muddy bob

I just had to add that our little BC Stevie had a very brittle coat. I never thought any thing of it until he got some bald spots after we had him for a couple of years. I had his thyroid tested and now that he is on treatment for a low thyroid his coat is now soft and his bald patches have grown in. Low thyroid is usually a problem in older dogs but Stevie was eight months when we got him.

As some one whose older brother had a form of autism I can tell you what a harrowing experience it could be for my very young parents to have to go anywhere in public. The stories I could tell you! Really and truly I am surprised we made it to adulthood with a father who did think smacking the hell out of a kid would help us and a severely depressed mother who could sometimes not function. Back then the medical establishment was much more ignorant and liked to blame mothers for just about everything so she carried a lot of blame. My brother died over twenty years ago and my reaction was relief because no more assholes with no sympathy whatsoever for the disabled could ever hurt him again. Life is cruel isn't it? I am sorry your dog got hurt. I would also have been upset. But what upsets me more is the assumptions many people have about ADD ADHD Bi polar and other disorders. Just because it is overly diagnosed does not mean it it not a real problem. I'm rather sensitive to the subject as you may have noted.

I have met the president and one of the officers of this club at a couple of events in the area. I've also seen a few BCs of members. (I some times stockhandle as a favour to a friend who puts on events at her farm.) Their dogs are definitely not Barbies. Nice dogs with dual registrations. But the poor things have clueless owners and the dogs are frustrated. One of the ladies asked my opinion and I told her she needed to get out of the arena and get a good instructor. I told her of a couple near her but all I heard was excuses why she can't. My theory is that some of these folks have a comfort zone that they just can't step out of. I don't know what the dogs are like in other parts of the country but I've only seen a handful of Barbies here. Oh, that Hob Nob lady is now in our area. An acquaintance of one of my friends is getting one of her pups and the price is astronomical. I just can't believe some one will pay that for a pup. But I suppose I ought not be surprised by anything a title chaser will do if they really believe it will give them an edge. MB

As a gardener and owner of seven dogs I certainly empathize with your poor hubby. Please treat him right. We already know he thinks Solo is stinky so be please be careful of the poor man's roses. He probably knew what he was getting into when he married you. But still a man has a right to his rose garden. MB

Remember that some of our dogs are just too stoic to tell us of their pain. I had a dog with a similar broken upper canine that the vet decided to leave alone. For years it was ok. One day the side of her face swelled up and I knew it was that tooth. Vet number one was an idiot and offered me a diuretic (WTH?). Vet number two informed me that even though there was an angry red swelling on the gum line that it could not be that tooth because canines abscess under the eye not where this swelling was. He did x rays, saw nothing and offered me antibiotics for each time the damn thing recurred. Vet number three looked at the x rays and saw nothing. I asked her to remove the tooth anyway. She did a teeth cleaning and found a different tooth to extract yet she left the bad canine. I got tired of the local vets and drove to Seattle to a vet a friend highly recommended. She took one look at the tooth and said it must come out. The reason the other vets missed this is that the root had rotted to the point that there was nothing of the root left to abscess under the eye. She gave me what little remained of this tooth (it pulled out easily) and suggested I show it to the three vets who never believed me. I never had the nerve. I guess the point of my story is that I thought I would know if and when I had to do something for this tooth because the dog would tell me. The fact that this canine had no root left tells me this poor dog was suffering for some time and I had no clue. I still am troubled by this although it has been years. MB

Ditto on what Diane said. If Roy is too far for you to travel then I suppose you are out of luck because everyone I can recommend is further than that. The next closest one to you would be over the Narrows bridge.

