lilli_star

Hmmm....spiders don't really bother me either- if there is a Huntsman in the house, I'll do the old cup and piece of paper trick and let it go outside. I do a unit on spiders with my class every year and hire a box from the Australian Museum in Sydney that has spider specimens in it for the kids to look at close up (they're in thick glass) plus books and stuff. The kids love it! The first year I taught it though (when I was out west), one of the boys in my class flushed out a Trapdoor spider with a hose and caught it in a jar and brought it in for news! He told his mum I'd said they had to! :D Uhhhh, no! I was wondering about what people class as LLW too, KA. Ruby doesn't pull much now, and sometimes I can wrap most of the lead up, but then she's back down at the end. I walked her on her harness for the first time around my neighbourhood yesterday, and she was dreadful! She stopped to sniff everything! Truly worse than just on a normal leash. ;) This morning I used the normal leash and she was okay except when she grabbed it. Grrrr. I probably did the wrong thing, but I just kept walking, and she stopped after about 10 steps. Standing still doesn't work- it just riles her up to play tug with the leash. No walk this afternoon though- Roo had a shank bone while I mowed the front lawn. Backyard tomorrow ;) I need some sheep Kuma looks like such a lovely doglet :D I love the photo that shows his pink paw pads He looks pensive though- not his usual smiley face. He was obviously contemplating something highly philosophical :D

And video too please!

*Mutters about living 3 hours away...* Starts at midday on Saturday. You can leave at 8:30 and get here with plenty of time to spare. Stay the night in Canberra (we have a spare room and plenty of room for Roo to run around) and be home by oh, say midday on Sunday. Easy! Awww, that's so nice of you. If it wasn't the craziest time of the year for teachers (i.e. when reports have to be written), I would seriously consider it. You guys will have a great time- I look forward to seeing the pics (and hopefully videos). Roo is a funny thing- I bought her a couple of deer antlers (to keep her occupied after having the op) and I was a bit disappointed because she didn't show much interest after the first day. I got one out for her a little while ago to see if she had changed her mind, and she's right into it! Hmmm, well, she was. Attention-span-of-an-ant girl has now moved on to see if the cat has left any biscuits on the floor

*Mutters about living 3 hours away...*

I love the wigglebum video! She's just so happy! I really like watching your training vids, Wuffles, but seriously, what's your secret? How do you get Ava to heel so well? Especially when that guy was jogging nearby? If only I could post you my naughty rabbit! Roo has only marginally improved her ant-like attention span, although in the backyard today I got her to stay and come from almost the entire length of the yard (my backyard is pretty big). I started to try and teach weave. I started with peekaboo, but the lazy slug wouldn't go around and just flopped down. We'll keep trying (of course I should be thinking about reports... ) KTB, I'm not very tall and not at all graceful, so hope Roo doesn't knock me over when she's bigger!

Alas it's just a lure - you lure doggy through your legs with treats ... it gets to the point where he trots through quite happily. An easy one is - just one lure through your legs and they peek up at you and it's a very cute trick. Or you could do crawl where you get Ruby in a drop and lure her along the ground with food. Elbie crawls on grass but not on the floor of the kitchen etc. Or spin - it took just a few lures to teach Hoover how to spin. I'm impressed that you can get Roo to select a certain toy - we haven't tried teaching Elbie to pick up particular toys yet and have no idea if he'd be any good at it. Good luck! Let me know what you decide to do Hmmm, she won't stay in a drop though to crawl- she gets up To be honest, I don't know how Roo learnt to select different toys, it just kind of happened Off to find vids on weaving...

Okay thanks

Hey KTB, how did you teach Elbie to weave? I'm supposed to teach Roo a trick for dog school, although we won't actually be there for the last class/graduation when the tricks have to be demonstrated. So far Ruby can (mood willing)- sit/sit up (from drop), shake, high five, drop, stay, wait, fetch X (Duck/Cow/Rabbit), still working on roll over and give it. Nowhere near as talented as your doglets, but we try! What do the rest of your doglets do that I can teach that is not too frustrating?

