What pets do you have?

[imported_kier]

Thought it was about time we had a new "getting to know you" type question.

So - I'm the proud owner of two 6mth old puppies. My first pets of any kind.

Tui -Border Collie/Black Lab cross
Weka - Border Collie/Huntaway cross

Both energetic and intelligent - excellent pets, although they were both bred to be working dogs.

 

[Cronulla_Mania]

I have a cat my whole life, first one died about 7 years ago, twas a half persian

Currently have another half persian that has blown out to a full version. I tend to blame its skill in knocking over the cracker box and feeding herself stupid before the stupid owners can work what she is doing

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[Bomber]

I have a three-year old dog called CHIEF

His parents were pure-breeds - kelpie mother and german short-hair pointer dad.

Turning three in November (21 in dog years - big party planned!)

 

[imported_midas]

Having had a Golden Labrador for 15 years and then a Beagle for14 years,I decided that was it in the pet department.
My son then bought a Golden Retriever on the grounds that it was his sole responsibility.
This worked fine for 3 months until the Boy Wonder announced he was moving into a home unit with his lady love and,naturally,pets were,nt allowed.
So now yours truly (aka Mr Stupid) has the task of looking after the Retriever and ,gawd,is it a high-maintenance breed.

 

[ozbash]

foxie bitch-tig and her daughter who is part foxy and part jack russell-esse
2 female tabbys/mouse catchers-spit and wilky
2 gold fish
3 bulls
1 x breed heifer
and i look after 300 cows for the boss.

keir, weka would be worth a lot of money if it was any good on stock.

 

[CyberKev]

Ozbash

Love your cat happy snaps, but I'm a bit concerned by the "girls" photo given that there are only two living objects in it and you're one of 'em

The Foxie brings back nice, albeit hazy memories. When I was a wee lad a Foxie (named Tiger) was the first pet I ever owned. Used to follow me half way to school of a morning and meet me half way upon my return. I've never had that sort of fuss made about my arrival since... The best thing about dogs as pets is that they don't stand on rank and ceremony, and you can be revered just for being you (even if you're a mere primary schooler). As is sometimes the fickle way of fate, I woke one morning and he was gone. Every day after I would always reach that halfway point to home and look hopefully (even years later), but to no avail. Its funny that I should mention this here, as I haven't thought of him in years...

I once also owned a budgie (one of the talking variety) who ended-up chucking a hearty one morning having been terrorised by a wayward carpet python who decided to lodge in our house one stormy night.

Severalmoggies later, we now have two budgies and a pair of pedigree ragdoll cats. We went pedigree because they were supposed to be full-on indoor cats and we were (at the time) living in a small unit. Sod me sideways if they don't whine to get out whenever they can, but that's the way the violet crumbles.

CyberKev

 

[imported_kier]

Ozbash - I think both dogs would be good with stock - although we've no intention of using them as such.

Tui is strange, in looks he's a lab, but put him near sheep and he behaves exactly as an eye dog (which is what his mother was) he also never barks.

Weka would only be of use with cattle - she barks, just as a huntaway would, but she's fearless and follows commands.

I was also interested if anyone hear had seen the "Dog Listener" TV programmes? I know they were on tv in GB and NZ. My wife and I have used the technique with our dogs and the results have been astounding imho.......it's all based on used non-verbal signals to establish you as the alphas in the "dog pack". Really interesting stuff.

Cyber Kev - stories like that fill me with dread! As I said, these are the first pets I've owned and I have no real idea how I would cope if one went missing.

 

[CyberKev]

Kier

Good thing I didn't mention my dear old Ginger Moggie, Rusty, who used to follow me around like a pup. He hadn't been well for awhile (Vet said he was ageing prematurely, as some cats do) and I came home one night to find him going through a final series of convulsions. I said his name and went to pat him and (for the first and last time in his life) he hissed and snarled at me, before realisation broke through the pain haze and he just looked at me pleadingly in the hope that I could rectify things. Alas I'm pretty much useless when it comes to complete shutdowns of feline nervous systems, but in retrospect it was nice to be there in the final minutes so he didn't have to die alone.