It is the latter. Five one day trials. mb

It is close by and my sig other is judging that weekend so I entered non compete since I'd be there anyway. He won't be judging me. He said there is not enough ink in the pen. MB

I believe that Autumn may also be mistaken about the rep at a trial revoking the registration of a dog because it looked "funny." I do not believe the AKC herding rep has that power. Her job is to see that herding events are run according to the rules. I would be interested to know the specifics of this case that Autumn mentions. I'm wondering if this could have been an ILP dog. I've known of some dubious looking mixes with ILPS. But still that is not within the rep's authority. muddy

I know this does not help with preventing the fights but could be useful in helping break them up. I used to have this problem occaisionally and water did nothing to break them up. A signal horn busted those girls up instantly. I kept several horns stashed in convenient places indoors and out. It prevented us from getting anymore injuries. Christmas day in the ER getting stitches was no fun. MB

Thanks for straightening me out. It was actually a vet who told me that years ago. I do apologise for the misinformation! muddy

I wouldn't worry about it. Roundworms that dogs and cats have are host specific and don't survive in humans. muddy

Do treat your home and yard. Any shampoo will kill the fleas on your dog if left on long enough. Here's a little trick. Apply mineral to your dog's eyes then get him in the tub. Really work the shampoo in good. Right down to the skin. This is not easy and takes time. Don't miss any areas. Get the face! Don't rinse him right away. Put him in a crate and let that stuff sit on him for fifteen minutes or so before rinsing. I have found this to work wonders and I don't have to use nasty insecticidal soap. However, it does nothing to prevent fleas from getting back on which is why you may need another product like Frontline or Advantix. muddy

Katelynne said that inbreeding causes genetic mutations. Please correct me if I am wrong but I'm fairly sure the reason you should not marry your brother is the concern of doubling up on recessive mutations not that it causes the mutations. Just wanted to clarify. muddy

Thank heavens it is over! I would have done it long ago. RIP beautiful Barbaro. muddy

I used to keep my sheep in with the horses with no problem. One day I wanted to allow the sheep into another area to eat some downed fir branches. I opened the gate and they came running right behind my gelding and he nailed one good right in the shoulder. She was three legged for several days and I was very concerned it was broken. The ewe recovered and my horses have been separated from the sheep since. I miss seeing them out together. My gelding is usually so gentle with the sheep and would actually share his grain with them. But I consider it too risky. His natural reaction to being startled from behind could end it for someone. muddy

other half. I'd be more accurate in calling him my better half.

I meant to hit the smiley icon not the one on my first post! muddy

My OH who has had ACDs for years acquired a BC yesterday. The little guy was going to end up in rescue and he said for me to go and get him before that happened. Of course he had to name him something odd - Steve. Well, I think he is in for a treat with his new little pup. muddy

NEVER would I let our dogs be in the yard unattended. Last year some dogs disappeared in a neighboring county. One was even a service dog. We lock the front gate when we leave. We have a dog yard with padlock and in the dog yard are the kennels each with its own padlock. I recently microchipped the dogs just to make me feel better. Same with the horses. ID and padlocked gates. I'm sure someone determined could steal my animals but why would I make it easy for them? muddy

I'm wondering if you will need to harden off those prims before you get them in the ground. It will be spring again someday so I am told. Here's a piccie of some blossoms from last year. Pictures help fill the void until the ground is workable again. muddy

We were hit hard in our part of the county. The first big gust around five on thurs. brought down a tree on the power lines in our pasture. It narrowly missed the barn. All the animals are fine. They got to the tree on the lines last night. I never thought I would be overjoyed to hear a chainsaw at one in the morning. The lines and toppled pole are still down which provide power to the neighbor. She got kind of snotty today, insinuating that if we'd removed those trees before the storm then she'd have power. Oh well. I forget how stressful this is for a lot of people. I refrained from reminding her that no side streets have power not just her. I lived by myself in a cabin for three years without running water or electricity. I loved it. But I guess it's not for everyone. muddy

Me either, Sue. I need a dog that can save my sorry ass. muddy

I took a winter trip to the beach and my dog found a decomposing skate or something. I did not have a crate in that small car. The trip home was cold as we had to leave down the windows due to "Old Smeller" muddy

I can tell you that I know a lot of unhappy Washington Mutual customers. I can only advise you to stay away from Key Bank as you shop around. Credit unions are the best. My credit union is a half hour away but I use the online services regularly and it works out fine. I drive that way every few days or so anyway so I can make my deposits. The one time I had an overdraft they charged $2 to transfer from my savings. muddy