koalathebear

lilli_star: Sorry you're poorly! What's wrong? I hope you feel better soon!!! Yup. There are some polling sites that allow you to upload photos to go with each choice. It's a lot easier that way!! :D Yes, absolutely. Sometimes it seems to me that the direction of the thread is determined by the intervention of some of the long-termers. I've seen threads with almost the same subject go very, very different ways depending on who jumps in to support OP and who attacks OP. Someone was saying that the DOL Pack Psychology wasn't unlike Dog Packs. I find that a bit scary. The thread that has annoyed me today is this one. I've seen it before - someone's made to feel bad so they then go and pick on someone weaker - presumably it makes one feel better You will always be able to tell when a thread has made me peevish because I find I start writing as if I'm at work Sympathy! I love the rain so much normally but with doggies it's so frustrating! We don't have so much mud here fortunately but there are wet paws and unlike wuffles' gang, my two don't wait to have their paws dried nor do they know how to wipe their feet on the doormat. OH has to lie in wait with a towel. Gorgeous photos of Ziggy - his lovely colouring is extra apparent!

I haven't seen the original post which has unfortunately now been deleted but my understanding is that owners of cross breeds are permitted to post here and discuss their dogs so long as they do not extol the virtues of cross breeds ... If the OP referred to the dog by a funky DD Portmanteau name, given that it was a simple nomenclature error it might have been a little gentler to just ask her to revise the name in accordance with forum rules. I've seen other members do it quite nicely. loungefly: Please repost. One of my doggies is a crossbreed and I've received lots of useful advice from DOLers.

Eeeee! So cute!!!! Very hard to choose - there are so many gorgeous photos!

Happy Birthday Ava! Such a big girl now – you've come a long way from Little Blob! :D * Max#1: Do you mean the dog fight thread? Thankfully that thread went back on track and the antagonist backed away. :| Crossing fingers, toes and eyes that you get a MDTP next year. It's very important … I hope the same thing for us. I'm pretty certain Elbie and OH will have a good instructor for silver because we've been told who is supposed to be taking silver repeats and OH approves of her. I have no idea who will take Hoover's bronze class. As for positive/negative reinforcement. When we were looking to get Hoover, one of the breeders asked me if I followed Cesar Millan's teachings. I said that we didn't alpha roll Elbie, we preferred to stick to more positive methods although we were firm and we do use a spray bottle. In any case we had heard that Kelpies are very sensitive dogs that don't respond well to harsh treatment. His voice changed and we got an email a bit later saying that there was no dog available for us after all even though he had sent us an email earlier that he'd be able to get us a pup He also said this: "Canberra is well known as a area without a top level dog trainer. This can become a problem if training methods are all treat based or don't include negative reinforcement. There isn't even a professional there that can help with common problems." I'm almost certain that I didn't get the pup because he thought I was going to be all soft and la la with the dog. Our dogs mostly receive positive reinforcement but we have certainly raised our voices with him very loudly when they've gone near electric cables/jumped up on the bed or sofa/put paws up on the counter and that sort of thing. We use a spray bottle as necessary – so far not necessary on Hoover because he's very sensitive to correction. Just speaking harshly with Hoover and his ears kind of droop, his eyes sag and he looks down at the ground as if his heart is breaking. Elbie's much more defiant and will out-glare you when you scold him Our most 'powerful' punishment for the doggies is to tether them for a minute or so. Sometimes they get put outside. If they're being rowdy, one of them gets put into a crate to calm down – usually Hoover because he's usually the one harassing Elbie who just wants to be left alone Argh. I used to adore the rain before dogs but now it means restless dogs, wet paws, mud and dogs that will not go out to toilet! So far we've been able to get them outside but trying to get them to Poo Corner is impossible as they're just going all over the yard but last night … last night … we went into the kitchen and noticed that one of the monsters instead of barking to be let out had stealthily plonked two pieces of poo on our kitchen floor At first, we assumed it was Hoover so OH rapidly said: "I'll take Hoover out," leaving me to deal with the stinky clean-up. After he got back, we discussed it further and decided it could have been either of the monsters because they wander freely from the study into the kitchen and neither of us had noticed when the Deed had taken place, so OH said that it was possible that poor Hoover had been Falsely Accused It's quite vexing because it's been months since Elbie has had an accident like that inside and weeks since Hoover has!!! I want to vote on the Spitz photos but will do it from home because there are so many photos and it's confusing!

