ShesaLikeableBiBear

Thanks for the photo. Hey, King, get well for your mummy soon and then we can have bouncy Dane puppy photos. Tell Mum we want an update tomorrow please.

Hi there and welcome to DOL. Really sorry to hear about your puppy (please may we have a name). The lectide water and food supplement will help. A herbal remedy which may help ease the soreness is Slippery Elm, which your parents could get for you, should be avavilabe at the Chemist. Dose using the syringes which you have. Good luck and hope to hear abour an improvement soon.

We measure their dry food. If we give extras like sardines, chicken wings or a little bit of raw then we cut back a little on the dry

Big it doesnt seem fair to have one taken so young and to another "creature". Thinking of you.

Labsmum what do you mean it will not last my youngest 3 years having had a litter last Oct has now reverted to her previous ways. We have some young lettuce plants in planters on our deck and she has very kindly brought three inside in the last week. She will also bring in pieces of scoria.

Hi and Welcome Suggest that you pop this topic into general discussion, but leave out the name of the kennel as its not done practice. Just mention a German Shepherd, she may be small now but who knows!! Breeders often have a theme for their dogs, a recent one was to take the name of the top fashion houses. Mine have the X factor, e.g. Pure X Citement, Pure N X Treme, Purely X Citing. Thunder, a member of these forums LOVES thinking of names I'm not the best but K------ Miss Divine? Good luck

Mine who is almost six either cocks or just stands there, feet splayed out. When I got my first dog I was told that they will learn to cock their legs when they wet their front legs, this is obviously wrong.

Naahhhh Skyesong, I remember in NZ coming home from working about 45 minutes from where I lived and the engine on my van blew up and had to be towed home.

MaltxBichon would have to be bad, and then a powderpuffxpoodle (Choodle). Havent had to put up with a relief problem yet. Of course I brush every few days and that's why you need to take my hairy monster back with a #10.

Weaning normally commences at three weeks and Mum should stay with them until about 5 weeks. We start on a premium puppy kibble with a little hot water to soften together with premium mince mixed in.

Neither Poodles nor Bichons shed their coats and therefore clipping is essential, regardless of whether or not they brush regularly. If they have no intention of clipping then why purchase a breed that doesnt shed. Quite honestly it would be totally CRUEL not to do so.

