Niques

I don't think she's fat. I couldn't feel James' ribs without pressing quite firmly until recently - it's only just now that I can see his last rib. He's always had a very trim waist, however, so I always put it down to puppy fat that he's finally shedding. For comparison, he's 10 months now - a couple of weeks ago he was about 27.5kg, but I would also say he's a fair bit shorter than Mindy. Maybe it's just the angle of the photo, but I'd say he's barely Mindy's height even now at 10 months.

Eugh. I used to love rain pre-dog. It was bucketing down this morning and rain always turns James into a (muddy) lunatic. He was thrilled - quite certain that some lovely person had turned the backyard into a giant water slide just for him He was a bit cabin feverish so I decided to walk him during a break in the rain. I misjudged the break Made it halfway down the next street before it absolutely poured down on us. We spent most of the walk taking shelter in the park "My mummy does not plan well." I present, ze wet dog! Then had to dry him. The dog that has not yet decided whether being scrubbed with towels is a form of torture or some great game. Either way, it did not go well.

He's an adorable little fluffball!! I love the stories - am looking forward to watching him grow! Maybe try him with chicken wings instead of necks? Much more chewing time. Don't give up on the Kong just yet. It took James many weeks to show prolonged interest in his.

I'd certainly be willing to give it a try. Am a bit swamped elsewhere at the moment but I'll shoot you a PM in a couple of weeks I'm laughing away at the idea of "banishment to the car" ;) Poor Elbie. ;) at the shedding Akita. Amazing! This is, unfortunately, a one-dog house. The yard is far too complicated for two of them - I can forsee many injuries. Not to mention, I'd be leaning on the side of striking it lucky with James in that he's actually really good with the backyard and knows his limits very well. I tend to think that we'd not be so fortunate with a new puppy. That's great that your OH is open to a second, Max#1 Keep us updated on any new developments! Wuffles, that looks like a very fun group of dogs! I'd love something like that for James. Lovely landscape as well. I have a terrible feeling that my dog is becoming too obsessed with soccer. I will have to grab some footage of him playing when we're next at the off-leash park, but he's actually really good - anticipates where the ball will be kicked and is on it in a flash. It's very cute. But he's at the point where he gets exceedingly excited whenever his soccerball (it's really a basketball - haven't told him yet ) comes out. He ran smack bang into the garage door this afternoon :D And someone turns 10 months old today! I can't believe it's nearly been a year.

Tiles + Carpet. The poor dog can barely sit without sliding over on the tiles upstairs. And we've had some Scooby Doo type running moments where the paws are going but the dog's staying still They're pretty foul tiles anyway - I'd love large, non-slip tiles.

Damn. I just found this thread and am itching to buy about 4 of these posted so far. Despite my one dog. Although...James' tag got lost repeatedly in the early days and has always been quite scuffed. I think there's an excuse to buy a new one, right there...

KTB, Hoover sounds like a little champ! I hope you manage to get him into the current lot of classes - sounds like it would be right up his alley. All the rescue dog photos are lovely, but I am head over heels in love with Boris. Is he a puppy or is he actually that incredibly adorable as an adult? Gorgeous dog What do you do with these mats at obedience? I've never had to use one James used to know a "go to your mat" (i.e. old towel on the floor) command for when he was eating an old bone in the house but we don't do anything with mats at obedience. Sounds interesting. Betsy, Ziggy's beach escapades sound hilarious :D I hope the fisherman took it well! Clastic, as well as lamb shanks, lamb off-cuts and chicken frames, I also give James soup bones. I assume that due to their shape, they're quite good for getting use out of the back teeth. As for bins, we have one of those sensor bin lids. I would recommend it, but only with the caveat that I think my dog is broken - he's never attempted to raid the bin in his life. The lid comes off sometimes when the bin's getting full and he still couldn't care less about it. So whether the lid is actually a deterrant or not is probably still up in the air. I think I've mentioned previously, but James has a penchant for snotty tissues and will pinch them whenever possible. I've had a bad cold this past weekend and went to pop a tissue in the bin - the lid flipped open and James inserted his mouth over the top of it, hoping to catch the tissue on its way in He looked quite genuinely disappointed that I wasn't putting it in his mouth. We did the dog park thing again this weekend. Was, again, blissfully empty. I wish we lived within walking distance - nothing tires him out quite so well.