Ugh Christmas shopping :D I still have 3 birthdays to get through first! Actually, make that two, my niece's was today :D (I did send a card and an iTunes voucher though) My nephew number 1 and niece number 3 are still to go. Even before we get to those, I have reports to write and end of year stuff to get through. Where did the year go anyway???? Yes, yes, have been there, done that. Had to teach the whole check your boots before you put them on, don't go on the grass without shoes (catheads are evil and lethal!). But, at least we don't have skunks! Or raccoons that spread rabies. And besides that, remind Mr KTB that we have wombats! And koalas! And Tim Tams! Doesn't make up for the lack of Tim Horton's though... Hey KTB, have you bought an Easywalk harness for Hoover? I have one here gathering dust if you want it (or anyone else for that matter). Size medium. I bought it for Roo, but it just encourages her to grab the lead. Barely used once (does having it fit at the vet clinic count? Or practising in the backyard?).

What if you already feed a top quality puppy kibble though? Ruby is almost 7 months old and I currently feed her RC Labrador Junior. I've just opened a 3kg bag, so I guess based on what's been posted so far, I should change to adult food when it's finished???

Oh Kwalaaaaaaa....your post made me cry

Oh. I forgot to say, Raven your puppeh is a little bit cute! KTB, they are gorgeous photos from Bredbo of your doglets and Mars and Pepper. Oh, and the sheep and working dogs Useless piece of information No. 142- My grandfather managed a huge property there when my dad was little. Wuffles, how is Ava after the stitches are now no more and she and Satch can be crazy doglets together again? ;)

Oh. :D I wonder why they didn't just delete the whole post? Hope you've all had a good weekend. Roo was pretty good at dog school yesterday. There was a lot of sitting around though which was not really good for her, but we got through it. I got one of the harnesses from MDTL (they're called Sporn. Heh. Rather fitting for feral dogs) and we went into Petbarn to stalk another DOL-er I wouldn't have taken Roo in if we didn't have the harness- the last time I took her in to buy her Very Expensive Dog Bed (that she doesn't use! ;) ) she was feral! She was pretty tired afterwards and slept in the car on the way home and most of the afternoon. Today I had lunch with some friends and Roo had amused herself by dragging around a couple of bits of wood and pulled the grate off the drain near the back tap. Again! So, I have fixed that hopefully by putting some Vicks on it. Sorry Roo, but it had to be done Meanwhile I am being overrun by ants! I sprayed them with flyspray and I swear, an hour later there were HUNDREDS!!!!! My lovely neighbour came over to give me some flowers from her garden and saw all the ants and went and got her magical spray. It certainly seemed to stop them in their tracks, but I'm reluctant to use it at the laundry door because it's near Ruby's yard. I just want them to go away :D

This is my favourite. It makes me think he's going all Cute Overload.com and saying "Oh hai!"

Ohmygosh Wuffles- Ava could possibly have been the cutest ball of fluff puppy ever! :D

I've been thinking about buying one of these for Ruby too. I recently got her a Buster cube which she loves (or seems to anyway ). I wouldn't get a wobbler from Petbarn though- more than triple the price as in the States! :D

Yikes! :D How did he manage that?! Makes Roo's toy destruction quite tame by comparison. :D Although, Duck is now missing both feet (Roo had chewed half of it off, so I cut it before she could eat the rest), and Bear almost lost a foot. She is currently chasing her Buster cube around the floor.

Awww I didn't know Elbie got the junc/goop too Glad to hear Miss Ava is feeling better. Miss Roo is obviously going through a destructive stage this week- another toy (just one from the $2 shop) had been chewed and stuffing pulled out. I shoved the stuffing back in and left it there (after taking out the squeaker) in the vain hope that she will destroy that tomorrow instead of anything else. I mowed the backyard tonight and I am exhausted! I gave Roo a shank bone to munch on while I was doing it, then as she is dropping her coat, a tin of sardines to help the dandruff a bit. I might give her a bath on the weekend if I'm feeling brave enough. I've only bathed her once- about 6 weeks ago or something- and I did it inside. I can quite confidently say NEVER. AGAIN. will I bathe her inside- the hair alone was ridiculous, let alone wet dog zoomies.

