lanabanana

I have been following some of the threads over the last few days, and we already had a 10 breed list we wanted (with our top 3 being "near" future dogs)...but I keep seeing all these gorgeous dogs posted and I want them all. Man I wish I could just have them all!

1. What is wrong with a merle to merle mating? Does the colour being mixed cause issues (i.e. the deafness) and you should only mate a merle to a solid or soemthing? TIA 2. OMG I want Porky! He is sooo cute - kinda looks a bit like my foxy/shih except she is only black and white.

I am going with them getting a shih tzu....mainly because (among other breeds) I would like a purebred shih tzu one day. I have a wee foxy/shih x and she is just the most gorgeous thing ever (think scruffy wee dog with a foxy shaped head and a shih tzu body) and I love her to bits and even though she doesnt facially look like a shih, and she has lots of terrier personality traits..she has made me want a shih tzu. I think its the lovely, sturdy but stumpy wee body LOL

OMG, that dog is gorgeous!

Yep...my old girl Chevy. She went over the bridge last year aged 12. I got her when she was 5 weeks old (yep I know) and I was 17. She was perfect. Even learning new tricks about 8 months before she died. She was always well behaved. Never ever pulled on a lead (except maybe the very first time she wore one when she just sat on the ground and wouldnt move), didn't have any other issues at all. Never got under your feet and in your face, always did what she was told. She never chewed anything or did anything she wasnt meant to (although, I did catch her one time giving the OH's work boots to our dog Lennox - who was a chewer and at that time on a chain - and I suspect she was trying to set him up LMAO) Maybe one minor issue, her recall was probably not 100% but I only noticed this probably the last 2 years of her life so I think she was actually a bit deaf and that was why, because before that she was perfect. She was ridiculously placid, super friendly to people and other dogs. Immediately accepting of any new pets that were brought into the house. Would learn new tricks in about 2 minutes. To be honest, she would have been better off as a service dog for someone because she really did not see her full potential with us. She was so smart and so well behaved and stunning (personALITY) that she should have been out there helping people. God she was beautiful - I really really miss her. Admitedly though, I don't know how much of her perfectness was me, and how much was just her being her. I spent time training her, but only when I wanted her to learn something new and it was quite often just the one lesson. She was the ideal beginners dog i GUESS (she was my first dog away from my olds, but not the first dog I ever "trained" or helped train). And if I am being honest, she made me totally unprepared for the dogs that followed LMAO, but I musta done something right - wish I could repeat it LOLOL Now we have Pippi who is at the total other end of the spectrum and has ears for purely decorational purposes only. She is always looking for something naughty to do. I suspect the Pipster is super smart just from some of the things she can do, and is actually outsmarting me.

I saw the Bruno bit and closed it because it looks ridiculous. The first picture of Bruno appears to be a totally different dog to the one left in the snow...and different again to the one with the head wound (that dog looks kinda red). Can't be bothered to watch something that it biasly edited and without any continuity/consistency

I dunno to be honest. This is a tricky situation not only because it involves family. I knew a couple who I didn't think should get a dog, or any pet for that matter, due to financial restrictions and their apparent lack of understanding. However, they got a dog anyway and he is beautifully loved and cared for even though they really couldnt afford the dog so you just dont know. You could be causing the dog to miss out on a fantastic home. (likely not but you just dont know). =I ould never afford pets when I first started getting them, but I got them anyway and they always received everything they needed even it if meant we went without something. The good thing is they want a good breeder so hopefully that person will ask the right questions etc and get a feel for them. Also, if they want a good breeder then they can't be that bad or else they just go to a mill or BYB

LOL!! Yep we brang our doggies, although now that I blabbed on about that earlier, I should also say we did leave the cats behind which is actually better for them. My ma is coming soon too (4 weeks) and they are bringing their dog too.

I personally don't have an issue with dogs on the back of utes providing they hav plenty of water on warm days - and a bit of shelter from the elements. JUst adding here, probably not a good idea in the city though where there is a lot of traffic My dogs spend hot days laying in the sun anyway so it's not much different. Many years ago though we did have an accident. First time ever taking our dog Lennox on the back of a ute and the chain was too long. Anyway, we were pulling up to the beach and the minute he seen the ocean he tried to leap of the truck and he just kind of ended up hanging down slightly behind the passenger door. OH leaned out the window, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and chucked him back on the tray. It was a full on flat deck with no sides or anything. Anyway, the dog never leapt off again LOL...I know its disturbing but just rmembering the incident I am giggling...I wasnt giggling at the time but he wasnt hurt or anything and he learnt something as did we. We never used to drive round town with them on the back though - too much traffic.

