Rileyroo

So sorry to read this - thinking of you all today.

Thanks, everyone. I've closed the survey because I've had a great response and reached my target responses already. I'll be analysing the data shortly and should have a report ready just before Christmas and I'll post the details here.

Thanks so much for all the responses, and your comments. The survey has been piloted and the phrasing / responses of the questions are specific for the purpose of the topic. I'll be happy to share once the data's collected but I don't want to bias any potential responses at this stage. Your thoughts on it are very interesting and much appreciated Thank you all for taking the time to have a look / fill it in / give useful feedback.

Forgive the intrusion from someone who's more usually to be found talking about dogs on the doggie chat board, but I'm doing an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour and as part of that we are carrying out a survey about people and their cats. We would be grateful if you would consider giving us your views by completing the questionnaire that can be found here: Cat Owners Questionnaire The information that we receive will be treated as anonymous and confidential and we thank you for your assistance.

Riley and I will pop along and see you if we get time - we're doing the Safe and Sound display in the Training Ring on Sat and Sunday.

From what I can gather on the university's website the student shuttle buses run regularly between the campuses, so in terms of getting to and from the train station it's not too bad as it's only a short walk from one of the campuses where I can get the bus to Riseholme. Enrolement is only one day so I don't need somewhere to stay that night and it will give me a chance to see what others on the course are doing. I'll also look into B&Bs - they might give me a discount for a regular Monday night booking.

Aw, bless you Mrs B, that's really kind of you. I will be there Mondays and Tuesdays so my plan is to get the first train out of Kings Cross every Monday and go straight to college. I kind of assumed that there must be some kind of student bus transport out to the campus that I can use even if there aren't regular buses - but am yet to discover if that is a correct assumption! I imagine most of the MSc students will be in the same boat looking for somewhere to stay - I'm jumping the gun a little bit as I haven't had a formal offer through just a verbal one from the Prof based on a phone interview but I go on holiday on Thursday and come back the day before enrolement so I'm trying to get things in place so that if (when) the formal offer arrives I'm ready to go the next day. Is there any part of the city I should avoid when looking for a spare room?

I have, rather unexpectedly this year as I was applying for next year, been offered a place at Lincoln Uni to do an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour starting at the end of September. I'm not sure if it's all going to come together and whether I will be able to start this year, but if I do I will need somewhere to stay on a Monday night during term time. The course is based at the Riseholme campus and I will be coming up from London on the train so where I stay needs to be an easy bus ride from the campus. Can you suggest areas of Lincoln I should be looking, or websites where I can post what I'm looking for? Ideally I'd like a spare room in someone's house rather than a B&B / hotel.

I am so sorry to read this. Run free, Ebbi.

Has anyone heard from Sarah Muckychicken recently? How's she doing?

No, sadly, it's not. I took over 5 years to change my passport when I got married - I waited until it was running out anyway. Not really a problem - just have to remember to book tickets in your maiden name. I changed everything else - oh, apart from my driving licence which I still haven't got round to. It never caused any problems and it's pretty common for women not to change everything over at the same time.

Wow, they are fabulous photos, Ange. Looks like Fugee dogs cleaned up in the dog show

That's a fantastic amount - Riley and Kevin will be pleased to know that their piggy-bank raiding helped contribute to such a great total. Riley confirmed that she definitely doesn't have a future as a gundog after a hilarious try out on the scurry in which she had a poo, checked out the sheep in the field behind and, on finding the dummy, decided it wasn't worthy of picking up and bringing to me. We gave up at that point Kevin was a complete star - the first event that he's been to and he was completely happy with the whole thing even if he didn't realise he was supposed to be chasing the rabbit during the Anything But Terrier racing, rather than just trying to play with the dog in front of him. Riley didn't even see the rabbit and headed off to stick her head in the sheep trough again.

That's fantastic news about Alfie EBT Ange, I've just read back and seen your post about M-M. I hope that my two hooligans sticking their heads under the table didn't bother her too much. I didn't even realise she was there until Kevin hit his head after he'd been under to say hello. I'm sorry she had a difficult day, especially if my two were part of the problem, and I hope she's feeling more like her lovely, happy sociable self today.

I am wibbling. I've just submitted my appliation to Southampton Uni for their post grad diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling, starting Sept 2010. Now I have to wait to see if I'm accepted. It's worse than a job application - it's a whole new life if I get on the course - and means I could combine the practical training / teaching I do now with the more academic and evidence-based stuff and I might actually be able to make a living out of helping people and their animals.

Ah, not a useful suggestion then

Have you seen those inflatable elizabethan collars rather than a buster collar? Riley is also a nightmare in a buster collar and I've got one of the inflatable ones since the hell that was her anal glands operation.

'Rating Jack soundly' by which I assume you mean telling him off isn't going to achieve anything. For whatever reason Jacks feels the need to attack your other dog and you turning round and telling him off for doing so isn't going to stop it. You need to teach him how you do want him to behave, rather than telling him off when he gets it wrong - how is he supposed to know what he's supposed to do if you don't teach him? So, put him on a house line and reward Jack (use his dinner if necessary) when he's in the same room as your other dog and is calm. Feed him a treat or his kibble just for being there, and if he can't cope being in the same room and starts to go off on one just use the house line to lead him calmly from the room. When he's calmed down try going back in again, and turn right around and walk out again if he's not calm. Reward him heavily when he is calm. Don't let them be in the same room at the same time unless supervised, and unless you've got some treats on you. Randomnly reward your other dog too - because he's already doing what you want him to do and he's also seeing Jack getting rewarded.

Oooh, it's nice to be back - I haven't been able to read / post until today. I was getting very bored at work, I can tell you! Off to go and see what I've missed.

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html This is one I used for my assignment on developmental stages - different course than yours, though.

Are you looking at the developmental stages - what happens when with regard to behaviour, instincts etc and the timings of when it kicks in? If so try googling developmental stages dogs as there's a lot of good stuff on the net. Also there's a bit on it in The Puppy Whisperer by Paul Owens but it's predominantly a book for puppy owners / training manual.

Oh, Bert Aggie

Very pleased to see he's home, and looking pretty damn good too