Not sure how to pin but yes that's a great idea, I will also re-post "Laddie" Perhaps you could pin and edit?. Welcome. I am Laddie Braveheart, Second Year Resident of the Rainbow Bridge. This is your introduction to the Rainbow Bridge. I have been a resident here for a little over a year and am now a member of the Welcome and Orientation Committee, Shetland Sheepdg and Scottish Breed Division. I have the extreme honor of escorting you to the Scottish Ancrestral Section of the Rainbow Bridge where those of our kind wait. You have already received your Silver Harness, and it looks so good on you. Now, let us begin our journey. As you see there are fields of sheep and cows for the herding dogs, and over there are the lakes, marshes and fields for the hounds and sporting dogs to play. And here are Beau and Sam, the Goldens I lived with -- we visit often, after all we have loved and are waiting for the same Humons. {See ya later, me mates) Oh, look! The agility games are going on. This is one of the newer areas at the Bridge and they have just finished the Rally-O field--this time with the directions for each station written in Dog. All the areas at The Bridge are for all the animals here and we have a lot of fun together. I have even seen some of the cats at the swimming ponds. See that area over there? Where the sun shines bright and warm all the time, and there is a gentle mist for a few hours each day? That is where all the reptiles and amphibians are. They all have nice tree limbs and warm rocks to lounge on. But let's continue onwards. Oh, check out those hedges and trees - that is where the bunnies and the mice, rats, gerbils and ferrets are. I like to come down and watch them play they just have so much fun -the flurry of activity and squeaking for joy when one of their Humes is coming is a treasure. Now watch your step, this is the Large Animal area. Occasionally all the horses, mules, donkeys, even the cows and goats get a little carried away with the Herd Running Game and can give a smaller critter like us quite a surprise as they break the hill at full gallop. Even the pigs and chickens take part. Here, the hills get a little steeper and woods a little thicker. It is so much fun to run full speed, up and down the hills dodging the trees. Here you will see the 'exotic' animals. The tigers and lions and bears and wolves, all the animals thought of as wild but have hearts shared with humans. They, too will cross the Rainbow Bridge with their special person. But our journey carries us still further. You feel the air getting crisper? And look, your coat is fuller and your Silver Harness shines brighter. We are getting close. Now, step carefully we are crossing the Crystal Bridge. Here, the weather is always clear, the snow just the right depth and the tracks are, perfect. Since we have arrived during the afternoon, I can show you some of the activities we have. The Scottish Breeds have many interests and enjoy many different games. I know you are used to having your Humon hook your harness to the car or the lead but your Silver Harness has magic and will hitch to what ever you want. Over here are the sheep right next to the croft which has to be guarded and over there is on the far side of the isle, are the fields of joy, where you can run and play with your friends and share a ball or just laze away the sunny afternoon. And yes, there are a lot of other breeds up here all doing what they do best, even though the Humes arnt there to see you, we all gather around to watch you and enjoy your times as though they were ours. The Sammies are over there herding reindeer, and there are open streams for the Inuits and Greenlands to fish for salmon. The Shelties came up with a great idea that has now become a tradition with all the breeds. Each year during the National Breed Specialty there is a Rainbow Bridge Specialty Show. All the dogs who had show careers and those who just wanted to be a show dog go into the show ring and go around one more time. The Shelties have gotten permission to have visitors from Heaven during that time. Humes who have no dog with them are allowed to come visit and watch the show. Judges and Stewards come and take part. And the old breeders come to see how the breeds are developing and visit with their great-great grandpuppies. All the dogs participating the first time get their Silver Rosette. You see, every dog here is perfect. If you look around you see not only are there warm straw beds to rest on, but houses with soft sofas and fireplaces to just lounge on and swap stories. Many of the residents wait here for the night. That is the time all of the Scottish Breed dogs assemble. Each night a shelties team is formed and they run and play and herd the sheep and the cattle. They can be seen from earth as the Southern Lights and now we are getting members from the Northern, Eastern and Western Hemispheres, and they also run and play sometimes as far as the North Pole of earth, to give them lights too. Each March is a special run. That is when the Iditarod is run on earth and all the dogs who have raced and played and worked together, team up for a special display. Many of them are cheering on their Humes who are racing. Many of them have family members in the fields. It seems the Collies and the Borders work their hardest to make the most spectacular light display. Well, I think you are pretty well acquainted with the Rainbow Bridge both North and South, East and West. There are just a couple of other things you should know. You are able to see your Humes when you miss them most. They may have gotten a new puppy. That is good. It means they have started to heal from the loss they felt when you left. But remember, a part of your heart remained with them to replace the part of their heart they gave to you. Now, occasionally, your Human may be particularly sad and missing you. You are able to send your love to them any time. They will feel your love. It may be as a shadow in the corner of their sight, or the soft sound of your voice, or a gentle breeze caressing their cheek. And it will bring them comfort. And there is one special night, Christmas Eve. All the animals waiting for a special person gather together and send their gift of love to that person. That night we are able to see into that person's home and if the person looks, there is a star shining particularly bright. Just for them from us. Oh, I see the sun is setting and you are looking at all the dogs gathering together. Go, and run, play, run and jump, . It is your night. Godspeed. Another: They should come with a warning label, these creatures. They should come with a label that says you're going to fall hopelessly in love, only to have your heart shattered before you could ever possibly prepare. And then you face one of life's truly wrenching decisions. Which is where I am now. Specifically, as I type these words I am on the back deck of a rented house in Maine surrounded by fields and forest, watching a sleeping golden retriever named Harry drift another day closer to death. He is gorgeous, this dog, with a gray face that shows the wisdom gained from his 10 years on Earth and brown eyes that are the most thoughtful I've ever seen. He is sprawled out on the wood, his blond fur damp from his morning swim and his breathing labored from his disease. And I ponder the question that has dominated my thoughts for weeks: How will I know when the time is right? He arrived in my life nearly a decade ago on one of those storybook Christmas season nights that is too good to ever forget. He was a gift to my wife, and when she opened the box the tears that spilled down her face were those of joy. Women, of course, come and go, but dogs are forever, so when the marriage ended, Harry stayed with me. Since then, we've moved from Boston to Washington, D.C., and back again, fetched maybe a quarter of a million throws, walked, I would wager, over 10 000 miles together. He carried a tennis ball in his mouth for most of them, convinced that anyone who saw him would be duly impressed. And, judging by their reactions, he's right. Throughout, he has shown me sunrises and sunsets that I wouldn't otherwise have seen. He has taught me that snow is a gift, that the ocean is there for swimming, that the coldest winter mornings and the hottest summer days are never as bad as people say. He has introduced me to people, kind people, whom I otherwise wouldn't have met. He has forced me to take time every morning to contemplate the day ahead. With his tail-swishing swagger, he has taught me to slow down, to pause in an Esplanade field or on a Public Garden bench, the journey being as good as the destination. The big ruse, which I think he figured out years ago, was that all these walks were meant for him. He has been an anchor in bad times, a ballast amid occasional uncertainty, a dose of humility when things might be going a little too well. He has been a sanctuary, a confidant, and an occasional excuse. He regards it as his personal mission to make me laugh, whether by a ritualistic dance over a pig s ear or a gushing lick to my face. He's never once said the wrong thing, and it's impossible to be in a bad mood around him. All along, he lives by one simple mantra: Count me in. Anything I'm doing, he wants to do as well, no leash or nagging required. At home, he prefers to lie on the stoop of our condominium building, presiding over the world around him. His time, though, is fleeting, a fact that he's starting to understand. In April, his lifelong veterinarian, Pam Bendock, blinked back tears as she informed me that his stomach pains were caused by lymphoma. Several rounds of chemotherapy failed to do what was hoped. Two weeks ago, I stopped his treatments. These days, he has lost 10 pounds or more and can't keep food inside. He often wakes in the dark before dawn moaning softly in pain. But by daybreak, he is urging me toward the beach or guiding me on another walk, ball in mouth, ready to fetch, albeit slowly. Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit that a dog can change a man, but I'm not. So as the clock winds out on a life well lived, I look back at the lessons learned from this calm and dignified creature, lessons of temperance patience, and compassion that will guide us to the end. And I look into those handsome brown eyes for the sign that the time has come. He'll give it to me, when he's ready. And hard as it will be, we'll both know the journey was better than we could have ever possibly hoped.

