Leah82

I had a little bootcamp training session with sarah this morning. I was doing pushups with her in a drop stay in front of me and she kept offering shy, they're still very quick so it just looks like she's rubbing her face till I give her a treat :p

I'm not sure you can report a dog for being overly enthusiastic, playful and rude. If it happens again perhaps you can explain why the other owner should call their dog back "Your dog is making mine uncomfortable with his level of play, would you mind calling him away" If they don't listen then just take your dogs home and maybe they'll realize next time that your serious

My OH doesn't agree that Sarah is a rescue dog. When he thinks of rescue he imagines the RSPCA charging in, taking all the animals and shutting down the breeding operation - in that instance the dogs are rescued from their captivity and poor living conditions. In Sarah's case the rescue org has an agreement with the breeding establishment that they will take on the retirees, however if that was not in place then she would most likely have been taken out the back and shot. I consider her to be a rescue case although I've never expected to receive cheaper vet bills because of it. We made the decision to get another dog and that includes all the costs that go along with it. If we got an adult dog off it's previous owners from gumtree or DOL then I wouldn't consider it to be a rescue dog.

Lol, love him trying to catch the water :p congratulations Hank! He'll be a water baby before you know it. Collie has started blowing bubbles in his shell pool to find his toys under the water and last week he decided to go duck diving for rocks in the yarra river. He's never really been afraid of water but at 6 years old he's still finding new ways to enjoy it

Glad to hear Tilly will be ok Now if only we had news of the attacking dogs and their owners. People need to know that there are repercussions for being an irresponsible pet owner

First fatality has been reported http://www.news.com.au/national/outofcontrol-fires-threaten-victorian-towns/story-fncynjr2-1226803731757 Please everyone keep a close eye on those fires and communicate with your friends and family if they are near any of the fires.

We've just been hosing our dogs down at very regular intervals and they seem to be doing ok as a result (after a few up chucks on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning) They're getting hosed... Just before bed Before we leave in the morning When someone gets home mid morning to let them inside Whenever they look like they need it Then either myself or OH has been with them in the aircon every afternoon since wednesday. Wouldn't know what we would have been able to do if we worked further away from home, luckily we're both about 10-15 minutes away Bring on TOMORROW!!!

Haha, bunny (Spike) was being a bit cheeky and having some of mine. From time to time he also used to have a go at the chopped up veges on my plate while I was still eating :p I miss the little guy, he passed away before Christmas 2012. He was the perfect apartment pet

Nooooooo! Power has gone out :-(

Oh crap, the alerts for the grampians have just turned red Fingers crossed everyone stays safe

I find this really hard to read. All the symbols overlay each other and it's hard to know what's underneath. I've got friends in the Grampians, Bacchus Marsh, Bendigo, Heathcote and Rubicon. All those areas could be affected with a change in the wind, not to mention where I live in the Yarra Valley. I just wish Saturday would come soon with no loss of life or property before then. It can be pretty hard to read. Best bet is to keep an eye on the orange exclamation marks (Watch and Act), those are the ones advising people in the area what do to if there is a fire that may threaten properties. Zoom into the area, click on the orange symbol and click view details to see the whole notice

I considered asking if I could bring Sarah into the office instead but I didn't want to risk her vomiting or having diarrhea in the office :p Physical injuries are probably ok to manage in the office, internal illnesses probably need to stay at home Plus something like heat stress would turn into a free for all for every to bring in their pets and chaos would ensue

Sarah is feeling better today which is good, no vomits since yesterday morning. We finally managed to get the living room aircon working effectively yesterday and a newly purchased portable aircon unit as well as some over the counter sleeping pills meant I actually got a decent nights sleep :p I have the afternoon shift for Sarah watch today and get to work from home in the stinking heat. VIC power people are saying we'll probably be experiencing rolling blackouts today so the power grid doesn't get over burdened. Fingers crossed it either happens this morning at home, or after I cool the place down this afternoon, or not at all. Work will be fine as there's a CFA office below so we have plenty of backup power sources for the building.

