Max#1

Well good to hear. I'm sure if she was still feeling awful she wouldn't be interested in food at all! So fingers crossed! Night spewing (as someone mentioned earlier I think!) is the worse too - must've been awful. I truly don't know what I'd do! Good grief - she probably picked something up at the vets - seeing as how I imagine she hasn't been out and about much the past few days. The last thing you want to be doing with stitches in your tummy is heaving! One of my park friends recommended to me something called Peptosyl. Its not really for vomiting, but is good for diarrhoea. Once at the park Max did a, shall we say, sloppy one - and this guy took us back to their place to give Max some of this Peptosyl. Poor Max. We got to their house where there were four dogs... so exciting... a new house.. so many smells... so many dogs... new people!!!! My park friend's wife grabbed Max, my park friend held him while his wife used a syringe (not the needle) to squirt it down his throat. The look on his face was priceless.... 'what the hell was that? that's okay.. do it again if you have to...I'm just so happy to be here...!!!!!!' But its useful to have that kind of stuff around the house. In lieu of any new photos to add (I assure you all Max is getting handsomer by the day... just my photography skills are not improving. I swear before getting a puppy, new owners should be made to do a photography course, and dancing lessons) here is one from the early days...

Just a general question about dog behaviour. Not sure if there's an answer, but anyway! My 7 month old pup has a funny habit. When I, or my OH, get home he always has to go and get something in his mouth before greeting us. Its usually what he's just been chewing on. He'll then hold it in his mouth and come up to say hello all wiggle-bum and rolling over. It is quite cute. Any suggestions on why he might do this (the getting something in his mouth bit that is)? For example, is he offering it to us as a gift? Is he a little mental? He won't want to keep chewing it after that, and I have no problems taking it from his mouth.... (I'm fascinated by dog behaviour - and particularly curious about pack-hierarchy theories between humans and dogs in the average suburban home.... )

KTB: snap

Just checking in for an Ava update. I hope she's doing better!

Hope Ava's feeling better soon!

The pug was probably crowd favourite. Though the little bc x (he's mostly white, with black spots) was on our team, and was the one with the penchant for carrying more than one ball at once.... really funny!

KTB - congratulations. Surely one of those photos must be titled 'all the better to hear you with...'. And what was Elbie pointing at? I can only imagine it was Hoover's ears behind the bush! And sorry - no photo of Max in clothes basket. I was too shocked to think to take a photo - when I'd come home and walked into the room and looked at the pen and saw that he wasn't there my heart nearly stopped, then it took that moment for my brain to click and for me to look around the rest of the room.... LS - it sounds like you had a few of those heart-stopping moments yesterday too! For interest... here's a link to some flyball photos.. http://sherbrookephotography.smugmug.com/F...091650986_rujCR

Regarding the paint, and the opening of gates.... with dogs - where there's a will there's a way! I'll never forget coming home to Max as a wee puppy, and finding him escaped his 1+m pen, on the dining table, in a basket of washing.....

Oh Ruby looks so sad out there! Sometimes they're just clowns aren't they? They do the strangest things! Wuffles - hope it goes okay today with Ava. I'm sure she wouldn't be doing anything if it was going to cause her pain - so she's probably feeling pretty good! (and if you don't like barking, then flyball is definitely a no-go!) I can't think of what to say about the dogs in the pound. Its just heart-breaking.

