piperspal

We recently took on a 7 year old male Pomeranian who was being rehomed. He’s a beautiful little dog and doesn’t have the issues we expected after conversations with the previous owner, but my current dilemma is his coat. He’s not going to be shown or anything like that, and while I love his fuzzy coat and often tell him he’s got his pyjamas on, it is coming into summer and it will get hot. We live in Alice Springs, so I’m talking up to 47 sometimes. He will be in air con, but unless I don’t let him out of the house while the sun is up, he’s going to feel the heat. Already we are at 35+. He’s got tiles, evaporative air con and split systems to stay cool, as well as a cool mat. But he’s already panting running around the house. I took him to local groomers and asked them to thin his coat, but I couldn’t tell a difference when I picked him up. I had a poodle for 15 years, and due to being on acerage she got ‘shorn’ on a regular basis to stop grass seeds etc being an issue. My concern is, if I clipper him short, and the undercoat doesn’t grow back, does it lead to other issues? Ie is it like ingrown hairs or does it just not grow? We have 4 dogs, so having to leave him out of anything we do (except walking, I know he can’t do that but the other little dog is older as well so they stay home) will just stress him out more. in reality, I’m less concerned about him looking cute than I am about him overheating just by being a dog. Had anyone clipped short and regretted it later?

Thanks guys. Apparently she missed my text back last night saying it was fine to come over, and didn't want to intrude while all the drama of the funeral is going on. I did talk to the plan c guy, and he has said he will come and give her a hand if required. They know each other so all good there. She came down today and it went pretty well, only one meltdown by the dog when my friend went to pick up one of her toys. Otherwise she was accepting pats (coming up for them by herself) and taking treats. So it went better. Worst case, they take the pup to one of there houses (we got him Friday before all this went down) and they can access the house through the side door and throw food out the window at her until we get back. Looking to be gone 6 days so it should work. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the replies. We do have a small dog pen that she could stay in at a pinch, or the other alternative is a chain and runner. Not fussed on that one as I worry about the pup getting caught in the chain. She hasn't had her kennel cough vacc so a kennel is out, it's too short a time. My usual house sitter is working in Darwin, so that's out. I spoke to a friend who said she can do it, she was supposed to come over today to start getting her used to her coming and going, and didn't show. If she doesn't come tomorrow I will go to plan b, not 100% what that is at the moment. If the friend doesn't end up doing it, I will ask another squint acne who is actually a retired dog trainer, he has ( or his dog does rather) national titles in obedience. He's not in town at the moment for me to ask tho, he should be back in the next couple of days tho. One of the reasons I'm not too worried if the first friend doesn't do it is she has already said she will bring her dogs down. I've told her not too, but I know she will. Aside from the fact it will just inflame the whole situation, she takes her dogs everywhere, alice is rife with parvo at the moment and I don't want it here. I think I will just ask this other guy and see what he says, have him as backup.

Hubby and I need to go to a funeral in the next couple of weeks, currently waiting on time and place information. I now need to have someone come in and look after the animals while gone (not just dogs). The issue is the outside dog (Myf) is what I would describe as fear reactive. No issues with us, or any of the animals. She gets walked daily and very quiet on lead, no issues there. However her go-to reaction if she gets unsure is fear and aggression. She takes days to warm to someone new, and seems to have moments when she has a brain fart and suddenly remembers that the person patting her is someone new and she doesn't know if she should like them. Especially tall men with deeper voices. We live rural, so she doesn't necessarily see lots of new people, but we haven't had any other dogs with this issue either, it seems to be her default setting. Apparently her mother was very similar. I'm going to ask a friend to come and check the animals daily, and feed etc, but not sure how they will go. The problem is if she can't get in the house yard, the other dogs, cat and fish won't get fed. I think that it can work if my friend doesn't try and dominate Myf, just baby her along with lots of treat, but wanted to see if there is something I can give her other than a sedative to take her anxiety levels down? Is there a additive that she can have in her food that will help her settle? I have been working with her by getting strangers (to her) to come and have a good experience with her, and she has settled quite a bit, but it's just shitty timing now and I need to up the pressure. I don't want to undo all the work we have done. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know, I'm guessing that we have around a week to get her comfortable with the visitor.

