PuddleDuck

Yes!!! Doof NEVER barked once until I taught him to do it a year after I got him. Now (10 years later) he's a bloody pest with barking at random stuff, he particularly takes offence if we seem excessively happy (laughing or anything vaguely exciting). I wish I'd never taught him!!!!

Sooooo relieved to hear he is home and on the mend :)

Just checking in, hoping zig is feeling better today

Oh SL everything crossed here, will be thinking of you guys and checking in regularly

This thread reminds me of the time I pulled up at the lights behind a big leather clad tattooed bearded bikie on a massive loud Harley.....wearing a bum bag with a teeny lil Pomeranian merrily poking his head out :laugh:

That's exactly what we do every morning, both dogs on a proper short lead with me heeling and then a second lead on doof's collar and the girlchild holds it while she sits in the pram. Sooo easy and sooo much safer-the only time she holds a lead by herself is if we are inside and she wants to "walk" doof around the lounge room! That would have been terrifying. Hopefully they take your advice hope you are all ok

I'm still using some that are about 15 years old but that doesn't stop me buying more...I've got about 10 (for 2 dogs)! I sooooo want a k9pro syntek lead but my family looks at me funny when I ask for a lead for Mother's Day

Just send them an email, that how I usually do it. The last 2 times we've stayed at 'Shiraz' and its great. One thing I learnt is a dog with a reliable heel is helpful there, pulling dog + ice on road = you will stack it!!! Oh also there are no yards on the properties so if you have dogs that go out during the night, start negotiating with your OH now!

Yep, go to www.dinnerplain.com and get in touch with them, they have plenty of dog friendly accommodation :) Just make sure when you go that you don't wander into the national park, they sometimes put fox baits in the park. But there is heaps of dog friendly walking and it's ideal for people who don't ski (I don't ski either!) - very laid back, country town sort of feel :)

Only place in Australia is dinner plain, everywhere else is in national parks. We go every year (drive down from Sydney) It's amazing and the dogs loooooove it!!!

Whatever the toddler is hurling across the room at that particular point in time :laugh: Doof can tell if you open mentos or skittles, he'll eat anything but those are his favourite. My toller just loses it at the thought of food, although I've noticed lately when they clean up after the girlchild's dinner she leaves the veg for doof

How is he this morning?

Generally not. I did work with a couple who didn't, but they did take a lot of care in scrubbing...and they were old...oooooooolllllld school Vets. And very rural/back of beyond Vet experience. So not the norm. I know... :eek: I worked for a vet about 11 years ago who didn't use gloves for anal glands or any other internals, and definitely nothing for surgeries

Just saw this, hope he's improving and you can both get some rest

Thanks guys. I'm tossing up changing vets so I might do a bit of a phone around tomorrow :)

The only dog hair I've ever reacted badly to was off my brother's old beagle. I don't know if it was cos it was short so it could get up your nose and in your eyes but I couldn't be near that bugger without an antihistamine. Thankfully I like my fluffball of a Toller :)

Is there any truth to the rumor 'the more you trim them will cause the quick will shrink back'? Cos no matter how much I trim Doof's it seems to make no difference to the length of the quick?

For you or the victims :laugh: A little bit of both

I just cut my toddlers finger and toenails and both dogs nails. It took half an hour which consisted of 1 massive tantrum from the girlchild, bear growling at me while I did doof's, doof hiding behind the couch while I did bear's, a cheese sandwich and a big handful of gummi bears. I should do everyone weekly but I can't be bothered to have the argument each week!

I have 2 double coated dogs and the only time it got to me was the end of my pregnancy and when my daughter was tiny, but honestly it didn't matter that much at all....although at one point we were joking that she would probably be born with dog hair on her! I think it comes from the 'oodle revolution...for those less educated about dogs, they decide they want a lab that doesn't shed and think that if its crossed with a poodle it is exactly the same as a lab but without coat everywhere. I think some people think you can turn any breed into a non-shedder by crossing them?

Just wondering if anyone can give me a rough idea of cost for this? And can all vets do it or should I ring around to ask first?

Isn't it ironic that we buy all sorts of treats and rewards to train our dogs....but they don't need any to train a person!!! :laugh:

That's too adorable PD We took her to the park the other day for mothers group. There were no other kids there so we let her up mear the play equipment and she taught herself to use the biiiiiig slide. There were 3 toddlers jumping up and down at the bottom screaming 'MORE MORE MORE!!!!'. They love her :) My daughter said mum and dad first, but they kind of babble it. Her first proper word was 'bear' which is our Toller's name (kodiak bear). :D

My toller is exceptional with our 20 month old. She knew I was pregnant before I did and after I ended up very sick and on bed rest she didn't leave my side and checked my tummy regularly! She adores my daughter, puts up with anything! She taught herself how to use the slide in our backyard so they can take turns and after playing peekaboo a few weeks ago she has started sticking her head under the blanket and jumping out going 'AWOOOWOOOWOOOOOOOO'!! It's hilarious :)

Back when I worked in the industry I was chatting to the person in charge of a fairly well known Vic rescue group. She told me that they had just rescued a large number of dogs from a puppy farm and they were teaching them how to eat kibble. Apparently the a-hole that ran the business used to have about 60 of them in an uninsulated metal shed, all loose, and about once a month he'd pick up a dead cow from a nearby farm and dump the whole thing in the shed for the dogs to fight over. It was summer, so it rotted quickly, but that was the only food they got. I wonder if stories like that are behind the 'clean bowls, no offal' part of this?