Horsefeathers!

Hope you have a goodly birfday, BK!! :bday:

[quote name='sashagirl']HF, what [b]WERE[/b] you searching for when you found this??? :lol:[/quote] Butt mufflers... why, that's not normal? :o *snicker* [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0XQAWA1gez8zEyI53gkvdtIjFGrZ6KWA5Z341Bn9XnL0jDympNDcs27lIkewgvxqa9FtsX52TEcZLgNUJzDcLG4pT2XDw0IMiqjztaiAnCnT3NFqNH5fM0oo!ei2sZwjCWz24HRddUOI/buttmuff2.gif?dc=4675482547268077305[/img]

[url=http://www.flat-d.com/thong.html]Doggy thongs?[/url] <~~Click :o

Don't sweat it, court. I'm telling ya it's my monitor. This has been a problem for me for quite some time. Some pictures are just more visible than others. It's so bad that when the dude came in to install our cable, he asked me to turn on my computer when it already WAS on. It was just so dark, he couldn't see it until he put his nose nearly right to the screen (which is pretty much the way I have to view it).

Court, even if I copy/paste the url, I still can't see the pictures. I did try, though. They are just too dark for my old dilapidated monitor to pick up clearly. I was just holding out for the "better" ones. :oops: It's not just your pictures. I have this problem with anything that isn't really brightly lit. There have been many pictures, several videos, and even some games I couldn't play because they are too dark on my computer. :-? I'll check back for the "flash" photos. 8)

See, I'd bet there's a market for well trained, well placed skunks in the realm of dogger training world. What better recall reinforcer could there be? The dog breaks loose, chases diversion, doesn't answer recall, professionally trained skunk, who was in a sit/stay until set loose to "test" the dog, delivers the reinforcer, dog comes racing back. Perfect! Poor feller getting skunked and your poor olfactory senses. Oh well, you couldn't pay for a more valuable lesson. Some of the best lessons are free (and priceless)! 8)

One other thought... when you think you've rinsed Jake thoroughly, rinse again. One of the most common things that can contribute to post bath irritation is not rinsing thoroughly. Even a mild shampoo can be problematic if not rinsed very, very, very thoroughly. Lift ears, raise legs, get those armpits, get those groins, raise feet, flush out pads, rinse, rinse, rinse. I'm kind of a rinse Nazi. :oops:

What's REALLY scary (among other things) is this thought... what if your kid realized he had forgotten his medication, oh say, 4 days later and thought, in the way that kids do, that he needed to take 4 days' worth of medication at once to "catch up?" Geez, I reckon it would be all his fault if he got poisoned since, at 7 years old, he should have known better. This gal doesn't need goldfish, let alone kids. :-?

Yunno... what's REALLY funny is that I sometimes have to remember that my vet is a MAN above all else. Let me 'splain... :-? Apparently, just today, he was contacted by whomever it is in charge of the Canidae distribution for our area (I fired off an email to the company last night and all but begged them to contact him again.... dunno if it was timing, or if someone did, but...). Soooooooo he gets me into his office today and shows me the catalogue thingy with the prices (only wish I could get it wholesale... about $15 per 40 lb bag... maybe we can barter... hmmm) and the different foods available. As it turns out, he'd had the catalogue a while and didn't open it until the company called him today (what a turd for making me think they'd just blown him off :x ). NOW, after all this time, he starts asking me what I think is so good about the food, is it REALLY all that good, yadda, blah and so forth. Look, I'll say anything just to get him to carry it so I don't have to wonder from week to week if my regular supplier is going to have it. As it turns out, yeah, I like it pretty good (ok, well, so do the dogs). Here's where the "man" took over the vet... "hey, maybe I should consider suggesting this stuff for those dogs with allergies and itchy skin..." Geez, wish [u]I'd[/u] thought of that. And like the woman I am, I let him think it was his idea and gave him a virtual pat on the back for being smart enough to think of it since that's why they pay him the big bucks. :o He's getting ready to order. I'm (I mean HE'S) going to be getting Felidae, too!! :D I wonder if maybe he SHOULD sell to me at the wholesale price since I'm going to be the primary one who will be push push pushing people to buy this food (only because I want it to sell, so he'll continue to stock it and *I* can get it :oops: ). We're gonna have to work out a deal. :o *does the happy dance* Oh, so sorry to hijack yer thread. To return to the topic, at least I've never heard him recommend Beneful. Icky! Poo! Nasty! :oops:

