Pollywaffle

sorry but that guy was hilarious..I'm still chuckling....

I'm glad to see that most of the postings seem to suggest that 'love' is the motive..anyway, that's what I'm gonna believe...

Your tale just seems to reinforce what I always have feared. I'm sure there are ethical people out there though, as per former postings..but you certainly didn't seem to get lucky....!!

can I count three gorgeous heads?

thanks for your replies guys..thought we were the only ones it happened to..would love to hear from the 'experts' on DOLers...

Hello DOLers…just a quick query. For the past six years our little boy maltese has slept every night in the crook of my husband’s arms (I don't get a look in). Does he do so because he adores OH and wants to be near him, or is it because he simply feels safe? I’d like to think the former, but I fear you’re going to tell me the latter…and if so..does anyone really know what motivates a dog's actions?

\ Spirral, I totally hear you. If I had the power and the money I would save every last dog..whilst that's not possible, I guess as my sister once said, you be as good an owner as you can to your own dogs, be kind and thoughtful to other dogs and generally help their cause wherever you can. I suppose every little bit helps. When you think about the negative actions towards dogs/animals try and balance it with some positive thinkings..I've tried to do this....but I do understand how you feel.

These sorts of actions give you hope that we're not all callous individuals living in a throw away society. People do care and do want to help dogs as this forum shows all the time. If it weren't for such actions I would genuinely despair of the human race. I know I nearly do everytime I walk past a pet shop..despair at people's greediness and thoughlessness - but this forum gives me hope.

That's bizarre..I thought it was only in our household...I would love to, but Bazzy/Polly looks so comfy on my lap, I don't want to disturb him/her...husband and I both use that one and thought we were unique!

I'm sorry Brooke, but here, here!

When replying to these sorts of postings we should all remember that everyone has different priorities.

I know the situation is untenable for you, but I do so hate the thought of a dog being pts - I know I'm being unrealistic, but I hope an alternative solution is found - for everyone's sakes...

"What I care about is that it such a torture for the dog to face four walls day in and out, I know I'd go crazy in a few days for sure." That's the part that's so hard to contemplate...the suffering of that poor dog. That is what used to affect me so much, knowing that the dog's life was just that.

What can I say..this sounds like the worst possible scenario..I thought our situation was bad..the poor, poor, little guy. I know what you mean about making noise...we undertook to vacuum at 4.30am (we're early birds), but we couldn't go through with it..too many inbred manners unfortunately. Hope you resolve it soon Flycow!

Dear Flycow We had a similar situation, next door kept a large dog in their laundry at least 17 out of every 24 hours...the laundry backed on to our house and at night we would sleep in the spare bedroom with earplugs in and pillows over our heads - seriously the howling was so bad....we reported them as well and the RSPCA advised that if the dog could stand up, albeit in a tight space, then they could do nothing. I remember feeling so powerless. The only good thing, the people living in the house eventually got sick of the barking and the dog disappeared...so if the dog's barking is waking you up let's hope he's waking his owners up....I often wonder where the dog went, but I'm hoping it was to a better life than the s..t of a life he was living in that laundry. Always begs the question...why have a dog and keep it like that!

I had to post in reply because I know exactly how you feel. I was totally immune to the powers of 'mutt's before my OH persuaded me to join in buying a dog. So I succumbed to keep him happy and within a week, our new arrival opened up a whole new world for me/us. We don't have children and having our two little ones has genuinely been the making of me. I know I'm a lot more compassionate and even in temperament for them..so for me, my dogs have been life changing. Sorry, bit emotional but that's what the experience of dog 'ownership' is for me. Of course, it also makes me far more susceptible to people's cruelty and apathy..but that's another posting!

Have just noticed from reading postings, that alot of you are members of the 'caring' profession (i.e. nurses, allied health)...wonder if the sensitivity and compassion needed to carry out these professions makes you more in tune with animals..or perhaps having to deal with people so closely makes you move towards animals? I'm not in this field..but just thought I'd raise it....

Polly would be undergoing psychiatric care, or in a healing role with all the licking of people she does...Bazzy would be a lounge lizard, I could imagine him laying on a sofa, smoking something slightly potent and looking everso bored. I'm in research ethics...not much corrolation there!

My little girl is a snappy little madame..sums me up no end..especially as I get older!

If I'm reading the OP right, then it does beggar belief that puppy farms and their horrendous activities, continue to thrive. I think the OP is suggesting that there must be a stance taken against these farms...but who is responsible/has the muscle to do it. Obviously the RSPCA aren't sorting it, so who should be....? I just wish that someone would do it...but that's a big wish.

My little girl often lays there with her eye balls seemingly rolled to the back of her eyes..with lots of white area showing..rather disconcerting actually. She also shakes occasionally and seems 'troubled'...which I have difficulty understanding, because to the best of my knowledge she's never experienced anything more unpleasant than having a treat taken away! Perhaps as has been said, she is reliving an activity she takes part in when awake....Whatever the initiator, I don't let it go on too long...hate to see her suffer in ANY way.

My boy just doesn't have time for that sort of thing; he's far too aloof for that sort of thing. Whereas my girl, she's just wants to play with anything and everything...might be an individual personality thing, as it is with humans?

It would have to be a rescue, an older dog who deserves a second break..I would not want to add to the demand for puppies...

They get disposed of, or sold sooooo cheap that any random can buy them with their latest paycheque. Infact that's one of the things that concerns me to most, when they mark the dogs down to next to nothing and put the sale signs up in their windows, they make them more affordable to passersby which can be even worse then the thousand dollar price tags because people can just impulse buy even easier... But what about the ones who don't go even at the cheapest price? My Penelope is one of them... She's an oodle, a Foxidoodle to be exact (yea what the hell???). From puppy farm to pet shop at 6 weeks. Sat in pet shop window for 6 months and at nearly 8 months was so damaged that I, as a sucker of a vet nurse, took her to try and rehabilitate and rehome. She was a mess, the act of clipping her toe nails sent her into convulsions and screaming, she knew only that you pee in your bed and kept going into my bedroom to pee, grass was so scary to her, she screamed when she hit the grass, and every time I held her she wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me. She's been with me over two years now and just last week we finally mastered toilet training! It's been two whole years of having pee-mats next to my bed, and last week she figured it out, that we pee OUTSIDE and she is soooo excited everytime she get's it right... But yeah, they were "getting rid of her" and I took her... As a foster. Short term. But Penelope had other plans and at the time I took her to foster and rehabilitate her, it was one of my lowest points of my life and Penelope rehabilitated ME! She's now my sweetheart and comes to work at the vet clinic and sits on the chair at reception and every time someone asks "what is she?" it opens the oppurtunity for me to say "She's a DESIGNER DOG..." and then we tell them about where puppies really come from and what Penelope went through and still goes through after having that start to life. But I love her. We designer her up with bling, bows and leopard print just cos it's as ridiculous as her designer name... But I adore her. She rescued me for sure, not the other way around. And together we will advocate against designer dogs! Go team Sorry to share photos, but I like for people to see that THIS IS what a designer dog looks like. This is one of the ones who didn't turn out quite right and was one of the true victims of the designer trend!!! All I can see is a drop dead gorgeous girl, whose story brings (literally) tears to my eyes...a lovely ending.

Oh your poor family.... my condolences...