Oh, poor Ava Did all the heaving hurt her stitches? (I'm thinking internal ones moreso) God, I don't know what I would do at 4am No 24hr emergency clinic here- I guess Orange or Bathurst may, but the vets here would have someone on call I think, just don't know if they'd like the 4am wakeup call. Have you got pet insurance Wuffles? I hope the chicken settles her tummy. Mashed pumpkin is good too.

Ruby's handiwork looked a lot worse than it actually was, thank goodness. Those rope balls from Petbarn contain A LOT of stuffing! I was just so relieved when I found the squeaker! It does look like she has a lot of toys doesn't it...not that the little bugger plays with them now. She'll grab Cow when she wants to do zoomies or if I say to her "Where's Cow? Fetch Cow!". The stripey toy is one of those water bottle crocodile things that she'll occasionally run around with, and the Busy Buddy Bone was really only a hit for the first couple of days, but she was munching away on the treats last week- just no interest when there's no treats :D Ruby is obviously in destructo dog mode- here's what she destroyed today Then she's the picture of innocence. KTB, are Hoover's ears still upright? ;)

Wuffles, you have one (or two! ) smart dog (s)! Maybe you need to set up a webcam like KTB did to see how they did it! :D And doesn't Miss Ava look proud of herself! Glad the vet gave her the all clear. If the stitches cause more irritation than the wound itself, they might take them out early like Roo's vet did. So, yesterday Roo played the poor little matchgirl routine by laying in the yard in the rain fast asleep. Today she MORE than made up for it! ;) It rained here pretty much all day- not heavy, but that fine, misty, constant drizzle. Because of the rain, I didn't take Roo for a walk this morning, and when I left for work, I sprinkled the other half of her breakfast on the grass with some chicken and her Kong, and off I went. I was a bit late coming home today because I had to go to the post office and supermarket and when I looked out into the backyard, I could see that Roo had been doing some digging and Cow (toy girl cow from Big W that wears a dress/apron- she is Ruby's favourite outside plush toy) was just outside Roo's shed with a couple of clumps of fluff. Uh oh, I thought. Surely she hasn't torn Cow...then I remembered that her rope ball had a small rip near one end, so maybe she'd pulled it out. So after unpacking the shopping and grabbing a plastic bag to put the fluff in so Roo wouldn't eat any, off I went to the backyard. However, nothing could prepare me for THIS Oh my gosh- she went crazy in there! ;) So I started picking up the fluff and was getting a bit worried because I know that there was a squeaker in the ball, and I couldn't find it. Picked up all the fluff, checked what was left of the ball- nothing. Not in her blankets, not in the shed, and I couldn't see it outside. I was just starting to panic slightly and wondering who to ring first- my sister or my vet when I did another sweep of the yard and found it near a hole! PHEW!!!! It may be missing a bit off the top- like the lid? I don't know. But the rest of it, while obviously slightly munched upon, is in one piece. Obviously, someone went a little stir crazy in the rain today, so I took her for a walk to hopefully tire her out. This is how much fluff I picked up- not counting what was left in the ball! Also, please give your respects to Duck's foot- missing since Saturday night. I, errr, "found" the foot during my search for the squeaker :D

Aussielover is right now! She has a black Lab named Mindy. Send her a PM, or I'm sure she'll come and comment when she can.

Frozen iceblocks with or without treats? I 3/4 fill a container of water, then top up with chicken stock, add some treats and freeze.

It drizzled on and off today. My sister and brother in law dropped by to take me to lunch and to tell me how gorgeous Ruby is :D My sister was surprised that Ruby had 5 stitches (she asked me if it was a prac student!), but said that it was healing fine and should continue to heal well. Ruby showed off her "tricks"- she sat, shook hands, high fived and dropped for me and them when they asked! Yay Rooey! We went to lunch and when we came back, Roo was having a Mexican standoff with the magpie family She was lying there while Mama or Papa Magpie were thieving food out of her Kong! Later on, I looked out the window, and this was what I saw Ruby doing her Little Orphan Annie impression- fast asleep in the rain on a square of cardboard. Apparently it was too much effort to go into her shed Poor puppy! :D

I am too Slightly on that topic, I learnt yesterday that the RSPCA in town has drop off pens for after hours and apparently people use them all the time because then they don't have to pay to give their animals up