Geez... what to say? :-? My two cents, for what it's worth (or not)... The reason [u]I[/u] empathize is because I'm a human who's made puhlenty of mistakes along the way. When I think about some of the things I've done in the past that I thought were ok, it's a wonder any of my dogs survived puppyhood. Maybe some people grow up exposed to the many "responsible" ways to care for a dog and then there are those of us who learn it the hard way. Nothing in the world could make me believe that x... would deliberately endanger her son even though "common sense" should have told her better. It's just another tragic case of good intentions gone horribly wrong. If I were perfect and had never done anything blatantly stupid that endangered any of my dogs or even other people with my own ignorance, maybe I'd feel better about berating someone else for being irresponsible. I also fully believe the dogs should have been separated fullstop, but it's kind of a moot point now. To be honest, my thoughts are evolving so that I'm a lot more likely to put down a biting dog than work with them as much as I once would and that includes "redirected" aggression (dog bites human who intervenes in dog scuffle). This kind of event is what reaffirms that evolving train of thought for me. What's scary about that is that I have two dogs here right now of questionable temperament (to say the least) and I always catch myself making excuses for them... "he only snaps when frightened..." "he mostly snaps when hurting..." "he only snapped because he was startled..." "he is defensive because he was abused..." I don't have children, so it's a bit of an easier situation for me to control, but some days I honestly think about it. I've become quite involved in rescue, especially "special needs" dogs whether it be physical needs, or temperament/training issues, but I'm becoming a lot less willing to try to save the world by rehabilitating "misunderstood" dogs when so many "good" ones are languishing away in shelters and rescues. Maybe I'm just getting old and cynical. Sorry for the ramble. I guess my long, drawn out point is that as a human who is constantly evolving and learning and has made some big mistakes and will probably make a few more, I just don't have it in me to berate someone who made bad decisions with good intentions. I am sure she learned a painful lesson without me having to kick her while she's down. I'm so sorry this has happened. I don't know why the vet or the shelter won't quarantine Patti for the 10 days. It seems really irresponsible (of them) to tell YOU that YOUR dog is vicious, yet YOU must keep her at home with YOUR young child. I know in my area, the vets or the shelters will do the 10 day quarantine in a situation like this. :( :(

[quote name='courtnek']so....It's 90 degrees out. I hand my kid 5.00 to go get something to eat, since its too hot to cook. he comes back 10 minutes later...with an 8 week old kitten. [/quote] COURT!! Tell your son to STEP AWAY FROM THE KITTY!!! Geez, kitties do NOT make for good dinners. Even if not for the ethical thing, there's just no meat on dem bones... *reads rest of post* Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh, well then congratulations on the new family member! And, yes, you are a sucker, or what would you be doing here with the rest of us suckers? :wink:

Can you believe my VET is going to start carrying Canidae?? He's always sold Purina Pro Plan and such (and still will), but is FINALLY caving in to my pleas and nagging and has agreed to stock Canidae. That's IF he can get the company to contact him back. He called them and was apparently blown off (his story). I'm trying to act as the go-between. I SOOOOOOO hope it works out that he carries it since my supplier is less than reliable and I never know if I'm going to be able to get it, or not. :-? Anyway, I'm just thrilled that my vet is at least willing to carry Canidae. :D

I think you're being realistic and level headed. Some people are in such denial (I don't mean here... just in general) that they believe ANY dog can be rehabilitated and retrained. Even if that's true, your kids come first and I do think the most responsible thing you can do is find the dog another home. Certainly, a home without other dogs, but sometimes it's hard to find a dog savvy person who doesn't already have a dog. Does that make sense? I'd also suggest making it a home without kids. The ONLY reason I say this is just because if on the off chance Patti ever, ever, ever finds a reason to go at another dog (through a fence, a visitor, anything) and a child in another family gets bitten in the crossfire, I think it could come back to bite you in the butt. I'm not implying that Patti is at all human aggressive, but since she already has bitten a kid who was trying to break up a fight, some people might consider that as aggression... especially with her breed. It's just not a chance I'd want to take. Maybe a Rottie rescue will help. Most breed rescues try to be pretty responsible about assessing dogs and which homes would be good for them. I think that would be a good thing. Good luck and I hope everything works out to benefit everyone involved.

