Tuesday: I agree, i find my 3 cats very theraputic. A hard days work and come home and sit for a while with one of them on my lap, no TV on , no radio on, jsut me and one of my cats, bliss

WatfordFC: I truely do not know of any that will just do it for free,which is a shame.My nieghbor just made the comment that she wanted to take a stray female in to get fixed but just can't afford it.So,because a vet will not donate their time,she will probably keep reproducing.
I must say that we bougth Damien..I had hubby talked into buying him and then going to a shelter to get a second dog but the kennel owner talked him out of it (AUGH!!!!) We DID make sure to get him though from a reputable breeder..I did a crap load of research in general but also on him,and the kennel.Their are so many animals that need help,still wish we would get a pound puppy.

WatfordFC: The best you can probably find in this country is a lower-cost vet who may help out of charity, that and a lot of cities offer cheaper vet services...For ALL animals sake I wish people here would volunteer their time at a "real" animal shelter, it has changed me for life, I will never, ever "buy" a pet again, not with so many thousands sitting there waiting to be exterminated, a mutt, a stray, or an older animal has just as much love (if not more) to give...but sadly, in America, we always seem to want what we perceive as the "best" for ourselves instead of looking at the bigger picture

anastasia: Not sure if you have it over there, but here, if you have a cat or dog, and you dont want them to have kittens or puppies they offer free neutering and spade service, which i think is an excellent idea.

Not sure how acurate this is now because this stat is from about 10 years ago so I'm sure the numbers are now higher...but 10 years ago to give every cat in the US a home...each person (not family...each PERSON) would have to take in 21 cats and 7 dogs....that would mean a family of 4 would have to take in 84 cats and 28 dogs.Breeding can be done if it is done RESPONSIBLY...letting your animals slip out and opps,your pregnant is not a way to go about it.If all the unwanted pregnancies alone were avoided,imagine how many less unwanted there would be.I think a big problem is also when the "newness" of the pup or kitten wear off of most people and the animals get into their "terrible 2's" they just give up and get rid of the animal.

srnity: Ya it is sad how many are put down each year. The shelter for homeless animals here near me turns down at least 40 kitties a day. That is soo sad.

Tuesday Arent cats kool? Once youve been around cats you notice how different they all are and what personalities they have. Like kids!

Tuesday: I grew up in a major city on the east coast where I spent some time volunteering at the SPCA - they had to "put down" forty-thousand animals a year on average because of over-population - every animal I have ever shared a home with has been fixed because of what I saw there - when you think about getting a pet, please think about adoption, they REALLY need you

Tuesday: If everyone did as you and got their cats fixed when they got them and if possible kept them indoors we wouldnt have the big problem with wild cats. It's such a shame to see wild cats in the city, breeding disease etc. The over population is sooo high here. If I could take them all in I would.

anastasia: Animals are soo intelligent. They can sense danger or even the slightest changed in temperature before we can. I say animals are smarter n most people!!!

Tuesday: I love the dog whisperer!!!! He is awesome! I have been reading alot about energy and it all says the same thing,the animals respond to energy,good or bad.And people say animals are stupid,what do they know!?!

Tuesday: I read an article about him not long ago. Pretty amazing stuff eh?

Tuesday: This is what I got off Wikipedia. I often call my husband a cat whisperer because of how cats react to him. The meanest ornary cats will curl up at his feet and purr and want a belly rub
(Nice to see you back BTW!)

A horse whisperer is a horse trainer who adopts a sympathetic view of the motives, needs, and desires of the horse, based on modern equine psychology. The term goes back to the early nineteenth century when an Irish horseman, Daniel Sullivan, made a name for himself in England by rehabilitating horses that had become vicious and intractable due to abuse or accidental trauma. He kept his methods secret, but people who managed to observe him noticed that he would stand face to face with the troubled horse. They seemed to think that he must be saying something to the horse in a way the horse could understand and accept because the horses were quickly gentled by his mysterious techniques. His techniques were passed over to Willis J. Powell, who learned them well and traveled widely in the New World to help the most seriously traumatized horses. His fame spread, and more and more people sought help from him. He wrote his own book and later cooperated with John Solomon Rarey. Rarey was protective of the tradition he had thus learned, and in early versions of his own book did not reveal how the most severely traumatized horses were salvaged by the methods originated by Sullivan and passed to him by Powell. He did, however, always give Powell full credit for his methods of gentling horses. Finally he became convinced that it was better to reveal the secret method to the world than to risk its loss. That method is fairly faithfully represented in the novel and motion picture The Horse Whisperer.