Urgh, I have resurrected this old thread because it has been raining since Sunday and while both puppies are more than happy to go for a walk in the rain, neither enjoys toileting in the rain. Getting one or both to Poo Corner is a Challenge and most of the time they stand at the door and stare at us plaintively when we tell them to go out. I think it's funny how I used to love the rain and the sound of the rain when I fell asleep. These days, I think: "Hmmm, I hope it stops raining when it's toilet time for the dogs" or "I hope it stops raining well before obedience class."

Hi there - I totally agree that DAP has its place and can be very helpful for calming anxious dogs but your example related to calming a dog that had suffered a traumatic dog attack. I'm not sure DAP should necessarily be the first port of call for a puppy in the first week you bring it home when that's a normal and expected anxiety that will, in most cases, pass without chemical intervention. For me, it's like taking sleeping pills before you've even had insomnia ... nothing wrong with using the tools that are available but perhaps not as a first recourse.

I'm guessing ... bully stick? :D I would feel so Wrong giving a beef penis to one of my monsters. And the terrifying thread for the day goes to this thread. It started out on such a positive note and then devolved to what borders on "nyah nyah nyah nyah" ...

Wow ... and this thread started out so positively to begin with ...

But lots of dogs love them and lots of dogs are fine. Alas, my two get farty with the pig-based stuff. They're ok with the other dried treats fortunately. I'd hate to deny them completely! I look forward to it. Despite being Kelpies so common, I actually don't get to meet that many That's why I had to get my own!!! ;) Also, Hoover's pedigree papers arrived today from the Working Kelpie Council - such fancy, schmancy documents for such a little wigglebum. He plays hard with Hoover and I've seen him start to play with other dogs at obedience - for instance, he played bitey face with Nugget a couple of weeks ago and he actually chased Champ for the frisbee last week - something he never did before. He's still not as outgoing as other dogs, though. He generally still approaches dogs he knows - for instance, he knows Ava and Kuma pretty well by now, same goes for Pepper and Mars and the other dogs at Dog School. I'd say that having Hoover around has definitely made him less timid but he's still not an outgoing dog and still a bit of a social mutant around the others :D Astrid is a gorgeous name. I approve. Primedogs: I love the photos. I would never let my monsters near the puzzles. They would eat them! That's a gorgeous puzzle - love the cat and dog theme, too Here's today's progress for the puzzle. So much fun! Fellow Geeks can come by for coffee, tea, cake and puzzle time

lilli_star: I know that Renegade Ruby and Big Blue Tarp is a Serious Story and must have been frustrating at the time but gosh it would have been funny to watch a cute, squishy lab racing around like a pork chop with a blue tarp sailing out behind her like some sort of doggy super hero. Also, we didn't buy the pig snouts on purpose! They misled me by calling it a 'chew' Today is rainy and it is having its usual effect on the monsters. Neither of them really want to go outside and they definitely don't want to toilet This morning I had to drag Hoover out of his crate and he makes these little grumpy Tauntaun noises as I haul him out of his crate. Then he dashed back towards the crate so I had to pick him up (and he's getting heavy!) Then in the kitchen he tried to bolt back up the stairs. ;) After we got outside, he bolted into his outdoor crate so I had to haul him out of that. The crazy thing was that the little monster was busting judging by the duration of his Mega Wee!!!! OH has been having similar Toileting Woes with them all day!! On a random note, I am so, so, so happy that the this thread has never gone the way of this thread.

I wasn't trying to be disingenuous. A lot of the discussions on DOL and on other similar fora are quite circular in the sense that (frequently, of course not always) they're really preaching to the converted. The RSPCA has the ability to reach the unconverted and whether we like it or not, as an organisation it has credibility and standing that other organisations are yet to attain ... The fact that there are elements of the RSPCA that people do not agree should not detract from an anti-puppy farm message that technically speaking is consistent with what we believe as well i.e. that we are anti-puppy farm. The rationale of the antipathy expressed above only works if it's premised on the argument of: "Get out of my corner RSPCA, you're making me look bad?" but then that's like saying: "I believe it's wrong to hurt dogs" "I don't like Person X because of Reasons XYZ". "Person X believes that it's wrong to hurt dogs" "Because I don't like Person X, their assertion is therefore of limited validity." Also, Some Average Joes are a part of DOL. Lots of people come here after they've already got their dog, though. I also know a lot of Average Joes and they are educated people but some of them don't want to deal with waiting forever for a dog from a breeder. From personal experience, I know what a long process it was contacting breeders, talking to them and sorting out what was best for us. It was a lot of hard work and definitely worth it - but it's hard to convince the average person of that ... For the anti-puppy farm message to get out, it needs to via more mainstream media than a special interest like DOL.