James gets bathed...never. I did it once when he was about 4 months old out of some feeling that perhaps he should get used to it. It was done outside with the hose (no way am I letting a sodden dog loose in the bathroom) and he promptly rolled all over the grass and dirt to dry himself. Ended up fouler than before he started.

Ravenau, look how big they're getting! How old are the little guys now? Will you be bringing her home at 8 weeks or a bit later? KTB, great videos, as usual! Your song choices are perfect. Bella's "Fetch through the fence" technique is adorable. I have my fingers crossed for them! Sounds like a very interesting and productive trip, KA. Was there a particular behavioural issue you were worried about or more a general checkup (I'm sure there's a better phrase than that but it's the only thing coming to mind ) visit? LS, yup, James gets a couple of Omega 3 tablets a day as well as his sardines 1-2 times a week. I probably wouldn't press the matter if he didn't love them so much. We did actually give up many months ago as I accidentally bought a different brand and he kept spitting them out. But he's since had a change of heart and they rank among his favourite things to eat (you know, alongside snotty tissues and stolen thongs ). Good luck with Ruby's operation! Wuffles, it's like a baby yeti up and died on your rug! What a pile of fur! I discovered this morning that James can jump out of his crate. This very much surprised me as, if you'll recall, I have a lazy lump of a dog who likes to pretend that he can't jump very high. Apparently, he can He has one of those massive Top Buy crates that have a mesh "sunroof" that unzips. I normally leave it open to let air circulate better. So I heard him rustling around this morning - looked over and saw him standing up with his head poking out so told him to lie back down and go to sleep. I thought that was the end up the matter. Two seconds later, after a little more rustling, there was a wet nose in my face I put him to bed tonight and forgot that I still hadn't zipped it up yet. Went back upstairs to watch television. Immediately heard the scratching of fabric and belatedly remembered that my boy now has springs for legs. Oops. Found him standing on the bed with a quizzical expression - "Yes, did you want something?". Crate is now securely zipped :p

Dear me, I've been neglectful of this thread for a while! KTB, thoughts are with you I was watching the new video of your pair in the Puppy thread and it brought a huge smile to my face - I felt like I was watching synchronised swimming. Very impressive! :p Your boys are a handsome duo. How old is Elbie now? Very glad to hear that Hoover's mites aren't too serious and that you have an answer. LS, well done to Ruby for being so well behaved! I know how you feel about the large number of puppy purchases. I got a "You have a parcel waiting" slip in the post today and my first thought was, "Hmm, I don't remember having any current orders for James..." Betsy, Ziggy always has such an alert, happy face! He's a beautiful dog. I hope he had fun at training after the break! KA, Kuma would make a brilliant tradie's dog - he looks right at home there next to the wheelbarrow and dirt. He looks particularly officious in the first picture. Max#1, not sure if it's the same for other dogs, but I've always found it quite peculiar that James loves his Omega3 tablets each day. To the point where they're used as rewards Don't know if that's unusual? Will have to think on the matter some more. James has been through a naughty phase again this week. Every second I turn my back his head's in the pool trying to fish the creepy crawly out or he's up on his legs, determinedly trying to reach something on a bench. He's turned around completely today, however, and was an angel. I love my boy And I suspect his ear infection is back. Or never quite left. Bit of a worry - I know labs have a reputation for chronic ear infections. It does seem to only be one ear that's bothering him now, though. Hopefully we killed it off in the other.

