Panto

Hi whitka - I've updated a list of online stores. Rozzie's supplied the link already but here it is again... http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...shopping+online

updated with your contributions and a few more! Anything more? specifically, does anyone have some good US stores that ship to Australia (given that the dollar is so good right now!), or if within US only, who do you use to do follow-on shipping?? (and has anyone bought any nina ottsson puzzles at prices better than what is available here in oz??) Cheers!

Kiss-of-life fireman saves dog March 22, 2011 A British firefighter has described how he saved a dog's life by giving it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The dog, a mongrel called Sunny, was rescued from a house fire in Hull and passed to Mick Dunn who was on standby to give help to casualties. Dunn originally thought Sunny was dead but his training took over and he decided to try resuscitating the animal. Advertisement: Story continues below He said he had never heard of the mouth-to-mouth procedure being used to save the life of any animal. But Dunn thought it could work equally as well as on humans. After spending a few minutes trying to resuscitate the dog, he said he saw signs of life. Dunn said: "When I saw the dog, I thought at first that it had perished in the fire. She didn't appear to be breathing." The firefighter described how, at this point, he started to use an oxygen mask, which was on hand in case of human casualties. After 30 minutes of oxygen therapy, the dog recovered, and a vet later gave her the all-clear. Now Dunn, a dog-owner himself, said he fully expects to be the victim of jokes from friends and colleagues about the unusual rescue. He said he had already acquired new nicknames like "dog-whisperer" and "dog-snogger". But the firefighter said it was "all part of our service". He said he has since been in touch with the dog's owners, Beryl and Ken Honeyball, to check how she is doing. Mr and Mrs Honeyball were shopping at the time and missed both the fire and Sunny's rescue. The couple, who are temporarily living with a relatives until the damage caused to their home is repaired, have described Dunn as a hero. PA Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/kissoflife-fir...l#ixzz1K7Acu7Kh

The channel 7 show Extraordinary Dogs (Eukanuba's show?) did a segment on the Italian coast guard and how they use dogs for rescue. There were newfies in there amongst other dogs. Absolutely amazing! They train to jump out of helicopters into the water from meters up too! You can stream it from the channel 7 website.

For books (dog related and otherwise!) I use: www.betterworldbooks.com (US based) They sell new and second hand books - and profits go to world literacy causes. Shipping is a flat rate per book so no need to make big orders or wait til you have a few books you want. I've ordered at least a dozen books on and off and have been very happy with them.

