Max#1

Okay some photos... Remember Max asking my OH for some yoghurt? This is what happened next (I spent ages trying to turn it from a movie into a photo.... some embarrassing images of washing drying to hide!). ETA: A nod to Genevieve with memories of the ice cream tub.....

Commiserations for keeping them quiet huh? Fingers crossed its not too traumatic. I'm hoping the lady from puppy pre-school is there. Max loved her. If she's there, all will be well. KTB: I was reading in another thread thing that someone was saying you know you're a crazy dog person when you consider quitting your career to take up a dog-friendly job. I recently researched franchises, so had to smile at that. Are you considering the same? ETA: I'm still so stupid with the quoting....

Its been a while since I've said something - but I've been reading everything I SWEAR! But I won't try replying to everything, but just pick up on the most recent...... Happy birthday to Kuma! And gorgeous photos of Ruby playing! Nothing is more soothing and mesmerizing to my soul than watching puppies frolic. About the off-lead thing - to me this is the most important thing over anything. A tip that I learned from one of my more experienced dog-owner-friends was that if they're running off to something that looks more interesting - get their attention by calling name, whistling (a guy at the park actually has a dog whistle he uses for recall, Max has started answering to it - two birds, one stone... ), squeaking their favourite toy - then take off in the other direction as fast as your legs will carry you. Nine times out of ten, it seems, Max will follow me. But I have to get eye contact first. Whatever you do - don't chase them. My 2c ........Try it! It works! As for the jumping up. Max is a shocker. With everyone..... except my sister. My sister is also the only person who he's ever done a happy wee for. I really wonder sometimes. I'm sure its because we're so alike..... What he often does, which I'll just have to capture on camera at some point, is he'll body-wag up to someone, then he puts his right shoulder on the ground like he's going to roll over, but doesn't... with his bum up in the air and his tail wagging! The instructor at dog obedience was particularly amused by it, much to my embarrassment! Friday. D-day. Max is getting the chop.

I can see why you're proud!! (And I know the feeling..... from time to time... hehe).

Thanks everyone really. Now go give your dogs a big hug!

Oh okay why not. Here's a photo of Sam and Bella - while Sam was still a Puppy. Just to complete the family portrait. (These are all scanned in photos - by the way - ah memory lane....) Best buddies:

KTB: thanks for the kind words. I'm sad, but its okay. He had a really good life, a long life, and he was not really comfortable at the end, so it's good it was over. You'd have had to have met Puppy to understand the pathos - he was a, to use your words, 'spethal' dog. Its the end of an era in a way, now that both Sam and Puppy are gone. Lilli_Star: nice story. Those lab puppies are so so adorable. You could eat them! ETA: Clastic - Puppy didn't like 'other dogs' (not well socialised, a bit of 'small dog syndrome' - he would have a go at any other dog, then the minute they looked at him come SCREAMING back. So much so, that the poor owner would really start apologizing in case their dog had actually mortally wounded the little guy - not good by DOL standards at all, not good - but again makes me giggle. His screams would bring the whole street out to see who was getting killed......) At least maybe over the rainbow, he sees Sam and Bella, our old cat - the three amigos together again!

Wow - James has a super cute face!!! And Kuma - I was expecting blood and gore! That's just a hoof!........And a very contented puppy! Ha! Wizzle you did better than me - I was replying to all the threads all day (while I was reading this at work - ummmaaaah!) - but now I've forgotten what I was going to say..... hmmmm.... except did you say I could come to your obedience over at Williamstown? I'm afraid I'm in the far far east... so unless I come and camp - it might be a bit far! Can I hijack the thread for a moment? My Mum rang last night and told me she had to put to sleep our old dog Puppy - he was dying from heart failure. He'd been coughing really bad for nearly the past year, and then yesterday he didn't get up anymore. Mum was really upset - he was her dog really - and last night I got out the old photos and had a bit of a cry....... So. A little tribute to Puppy. Puppy arrived on the scene about 1.5 years after we got our first dog Sammy - this was back in 95. He got his name, as we'd always say 'who's fed Sam and The Puppy', or 'where's Sam and The Puppy'. Then he started answering to it. A couple of anecdotes. As a 6 month old puppy, he was unfortunate enough to get giardia. At the same time he got fleas, and it turned out he had a flea allergy. So he would sleep on the floor of our rooms - we'd take turns. We had wooden floors, and all night long you'd hear him go 'thump thump thump thump' as he was scratching - then there'd be this hideous smell after he'd pooped. Poor little guy - you can imagine this mangey looking dog that can't stop poo-ing. He recovered from both ailments - never got fleas again so all was fine! He loved chocolate. The evil dog-killing kind. One time at Easter my Mum had a bag of little easter eggs she put up high on the bookshelf before taking them to school the next day for her kids. Anyway, the dogs got them. We could tell who had done it, because Sam spat out the foil, while Puppy ate them whole! He was such a little pig! There were amazingly no ill effects. Also a near-death experience: he loved riding in the car, up the back behind the backseats of the car on that shelf. He got a good breeze up there and could see everything. One time my Mum took a corner a little too fast and poor Puppy went out the window!!!! All we could see was him rolling along the road.... but he got up, came to the car, and was completely unscathed!!! But Puppy was the dog for cuddles. He loved to sit up on your lap, and if you scratched his back he'd get so relaxed he'd just flop over to the side with the kind of flexibility often only seen in cats - making a 'u' with his body! He liked nothing more than to curl up behind your knees or in your stomach. Such a loving dog. And if you scratched him just right, he'd make contented little moans.... He was a bit nippy as a puppy and we discouraged this by cheering him when he licked. He ended up being a real licky dog - he loved licking feet, and post-shower legs, and post-exercise sweaty feet. So gross!!!!!! Most of all though, he was the best company. He was a real little character. Here he is with my sister... And with me being silly.... So long Puppy! ETA; I can't stop laughing (and crying a little bit) every time I think of poor Puppy going out the car window. Was awful. But really funny! Benny Hill couldn't have done it better.