The idea of snakes is scaring the life out of me at the moment. We have a very thick garden and several past snake sightings. And that's just around the house - then there are the snakes at the park/along the creek James has just spent a couple of days barking at a patch of dirt in the thick of the garden and I'm petrified that he's picked up the scent of a snake. Silly bugger just stands there barking at this dirt Ooh, Astrid's lovely! My sympathies Hopefully Kuma can have his space next week. I've been doing a fair bit of off-leash (i.e. leash dangling) work with James on the front lawn lately. He's been very good. You know, until the one moment that he takes off into the neighbour's yard :D But I think he's slowly losing the mindset that off-leash equals time to run away which is what I'm really aiming for in case he ever gets out again. He found his best friend (from two doors down) also out and about today and the two of them had a mad old time prancing about. I'm very thankful we're in a quiet cul-de-sac.

I love the video of the Canberra dogs! It's great to see them all in motion - Kuma is a gorgeous boof of a dog! Hoover chasing along after them is very cute. I have another plastic bottle fiend. I freeze water in those 600ml Coke bottles for him every so often and that always entertains him. And his CleanRun squeaker toys are still in one piece, which is fairly amazing. And he's still in love with them. Had another package from CleanRun today - I handed it to him and he gently took it in his mouth and wandered around the house proudly showing off his parcel Doesn't like balls all that much, despite being a fetch-a-holic. He adores all things squeaky. Although I got him one of those 16 squeaker mats (a squirrel) from Clean Run as well and that has lost a paw or two, as well as both ears. Sometimes eating things is just much more fun than squeaking

Our yard is divided into a couple of sections so he has quite a few poo spots. Most are deep within the garden - saves me picking it up But he also likes to go under the deck after dinner which is a pain in the arse to clean out. I don't think he's ever gone on the grass in the backyard. So while he would never just let fly, he also has quite a few poo spots he's loyal too - it all depends on his preference at the time.

Inside dog. Technically outside when no one's home but really only stays on a large deck. If he ever learnt to go down the back stairs then he'd be properly outside. He gets walked every couple of days. And I can't really answer the last question. If we're in the mood for a walk then we're not bothered by rain, but at the same time, he's not walked on a fixed schedule so we're not actively avoiding the rain on the wet days that we don't walk.

Scary Hoover! He does strike me as a dog that would try to (literally) push boundaries. Sneaky boy. My heart melts everytime I see him in bed with Elbie. I'm impressed by Hector's destruction! The cushion is the only part of James' bed that he hasn't touched. I went to shake it out today and discovered that the floor has been completely ripped free of that front wall. He's also far too small for his bed, I found out today. I don't normally see him in it but it was moved upstairs today and the poor boy is forced to hang his bum over the edge. It's the largest size, for Pete's sake! What names are you contemplating, Ravenau? Am thrilled to hear about the improvement in Max's car-lunging Good work! I spent a lot of time pondering the fact that James could far more effectively reach his potential with someone else. But, to be completely selfish: I like him and wouldn't give him up for the world so I've moved on. The dog will just have to live with the fact that he'll never make more than average Kuma's hairloss is a sight! Although, I am a little more amazed about the fact that you own a rug with a dog. The amount of work that is put into stopping James chewing on the doormat is scary - I couldn't imagine keeping a rug in one piece!

I'm lucky if I make it to 5am these days. My fault really as I've been neglecting last minute nightime toilet stops - really not interested in scouring the yard for toads before heading out so I don't mind 5am so much. I toss him out for 10 minutes and then we're both back asleep until I wake him up for the day. He's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at whatever time I evenutally wake him up, though. Takes him 5 seconds to go from stretching to bouncing around like a loon. He's adorable in the mornings.

Aww, he's adorable! Look at those paws! ...I have to ask - where did you get the doggy Ipod from? It looks very cool

Ava looks so very proud of her muddy face - "I did good??" Kuma's face looks decidedly bearish in that first photo. Normally it's the size that makes the comparison apt, but he's actually starting to really look like one What priceless expressions on the couch photos. It looks like the adventure was very much worth it for him. Primedogs, now there's a face that I'd love to have around the house. Once dried off He's such a cutie! I'm still bewildered as to why not feeding out of a bowl is so evil. James gets his tossed around the house most mornings, interspersed with commands. Hell, I'm feeling completely out of it this morning with a bad cold (have I mentioned I hate summer?) so simply threw it around the backyard. However did my poor boy cope But then, the school of thought I read pre-puppy also said to take bones off him as a wee tyke so he spent a good many weeks first being hand-fed chicken wings and then having said chicken wings temporarily taken off him - naughty me Lo and behold, I now have a dog quite happy for me to stick my hand in his mouth (when necessary) to retrieve a bone Do people think we interrupt dog's meals for our own pleasure or to spite them?

