So, getting a dog...
 

Here's an image of the last dog I had...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/BJA1981/Loki.jpg
His name was Loki...bit of a mixture of a dog, my mother found him abandoned and we had him for a total of around 8-9 years. Named Loki.
As you'll see from the pics he wasn't exactly a young dog anymore...really great animal though, responded to language without gesture, very smart, had a great personality and liked everyone. Protected smaller animals, and soft toys.
He and I just had a very close connection.
So for anyone who hasn't heard the story already, we sent him to my mothers place so that he could get 6 months to a year of running around the countryside, with other dogs etc, before he got any older and came back to us.
She'd moved there not so long before, relatively rural place...we all thought it was a good idea, but nobody could have known someone has serial baited 40+ animals around there over the four or five years prior, unfortunately, Loki fell victim to this.
I can't say how much this threw me, I've had and lost pets before but nothing in this manner and I hadn't had such a close friendship with any of my animals before, it honestly felt more like losing a brother. This happened over four years ago now, and it's still pretty raw...I've wanted to get another dog because I miss the connection so much, having been with large dogs all my life, then into this period of having no dogs at all...but it's been difficult, I haven't known truly how I'll treat them, I don't want to do nothing but compare, and for one reason or another haven't been able to make the decision to actually pick one up.
What happened to Loki was actually a bit of a catalyst event that's steered me on the study/career path I want to go with at the moment.

So, back at my mothers place...some old guy has a bad stroke...he can still talk and all but movement = not great. He had a female staffordshire terrier, which she thought to take in for him.
She has a large (fed on a larger dogs milk and got a bit...mutant) "smoothe" fox terrier.
Turns out they're both un-desexed and the female has become pregnant.
It would be her third pregnancy so it should go pretty smoothely for her.
I've given what advice I can based on my studies and the information I had on hand...it would appear she is between 6 and 7 weeks in at the moment.
That's a couple of weeks to go, maybe 3 tops.
I have said that I'd like a boy, it just felt as though...I don't know, fates kind of conspired in a funny way to bring new life into the house my dog died in...I love staffys as they're always pretty sweet and human friendly, and the fox terrier is a pretty smart little fellow, I think together they will make a good combination.
Now the mandatory amount of time you would have to wait to SELL these dogs as a shop etc is 6 weeks from birth - I have found during my studies that the actual reason for this is that it's based on an average estimate of when the "slowest" kind of dogs will be able to eat/survive on their own.
Being as it is that I would like to properly socialise him from a young age (I have cats and rats) I will be seeing if it's a possibility to grab him at 4.5 weeks instead which isn't a huge gap and things should be ready by then....if not though, I will wait....
Will be taking him to a dog park regularly, and a long walk every night.

So more than likely within 2 months I'll have a new dog.

I found a picture, took a bit of searching though...it's almost like this cross breed seldom exists or something, but here it is: http://www.petrescue.com.au/view/26336
Not a bad looking dog, and seems to have taken on more staffy attributes.
Should be a very energetic little guy...good, will get me fit again...
Nervous about this I have to say, but yeah, it's something I've been missing like a part of myself pretty badly since the last one...

Anyways, that's me done.

- B.

Man. Really sorry to hear about Loki. I had a black Cocker Spaniel named Jack I rescued from an abusive home. Had him for about 7 years, then he developed Anemia and died from it.
I can relate when you say it felt almost like losing a brother. We got another dog after a while and she's great!!

Good luck with the new member of the family when it arrives. I hope all goes smoothly. If it looks like the one in the pictures, it will be a good looking dog.

Enjoy your new family member Cheeba!

I'd love to get a pet but the pad I'm living at now doesn't allow them.

Seriously what the fuck runs through people's heads that bait animals? Makes me spit blood. My girlfriend's parent's cat fell victim to this recently and it's left a bit of a hole in their family. They had the cat for round 10 years or something and now its gone because some asshole hates cats that much they have to go round poisoning them intentionally. Five minutes alone with a motherfucker like that...

Anyway all the best with the new dog man hope it all works out.

I've heard of people doing it and it's disgusting, but I never thought it would happen to someone I knew. Totally sick and twisted. Did they ever catch the guy?

But on the bright side, all the best with the new addition to the family, I'm sure you'll be great with him.

Thanks, it's all good...still have the occasional dream about him which is kind've sad but believe it or not kind of good as well...

Dogs, I find...are always the worst...our relationship with them is so close and long standing that I think the connection we have is akin to family, we're both predatory animals who's (original) hunting tactics and family structure is remarkably similar - I would think this is part of the reason.
But yeah it's a loss that weighs pretty heavily.

...will never happen but best believe if I knew where he/she was at very least he'd never be able to do it again.

Ongoing investigations..but there's not many cops around there..Rest assured if the township did find out about it, it would be dealt with - farmers and their dogs, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

Thanks, folks - I'll get some pictures of him when he arrives.

- b.

My girl and I just got a puppy a few months ago...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e1...dojo/Ollie.jpg
His name is Ollie.

Cheebs, I've had dogs in my life since I was a baby. Pets can take away stress and love you unconditionally. I think it's great that you chose to adopt. That is a noble thing to do. Enjoy the new pooch. :cool:

Is that a cavalier/spaniel?
Unless it's a breed you have over there I'd say it was crossed with something bigger...body shape is pretty hm, almost strange looking for that particular dog?
Not in a bad way, it's just unusual.

Same, well until the last one...

I don't know, in all honesty I feel like it's more for me...being used to having a canine companion, then not having one, is just not something I can get used to...I've felt wrong for the past few years, so I'm glad to give another a home and a friend and yeah, hopefully it's mutually beneficial.

