Mudlark

Roast chicken or other roast meats when I want to bring out the big guns. Otherwise, cabanossi, smoked sausage, cheese and bits of ham as mid level treats and kibble or liver as low level treats.

I don't know Kobe's story but I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry about the loss of your beloved boy and am thinking of you.

We have chickens and ducks. With our first Lab, it took a year of training/desensitisation before we trusted him off lead with the birds. He was already well trained too (had an obedience title and many flyball titles). Our current Lab is 4 months into his training with the birds and has not been off lead with them yet. He has daily on-lead exposure. My guess is that he'd be ok, but I'm not game to trust him. So, it can take a long time :) The easiest thing is just to keep your dog on lead around other species. I'm sure you can still enjoy the farm visit that way :)

For what it's worth, my Lab paces at times and has the characteristic 'tummy bobbing from side to side wobble' that goes with it. He has had his hips x-rayed and his hips are "excellent" on both sides (said the vet). So, as others have mentioned, pacing/waddling/wobbling does not mean hip dysplasia. Glad that your boy seems to be fine :) As someone whose previous dog benefited from chiro I agree with suggestions to seek out an expert in that area if you ever see actual signs of soreness in your dog.

A great day all round, then :)

What fab photos. And a gorgeous model :)

Extremely cool.

I shouldn't be reading this thread at work. I just about spat my latte all over my keyboard.

Woo hoo! What fantastic news. Enjoy that wonderful feeling of relief :)

What a pretty, fun-loving girl she looks like. Lovely photo.

:) I think that most people's vision is for pooping, peeing and chucking to happen outside. But (a) accidents happen and (b) sometimes life is easier if you let your standards slip a bit :laugh: It's all good material for a laff at ourselves, I reckon. :)

It sounds like you caught it really early and are going to be getting rapid treatment (if it's needed). It's not in a complicated location. All those things are good :) Sounds like you have a really good vet too. These things can be so stressful. But try not to dwell on it. You're doing all the right things.

:laugh: Guess you'll be washing the sheets now, or maybe you have become immune to the squalor of it all. I am sort of in that camp. We currently have something akin to dog spew on our doona cover. Dog has kennel cough and is hawking up god-knows-what and we can't be bothered washing the cover till he's over it. Slightly third-world I guess, but hey.

Sending positive vibes :) Our first Lab had a lump on his thigh that sounds quite similar to the thing your girl has. It grew fast and had a flat top. It all turned out absolutely fine. It was a form of skin cancer (don't panic!) so he had to have it removed. Because it was on his thigh it was an easy operation - there was lots of loose-ish skin around and it was very easy for the vet to get the whole thing and sew it up. A flank would be the same. After the lump was removed he never had anything like it again and he lived many more years to a good age (14 yo). He was about 7 when he got the lump. I hope that your girl's lump is a total non-event like our boy's was, even if it needs removing :)

They are both delightful :) What about, for the little patchy man: Patchwork Puzzle Chequers

Generally around 8 to 10 years but longer (i.e. the 11 to 12 year range) would not be unusual for a duck kept in good living conditions (clean water, quality food, space to forage in, protection from predators, regular worming treatments). They are generally pretty hardy if well cared for - more so than chickens.

They sound hilarious :D Ducks are so comical. Great photo. I really hope the dog door works too :) I don't think ducks would work very hard to push through a sturdy flap. It they can't get their heads in easily they won't bother - that's my guess.

Nicole and Scott, you rock.

Yes, certainly could work. If it was too heavy for the ducks to push I don't think they make it into the house. We once had a pair of drakes that'd come into the house. They'd go into the kitchen and look at their own reflection in the oven door and stand there chattering about it. And pooping. So I understand your pain a little bit :)

Yes, ducks can be pretty loud when they want to get their opinion across :) I'm sure you'll find a good home for them. Ducks are slowly growing in popularity, in my experience.

Can you fence off a duck run around the area where their kennel is? And give them access to the yard for a few hours a day rather than 24/7? They probably don't need to have the run of the yard all the time. Anyway, just an idea.... Maybe you have already tried that. If you do want to re-home them then you could try advertising them on the online classifieds that is most used in your area. That's what I do when I have pairs of ducks for sale (I breed them) and I interview buyers to make sure I'm happy with the home they can provide. I never have any trouble finding homes I am happy with. I sell my ducks for $60 per pair.

Do some dogs just like to do that though? Mine does it all the time and he definitely is not cold. Sorry, I really meant 'a clear sign for my dog', as per the thread title (how do you know your puppy is cold). :) Def might not indicate coldness for other dogs :)

I feel my dog's ears. If they are cold, I assume he is cold everywhere else. Curling in a ball is another clear sign, as has been mentioned. Bring on Spring, I say :) Too cold here in Canberra already. My boy got a new fleece coat yesterday in preparation for frosty nights to come (he sleeps on our bed, mind you).

The one thing I never find in the dog's bed is the dog.... He's far too comfortable on our bed.

LOL, chickens are shameless. We have to protect our dog from chicken raids too.