Do you shop online for your petgoods? Food/toys/vet stuff? I usually shop online from Australian based web companies, and do a search of which shop has it cheapest and buy from there (but having to consider shipping costs too). But lately, with the AUD so good, does anyone shop from the US? Where do you shop? Pls include: - web address (and country it is based in) - what they sell / what it's good for - shipping (flat rate? how much - or how is it calculated) Current list: (updated when I get a chance!) Category / Web Address / Based in: (country) / What it's good for/why you should shop here Postage Pet/Vet supply shops http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/ Australia Competitive pricing. Fish, Cat, Dog, Farm - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) Frequent free / $1 shipping promos. $5.95 standard postage. Pickup avail from warehouse in Brisbane (Jimboomba). www.vetproductsdirect.com.au Australia Fish, Cat, Dog, Farm - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) standard postage is just $5.50 Australia wide for orders up to 1kg. You pay no postage at all for orders over $150 and less than 3kg.* Surcharge for Vaccines requiring refrigeration. View shopping cart for other calculations http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/ Australia Fish, Cat, Dog, Farm - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) Free over $150. VIC - free over $6. (But under 10kg) http://www.greyhound...cts_general.htm Australia Lots of dog things, assuming mostly greyhound related? WEIGHT FREIGHT CHARGE Up to 500g $6.00 500g - 3kg $10.00 3kg - 10kg $12.00 10kg - 20kg $15.00 www.petsupersavers.com.au Australia collars leads and other stuff.. Set your shipping location as you shop http://www.petsonthepark.com.au Australia Fish, Cat, Dog, Farm - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) **$9.96 AU wide - see website: http://www.petsonthe...ebcontent10.htm http://www.petnetwork.com.au Australia Calculated at cart (between $9.45-$12.20) AU wide up to 1kg http://www.trixanpet.com.au Australia medication, grooming, training supplies and accessories. 125% Price Match Guarantee, even if 7 days after purchase..! Calculated at cart www.cleanrun.com USA Clothes, shoes, Dog gear, Trial and Show gear, Agility etc. Some items ship for free (within US?), For other postage calculations: http://www.cleanrun....play&Page_ID=86 www.dogsuppliesonline.com.au Australia Lots n lots of Dog supplies Calculated at cart, pick up available from warehouse: Samford, Queensland www.petswarehouse.com.au Australia Fish, Cat, Dog, Farm - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) $6.95 per order http://www.hugodesignerdogwear.com/ Australia designer dog collars $2-$10. On average $5.50 for 1-3 items depending on weight. http://www.blackdog.net.au/ Australia high quality training collars/leads, training pouches etc calculated at cart www.ruthlessleather.com/ Australia strong bespoke collars and leads Registered post: $11-$14 within AU per item. Small fee per additional item. Ships overseas www.k9pro.com.au Australia top training gear tried and tested - trainer/behaviourist Steve Courtney's website calculated at cart www.animalhealthstore.com.au Australia Raw Feeding. BARF etc grain fee kibble, supplements, books etc www.vetstop.com.au Australia Fish, Cat, Dog, Farm - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) For delivery within Australia: - Orders weighing up to 250 grams will cost $5.25 - Orders weighing 251-500 grams will be $5.95 (All other orders calculated at checkout) www.fetchboy.com.au Australia Fish, Cat, Dog - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) . Good for kibble Melbourne free Victoria $8 Sydney $8 Adelaide $10 Canberra $10 Hobart $10 Brisbane $14 http://www.petspantry.com.au/ Australia Fish, Cat, Dog - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) , a few different high end products not on your usual 'general' stores Calculated at cart before payment http://www.naturalpetstore.com.au/ Australia Fish, Cat, Dog - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything) Calculated at cart, also FREE SYDNEY REGION DELIVERY! Natural Pet Store offers FREE delivery to the Sydney region (includes Sydney metro, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Illawarra region) for all orders greater than $100 in value. For orders less than $100, a flat delivery charge of $5 applies. http://www.twobigdogs.com.au/ Australia Fish, Cat, Dog - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything). Thundershirts, kong wobbler and ruffwear too. Calculated at checkout, postage information not quickly found. https://waggle.com.au/ Australia Canine Adventure gear! Thundershirts, Ruffwear etc Flat rate shipping + Free over $200. http://www.petsprovidore.com.au/ Australia Dog / Cat shopping. Sells Thundershirts, Kyjen Austpost or free pick up from Mariginiup (Wanneroo), WA. www.petcareshop.com.au Australia Cat, Dog, Horse - food, toys, vet supplies (ie, a bit of everything). Good for worming / grooming / healthcare. $4.95 flat rate, over $250 free shipping (AU) Training Equipment / Working Dogs http://www.dogquip.com/index.htm Australia Professional training gear Doesn't have online shopping it seems, but email/phone number. http://www.fordogtrainers.com/ (O/S) USA Professional training gear calculated on spend - see website http://leerburg.com/ (USA) USA Professional training gear calculated on spend - see website Worming/Grooming http://www.peperonepetsupplies.com/ Australia Grooming equipment - seems to be a specialty grooming store Calculated at checkout http://www.drdavesve...m.au/index.html Australia Sell worming, tick and flea control. (Competitive) Postage $5.95 (flat rate) www.pricelesspets.com.au Australia medications etc $7.50 flat rate AU wide. Wooloowin QLD store for shopping/pick up at the same prices. www.thevetshed.com.au Australia medications etc, has a 'greyhound' tab $6.50 flat rate AU wide. Over $180/under 3kg FREE. Generic stores with pet items www.crazysales.com.au Australia crates www.dealsdirect.com.au Australia LOTS of pet products, mostly generic - check for quality / reviews as they are not specilist. They also occassionally sell branded things calculated at check out, often free shipping promos and combined shipping incentives. Ebay stores http://stores.ebay.c...ogCrates?_rdc=1 http://stores.ebay.c...owerpetproducts Books www.betterworldbooks.com USA Aids global literacy initiatives/funds, not for profit. Good for good value new and used books. Pretty proficient delivery times. FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ UK Good value, but can take up to a few weeks delivery. (New books) FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE www.fishpond.com.au www.dogwise.com.au www.abebooks.com International are great for secondhand and hard to find books. (subsidiary of amazon.com but a standalone operation) See website www.amazon.com USA/International all sorts of things, massive variety. Varies Other Specialty Bedding/crate covers/coats: http://www.greatrugs...store/index.htm Crates: Steel: http://www.ccrates.com.au/ Soft crates: http://www.k9softdog...ex.php?p=crates (also sells Polar pads and collars) Chilly dog coats: http://www.twosmallpuppies.com.au/ Collar Tags: http://www.boomerang...=tags#stainless (USA)