I've always loved dogs in general of most any breed or mix. Big, little, purebred, mutt, really had no preference. Lhasa Apsos have been a favorite for many years because I really liked their small stature, but they were somewhat aloof and independent thinkers. Not hyper or clingy and with a certain "wisdom" about them (at least before they started becoming really popular and overbred with an anything goes temperament). I guess they aren't what people would perceive the typical small dog to be. I'm sure I will always have at least one Lhasa in the house and it's possible I may eventually become involved in showing them. However... it wasn't until I began my grooming career that I became exposed to the beauty and charm of Standard Poodles. My husband always reminds me of conversations long ago where I said I couldn't believe anyone would want such a big ugly beast and considered them nothing but some weird lawn ornament. Once I started working with them, I became enchanted with them. As much as I NEVER would have considered myself a Poodle person, especially BIG "freak" Poodles, once I got involved in grooming them, it was all over but the crying. They have become without a doubt THE breed for me. It's like a light clicked on. They are so clownish and goofy sometimes, but with a grace, elegance and intelligence that takes my breath away. I am getting involved with competition grooming with Standard Poodles and may eventually end up showing them. It will be either them OR Lhasas (showing), but certainly not both and definitely no time soon. I am also really discovering the appeal of Dobes. I've always liked them in the general sense that I like most dogs, but living with one has made me really think I'd eventually like to have another.

Welllllllll... since I do like to swim :oops: , I might oughta stay put. It's really not just the heat that's unbearable, but the incredible freakin' humidity. So far, our a/c is doing a bang up job of keeping the place cool, but the minute you walk out the door, it's almost like walking into a sauna. Glasses steam up and slide down your nose and beads of sweat pop up on your face instantly (forget about makeup). Sometimes, I miss living in VA. Where I grew up, it would get hot during the summer, but it didn't just linger on and wasn't unbearable. There was also enough snow to enjoy during the winter without spending the entire winter snowed in. Then again, maybe I'm just getting old and hard to please. :oops:

I swear it's been 9000 degrees here lately. It's so hot, even the pool water is almost too warm to enjoy. :-?

[quote]You ask me why someone would want a Big Cat for a pet. [/quote] No, my question is why is there a NEED for lions and tigers to be available as pets? Basically, all I see is that because people like them, they should be able to have them. I like sharks and dolphins, but I don't think I need to build a big enough tank and own some to enjoy them. Sorry. I just don't see anything in the argument that leads me to believe there is ANY such thing as responsible Big Cat PET ownership.

[quote name='Carolk9s']Hey Science Dog, Do you know if there are any 'dollar' stores in your area? Frequently you can find nylon collars there. I once bought 10 or so and donated them to the local SPCA.[/quote] Dollar Tree collars!! I have about 100 of 'em (seriously)! :oops: They're really neat with pawprint designs and in different colors and sizes. They also have matching leashes. $1 each. It makes it hurt a lot less to pay a buck for them and then just ditch them when you need to. I buy those collars and leashes by the handful every time they have them. SD, just go get yourself a handful of $1 collars! Changing out tags is no big deal. I put the tags on one of those brightly colored spring clips (usually used as a key ring... three for a buck at the Dollar Tree!) and just clip them to the collar ring. Ba da bing, ba da boom, tags off one collar and onto the next without all that diddling around. Oh (for anyone interested), they have really nice ceramic dishwasher safe dog and cat bowls in there, too! $1 a piece. I LOVE the Dollar Tree. :iloveyou:

