PuddleDuck

Bear used to insist on having her own chair beside mine when I was doing uni, and she used to watch the lectures so intensely. Especially if they were about birds! I do remember once when I'd been studying for an exam and I had been chewing my fingernails a bit, as soon as I put my hand down she started very delicately chewing my fingernails. When I was pregnant she would always have her head on my tummy. If you asked 'where's your baby?' She'd come running from wherever she was and put her head on my tummy! We never taught her that so it was kinda weird. Now when the girlchild wakes up bear insists on being the first one in to say good morning!

My best friend has a 16 week old GSD that she is looking to get into a good, reputable training school in the mittagong area (within about a 15 minute drive). He had to wait to start puppy school until the local vet ran a new session and was asked to leave because he is too big to play with the other pups Apparently he is already displaying some anxiety around the other dogs in the class, compounded when the trainer dragged him in to get up close and personal with another dog there. Does anyone know any good local training school that will also focus on socialization in that area? Thanks!

I would try something like eukanuba vet maximum calorie tins, they're soft enough to tube feed without adding water (though if needed you could always add some)

Well to put him in perspective (I mean he was bred by a fairy so how bad could he be....) The night we brought him home we had a friend of dads staying. His friends was coming home late and as we would all be asleep dad asked him to stick his head in and check I was ok before he went to bed. Forgot to mention riff. Apparently dad woke up to a massive commotion and came out to find our new black fuzz ball hanging from his mates leg. Riff took looking after me seriously from day 1 (and later, my stepsister). He used to swim about 3 hours a day, he had an agreement with the local seagulls that they would swim to the middle of the creek (around 100m out) and they would dive bomb him while he would tread water and try to catch them. Every half an hour they would all come and collapse on our wharf together for a break. He didn't chase cars but did chase boats, and broke his leg once after a boat hit him, but still swam in and went on with his business. He took a dive off a third story verandah while chasing a possum and was totally fine after recovering from the shock of my terrified father picking him up off the path below. He loved beer and would carefully slurp out the top of each bottle he could reach, without anyone realizing! Every day our neighbours tied their GSD to his run, riff would go over half an hour later, chew through the rope, and hold the end in his mouth and drag the GSD with him everywhere till his owners came home. Loads more but I don't want to hijack!!! :laugh:

One of my dogs I had while growing up, Riff, was rescued from the RSPCA at about 10 weeks. Dad took me to get him (I was probably around 8?) - the shelter was an hour's drive from home. We got there and picked another dog, and went to find someone to get her out of the cage. On the way to get her out the guy told us he had to let Riff into the yards first. He opened the run, riff jumped from the ground onto dads shoulder then on to me, knocking me flying onto the ground (covered in god only knows what). Apparently as I went catatonic with joy dad gave the man a filthy look and said we didn't want a puppy. He replied that Riff was next for the needle, and it was our choice We bought him, popped his new collar on and walked outside feeling all warm and fuzzy about saving a life. Riff then slipped his collar and ran back into the shelter, causing total pandemonium :laugh: The next week dad took him to work. His office was on the local ferry wharf and apparently a fairy walked past, looked inside and walked in and told dad she had bred him and sold him to someone out west. As it turned out, she worked at the children's hospital. Thus the fairy outfit. The next day a clown walked into his office with 2 slightly feral dogs on leads. It was the same chick, with his parents. From the description dad gave, I'm pretty sure he was a pitty x cairn. Like all dogs bred on the island where she lived, Riff was batcrap crazy and swam like a water rat on steroids. Every time dad took a boat near the island where he was born Riff would throw himself off and it would take hours to find him. He was one of the most unique and special dogs I've met and I have a million insane stories about him but should probably stop now :laugh:

I got doof from the AWL at around 14 months. From what i was told-He was surrendered with another dog by a lady with 4 kids under 4 whose husband had just walked out. She was devastated and apparently spent a long time with them crying before she left. She told them something had to give and it had to be the dogs. it wasnt a choice she wanted but i believe she did the right thing. He was back yard bred, by a friend of family and they apparently couldn't resist him. His name was buddy but doofus suits him far better. He was surrendered with another very large dog, who found a new home about a week later. The shelter called when the other dog was adopted to see if I was happy with doof as the other dog's new owner would have liked to keep them together. I told them to bugger off! Around a year later I volunteered with the SES and over the course of chatting with some of the people up there discovered the other dogs adoptive owner was actually in my SES unit. Unfortunately the other dog was diagnosed with aggressive cancer and had to be PTS before we could have a reunion. Doof has always been extreme-either scary happy or freaking out about something. He is well adjusted and speaks fluent tennis ball, is learning to speak wubba, and can't understand other dogs to save his life. Unless they have a tennis ball.