At the moment he is being managed through painkilles as he seems to get a lot of trigger points in the leg on that side, hes much happy since he started on those while we work out the best way foreward. The hip doesnt dislocate or anything tho, just has a wonky ball in it. Poor dog, even the vets were shattered he now has this after all his cyst dramas.

Bugger, thanks Rappie. It makes sense about the fit. This poor dog cant take a trick.....

Took my 2 and a bit year old male rotty into the vets on Friday as I was concerned he had hip dyspasia (yes this is the same dog who had the cyst). He was showing signs of pain, he wasnt stretching that leg out, he still doesnt cock his leg to toilet, muscling was different, etc etc. After x-rays, his right hip is picture perfect, however his left appears to have an issue with the ball in the joint. It appears the growth plate has been affected by something, and in one place hasnt gown correctly. He actually has a flat area on the ball that encompasses about 40% of the ball. The vet has mentioned a full hip replacement, however I was wondering if it would be better to just replace the ball itself, rather than the whole joint. I would have thought it would be less trauma to the dog, and easier that doing the full area. this of course would depend on the condiution of the socket area, but if that is fine why remove it? Can they replace just the ball joint, does anyone know if this has been done before? cheers and thanks

I live in alice springs, so hot days are the norm around here in summer. I make sure the concrete is wet before I go to work, as well as areas in the shade where they can dig into the cool dirt. They have clam shells as well as water in the shade, and we dont do anything once it gets past 7am, until around 6pm. The dogs handle it pretty well, and I do similar to the chooks. The horse is a whole other ball game.

So they are buying the house because their daughter loves the cat? How can she love it when it's not her's, and what happens when she decides she doesn't love it? They sound like they spoil her rotten. I can see the poor animal ending up in a shelter pretty quick when they actually get to know the cats personality and it's not what they have imagined it would be, especially with different people around it.

I recently had a couple of months off on holidays, then the Sunday afternoon immediately before I was due to go back to work , we had a massive fight between 2 of my dogs which resulted in them both being put down. I had full intentions of showing up for work the next day and just keeping my head down and laying low while there, but a number of people told me not to go in until Tuesday. Best thing I ever did. I rang my boss first thing on the Monday, said I'm not going to be in and why, and she was fine with that. One of my friends/ neighbours works on the same department and she went and saw my boss and explained what had happened anyway. I just put in for compassionate leave, and it was approved immediately. My boss actually said that I am one of the few people who had never used that option until then, I have been with them 15 years. I think it's up to the boss, and what the persons emotional state is like, the work load and work particulars would be a consideration as well. You wouldn't want someone serving customers who was obviously upset, etc.

Fruck - he looks like he will be built like a f******* truck :laugh:

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/cava-poo-chon-is-new-poodle-spaniel-bichon-mix-designed-to-keep-its-cute-puppy-face/story-fngwib2y-1226764865865 The dog is cute though, I will give them that.

I walk 5 dogs, ranging from tiny to pretty big. I have found that how my dogs react to the others has a big bearing on the behaviour of other dogs. If mine start to get excited, the other dogs will arc up more, if mine keep walking and take very little notice its nowhere near as bad. I intend to take them out this afternoon, and I know it will be a tougher walk than normal as I have not taken them out for a couple of weeks, so they will be full of themselves and the other dogs will have gotten out of the habit (for want of a better word) of us going past. We live rural, so there are a lot of dogs, some nice some not so nice, not all behind fence with closed gates. I also carry a piece of poly pipe that I can use if required, whether it be on mine or someone elses.

I bought one off Ebay for my old dog who was just too heavy to pick up and couldnt jump down either as his legs would give way. Mine is aluminium, weight is about 6-7kgs, and it sits neatly across the back of the storage area in the captiva. Love it, although I made it a bit heavier by screwing rubber mats onto it as I found the surface just wasnt grippy enough for the old dog. My only complaint is that it rattles, so I just pack it with towels to stop that.