I'm also interested to hear. I can probably count on one hand the number of times James has eaten dry food out of a bowl since he was 16 weeks old. I can see how it could reinforce picky eating, but Hoover doesn't sound like a picky eater? KTB, James likes Nutro. I will qualify that by saying that he's never actually eaten another brand and is a labrador so would probably like all dry foods. But, for what it's worth

Loving the Hoover photos! His ears look more undecided than Elbie's! Oh, I wish it was the CleanRun one that was given to James. It was actually a Tiffany's package (yes, jewellery!!) that they thought a dog would be suitable to sign for. And, oddly enough, when his CleanRun parcels did arrive he showed absolutely no interest in opening them Expensive tastes, my boy has. I'm a big internet shopper as well. Particularly for DVDs - Amazon (.com and .co.uk) are both great for that. If you ever need someone to go and look after him.... It sounds beautiful! Adorable photos - do keep updating us! I love watching the little blobs slowly morph into dogs. Little bit disturbed by your dream, KA ;) Can sympathise with the hyper dog - we ran into one of James' doggy friends this morning and I'm pretty sure he actually bit his tongue in excitement whilst playing with her He walked very, very well before that though, so I shall forgive him his hyperactivity-induced misbehaviour at the end.

Very much so. He has very few photos of his early puppyhood because he just showed up as a black blob all the time. He contrasts a little better now that he's bigger.

Max sounds like a laugh! Elbie's expression is both incredibly forlorn and patient. Poor chap. I love the "Cut to Hoover in Crate" shot Naughty boy. Clastic, how odd - I had a Lion King flashback moment myself this afternoon. James' toy basket is in the corner created by two couches and this afternoon he thought he'd perilously stand balanced, half on one couch, half on the other, and study his toys for a while. It was very Mufasa. Betsy, your dog (complete name blank, so sorry!) is beautiful! We have a soccer nut here as well. Someone really needs to put together a canine team - I'm sure they'd catch on to the rules soon enough!

Loving Nandi's meerkat sit. James. 4 1/2 weeks: 8 or 9 weeks: 4 or 5 months: 7 months: 9 months:

She's stunning! Well done for rescuing her.

I'm very much looking forward to Ike photos! Wuffles, I wish you luck walking your guys together! It certainly sounds like a daunting task. Although it's good to hear that Ava eventually calmed down for you today - hopefully after two weeks that will become the norm! I second the sentiments about watching dogs play. I'd love to know what they're thinking as they throw themselves at each other James doesn't like to play the chasing games so much as the, "I'll jump on you, now you stand on my head and I'll sniff your butt - rinse and repeat" game. Betsy, do come out of lurkdom We can always use more contributions and, of course, photos! Ravenau, it is a scary, scary world out there when it comes to dog information. And so much to take in - I have to admit, I completely forgot all about the need for tick prevention until he was about 12 weeks old And for every new thing you learn there are 100 different paths you can take and everyone is convinced that 99 of those will turn your dog into a devil dog. The trouble is everybody's idea of the "one" good path is different! I think the best thing to do in those early weeks is to take things calmly and remember that a couple of mistakes aren't going to "break" your dog So much easier said than done, though! I was scared witless until James was a couple of weeks old. KTB, there's a small thought lingering at the back of my mind, telling me to pack up and move to Canberra so James can have a better social life I can just imagine the hijinks he would get up to with all the pups on here. I have been neglecting the photos, considering this is a photo thread...! I love watching him hold things in his paws.