nancy

First, I agree with the suggestion of a Lupine harness. Or anything. They guarantee their stuff against chewing. And I know it is not for the life of that dog. My brother's third dog in a row chewed - and the item was replaced - at least 30 years after purchase (maybe longer). Second, a crate in the car is not necessary if you have a good harness for the car. One that hooks into the seat belt. Heck, I used similar stuff for our 3 kids back in the 1970s - when car seats were plastic, hung on the back of a seat. and had a plastic steering wheel.If you use a crate, you still have to secure it somehow or the whole thing will fly in an accident. I run the seat belt through the handle of the cat's crate.

Love it!!

So sorry.

Our first border collie mix was Fergie. We named her for a lovely dog we met when we stayed at a B&B on a farm outyside Thrisk (yes, James Herriot had been their vet) in North Yorkshire. That dog was named for Sarah Ferguson - Duchess of York. When we told the vet through whom we adopted the pup, she told us that the family whose dog had the litter had called ours Sarah. But Fergie's full name was Ferguson J. Puppyfrau. Our current border collie mix is Dixie. OK, we are in North Carolina. But it sure was not our choice. However, she was a rescue who had been through too many changes (including time in a pound) in her 7 months that we didn't want to impose a new name on top of it all. Her full name is Dorothea Dixie Cup. We do live a few miles west of the old Dorothea Dix hospital and hers one one of the first biographies I read when I was in 3rd grade (when dinosaurs roamed the earth).

Or taken the dog to a vet?

Ask the vet if it's OK to try both plain un-flavored yogurt and plain canned pumpkin. I haven't know a dog (or cat) who even tries to resist those.

You scared me! I thought this was another version of Sputnik 2. I was in 6th grade when the Soviets put that dog up in the satelite - with no plans to bring her down alive. My now best friend Sandy and I were livid. We started "The Room 6 Weekly" - with our teacher's permission - to write a scathing editorial about that. And equally scathing anti-Soviet editorials each week. We knew that Kruschev was quaking in his boot when our issue came out! BTW, the dog was not named Laika, no matter what you keep hearing. She was a Laika - a Russian huskie breed. She was either Belka (Squirrel) or Strelka (Arrow).

Years ago, when I was getting used to our first BC mix, Fergie, I got specific advice about percentages of protein and fat for a border collie from a wonderful guy named Bill who lived on the border area of Vermont and New Hampshire. I think it was ~21% protein and ~15% fat. I went to PetCo and PetsMart and made a list of every blessed kibble and its percentages. Checked back to find the best choice. Since then I have used only PetsMart's Advantage (their store brand) Lamb & Rice and several Lamb & Rice kibbles from PetCo that start with Nature or Natural (have already recycled the bag from the last purchase). Fergie always got compliments from the vet for her health, weight, coat, and all. Yeah, she did at only 15 - but it was an aggressive cancer. Dixie is now 4-1/2 and gets the same results from the vet. Oh, Fergie had some arthritis - but neither indicated hip displasia. Granted, neither dog ever actually worked. They put up with us, which is enough of a challenge. Four walks a day of ~ 1 mile each, at least. Romping with other dogs whenever possible. Playing hide and seek - with me or with toys. Dealing with Maggie the attack cat.

When Fergie was doing badly, she loved pumpkin and yogurt. Which, of course, Maggie Da Cat tried to steal. We let Ferg have as much as she wanted when she wanted it.

We leave on the 27th for a fortnight in Yorkshire: a week in Hawes, North Yorkshire and a week in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. OK, I'll be honest, we are going for the ales, as usual. And as much hiking as DH can do with a dickey ilia-tibial band in his right thigh. And day trips to the coasts and Heartbeat country. That and Last of the Summer Wine and All Creatures Great and Small are favorites and what got us to this area in the first place. But we would love to see anything related to stock dogs. We have seen a woman training a young dog on one walk - a man and 2 dogs moving a herd of sheep on a number of other walks (different men, dogs, & sheep). We meet lots of folks walking dogs. We have even watch lambs be born in local fields. And helped with bottle lambs at one B&B. But we have never seen an official event. Will there be anything like that in either area when we are there?

Rub in Aspercream (or a generic version), then DMSO. I can guarantee that it helps for joint pain and arthritis. And you won't even have to lie about for whom you'll use the DMSO. Make sure your hands are clean when you start - then wash well after (unless you have arthritis in your hands).