Am sure some of you have seen . A Living Love If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life you will always remember.... The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your young new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked numerous opinions of many vets, or done long research in finding a breeder. Or, perhaps in a fleeting moment, you may have just chosen that silly looking mutt in a shelter--simply because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore, and claim its special place in your hall or front room--and when you feel it brush against you for the first time--it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through the many years to come. The second day will occur eight or nine or ten years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you once saw energy. And you will see sleep when you once saw activity. So you will begin to adjust your friend's diet--and you may add a pill or two to her food. And you may feel a growing fear deep within yourself, which bodes of a coming emptiness. And you will feel this uneasy feeling, on and off, until the third day finally arrives. And on this day--if your friend and God have not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own--on behalf of your lifelong friend, and with the guidance of your own deepest Spirit. But whichever way your friend eventually leaves you--you will feel as alone as a single star in the dark night. If you are wise, you will let the tears flow as freely and as often as they must. And if you are typical, you will find that not many in your circle of family or friends will be able to understand your grief, or comfort you. But if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through the many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul--a bit smaller in size than your own--seems to walk with you, at times, during the lonely days to come. And at moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, you may feel something brush against your leg--very very lightly. And looking down at the place where your dear, perhaps dearest, friend used to lay--you will remember those three significant days. The memory will most likely to be painful, and leave an ache in your heart--As time passes the ache will come and go as if it has a life of its own. You will both reject it and embrace it, and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache. But there will be, I assure you, a fourth day when--along with the memory of your pet--and piercing through the heaviness in your heart--there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with each animal we have loved, and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love--like the heavenly scent of a rose that remains after the petals have wilted, this Love will remain and grow--and be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It is the legacy our pets leave us when they go. And it is a gift we may keep with us as long as we live. It is a Love which is ours alone. And until we ourselves leave, perhaps to join our Beloved Pets--it is a Love we will always possess. (by Martin Scot Kosins)

