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Topics - +four+leaf+clover+

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Anything Non-Dog Related / pets versus babies
« on: August 13, 2008, 08:32:37 pm »
Just wondering how many, if any, of you have ever decided to get a new puppy instead of having another (human) baby?  This seems to be a phenomenon of some kind, but maybe I'm wrong.  I don't mean loving or treating your pets as kids if you would have got them anyway, but I mean a conscious decision to have one instead of the other as a clucky cure (and did it work?).

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Anything Non-Dog Related / Need kitten help
« on: August 04, 2008, 08:48:35 pm »
We are due to get a kitten this Saturday and I need help !  Being a dog person, I am not overly familiar with the practicalities of small cats in my house.  I'm a bit freaking out.  No one else seems to be worrying about it (because they all go off somewhere during the day!) but I need some tips on kitten-proofing the house.  The biggest thing I need advice on is how do I hygienically (for the rest of the place) contain it when I go out, or at night (so it can go to the toilet and have a place to rest)?  I can't just lock it in the bathroom because it'd jump all over the toothbrushes and surfaces with its icky little kitty-litter feet.  Know what I mean?  Is there some clever and easy thing I can build or re-cycle?  It's not really going to be a house cat, but it's still winter here, and until it gets older I need to probably have it inside all the time. Help BPOers!

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Setter Discussions & Pictures / black skin spots
« on: July 23, 2008, 09:49:21 pm »
My male Irish, Brannigan, is pretty old (11 1/2) and he has been getting more black spots (coin size) on the insides of his back legs for some time now.  Is it an age thing?  Anyone know?

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Collars, crates, & other cool things / Great leather leads from IKEA !
« on: July 01, 2008, 09:56:21 pm »
A while back I was checking out new leads for my big boy, Brannigan (because Tilly - our new young female had chewed through  his old purple and very groovy lead) but every nice, good quality leather lead was mega-bucks!  (Pushing a hundred dollars!)  Anyway, on a visit to IKEA (love those free pencils) I spied a lead/collar set for about twenty bucks!  I don't use the collar on either of them, their old ones are fine, but the lead is SO NICE!  It must be bridle leather because it is supple and about that thickness and quality -  and it is all one piece with nice stitching on the sides and heavy duty hook thing at the end.  I want to get another (so I can chuck out the Two Dollar Shop lead and the Shrek the Third lead - don't ask! -).  I can't see why this would only be available in Australia because their range is world-wide, so if you have an IKEA .. check them  out!  (P.S.  Plus it's not made in China.)

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Setter Discussions & Pictures / My setter is a floozy
« on: April 06, 2008, 10:36:13 pm »
My husband, a former dog-hater, now lies on the couch with my youngest Irish Setter, Tilly,  lying on top of him getting licked!  I never would believe it!  For years he has only just tolerated my poor, big boy, Brannigan (admittedly he has had a very faecal history..) but the minute this canine bimbo arrives in our house it's like some nauseating display of teenage puppy love!!  It's not like she has not had her share of 'problems', too (like repeatedly escaping and costing us megabucks to improve the fencing)I don't get it.  I just don't get it!! :o :D

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Articles / helpful alternative vet articles
« on: February 13, 2008, 04:51:36 pm »
I thought some of you may be interested in checking out this useful site.  It is by a vet, but she does alternative treatments and has written some interesting articles.
http://www.claremiddle.com/articles.htm

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Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience / What about dog whistles?
« on: October 24, 2007, 07:21:30 pm »
One of my Irish Setters, a female with a lot of field blood in her, likes to bark at night at possums.  I was thinking about trying to train her not to do this using a 'silent' dog whistle since I don't want to be yelling at her to shut up or recalling her at two o'clock in the morning and waking up my neighbours.  Do people still use whistles to train dogs nowadays?  Any advice or tips about any of this would be helpful.

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Food Discussion & Information / Raw beef liver
« on: September 23, 2007, 03:15:42 am »
What  is going to happen when I feed my dogs raw beef liver?  They won't get diarrhoea, will they?  I was surprised at how cheap the stuff actually is - about 80 cents Australian for about 270g - and I know it's full of pretty good stuff.  But is it OK to feed raw?  Or should it be cooked (I don't fancy doing that, having memories of the bad smell it produces)?

I thought I might feed them some just once each week if all goes well ...!

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Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience / TANDEM WALKING
« on: September 13, 2007, 06:57:04 am »
Got any tips about how to walk two dogs at once by the same person?

I'm new to this, but I am putting my 10 year old Irish setter dog on the outside on an extended choke chain, then my new 3 year old Irish setter female on the inside and clipping the ends of their choke chains to the one lead.  Which seems to be OK apart from the fact that to try and jerk the lead to heel them affects her more than him.  I've tried a shorter connection with him but they are always colliding and stepping on each other's ginormous feet.  I don't really fancy having two leads since I know it would annoy me and get all twisted .. but is that a better way?  They also travel in front of me more like this which is not a proper heel, I know, but I'm finding it a bit straining on my left arm and hand to always jerk, stop and correct. 

Any advice and tips or tricks would be much appreciated!

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Introduce Yourself to the Forum / newbie
« on: September 11, 2007, 07:14:00 am »
Hi, I live in WA (ie Western Australia not Washington)and I have two Irish setters.  Only one probably qualifies as a large dog - he's about 37 inches and about 36kg.  I guess he is at the top end the standard would prefer for his breed (his name is Brannigan and he's 10).  My other setter is 3 and she is a rescue dog and her name is Tilly and she's tiny weeny, so she's completely at the other end of the spectrum!  (I've only had her for two weeks.) I'm an artist.  I think I'll take some nice photos of them soon.

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