RSPCA whether people like the organisation or not has far more of an audience and message 'reach' than a lot of organisations so a message coming from them actually does 'mean' something. The Ordinary Person recognises the RSPCA 'brand', advertisements and the RSPCA is actually a first stop for many people I know when they want to get a pet. It's a part of the general community in a way that a lot of other organisations (including DOL are not) so a message from them actually does have a degree of persuasiveness that another org might not even just by virtue of the fact that it has a wider audience. Of course we could all just continue to gripe and grumble about it here on DOL and sooner or later the Immense Power of our Minds and Collective Discontent will inevitably shift and manipulate the Jungian Collective Unconscious thereby precipitating an anti-BYB/Puppy Farm Zeitgeist among the Masses by Osmosis ... Ommmm ... I can feel it happening now ... Or not ...

Favourite photos of my two. Both are wonky-eared here: Playing in the yard Long-suffering Elbie and naughty Hoover - I love the expression on both their little faces. Snoozing doggies. We have a lot of photos of the two of them asleep. They actually do have separate beds, it's just that we take photos when they're in the same one :D Hoover using Elbie as a pillow. Hoover having difficulty sitting on a laminate floor Elbie and his bronze certificate in obedience Elbie pointing - I wish we could get him to do this on cue. It's so cute. Hoover on the day his ears went up preparing for take-off with his Huge Ears This is also the day when Hoover's ears went up. I love how bright-eyed they both are. One of Elbie's ears will probably be wonky forever and weirdly enough, after going up, one of Hoover's ears is still a bit indecisive.

Learn from my mistakes fellow DOL-ers and do not feed your puppies pig snouts (photo above) or pork pate liver crisps Hoover has been letting out the most silent and deadly of farts all evening and OH and I are in severe discomfort. I am not kidding. The stench is horrifying. The sweet little doe-eyed puppy loves them so but he's not getting another one for the sake of our noses. :D

Hmmm. We've been clawed by our dogs by accident and had ouchy scrapes from their teeth when they're excited and taking a treat - no skin breakages though. Probably the worst accident we've had is that tonight OH tried to break a rock-hard strip of liver jerky with his hands and stabbed himself in the hand with the jerky :D There appears to be a bruise. ETA: does gas poisoning caused by toxic dog farts count? I gave Hoover crispy pig lickables today and oh dear ... Reminds me of why Elbie was never allowed to eat more than one pig's ear in his life.

Aha! I can help with that one. It's this one - i.e. the love emoticon :D

Hoover liked it but he didn't have time to eat it - just licked it until he was soggy. Then it was Hoover's turn for a walk and so OH gave the soggy pig's ear to Elbie, turned around for a moment, turned back and Elbie appeared to have inhaled it. Our two love dried food but we have never given Elbie a second pig's ear because when he was a young puppy, we gave him one and the dog farts were not only toxic, they seemed to last for hours!!! In other news, OH called me to the kitchen and I was bemused to see that while Elbie was waiting by the kitchen door, Hoover seemed at almost eye level at the window. Turns out he was sitting on top of his outdoor crate which we are using as his kennel. Through the screendoor: Through the window. We have called him a kangaroo before, this is proof! Although it's raining, the puppies were outside for part of the rain - to toughen them up. They have shelter but still whinge a bit.

