with the toilet training so it might help for them to have some step by step help. Hopefully getting him used to the crate and some very specific toilet training will help to settle him down. The little chap just wants to be inside. Thanks for your input guys :D

What a scary time you're having. I hope both pooches are okay and you get to the bottom of things

I don't think anyone is having a go at the buyers, it's the people who are breeding and selling the pups that I have the problem with. My aim is to try to educate people, not preach to them. Many of the 'breeders' are well aware of what is in the best interests of their puppies, but for those who are in it purely for the money they have no qualms about preying on the ignorance of others. Ignorance is only changed by education and explanation. Many people have learnt so much about unscrupulous breeders and puppy farmers since joining DOL. For every person we educate, that's another person converted to the truth about puppy farmers. Every one of us, myself included, began our journey with the dogs we love with a limited amount of knowledge. Mistakes are made, but with education and an open mind they are not repeated. It warms my heart to hear of members who have had their eyes opened and are now embracing that knowledge, and in many cases adding their voice to educate others about puppy farmers and bad breeders. Paraphrasing Oprah... when you know better, you do better

So many sad stories That's exactly what this lady said too! (bolded bit) So many pup buyers seem to think that the word 'breeder' means a caring and knowledgable person Gawd, anyone can put their two dogs together and produce a litter. Doesn't mean they have the best interests of the dogs at heart, and doesn't mean they actually know what the hell they're doing. And they cycle just continues

Knowing it wasn't, I asked her if the pup was from a registered breeder. She got a bit confused as she didn't realise there was a difference in 'breeders'. The pup was in the paper. She didn't realise that the parents probably weren't health tested and had no idea that 6 weeks was too young. She just believed what the 'breeder' said. I spent quite a while with her on the phone gently explaining things. She'd already put down a deposit, excited about getting an Akita pup. She was less excited when we finished talking, but I can only hope a little bit wiser.

Just had to have a little vent as I couldn't yell at the customer on the phone. She wanted to know what would be the best way of feeding their new Akita puppy which they are picking up tonight ... the pup is 6 weeks old!! The 'breeder' said they could go to new homes now as they're not feeding from the mother anymore! *very rude word here*

Hi all, A customer asked me about this and I wasn't sure what to advise her. She has two rescue dogs, Holly (Staffy cross), who is very timid but doing really well. Several weeks ago she took home a raggedy, starving chihuahua who had been wandering the streets for some time. No microchip, very timid, not desexed - apparently he had been kicked so hard that one testicle had separated and is now lodged in his upper leg! His name is Fuzz and he is doing really well now ... except for barking. If he is outside he barks non stop whether they are home or not. If they reprimand him the other dog Holly gets really scared, Fuzz stops for a second and then keeps going. He's healthy enough to be desexed now, would that make any difference? I've suggested a trainer but they've just started a new business and money is a bit tight. He's outside a fair bit as he isn't getting the hang toilet training too well at the moment. The other dog Holly is happy to be inside or outside. I have a crate at home which she could borrow which might help with the toilet training, that way he could be inside more. I said I'd ask for some DOLer input and see if there are any other suggestions to help Fuzz not to bark constantly

Has Mitch always eaten lots of grass or has he recently started eating more? Has he always had a squidgey tummy or is that more recent also?

Fingers crossed for Riley, and your little boy too cvs

What is his usual diet?

I've lost 2 dogs to strokes in their older years. Just horrible to watch and I know how helpless you feel Kirsty. Is Jessie's head tilting to the side even the tiniest bit? My second dog had a minor head tilt as an after effect of her stroke and had it not been for that the vet wouldn't have picked it. This was the third vet I'd taken her to as the first two vets couldn't find the cause either, nothing came up in any of the tests. Her symptoms were very similar to what you have described with Jessie. I hope your girl is okay Please keep us updated xxx

Let us know how you go :D ;)

thank you again yellowgirl ... i've bolded what concerns me most! bella and byron are likely very similar to a cc in size ... what weight are your dogs!??! what is their feeding routine!?!? just as a guideline mind you ... not a comparison *emoticon removed* Hi SnF, my clan are all 'around' the 6kg mark. My recently aquired senior girl Pepper was very fat when I got her a few weeks ago but she is gradually losing her extra porkiness. I feed mine am and pm on 'Fido's Formula' (similar concept to BARF ... but better :p ), they have around a tablespoon each meal, depending on the dog. Raw bones 2-3 times a week and natural treats in between. My older boy, Sarge loves to chomp on a raw carrot, he's getting everything he needs in his diet so I don't think there's any harm in letting him enjoy his favourite crunchy treat every now and then Another dry food you might want to look at is Nutro www.nutro.com.au . I rarely use dry food but I do occasionally include some for a bit of variety. Off topic but my nosey side now wants to know why you removed all your emoticons

Hopefully will catch up soon Chocosmum Hope you're doing okay. Don't know if I'll be coming tomorrow, looks like the weather will be a bit warm again, and I could do with a day on the couch. If anyone does want me to bring an order up for them you'll need to let me know by 5pm today so I can organise it for you (I don't have the internet at home). Jo

I dare you not to laugh . Just wanted to share

Good on you SnF for asking questions and wanting to know more about your dogs and their health . The others have addressed some of the specific food concerns and it's worth taking it into consideration. Regarding your dogs' weight, feeling their ribs is only one indication, if you look at the dog from above there should be a nice indent after the rib cage. Here's a couple of Body Condition Charts that might help :D http://vet.osu.edu/1851.htm http://www.gfah.com/medical_notes/Dog_body_assessment.htm Don't worry too much about weighing out the food. Feeding guides are just that, a guide, each dog is different and needs to be fed according to its individual needs and condition. I have 3 small dogs and I know if they ate what your guys eat they would be little porkies in no time . I just look at my dogs and feed accordingly. If your dogs have lost their waistline, reduce their food a bit until you reach what looks like an ideal weight. ... your pooches are little cuties

Is anyone else going to the monthly meet this Sunday 7th? Maddy and I will pop along anyway. I've had a couple of discussions with others about brining Fido orders to the meets for people who live further away and have trouble getting to the shop. I'm happy to bring orders with me, so if anyone wants to order anything for this month's meet just let me know ETA - I'm in the process of updating the website so all the products and prices will be listed. Feel free to contact me if you have any queries :D

Maybe we could do it as a barby dinner instead of a lunch? I'd be okay with coming after 5 if it's cooled down a bit.

I'm sorry people have felt it necessary to PM you with negative input. That's so unhelpful, especially when it sounds like Moorook needs more people like you to be a voice for the animals that are there. I agree with some of the other posts that at the moment the dogs that are there need food and bedding and I will still try to help with donations. But long term I can't support a place that rehomes undesexed animals. Perhaps if the Moorook management is made aware that more people would be willing to help if the animals are only rehomed desexed, they may change their policies. It hardly does the poor dogs any good being dumped, then kept in substandard conditions, only to be rehomed undesexed chancing more unwanted puppies, again adding to the already overloaded rescue shelters. Sounds like a complete re-think is needed. Good on you Robbie for trying to help these dogs. You could be the person who makes a difference to the future of the animals at Moorook. I am happy to support you in your quest to improve the conditions and policies there.

No, she doesn't seem to be gulping, I raised the bowl last night but it didn't make any difference. No she's not debarked. I think I will have the vet check her out to be safe.