Genabee

How exciting for you! When I collected Genevieve, my breeder provided me with a bag of food, a blanket and a toy for her. All her registration papers, vaccination records, health tests of both parents and some light reading material on raising puppies, the breed and pet insurance was also included. We also went through some questions I had. I didn't have to sign a contract... My best friend nursed her for the 2 hour car trip home. We used rescue remedy successfully, rubbed it in to the scruff of her neck before we left and a couple of times throughout the trip home. She slept most of the way home... she only woke up when I got pulled over by the police for speeding!!!! I hadn't even got her home yet and I was already a bad influence! She was really funny once we got home though - that is the best bit - you will love it!!! I don't have any issues with motion sickness. We travel well in the car and have flown well too. That being said, I always squirt some RR down her throat... whether or not that has an effect I am not sure, but it seems to calm her down. I also use puppy essence too. There are a couple of threads on here, maybe not in the puppy section, could be in general or health, but there are a few on motion/car sickness. I know some of the DOLers give their dogs a little bit of a ginger nut biscuits about 15 minutes before car trips... never have done it myself so cannot comment on the effectiveness of it. I don't know if I would worry too much about it on that trip though... there may be no need in the first place and the dog will be anxious enough as it is. Take with you a couple of old beach towels and a bottle of water. It might be worth stopping half way home to toilet and have a drink. He may well get dehydrated if his fluid intake isn't kept up. A soft toy to chew on/play with can also help to distract them. If you can, have someone nurse puppy (swaddle pup in blankets, helps them to feel secure and less likely to wiggle out of your arms!!). Enjoy it and take lots of photos!!! You don't realise how fast they grow!

If your pup is anything like what mine was, it is more about getting used to a new environment than the new food. Give him a bit of time to settle. Lucky for me, Genevieve thinks she is a vacuum cleaner and will eat anything in her path - but it did take her a couple of weeks here to get to this point. She would also only eat if I was sitting next to her (not anymore - I turn around and her food is gone!), as she was used to eating with all the other pups (something else he is getting used to). Cavs are generally little pigs, so I would be surprised if it is because he is especially fussy. Sandra777 is right about taking the food away etc. It works. Pup won't starve himself, I doubt he would skip more than two meals before cottoning on.

Try giving her frozen carrots to munch on. I have found that to help a bit with the bad breath...

How would you go about teaching a dog "shhhh"? Is it just telling them to "shhh" when they are barking and then when they stop barking you treat reward? Thanks, Maia Exactly!

Thank you! Elbie was EXTREMELY cute as a wee pup. They grow up so quickly!!! It's ridiculous! Unless you know of a breed of dog where the grown up dogs retain their cute snubby puppy snouts, I fear we are going to have to get Elbie's snout docked to retain his cuteness :D You are so clever KTB!!! He has grown so fast!!! I love his little white paws! But I especially love the winnie the pooh jimmies!!! Edited to add: I LOVE the song!

No, Genevieve's pictures were not any good. It's a shame really.... She could have been the next biggest thing!!! She did not inherit her father's knack for photography I'm afraid. They were just blurry... I gather she pressed the button while she was trying to munch on the cord. Had I not deleted them, I would have posted them for you!!! (I never read this thread until long after deleting the pics). She has chewed my phone charger in half before, but after I put the fear of Christ in her, she doesn't even go near that corner anymore. My husband of course, just laughed. And then worked his cable man magic (new I was married to an audio nerd for a reason! ) We have a potted indoor plant (named Edward - don't ask me why, audio nerd's doing), which she is slowly murdering. Poor Edward starts to reserect (sp?) himself and then she kills him again! And it doesn't matter where I put him either. I agree with a PP, it doesn't matter how much you give them, they still want to trash the place! I am pretty sure Genevieve does it to get my attention. She knows what she can and cannot play with and I see her watching me as she goes for something....

