Mrs Rusty Bucket

I'd try the German Shepherd Club at West Beach. They would know someone who can help.

I have a squirrel dude for my dog that I load up with boring kibble. I can't load it up with anything exciting or hard to get, or scissor mouth just chomps open the bottom like a can opener. So we're on the second squirrel dude. The everlastfun ball is still going. I put a rope through it and it's kind of like an orbee now fetch toy. Sometimes I put a bit of kibble in it but she's way too efficient at getting stuff out. She hasn't damaged it. But a certain tan and white bull terrier I know, has put tooth holes in it. It's fine as long as nobody tugs. And I found a soft cricket ball trainer which I swear is like doggy bubble gum. I don't leave her alone with it, and she has punctured it, and it does stick to her teeth but so far she hasn't ripped it to shreds like all the tennis balls and a few baseballs she's had. And I don't let her play with footballs. She cuts the laces and then rips the whole thing to shreds after sticking her tooth through the inflation hole.

someone didn't like the oster... http://www.epinions.com/review/Oster_Gentle_Paws_Cordless_Nail_Trimmer_78129320/content_495297269380 A long time ago, there was something called a plaster cutter - for cutting plaster off human limbs. It oscilates instead of spinning and doesn't cut flesh, only rigid things. I've recently seen a late night telemarketing for an oscillating sander cutter thingy that operates the same way. But it doesn't seem to have a finger sander tool, just a relatively huge triangluar flat sander. So not sure that the telemarketing product is suitable. Did notice some similar non-telemarketing product in the regular hardware tool shops. Meanwhile I have an extremely cheap dremmel copy I've yet to try out. May end up with a dremmel or wait and see if an oscillating hand held with a finger sander comes out - because it doesn't spin in circles but goes backwards and forwards (a bit like the best electric tooth brushes), it probably wouldn't be a tangle hazard for long furry paws.

http://www.brunswickcentralvet.com.au/weight-ideal-bodyweight-range-for-your-dog-breed The ideal weight for a female is usually less than for a male. So the above link suggests 27 to 31ish kg. I think they may have converted from american pounds, because of the fractions in their list. They also have a system for doing a score courtesy of a commercial dog food supplier. So if your bitch is now 28kg but was heavier, then maybe you're about right now, but she was fat when the vet saw her last. If I'm worried about my dog's weight, I adjust the amount I'm feeding (including treats) by about 10% up or down according to fat/skinny. I don't think she's going to let me ever stray into the too skinny side of things. A friend who likes her dog to feel satisfied has started feeding him light so he has a good shape/weight now. Before she switched to low calorie food (plus training treats) he was definitely on the cuddly side.

I've got a mutt from AWL. I can't prove my dog is *not* a pitbull cross. And she's certainly not got an ANKC pedigree. I'm thinking forgery sounds like a good option - here is my ANKC pedigree mini english pointer. um.

I found the email reply from dpi... They say they will accept pedigree papers from a number of places or a letter from your vet to state the dog is of a certain breed. At least they offer some alternative to the ANKC. Personally I view the ANKC pedigree or it's a pitbull, a bit like the car companies saying you void your warranty if you don't get your car serviced at the right brand car shop. And I really don't trust a visual id from a council ranger.

I still haven't had an answer from DPI about what the status of my dog - registered in SA - is if I visit Victoria for a training seminar with her, early next year. I'm not bringing her if council rangers can just seize based on their OPINION against a visual id list that includes "any colour" and any cross breed.

This is Leerburg's take on it. Want a high drive puppy, be careful what you wish for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXqNl5bTCMU I'm sure SecretKei can handle it though.

Flip a coin. Heads - go for it, tails - wait. If you like the way the coin lands - all good. If you don't like the way the coin lands, then you know what your decision should really be. I don't think I was quite ready for my puppy when I got her, but we managed. Same deal when I found this house. Already missed out on two other good ones because I wanted to think about it, when I already knew they were good value and had everything I wanted.

my mum's (late) dog managed to extract a cherry ripe from its wrapper and leave the wrapper intact looking untouched where it was. After that mum believed the "dingo took my baby" story. I like to buy toys for under 3yo's from the local op shops and let them be destroyed. Recycling. I also like to get friends to give me their old socks because evil hound enjoys ripping up old socks. Ideally straight from the washing basket, clean or dirty, she doesn't seem to care. Sometimes I recycle stuffing into the socks... Tennis balls are fun to pop. I don't know why. Real tennis balls that tennis clubs use and lose are the best.

Eeek. I guess that's a good reason to avoid home delivery or have a separate phone number for potential puppy buyers.