Might be worth getting in touch with Julie from pacers (dol username Steve) she might know someone in your area that could use some help with their dogs?

Ok so still nothing and he's still being a moron so doesn't seem to be in any discomfort. Is there any chance his digestive tract could break it down?

Awesome post, pepe Well done to the vermin controllers. As for the comment 'when humans have been eradicated from this earth' by another poster. Wow is that wishful thinking? Bring on the Apocalypse, hey. 22nd of Dec Razzle... according to the dooms day preppers LOL LOL. Blame those pesky Mayans for running out of room on their calendar, Pav. I thought it was the 21st? Dammit that throws my schedule out completely!!!!

We use a halti on kodiak when she gets into a pulling mood, it seems to reset her pretty well :laugh: but we use it in conjunction with a martingale collar (2 leads) which gives me the security that she can't slip out of her collar which she is prone to trying

She does look like butter (or fingers) wouldn't melt in her mouth (sorry! Couldn't help it)! It might be worth leaving a lead on her when she is inside so you have something to grab (other than her body) when you need to move her?

You might need to run another fence in from your current fence line in the interim, so he can't get that close to your dogs?

Our old cat used to eat tinsel....her litter box was always festive in December We just pop a playpen around our Christmas tree, stops the dogs helping themselves to presents too!!!

Thanks MrsRB that makes me feel better. He is his usual doofy self today. Thanks Snook :)

Thanks Rappie, it's pretty easy to pick him going downhill. He ignores toys, we assume he's dying! Usually if he gets a tick, he's off his toys within an hour or so of it attaching. I never thought I'd say this but glad the sproglet still wakes at night, so I wake up to go check him! Juma he's usually a quick spewer :laugh: I'm more worried he'll spew it up and the toller, who is an opportunistic seagull, will dart in to scarf it up! Spending a week digging through his poop should at least make me happy not to be vet nursing anymore-I don't miss that bit!

Well he scarfed his dinner, and seems happy enough aside from the standard thunderstorm paranoia. It's going to be a long week though Rappie-if I'm here to check on him (at least) every 3-4 hours will that be ok do you think?

It's almost irresistible !! maybe cos we usually put butter on it ? None of that here! Seriously he walked past goddam frittata! Some carnivore..... **rolly eye man**

He usually spews up bones a few hours after he eats them. Hopefully he does the same. This is one mess I'll happily clean off the carpet

Thanks perse and Rappie. I'm so mad at myself. I'm so bloody paranoid about this stuff and I missed it and he literally ate it in 2 seconds. There was some kernels on the floor so I think he chewed it a bit. God I am so upset with myself. There was so much other food on the floor, why did he go for the corn!?!

Argh, mild freak out here. Just had a thunderstorm start here so let the dogs in while the girlchild ate dinner/threw dinner everywhere. Just realized I hadn't picked up the corn cobette thingy and doof ate it. I know corn on the cob is a pretty good way to get intestinal blockages and I'm having a bit of a panic. Anyone had the same issue?? It was one of the little frozen ones NOT having a good day!

How do sporns work on long haired dogs? Do they get tangled in their hair

Wooooooooo!!!! It's here! My 1 year old is sitting on the floor engrossed in 'reading' control unleashed :laugh:

We thought we'd need one for bear post desexing cos she loves having a chew on anything that feels slightly amiss.brought her home with one, but very quickly realized that as the desexing wound was a genuine owie she wasn't going to touch it even if we coated it in chocolate. She did, however, insist on rolling on her back for all visitors to see the wound so they could fall to their knees beside her and provide sympathy cuddles in ludicrous amounts. She's not rolled over when visitors have arrived once in the 3 1/4 years since the op :laugh:

Who has the record for the most number of orders? :laugh: I've still got nothing might need to go yell at the post office, he is quite useless there

Oh wow those fox red labs they'd match the toller :)