shells

I have human kids and I have my fur kids - they are just as important and I wouldnt leave them behind. If push came to shove I would send the kids with DH and I would stay with the dogs. Fire is our main issue where we live and in any case I wouldnt stay to defend our home (like I know is alot of peoples choices) I would evacuate ASAP. Our house is replaceable our family isnt.

It appears summer has finally arrived here in the southern states. So my question is what is the best way to safely exercise your dog in the warmer weather? My 2 like to have a game of ball but even at 730pm it can still be quite warm - so I have had to take it off the menu (much to their disgust )

Personally I would go the Polaramine over the Phenergan. Phenergan leaves you feeling very drowsy, Polarmine is much more gentle IMO

I read this in the Canberra Times this morning - I loved it. How stupid (or drug affected) these guys must be. The picture showed the owner and he was only a small skinny guy so maybe thats why they "picked" on him

If I am rushing I will admit the coat can look "choppy" but I usually clip them short and they look Ok I still get lots of lovely comments at the park. I probably would be better off buying a 7F but the combs give me a good range of lengths whilst using the blades I already have (therefore saving me a few bucks .) For feet, face and tail I use a plain old #15

Yes Clipperworld sell them. I recommend the the metal tooth combs but I dont know which ones will fit your clippers http://www.clipperworld.com.au/shop/index....at&catId=39 I think you are meant to use them over a #30. I usually use mine over a #10 and they work fine. I like being able to adjust the length and the comb means that the blade isnt directly on the dog which is good for a novice like me

I am currently pregnant. Polaramine is the only antihistamine I am allowed to take - deemed safe in human pregnancy so I dont know how that transfers to dogs

We have a similar situation to yours - only one particular dog and only with my male dog (they seem to know that my female wont tolerate it). We dont bump into the owner daily but when we do I give the owner one chance to correct his dog and then if not I step in (I know you cant but I have actually picked my dog up and carried him to remove him from the "humper") I think you did the right thing and I would continue to do it if the owner wont.

My 2 dogs didnt care about fetch until they were 12 months old - now they are semi-obsessed! I did nothing to encourage it - just noticed my male dog taking a keen interest on our walk so next time we went to the park I took a ball and they both loved it.

A Standard Poodle isnt small and fluffy. NicoleL - If I was in your position. I would crate her in a quiet room - sleepovers may be more difficult to manage as it will be a longer timeframe but for playdates crating with a kong/bone would be ideal until you can see a behaviourist. I have a situation where one of my daughters good friends is terrified of my dogs and when I know she is coming over I get some nice bones and either put them outside or in the laundry with the bones until the friend leaves. I do find it a pain in the bum but try and minimise everyones discomfort - especially that of my beautiful furbabies

Sheridan - I am sure your dogs will adjust (eventually ). We live on one of those "new estates" - houses on small blocks all together (our neighbors garage wall makes up part of our boundary fence). The kids next door have their trampoline set up in a similar situation to your neighbors and we have recently moved ours to mirror it. Sometimes my dogs bark but its out of excitement now and if they go out their whilst the neighbors kids are on it they usually go for a look and a bit of company LOL. Unfortunately in most cities the days of the big house and large block are gone. Not everyone is inconsiderate, nor are most children deliberately trying to harm/torment/tease everyones dogs making and make their lives a misery. Unfortunately for the kids who are like this you really only have the parents to blame. I do understand that there are people who arent fond of children on here but not all kids (and parents ;) ) are monsters. And getting back to the showdog comment - I live near the Canberra shows and we regularly go for a look, both my girls know not to approach and pat dogs without permission - its only good manners they also definitely know not to pat the beautiful white poodles after having a red calipo ice-cream

Our local PP calls them Kepliedors Was the Shitzu/Maltese cross the first "designer dog" - they seem to have been around for ages There are 2 Purebred Shitzu's a couple of houses down from us. Lovely looking dogs and if I every want a "guard" dog it would be high on my list - they are alert and will bark the street down when you pass their house. I wouldnt say their bark is yappy but definitely loud.