Sounds like everyone has had a good weekend! LS - very interesting about the first aid course. I'll have to find Max's pulse now! Do you look on their belly? Nah it has to be their leg? And what's the best way to tell the dog's temperature? When we picked up Max post-desexing, the vet told us to keep him warm as the anaesthetic lowers their body temperature. I did notice he had particularly cold feet. I like to check his feet now As for off-lead parks. We just got back from a walk in ours. We'd die without it, and the socialization and training that comes along with your dog being able to play. Max's recalls are going from strength to strength, and I think its because we practice them so much at flyball training. Only in extreme circumstance (young girls, running and throwing two balls , with a swf dog, straight past us) do we need to bring out the squeaky ball to get him to come back now. Well - a report on the National Flyball Championships (which I hilariously heard described on the radio as doggie high-jump): A rainy miserable Melbourne day. Tents full of people and dogs. Then the racing began! There were so many different breeds doing it, though the bc are definitely the fastest. There was a CKC spaniel that was pretty quick! Lots of Kelpies - KTB its kelpie paradise! Solid colours, two-colours... just beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen a black/red (I think red is how you'd describe the other colour) in real life - so strikingly beautiful. And the solid colours also just devine - very rich and chocolatey! They seemed to have a funny way of doing flyball - they'd run fast, then spring high to go over the jumps - a lot higher than necessary, just adorable! There was quite a few mini-poodles, one that got around on the front of this lady's wheelchair. Very cute. And even a pug was having a go! He was definitely not fast, but did his little waddle along! It was great. I thought of Wuffles and Betsy as there was one team called Para and the Aussies - made up of three identical aussies, mostly white, but with some red and merle (I think?), as well as another dog. They were so striking! There were even a few labs! And they were particularly fit-looking! I got to be 'ball shagger' a few times (I pick up the balls as the dogs finish their run) - so I got to be IN THE RING!!! I had my new team cap on, and was very proud! One of the dogs in our team is probably the fastest in vic - just beautiful to watch him - he flies! Another dog in our team has the cutest tendency to get distracted by balls and will try to carry two in his mouth. Obviously not good, and after a few runs he got over it and did very well, but even the judge had a laugh. Overall I would highly recommend going to watch a competition! I think that it makes dogs get too excitable is also a fallacy. What dog wouldn't be excited in those circumstances? Lots of dogs around, lots of barking, lots of balls. In fact I think they're remarkably well behaved all things considered! And their day consists of sitting in their crate in a tent with ten or so other dogs and not screaming the tent down (challenge #1), coming out for a toilet break from time to time, standing under a tent with six other dogs in very close proximity (challenge #2), actually doing the flyball and not running off somewhere else, getting distracted by the raucous barking, the bleeping noises, the man on the microphone, or crossing the line to meet-and-greet the other team (challenge #3). You can imagine! Meanwhile while I was at the flyball competition, my OH took himself and Max off to the local rescue center (animal aid in coldstream) to check out a 6-yo bc girl called Maggie. I was very surprised when he told me when I got home! But she's on hold already, and the waiting line is three deep, so I'm guessing she's safe. Great for her! But I think the OH is getting a bit excited about a two dog family!

I too hope Wizzle is okay! Oh I can imagine Hoover likes snuggling up to Elbie! And Elbie is so patient! It must be fascinating to watch them interact..... I wonder if they do form a pack order, if you'll notice (not saying that you wouldn't notice - but maybe its very subtle?). I'm very curious! All those things about dominance and people - again its 50/50. Sometimes Max will charge through a door, sometimes I will go first. I initiate play and end it (with my special 'release' word - 'finished', yes we finish everything.... very boring I know. I wanted to change it to 'sweet', like that earlier post... but never did). Sometimes I try to finish when he's doing naughty things too! It kind of works.... He eats first, mostly because that's at 6.30-7pm, while we don't eat til quite later! So that one's out the window. When I go to pat him, he'll roll on his back.... or he'll walk away. He's quite protective of his 'fresh meat' when he gets it (ie will move away if I move close to him), but I've never really tried to take it back off him.... I found it was worse if I was eye-balling him while he was eating it (if I back up to him, like taking washing off the line he doesn't move)? Oh yeah - one thing is at obedience we're supposed to sit them down, give them a good pat while we're sitting on the ground, and sniff their ears and look in their mouths and stuff. With Max its just not on. I can do it other times - but there and then, he will try to bite me (not in a bad way) if I try to hold him still. Very embarrassing. ETA: good weekend all! I've made a 'spethal' effort this week and have been up at the crack of dawn for walkies. And now I'm dog-tired.... ha ha ha...

More lovely photos KTB. The tongue out to the side is my picture of doggy-happiness. And what can I say about Hoover. I could eat him, I'm pretty sure! I'll never forget when we had tradesmen at our house and they gave one of our mini-poodles (who was a complete pig) some of their hot potato chips. These chips just made him spew and spew and spew. So embarrassing. Dog+potato=no good. And yes, the royal canin does smell like twisties. Been trying to figure out what that was for ages.... And it makes their poo smell more... meaty? Here's Max doing 'the seal'...