Sigh. There are so many times I bite my tonguepaw and tell myself not to respond to certain posts that get me heated up. Then I normally inflict my frustration on my poor OH as he has to hear me discuss a topic in which he has no interest. I guess all people want different things from their dogs. For some, they are a status symbol, for some a beautiful work of art, for sort a companion, for some a watchdog, for some a substitute child blah blah. The list goes on. I think I am just frustrated by the inconsistent logic that the same people will jump up and down and say that it's ok to breed a dog for appearance and conformance to standard and be harsh on flaws (when you wouldn't do that to humans) because it's wrong to compare a dog to a human but will also say that they see a dog as a beautiful piece of artwork because in my mind, a dog is more human than artwork because it's a living, breathing creature. Because it is a living creature, in MY view, what truly makes it beautiful is the personality that inhabits it - flaws and virtues all mixed in together as one whole being that I love. For me having a dog is about love and love looks through the heart (and chemicals) and not through the breed conformation and when you trot a dog down the road, unless you're a hard core Dog Person, chances are the appeal of a dog will be an emotional one rather than a rational: "Ooh, excellent withers and gait" response ... At the end of the day, this is a purebreed forum and I and my doggies are only here under sufferance so for the most part I should just pull my head in and shut up. Awesome, awesome segue from an unpleasant topic to a much more pleasant topic. James is adorable and clearly enjoys possessing the Power of Flight. Don't be humiliated about Max's offlead bolt. At the BBQ on Sunday, Elbie was by far the noisiest mutt in the bunch. He sort of settled down but while everyone else's dogs were tethered up quite nicely, Elbie was barking and whinging. Not the whole time, thank goodness but enough to be conspicuous. Also, I set my cup of Fanta down on the edge and Hoover trotted along and knocked it over with his snout. My fault for putting it close to the edge but Hoover's fault for then trying to lick it up :p Alpha-rolling or hat-swatting? Farmers swat their dogs with their hats. Hoover also does fly catching. He sprawls out on the lawn and snaps at the air. It's hilarious to watch. It heightens his Snapping Turtle impersonations which are already a hoot. betsy: That is such a shame you don't have fenced dog parks. Elbie and Hoover have very good recall of late but I haven't really tested it and would never, ever trust either of them offlead in a public area. I've just known of far too many dogs killed by cars or running after kangaroos and never being found again I met a guy walking a mini poodle the other day and he said that his friend had a dog with excellent recall. They went to the bush, the dog had never seen a kangaroo before so was fascinated and took off like a shot - never to be seen again. :D dandybrush: I love those photos of raz - particularly the last photo where his thoughtbubble seems to read: "Woe. My human has put me in a novelty t-shirt." He and Satch certainly had a lot of harassment from smaller dogs on Sunday although I think he's always very easy-going around Hoover and Elbie even though they can be little brats sometimes. OH was very impressed with Satch's efficiency - a raised lip and a tiny growl - that was enough to tell Elbie to back-off This is actually a very, very beautiful story! How gorgeous that she went to real farm instead of the Great Kennel in the Sky Farm. wuffles: I have never heard that story. Poor you! Evil Koala wishes that she could have witnessed it, (1) because it would have been so funny; and (2) because I can't imagine Satch being that active! He's just so good with his 'stands'. ;) I've seen a few dogs bolt at dog school and no one seems to mind or write the owner's name in a Book of Shame ... Even when dogs growl or seem quite snappy, OH and I figure that the owner is doing the best he/she can and is being responsible by bringing them to class. I'm always sure that every owner there has something about their dog that makes them feel a bit sheepish Weirdly enough I was thinking about this last night/this morning. Ava's always been such a bouncy, happy dog and I've never seen her growl/show lip or actually even bark. It must have been a bit startling when it happened the first time. Last night, I had a similar experience because Hoover is extremely quiet - he rarely makes noise. The dogs were eating lamb flaps - which we feed at the same time but separately i.e. the OH stands watch over one dog and I watch the other to make sure of no food fights. Elbie finished his first and started heading towards Hoover. Hoover growled at him twice - proper growls. I had never heard him growl before and it was quite bizarre. I reached down and picked up the lamb flap and Hoover let it go and looked at me with his usual placid expression. I gave it back and OH apparently held it for Hoover while he ate it and was sitting and stroking him as he ate. Normally Hoover's quite kittenish and affectionate and hearing a growl was very weird albeit normal. * It occurs to me that as dog owners we deal with a lot of gross things. I already find it weird that dogs get fed pig's ears and I had a pang of guilt as I fed roo tails to the doggies. The dogs love these little liver lickable treats - sort of crispy jerky. I mistakenly bought this pack the other day: I assumed it was just the pig version of the jerky. When I got home from walking Elbie, a bemused OH was standing there holding a soggy thing in his hand that Hoover had been gnawing on for the last 15 minutes. Pig snouts. Poor pigs. Not only are they eaten and their trotters and ears cut off, they also have their snouts cut off!!! I could barely bring myself to touch them because I kept thinking of the poor noseless pig. Finally, putting a collar on Elbie used to be a pain because we had a buckle up leather collar that sometimes took forever to do up and he'd get bored and restless and then not want it on. We switched to these great utility collars for both monsters by Rogz. Elbie has a red one and Hoover has an orange one and they're so great and quick to put on. No more hassles putting a collar on Elbie anymore. OH and I have a running joke that Hoover is evil, especially when OH is holding Hoover in his lap i.e. if this was a movie, Hoover would be giving me evil looks from OH's lap that OH couldn't see and brainwashing him because he looks so cute and puppyish. ETA: Not being naughty and posting from work. Am home today. Slept horribly last night and work up feeling really awful so stayed home :p