Don't tell me she lost her purple bling collar!? she looked so pretty in it

A Watch and Act notice has now been issued for Panton Hill due to changing winds... Issued For: Panton Hill Fire Origin: 2KM NORTH KANGAROO GROUND Incident Name: KANGAROO GROUND - KOOS RD Issued: 15/01/14 2:42 PM This is a Watch and Act message issued by Country Fire Authority for Panton Hill. A southwest wind change is now impacting the fire area. There is potential for the fire to jump control lines and move towards the Panton Hill area. CFA advises residents and the public in the Panton Hill area to take shelter and continue to stay informed. To be on the road at this time is not the safest option. Those wishing to return to the Panton Hill area are advised to go to family or friends, away from the fire area. If this is not possible, the Eltham Relief centre is now open at Eltham Community Centre, 801 Main Road, Eltham. Please be advised that residents are currnetly not under any threat. Continue to monitor conditions as the situation may change at any time. If driving, slow down and turn on your headlights; smoke will make it difficult to see. Dawson Road is open to local traffic only. The next update is expected by 15/01/14 6:30 PM or as the situation changes.

I heard the same thing yesterday, I think I went something like this... How on earth do you justify leaving your kids in the car on a 43 degree day!

I didn't sleep at all and I feel like crap today. Didnt drop below 28 all night. Hate summer in this country with a passion. I only got a few hours sleep as well but for some reason I'm surrounded by people who have ducted aircon so I'm not getting much sympathy at work :p When it comes to weather this hot I would move back to WA in a heart beat to have the reliable fremantle doctor come through every afternoon

Stay safe Kirislin. Unfortunately the forest areas that were affected by the black Saturday fires have barely been touched since and are now filled with dead wood. Luckily the CFA seem to be on their toes, the 14 hectare fire in kangaroo ground yesterday afternoon was attended by 5 water bombers. It's still 'Not yet under control' but doesn't seem to be moving quickly. Hopefully it's under control before the winds pick up

Our dogs seemed fine when I checked on them early but when my OH got home 20 minutes ago Sarah had thrown up a couple more times He's wet her down and put her on her bed with the fan directed at her but she's still panting a lot. He's giving our vet a call to see if they have any more suggestions. I'm concerned that the constant change from hot to cold is putting unnecessary stress on her but I don't know what else to do. It's hard to know how much she's drinking because she's not generally a big drinker, she did have a bit when I got home and took an ice-cream container of water out of the fridge. Turns out a work mate's housemate has a couple of portable refrigerated aircon units he's planning to sell. Hoping to pick one of those up tonight

How do you ban two specific dogs and what are you banning them from? Should we send them to NSW :p . I think my cousin was a little clearer when she said she hoped they got put down. From what I understand the girl did not live at the same residence as the dogs - she was wandering alone and her mother didn't know where she was, this is apparently not the first time this has happened for that household. The police got involved in that case so hopefully Mum got a stern warning.

Not only good for dogs :)

Ok I officially died last night. First summer ever in my entire life where I've not been living in a brick house. Oh Brick how I miss thee! I'm on a solution finding mission today, need to call bunnings and see if they have any portable aircon units, if that fails then it's a call to masters to get them to put aside a misting fan. And I don't even care that my OH wears glasses, it's mostly for sleeping and I figure he doesn't need to see at night :p We do actually have a wall aircon unit in the living area but as we can't shut off that part of the house it did absolutely jack last night Doggies are suffering as well, I heard one of them vomit about 4 in the morning, not sure why, they both seem fine otherwise. They got hosed down before leaving this morning, today I'll be heading home around 10.30 to check on them and OH is taking half the day off to stay with them this afternoon. We'll probably end up swapping afternoon shifts for the rest of the week. ...did I mention I miss brick

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/2022872/three-year-old-sparks-vicious-dog-attack-in-wendouree/?cs=61 I have family that live across the road from where this happened who witnessed the attack. Interestingly my cousin said the dogs looked like two ridge-back crosses as opposed to staffy crosses as mentioned in the article. Although as far as I know she doesn't have too much exposure to dogs and different breeds so as far as I know the truth as always is probably somewhere in the middle. It is frustrating that the media quote inflammatory statements made in the heat of the moment like "I believe these dogs should be banned, especially when you see them do something like that." Considering the dogs were by all account cross breeds, then how does anyone hope to ban them?

Really? Both my parents (as well as me) have lived in WA and VIC, my Dad has volunteered in various fire authority roles for a long time, and he was the one that initially mentioned it to me. Currently he's the CBFCO (Chief Bush Fire Control Officer) in the shire of Denmark and managed the volunteer brigades for the bush fire that was down there last week. The natural bush is very different and a lot denser and taller in VIC, especially around the areas where the black Saturday fires hit. Mountain Ash is especially well known for burning very hot for very long.

You should hopefully have plenty of warning if a fire is heading in your direction and can leave work early to get them (unless it starts locally). Might be a good time to introduce yourself and the pups to your neighbours as well, I can't imagine they won't help out just because you haven't been there long.