I purchased a purebred pup in October last year, and have paid out close to $15k since for a condition which is considered to be genetic, although not heard of in his breed. We have had it surgically fixed, and that should be the end of it, but I dont blame the breeder at all. None of the other pups have had anything like it, or any issues at all. Its just a rare freaky thing that happened. However, the bitch (mum) has a trait of killing the pups when they are born, and I wandered if it could have happened in other pups and she took care of it early? We will never know as they dont breed from her anymore due to her killing the babies. But I still wonder. The breeder still asks how our guy is and I know he feels bad about all the issues we have had with him, but thats also part of owning a dog. They are a living entity, constantly changing and renewing thier cells, things can and do happen.

I have very little tolerance for dogs rushing out at me, mainly because I am walking 5 dogs at a time (yea all mine) and its bloody difficult having to control them and fend off anything else. I reported one dog on out normal route, a male pitbull who had rushed us a couple of times but always pulled up when I yelled at him. He was only a young dog, I would say less than 12 months, but getting braver every time. The final straw was when we had walked past where he lived, were about 200 meters up the road and he came around behind me and had a go at my oldest dog, who was 11 and full of arthritis. (My old dog beat the crap out of him, but thats irrelevent)I reported it to the council, who went and spoke to the owners. Turned out this dog had a history of this, and had actually gotten out of its yard one day and killed another dog. Now when I see it, its locked up (usually) and the owners have put a lot of training into it. However I still carry a pience of poly pipe around 2 1/2 foot long with dowel in one end. If he does comeo out (or any of hte other dogs out that way) they will cop a flogging with the hose, and if the owner of the dog wants to say anything about it, they might cop one as well!!! So sick of my dogs being under control and having to deal with idiots who think because its a rural area, they can let thier dogs run free.

If they just let them off tonight, I wouldnt mind as much, but this will go on for months. I sincerely hope this is the last year they can do this, Due to some accident happening. I have had friends have to destroy horses who were stabled so they would be safe. I have had my house set on fire due to the neighbours stupidity. Its absolute stupidity to let untrained people have exlosions!!! Rant over lol

There is some serious money going up in sparks tonigjt. The big dog has finally passed out, the others are upset but not too bad, the littlest munchkin is shaking like a leaf

Just a friendly reminder for those of us in the NT, today is the day morons are allowed to legally buy fireworks and let them off. So make sure your furry friends are safe for the night pls. I for one, will be camping in the shed with the dogs, one will be doped up on sedatives for at least the next few days, as no-one just uses thier fireworks on the day they should be......

I started mine off with taking them one at a time into the pen, on a lead. Once they were showing little interest in the chooks, they were allowed to come in off lead, but still only one at a time. It helps that the chooks tend to put the dogs back in thier place pretty often. Now all the dogs come in together, no issues. i still have to keep an eye on one young dog with the chooks, as he tends to get a bit in thier face, but they dont care. He had a minor meltdown yesterday when one flew up and used him as a perch.

If its a stress thing, maybe a calmative in his food over a eriod of weeks to reset the dopamine? levels in his brain?

Milo has a habit of having to wipe his face on anything cloth (carpet, rug, bed, couch) after he has had ameal, but only if its a wet one. Dry food doesnt get the same response. he is also a grunter, so it sounds like a little piggy getting around some days. He also doesnt like anyone but me sitting on his bean bag, he will get on top of them and stare them down until they move, or go around teh back and start pushing at them.

So sorry to hear this, he was a favourite of mine with his little antics. hugs....

Zoomies at our place are apparently anywhere there is sand. We have 5 acres and there are a couple of piles where brickies sand or the slightly coarser stuff has been dumped by the previous owner. Take the dogs anywhere near there and it turns into a I'm-the-king-of-the-castle game with zoomies thrown in. The little dogs do zoomies inside after a bath, so i have to close everything off prior to getting them wet or they end up on the bed cutting laps.

Happy birthday to Mina, and congratulation to you as well Nekbet, for being her human for the last 10 years.