So bit of an update.
My puppy, whichever one it may be, has been born.
This was the third litter for this particular bitch, and according to my information the birth went through without any complications.
There is 7 puppies all together, all alive and well. 3 of them are dark coloured, the rest are predominately white. I hope I'll be able to get a dark coloured one but really, my selection will be more about the one that comes to me, chooses me so to speak, it's always been the way and I think that it's something kind of profound when this happens...so yeah, we shall see how things play out.
So I'll have him in about 5 weeks now.
Will post pictures of the litter when they become available to me, then later of the puppy his self.

Also sorry for your loss. But either way, hope you enjoy your new friend. On the dream thing, after our cat died, I used to 'see' her like she was still alive. Not like... in a psychotic or hallucination sort of way, I would just turn my head and get a wispy image of a black tail swishing out through the doorway. It's strange having anything that you love be gone, even if you aren't sad anymore. Like just recently, I found a cat hair in a sofa cushion, and it could only be our cat's because she had really distinguishable fur.



Sorry, I took my ADD med today i'm kinda... Focused.

I know the feeling...not quite like being yourself is it...Back "in my day", these kind of drugs were REALLY pushed on teens that were a little different, lacked focus or were easily distracted by their own thoughts and ponderances, or had problems with nazi-like school faculty...and many a mislead parent would try medication as a first step, I've been in the firing line of just about every drug company that drums out this stuff in my time...strangest thing is, when I stopped taking all that shit, and just worked myself out, I more or less "grew out of it" on my own anyways, well the behavioural and destructive side anyways...I'm still a little, ?different? but fuck that, it's who I am.
But yeah, on the plus side if you have study or tests to do, it'll get you through that - just not life.

I've had things like this happen too...can't really specify how it was but yeah almost like there's images of familiarity burnt into your mind...don't even know if when it happened/happens with me if it's my eyes, or my mind playing tricks on me...it's weird.

Thanks, and, thanks.

It's strange, for sure. I definitely need the med for studying and focusing (and for the record, I don't care about anyone's opposition to this drug, and I know there are plenty who say it's useless, phony, whatever. You obviously haven't taken it, or it didn't work for you.) The problem is it turns me into a zombie, where I won't eat or sleep or do ANYTHING other than study, work, organize, stare at the wall. It's nice in some ways because shit really gets done, and fast, but what happens when everything is done and the med hasn't worn off? *stares into space*

He's a AKC pure breed Brittany Spaniel. He was only 2 months old in that pic. He's 6 months now. They were breed for hunting birds(I'm not a hunter). My bitch ex-girlfriend took my heart.. but let me keep the dog.

That is one cool looking dog bro.

They're still pretty young, only just over 2 weeks old now...well between 2-3 anyways. These aren't the best pics, and they're at a stage where they don't quite have their full coat, and they look quite chubby and "compressed" but, here they are:
The males are the two brindle ones and the white-ish one with the "mask" right around it's head/ears - I'll be getting one of these.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4...pies/pups5.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4...pies/pups4.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4...pies/pups3.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4...pies/pups2.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f4...pies/pups1.jpg

Theyre quite large and stocky for their age, I like this.
You can see by the profile of the one looking to the left, that their terrier side has come back out a bit due to the foxterrier X staffyterrier breeding.
I've heard them over the phone, crying and kind of growling...I'll probably actually be picking up mine in a couple of weeks.

- B.

Adorable!.

What a cute pooch!

Have to get rid of my dogs, move into a smaller place, fuck America.

Probably the same sort of people, who are sick of having the guts ripped out of their livestock, by domestic dogs,that are "let" out for a run.

Dogs like that, yeah I understand...probably get left to sleep outside or under the house etc a bit too much...Sounds like that would be some form of acting out through either lack of attention and/or seperation anxiety, perhaps severe lack of food?
I can understand that being a bit annoying though...this is why it's important that responsible dog owners that bother to understand the mentality of the creature, that they consider its intended surroundings and socialise it as such with any and all other animals it's likely to encounter.
For the record, there aren't any stock farms near where the incident occurred, well, and my dog preferred to attack inanimate objects, and things with wheels.

I've had staffie's in the family my whole life, (Not such a stretch coming from Staffordshire myself) they are awesome dogs. Great with people, amazing with children but probably not always so great with other dogs. They're crazy excitable and don't grow up, but they are great dogs to be around and love being around people. Don't know anything about foxterriers, but you can definatley see the staffie in those puppies. Nice pics. :cool:

If there are no real farmers around, it was probably some wanker hobby farmer. Worried about his chickens. Or just some sick prick. And since your dog was so old. It would have been highly unlikely, that he would start attacking stock anyway. But i know how ya feel. I lost a dog, which i owned for about ten years a little while ago. And as much of a pain in the arse he could be. I still miss the mutt. But i'm luckier than you. Mine died of a snake bite. At least i don't have the extra aggravation of some eff wit killing it.

Damn those dogs look cute! I'd have trouble choosing :D

Yeah I think it hits either way...but can't say the knowledge of how it went down helped, no. Couldn't actually bring myself to GET another dog before this...but it seems like it worked out so I should have one so, seems like it's time.

Yeah I know right?
Worse part is, I'll likely be taking a few of them home to live with me for a little bit before they go to their local buyers etc, so I'll probably get attached to all of 'em...guess this is how it happens though eh...can't keep 'em all.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

I'm really sorry to hear about Loki, but congratulations on the newest member of your family. So adorable!