Sydoo

I would have thought a real tree would be potentially less dangerous than a fake (or maybe I'm just used to Billie chewing on sticks and plants but still not keen on her eating plastic. Obviously both could cause a problem). I have been considering our decorations for this year. Tree will go in front entranceway so dog has limited access but just in case...no glass, all large decorations to reduce choking hazard, no tinsel/beads/string decorations, probably no lights, wooden or solid plastic decorations where possible just in case she gets a hold of them.... Ok maybe this is just a great excuse to buy all new decorations.

Have you seen a GP about your son's allergies? I had a successful series of injections to reduce reaction to a range of allergens. That plus good management (hard floors, allergy-friendly bedding, no blankets/rugs, frequent vacuuming, thoughtful selection of garden plants etc) has made a big difference to my symptoms. We do have Billie inside as tests show I'm not allergic to dog dander. My parents just assumed I was so our family dogs were kept outside throughout childhood.

I will give a foodie gift to a friend's dog. I gave her gifts every year before we got Billie; now I need to because my furry monster spends half her visits scoffing their dogs hidden treats. :D

I have no sense of smell and worry about this a lot. According to a friend the house has no obvious doggy smell (though she also has an inside dog so perhaps desensitised). I might wash the walls before the 'dogs belong outside' relatives arrive for Christmas. For the same reason, I can't offer any advice as I have no idea if what I do even works

I'm sensing a pattern...I bought food from them just over a month ago and it took more than 2 weeks to be sent despite no mention it was OOS. All my previous orders were shipped very promptly so it seemed unusual. I hope whatever is going on is just a short term issue. Hopefully you'll hear something soon but if you don't and paid via credit card you might be able to get your $$ back via your bank.

Billie tried it for a while. I had a few one-sided conversations with my mother - I would talk and completely ignore the barking doglet. My mother got to listen to us both and not bother talking back as I couldn't hear. After a couple of days, Billie realised people on the phone are useless to her. She still whines and runs to me if a phone is ringing and I don't react. I let this go as it is quite useful when I'm outside or in the shower and don't hear it ring.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are u serious that is SO SCARY!!! Far out did it take u a long time to recover, I was shaking for hours after my thing which isn't barely as bad as yours At the time I was so pumped about having escaped (adrenalin high I suppose)...who knew I could move my slothful body that quickly and fight back, let alone scale a high fence without a leg up (I haven't been able to repeat that feat ). I stopped walking home alone for a few weeks but then just got a bit smarter about it - changed my route, stopped using ipod and actually paid attention to the world around me. I think the uncomfortable worried feeling you had is the worst. I was lucky that I didn't really get that because I was off with the fairies. I hope you are feeling better soon, and can keep walking. A walking buddy might be worth a try.

I want to reiterate Hanna's suggestion. Pre-dog, I walked to/from work, uni etc with headphones in as a matter of course...until the afternoon I didn't hear a car following behind me and the next thing I know some malefactor is pulling me into the car. Luckily I got away relatively unscathed but if I'd been more aware of my surroundings, the whole incident could have been avoided.

Aw thanks Busterlove...she's not as stunning as Quinn though!

One that's up on the bench or hidden in a cupboard Second the cupboard - though our little miss can open drawers now so it's probably only a matter of time until she masters cupboard doors.

So many gorgeous puppies --> dogs. Makes me clucky for another Billie @ 8 weeks (first day home) A few months later...busted! Obviously I didn't take as long in the bathroom as she expected. Enjoying a Sunday morning lie in at about 8 months Must. smush. all. bubbles. Satisfied with a job well done...until someone refills the water bowl of course.

My brother asked for a lot of stuff when he was in Afghanistan - beef jerky and canned tuna were #1 demands as the food was lacking (to say the least) in his area and he struggled to keep weight on. He didn't have regular access to a can opener and wasn't keen on using his knives to open cans so ring pulls were essential. I sent M&Ms during summer and they arrived fine - the colour melts off but the candy shell is quite resilient. They were originally created for the military after all. Oft requested red frogs became one giant lump but still edible. Muesli bars mostly arrived in an edible state (if a tad disfigured). Anything you think could survive a week in your car in the sun should be fine. If you are unsure, seal it in a few ziplock bags so it can't leak out and ruin the rest of the parcel.