We will be in Hawes from May 28 to June 4 and in Holmfirth from June 4-June 11. Will there be anything related to stock dogs going on there and then? If not, we will just schmooze with local pups every day.

All I have had to do is put some plain yogurt (I make my own and have a stash) or some canned pumpkin on whatever I want either the dog or cat to eat.

Our first dog had ears like that. We called her The Flying Nun.

As one who is hypothyroid, I sure know that it can make your skin dry and flaky. Heck, it can also make my nails sort of peel back. So, with luck, the meds will - eventually - clear that up. Until then, I second (of twelfth?) adding oil to the food. I do that at the noon feeding anyhow. Can't hurt.

Is there a good online source for anti-seizure meds for dogs? Our daughter's 8-year-old hound mix has started having mild seizures. So far, she says Wal-Mart has the best prices for the meds. Evidently, Rosie also has low thyroid and high cholesterol.

I think we have members up in the north of England: Yorkshire, Lancastershire, and such. I hope all are surviving the horrendous flooding I see in the Yorkshire Post, the Darlington Northern Echo, and the Huddersfield Examiner.

I have had depression for yonks. I was hospitalized for it back in the 80s. I was put on various meds - which did nothing for me but sort of numb me. Enough that I was really worried driving to work in the morning. But the "experts" said I should just "deal with that". We didn't even have a dog then. But we did have two cats. Just snuggling with them helped a lot. Do check your thyroid and B12 levels. Low levels of either (or , worse, both) can cause depression. And a TSH level of 5 is not OK not matter what the labs say. - anything over 3 means you need help. Better to get the T3 and T4 levels checked. My TSH can be almost negative, and my T4 can be OK, but my T3 tanks without liothyronine. I also let a 2500mcg B12 tablet dissolve under my tongue after breakfast and at night (high point of my day is when the morning one goes!) The depression meds did no good. Levothyroxine, liothyronine, and B12 do wonders.

We got grit tape to put on the wooden porch steps for Fergie. She could handle the brick step without the grit. We also bought her a harness from Lupine that has the connection to the leash in the middle of the shoulder/back area. so we could give her a lift getting up steps. We also got a baby gate for the stairs. So we could keep her upstairs or downstairs with us.

First, Fergie got into goose poop down at the local pond when she was young. We fought recurring giardia until she died. Thank goodness Dixie has turned her nose up at goose poop. Now, squirrel, deer, or (best of all) cat.... Second, as to "I was surprised because I thought it was one of those 'everyone knows' things, like not eating unidentifiable mushrooms". A relative in Lithuania told me that all mushrooms are edible. Some only once.

Diane is going on our parish prayer network. I would appreciate some information about what her problem is. Only if it's OK with her to share. But the folks at my church really do care and want to be as specific as possible about their prayers.

Laurae, I think your comment is a tad rude. Genonni is doing her best. She loves her dogs and is doing what she thinks is best for them. It makes me think of how I raised our kids. I was not a mother who cried when each went off to kindergarten. I did not get depressed when each went off to college. I am not despondent because they all now have lives of their own. Yes, I am thrilled when they visit - love the fact that they keep in touch online and on the phone. And I don't think that I failed them because I sent them off to be who they needed to be. I felt that my job as a mother was to raise my children to become independent adults who did what they could do best for the sake of the world. No, none of them are missionaries or saints or whatever. But they are using their talents to the best of their abilities to serve where and how they can best. Sometimes, part of truly bonding is knowing how and when to let go.

I sing to Dixie after her bedtime walk. My repertoire is a few simple hymns from when I was in Rainbow Girls, some minstrel show songs from Gramps (Pete the Minstrel Man), or fight songs from high school. One a night. She is the only one who appreciates my singing. Well, Maggie Da Cat seems to hang around to listen.

Dixie drags me down the street when the kids set of fireworks! Then she sits and watches the show. Yes, a very strange dog. Then again, while we are pretty sure she is half border collie, or (adult) kids are convinced she is a lot jackal.

Julie, I guess you missed the part where I said that Fergie would sit and wait for the other dog to greet her. Once she was more than a bouncy puppy, she was always that polite with new dogs. She didn't ever HAVE to greet anyone - she let then decide if they wanted to greet her. I must say that my real point was that I think it a tad rude to take a dog to a really crowded event and expect that no person or dog will come near. Seems to me that the definition of "crowd" is that contact is inevitable. It's why our kids were mostly deprived of theme parks - DH and I are uncomfortable in crowds. So we generally stay where we are comfortable.