h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Abbi

You do know the difference between dogs and cats don't you?

Dogs have owners,
Cats have staff.

I am a deputy bowl-filler and door opener.

Blessings,
Matholwch .

I like that!

I like that description too....

Those dogs are handsome.

What a treat to see all of you!
What a nice welcome for Lincoln and myself

Lincoln is a shelter pup. Never done it any other way
He was born in New mexico and went to the shelter there at 3 months.

He was recieved in Boulder, Colorado 3 days before we picked him out.
I could not stand to go to another shelter without taking one home.

There were very few dogs available.
There has been quite a problem with the shelters. The dogs have had several diseases and then Katrina brought 100's here , most of which were ill

I wanted a 1 or 2 year old. Hubby really wanted a puppy.

We saw many older ones but I could tell hubby was not love struck.
First I thought it was too soon...
Nah.
In short......after tough puppy love talking (to hubby) reminding him he had very little to do with training our last 3 dogs whom lived to 12 and 13.

He was always great with adults. My timing and circumstances led me to get animals when he was very busy and I still had more energy and mobility.
13 years later I am having to train hubby more than the doggie (as expected

They are both coming along nicely
I shortcutted hubbys training to DO NOT leave him alone, for a moment.

He laughed.
He soon found out I was not kidding!

He runs for one hour,
chews for one hour,
sleeps for one hour.


My long tools are essential for diversion in getting new toys.
I say NO and use hand signals, so not bad, he pays more attention to hand. Learning fast and praise will do, treats are not a big motivation.

It's all I do!
I think he will be worth it

As soon as hubby is home he is the puppy watcher. Today to give me a break, he took him in the truck. Thankfully a bed in the foot of the truck passenger side hmms him to sleep.

Very calm for a puupy!
Easily diverted.
Learned about the doggie door first 24 hours! YAY!
He is 4 months old.
The pictures posted are very much himThanks for doing so

We have not heard a bark or baeu(sp) yet , I am waiting to see how easily he will bark. He "talks" alot. Very verbal, sounds like the 13 year olds


I will train him to do as much as he is willing to learn.
Doors and switches and things would be nice but I am not counting on it. I was told I could apply for a trained one. I probably will at some time.

Hello abbi!!! Congrats on the new doggie!!! I looked at the pictures ... if Lincoln looks like that then he's certainly a handsome fella! I really hope you and he will have a long and happy time together! Good luck with educating him.

Wonderful to hear what's happening in Abbiville

I'm so happy you have such a doggie!

dogs are more brainy than most people think, they fully understand illness's, after my head injury(car smash)when I got home, our Labrador went straight to my head and started to lick it, he knew exactly where the injury was and did not make any attempt to jump up as he usually did, he will be very loyal

I agree Prof.

I love my Lincoln.

He is sweet and gentle , a creature of comfort, and never barks. Never barking is good/bad - Wanted a bark at the door when people come. Think I'll keep him thoughHe has his way - an expression that lets me know somebody is around.

He has grown up to look very much like the picture link posted above.

I'm barking when appropriate - hoping he will learn

I agree Prof.

I love my Lincoln.

He is sweet and gentle , a creature of comfort, and never barks. Never barking is good/bad - Wanted a bark at the door when people come. Think I'll keep him thoughHe has his way - an expression that lets me know somebody is around.

He has grown up to look very much like the picture link posted above.

I'm barking when appropriate - hoping he will learn

Hmm this may be a double post.

YEP!

That way YOU know I'm back!

Awwww, hugs for the doggie.

Good for him; looking out for our lovely abbi!

zdt

Jellen how is sweet Micio doing?

Hi Abbi

My family have had a dog but we got him when he was an adult. I dogs. Your dog sounds very sweet and very loveable.

Hi Thinker

We are considering getting an adult in the next year. It would be nice to try and stagger the loss rather than have two at a similar lifespan and age. Though we never get guarantees.

What sort of companion do you have?
Large , small, mixed or breed?
Happy and not too bright or smart and watchful?
Perhaps a personality blend somewhere in the middle of those?

Abbi my family dog has not been with us since 1993. He was very old and ill. He had a heart problems and his kidneys went and in the end he had to be put down. Our vet (he was also a farm vet) went to our house in Scotland and put him and took him with him. We were all very upset as he had been with us since 1978/1979. He was very protective and would bark when the telephone went as though he was trying to answer it and would get very excited when we took him for a walk. You only had to think about taking him for a walk and he would get very excited. He would lie on our knees when we were sitting on the settee. He was a mixed breed cross between terrier/dalmation but the size of a medium sized dog with more terrier than dalmation. My late Dad got him from Battersea dog home when I had chicken pox. He would making whoo whoo noise when he was excited as though he was trying to talk. When I could not eat my kippers I would give him to our called Jock and he would eat it. Before there were nutrient supplements for dog, I would add garlic to his food and yeast vite supplements. He was very fond of cheese and I would put his tablets in cheese. He was a very friendly dog and very bright.

Perhaps my late Dad is now taking Jock for his walks i the spirit world.

AW what a sweet story
I like to think of the sweet dog and people combos reuniting.

After the death of all my dogs I have dreamed of them running wherever they enjoyed most at the top of their performance and health It feels very nice to wake up on those days. It usually only happens once for each , a few months after death.

Ours stopped reacting to the phone thankfully.
It was the only time he was agressive!
Hubby thought about the name Ringo but I know they tend to grow into their names

He does not seem to have a lick of aggression towards the phone or anything. He loves the dog park - even though some dogs are a bit rough. He has come home with small nips. We have large open spaces they are allowed to go and that is definitely top on his list.

Abbi dogs are wonderfully friendly and loyal. It's wonderful to watch them at play fetching sticks and toys and running in open spaces.

They give so much as helpers, guide dogs and rescue dogs. I have seen programmes on the documentary channels showing in the ways that they work as guide/rescue dogs. One tv clip showed a mock up of rescuing people trapped in rubble.

I hope Ringo won't get any more nips when he goes for his walks.

those folk who call any owned animal "a pet" are not true animal lovers, because they are part of the family and treated accordingly, my female cockatiel will be 14 years old 1st Aug, she has her own personality, as do all animals , they are as individual as we are

You're right Prof Animal Chaos! Members of the family. Some people don't understand this! A few months ago my sister and her husband were visiting. Now we have two feline family members here ... Kadoefie, quite a small cat, and her daughter Poplap, who's about double her size. Anyways, at one point my sister's husband was sitting at a desk the living-room window reading a book. The cats use that window to get in and out. At a point Kadoefie had jumped onto the desk and was walking over his book to get to the window. He took her and threw her across the room! Now ... very fortunately, Kadoefie is an extremely agile and acrobatic cat and she landed lightly and elegantly on her feet and didn't even suffer bruised dignity from this, didn't seem to be offended at all. But still ... it was a very violent gesture! And at that point ... I wanted to grab him by the throat and shake him and say something like, that he's just a *visitor* in this house, while Kadoefie is a *resident*; that *she's* been with us for over eleven years while *he*'s only been with my sister for about seven years, etc. etc. but anyways I contained my anger; a bit later my sister had a talk with him about it and I trust he won't do something like that again!