They are Damara sheep (to be crossed with Dorpers) from South Africa. Do a lot better than merino in tihs climate with little or no grass as they graze like goats, they dont need crutching, clipping etc and are bred for meat rather than wool. Being that they are so big, perhaps that's why Jemma doesn't quite know what to do

Both Skye and Jemma had their first training session yesterday, Skye is an absolute star and am really chuffed with her and so were the instructors, she's a natural, whilst Jemma still a little unsure of herself. These are taken from the movie camera and so a little blurred. I need a drivers licence for it The top one is Jemma and the bottom Skye. attachmentid=44641

It would appear that owners are the same wherever, I thought that it was just an NZ thing It appears where I am that you have the dogs clipped over the summer, but its too cold do anything about them over the winter and they are never brushed and then miracles are expected to happen after some 8-10 months. The worst I ever had was a cocker spaniel who I clipped under sedation (it was far kinder on her) and we removed 1 1/2 kilos of coat from her

#7F gives the nicer cut. LOL for practice you are better to use a #5!! you can always take more off but cant put it back on. The lower the number blade the longer the cut. So #5 gives a longer cut than the #7F, #10 is short, show poodles normally done with a #30.

DO NOT use the #10 on their backs, its far too short, tummy ok, use a #7F which will be short enough for the skin problems, once the skin problems clear then you can go to a #5 which is a longer blade. Please feel free to pm if you need any more help or nervous about the first clip!!

Your puppy is considered to be a "Large" Breed Puupy and therefore requires a diet specifically designed to meet the different growth rates of other breeds. Whatever you are feeding you need to ensure that it contains slightly less fat levels, together with a reduced amount of phosphorous and calcium than in other foods but with added glucosmaine and chondroitin. This is why it is a good idea to feed a commercial puppy food specifically for Large Breed puppies. Your pup does not need milk.

Vetadine an iodine based shampoos for non-specific skin conditions which doesnt have to be washed out or left on for any length of time such as malaseb which you need to leave on for 10 minutes.

Play with poop actually my youngest did that as a pup but they grow out of it. Just remembered (brain cells can be a little slow) make your own up. Ask the pharmacist for bay rum, it is what is in men's colognes. They generally have it in bulk but can put it into a smaller bottle for you. Then dilute in a spray bottle with a little water. Nice fresh smell and cheaper than prepared colognes.

Herding Insinct Test/Trial call it whatever, i.e. to see if they had the nouse as it used to be called. Knew that Skye has it in her as she has separated about 20 from a flock of 50 or so when she was a pup (now 8) and herded them. She went well today :cool: . Jemma (3) surprised me, I would have said nervous, but OH says cautious. She took her time but eventually got the idea. She is a differnet dog away from the others . Anyway both passed their instinct test at stage one, and are re-booked for Friday morning. OH took camera but we have all sheep and no dogs , his his a still but will take the DVDcam Friday

There are many out there, including Lustre Aid as mentioned, aristopet have a range including Macho for dogs. The breed which Mrs D and I have dont generally get that typical doggy smell.

You might consider moving this to the Health section where there have been many discussions on shampoos and conditioners. Pretty well all shampoos have to be washed out, those that dont are the Flea and Tick Rinses such as Cotex or Fidos, and Vetadine, an iodine based shampoo for non specific skin conditions. I carry a range of shampoos for my grooming service including the Groomer's Edge range, one in particular which is excellent is Grimenator, for the dirtiest, smelliest dogs. Cotex have some great herbal shampoos such as Coal Tar and Neem Oil. For mine I use either Squirt or Aloveen. Generally speaking short coats such as Labradors, I use a chamois to dry them, but always blow dry the long coated dogs as it both helps get loose hair out and also leaves a "fluffed" up look. How often depends on how dirty they get. Not sure what you mean by "style" unless you are referring to the cross breeds, or poodles and those that generally are clipped.

Just a quick reply to t-time's comment re dropping an end of a flea collar in the vacuum cleaner bag, I read this many many moons ago, :rolleyes: so many I cant remember but it was in one of those handy tip sections of the Australian Women's Weekly. I use Advantix for flea and tick control.