Oh, no reason…
Checked out a 2 day old litter of Standard Poos last weekend. Little brown blobs of life.
Re. grooming, how often do you brush / clip Oscar?
I keep his coat reasonably long but clip around his feet and face every few weeks. Poodles hate having knots in their fur and will pull it out to get rid of them. A brush once a week is enough to keep their coat in good condition. I find a needle brush works best.
Oscar likes being groomed and we have him professionally done a couple of times a year.
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Alrighty. We have a Curly Coated Retriever pup on the way (pics with breeder below). He will be with us for the start of the school hols on July 1 & will be about 4 months by then.
We have a steep learning curve ahead of us between now & then. He will probably be inside when we are home & outside when we are out. Any thoughts on house breaking / toilet training / crate training / obedience etc. very welcome!
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He’s beautiful.
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He’s gorgeous Gnik (will look even more gorgeous with a red collar or harness for walkies 
)
Does he have a name yet?
I don’t really have any tips, apart from whichever way you decide to go about things with your new pup, patience, patience and more patience is required. It can be scary for a puppy being in new environment/family and let them know they are a much loved member of their new family.
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Lots of positive rewards - doesn’t have to be food- pats, ball throwing, big fuss when he does the right thing. Take him outside after he eats & wakes up to do his business- wait till he does… lots of praise again. They’re smart dogs- he’ll learn quickly. Good luck - he’s beautiful! (Must admit I haven’t met a dog who isn’t!!)
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Red on black - good idea.
He’s called Carlos at the moment, which I quite like, so will probably keep it.
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Congratulations!
Carlos suits him well. Look forward to hearing all about his exploits. Lucky boy, he now has a big blitz family 
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Some interesting reading in here
My dear old dog pictured earlier in this thread has been in a fight for his life over the last 2 weeks. It raises two important considerations before thinking about getting a dog. One - they don’t unfortunately live long in the scheme of things - I’ve had him 12 years and whilst that is a fairly good age it just doesn’t seem long enough when facing the thought of losing him. And two - make sure you know the potential costs that having a dog can create. We had to rush him to an after hours vet and didn’t get much change out of $6000 after a 3 day stay there. Insurance won’t really help because once they reach 10, most companies make it difficult to keep them covered and anyway, most companies will try every trick in the book to get out of paying once the ■■■■ hits the fan.
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Hope he is doing better now Mackster
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This!
sigh
Looks just like the one I had 25 years ago.
They’re a lot of work. Too much work for me, as it turned out.
She went out to a farm where I’m told she was much happier.
Toilet training was never an issue, but she needed a lot of walking, if not running. Just so much energy to burn, and she’d get destructive if she didn’t get it.
Also, very protective. She didn’t bite or growl, but would try to push newcomers around and she was quite strong.
Having said all that, she was very trainable.
Just needed more attention than I could give.
Good luck with yours.
Went thru the same angst with my previous dog who at age 13 required surgery costing $5,000.
But he was part of the family, a loyal companion and wonderful friend. I don’t think I could ever overcome guilt if I had said to my dog “I’m having you killed, rather than spend for your medical welfare” My moral obligation to care for a trusting sentient being.
As an aside, the standard of care and attention my dog received from Southpaws hospital in Moorabbin far exceeded anything I have personally experienced when I have stayed in hospital.
,
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Some great pics and stories in this thread! Dogs are the best. I have a little Maltese x Shitzu who I absolutely adore and is great with my little girl who also loves him to bits.
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Beautiful dog Mackster. I hope he is recovering well. You’re right- they never live long enough & vet bills are costly, but the joy, love & happiness they bring throughout those years is immeasurable. Good luck.
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We got a Lab puppy and a mature kelpie x something (Doberman or Rottie perhaps) from the pound about 10 years ago. They have been great friends to us. Now we’ve got a young family, and they have not missed a beat. They are both very good with the kids.
Labs are popular for a good reason. They are so placid and even tempered. I’ve never seen Lenny show any aggression towards another person or animal in his ten years. He can be boisterous with other dogs, who may snarl or bare their teeth at him. He doesn’t understand what is going on and thinks that they are playing. Maybe he’s just not that smart.
I was hesitating about getting a kelpie due to their energetic reputation, but Zimmy was a mature dog when we got her who was already well trained and not the last bit hyper-active. She’s actually quite sedate, and like all Kelpies, super smart.
Lenny and Zimmy the week we got them (2007)
Lenny and Zimmy this morning
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So is pet insurance worth it?
Some people are telling me it is essential.
In my experience you’re much better off putting the money away each month for pet expenses
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