two_black_dogs

As somebody who regularly takes their dogs to an off lead beach, (as in every weekend day over the last two or so years) I can honestly say the only problems we have ever encountered have been with dogs who are still on leash whilst others ( including ours) are off leash. My dogs (labs) love meeting all the other dogs down there and have no problems with the vast and varied playing styles of all kinds, including boxers. However, the one or two times there have been stand offs and snarling have always been from a boxer on a lead. Granted , we go there so often that they are just regulars in the pack who travel up and down the beach so they are pretty reliable when asked to move on, and with you being new to the beach, you won't have that , but I'd honestly say think again. I admit I am a total newcomer to the dog world, but it really does seem to me that keeping a dog on leash whilst all the others around it are off leash is more likely to cause your dog stress and exacerbate any potential problems. And I agree, long leads are damned annoying, not to mention dangerous if there are a lot of dog walkers. Good luck with it.

Both of the black dogs sleep outside at night. Usually they curl up together on a trampoline bed, (which is a feat for two full grown labradors!) although they do have one each. In winter they use their kennel - an old wooden shipping container, large enough for a human to comfortably lay in if ever needed! They don't actually have a bed as such because they tend to chew them to destruction. However, the kennel has a very large and heavy piece of carpet which we have rolled up so that there are several thicknesses of padding. They've chewed at the edges but generally aren't able to get it out of the kennel because it is very heavy. When it gets stinky (because they do love hiding old bones in there) we can just throw the carpet and replace it with other offcuts. They also do a lot of sleeping inside whenever we are home. I found a thick memory foam mattress covered in vinyl at a caravan sales yard - double bed sized - $20!!! It's seen many a lengthy afternoon nap with the boys playing "who can get closest to mummy". In fact, i think it might be nap time now :)

Not had any experience with those types of collars sorry - but I've looked through the website you linked, Koalathebear, and stumbled across their Waterproof Soft Grip Scruff Tag collars which would seem to be the perfect solution for the perpetual case of "stinky collar" we suffer as a result of two swimming labradors. So I'm sad to find that this site doesn't ship internationally If you've actually ordered from them in the past, could you let me know how you did it? I've got items in the trolley and credit card in hand, but alas, stymied at the final hurdle!.. (but thanks for linking the site- I now know that what I want/need is actually out there, I just need to find a way to get it.) Cheers from the black dogs!

Whitka, just some practical info for you - if you are going to be using public transport, I recommend that you log on to the Metlink Journey Planner. http://ptv.vic.gov.au/ It will allow you to put in all the information that you need, for example, your destination, the time you want to arrive etc, and that will then plot a journey for you, and give you a number of options. You can even print out step by step instructions and it will also tell you how long it will take from point A to point B etc, so you can also caluculate what time you will have to leave the venue in order to catch your V-Line train home again. :)sorry i don't actually have any info about the expo itself!

nothing to see! :D carry on!

We had Blackie, our first dog (and my first EVER dog) in similar circumstances to you. As a 9 mth old labrador puppy, he was bored and quite destructive. We mused for a while over getting another dog to solve some of the boredom and destruction issues,and really my heart was against it because I knew that ultimately all the extra work that comes with a second dog would end up on my shoulders, and frankly I wondered how I would cope. Then one day we saw another young male black labrador looking for a good home, through the RSPCA - he'd only just been listed and there was no picture or any other info. We made an appointment for us all to go visit - and that night Blackie ate the backs of the armchairs, the coffee table and my Husband's computer power cord - it was touch and go whether we would be coming home with any dogs at all! :laugh: However, we did all meet and it was love at first sight for all of us. The second dog, now called Bosch, was about 2 months younger than Blackie, and they just took to each other immediately. I'd be lying if I said that we never ever had any more destruction, but it became a rare occurrence, and the dogs keep each other company and us entertained,and the work involved in keeping two dogs seems to be no greater than I recall than in keeping just the one. If the two dogs get along well, and if you can offer the space and care they need, then I'd say go for it. I can't imagine life without my two black dogs.

Thanks. We have a magnificent Dyson - but it just won't do the vaccuuming without human intervention! We are moving into a new place in April with ducted vaccuuming but I assume that somebody (me) will have to operate the thing. I think I have too much junk on the floors (including two lazy black dogs most of the time) for a robot vac to work, and the Husband says they are a waste of money - easy for him to say because he doesn't involve himself in housekeeping matters! In the meantime, I find a rubber broom like the ones hairdressers use is very effective. But I do dream of a robot vac... or black dogs that don't shed .:)

Does anybody have a Zoomba/vaccuum robot - and if so, how effective is it/would it be against the onslaught of two shedding labradors?

My two black labradors, Blackie and Bosch, are also called many cutsie names. They are all similar to baby names, built on singsong sounds and repetition. I frequently makeup songs and rhymes, and new names all the time. Each one answers to these no matter how often they are changed, because they are in fact recognising tone of voice rather than each distinct name. Apart from those kind of nicknames, Blackie, the slightly older of the two, is almost always referred to as "Black Dog". People seem to find it amusing when walking on the beach or calling him we call out "Black Dog" - they can see two black dogs and are a little confused that only one of them is in fact "Black Dog". We know (and he knows!) perfectly well that only one of them is Black Dog, even though there are clearly two black dogs! In discussion about the dogs, we often refer to him as "The Black Dog" - for example "Aww, look at The Black Dog - how cute!" using the definite object as his title. Everybody we know refers to our family as myself, my husband and "the black dogs" as a plural unit, not just "the dogs" for example,"Merry Christmas to You and The Black Dogs"

Thanks for the information so far. I have just investigated the Woolworths Pet Insurance. As far as I can see, it is offered by Holland, the same insurance cover provider who underwrites Real and RSPCA. At the moment I am only looking at accident cover (frankly the thread about snakes has me worried - and snakebite IS covered under accidents) - it seems that Woolworths will allow me to claim 80% of vet costs, with an excess of $100, for $9.98/fortnight for TWO dogs, whereas the accident policy under RSPCA and Real are more like $22 or $23 fortnight for two ( no excess? That wasn't clear !). The only difference I can see is the maximum claim for Woolworths is $6000/yr whereas the other two are $7000/$8000 respectively. Apart from that, apart from the excess , it seems like the same policy. So, my question is, has anybody any experiences with Woolworths pet insurance they can share?

Oops double post

There are usually lots of young labs looking for good homes on gumtree. They might not be the baby puppies but generally speaking they seem to be advertised from about 9 months to about 18 months of age. This is still most definitely puppy age in a lab, and although the fact that they are looking for good homes might be a result of destructive behavior, that initial training and looking after a baby puppy will have past. At this age, a lab puppy would be a great kid- sized dog. Please consider looking at gumtree. I know it's not what you asked for.