That's life in the emergency breakdown lane, mate. Eventually a pet will have to die on you and its bloody depressing, but -- as the old maxim goes -- it is indeed better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

CyberKev

 

[ozbash]

i can hear the derisive cackling coming from nelson and canberra now... its true tho, i am a cow whisperer !
i can make a cow do anything i want with a look or head shake..its true.

yesterday i had about 50 of the beasts standing up on top of a hill, not anting to move so i imatated the noise of an angry bull and they fair flew off the hill.

cyberial, that was the wrong pic, i am leaving my place of employment tomorrow and i will actually miss that little heifer (#288) and a couple of her little mates. when i,m milking she comes into the shed for a scratch and a cuddle and will not move till she gets one (scratch and cuddle ! ).
cows are funny creatures,super smart.unlike sheep.

kier, an eye dog is a sight to behold, intense power. i like watching dog trials.
i quite believe you about the "alpha dog"thing. it would be quite an interesting theory i should think

 

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[imported_kier]

Cyberkev - I think for me it's more of a worry about them getting out onto the road or running off.........old age I think I could (just about) cope with.

Ozbash - the theory is based on the idea that the hieracy of the pack is set )and constantly re-set)at certain crucial points, the most important being feeding and meeting after an absence.

At these two points it's important that you act like an "alpha" and that you are consistent. After seperation from your dog you ignore it when you meet it again. No eye contact, no words or sounds, if the the dog tries to jump up onto you you gently push it away (no eye contact or sounds whilst doing so). Only when the dog is sure you're in charge do you acknowledge it (this can be as short as one minute once the dog is used to the situation) and you can thenbe as friendly as you want.

When feeding the dog always eat something in view of the dog right before you give the dog his food, it only has to be a biscuit/piece of bread. Alphas ALWAYS eat first, subservient pack members have to wait - now our dogs will not eat until we tell them to now, even if the bowl is on the floor!

It may sound a like a bit of new age hokum but, imho it's an amazing system - and very simple - we've had people asking how/where we "trained" out dogs - and the answer is.......we haven't. If a dog believes you are its' leader it will do as you say!

 

[imported_Evilgrrrrrrrrrrowler]

Sheba - Dobermann.

Brutus - Son of Sheba. Dumb as a post and lucky to be alive.

Jessie - Border Collie.

 

[dubby]

two cockatiels; birdbrain and featherhead

 

[Jedda_B]

2 Cats - Sironen (Big Red Tabby), and Blackie (stray I picked up never intending to keep!)

1 Rabbit - Jedda (supposed to be a Dwarf Cross - probably with a Flemish Giant, she's huge)

2 Mice - Rick and Jilly, rescued from work, no offspring produced "Thankfully!"

Would like to own a dog but living in a rented house in the city kind of limits the number of animals I should own, probably pushing it now as it is!

 

[imported_Brook]

I have one little white furball (maltese) called spider but sadly my parents have custody of him at the moment - they're planning on moving to queensland and taking him with them but they'll have a fight on their hands if i can get into a house first!! He's great though, I've always been more of a big dog person but spiders all heart, the biggest problem I have is trying to convince him its not a good idea to take on german shepherds. Until recently I had a siamese fighting fish called Balin as my sole live-in pet but he's in fishy heaven so now its just me and the lorikeets who live on my balcony (I know you're not supposed to feed wild birds but these ones come to my kitchen window and scream at me until I do.

 

[Benderparma]

I have 2 great danes.

 

[imported_kier]

TWO great danes! Bloody hell - that'd be a lot of Tux biscuits I reckon?

My two dogs are going great - Tui now is a three legged dog though! It seems he had a rare bone/growth disorder so one of his front legs was becoming misformed. We had the leg taken off and within 5 minutes of getting back from the vets he was galloping around - he doesn't miss it at all.

Weka often goes to work with me at the school - she'll sit under my desk during lessons - the kids love her.

We also have two cats - Uno (one eyed) and Ruben - both strays that we've taken in and two horses - Buddy and Murphy

 

[Benderparma]

Actually, you would be surprised at just how little the Great Danes eat compared to their size.It is sad that your dog lost its leg. Our previous great dane had cancer and one option was to amputate its leg. In the end we decided to put it down. Because she was so big and active (for a dane) It was going to cause her too much pain to walk around with only 3 legs. It was a very sad day, though!

 

[imported_kier]

I was concerned about the amputation - but it hasn't affected his quality of life at all. He can run, jump fences and balances on two legs while he pees (bloody funny when you see it)!

That said - he was less than one year old when it happened and he is less than the quarter of the size of a dane. It turns out he isn't part labrador - but pointer/collie - and as a result he's a lanky - not chunky.