raineth

*groan* why do these discussions always end up with the dogs vs. kids debate?

My dogs are quite big and don't tend to fit very well at cafes. Because of their size we would also have to take a bed with us for them to lay on, as it would be too uncomfortable for them otherwise. I also only tend to go to a cafe if I've been shopping, and so I don't have them with me anyway. But I don't mind having dogs at cafes, I think it can be quite a nice way to spend time with your dog :) Obviously preferable if the dog is relaxed and well behaved.

I don't really care. I don't think it necessarily correlates with people treating them like actual children, although I wouldn't necessarily know as I don't think I've ever seen/heard the term other than on here anyway. I would be surprised if I saw it in marketing. I don't necessarily put that much stock in names anyway. I called my first dog Mr Darcy; yet this did not actually cause me to mistake him for a Jane Austen character.

Del is frightened of my OH opening bottles of carbonated drink in the kitchen. She's fine with him opening non-carbonated drinks; and she's fine if he opens carbonated drinks in the lounge room.... So it's quite specific!

If the word can get out, it might work as a good visual reminder of how to behave safely around dogs. I think that's where muzzles can also be good as they remind people to give dogs space. But I haven't managed to find one that fits her well enough to wear in summer. And they are more difficult to use treats with too. Sometimes there's just not a perfect solution to a problem I guess.

oh yes, I just checked my email, and there it is. Yeah if you have enough to go round that would be great! Thanks Lisa! If I put her back pack on I'll have plenty of places to attach it too if it looks like it might fall from around her neck :)

I'm so sorry for your loss Kirislin Farewell Kibah, you were much loved

luckily I read your post Lisa, otherwise I probably would have turned up at Norman Duck instead My problem is that I can't seem to keep the damn yellow thing on. And I managed to lose the last yellow thing (which wasn't even mine!)

I agree that it's a real shame that he had to be pts, or that they won't use some form of contraception to prevent the animals producing offspring that are never wanted. I just don't feel that because it was done publicly meant that it was a spectacle or a circus, or that doing it that way made any difference to the giraffe at all. Nor do I feel that the people who watched were a cohort of callous individuals only there to see a gory show.

Although my preference would be for spay/neuter/ or some form of birth control; I don't think that just because people were there watching means that it was done inhumanely, or that it wasn't done without respect to the animal. In fact, I'm glad the zoo was open and honest about what they were doing, and how they were doing it and didn't try to hide it from the public.

Dogs are very cued to context, so you need to make sure you are training in different contexts. Otherwise he might literally not understand the command to sit, for example, because you are asking it in a different context. As Huski said, having treats on you can be part of that context. While you do want your rewards to be very valuable to him, in some cases you may be better asking less of him rather than using higher value treats. Sometimes things are just too much to ask of them straight away and you are better working towards the goal. Your best bet may be to think of an incompatible behaviour, perhaps lying on his bed. Then you need to train it like you would any other command, until you get to the point where he will stay on his bed for duration even in high distractions (such as you getting ready for a walk). Not all training is about 'sit' and 'stay' and 'shake paws'. Training is also about being a well behaved dog in the house, so train it like you would any other behaviour. Except I would also say, that one of the best ways to teach good house behaviour is to continuously catch him being a good boy and reward that behaviour. You can do this with attention, praise and cuddles - if your dog likes that. Not all dogs care much for praise and body contact. I find it is best to use these forms of rewards for calmer behaviour, as you can deliver these rewards in a calm way and thus not excite the puppy out of the calm behaviour you were rewarding it for :laugh: But if you know there are specific things, or times of day that are going to rile him up and cause some of that undesirable behaviour, then that is when you really need to step in and properly train him to do what you want him to do; or to set your schedule up to compensate. So if you notice he is always playful at 5pm, then take him outside and play with him at that time before bringing him back in and expecting good behaviour :) Or if you know that every time you get the broom out he wants to attack it, then teach him an alternate behaviour :)

A PBGV maybe? I don't know much about them really, but all the ones I met at shows have been so happy and easy going, and they're perhaps not as feminine as a Cav. When he says low energy, how much exercise is he willing to give?

It can be a bit of work to find not just the right breed, but the right breeder for your future dog, but it can also be quite fun and satisfying :) If you can, go to a dog show. The good thing about both Labs and Goldens is that they should be fairly well represented at most shows. This gives you an opportunity to meet the dogs and talk to owners and breeders. You can ask all your questions about the different breeds such as the variation in their temperaments, grooming and shedding, questions about health and longevity, and about which dogs might be a good fit for your family and your personal likes and dislikes. Meeting the dogs and their owners and breeders in the flesh should help clarify a lot for you :) Good luck in your search.

my staples are: chicken livers, chicken giblets, beef liver, beef heart, lamb liver, and chicken hearts. They are boiled and then cut up into little cubes. Other than that, I sometimes use a tube of pureed sardines or salmon that is squeezed into their mouth. If I'm being fancy I cook up a mixture of salmon and sardine with eggs and some flour; or chicken livers, ricotta, eggs and flour, and bake that in the oven. I'll often use that for bigger 'jackpot' rewards.

She's so beautiful Terri S! And she reminds me so much of Digby (although an obviously younger and more feminine version!) with the shape of her head and her colouring. Digby is all black with white toes too. If she's anything like my Digby she'll be an absolutely fantastic dog :)

I don't 100% know if it would help. But if you do go ahead with it, make sure they meet him on neutral ground first, not over the fence just in case he is being territorial.

The hotter she is the more red it is.

Are you 100% sure it's cherry eye? My Dane has very droopy eyelids and around the bottom of her irises there is a large area that is very pink. A lot of people think there is something quite wrong with her eyes because it is pink and very noticeable, but in fact there is no problem. In fact it is also quite common in Danes of her colouring. I will find a pic for you so you can compare :) Just offering a possible alternative suggestion :)

haha! That kind of reminds me when I first adopted Del, she was really slow learning drop. I mentioned this to her foster carer and she told me just to pat the floor. Sure enough, I patted the floor and... voila Del dropped like a pro :laugh:

Isn't there quite a risk that the cats would kill lots of wildlife too?

I still haven't got my camera back, but it did occurr to me I could use the camera on my iPad, and here are the results. Mt Digby looking... Interesting: 4/52

That is just crazy! I mean life gives you hints people, ignore them at your peril! It also makes me cringe hearing the way she talks about him as a substitute baby/child.

WoW! Love those photos of the Kites T!!!

Even my great Dane and mastiff x catch and kill mice so I think you would be in with very high chanced with pretty much any terrier being interested in dispatching mice and rats. You could also look at rescue as there are many foxie and JRT type terriers in rescue. We had an Aussie terrier as a foster and his prey drive for small and furry things was serious!

Look at Boo go! He's pretty much a dolphin compared to most other Danes :laugh: