Perry's Mum

Koolies can be trusted to look after their own needs. She is beautiful. Have you asked her if she has seen your ipod? Perry is my first port of call when something like that goes missing - she likes to keep them in her treasure trove.

My first dog was a golden oldie and I only had her for a year but it was a wonderful year. When I lose Perry I am going to only take retired dogs who want a quiet life lazing in the sun, going for short walks by the lake and playing ball and being cuddled. I think there are some great suggestions here. I would especially recommend them for older people like me, new owners of the breed since older dogs make very good teachers, try aged care homes too - many are looking for a quiet resident dog. One of the local ones here has a retired rescue golden retriever, another has two rescued Westies. Someone told me when I was thinking about taking Amber that I would never regret it because an old dog is a good dog, because dogs who are not good dogs do not make it to being old dogs. They were right.

I have passed this all on to my friend - his sister is down here for Easter and she is going to take this in hand when she returns to Brisbane next week.

Thank you all for your comments - the prices you are quoting are pretty much in line with what I am paying in Canberra. I am going to pass a copy of all this to my friend and he is going to get his sister who lives in Brisbane to go with the mother next time they need to see a vet.

Was it an after hours consult??? No it was a standard consult. This woman is in her 90s and adores her dog and I think she is being ripped off. The $120+ was just the consulting fee - she paid extra for tests and medication.

A friend's elderly mother is paying $120+ for a consultation with the cost of tests and meds extra. This is a lot higher than I pay in Canberra. Is she being ripped off or are these standard rates? If it is expensive, can anyone recommend a vet within easy reach of Indooropilly?

We play ball in our lit backyard - Perry is not that keen on walking anyway and the streets around here are not well lit.

I think about Amber, my first dog, every day and she died 8 years ago - she still leaves a big gap in my life.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-death-of-pet-can-hurt-as-much-as-the-loss-of-a-relative/2012/02/21/gIQALXTXcS_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/in-israel-a-battle-to-save-the-ancient-canaan-dog/2012/03/21/gIQA1IQEfS_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/6641428/First-animal-to-get-Local-Hero-Medal

My first rescue dog from ARF 9 years ago cost me the same as any of their others although they warned me they did not know her age and she could be older than she looked. I paid up because I knew she was the dog I wanted and she gave me one of the best years of my life - she was just perfect and although she cost me a lot in vet bills it was nothing compared with the love she gave me. I will only be taking older rescues in future. Now I rescue for Koolie Rescue and we rehome for free to good homes. Often we have to put our own hands in our pockets to pay for desexing, worming, vetwork, etc. but the people who take our "free" dogs far more often than not make ongoing donations to keep the rescue service going and help us in other ways. I think your response to him was very reasoned - people have no idea of the costs involved, I certainly did not until I got involved. There is a need for a big education campaign.

Skyfire is an annual event with lots of fireworks and loud music around Lake Burley Griffin in the middle of the city.

I used Pets at Peace when Amber died and they gave me very caring service - even a discount when they found out she had been a rescue. There is another service here too but I cannot remember the name.

I agree. Perry has a crate but rarely uses it unless she has had too much attention from visitors in which case she goes in and closes the door behind her. I do crate fosters because Perry is never very keen on them but they get the use of the garden for alternate hours during the day and the foster is crated away from Perry at night. They seem pretty happy with it and it is certainly better than their alternative.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/03/16/this-is-pet-abuse/?utm_source=_BPY3iZB8hZX6i4&utm_content=ml60&utm_medium=email

They have very pretty faces and with those long legs they could grow up to be very elegant looking dogs.

I could have had children, just never wanted them. I did have a step son and now have two sort of step grand daughters. I don't dislike all children, just badly behaved and out of control ones. I don't find babies at all interesting and have no desire to cuddle one - i justthink I was looking the other way when maternal instincts were handed out. I don't like puppies either - I mmuch prefer older dogs.

If you had a Koolie you would feel outsmarted by your dog every single day.

To be honest, I think a lot of people lose their tolerance a bit when they get older. My mum is only 64, yet I have noticed that the slightest things now bother her, and she just doesn't have the patience she used to. There'll be kids playing basketball in the apartment garden next door to hers, about 50 meters away, and it will drive her bonkers. I, on the other hand, only notice when she points it out to me. :laugh: She also cannot tolerate children crying in supermarkets, cinemas or planes. The vitriol with which she speaks about these things sometimes quite surprises me. This is the same person who lovingly brought up two children. It is a shame that she was so rude though, LizT. I am 64 and I have to agree with this - it bothers me far more now than it did even 10 years ago.

This applies to me as well. I would have to say parents of badly behaved kids have a lot to answer for - the other day I saw a 5 year old boy pulling his pants down and shitting in the middle of a public park and his mother seemed to think that was quite normal - I don't and I don't like it. I cannot stand the screaming that children are allowed to do nowadays either - it hurts me physically. No way would I want to be seated anywhere near one on a short flight never mind a long haul one.

I just need a farm with cattle which are dog broke now - I will ask around.

If anyone is travelling up to Northern NSW with their dogs they may be interested in the cattle herding workshops run by Andrew Martin at Kyogle every other weekend. His weekend clinics cost $150 including barbecue lunches and free camp sites on the property at Kyogle. On other days if he has time and there is sufficient interest he will run 4 hour workshops for handlers and one dog plus $20 for any additional dogs and this also includes free barbecue lunch and soft drinks. Andrew caters to beginners, intermediate and advanced. If you are interested contact him on 0427268995. Andrew is prepared to travel to anywhere for a group of 12 people if we can find a suitable property. If you are interested in doing such a workshop around Canberra or know of a suitable property, please contact me.

Perry starts barking 5 minutes before the parcel postman arrives - he does not like her so she does not like him and is convinced he is a bad man and I must be warned of his arrival. He comes at different times every day and the days he is going to someone else in the street but not to our house she does not bark. She also goes and hides when the dog wash man is coming 5 minutes before he arrives - he does not come at a regular time or day either. She is also always waiting by the front door for the cleaning lady to arrive, no matter which day she comes, when normally she would be outside in the back garden at that time. When she was in hospital for 6 weeks recently Perry did not go anywhere near the front door.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatpicturegalleries/9084124/Britains-most-celebrated-dogs.html Greyfriars Bobbie cannot have been made up - I grew up totally believing in that story. They left out Bedgellert - another dog who now appears to have been mde up but whom I totally believed in when I was a child.