Little Gifts

I'm an expert on selecting the correct treat from several different packets and containers of treats to get new dogs to be comfortable with me. What I fail at is storing said treats safely from my own dog. Yet again tonight she jumped onto the dog fridge, picked out a brand new bottle of yoghurt drops, chewed the screw top lid off and inhaled the lot secretly on my bed! I hope her fat belly hurts!

I'm sure some days the same old same old just feels intolerable. I know I used to be a doofus who went up to say a great dane owner and was like "Oh my dog, your dog is huge!" Well der, state the obvious! Since being around pei and people constantly referring to them as those 'roly dogs from the toilet paper ad' I try and say something more unique if I want to engage with someone like "Your dog has the most beautiful coat!" or "He/she looks like they are really enjoying their walk today!" so to someone like you Cyn who is capable of walking more than two dogs at the same time (I can't) I would say something like "I admire your ability to be able to walk your dogs together!" Because that would be the truth. I'd hope in return you might say something like "Oh this isn't all of them!" (and we'd have a laugh) or "We don't get far but they still enjoy it!" and we'd both walk on. It's like at dog shows when a professional photographer is always looking for that cutesy photo of the biggest and littlest dog together like only cliche's are interesting to the general public. I really don't think people who don't own dogs or who aren't around them just don't realise they are stating something you have heard time and time again. They just say the first thing that comes to mind. I know I used to think all kinds of stupid things about certain breeds because my experiences were so limited. Now I just love how different they all are and try and comment on their own individual beauty and personality.

Having a pei cross in my care at present I can say I think this little one also has some pei in it based on the front end but it would have to be a cross because the snout is the wrong shape, there's not enough head wrinkles at that age, it is also big looking for that age and the ears are too big. Is there any curl to the tail? Usually the ears are just triangles without the extra bit at the bottom to pop them up. The eyes look like my girl here, as does the coat, including the large freckles on the back leg that I can see. Usually there is curl in the tail with the bum always clearly on display. Hair wise it sounds exactly like mine - spiky on the body but short and soft around the head and neck. And I've seen a couple of pei-staffy crosses now but they didn't look like this. My foster is around 6 months old now and all legs. We think her daddy was a bull arab. She is currently just a smidge taller than my sbt but wont grow much bigger. Her head is like a big rectangle and she loves a smooch! Ams will be able to tell you for sure if she sees this thread.

Lots of small dogs of other breeds come to the park and the worst that happens is they get covered in a bit of slobber. Pei don't seem to discriminate over size when it comes to who they will drool on. Plus they are only a knee height dog so not as large as some people think. We do get a couple of mastiffs that sometimes come but they are the gentlest dogs you have ever encountered. Lots of lovin' at Peinics!

And sorry I just have to brag but the Christmas Angel was my foster boy Dweeb, now happily living on the Gold Coast and known as Roan. Miss Christimas Cuddles and Froggy Lover is Delilah who has grown into a beautiful young lady also residing on the Gold Coast. The Confetti Kid is Chakita!

Nom nom on the Pom-Pom!

Donatella I can tell you that every Peinic I have been to there have been oodles of pei and other random dogs who don't know each other there, but there have been no fights or heart stopping moments. It seems to be a place of just hanging out and enjoying yourself for the dogs. And there is certainly a strange mix of dogs who turn up there with their poor owners going WTH when they see 30 shar pei in the same place. The dogs can also go in the water if they are so inclined. I always have a great time, as do any foster dogs/puppies I take with me. Last time I took my sister (she's usually working) and for the Christmas one I'm going to bring my parents along as that many happy pei in one place is certainly an experience! It starts at 2pm and we usually stay 2 - 3 hours. PS I've met and LOVE Ruby Rose! She's such a cutie! There are Peinic pics of her on FB!

This whole fostering business is dangerous. My friend fosters for the RSPCA and I was over there last night and she'd just gotten a shitzu cross with the biggest eyes, terribly underweight as found on the street as a stray. I picked that swf up and it did not leave my chest the whole night! I cradled it like a baby for hours and talked to it telling it (Poppy-Blossom) that it would all be alright! I've never even been into swf's - I started as an SBT girl and now I adore pei and now it is swf's! I'm ruined! Actually it was given the name Pauline because it has some ginger spots on its back, then someone decided Melba (what the?) but once I called it Poppy-Blossom it came to that new name every time so if it doesn't stay that name I'm going over to dognap it and ransom it back till they call her the correct name! Fostering is causing me to develop some issues....

