Niques

I was allowed to pick my dog's name, but it had to be within an ice/snow theme to fit with his father and grandmother's registered names. It was almost more difficult than picking his call name! Too many names! :laugh:

Thirded. My Labrador turns three in January and still occasionally sleeps in his Bunnings playpen when it's hot. He's never attempted to climb out, but he did need to be trained not to stand up (on his hind legs) against it.

I'm on the other side of town to you, so can't help with recommendations, but the preschool we went to kept dogs on lead except for short (well-supervised!) play periods where a couple of pups of similar size and temperament were let off to interact together. If you find something like that, it would be useful to you. Exposure to all sizes (we had everything from some tiny fluff ball that could practically fit in your palm to my boofy lab in my class) with controlled interaction.

My Labrador loves his food, but he's not an inhaler or really much of a pig. The great excitement is there but he tends to approach food in a steady, methodical manner: taking a moment to calmly choose which bone to eat first or deciding whether to eat the fish before or after the dry food, etc. I thought I had myself a broken lab for a lot of his first year as there were several long periods where he was almost completely off his food.

They're the most handsome breed :D I really, really wanted a JRT when I was a kid. Until I worked out that I'm neither a little dog person nor a terrier person. When I was actually getting my dog, it was between Beagles and Labradors. Honestly, based mainly off their looks. Before any of the Labrador breeders even replied (only one ever did - my boy's breeder), an available Beagle puppy was offered, but I just couldn't take it. Apparently, deep down, I didn't want a Beagle. And I'm still glad I didn't take that dog.

Having not known all that many, I hesitate to make generalisations on Lab energy levels, but based on your previous posts, if Mindy is a low energy Labrador then my boy must be practically dead! For example, the extent of his structured exercise today has been a short, 15-20 minute wander around in the middle of a 3 hour (round) road trip. He's having a sniff in the garden now and will then, most likely, conk out on the couch for the afternoon. This is not atypical for him. OP, I've always crated my Lab after dinner. Initially because I didn't want him jumping around after eating, although that's turned into a void point given that he just started using after-breakfast as his zoomie time instead. But now (as a 2 1/2 year old) he knows that, even if he's not crated, post-dinner is a calm time. Are you able to contain her at all after her meal?

I don't think I ever posted my pack o' one the first time around. Mr Dog. With friend.

I first read this right before getting James and it cemented in that I'd chosen the right breed :laugh:

James is the only dog I've had and I had absolutely no interest at all in a girl. He was always going to be male and I would prefer future dogs (depending on breed if obtained during J's lifetime) to be male. No particular reason why. I suppose on some level it's based on the theory of females being more independent/aloof.

Favourites are the gundogs. Obviously the Labrador. I don't have enough broad dog experience to specifically pick out others, but theoretically I also love pointers, the larger spaniels and other retrievers. Least favourites: SBTs. Anything small enough to be held in both hands - small dogs feel so fragile! SWFs. Mainly due to the aforementioned size issue, but I'm not fond of their coats either. Don't particularly like the poodle coat either, but I hold my judgement on the wider breed until I've met a Standard: I have a feeling I'd like them.

Western suburbs.

I think I'm on the other side of town to most of you so it would depend on location choices, but I'd be interested in something semi-regular.

Thanks for the advice :)

My dog is a dog. I frequently call him Baby James and my mother calls him her Grandpuppy. But he's still a dog - not a human baby, not a human grandchild.

James has been insanely itchy over the past week. I assume he's being bitten by midges or sandflies or whatever it is those tiny black flying things are called, as his itchiness coincides with the fact that I too am being bitten to death - anytime we leave the house we both come back scratching. I can see a couple of raised red lumps on the leg he keeps trying to chew off, and I assume I'll find another under his arm that seems to be his new itchy spot. Is there anything I can put on him to ease the itchiness? Specifically his leg as he's going to be ingesting anything put on that - I think I read that aloe vera shouldn't be eaten?

Wow, that's a lot. I can't find any of my receipts from last year, but at the end of 2010 a simple consult was only ~$50. In Brookfield.

Geoffrey is a brilliant dog's name. I knew one as a kid - he was named after his owner, Geoffrey :laugh:

James tends to get a reaction out of people. I've completely lost perspective on it though - it seems like a normal doggy name to me now. My childhood rabbit was named Funny Bunny. I was a creative kid, obviously :laugh:

James had a good grasp of "roll" as a puppy but lost the ability when he was about one. He knows what he's meant to do but he completely lacks the momentum to actually make it all the way over, even when lured. So he just lies on his side flailing his paws. Any ideas on how to re-teach this?

Couple of minutes. I don't think I've fed him ears in a while so I can't remember if he does it with them as well, but when he gets a trotter, he'll usually save a soggy chunk to carry around and chew on for the next week or so. Blegh.

James and I have just finished a rather drawn out (one-sided) conversation about why his rear end smells. On the back deck. For all to hear

He doesn't normally eat out of a bowl, but he starts as soon as he's told he can, regardless of where I am.

Very much so. Snorkling dog: ^ Ava looking respledent in mud :laugh:

I saw it for the first time last night and realised I forgot to worm the dog yesterday :laugh:

Sort of after James Bond. He would've been James without it but a quirky connection to the spy sealed the deal.