Hey Sydoo - I want to clarify that I am Pro-K9. I re-read my post and realise this might not be clear to you. I guess I sometimes tend to think that everyone on DOL knows me. But just so that you know I am not trying to alias myself to make it look as though I'm some unrelated individual independently recommending the Pro-K9 product. But also just so that you know - the REASON I stock the equipment that I do is because I recommend certain quality equipment. Many of my clients would then ask "where can I get that?". I found it therefore easier for everyone concerned to stock the stuff that I myself would recommend and use and therefore be able to supply it. I think it's great that you made this post. :D I did realise - probably could have worded my own post better! I'll be ordering one in the very near future.

Thanks for the rec, Erny. We had one made from parachute cord but I've been afraid to use it.

Billie is inside when we are at work (bedrooms closed off); when someone is home she has run of both house and yard. We are hoping to transition to spending work days outside in the not too distant future. She goes out almost every day - whether it is a walk, a trip to a park, a playdate in a friend's yard etc depends on where OH and I are, and the weather. There are odd days when we can't take her out so play active/brain straining games at home. Last Sunday she was so exhausted from 'assisting' me with a day of painting and yardwork that she put herself to bed before it was time to go for a walk.

In our backyard, Billie prefers to stay in the shade most of the time so it's not a big problem for us. I deliberately chose a dog with a black nose but I still put cream on the top of her muzzle when we are taking her out somewhere as the white fur there is very short and pale skin quite visible. My beloved childhood cat was PTS after skin cancer ravaged his nose and spread further. Poor thing loved to sleep in the sun.

Aww happy dogs! My local Coles and Woolworths both sell turkey legs, usually somewhere between 3.99 and 5.99 a kilo. OT but I went to a nearby Supa IGA today for the first time and was impressed to find fresh chicken frames on show - no more trying to smash 2-3 frozen frames apart (this usually involves some sort of injury to myself and we won't even talk about how the frames end up )

Everything that goes into the kongs is human food but even if it were kibble I wouldn't care. Dju maybe you just need a better dishwasher :D The most important thing I've discovered about kongs is keeping track of them...nothing worse than finding a half-full one hidden somewhere days (or weeks) after it was given. Those kongs go straight in boiling water.

No obvious ill effects on my fly hunter so far. She's not exclusive either - flies, moths, beetles, anything goes. Was very happy last night to have her respond instantly to 'leave it' when I realized she was stalking a tiny baby green tree frog instead of her usual prey. :D

I won't even talk about what Billie has eaten... too embarassing! :D Something else we do is toy rotation. This might sound gross but I stash some toys in the bottom of OH's dirty laundry hamper for a few days and she treasures them when they magically reappear. I also do this with new toys as I've noticed she can be put off by that 'manufacturing' smell some things have. When inside, she is also keen on toys that have been outside and no doubt smell like dirt, grass etc.

And it's funny what dogs are most interested in - for all the toys I have on the floor at the moment for the puppy, the most fascinating thing is an empty drink bottle So true! Have to shudder at what I have spent on toys this year when this week's #1 best thing ever is a big rock she found outside that is obviously fun to lick.

My local Coles had some promotional footballs (at a guess about 20cm long) for $1 from last Friday as well - grabbed 5 so I can easily replace any punctured ones. They aren't strictly dog toys but Billie doesn't know that.

+1 You only go food shopping when the dogs have run out Second that. I can't even manage to keep milk and bread on hand for us (have to make a special trip if we are expecting visitors) yet I always have fresh meat, raw extras, kibble and treats for the doglet.

Bumping this with a question for the Ziwi Peak feeders...do you find much (if any) difference between the 3 "kibble" flavours? Billie gets a combination of raw, Artemis puppy and Ziwi Peak lamb at the moment and has just run out of Ziwi. I'd was thinking of trying the venison or venison/fish this time so interested in hearing any feedback.

I agree with all that you've said Sydoo. *shrug* odd then that you would prefer commercial meat to a privately hunted animal where you at least know exactly how it was treated. Souff - very important point! I've had a pet rat run up my pant leg once...luckily before video cameras were widespread! Our pup tried it during that first trip home as well but she got stuck below my knee and fell asleep in a pant fabric sling.