Whats The Most 'out There' Thing You Have Done

[lilypily]

You know the kind of things your non doggy family and friends think your just crazy for doing?

My girl seems to be getting some arthritis and is having trouble jumping up on my bed. She sleeps in bed with me everynight so on the weekend i'm off to Bunnings and i'm going to make a ramp to put off the end of the bed. I was worried about 'grip' but I have some carpet offcuts that i'll nail on. My family think I am nuts

My old boy refused to walk on tiles and polished floor boards. We moved to a house that was ALL tiles and polished floorboards. I ended up buying a heap of cheap floor runner mats just so the dog was happy. It looked a bit funny But my boy was happy.

[NZVizsla]

Where to start..

With my eldest dog I've spent thousands on vet consultations, medication, and surgery. She's ten now and wasn't expected to live past a year.

I'd say around 10-12K. I've been prepared to 'let her go' and made arrangements with the vet, but later that night or the next morning she is a-ok, or at least suffering a lot less. I've had three animals added in to assist with my greiving for when she goes. What a joke!

I'd say buying a big car when I really only wanted a small one is a bit 'out there' to my friends. Buying a house is next on the list

House size is irrelevant, but backyard is very relevant. :D

I've cancelled many things and missed some fantastic opportunities because of them - offered a chance to work with wolf biologists in Alaska etc.

Ahhhh well.

[Kelly_Louise]

Hmmm, let me see... I spent over $10k having Chloe's 2 knees operated on (which was my wedding money). Not only that, she spent about 9 months in recovery, I used up all my holidays, leave and spare time caring for her... you would even find me curled up on her bed with her at 4am in the middle of winter when she was struggling and we spent almost 24/7 by her side. Then when she was diagnosed with Cushings disease a couple years later - I've spent many more thousands, a mountain of worry and grief, and the specialist has become like a family member

I copped more flak than I can tell you - from everyone - but Chloe is still with us, still happy, and was worth every bit of effort and $ over the last few years. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat if I had to.

She's my heart baby.

There's not much I wouldn't do for my girls. They are very special to me, so I couldn't care less what people think is strange or whatever. I actually feel sorry for people that have never had a four legged best friend... they have no idea what they're missing out on.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Kelly_Louise

[Kelly_Louise]

I've cancelled many things and missed some fantastic opportunities because of them - offered a chance to work with wolf biologists in Alaska etc.

Ahhhh well.

I bet if you had the opportunity again, you'd do the same thing... and not bat an eyelid

Me too

[~JoLu~]

- Insisted that we need to put a patio up because Jonty didn't have any shade outside

- Insisted that I needed a bigger car 'cause it was distracting to drive with Jonty on the back seat of my Pulsar licking my ear

- Insisted Jonty needed a friend - enter Lulu :D

- Insisted the dogs don't have enough room in the backyard, now that there are two of them, so we need to move - hello 5 acres

- Planning the new house, which will be on stumps, I've insisted that there is a ramp at the rear of the house rather than stairs, so the doggies can have easy access well into their old age.

- Taken time off work for emergency vet appointments, left "important" meetings when they escaped - luckily I have an understanding workplace.

Oh and I'm not that insistent - just very, very persuasive

[BigDaz]

Apart from Vet bills.

- Bought them their own heater for winter.

- Bought them their own air conditioner for summer.

- Bought a wagon to make it easier for all.

- Took 2 weeks off to mind them when they were desexed.

- Took 3 weeks off to look after one when she had elbow operation.

- The only holidays I have now are to dog friendly places.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

How about buying a house? I was paying a mortgage on a pet friendly apartment when I adopted a rescue Italian Greyhound. To say it was a disaster was an understatement. I went through the emotional wringer, initially I tried to return him to the shelter within the trial period and they refused to take him back. I tried to rehome him but he was so abused, noone wanted him.

And so, I moved 40 mins away from my life of 10 years or so and all my friends, and bought the smallest house in an outer suburb.

My friends called him the $300,000 dog .....

And finally, he was happy!

[corvus]

I work with animal lovers. They don't think I'm weird. :D

But I think doggy daycare was pushing it for some of my non-work friends and family.

