vernie

i am reallly sorry to hear about poor sid please report the attack - you never know who else may have been attacked in the past. Even if they are unemployed, it's no excuse not to take responsibility for their dog's actions- whatever they can afoord to contribute will help. i would hate to ever be in that situation and it makes me upset thinking that some poor little doggy has been hurt over someone else's negligence. pats to you little sid.

Sorry to hear Fleuri, i really feel for you. We lost our beautiful lab very suddenly under tragic circumstances just over a month a go. My 18 month old daughter kept going to the back door and calling for him - it totally broke my heart. I came across a black lab toy puppy a few days later in a toy shop so every time she went to the back door, i gave her the toy and said "Here's Bailey'. She carries the toy everywhere and Bailey Dog is now by her side more than ever. We now have a 10 week old puppy, nothing like our old mate, but lovely just the same. Bails is still with us, but just in toy form (hehe, even tho his ashes are really under the cumquat tree) If your children are open to the idea of getting a new furry buddie, then maybe take them to a breeder and let them choose one. I have to say, it definitely helped me by getting another one (even tho he drives me slightly nuts ). Happy days and best of luck.

maybe just put up a sign saying something like ' beware of the dog' - i think if you say something like 'beware of dangerous dog' and they nip someone, you can still get in trob 'cos you are acknowledging that the dogs are dangerous. silly really, since it's your property andyou sound like you are doing the right thing.

good luck with your new puppy!!! i have had my little Bundy fro 2 nights and he's awesome!!! sooo silly but awesome!! happy days!

It actually makes it very difficult if you ever go away and need to leave your dog with someone. Now i am sure i will get in troub for not taking my dog with me!! i don't always want to go camping and sometimes it's nice to leave the kids behind (2 legs & 4!) It's one thing to ask someone to mind your dog, but to allow them sleep inside is a bit too much (specially if their own dogs sleep outside!). I would hate my dog to be the one carrying on and keeping all the neighbours awake! No one would ever have him back. I have minded other dogs like this and they would have to sleep inside whilst mine slept out - purely because they would not stop crying!

ahh, yes, i never realised it was such a touchie / judgemental subject!!

Thnaks guys!! Appreciate all your coments We have him now :D His name is 'Bundy'. I shall post pics soon, when i can get him to sit still Happy days!

i just felt that since he was outside at the breeders, then instead of having him stay in at night when ultimately he was going to sleep outside in the end, then instead of moving him around all over the place he could start out and stay out. less confusion for him. my question was more about the toilet training, i never expected to get slammed about where he slept!! specially as he doesn't seem to have a problem with it!

thank you i'm not stupid - i have had puppies before and have raised them to be beautiful companions. i am a great pet owner - just because i put my dog out at night does not mean that i am not. my dogs have all been very well behaved with no prob in the past. i have other people (small children and another one on the way) to think about also. i am at home all day with our puppy. interesting that everyone has responded to my previous topic about getting another pup so positively but now some are making me question my decision. have always felt quite welcome on here till now.

Ahh, thanks, i feel a bit like that, but i might just be taking everyone's posts the wrong way I have previously had two perfect labs, neither of them slept on my bed, and neither of them slept inside. They both had their own kennel outside and their own giant cushion to sit on when they came in side. I actually don't beleive in letting my dogs sleep in my bed, specially if you have children (this is just my opinion tho, please don't get all peeved at me!! All my dogs have been massive and it's just not phisically possible!, Plus they have their kennel, so i can have mine ) I agree with the loo traning and the puppy needing to be inside at night to help training - that all makes sense. But he was quite ok outside last night - hardly cried at all. I checked on him several times.

and surely i can leave him outside when i'm not at home? i have never had a dog that was a complete indoor dog. my other 2 came in when those chose to (usually after dinner to watch tellie with us and then put themselves out when we went to bed). they were both completely happy sorry if it comes accross as silly - i haven't had a puup for a while and it's all new to me again. plus, i have the whole baby brain thing happening!

i understand that being on his own outside at night may not be ideal for toilet training. it was our first night and he seemed fine in his basket, considering he was away from his other little buddies. ok, so if i let him sleep in the laundry when we go to bed, will i have a prob later when i want him to sleep outside in his kennel? eventually he will be sleeping outside.

Thanks guys, i appreciate your help. He has a hot water bottle and lots of blankets in his furry basket - he is on a massive undercover deck, right infront of a big window where he can see everyone when he is not inside. He ceomes in often durring the day. it's only day 2 and when we got him from the breeder, he had been spending his nights outside with his buddies. I can see him at all times and when he's not in his basket, I take him for a wander down onto the grass.

Ok, i don't want this to sound like am being mean, but we bought our puppy home yesterday and he spent the first night outside on his own. he has his basket sat up right near a window which allows him to see us all the time, his blankets and he has a lovely big kennel that i'm hoping he will move into when he is ready. It actually went very well - he cried for about 20 mins at 2 am, but apart from that, he was great. My question is, how do i train him to not go to the loo on the deck - and on the grass instead. Do i follow the same principal as house training? I don' want to ut to much pressure on the little fella, as he is only 10 weeks old

well we had our first night!! bubba slept through puppies crying and i lay there awake, wondering who would wake up next actually, Bundy was pretty good - he cried all the way home from the breeders and for about 20 mins at 2am

thanks for the advice guys!! i actually posted this in another section somewhere. the thing is, we thought it would be best to get a pup now whilst our bubba is 18 months and by time we have the next bubba, puppy will be somewhat trained. otherwise we wait till we have all our 2 legged children and then wait till the youngest is about 5, but that might mean 5 years without another dog!!! and we can't wait that long! so off we go tomorrow to collect our new little furry friend!

i love this forum!!! great photos!! i totally feel the love between you guys and your dogs!!! happy days!!! Here's Marley & Bailey Dog

We had a beautiful lab but he past away very suddenly about a month ago We have named our new little boy 'Bowie' Can't wait to get him!!!!! I think it will help us all with the loss of Bailey Dog. Hehe, and yep, I shall def post pics!!! Happy days! ;)

Here's a few pics of Bailey camping up along the Murray... he loved camping!!!

;) hehe, i have a soft spot for the black ones too, but they are all beautiful

Good night Pals Say hi to my Bails for me.

thank you!! i have heard that Alpha Training in Boronia is pretty good too! shall investigate them both

i have an 18 month old and we are about to get a lab puppy in 3 more sleeps!! happy days!

Fantastic Tassie!!! Thank you sooo much!! i think i have done it in the past, with boxes - but they tend to get eaten. i guess the outcome is to end up in the big kennel?

I have had 2 lab puppies before. My first was Vern, our family pet who we puppy walked for the guide dogs. He failed and we got to keep him. Sadly, he died from bone cancer when he was 13 The second was my beloved 'Bailey', who died 3 weeks ago from a reaction to the drug rimadyl. He was 7 years old and the most beautiful thing ever. We are now about to embark on a new chapter this weekend with the addition of another lab Bails was a big beautiful black lab who we got for $500 - he had the most amazing temperament and we always got comments about how big and handsome he was. I think he was just a lucky find.Sadly, our breeder has taken ill and no longer breeds. I have looked through his history and have mangaged to locate another breeder who has bred the same bloodline (if that makes sense!?). Never have i done so much research, even tho i have only ever had labs! I must be driving the breeder nuts - she has offered to drop the price for us on the smaller one in the litter, but i have hassled her with sooo many questions!!! i think i must be being over cautious because we now have small children and after all the money and emotional stress we have spent on poor Bailey the last few weeks - well, I'm not in a hurry to go through that again!!!