This strange phenomena happened to me recently - I bought a stuffed toy home specifically for the purpose of destuffing by Stussy. Stuffed toy was takenly delicately outside and left there UNTOUCHED. Stuffed toy was left in limbo land outside (moved here are there so it didn't get sunburnt) for one whole day before it was brought back inside, beheaded and it began to snow. I really thought my dog was broken.

Thanks for clarifying Ruthless! I didn't know Plan B was linked to Bull Breeds in Need or you to them! Must pay more attention!!!!!

:heart: :heart: Sage and Toby!

Happy Gotcha Day Ziggy! I know he has done great work with you and the fosters Staffyluv so if he's a fool then he's a wonderful one!

Thanks for clarifying M-sass. I'm sure my dogs would retreat if someone turned on them because they lack that basic 'mean-ness' (for want of a better word). Another key reason why dogs should be restrained in a motor vehicle relates to accidents. If you were in a car accident your dog could become a very lethal projectile. I don't think anyone wants to imagine their dog going through the windscreen but they can also 'hit' other passengers in the car fatally injuring them too. Small dogs between the feet of front passengers in an accident are also at risk of being squashed depending on where the car is hit. And I think many of us have heard horror stories of dogs on the backs of utes falling off or being on leads that are too long and being trailled behind the moving vehicle.

I think Bull Breeds in Need on FB have a calendar but I would highly recommend Peiradise's Christmas cards as one features my beautiful foster boy Dweeb! (now Roan)

From what I heard through Tapua by email yours is the largest one so perhaps Piglet could be his bubby nickname!

Aren't dogs meant to be restrained when they are in cars anyway? Yep on leash when not on their own property. I live in QLD and it is my understanding that dogs have to be restrained in motor vehicles up here. We use seat belt clips - simple and effective. And M-Sass - my dogs weren't stranger aggressive. They were mother and son rescues and the son had serious anxiety as a result of being epileptic and heavily medicated during his early years so was more likely to be hiding from strangers. The mother would lick most people to death. Yet both dogs rose to the occassion making noises and taking action I have never seen before to get the intrudurs from my house then return to my side without any instruction from me. I was too busy trembling and panicking to be in control of any part of the situation. I actually just grabbed my phone to call the police and ran into my backyard without a thought for them at all. They decided I was more important than chasing after running bad men.

I am a foster carer for a breed specific group in Qld. If a potential adopter is interested in the dog I foster they come for a visit and stay for as long as they want. They can interact with the dog however they want (I assist with treats and toys and supervise). We talk about the dog and the things that I know (good and the bad, the quirks and the potential). If they remain interested they complete an adoption application. It is a long document but matching families and dogs is very important! We all want the match to be a forever and positive one! Sometimes potential adopters come back for a second visit or they bring other family members. Sometimes they have to fix fences or get body corporate approval so they can visit again while that happens. If they had a dog already I'd probably arrange to meet at a park and introduce the two dogs. If that went well we could go back to my place or to their place and see how it was going there as well. They can call me with questions or email me at anytime also. I give honest feedback on any visits to the person who owns/runs the rescue. They give final approval on adopting that dog. They also provide lifetime back up support to the adopting family as needed so if any behavioural or health issues show up then you have an immediate support network in place. A lot of adopters then become part of our extended family and come to our get togethers where we get to see how the rescue dogs are doing in their new homes. So this is what can happen to ensure a great match is made but of course it can all happen simply after one successful meeting and filling out an application! With our breed they often choose the people they like as much as the people choose them and at each meeting I see their behaviour change towards them and it is very heartwarming. So the best advice I can offer you is to be honest about your circumstances and needs (and don't ever be apologetic about it!) because a good group is looking to make good matches and overcome any minor barriers rather than find bland reasons to say no. They will work with you. And if they can't be bothered answering your questions then they may not be the right group for you either. If you become keen on a particular breed then don't get disheartened if you don't find the right dog straight away because new dogs are coming through every day and a rescue group will also know if a potentially suitable dog is waiting behind the scenes to have vet or other work done before being available for adoption. Good luck!!!! I fall in love with all my fosters but am still overjoyed when they find the perfect forever home!

I'll have to email the new human parents and congratulate them! You will not be dissappointed with a Tapua dog!