[LuvMyCav]

I just want to say you're all wonderful! :D

[WoofnHoof]

Drove from Toowoomba (QLD) to Sydney for expensive liver shunt surgery, according to many non-animal people that is crazy :D

[Get Whippet]

It never ends does it.... but we happily do it regardless :D

Just a few things:

- bought a king size bed (I live alone) so my dogs had more room on the bed. It's funny no matter how uncomfortable I am or how little of the blanket I have I will still not move the dogs, as long as they are comfortable.

- hired a handy man to build a ramp because my old man had trouble with stairs

- making the two hour round trip each week to take my old man to the chiropractor

- permanently given up my seat on the lounge so the dogs have more room to stretch out. Did have a beanbag until they seconded that too.

- organise a day off work when the lawnmower man comes over so the dogs can come inside and not have to listen to the loud noise of the mower.

- have multiple heaters in Winter so we can all share

And probably the 2 most 'out there' things:

- traded in my dream car (V8 ute) for a more practical 4WD because the whippets are not 'back of the ute' type of dogs

- refused to go to hospital when I had pnuemonia... saying to the doctor as he was calling for an ambulance "Sorry, I have to get home to my dogs now"

Edited January 8, 2010 by Get Whippet

[Tilly]

I haven't done anything like already mentioned. I can't say I have done anything "out there" but my neighbour will say they think I am a little strange when I was following our rottie around the front yard with a rubber glove and a little sterile bottle to catch a pee sample.

There is also the time that the rottie was brought home from the vet after sedation and was desperate for a pee but was too wobbly on his feet to lift his leg without falling over. So there I was out the front of the house with one arm around his chest, and my knee supporting his body and I was holding up his leg for him so he could pee. Of course people had to walk past at the time and were looking at me very strangely.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Tilly

[harley]

Thanks for the laugh Tilly :D

[tdierikx]

I don't go on holidays because the only place I trust to look after my dogs costs more than my own holiday...

I don't go out with friends much because I foster for rescue, and my little charges need their playtime and socialisation time every day... that one ticks off the boss when she wants to get us all out for drinks after work, etc - not to mention that I'm teetotal and really don't fancy watching my workmates get drunk... *sigh*

I have a low paying job (when I could have a much higher paying one elsewhere) because where I work, everyone understands that my dogs come first, and if I need time off to care for them for any reason, I get it with no hassles... and worst case, I can hook into work from my own computer and do some from home...

My mum has finally accepted that sometimes dogs will chew parts of the house (or shed everywhere), and has stopped nagging me about it when she comes to visit. She has also learned that the "other" couch belongs to the dogs, and that she shouldn't sit on that one unless she wants a 30kg dog on her lap. Last time she visited, she even let one of my fosters sleep with her...

I get up very early and go to bed very late, so that all of my dogs get plenty of exercise and cuddle time due to them being cooped up while I'm at work.

T.

[Jasslyn]

I'd say buying a big car when I really only wanted a small one is a bit 'out there' to my friends. Buying a house is next on the list :D

House size is irrelevant, but backyard is very relevant.

I bought my block of land purely for the yard size. I could build another house in my backyard but I wanted dogs. I accept that I won't have a pretty backyard, because it's their place and they object to pretty things like plants and solar lights.

And yesterday, I bought them this

I wanted something small and cheap but small and cheap meant no room in the boot for crates and dog toys and dog food and dog blankets for when the boys come on holiday with me (they have more luggage than I do). And no room in the backseat for 2 dogs that want to stretch out like it's a couch. So I went for the Corolla which should satisfy us all - small enough to be zippy for me, but big enough to cater for their pampered selves. And the new car was necessary because my old car didn't have A/C anymore and we all suffered terribly at Christmas doing the 5 hour drive to and from my mum's house.

Oh, and my family have come to accept that I do these things for my dogs. My dad came shopping with me when I bought my block of land and told the agents that I needed a big block because "she wants a dog". And then told the sales reps at the car yards to only show me cars with big boots because "she has dogs that have stuff"

[BooBooBear]

I'm so glad that there are other people out there like me that would go to the ends of the earth fo their dogs

I've done the mega-thousands of dollars (over $10,000) at the vet still crying over this one! I've air conditioned our garage should our poochies require it when we are out :D .