The first horse whisperer is thought to have been Xenophon. Today, numerous trainers and clinicians call themselves horse whisperers, often building on the work of Daniel Sullivan, Willis J. Powell, and John Solomon Rarey in the 1850s. The early twentieth centuries exponents of securing the horse's cooperation by kindness include Tom Dorrance, and somewhat later Ray Hunt.

BerniceC: After Tuesday hits the lotto,she can bring you over on a nice cruise ship!!!

Tuesday: Bear would hate to fly LOL....took him to a place called Magnetic Island just of our main coast on a massive big catemeran(sp) and he hated every minute of it....he was petrified of the noise of the engines:(....we had to sit on an outer deck and keep him muzzled....poor wee fella....I could have cried for him.

well my place would be good on account of I cant afford the fares to Ameeeerica ROFL

Howdy Doody Miss Toos=Dee....missed ya ....explanations needed..hehe
My life is changing greatly as I gather yours has....keep me informed....(((HUGS)))

BerniceC: Oh wow..Damien would have a BLAST at the beach! We are planning a trip down to Hilton Head S.Carolina sometime next year and can't WAIT for him to see the ocean!! he loves water so much! I use to get Patch ice cream for his birthday and then a HUGH basket of stuff for Christmas.I'm sure it will be the same for this little guy.Well,not little anymore,he's already over 70 pounds!

BerniceC: Bet Bear did have a lovely time at the beach! Punkin got new toys and her favorite snacks, and then Daddy told her Happy Birthday on the phone!! She can't figure out how he got in that phone....LOL!!

anastasia: I took Bear out for lunch hahahaha....a friend and I had fish and chips at the beach and Bear chased the seagulls....he had such a lovely time and then we walked the beach and found some lovely shells....Bear hates the beach - water...he cant understand why it keeps running in and out ROFL....we had a lovely day. I bought him a squeaky toy for his birthday and he hates it ROFL....maybe he will get used to it....sure hope so....What did Punkin get for her Birthday Dolittle???

Well,we ahve decided that after he finishes his advanced training in Oct that he will start the very next week down at the kennal where we bought him in tracking and shutzhund training.Only levals 1 and 2 of the shutzhund though,leval 3 is prtection and I don't want him in that part of it.

BerniceC: I love birthdays!!!

Niki: awwww! puppy!!!!!!

BerniceC: Thanks my dear, and Happy Birthday to Bear from Punkin!

Happy birthday you lil darling, from Bear
...one for each year

Niki: To die for Kiki, soooooo cute


Mine, mine, mine lol

Our new pup, Swift, is coming home in 6 weeks !!
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/Niki_turtle/Swift_4wks/DSC00424.jpg

anastasia: She's a house (I live in a flat) cat and when the hot weather was here she escaped and didn't come home for 3 weeks now her belly is growing

heavenlyemma: awww....did you breed her? you'll have to show pics when they get here!!!

anastasia: Guess what, it looks like my cat Star is prego for the first time I can't wait.

He is learing his "park it" command,which is where he learns to go onto a rug and settle down.Or If I just need him out from under my feet.His heeling is doing GREAT! He is now heeling off lead and matching me step for step.I walk,he walks,I jog,he jogs,I stop he stops,all while maintaining eye contact with me!

Thhis week was actually kind of boring..needed but boring,lol..He is learning to stand form the sitting position..all he wants to to eat your fingers off to get the food.He never has learned the meaning of the "soft mouth". He is doing VERY well when people come into the house.I take him out of the room and them walk him in,make him sit and wait and then walk him a bit closer..Takes a few minutes but he has to elarn that you don't bark and carry on like a fool when someone comes in.He met a 2 year old female german shepard down at the park and ADORED her! He gave her his tummy!! And then tried to mount her lol...boys will be boys I suppose.He is only 6 months old and is bigger then her and outweights her by about 5 pounds.
Anywho...my little boy is doing awesome!

Signs of Overheating and How to Respond
Watch all dogs for symptoms of heatstroke, such as restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid heartbeat, fever, vomiting, and lack of coordination. If a dog shows any of these symptoms, get him or her into the shade immediately and call animal control or the police (if the dog is not your companion) or your veterinarian (if the dog is your companion). Lower the animal’s body temperature gradually by providing water to drink; applying a cold towel or ice pack to the dog’s head, neck, and chest; or immersing the dog in lukewarm (not cold) water.

Dolittle:

Rose: smartie!!

Dolittle: Gezhundheit! lol

Niki:Musta meant my Shih Tzu!!LOL

WatfordFC: LMAO.. cockers docile ?? I'd have said 'nutty' was more appropriate !! :-D

Niki: I love books!! Read ALL that you can get your hands on about that specific breed! Talk to your vet too,they are WONDERFUL advice givers!

Niki: Cocker spaniels are absolutely fantastic, they are so docile and have such wonderful temprements..