We got our 2 puppies when my second daughter was 6 months old (the first was 5 years old). I was at home on Mat leave so had plenty of time for to train and walk them so that wasnt an issue. As DD2 grew I tried to show and encourage her the best way to pat/handle the dogs. By the time she was 1 they were bigger and quite "sturdy" as they werent a toy breed which I felt helped - it would have been hard with a smaller breed. Now DD2 is nearly 2 (and number 3 will be here in February) and we do have some rare instances of overexcited patting or paw or tail grabbing but I am always nearby so always stop her and tell her no and redirect her into giving them a pat on their back or top of their head. We have a doggy door the can "escape" from if they feel the need to and TBH my dogs are probably just used to her and know no different. She feeds them their dry food and gives them treats which they love. I never expect the dogs to tolerate inappropriate behaviour from her just because "they are dogs" and some days find they are much better behaved than her LOL They do have a great relationship though she enjoys taking them for a walk and throwing the ball as much as I do but I am sure my dogs will roll their eyes when I come back from the hospital and think " Not another bloody one" :D

Great photos Ellz I did worry about that but I thought breathable cotton for 30 mins every second day may not be too bad - just enough to have a game of ball (they really miss it)

I have the "peach" one and it smells great - has a sweet smell and doesnt irritate or sting my dogs ears like Epi-otic did. My vet said that Malacetic is great for yeasty ears and quite a few people in the Poodle thread recommended it and I am very happy with it.

I havent seen these in real life but would a snood help prevent my dogs getting grass seeds in their ears? If so where do you buy yours from?

I am amazed that some are justifying the dog biting the jogger. Regardless of the situation the dog shouldnt have bitten and the owner should have done the right thing.

Have you treated for ear mites? Were you given more antibiotic or drops after the flush? Last year this happend to my dogs and after the sedation and flush they were both on Surolan for 10 days just to make sure we cleared it up. I found after all the treatments my female had earmites - I am wondering if the weeks of drops and cleaning of ears made it a great environment for the mites.

Due to the grass seed situation here at the moment I cant take my dogs to any of our usual places for a game of ball. Usually we walk 5 or 10 mins to one of the areas we use then they will chase the ball for about 30-40 mins. Due to the fact that 2 vet visits in 2 days is severely crippling for the bank account we are going back to plain old walks around the suburbs, on the footpaths and onleash. I still would like them to be "tired" or atleast felt like they have had a good bout of exercise so how long should I start walking them for again? Today we went out and it was warm and 30-40 mins seemed to make them happy. Without the distraction of the ball they had a great time sniffing everything and taking in the new sights. They are Miniature Poodles - so not tiny but not a large breed either. What would you recommend?

Do Border Collies come in Blue Merle? I saw someone with a beautiful blue merle dog and asked what breed it was and thats what they told me.

I would get her looked at by a vet as it could be a yeast infection and treating it with ear mite drops is only going to make it worse as the yeast will feed on the damp, wet environment. Is there any chance it could be a grass seed? It is the season for them and they are often painful and need to be removed by a vet. I have found Advocate spot-on the best way to treat earmites and means you dont have to put ear drops in.

Try www.clipperworld.com.au I rang them and had a chat before buying my clippers. They have great prices and were very helpful. They do have some cheap dvds on grooming you can buy or you can search for free on YouTube (the only downside is that some of the videos make it look very easy). I borrowed some books from my library which I found helpful and were good to refer back to. Some cities have grooming courses you can attend if that interests you.

My dog has been having a good lick of one of her paws. I had a look and one of the pads on her front foot seems a bit rough and it is dry with a bit of a crack on one of the pads. It isnt weeping but is obviously a little bit annoying for her. I have an antibactieral and antifungal wash I used when she had a infected bee sting on her paw - would some of this help? Thanks

Pig in mud doors are great. We have one (and I have 2 small children) and it is a lifesaver as it saves me going backwards and forwards to the door all day (though my 22 month old also uses it as her escape hatch LOL) http://www.kramar.com.au/catalogue2010/pet_doors.pdf You can ring around for them. Apparently Bunnings sell them but also look on online classifieds - thats where I picked mine up - half price! Otherwise if you look under "pets" in the Yellow pages there are often places that specialise in installing pet doors including in glass so that may be an option for you. I just provide my dogs with lots of their own toys and make sure the kids toys are packed away. The kids have learnt that anything left on the ground is fair game but insaying that they are now 18 months old and really not interested in any toys (kids or theirs) unless it is a tennis ball.

They have the same sign up at 2 of the shops here in Canberra. Everyone must know it is lies but it probably makes the people buying from there feel (unjustifiably) that tiny bit better.