I caught Genevieve with the digital camera in her possession this morning . She had turned it on and when I took it off her I realised that she had managed to take a couple of pictures! It was on the dining room table and she helped herself to it while I was in the shower... I didn't say anything to her... I just took it away from her and gave her one of her toys. Just when you think the place is puppy proofed!

I've never thought about it! If I had friends with dogs I probably would. But Santa definitely visits - she has her own Christmas sack and all!

Why do you need to use a transport company if you are flying with the dog? Just take it excess baggage and drop the dog and crate off at the freight terminal before you check in. They will tell you how far before the flight the dog needs to be there. If I fly with a dog I also watch them load it from the tarmac before actually getting on the plane and watch it beign unloaded at the other end. Not all airports allow animals in the terminal, which means they have to be sent as 'cargo' (ie. via AAE) and not as excess baggage. The time of day you are flying can also make a difference. I had this problem recently when I went to Perth. As no animal is allowed in the Perth terminal, I had to drop her off at AAE 1.5 hours before my flight... both coming and going. In this case, she was given priority to be on the flight, as I was also a passenger. It is still much more expensive to do it this way though, as they have their own mini airfare! That was my worst fear - her ending up in another city or missing the flight altogether! When I came home, I actually saw her being taken off the plane (before the passengers disembarked!) - she came out the conveyor belt directly beneath my window and the AAE guy picked her up and had a little chat to her! That made me feel so much better, as I had spent the whole flight sobbing (very emotional trip) and all I wanted was to cuddle my dog! Lucky for me she flew fine both ways. If it had been a bad experience, I wouldn't be so open to doing it again. A tip though for flying dogs, put a frozen water bottle in with them. It does increase the weight a little, but they are able to lick the condensation as it melts. Just don't forget to take the label off the bottle!

OP, you sound like you are doing a great job with Sophie!!! Maybe Genevieve and Sophie can meet up one day for a play date?! Re: Sleeping on the bed... I too was adamant that she wasn't going to be on the bed! Because as PP suggested, we don't have children yet and I didn't want her in the bedrooms at all. While I don't plan to co-sleep with my babies (when they arrive), I just don't feel it is safe to have a dog around in the middle of the night when you are sleep deprived, can't see straight and have a screaming child to attend to! But... to preserve my sanity and to keep me warm in my lonely bed while Hubby is away, she has ended up on our bed ... that being said, it hasn't happened every night and the nights she has stayed in the laundry I haven't had any issues from her. I also have found that she is better behaved during the day, after spending the night with me. I expect long term, she will be allowed on the bed when he is away... when he is home, she will be in her house. At the moment he is away more than he is home, but hopefully it won't be the case for much longer. I know it could possible become confusing for her to start with, but my old dog had the same rules (was kicked off the bed when the then BF was over) and she was fine (you could almost see the big sigh... "alright then! I'll go!"). I was a teen who had her dog sleep on the bed with her... and I loved it. It was one of the things I missed the most when I moved out of home (sorry Hubby!!!) At the end of the day, you have to do what works for you and the dog. If this is working, I say stick to it!!

I'm on to it! I feel like it could be my little contribution...

She has been left to my sister in law (or my sister if she can't have her), as per our will. Where ever our kids end up, the dog is to stay with them.

I am so sad to hear this! Those poor poor puppies. And the poor new owners will have a couple of dirty, distressed puppies on their hands when they finally do arrive in Perth. That is a long flight too... I have used Jet Pets before and they were great. I've not used Dogtainers... When I first phoned AAE to enquire about travelling pups, they suggested Jet Pets.... the bloke I spoke to was very honest and said that they were a really reliable service (and was cheaper than Dogtainers when I was travelling on the flight) and that he personally only ever used them... I wonder if this has been known to happen before?

It's a shame we can't do more... I've been racking my brains... this is a situation where $2 in a tin doesn't really go towards anything. These troops need as many home comforts as they can get. Who will look after Dimples if he has to go back Tapua? Will you lend a hand if he needs it?

I use a kong brush.... it is rubber, so the hair sticks to it. It grabs the undercoat pretty well, much better than I thought it ever would! I also find she just lies there while I do it - where as when I use the little brush (which I still do around her ears), she carries on like a pork chop!

