Lasareina

We were just on Fraser last week a bit further down from Happy Valley and saw plenty if dingos. They were pretty bold but never came closer than about 20m to the camp site at night. We had a few youngsters that appeared to be playing with my partner with bowing and jumping around etc. we were very careful about following all the guidelines with fishing etc etc and didn't go anywhere alone. On the last day we were there another group started camping next to us, and I was sure something bad was going to happen with them... Letting their kids run up and down the beach alone in the dark with dingos only 100m away, and the kids burying one of them up to his neck in the sand, at dusk, while a dingo looked on in interest! The fishers in the group didn't appear to be disposing of their fish remains properly. They were also allowing their kids to swim at dusk in an area with at least 6 visible strong rips, in an area where swimming is not encouraged because of the high number of sharks! It's people like this who think they can ignore all the information provided and carry on however they please who become headlines. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

what a gorgeous dog - she looks very keen to get to work!

I'm not experienced enough to offer any advice Terri just wanted to say that I think you are doing a great job so far, and not to be too hard on yourself. I sometimes read/watch amazing stuff that more experienced owners are doing with their dogs in terms of training, agility etc etc and I can't imagine ever being that competent :laugh: You are obviously putting in the effort, are willing to learn and have the best intentions for Didi so you should be giving yourself a pat on the back, not feeling guilty. I hope everything works out ok :)

I love the happy face when runnign towards the guy with the treat ... great dog to file, all that hair and floppy ears made it even more dramatic :laugh:

I got a couple of kyjen backpacks of amazon which are really cheap in comparison to a lot of the know brands. They seem pretty well made and sturdy, and the dogs didn't complain too much :laugh: we haven't really used them very much yet though. hopefully this like works... kyjen backpack

my puppies (not sure which one it was... Hunter always looks guilty, but I'm convince Juno is just setting him up) went through a period of about a month is which they stole and destroyed every bra I owned. I eventually (eventually!!) managed to remember to keep them out of reach lol. Glad they got over that particular phase fairly quickly, it could have been expensive!

I read this the other day and thought it was great. Had to laugh when I visited mum yesterday and her wolfhound cross jumped up, and wrapped her front legs around me to give me her customary hug... I don't think anyone gave her the memo that dogs don't like to be hugged :laugh:

awesome story - a population of 10 is really cutting it fine!! I think I'll be watching that movie :)

so cute!

sorry nothing constructive to add, but just want to post how much I love that "sturdy but portable" description! :laugh:

yeah sounds good ... I'll pm you :)

I am happy to give it a crack if you like :)

Thanks for that link Danois, I've wondered where to find the big ones like they have at the dog parks...pretty good price also

oh wow ... obviously a LOT of trust for his trainer! what a clever doggie

Hah yeah I have always talked to the dogs but find myslef talking to random object like the fridge etc as I go about my day. I think it is hereditary... i always thought mum was nuts when she did it, and now I am turning into her haha My family all think I'm a bit ridiculous with how i talk to the dogs, but i think they appreciate it! I had one of my pet sitting clients with a rescue dog that used to be used for breeding in a puppy farm. The dog was always very anxious, and the lady was getting to the end of her tether. She ended up getting a "pet psychic" to find out what was wrong (interesting option!) The psychic told the owner that the dog was scared of being abandoned, and never knew if the owner was going to come back when she went out to work etc. The owner was instructed that she needed to make sure she told the dog the schedule of the day, and when she would be home so that the dog wouldn't worry. Apparently, this made a huge difference, and it was part of the instructions while I was looking after the dog that i had to let her know i would be back in the afternoon etc etc :) From what I recall, Little Gifts had a similar experience with her Tempeh, worked for her too (hence Tempeh gets told all about the plans for the day :) ) It was so interesting hearing her talk about it... and great to see an owner willing to go to those lengths to try and help their dog. Gave me chills listening to her talk about it actually ... she also mentioned that there were spirits from some of her previous dogs who were buried in the back garden, protecting the home.

