ktig

Paddington's first Christmas.... What he actually thought of the silly christmas photos....

Baby Earl is sooo cute - I want one!

Hmmm....lots to think about then. I have a blanket thrown over the top of the crate at the moment, so I think ventilation wise it probably would work out the same. For those of you that use wire crates for outings do you find them bulky/heavy?

Hi everyone, Looking for some opinions. I have a miniature schnauzer pup who is now 6 months old and much to my disapointment has almost outgrown his crate as he is looking to be a little bigger than the breed avereage in height/length! He has a wire crate at the moment with a blanket thrown over it to make it more secure and is quite reliable in it and settles happily. I plan to compete in obedience and agility with this little guy and had planned to look into soft crates for then to have in addition to his wire crate at home, now I'm not sure whether to fast forward this plan or simply get a wire crate in the next size up and look at soft crates if and when I need one for competitions. Does anybody use soft crates around the house as an everyday crate as well as for outings? If so what sort of brands do people have and would they recommend?

wow! Definately needed the tissues

Not that anyone's counting..... This was me too when I was on the countdown!

x 2 my little fellow was much the same when he arrived, with perseverance, he's now happy to spend a couple of hours outside when we're out. He has access to the laundry via a dog-door, but unless the weather is miserable he's very rarely in there. He has LOTS of toys outside and often takes himself out even when we are home. He's 6 months old now and has been pretty well at this point from about 4 months as he was a little more independant from then on and not quite so attached to my ankes!

Some groups are much easier than others aren't they? Toy: Affenpinscher Griffon Bruxellois Maltese Terriers: Scottish Terrier Irish Terrier West Highland White Terrier Gundogs: Irish Setter Field Spaniel Cocker Spaniel (English) Hounds: Basset Hound Bloodhound Saluki Working Dogs: Old English Sheepdog Puli Australian Shepherd Utility: Schnauzer (Miniature) Schnauzer (Giant) Bernese Mountain Dog Non- Sporting: Boston Terrier Dalmatian British Bulldog Edited for spelling.

This is such a gorgeous thread! Paddington then : 9 weeks old and now: 6 months old

Twice a day for me, but my pup's still only 6 months old. Haven't decided whether I'll keep him to that, or just make it the one meal once he's done growing, I'll probably just keep to the 2 meals a day but if he gets fussy, he'll be only getting the one. I tend to make breaky either a bone or a kong or a bit of a treasure hunt to keep him occupied then make up for it at dinner which works well for us at the moment.

great article

Arent they so adorable :D His picture is currently the screen saver on my phone and home pc! Haha! This was me before my guy arrived home - every time my breeder sent me a new photo I updated it!

I'd given my pup a teddy to could cuddle up with. He came from interstate so we weren't able to get anything with his littermate's scent on for him. That with the ticking clock was all he needed, just stirred once overnight to go to the bathroom for the first few weeks. We never had any REALLY unsettled nights thankfully.

I would definately be taking your dog. My pup arrived at 9 weeks and he was carried everywhere with me. I wasn't taking him to dog parks, etc. But we certainly visited friends with older, sensible vaccinated dogs. I've had poorly socialised rescue dogs before and really wanted this little guy to have been exposed to lots at a young age to avoid that again. I now have a friendly, well adjusted 6 month old pup who is just a delight to take out and about, nothing phases him! As long as you're sensible and careful with him, there's not problem.

gosh she looks embarrassed!

My pup is 6 months old now and an only dog so I was worried about how he'd cope left alone. I work 4x8hr shifts a week, but tend to find he's only left alone for about half of them as my housemate is often home. He sleeps a lot during the day while we're home, so I'd assume it's much the same when we're not here. He gets lots of walks, lots of little training sessions the occasional off lead tear around the paddocks where my horse is kept and has LOTS of toys. He seems quite happy with his situation although of course he's always VERY happy to see us come home!

I fed my little boy 3 times a day until 16weeks, I was considering keeping that way for another month or so, but he was losing interest in lunch, so I phased it out then. Haven't looked back!

Lovely story, gorgeous pics!

I had a list very similar to yours not all that long ago - also a terrier fan I had it narrowed down to scotties, westies, irish terriers, cairn terriers and mini schnauzers a lot of variety there I know! Went to a few shows, chatted to a few breeders and met a few dogs. I ended up going with a miniature schnauzer and couldn't be happier. He's a no fuss, happy-go-lucky little fellow who is light years ahead of the rest of his beginner class at obedience. I clip him, which really hasn't been all that hard to master - it's not perfect yet, but I'm getting there - if you can find someone to teach you even better, although if you're wanting to show you'll need to learn how to strip them - which probably goes for any of the terriers. I plan to do agility with him, he's still only 5 months with a bit of a dodgy recall at this stage so we haven't started, but I've seen a few of them competing and they go round brilliantly! He should mature to about 8 kilos. If you're after something bigger, and like the schnauzers I'd look into the giants, the standards seem to be a little more challenging training wise.

[ Love this photo!!!!

gorgeous!

Not a dog I'd be taking on with agility in mind, as a pet or for obedience, sure, no problem. But for something like agility that puts stress on the legs of perfectly healthy dogs, I don't think it'd be worth the risk of doing her more damage. Best of luck finding your next doggie though!

I was thinking the same thing. My pup was getting a little unsettled in his crate at night - mine is a wire one with a blanket thrown over it - I've swapped the blanket for a sheet that allows a little air flow and opened up another side and he's settled straight back down again. Fingers crossed it's something simple like that for you!

Interesting topic. I've always had my dogs vaccinated annually, as this is what the vets have recommended and I'd never really put a lot of thought into it causing them any harm as they've always been perfectly fine. What are the cons to vaccinating annually can I ask? I might rethink things with the new puppy

Has her diet changed at all? Maybe an upset tummy?