Very lucky KA! Hope you've enjoyed the weather show here today. Stifling hot then blowing and pretend rain. Now cool, til tomorrow when its going to pour and pour and pour... Its three weekends out of the last four that have been rainy. Unbelievable (especially considering the flyball nationals tomorrow - I'm a bit nervous, not really sure what I should be doing, when I should get there, what munchies I should bring... hmmmm). Poor Ruby. Though if she's happy enough then it must be okay. With dogs I guess you can only go on how they seem - and when they're really not well you know. The mini-poodle that we had growing up was always a finicky eater, so it was hard to tell if she was really sick or just fussing. Now with Max, there's no doubt at all! And the things he's eaten and survived, they must have an iron-clad stomach I'm sure. Hey KTB: I'm wondering if Hoover lying on top of Elbie is a dominance thing? You know when they play, and they try to put their paws on one another? Speaking of dominance, my obedience instructor thought Max might be a bit dominant (to be honest I'm undecided - on the one hand he's so biddable.. on the other - what do I know). She told me she doesn't really believe in that whole humans are the alpha in the pack thing, but that submissive behaviour is 'checking in'. So if I leave the room, then come back in and go and give Max a pat on my way past, that's referring to him as the alpha dog. Or if I let him outside, and when he comes in he checks in with me before going to sit down (or whatever) then I'm the alpha. I've tried to be conscious of it this week and its pretty much a 50/50 split. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Those with two doggies, do they do this with each other? Very curious! As for photos - here's Max asking me what I want him to do next..... this is the face I get all day...

Those are the sweetest photos I have ever seen KTB! Thanks for a good start to the day!

Happy birthday Kuma! (I too was looking at his mouth really wondering....!)

I hearby rename Max- Teflon! :D Sorry - its still 'Poo-Machine' to me..... :D

And cause I'm a nong with the photo thing... more fluffiness (and short-snoutedness).

More photos: This one shows ears more recently.... And I took this one last week, after KTB asked about Max's fluffiness. Cause he has gotten more so, particularly at the back of his back legs. Though I did notice Elbie has quite a 'collar' going on too.

Oh Wuffles. Poor Ava - its horrible to see them like that! I hope she's feeling better soon (of course not too better so she's happy to lie around a bit!). Poor Satchmo must be wondering what's happened! If only you could explain..... I sometimes really wish for that skill! KA: love the ears. Love them. A lot. Check it out (has been previously posted): PS - I'd look after Kuma for you. I really wish I could! Niques: I also have a competitive streak, and was delighted when Max seemed to be picking up the gist of flyball the fastest of all the puppies (and as an added benefit he also seemed to do it while running really fast!). While there, me and another lady were comparing dog tricks. Max kicked their a... ahrm... No I'm not that competitive.... :D That's why I was so keen on obedience too. I wish I was in the same class as Wuffles and Ava! Rather than it being unhealthy, I find it spurs me on to greater things. Unfortunately no movies of flyball, as I'm quiet busy while I'm there, and being somewhat uncoordinated would never cope! However, I can write a graphic description of what we do if there's a request for it - ha!

As someone who grew up with mini-poodles and now has a bitza puppy - probably bc x lab (so you can imagine the fur!) - I've been completely surprised again and again at his non-stick surface! :D Fear dirty puddles no longer! Go through the muddy wet grass without hesitation! Roll in the mud? Why not brave puppy! Etc Etc....

Ha ha Niques and KA! I know exactly what you mean! Not so much these days, but definitely in the earlier weeks I remember looking at Max and thinking: my what a big head you've gotten.... or: such long legs..... or: such BIG ears..... or: what a little head.... hehe. It seemed my puppy was growing in a disproportionate way! But like Elbie and Hoover - everyone who's seen him says he has great teeth....

Very cute KTB. I too feel somewhat bemused by the concept of showing dogs. Niques - Max has never put his leg up. Not once. And now he's over six months and desexed I really wonder!

oops

Wuffles and KTB: it was the 'if my dog looked like that it wouldn't get a start' that got me. Though I'm not quite sure what that's supposed to mean. KTB: I had to laugh at your non-conforming description. Sometimes I stop and appreciate just how lucky I am with Max. Though, I'll be brutally honest here (ha!) - I think the way our dogs are has a lot to do with us. Certain characteristics I believe are bred - like preference for style of play, tendencies towards aggression/submissive behaviour etc - and some of these can be modified - but the way they just 'are' is primarily because of us. Wuffles: good luck to Ava! Niques: photos, photos, photos! Awkward puppies are the cutest!

Lilli_star: I'm sure she will be ignoring them in no time. Look out for ickyness though - like weeping or pus or redness - it could be a sign of infection. KTB: Like you, I also wonder about this conformation thing - and have been reading the thread about two-tone kelpies with interest. I am always reassured though, that just as for humans beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it must be the same for the human perception of dogs. And therefore, there's enough people who like all the different looking dogs, that no dog - no matter how conformingly beautiful or ugly, must go unloved. Well I'm a bit sore today after another fantastic flyball training session last night. Max is really coming along well - and where he's not, is because my lack of coordination is holding him back - ha! And in exciting news we're going to the nationals on the weekend. I'll make sure to take my camera!