HeelerLove

RIP Tess. Very sorry to hear.

And our boy Gus. Gus is a doofus :laugh: there is no better way to explain him. He came from a rescue shelter a few months ago now and has settled in like he has been with us all his life. He is 8 or 9 years old and a real character, very glad he came into our lives :)

My girl when she was a pup :) She is nearly 7 now and my heart dog. Can't imagine my world without her.

Great to hear!

That does seem incredibly light :S I would think if they weighed that they would look very underweight. You can feel the ribs but not see them. I am confident they are not underweight.. just worry they might be a couple of kgs too heavy and with their leg problems a couple of kgs can be a big deal. Thanks for your reply.

Hope you don't mind me posting in here. Just wondering what the ideal weight range is for ACD's? I have two.. my girl looks to be purebred but I am not sure and to be honest, couldn't care less- she is just perfect the way she is anyway :D we got her at 8 weeks old from a pet shop (before I knew any better) and she is the love of my life. She will be 7 later this year. My boy is ACD x Staffy... he is a rescue and about 8 years old. I love him lots too, but my girl will always be my heart dog :) Both need to be kept lean- my girl has pretty bad damage to her cruciate ligaments (unable to have surgery) and arthritis in her back legs My boy has very straight back legs and when I took him in for his vet check, the vet told me to keep him light as he will be very susceptible to the same problems as my girl. Last time they were weighed (both about a month ago) my girl was 23kgs and boy was 27kgs. Boy was definitely a little bit overweight when he came to us from the shelter and has since been on a diet and lost a couple of kilos, he'd probably be around 25kgs now at a guess. Just wondering if this is a good weight (keeping in mind they need to be a few kgs lighter than 'normal') for them both?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/vodka-the-tonic-as-poisoned-pup-cleo-get-an-alcohol-cure-from-vet/story-e6frf7kx-1226553878297 Saw this on the news last night. Obviously treating the poor pup was first priority, but I would have thought that dosing a 10 week old puppy with a bottle and a half of vodka in under 72 hours (ninemsn reports it was 48 but who knows with news these days?) could cause some pretty harmful side effects?

That is horrible I'm so sorry for your loss Cazstaff, Buddy looked like a beautiful boy.

RIP Inka gorgeous girl x

Apparently leaving a radio playing will also deter them due to the vibrations. Not sure if its true or not but a friends dad swears by it.

Gus was pretty good up until midnight. Then they started going off everywhere and he ran straight into the shed and squeezed himself into a little spot under the bench. I sat with him and gave him a pat now and then and he was no where near as bad as last time. Then one of the neighbours 2 doors down let one off and he freaked again and my normally bomb proof girl who'd been snoozing all night came sprinting in the shed and dove head first into my lap lol. Both calm and in their beds by just after 12:30 though :)

I love blue cattle dogs :) but I'm a bit biased lol Don't really have favourite colours as such.. It's all about the doggy underneath the coat.

We've heard them on and off all night and Gus has actually been pretty good. When they started you could tell he was anxious- panting and pacing but for the last hour he has been snoozing and when they go off he looks up and has a sniff and grumbles back to sleep. It occurred to me before that we're fairly certain he was a farm dog before he came to us so maybe he hasn't heard fireworks before or has a problem with guns and the sound reminds him of them. Not sure but he seems ok now.. See how we go at midnight.

Sorry, bad figure of speech. I'd never actually hurt it, just try to scare it off so it stops coming into our yard and terrorizing our animals. Can people not make comments like that? If you have an issue then take it to the Council as the legislation covers cats too.

My mums next door neighbours cat comes into her yard and attacks her Maltese x shih tzu.. No amount of hoseing, kicking at, shouting at etc will make it go away. And the owners couldn't care less grrr. I like cats most of the time but if I had a chance, this one would be a flat cat!

And I will have a read of all the links when I'm on a proper computer, thanks!

Thanks for all the replies. He is an outside dog, shows no interest in coming inside the house except when there are fireworks then he is straight under the bed lol. The 'bear hug' for a few minutes calms him down enough to just sit with us without being too scared until the next one goes off. I thought about taking him and our girl (who couldn't care less!) for a drive as they both love the car and drives but not sure if he would react worse being in the enclosed car if they were going off (and could be difficult handling 27kgs of terrified ACD whilst in the car lol) He has a fully enclosed kennel to hide in, the shed to go into (with radio on 24/7) and he can come inside the house if he wants to. I might have a look in pet stock for a thunder shirt a bit later today too. Needless to say we'll be home with him tonight for the fireworks. Ill see how he goes with the first few if we just act like nothing bad is happening and all is normal and if he does his normal freak out ill sit with him again. Thanks guys, very much appreciated!