I've got nothing against beauty contests. They serve a purpose and ideally they're fun for the participants.

i think banging saucepan lids together would repel most dogs too. And they'd double as shields from the aggressive dogs. Bag of lollies... tempting. Pretty sure it would work too. Ie kiddy knows not to take lollies from strangers but what if the stranger just tosses them... My herding instructor used a long length of 2cm diameter plastic pipe to keep my dog separated from the shaggy sheep. My dog head butt it quite often to start with. Certainly made her think twice about charging in and grabbing the sheep.

I am so jealous. Frosty was a bit exhausted this morning. I could not persuade her to come to the beach. We had a really big day yesterday, but no more so than Pele the BT. So not much of an excuse. Maybe the next one if it doesn't clash with the club obedience comp.

If the rabbits are vermin, then it's legal to hunt and kill vermin. The possums are native - illegal to kill them or let your dog do so. If it's in the city, it's probably unacceptable either way and there's not much difference to a dog between a rabbit, cat or small white fluffy. So probably best not to encourage.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/13/inventors-idea-regret person who bred original doodle is sorry. and it was to try to get a dog that a blind person with allergies could use. Personally I think a small lap dog for a royal princess would act nicely as a kind of furry chastity belt. No way anyone is sneaking in on that girl. And princesses were important commodities about 200 years ago. Sometimes their dog was their only friend. Unfortunately didn't work for Paris Hilton.

I dunno how I can eat tinned sardines either. But there are certain foods and drinks that I crave when my immune system is down and for some reason sardines seem attractive then. I know I'm on a cusp of a head cold when tea seems good to drink. a desire for cornflakes or baked beans are also signs of impending illness for me.

I have managed to train them not to fight over treat distribution. Ie no resource guarding when I'm handing out treats or the treats disappear. A few of them try jumping on you to get the treat - because it works on other people including their boss. My dog does that too, and she's learned to head butt the hand with the treat cos that works too on other people, not me. I will have to be more careful about paying out only on average or better. And not encouraging back chaining. Ie intermittant reward does not mean if you jump on me and then sit, that you're going to get a treat now instead of when you first arrived and sat (and didn't get a treat).

I caught a bit of the drs that I'd recorded that talked about "intermittant re-inforcement" and all the happy brain chemicals people (dogs too?) get when they get this kind of re-inforcement. And they linked it to sport and making a good play. I suspect seeing your favourite team make a good play is almost as re-inforcing as doing it yourself. http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/3839 Ie the pokie machine payout.

I know a few dogs that cannot find food under a cup or towel even if they see you put it there. It is supposed to be an "intelligence test" to see if they can find the food, or if they even look for it, and then figure out how to get the food. And variations include letting them see you put the food (that they know is food) in position. My dog has got me trained to get for her, kibble that bounced out of the squirrel dude and under the lounge chairs out of reach. ROOO and a really strong "point" with her whole body.

It's not going to help if you have a regular walk and see the same friendly dogs, cos they're going to start associating you with a fist full of treats. Fortunately my dog is not aggressive.

Ah - you may have found the secret to a successful transition from vending machine to pokie machine... I will have to try it. I have sort of tried it. Every now and again I forget to take the treat bag with me to dog walk, especially the beach ones.

bugga. I've seen it. That segment about silver foxes was interesting in the most traumatic and disturbing way.

I meant the dog shows about conformation to breed standards, ie "beauty contests". Bridal shower? Your bridal shower and it clashes with your dog club's mock trial - it was great fun by the way even if the only thing we did correctly was our second run at Joy's squillion tunnels. And they had "judges pick" prizes - which mostly went as encouragement awards for newbies. Anyway, scheduling not quite as bad as two hockey players I knew who organised their wedding on the same day as their hockey finals. Took out most of the first and second grade teams - mens and womens. Wasn't a good year that one, but the marriage did last. So I saw on the telly (show I tape so I can fast forward thru the ads, removes about 3/4 of it) a segment about how stop babies choking. And she recommended a first aid course about dealing with children's emergencies as a baby shower present. Or bridal shower for some. Just a thought, something to add to the gift list.

I dunno how my body signals cue my dog in. She's the one that cues me in that it's time to be getting off the computer and either taking her for a walk or getting dinner or both. In her opinion. If I've got hockey or we've got agility training, she's out of luck - ie dinner at dinner time or even the walk are not guaranteed. It could be the need for a toilet break but sometimes she doesn't quit yelling at me after that's done. If I try to ignore her, she puts paws on my shoulder as I sit typing and yells in my ear. Quite effective. I can't pretend it's easy to drag me away from this thing some days.