He's a bc cross. Just trying out the 'scary monster'.... he just doesn't get it. It descended into fetch ball/hide and seek.... That was a game I used to play with the poodles too. They were so funny - if I hid under a blanket - then they couldn't find me, even though there was an obvious bulge!!!! Playing with Sam AND Puppy - Sam would get the ball, Puppy would follow me - and give it away to Sam. Such a dobber! Good memories! To the OP: thinking about your question. I remember I once put my puppy to sleep by talking to him. I had his full attention, so I just started gabbing on about my day, slowly his eyes dropped..... typical male really!

Poodlefan: maybe its a poodle thing??? My mini poodles - they LOVED that game! I would stalk them, doing the 'T-rex', and it would often be the first to break the stalking - with lots of roaring and play growling too! Then it would be chase on - either me chasing them, or them chasing me! Thanks for the great memory! (We had two mini poodles, the first died a few years ago, and my Mum rang last night to tell me they had to put the other to sleep yesterday - heart failure - he was called 'Puppy', as in "where's Sammy (the first mini poodle) and 'The Puppy', once he started answering to it we had no chance..... He also answered to 'wantsum'. He had a good life). I'm very glad that as of the past two weeks or so, my little puppy (nearly 6 months) has just started to settle down. Right now he is asleep across my feet (so I can't go grab the camera for proof)! Before that though - it was 24 7 constant attention, playing, training, he was always 'on' - unless he was asleep. I have (somewhat dubiously, I admit) tried the rewarding thing while he is calm - but it hasn't been done consistently, and who doesn't love going in for a pat while they're like that! So I guess the rewarding while calm kind of comes naturally. So maybe its an age thing as well? I'm curious how much desexing will make a difference. We're booked in for the chop next Friday...... :D

Here it is... This was taken back in August, so awhile ago. He's since learned some food manners and is much more polite about the whole deal! And also much more sensitive to natural yoghurt unfortunately. Him eating it now only results in what can be described as 'intestinal upsets' (read: very very very smelly farts!).

Wizzle - that little one is soooooo cute! I love the head in the ice-cream photo! In a minute I'll upload a video of Max telling my OH exactly what he thinks of him, life in general, and the natural yoghurt my OH is eating.... I just read the other post about the motel rooms. Gee whiz, how sad. I was having a chat to this Chinese man that I work with. The kind of old man, who doesn't know how old he is, has a massage remedy for any headache you have, has some very interesting old photos from China, shows up at work at 5 am and leaves by 1 pm - and manages to get away with not having to obey any other of the usual workplace rules either! But brilliant at what he does (scientist). Anyway, we were talking about our dogs. He has a kelpie x, very obedient, knows which bus his wife arrives on, and to wait accordingly. Also will follow him on his bike (he rides at 0.1 km/hr so don't stress), etc. He loves this dog, and he was happy to hear about my Puppy and how much fun I have had with him. I told him that dog people are the best people (and perhaps we should be a bit suspicious of the others....). After reading that thread, not so sure. What a shame.... KTB: chunky monkey..... what a cutie!!!! Primedogs: I hope Max looks like Deakin when he 'grows up'!

KTB: thanks for the understanding. We did a lot of research before we got Max in how we should look after a dog - but not on where to get a dog from (d'oh!). I was actually quite surprised by the puppy shop. I expected to be given the dog, in exchange for money, and just get out of there. They actually spoke with us for ages - making sure we realised he was going to be a BIG dog (ie not a cavoodle/beaglier...), and that he would need a lot of exercise, and are we sure we have enough space..... In any case, I also have a bit of a bleeding heart and would love to get involved in rescue/fostering something like that. Since joining DOL and reading more and more and more - I'm continually horrified by what pet shops do, about the money making side of it, and about how many dogs there are out there looking for a home. Its just heartbreaking. Well, better get to work...

So evil! I will just have to live vicariously!!! So so evil...... and you have way too much time on your hands!!!!

