dogbesotted

actually i find these photos offensive and upsetting. While as a sheep and goat person i understand the need to control the wild dog population i feel these kinds of pictures celebrate killing... i wrote to our local paper over the same kind of photos splashed over their front page.. Helen

yes he is fine and was very very happy when his owner arrived to take him home. On the other hand she says that it is wonderful to be hearing the full chorus of maremmas barking and that she did not think she would ever say that LOL H

Dibbles was found today 15k from home. he is now reunited with his family and very much relieved. H

this and is she getting some supplements like glucosamine, fish oils etc??? Helen

ooh what a lovely littl lassie she is too. i have found that constant change of food offered helps.. and if it is cooked/ warmed also seems to help. My Lucinda started eating after nearly a week when i offered hermy tasmanian salmon stirfry.. so i bought more for her next meal and alli got was a withering look which i suspect was meant to turn me into a lump of coal or worse. shewould eat chicken sausages, lamb gourmet sausages, prime beef mince.. cooked. sometimes BBQ chicken .. Good Luck i know what you are going thru.. Blessings to you both on this journey Helem

sorry to hear this Pockets.. they are never ever with us long enough.. but the memories are forever Blessings helen

LOST: MAREMMA LIVESTOCK GUARDIAN DOG - from Longford Victoria (near the Esso Gas Plant) "Dibbles" - must have ran off in all the thunder and lightening in the last storm we had here when we were out.. he was gone when we got home from town... he is usually so steady in storms, they never phase him...:-( I guess he is still missing his mate Razzo..(who we lost to snake bite last week) :-( we have looked all over our farm and asked all neighbours, contacted pound etc. so if any locals see or hear of a large white dog roaming and lost, he's ours :-( thanks posted on bahalf od a friend.. if sighted please contact me DOGBESOTTED

welcoem all of you. As others have said it is early days yet.. relax, let the big fellah settle and take his time to get comfortable in his new surrounds.. i had to smile over the BBQ chickens.. one of my rehomes a very elderly maremma ( Hairy Beary)would eat only BBQ chicken for the first month... i thought we were going to need to live on vegemite sandwiches if he kept it up.. but he settled in well eventually but still has a major weakness for BBQ chook. BTW what is your boys Name???? He is a lucky dog to have found a caring and loving home cheers helen

while doing my pre-warm up warm up yesterday i met the lovliest well mannered personable little manchester terrier and her owner, spent a pleasant minute or two meeting and greeting . Have never seen one before and thankfully did not ask if she was a miniature doberman :D what a charming breed H

ditto for the maremmas..... Helen

something like that would certainly make me feel less than comfortable. i suspect the guy would not have come to your door if he had evil intentions but nonethe less i would be reasonably cautious for a while. another reason desexing is such a good thing.. Helen

So thenyou diagnised on behaviour/health issues not appearance?? M appearance and health issues were highly evident and for another a sudden change in behaviour activity etc was the marker.. all tested very low for T4. I imagine growth and development abnormalities belong well and truely in the conjenital and juvenile box. good luck h

all my dogs were foster or rescue dogs.. thyroid problems developed later in age h

" Congenital secondary hypothyroidism (associated with disproportionate dwarfism, lethargy, gait abnormalities, and constipation) due to TSH or TRH deficiency has been documented in a family of Giant Schnauzers and in a young Boxer.7 " http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/bell/index.php http://www.newmanveterinary.com/Hypothyroid.html helpful info here. I have had svereal maremmas develop thyroid disease. H

I am sorry to hear this news.. I will light an candle for both your pups.. I belonged to a DCM group some years ago.. i was allowed to join as my pitbull Jake had been diagnosed and the Dobe folks made him an honorary Dobe for the rest of his life.I felt honoured and deeply grateful for their wonderful efforts to educate me and help. I am sure you know all this already ... Cardiomyopathy is a major disease of Dobes..in fact Dobermans are over 40% of those diagnosed.Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Doberman Pinschers is an autosomal dominant inherited disease http://dobermannnsw.homestead.com/healthissues.html . There is now gene testing for this disease USA http://www.vetgen.com/canine-dcm.html Australia:http://www.animalnetwork.com.au/tests/index.php?breedid=48

sigh.. i loved the panting Big dogs = loud panting LOL. Looked like a few had been in water perhaps .. wonderful.. H

i know this is in canada but it is a lovely and unique idea.. http://www.mourninglights.com/pets/bruzer.html h

aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! H

will post wednesday.. helen

in fact this may acutally be reinforcing the behaviour.. as the dog gets a 'treat" in response H

before anything else i would have a full thyroid panel done on the dog..I recommend hemopet carrying out the analysis http://www.hemopet.org/ http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-BEHV-THYROID.HTM a full panel consists of the following: It measures T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3, T4 anti-bodies and T3 anti- bodies. IMHO rehoming is not an option. but i would definitely want to rule out thyroid issues cheers helen

Dylan reminds me of our first dog ,Brian Custard O'Doggle, he was delightful. but heaven help you if you approached the stairs. You could go up but never down. many a time we needed to 'rescue' the milk delivery man in the wee small hours of the morning as he would forget to leave the milk on the bottom stairs. BCO'D would lurk under the stairs.. mind you he would also collect bread delivered around the neighbourhood as well.. that was back in the day when dogs were dogs and owned the neighbourhood LOL helen

another to the vet... these are not inconsequential changes in behaviour... H

please do tell more...... H

After my jake passed ...i was distraught and could not even return to my usual bed... eventually after about 3 weeks i did and that night i dreamed that he came pattering into the room,and stood for a while beside my bed as was his wont.. waitiong for me to pat the bed and say up Jake. It was so real i could smell his fresh sunny dog smell. i patted the bed and invited him up and i felt him jump up and snuggle.. gave his little snorty sounds of contentment and a nuzzle and he was gome.. was it a dream or did he come to say he was ok??? H