Given the somewhat high number of posts that end in snotty argument or at least highly spirited debate on DOL, it's definitely not the case that DOL is even close to conforming to one way of thinking ... Dog-lovers aren't a homogeneous, monochromatic group of people who speak in one voice. There are plenty of people, myself included (yes I'm bad, I own a crossbreed as well as a purebred and sometimes I think labradoodleslabxpoodles are a bit cute), who don't necessarily agree with the views of everyone else on the forum - we just try to be a bit more civil about it. That doesn't make us pious. Expressing yourself in the manner you did and in this post in a different thread would have been informative albeit provocative to some. In this post, in expressing what you call a 'different view', you weren't being a rebellious, revolutionary independent-minded thinker - you were simply being rude and insensitive. There's nothing revolutionary or special about that sort of behaviour - it just puts you in a class with millions, possibly billions of other humans on this planet ... Again, if you have a particular gripe about certain breeds like the Akita or if you believe that situations like this should be handled differently, you should certainly post your views - but in a different thread where people can have a proper discussion and debate. This thread should be left for the OP to receive support and guidance in what must be an extremely painful and sorrowful predicament. You've certainly got a right to express your views in any way you want and in any thread you want - but the rest of us also have the right to voice our disapprobation of your manner of expression.

DOL always moves too fast for me to keep up! She is so cute ... that mournful face. Is there going to be a doggie donut that she gets to eat?

What an incredibly harsh and insensitive thing to say. First of all, having an incident break out between two dogs could happen to anyone, even the most experienced of dog owners. Unless you keep both dogs separated at all times, you never know what completely random thing could happen to affect one of the dog's behaviour - unexpected illness, new stimulae, toxins ... dogs are living creatures and cannot be 100% predictable. Second, from what I can see, the OP is doing the best possible given an incredibly difficult situation. I know some would say PTS the Akita but that sounds profoundly unfair and extreme given the circumstances. I'm no expert but I'm guessing that it's going to be far easier to find a good new home for a Fox Terrier than it would be for a male Akita given the fact that there is undeniable bias against and fear surrounding large breeds in the community. Your comments above would appear to be clear manifestations of such viewpoints. In any case, it's really unfortunate that this thread has to devolve like this. Can't we just sympathise with the poor OP and give helpful suggestions instead of making OP feel worse? Tapferhund if you really feel so strongly about the temperament of Akitas, scenarios like this and believe that people take it upon themselves when they select breeds like Akitas - couldn't it be more appropriately discussed in a new thread? I'm sure many would like to engage and discuss over there, particularly if you believe that there is a genuine basis for avoiding the breed.

Yup ... That's why there's supposed to be a Chinese proverb that says: Listen to all, plucking a feather from every passing goose, but, follow no one absolutely. I have plucked many, many feathers here at DOL ... Also, even among 'breeders' there's a world of difference between a registered breeder, a reputable breeder and an ethical breeder. I have added a further 'ouch' thread to my list. As someone who owns two dogs, this thread is like my worst nightmare. Most of the comments were sympathetic and helpful but then one comment was just so: "Ouch - why did you have to say that just now and in this thread????" Guess there aren't enough owners of the particular breed in question on this forum to roar their protests He is a big wuss where animals are concerned. He claims he prefers cats and he claims the dogs are just dogs but he's always playing with them, cuddling them and buying snacks and toys for them from the shop :D I looked, too. Thankfully I'm not a t-shirt person - I've spent way too much as a result of DOL recommendations.

Alas, the OP will probably feel worse given that Tapferhund has said that he/she has never met an Akita that he/she would trust and that the re-homed Foxie is likely to be sad and suffer A very sad situation all 'round and the worst nightmare for any of us who have more than one dog in a house. siks3: my thoughts are with you and your doggies. Please take care of yourself.

Yes. And all the while I would have sat back and Judged you :D Yes, absolutely. I looked in the crate and saw that Hoover had plonked himself down for a snooze and OH had put the blanket around him. Then Hoover came to the study to join us, dragging his blanket with him. OH picked up the blanket - I assumed to put it away - but instead he tucked the little monster in. There have been so many times when I have put the dogs to bed (without blankets) and walked past five minutes later to find the brats all tucked in like the spoiled dogs they are :p We found them at Coles today. It's described as a "pet santa outfit" for small to medium dogs. We bought a hat from Kmart the other day but it was way too small - this one fits better but Elbie looks so forlorn it would make for a terrible Christmas card photo. From memory, wuffles switched Ava off puppy food a long while ago because it was making her chunky. She still has some puppy-ish ways despite being an elegant young Missy of one. :D I've heard that the puppy kibble is a lot richer so dogs can pork out. We give our dogs puppy food but slightly less than the recommended serving and we intend to switch them to adult when they're 12 months. The rain finished, so I just took the two doggies on a short walk - separately. Exactly the same walk but Hoover's walk was so much faster because he doesn't pull and he tends to trot beside me!

It matters to me because it's interesting. :rolleyes: I'm not trying to derail the thread, I just like to understand things better.