And just to make sure everyone does know, we do now realize the error of our ways for going with the pet-shop, for all the reasons possible. And we won't do it again. And we feel guilty. Can you tell? I'm loving all the origin stories!!!! So many cute puppies, and nice memories! I can't get over that foam!!!!!!!!! I whinge when I have to pick up a couple of pieces of pillow fluff! I have a teddy from when I was a baby - which makes it quite old. Unfortunately it only has one eye - and those photos of headless, eyeless teddies are intense! Good grief! Very Hitchcock...... PS - I'll take Kuma's dog bed! That's a hilarious photo! PPS - we started flyball training tonight!!!!! Three words: fun, fun, fun. A big emphasis on socialization, lots of beautiful 'chocolate' (or brownish red and white) and 'lilac' (so georgous) bc puppies. Lilac - what's that for a colour!!! (FYI, they weren't actually purple). Really fun exercises, I think it will be very good for helping with training. And its amazing - take a normal happy dog, put it in front of a flyball 'run' (mental note: find out what they're actually called) - and you get this half-mad creature, so intense!!!! They seem to just love it! I tell you - I needed a camera for the moment Max stuck his head in a bucket....to discover.... it was full of balls! His eyes were like saucers!

Caption: Yes I was very cute.... and curious....

Caption: Well better get started then!

Well, before I start with Max's story... please remember: a) this is the comfy corner, and b) this is the comfy corner, and c) I have since been enlightened....... Max's Story So we'd just moved into our first own-house, and were pretty excited to get our first own-dog. We'd been looking online for AGES. I wanted a 'smart' dog, as growing up with mini poodles, I liked the way they would listen to me and look me in the eye. Do you know what I mean? Anyway, my OH was dead set on a border collie. But everything we read about them said 'No NO DANGER DANGER - do NOT get this dog UNLESS you have at LEAST 100 sheep!!!!!'. We even read one story about a border collie female that got up onto the roof of a shed and REFUSED to come down. Can't remember where I read it. We looked at breeders, but somehow got the idea that this was only for show dogs, and we weren't interested in that. Then my sister told me about a lady at her work getting a bc from a breeder, that had been specifically bred to be a sedate pet, but it cost thousands. And we just thought - well that's ridiculous. We also looked at RSPCA/other rescues, but there seemed to be only of staffy crosses, and they're just not the dog for me (us). Then ONE DAY we happened to go into a shopping centre, which we rarely rarely do. And in a pet shop (shhhhhh, I know) there were these border collie x labs. And we thought - hey there's an idea, the lab cross will take the edge off the border collie breed. And they were just cute as buttons. And we must've hung round that place for at least 2 hours, holding them, talking to the shop people.... but in the end we went home because my OH, who had never had dogs before, said 'I just don't know the consequences of getting a puppy'. Anyway. My heart was already gone on the little one, with the white chin, who was sitting by himself licking the window.......... The next weekend my OH's sister arrived from overseas and needed to open a bank account so we went back to that same shopping centre. We've never been there before, nor since. We thought we'd just go by, and see if they were still there. He was. My OH's sister said, 'for goodness sakes, you only live once'. So we did it. We bought Max (who was nearly called 'Ballack' or 'Messi' (probably would've been quite appropriate) - and the world cup was on) home when he was 9 weeks old, oh, and some worms too.... the white ones that look like rice..... Hmmm... anyway here he is. And I'm sorry but I'm going to have to do the photos one at a time... Caption: 'Do you mean I can poo here anywhere??????'

Ugh.... so jealous....!

It seems to me, and I could quite likely be wrong(!), but there appears to be an unwritten rule regarding dogs and off-leash areas. Basically, if a dog is offleash, then it is assumed that it is socialised and recall-able. If a dog enters on lead, then it should not be approached, and off-lead dogs are to be called back. Look, I know you can never assume anything, but is that the idea?

Wow Elbie's kelpie roots are really showing in those photos! His stance, his ears, the look on his face, and that pointy nose!, and those long long legs.... what a charmer! Does he 'stalk' much? Like a cat... when he's playing? I love James's scary ears too! They're great! A second puppy.... ah would be so nice. Not necessarily a puppy - but another dog so that they can play together and be best friends! We've also discussed it (when our dog park friends mentioned there was a nine-year-old red (another unique dog colour - who came up with these things?) bc needing rehoming)..... probably not quite ready yet. Sigh....

In this context I have often wondered when I've seen puppies advertised as 'bred for temperament'.... I had a chance to see again one of my puppy's brothers at puppy pre-school. My puppy was one of the confident ones there, happy to play and not shy. The brother though was so nervous that he was growling and even had a go at his owner's hands (the lady taking the puppy school knew how to handle this, and by the end of the class the little guy was running around playing with the rest having the time of his life). I really wondered how much of that was due to nurture or whether it was an inherited thing.

Do you mean the combination of genes and environmental interactions? (If those traits are then inheritable that's almost suggesting epigenetics - a really interesting concept).

Its not really off-topic. Its a fair point - I wonder if people's assumption that a dog will be aggressive influences the way they treat that dog, which then doesn't help the situation.

That's a really sad story - and it must've been hard to go through - for your daughter as well!