Link: Video News from SMH NB: Some graphic content. Skip the cursor to halfway through the video to skip the worst if you like. I couldnt listen with sound so no comment there.

Far out. I had no idea..!

I happened across a bbq'd dog in Nth Vietnam at a market. Anne's right - friends went to Vietnam last year, they stuck to the tourist trail and saw dog on the menu. It was a brave friend that told me about what they saw quietly knowing my love of dogs. Article was in the SMH yesterday, posted it in the In The News section of DOL and someone has posted photos too. Link

Well said Kelly_Louise, it's a difficult thing for the new generation, centuries old tradition is difficult to shift, and no doubt there are many small victories that we don't hear about. It puts into perspective the level of 'rescue' and dogs in need there are in the world.

Link to SMH article Please refrain from any race specific criticism, rather keep it about the practice if you must and not have comments generalising about the race/culture. Activists save Chinese dogs from cooking pot April 18, 2011 - 3:24PM Hundreds of dogs being trucked to Chinese restaurants were spared a culinary fate after about 200 animal lovers mobilised to stop them ending up on dinner tables, state-run media said Monday. A truck crammed with the dogs was forced to stop Friday on a highway in eastern Beijing by a motorist who swerved his car in front of the truck and then used his microblog to alert animal-rights activists, reports said. The dogs, many apparently stolen from their owners, were being transported from the central Chinese province of Henan to restaurants in Jilin province in the northeast, the China Daily said. It said 430 dogs were rescued, while the Global Times put the number at 520. Advertisement: Story continues below Eventually, about 200 animal lovers and activists gathered around the truck in eastern Beijing and after a 15-hour standoff that jammed traffic the dogs were freed early Saturday when an animal-protection group purchased them for 115,000 yuan ($17,600), the Global Times said. The interception of the dogs was the latest bold action by pet-lovers in China, where growing awareness of animal rights is colliding with centuries-old culinary practices. There have been regular reports in recent years of citizens attempting to block trucks carrying hundreds or even thousands of cats to meat markets in southern China, where cat meat is particularly popular. The China Daily quoted activists saying many of the dogs still had collars with bells and name tags, indicating they had been stolen from their owners and that the trucking company transported a load of dogs to Jilin each week. The consumption of dog and cat meat, both of which are believed to promote bodily warmth and are thus popular in winter, remains widespread in China despite a surge in popularity as pets. However, earlier press reports have said authorities were looking into drafting a law that could outlaw the practice. The reports on the dog rescue suggested the truck company was unlikely to face legal action as it had all the necessary permits to transport the animals. The healthy dogs were to be made available for adoption in one month while the sick ones, suffering variously from dehydration and infectious diseases, were sent to pet hospitals in Beijing. © 2011 AFP

Have been to a few, and the things that catch my attention usually are 'free giveaways', certain events like agility/flyball demos that I want to see, and my favourite was a free photo booth (where you got your photo taken with your dog, then logged on to the website later to collect). For other people I know they liked celebrities (human or canine). I've also been to coucil run dog events where they did free microchipping, but I'm not sure how successful that was (It was Leichhardt Council if you want to contact them and ask).