I think the behaviour is habitual now so desexing may not have any effect. This is something we have thought about and talked to the vet about. I think the behavior is more based in excitement at the idea of a "new mate" and he just gets himself worked up into a frenzy...dont know if losing his balls would help lol

Heya Yea LOL at goes bananas. I live in Five Dock...Indie sounds like he could be a fantastic "role model" for my dogs. Particularly the larger one as he is my biggest concern due to his size. He is a lovely lovely sooky boy. And we have never had any trouble off lead introducing him to new dogs but just on lead he is a twat (to put it simply) LOL. We would love some help if youd be willing!

Yea! That's what I think about...what if nothing ever happens or if it does you arent covered and youve forked out thusands over the years...that would rip my knickers big time

Darcy had a small cut/bite mark on his leg that got infected. He had xrays and antibiotics etc and they wouldn't cover it. I was living with OH's parents at the time and the bite was caused by one of their dogs. So it was determined that since it happened at home, amongst dogs that live together, it was apparently our fault and they wouldn't cover it. To some extent they are right but I found out that they don't actually cover anything if they can claim it is caused by a person, so in other words if Darcy were in a fight with any other dog it would be considered the owners fault and we would be expected to get compensation from them. If he got hit by a car it would be my fault because he wasn't contained. So basically any injury that can be attributed to human error is not covered. So pretty much everything, is not covered. So I figured it was a waste of money. I was paying $42 per month. Wow, that seems a bit silly!

That seems a really good price per month. To the OP, thanks for starting this thread, I don't have pet insurance and whenever I have looked I have only seemed able to find options that will cost me $50 for each dog per month which I thought was a bit pricey to be honest. I am crap at googling and stuff though so it's not surprising. Price really shouldn't come into it for your furkids but I just found $100 a month quite ridick. Lucikly we can cover a bill to a few grand and we have a fantastic vet who allows us to run an account, but we have been talking about this for the last couple of weeks so I will be watchign the responses with much interest.

Barney is a big sook all the time - unless he's in "guard" mode then if anyone peeks over the fence he is quite different (it's OK, we didnt teach him "guard" mose LOL). Pippi is horribly naughty and always looking for trouble and she is quite independant and arrogant, but then she is the sweetest, cuddliest little thing you could want.

I brang my dogs INTO Australia and it wasn't hard at all. They just had a couple of blood tests. In saying that, I did only come from NZ where we don't have rabies or anything so that is probably why. I dont know if it's the same here but if you take a dog out of NZ, if you bring it back within 2 years it's even easier. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, just make sure its the right choice for you whichever way you go and that you wont regret your decision whichever way you go. Personally, I would take the job AND the dogs but that's me, and difference is, I would be dragging a man and kid with me too so what's a couple of dogs on top LOL Good luck!

I was in this same position 18 months ago. I took the job and brang the dogs with me.

he is just lovely! Even if it looks like he is currently squeezing one out

She's not naughty ... just look at that innocent face.... What breed is Pippi... she sounds like a doggy that loves life. :D Oh she loves pretty much anything, ESPECIALLY getting up to mischeif. She will find something naughty and then check to see if we are watching her - quite funny. She is just a wee mutt, foxy/shih tzu mix but has a similar look (doesnt look like your girl but she does if you knwo what Imean) to your wee girl....below

Wow what an aawesome vidoe - not awesome good, just AWEsome if you get me. I dont really know my stance with animals at a circus. I think zoos are a necessary evil for educational purposes and also for the breeding programs etc. Circuses I am unsure. I dont really like animals in captivity but as above, it is beneficial in some wys. Do I think the tricks are bad? I probably agree with the above poster - keeps their minds active. Do I agree with how they live, probably not in the sense of cages, travelling etc. Using whips in that curcus i would attack too. I must admit though, we went to stardust circus this year and I loved seeing the lions come out and do their routine.

Awww that picture is very cute! I can't help with the smell as I cannot smell. The dog could wee up my nostril and I wouldnt be able to smell it.

You have more control over the bike if the basket is at the back..... :D :D bwhahaha that is gorgeous! OMG your sig, Nandi is soooo cute!!! Looks a bit like my wee mutt, scruffy and naughty, I love it

Excellent post and fab advice. I had a friend who recently purchased a pug/griffon mix. I suggested to her to get either a pug or a griffon but she was very dead set on the mix as she "liked the look" of a few she had seen online. Anyway, after backward and forwarding about pures and DDs, I eventually changed tactics and, after doing some research myself, advised her on instead genetic issues with the breeds and to ask if the breeder had done health cecks on the parents and other various bits and bobs like the fact that if the breeder didnt perform any then she may be in for a shock later....and that she may not either etc etc. Anyway, she went ahead and got their wee girl, who I must say is just gorgeous...what is funny though is that the wee thing looks almost exactly like a pug except with slightly different ears and a slightly finer build LMAO They may as well have just got a pug LOL

Really? You seem to be doing a bang up job of it in this thread alone :D PMSL

Tried the household vacumn cleaner?