My old SBT girl refused to use the steps I bought so I had to continue with the butt lift technique (she could put her front paws up on the bed and lounge still) but when she wanted to get down she'd cry until I woke up. It was usually so she could go outside to do her hundreth pee so it didn't really matter. Later my new pup ate part of the stairs anyway. I actually thought the step treads were too shallow for an SBT sized dog so consider that and the height of the steps and last step to the bed for your dog's size too. I bought mine from Deals Direct and they were a timber frame covered in a suede type fabric that you could zip on and off to wash. It got eaten before it got washed! So take advice from people who already have steps and whose dogs use them easily rather than focus on price or they will be a waste of money and take up space.

Is the mum Tapua's girl Lara? If yes then the litter has come a little earlier than I expected! Do you know much else about the litter like how many and colours and how Lara went during labour? I'm only interested because I baby sat the Tapua dogs when Mr and Mrs Tapua took Lara for mating and had a bit of a holiday. It seems like it was only yesterday I was covered in lab kisses! They have amazing dogs!

Probably wouldn't have put the guy in hospital either. Our old GSD rushed to our defence more than once, and not a single person was ever hurt. Exactly Aidan, she'd be beside or in front of me growling and letting the other person know to back off, while looking to me for further guidance on what to do. If the dog attacked on it's own accord then what was the owner doing to encourage or discourage it? I experienced a home invasion of three men back in 2000 and my SBT's then (now passed) chased the men out of windows and the front door (which was left open) then immediately ran back to protect me and stayed by my side while I ran out the back to call the police. They hadn't been trained in any way and were fast asleep until they heard the untruders, but once they had them out of the house the dogs only concern was me. They did not feel the need to run after the intruders out the front door or hunt them down and attack them. And as far as I know with trained guard dogs (an ex BIL had 2 for his security business) their job is to find and restrain until their handler gets there to take over, but not to chomp and chew. There might be some bite marks during the restraining process (particularly if weapons are involved and the dogs are threatened themselves) but they aren't aiming to expose body organs or lose a person a limb.

Luke it is important that you choose a foster group that is right for you - one that you share the same vision with regarding rescue dogs and one that will give you the support you feel you might need as a new carer. I think where they are based is less relevant to how they operate as you wont be spending much time at their HQ. I only started fostering again this year after a long break and am now doing breed specific fostering and really enjoying it (and constantly learning new things). For me it is really important I can ask advice (I'm new to the breed) and have an honest dialogue with the person who runs the rescue about my needs, the needs of my own dogs and the needs of the foster dog that might be placed with me. I also agree 100% with the philosophy of the person who runs the rescue group. These are things that are very important to me and it has helped me get a lot out of the experience and hopefully give the best of myself to the foster dogs I've had in my care so far. I could've fostered for another group but they were basically saying take your pick of the dogs coming straight from the pound - no quarantining and no temp testing to ensure they would fit in with my dogs here. I really rely on their being a good match because a bad experience for my dogs may mean an end to fostering altogether as my dogs provide as much to the fosters as I do in preparing them for a forever home. So call a few rescue groups and ask some questions until you find the right one for you.

You know what the reality is though if my SBT was unrestrained in my car and any of my windows were down far enough and she spotted me getting harrassed and acting distressed I know she would come to my defence. The difference is she has not already been declared dangerous, would not be unrestrained in my car, the windows would not be far enough down for her to get out and I would not be placing myself in harm's way - I'd take the rego number and report it to the police. A lot of little things led to this dog now paying the price for human's bad behaviours.

Aphra peis are just as bad as all other dogs. You put your heart and soul into making them adoptable and off they trot with their new family without even a glance back at you to say thanks. I only knew mine remembered me because they let me hang around them and touch their favourite spots. The pei that went crazy seeing Ams was the first reunion of that nature that I have seen, especially since the pup that left her was not into PDAs at all! It just reinforces to me that their new families are right for them if they have moved us to the back of their memory banks. Ungrateful sods!

Cyn the wierd thing for me is I had never even seen a shar pei in RL before I started fostering them in about March this year but have learnt so much about them from just being around them and kind of listening and watching. Plus I have Ams on speed dial! They are such a unique dog, I just want the best for every single one of them. At a pet expo recently Ams was sitting on the ground and one of her previous rescues (a pup that originally had hernias and shar pei fever), now several months older and with her adopted family came running to Ams wriggling every inch of her body in excitement at seeing her again. She also gets to see lots of her previous rescues at the Peinics but that one was a real surprise for her as that pup was always rather cruisy and would go to anyone, but she recognised Ams that day as someone special still and it was beautiful to watch! Aphra that is magic about Marnie and Milly! Dogs are just such amazing creatures!