I took this approach one time... We had a 'people and dogs pizza night' at a friend's new built home. So i washed her the night before, and booked her in for doggy daycare that day to give her something to do, tire her out etc. Boy was it the wrong thing to do... she came back all agitated, worked up, smelly, and worst of all, disobedient! I took her to (not sure if I am allowed to name them here??) the fanciest doggy daycare in alexandria (at least by looking at the website and calling them on the phone!), and not only did they not let me take a look around (despite having asked about this over email and on the phone about the times acceptable to do this beforehand etc), they didn't take ANY registration details from me, didn't ask for a phone number, didnt even check she had been vaccinated or ask any questions about her health - things they claim to do on their website. They also let the dogs just toilet anywhere in the big concrete space, which I personally found a bit gross. She's been to other doggy daycare since and been great... I don't know what happened there but I won't be taking her back. Sorry a little off topic!

I could think of many other useful ways to spend this money, but perhaps just a publicity stunt for her doggy business... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-...et-wedding.html Barking! Dog owner spends £20,000 on Britain's most expensive pet wedding By Andrew Levy Last updated at 12:43 AM on 7th April 2011 Comments (141) Add to My Stories The bride wore a white dress decorated with 1,800 Swarovski crystals and accessorised with a pearl necklace. And as she trotted into the room to the wedding march, played by a harpist, she was met by the groom, smartly dressed in a tuxedo. Afterwards, 80 guests enjoyed a sumptuous buffet in a marquee adorned with £4,000 of flowers, balloons and decorations. Louise Harris, left, with Bev Nicholson and Chinese Crested Mugly, right, threw a wedding for her pet terrier Lola after running a competition on Facebook to find a suitor But this was no ordinary wedding. The happy couple were two pampered dogs who were married in a ceremony in the grounds of a mansion in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, costing an extraordinary £20,000. The event was planned by the bride’s owner, Louise Harris, 32, who dotes on six-year-old Yorkshire Terrier Lola and wanted to find her a partner to stop her getting lonely. ‘I wanted Lola to have the perfect day,’ said Miss Harris, who owns a dog boutique and grooming parlour near her two-bedroom flat in Chelmsford. Confetti canines: The dogs were married on the grounds of a mansion in Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex, costing £2,500 for the venue alone ‘It was meant to be a relatively small affair with 30 guests but the list just kept getting bigger and bigger because I didn’t want to leave anyone out – just like most weddings, I guess. ‘The day was perfect from start to finish and Lola loved being the centre of attention all day.’ Miss Harris ran an online competition to find the perfect partner for Lola, as the dog’s younger siblings Lulu, four, and Larry, two, are very close and often ignore her. She received hundreds of responses, whittled them down to a shortlist of six, and after a series of meetings found Lola’s favourite was Mugly – a Chinese crested dog who was voted Britain’s ugliest hound in 2005. Pampered pooch: Aside from Lola's wedding, Louise, pictured giving the speech, estimates she has spent a minimum of £101,680 on her three pets in the last six years For the couple’s first date, Miss Harris took Lola to visit Mugly and his owner, mother-of-four Bev Nicholson from Eastfield, Peterborough. Miss Harris said: ‘They do say opposites attract and they played happily together all day. I thought he was the perfect husband for Lola.’ Next came three months of preparation – with the help of a wedding planner – before the ceremony and reception in September. Lola’s £1,000 dress was created by dog clothes designer Michele Ochs. It was accompanied by Swarovski leg cuffs costing £250 and a £350 crystal lead. Extras: Lulu acted as Lola's bridesmaid in a £100 dress by Latimer Couture, complete a £200 Swarovski crystal necklace and £150 head dress and Larry was page boy wearing a £100 tux Lulu was bridesmaid in a £100 dress and a £200 Swarovski crystal necklace, while Larry wore a £100 tuxedo in his role as page boy. Mugly, meanwhile, got his more modest outfit from auction site eBay. After the ceremony, dog and human food was laid on, including a six-foot chocolate fountain, and the dogs’ owners made speeches wishing the happy couple good luck for the future. Despite the bond between the two pets, Miss Harris revealed they will have to learn to cope with a long-distance relationship as Mugly still lives with his owner and only gets to see Lola once a month. Lola wore a £1,000 wedding dress, made by dog clothes designer Michele Ochs, who created all the outfits in the Beverly Hills Chihuahua film, customised with 1,800 Swarovski crystals by Latimer Couture ‘Mugly is always sending Lola gifts and pictures of himself to make up for the times they are apart,’ said Miss Harris. ‘He sends her little presents.’ PAMPERED POOCH BILLVenue £2,500 Jewellery £1,350 Dog outfits £1,200 Food for human food £2,500 Food for dogs £500 Car hire of Bentley £500 Dancers £500 Make up artist £200 Hairdresser £200 Dog groomers £200 Photographers £500 Louise's outfits £600 Favours £500 Drinks £600 Dog creche including doggy gifts £1,000 Gifts £1,500 Flowers £1,000 Designers to decorate the marquee £3,000 Chocolate fountain £300 Cupcake tower £200 Security £400 Wedding planner £400 Music hire £400 TOTAL £20,150 Miss Harris estimates she has spent more than £100,000 on her three dogs over the last six years, including £26,000 on clothes, collars and harnesses and £16,000 on a nanny when she is at work. The dogs’ extravagant lifestyles have attracted so much curiosity that they will be featured on a Sky One programme, A Different Breed, next year. Miss Harris, who is single, added: ‘A lot of people think I’m mad, and I realise it’s completely over the top, but I want to give them the best life I possibly can. 'I'm still exhausted after all the work I put in to Lola's wedding! 'It was a great day and we had a great time but I don't want to do it again again time soon, so Lulu and Larry best not get any ideas! 'My dogs are well cared for and are spoilt with love as well as presents so I don't see anything wrong with spending so much on them.' Every Friday Louise takes her dogs to have their personal weekly massages and deep coat conditioning treatments at Diva Dogs which has amounted to a whopping £14,560. She has also spent £6,000 on beds and blankets, including custom made beds complete with initials in gold leaf and one with ostrich feather and finest faux fur, and cashmere blankets and pillows. Each dog has their own ornate iron bowl costing a total of £800, steps worth £720 to allow them to get onto sofas, £8,000 worth of pet carriers, and £2,500 worth of hair accessories including two custom made tiaras with genuine pearls and Swarovski crystals costing £400 and £300. She has also spent £4,500 just on Burns holistic food, £5,000 on dog insurance, £2,000 on photography and £3,000 on an oil painting. The dogs have also been treated to £8,000 of toys and treats and £5,000 spent on their birthday parties complete with birthday cakes costing £60 each. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-...l#ixzz1InXHiWpj