Big fan of flower essences here. Another good site is: http://animalhealthstore.com.au/

Just watching the latest press release regarding the latest loss. My thoughts are with the boys, and their families.

Reminds me of two people: My Father and my Husband Neither of them wanted a dog, but after years of constant nagging they both gave in. And of course, it is 'their' dog and 'their' idea... Men! In fact, when Hubby and I picked out Genevieve, my parents came with us and I half expected my Dad to take one of the other puppies home with him!!!!! Pathetic!

I don't know why, but mine did the same thing (just once), same age. And she was looking at me the whole time too, little bugger! This particular day she was being very naughty.... I think she was testing her boundaries. Thankfully my couch is leather so it was easy enough to clean. I wouldn't be leaving him alone in such a room while you were out... we confine to the laundry, but bathroom or kitchen would be just as effective. Most lounge rooms are probably too big... Maybe he was marking his territory... he might think it is his, if he has it all day!

South Melbourne Markets. At the time, it was the cheapest (soft crate) I had seen. I think it was about $70.

You must be one special person! It would be heart breaking to have to hand her back, after all your hard work! Even when there are moments that you do want to send them back! Mindy sounds as though she would be benefiting more from her days at uni, than at home! She sounds relaxed when she is there, which is a good sign. If your Mum isn't feeling the doggy love, I would be less inclined to want to leave her there. When you first decided to take Mindy on, what was your Mum's reaction? Was she happy to have the dog in her home?

We use a polar fleece blanket... To be honest, we are not overly worried. We have a leather couch that she jumps all over too! I would rather leather than fabric, as it is generally more durable and much easier to clean! Congrats on the new car!

Wow! What a sad but beautiful story. Just think Tapua, you have done your bit for the country. A pat on the back to you too!

I have a Cav and she spends about 6 to 7 hours a day alone... usually. She has done this from the very first day I bought her home. When Hubby isn't away, he can be in and out all day, but when he is away, I am at work and she is home alone. I start work in the afternoons, so in the mornings we usually go for a nice long walk, do some training at home and she generally potters about. I am pretty sure she sleeps most of the time I am away. She is used to the routine. When I come home at night, she is bright eyed and bushy tailed! We do some concentrated obedience work most nights before bed, as I need to wear her out again for her to be sleepy! But she is a great little chum! I wouldn't trade her now. I wanted a companion dog to keep me company while Hubby is away and she does that beautifully. All she wants to do is climb in my lap! I only have one day a week off from work, and we do obedience on that day. She loves going to hang out with all her doggy friends! I think as long as you make a concentrated effort to spend time with them, stick to a routine and be consistent, you should be fine. As long as you don't expect to come home and ignore him/her. Genevieve knows how things work in our house and she doesn't seem to phased by it. When I am home though, she does have moments where she likes to follow me around! If you start them early in the routine, whatever that may be, they will grow used to it, as before too long they won't know anything different.

I work in retail. For every nice customer that comes in the doors, there are about ten pain in the butts.... So it is very refreshing to hear a 'thank you' every now and then. At the end of a long day, with one rude or disgruntled customer after the other, it can be hard... especially when you put a smile on your face and do whatever you need to do to make the customer feel comfortable.... even when you are nursing a broken heart, feeling sick, lost a pet, grumpy, tired etc. Unfortunately, because I work hard to deliver customer service (I have been known to personally deliver things to people's homes, after hours), I do expect a level of customer service in return, even if it is just at Woolies. That is a rare commodity too. We now find ourselves going out of our way, to shop at places where we know we can get that service. I will even pay more for basic items, if I know I can get it from a friendly sales rep. That is such a nice story to hear OP. I too think you should share the company. Mistakes happen to the best of us (anything that can go wrong on an EFTPOS machine - I have done it!!!). The fact they can own their mistakes and rectify them says a whole lot more about their character (as a company) than the initial mistake does.