Lisey

Yay! Hopefully I can meet some DOL'er doggies :) ETA - oops! and some people :)

Oh nice! Is the ACT a big one for Staffords? (Excuse my ignorance! Still learning) I'm glad I've been doing a lot of 'stand' with him when we are training! Hopefully he behaves himself :)

Oh god!! Ice! I think I'm going to be freezing!!! Glad I've booked a motel room down the road, hopefully it has heating!! Are you going this year with your Staffords Sandra? :) Going to be very tired on Monday at work, I have a late flight Sunday night to get home.

That's a bit scary!!! I'm happy to watch for now :) I know! Long way but I really want to see his first one!

My boys breeder is taking him to Canberra for his very first show! I've never been to one before and didn't want to miss his debut :) I've got no idea how they work lol but can't wait to watch. And hopefully meet a whole lot of other Staffords :D It's on the 6/7th April - I've never been to Canberra before - will it be cold?

Tonight I feel like crying... One step forward two back. He just wasn't into it tonight. Distracted, sniffing the ground, not listening, trying to say hi to every dog. There were some parts he did good but mostly just didn't listen to me tonight.

Yay!! :D So impressed with Book today - he has showed me he can be calm and focused on me. I've just started taking him to a second obedience class a week as I didn't feel once a week was enough for him. It's through a different company but have some of the same trainers which is good as I didn't want to be training different things on different days. He was still a bit of a pain but nowhere near what he has previously been like. It took a bit for him to settle in but by the end he was sitting close to lots of other dogs and wasn't even looking at them. I don't know if it was because it was daytime instead of nights (like the other class) or possibly this class today - they put us in Intermediate as knew we attended classes elsewhere and didn't need to start at the beginning - to see if he fitted in - the other dogs were calmer also - and I think this really helped. The Monday night class we go to we are only in Class 1 extension and all the other dogs are quite young and rowdy. The highlight was when we did a recall with 6 dogs on either side and calling them down the middle (Book on a long lead) - he stayed when I told him - only had eyes for me - and ran down and sat in front of me when I told him to come - not a glance at anyone else! He was probably the 2nd best of of 13 dogs for that exercise. Very happy. He has made me proud today. Here's hoping we can keep improving :)

It will be good to hear your experiences. There will be times when I need to board my two as we are in the early stages for planning a Reno at our house and there will times that its safer for them not to be here. I'm in inner north brisbane but am happy to travel if I know they will get looked after really well.

I hope so!!!! Makes me sad thinking of him nearly drowning.

Oh me too! That photo makes me cry - even though I know it survived - poor darling

Mine will also chew them with no treats inside... They just enjoy chewing. I have had to replace them over time but Kong's and rope toys are the longest survivors in this house :) I also use to use the Wobbler to give Eva her breakfast when she was an only dog. I would give that to her as I was leaving for work.

I give this to my staffords sometimes as a treat. They love peanut butter! Takes them ages to lick it out. I probably wouldn't use a small one, and not the 'puppy' kong as they are good chewers! I have mediums & large kongs here.

Thanks for the link :) couldn't find much when I looked.

Just an update - it has come back as 'Pigmented Viral Plaques'.... I've made a new topic in the Health section asking if anyone has any experiences with it. I'm really happy that it's not cancer or a tumor or something really serious but I was really hoping it would come back as nothing at all.

Is anyone familiar with Pigmented Viral Plaques? I've just heard back from Booker's dermatologist (he had a biospy on a mole looking thing under his arm) and she has said it is this. I've tried googling it but it's not reallty coming up so I'm guessing it's not overly common. The dermatologist has said it's most likely as he is a young dog (11 months) that his immune system is still young and that is why he has gotten it. That it is not contagious and my other dog has already been exposed... so she should be fine. And that sometimes is goes away on its own. She has to order in the tablets that he will need to take for a month to see if it goes away. Does anyone have any experience with this? ETA - I don't understand as I thought that Book was a really healthy dog, he never gets sick, has a really good coat, is in good condition, gets great food, etc. What can I do to improve his immune system?

They are so cute! I was cheering for Ruby :)

I think because she still couldn't work out what it was.... I ended up back at my regular vet this afternoon with him - he had scratched it up a lot, blood everywhere They cleaned it up and I have some anti-inflammatorys and antibiotics for him now. I'm a bit annoyed as I had asked how he would be after as I was going to work, she said that he would be fine and could be left out with Eva. Glad I left him inside on his own. Just feel really bad I went to work - I wish I had stayed home to keep an eye on him

So Booker had his appointment today with the dermatoligist. She had a look and put some sticky tape on and ripped it off to have a look under the mircoscope.... apparently nothing strange. She has said it could possibly be 3 different things, I can't remember the names of them but I do have them written down at home. She thought it would be best to take a biopsy and get it analysed - which they were able to do this morning - just with sedation and a local. I should know the results by Friday. Is it normal for a biopsy site to bleed a bit? I was told that he would be back to his normal self after they take the sedation away, but he was quite sooky and quiet when I got him home and then also it was bleeding a bit - not running down his arm or anything but enough to notice. I think he only has 1 stitch also. Just an awkward spot for a biopsy. Vet told me I was all good to leave him at home with my other girl (as I explained they enjoy playing and running around) but I didn't feel comfortable with that when I got back home and have left him inside in the aircon on his own and Eva outside. He just laid down and wasn't fussed when I left for work like he usually is. Is this normal after sedation? I've organised my OH to leave work early this afternoon to get home and check he is fine. Hopefully the results on Friday will be all clear also

Booker went to the vet on Monday night and she had a look - she wasn't sure exactly what they were but didn't think they looked nasty. But she has given us a referral to a specialist just to double check. I have that booked in for Wednesday next week. I'm a bit anxious about going though - it is at QVS which also has the Pet Emergency - I haven't been there since Lola died and I had to say goodbye to her... I don't want to lose my s*** when I get there and be a mess and cry It just holds sad memories for me.

Thanks Sas - I am ETA - He is booked at the vets on Monday afternoon - hopefully nothing and I'm just worried for no reason :-)

Hahaha! That's awesome!

Thank you. I will. I can't help but be a bit of a worry wart

Ok thanks. They have just come up quickly. The big one is raised. Also he is only 10 months old.

No I looked real close and felt them and tried to lift them...

I've just noticed these under Booker's arms. At first I thought the big ones were dirt and went to rub them off. Then I checked both sides..... I really don't think these have been here long. Has anyone seen them before? Do I need to be freaking out or is there a simple explanation? The little dots go all the way down his arm and there are some on his paws. Are they freckles? It's weird that I have only just noticed them.