Our lifestyle has definitely changed now that we have the pups, but like others here, we try to take them with us as much as possible. We really enjoy camping so this is no issue for us. When we can't take them with us (such as next week when we go to Fraser Island - 10 days with no puppy kisses ), I usually get my sister to come and stay at my place. If she was unavailable, I would find a pet sitter I could trust. I actually run a pet sitting service myself, and find that the majority of the time, the owners are much more stressed and worried by being away from the dogs that the dogs are :laugh: This is especially true when there is more than one dog at the home... they are always super excited to see me, but are usually quite happy to go back to their own devices once they have been feed, walked and cuddled. There are some dogs which require more time and attention, and this is when staying in the home with them becomes necessary. A lot of these dogs actually do better with a pet sitter moving into the house for the weekend and following their familiar routines, in their familiar environment, then by uprooting their lives and going off to a kennel. Having said that, I am always glad when my sister can look after the pups... while I know that there are pet sitters out there who would take the time and care to look after my 'babies' the way I do, I have also heard some horror stories from clients. It would be very nerve wracking trying to find a good one, and entrusting the dogs to their care for the first time.

i get a bit worried about all these huge increases people are posting about ... mine only went up by about 5 cents this year, but my dogs are both you (18 months). Are the people experiencing the spikes in premiums insuring older dogs? Something to look forward to I guess :-/ Maybe by the time the dogs are getting older I will be rich

Hah yeah I have always talked to the dogs but find myslef talking to random object like the fridge etc as I go about my day. I think it is hereditary... i always thought mum was nuts when she did it, and now I am turning into her haha My family all think I'm a bit ridiculous with how i talk to the dogs, but i think they appreciate it! I had one of my pet sitting clients with a rescue dog that used to be used for breeding in a puppy farm. The dog was always very anxious, and the lady was getting to the end of her tether. She ended up getting a "pet psychic" to find out what was wrong (interesting option!) The psychic told the owner that the dog was scared of being abandoned, and never knew if the owner was going to come back when she went out to work etc. The owner was instructed that she needed to make sure she told the dog the schedule of the day, and when she would be home so that the dog wouldn't worry. Apparently, this made a huge difference, and it was part of the instructions while I was looking after the dog that i had to let her know i would be back in the afternoon etc etc :)

I am with Bow Wow Meow ... I have only had one claim with them so far (thank god!) and I was pretty satisfied with the process. There was a little bit of a delay as my vet apparently hadn't put enough description on the invoice. It took a little while to get sorted out, as apparently the vet clinic wasn't very good at replying to the requests from BWM, or having the actual vet ring them back etc. I have 2 18 m/o staffies on the comprehensive accident and illness plan and it is just under $50 a month for the two of them.

haha you will have to make a couple more if you want your Schnauzer to have any chance at one... I don't think that little poodle is giving up her spot one that one! :laugh: I'm definitely going to have a crack... how hard can it be :p

Thanks Little Gifts... I will check it out!

done ... not sure how useful my responses will be though!

The problem for those of us that aren't lucky enough to live on acreage is that if you want you dog to be able to stretch their legs and have a good run, you are limited in options if you don't consider the dog parks. Most people at our park are generally pretty good. I feel the benefits for us ( with 2 staffies that love to run and chase balls, and a normal house block) will usually outweigh the risks... you just judge each situation when you get there. That said, if I had a smaller, less hardy breed of dog, the risk might go up and outweigh the benefits.

Wow that's a great idea for the bed ... I reckon even I could probably manage one of those! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah our two were never supposed to sleep in the bed either... I was away for a couple of days pet sitting and I came back to find that the OH had let them in... and that was the end of that! We really need a king bed lol... it's not too bad in winter but two hot blooded staffies in the bed in summer isn't much fun! I just got some new coats from The Wolf's Den on suggestion from a few people in the staffy thread ... they are hand made and you send your measurements in when you place the order so they will fit. I also have quite a bit of trouble finding coats big enough around the chest and neck, that don't drag on the ground from being too long :laugh: I find hoodies or coats with the zip along the back like the wolf den ones are the only ones that really stay on them as well :)