I had a friend's mother who had a Rolls Royce because her little dog could get into it easier

Oh and Peter Alexander (Mr Pyjama) put a lift in his apartment for his dog Penny because she had short legs

[Jasslyn]

I should add:

- Spent thousands every year on caring for a dog that had allergies. It took 5 years to find out what was wrong with him, meanwhile I was on austudy and spending more on his care than on my own.

- In the process of finding out what was wrong with him, cooking him stews every few days with friendly foods as that was the only thing that seemed to help his skin. Visitors would say to my dad that the dinner smelled delicious and he'd have to tell them it was the dogs dinner and I would never cook anything like that for him.

- I refused to take a grad job in Canberra because family said my old dog wouldn't cope with the change and I'd have to leave him behind. With his health problems, I didn't think anyone would take him so I turned down the job. He died before I would've had to leave for the job anyway but I don't regret the decision.

- Got A/C installed in this new house for Flynn because he is uncomfortable once the temperature gets over 22 degrees. Quite often I can be found sitting under blankets or wearing a jumper on a 40 degree day because Flynn needs the a/c colder than I want it :D

- Decided that Flynn was lonely and needed more than just I could give him so... got him a brother to play with.

[GoldiesRgr8Poodles2]

My dogs come to work with me... everyday no matte what which is intreesting becasue Isabella the std poodle is really shy and doesnt like half my staff and they dont want to upset her so they cant come near my work station... Luckily Im a dog groomer and own my own salon or I would ahve need a very understanding boss...

My husband quite regularily gets booted off the sofa because my two want to site next to me in line with the air con in summer or snuggle with me in winter which is interesting when your a 30sometihng kg golden retriever and a nearly 20kg leggy std poodle. Thats why we spent $7000 on a 3, 2 and single seater leather lounge suite with an ottoman. Becaue when my mum comes over with her min poo she MUST have her ottoman lol. The 3 seater is for me and the dogs and the 2 seater is for my hubby and the dogs blankets.

We nearly didnt make it to our honeymoon 3 years ago because i was having panic attacks about leaving Rico the goldie for the first time... we got to melbourne and started hiring a car to drive back when I got a call from my best friend who was looking after him saying he was having a wonderful time and so we kept going and didnt come home. every couple of hours I rang my friend though and made her text me pics so I could see him. In his 3 and a half years 7 days is the longest ive been away from him...

I wont go away form more that a weekend (providing that my mum or my bestie can babysit) because I worry about them so much.

Ive switched vet clinics 4 times till this one becasue the dogs didnt like the other vets and now they like this place.

we have had their beds made to fit the area perfectly where they sleep everynight so they maximum room and they sleep in the bedroom. on nicer fabric that I do lol.

i spent $70p/month on medication for nealr 2 years on my poodle to help her anxiety and $60p/session with a dog trainer for her for 12 months. adding up to around $4800. and Id do it again!

Oh and my dogs dont go outside in the yard unless supervised (which is fine casue I love sitting in the yard) becasue of lots of bees and wasps in my area im scared they will eat one and die cause they eat flies lol

plus one of my side gates isnt totally lockable and I alwasy worry someone will open it and let them out lol.

Not quiet as extreme to some people but still to my friends im a nutter.

[Nic oh lah]

There aren't many real doggy people in my circle of freinds, so when I disclose the cost of Eukanuba, or say i can't be there right away - give me 2hours because Sophie needs a walk and a brush-out, people think i'm mad. Thankfully Hubby is on-board - being from a non-doggy background he thought I was going over the top, but now sophie has him whipped and what's best for her happens.

I would say the biggest thing was part of the pre-dog setup was buying a house with a big yard rather than a big house (we have a teeny living room, and like 500sqm of grass for dog), and then spending $2000 fencing the yard, and then sacrificing the carport which is the only car accomodation in putting it behind the fences and that's Sophie's room - haha. And of course way in the future should a little human join our family, we will buy a big 4WD or similar so that the dog can still come everywhere with us.

[poocow]

Spent over $10 000 at the vet, and yes thats just Darcy's fees not including the other two.

Bought a house so they could have a doggy door to come and go from the yard as they please

Traded in my 323 for my lovely dog car - Subaru Forester

Don't go on holidays as theres no one to look after the dogs

Bought them their own lounge, in fact they have their own room when we are not there

Spend all my money on them, I'd rather go hungry than them not have their special diets etc