Bit of a revival... Hadn't even heard of a roomba before reading this forum! I just got the Roomba 562 Pet. It's literally just arrived at work and I cant wait to get it home... like others who have posted... I am sadly excited.. I have a question for the seasoned roomba users though: does your dog/cat chase it? how 'bombproof' is it? Do you run it while you're out but the dog/cat is home? I plan on letting it run while I'm home but worried about setting it to run whilst I'm out...

GT's right... from rockstar puppy: http://www.rockstar-puppy.com/doghighchair.html at USD$900 - it's a lot more than Ikea's pricepoint! (although, a $59 item holding a 35kg dog?? how many of you have had human ikea furniture fail on you?!) all too funny!

One last bump While I am bumping, thought I might add a few points which came up from some PM's and correspondence over this subject matter (alas they were not for this property, but hopefully the below can help someone else!). The below is just something from my own experience from having lived in several rental properties with my dog, I have been accepted more times than I have been knocked back (and even those reasons were not really because I have a dog). Note - the below is just about the dog part of the application. The rest of your application should be solid too! How do I picked for a rental property over everyone else that is applying??? - Make an impression on your property manager. When you go to the viewing, get to know them, ask them a few questions, ask them if they know if the landlord may accept a dog. A casual friendly conversation and getting along with the property manager will help them remember you and they are more likely to recommend you to the landlord than numerous other faces that have passed through and simply just put in an application form. It helps if they are animal lovers, and they generally like talking about their own experience with pets (It may help to go alone to do the inspection and leave behind any distractions such as unruly family members if you are the one making the final decision anyways!) - Your application / Cover letter. I have always had a cover letter with some information about myself, my flatmates (if I have any), and my dog. It includes items like what training she's had, certificates etc, a reference from previous landlord/s (my first one was great, he had said having a well behaved dog was great security for his property), grooming habits and cleaning habits (do you have a regular cleaner?), and that I have always left a rental property in better condition than when I moved in (I give the place a thorough clean and take on maintenance myself where I can). I add in there that the place will be flea bombed upon departure (and any rental agreement that accepts dogs almost always has this in their terms and conditions) and that my dog does not dig holes (if they do, don some gloves and fix the damage!!). Finally, don't bother with places that say 'STRICTLY NO PETS' - they won't budge. But places that don't state a preference will consider the RIGHT pet, but won't say pet friendly so that they can attract more interest. It doesnt hurt to ask, the worst they can say is no... at least you've tried. (Brand new builds are also much less likely to accept pets too!) Again, I'm no expert, this is purely from my own experience and I hope this might be of use to someone out there. Cheers

I love the story of Mack, I second everyone - thanks for sharing! Looking forward to the photo updates! Maybe he's too warm on the bed and the floor is cooler..? He does have a lot more fur now :rolleyes: I have trouble getting the dogs to sleep in their beds too, they like to hang out in it when I'm there but it's straight to the floor as soon as I stand up!

thanks!

bump

Oh the poor child! A friend of mine attended the Leeton mauling and I will never forget his description of that. There is an update to this story in the SMH: Attack dog owner charged: police Stephanie Gardiner March 8, 2011 - 1:09PM The owner of a dog that attacked a toddler playing in a Sydney park has been charged and the animal put down, police say. The 16-month old boy was playing with his parents in a park on Clematis Place, Macquarie Fields, in Sydney's south-west, when he was attacked by an Alaskan malamute about 7.30pm yesterday, police said. The boy suffered several bite wounds and is in a stable condition in the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. Advertisement: Story continues below He is expected to undergo surgery today. Police said the 40-year-old man who owned the dog has been charged with three offences including owning an attacking dog and having a dog in a prohibited area. The dog was put down this morning, police said. The man will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on April 20. A neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said she heard a noise in the park and thought people were just playing. "I closed the gate ... not realising that it was some sort of tragedy happening," she said. "It really distressed me. "My son said: 'Mum, it's something serious.' "[There was] a woman screaming: 'Oh my god, oh my god.'" She said a crowd of people gathered in the park soon afterwards. "One of the children was screaming hysterically," she said. She was unsure if the upset child was the attack victim. "I was traumatised." RSPCA NSW spokeswoman Marianne Zander said dog owners should make sure their pets are kept securely in a backyard. Big dogs should be kept behind tall, secure fences, while small dogs should be stopped from digging holes to get out and roam, she said. "The responsibility does lie with the owner to ensure that the dog is kept safely and securely in the backyard," she said. She said dogs should also be socialised with other animals and get used to small children.

What a gorgeous gorgeous boy! The whole pack look lovely too - what I can see of them. He does look like he has much more zest and life in him, wishing you as much time together, he looks SO much happier already! Massive good karma coming your way!

Can you invest in Melbourne please!!! Lol! I'll convince as many people as I can!! Responsible dog owners make for great tenants and better security!

Hi In next few weeks, theres a 3 bed house (+ sunroom, 1 bath, 1+2 car) coming up for rent - secure fencing and a small doggie door (a med dog could also fit through it). St Mary's area, in a nice street with good neighbours. Just putting it out there for anyone who is having to relocate as generally it is hard to find a place that will allow a dog or two. Will also consider a reputable rescuer/foster carer. Also partly furnished or furniture can be removed. Agreement will be through a real estate agent, all checks and references per "standard" rental agreements etc still apply. Minimum 6 month lease. Pls PM me for further details, to protect the privacy of future tenancy, I won't be responding on this thread with further information, however most happy to communicate via PM for genuine enquiries!