[quote name='Seijun']Sanctuaries exist because if IRRisponsible owners obtaining Big Cats. If all owners were responsible, we wouldn't have much need for ANY sanctuaries now would we. [/quote] And if frogs had wings, they wouldn't be busting their butts hopping all over the place. If all people were honest, we wouldn't have locks on doors. If all people used common sense, there wouldn't be warnings on chainsaws not to use genitalia to stop it. I fail to see what "if all owners were responsible" has to do with anything. We could "if" it to death. What's sad to me is that they're only deemed irresponsible AFTER a mishap, or something tragic happens. How do we determine responsibility beforehand? [quote]Why can you not take my question seriously? I'm just asking, do you consider sanctuaries responsible caretakers of Big Cats?[/quote] Frankly, because it seemed like a loaded question. Still, I'll answer. I consider sanctuaries a necessary evil. Not something I would ask Santa Claus for, but again... that whole irresponsible, selfish people who put their own wants above all else thing. I reckon I would consider them responsible in the sense that they are cleaning up the messes of those less responsible. [quote] Everyone here has such a high opinion of sanctuaries, but if it is a PRIVATE owner taking care of a Big Cat, you all seem to think that is something bad[/quote] That's right. That's exactly what I believe. [quote]Also, PLEASE answer my other question as well. Would you consider a Big Cat owner a responsible owner if he had RESCUED his cat, instead of buying one from a breeder??[/quote] See Amber's answer to this question. Again, I agree. While you are pleading for answers, several people have asked repeatedly what's so important about being able to own a Big Cat as a pet? Without diverting the topic into rights, other exotics and such, WHY is there a need for Joe Citizen to be able to obtain their very own Big Cat for a pet? I get the whole "because we can" thing, but WHY?

Until a couple of years ago (or so), none of mine ever even seemed to notice storms. I live in an area that has daily thunderstorms nearly every afternoon during the summer and they seemed ok with it. A couple of years ago (or so), during one of these afternoon thunderboomers, a bolt of lightning struck a cluster of trees just in front of our house in full view of the dogs through the big front window. It was so creepy, you could feel the warmth coming through the window. That bolt stayed on the ground for several seconds while it bounced through the cluster of trees. Since then, a couple of them have become very nervous when storms approach. One is so bad that he will lose control of his bladder and bowels sometimes and just pace and drool. The other is just kind of nervous and pacy, but nothing too bad. One of our Standard Poodles (Pauly) is HORRIBLY frightened of thunderstorms. He's been like this since we've had him, so I don't know what might have lead up to it. He basically hibernates... will find a corner, bunk down in it and "meditate" until it's gone. During this time, he will not raise his head, open his eyes, or otherwise acknowledge anything until it's over. We call it his "special happy place." The rest of The Gang doesn't care one way or the other.

[quote name='Seijun'] Sadly, escaped and lost dogs and cats lose their lives daily to other hazzards, such as dogs, cars, and starvation. Escaped tigers aren't the only victims.[/quote] Way to divert the topic. [quote]Since you seem to think that no Big Cat owner, no matter how well they care for their cat, is irresponsible, than do you or do you not think that sanctuaries are also irresponsible in their 'ownership' of the Big Cats they care for?[/quote] It's kind of hard to take that question seriously. After all, would the sanctuaries even exist if not for all those "responsible" owners obtaining Big Cats?

What's ironic is that this story appeared on the news as I was typing a response to this thread earlier tonight. I ended up deleting the whole thing just because I really dreaded hearing that it wouldn't have happened to a "responsible" big cat owner. I still believe "responsible big cat owner" is an oxymoron. :(

Oh my... I'm so sorry for you and poor Apollo. I'll keep y'all in my thoughts.

[quote name='K']..I mean we can enjoy the occaisional tipple ..or two...right? [/quote] I can't believe I'm posting this here (I have been avoiding these threads, at least posting to them :oops: ), but what is a tipple to you? Around here, we call small breasts tipples... you know, not quite a t*t, but more than a *blush* nipple... It's just funny to see it used in reference to a drink. My curiosity outweighed my embarrassment. :oops: Sorry (all over myself). :oops: :roll: :oops:

[quote name='Seijun']It is no different than keeping a dog in a fenced in yard 24/7 and giving them plenty of toys to keep them busy, or keeping a cat in the house 24/7 and occupying their mind's with toys and games. [/quote] There is a huge OBVIOUS difference. Dogs (primarily) and cats, over many generations, have become domesticated and count on human contact for survival. Big Cats do not. Tame is not the same as domestic. So these cats "like" it. Have they ever known another life?