Hi all Sorry if this has been done before, I did search but didn't find much. Interested to hear some opinions on the best way to treat a dog that is terrified of fireworks whilst they are going off.. Do you think it's better to comfort, or ignore etc etc? I've read so many conflicting reports and have no idea how I should be going about it! My boy is terrified of them. I don't know if there is a reason.. He is a rescue and history unknown. He is fine with thunderstorms unless they are particularly loud and has no other fears or issues I've picked up on. But when fireworks start going off he freaks out. He'll either hide under something and won't come out for anything (not even food, and he loves food lol) or just stand stock still, whole body shaking with his tail between his legs and won't move a muscle. We had three or four nights with fireworks in the last few weeks and each time I've sat with him and reassured him until they've stopped. I don't mind doing this of course, but I feel like it might be reinforcing his behaviour and perhaps I shouldn't be so soft lol? Just hate seeing him scared! we'll be able to hear the main fireworks at glenelg etc from our place on nye and I'm wondering what will be the best thing to do. Thanks in advance!

My boy has a very dry nose almost all the time.. it looks like it would be painful but he doesn't lick it, is happy for me to touch it and when I took him to the vet just after I got him I asked her about it and she said some breeds just get dry noses, especially in their older years and it wouldn't be causing him any bother. Would be interested to hear what others think?

When you chuck a tanty because you have to wait your turn while your fur sister gets a brush BEFORE you.. How dare you Mum! When you cry and whinge because Dad hasn't tucked you in for bed yet.. Even though its not cold!!

I saw this post on facebook and couldn't believe the amount of people commending them for doing this. They admit that pet shop puppies are usually bought as impulse buys and dumped not long after but they have all intentions and are fine with bringing puppies back to sell after the christmas period. Kind of hypocritical to me? I know that the impulse buying would go up at Christmas time but anyone thinking it doesn't happen at all times throughout the year need to have their brain adjusted. I wrote a comment on the post saying they should be ashamed for selling puppies at any time of year and I copped backlash from other people! ETA I know that not ALL pet shop puppies will be dumped.. the girl in my avatar is from a pet shop and so is my mums dog (both bought 6+ years ago when I didn't know any better) and are very loved and will be with us until their last breath but we all know a large majority will be dumped at the RSPCA and other rescues once the fun and cuteness has worn off

One by one, they pass by my cage, Too old, too worn, too broken, no way. Way past his time, he can't run and play. They then shake their heads slowly and go on their way. A little old man, arthirtic and sore, It seems I am not wanted anymore. I once had a home, I once had a bed, A place that was warm, and where I was fed. Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail. Who wants a dog so old and frail? My family decided I didn't belong. I got in their way, my attitude was wrong. Whatever excuse they made in their head, Can't justify how they left me for dead. Now I sit in this cage, where day after day, The younger dogs get adopted away. When I've almost come to the end of my rope, You saw my face, and I finally had hope. You saw through the grey, and the legs bent with age, And I felt I still had a life beyond this cage. You took me home, gave me food and a bed, And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head. We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low, You love me so dearly, you want me to know. I may have lived most of my life with another, But you outshine them with a love so much stronger. And I promise to return all the love I can give, To you, my dear person, as long as I live. I may be wth you for a week, or for years, We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears. And when the time comes that I must leave, I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve. And when I arrive at the bridge, all shiny brand new, My thoughts and my heart will still be wth you. And I will brag to all who will hear, Of the person who made my last days so dear. -Authour Unknown- Oldies are the best.. we just adopted an 8 year old Blue Heeler after his old owners abandoned him and he couldn't fit in with us and our girl more perfectly. There is something special about adopting a dog in their older years, especially if they haven't had the best life before you.

SA Dog Rescue has a calendar out featuring some of the doggies they have rehomed during the year. http://www.sadogrescue.com/default.html Moorook Animal Shelter are also producing one but unsure of release date. http://www.moorookanimalshelter.com.au/