BillyMalc

I've HATED being unemployed, and (more importantly!!) having no financial security, but today I've found out that I've passed my CRB check and actually HAVE A JOB TO GO TO on Monday!!! :partytime: Can't tell you how relieved I am!! Salary is pants, BUT it's walking distance from home so Jim will only be driven now for nice days out with the doggles!!! :biggrin: Had a bloody good day all in all (and can't think of anything that I hate about that )

How to make things more simple eh? And why on earth just for BC's or do they not want to start on other breeds for fear of ending up with 1000's of different forms?

Just had a look on the KC website, have to say it's not that user friendly but hey ho. Anyway, they've got 21 different forms for dog registration - but why on earth have they got a separate form for registering Border Collies?? - with the last one being 'Companion Dog'. Basically, I'd just phone PAT central and ask exactly what KC registration they want your dog to have. I so doubt it that they'd want to only have purebred dogs, there are plenty of PAT dogs that aren't of a specific breed.

Totally agree with you there, what I meant to say is that, although they require a dog to be KC registered, it doesn't mean that they would have to be breed registered, giving my 2 hooligans as examples of dogs who are KC registered while being of totally unknown descent And I tried to explain why they had to be registered for agility purposes, as a kind of safety guard, if you will. Maybe they just operate a 'one size fits all' policy. What I was trying to say is that it would be easy to register Tess with the KC and not miss out

"They tried to make me go to rehab but I said nooo, nooo, NO!" Snow is nice to look at, but sooo cold and bloody impractical to travel in

Now, granted, I don't know anything about plants and am any plant's worst nightmare when it comes to care, BUT ... last year my gorgeous fuchsias appeared to have been killed off by the big freeze. So I cut all the dead bits right off, but couldn't be ask to dig up the rest and get rid. So imagine my total surprise when, come spring, tiny leaves popped out and over the summer 2 massive bushes grew back! They're in a bit of a state again now, what with the frost, but they might just resurrect themselves again next year. Now I know that these are outdoor plants rather than house plants, but maybe give it a chance and see if it wants to come back to life?

Oooohh, fab!!! I have to say, Dogs Today has risen in my opinion lately (follow them on facebook too ;))

The KC will support their view, because it lines their pockets But I understand that Tess would have to be KC registered, not registered as being of a certain breed - Kiera sure as 'L' ain't! Sparky's KC registered as well, he has to be if I want to take him along to shows, even if he's not competing. I think it's kind of a safe guard that, if anything happens, they have proof of which dog was involved and whose owner was responsible for what. Basically, any dog, whose owner can be asked to fill out a form, pick a fancy name and pay the KC £12, will have a dog of Crufts standard - if that is what they mean I can see Crufts standard meaning registered, for the same reason as that both my mutts had to be registered, so that they would have some sort of accountability in place should anything go awry - which, in a big hall with over 1000 dogs, is not unreasonable. All the dogs you see doing agility (and I'd presume flyball) at Crufts will be KC registered; on the agility or flyball register, NOT on a breed register. Sparky's registered on the companion dog register - as "Sparky Flies For Pancake"! (Shout "pancake" at Sparky and prepare to get headbutted! )

Right, so it seems we all like a good grumble - lord knows I do! - but we're also good at sharing lots of nice things that happen. Now we had a 'happy' and a 'p-ed off' thread last year, and I thought it might be good to kind of resurrect that, but with a slight twist: post whatever's p-ed you off, like having to scrape your car windows for half an hour this morning, but you've got to post something you like/love in the same post! So maybe, before you had to scrape for half an hour, your dog just did the most beautiful, excellent recall that you never expected People can agree and carry on with the topic, but every post has to contain a 'hate it' and 'love it' subject. Does that make any sense at all?? ??? Now, I hated going out in the snow on my bike this morning to go see the dentist, BUT I loved it when she told me that everything was fine - I'm now looking forward to a christmas without toothache for a change!

Kiera is KC registered! Had to register her to be able to compete with her in agility, so now she is "It's Kiera Innit"! I love it how they have to read that out between the "Midsummer Night's Sky Full of Stars Doolally" kind of names So Kiera, a mutt of unknown parentage, with ears the size of a donkey's, is for all intends and purposes, of Crufts standard!! (insert dripping sarcasm here! ). Cost me all of £12 to achieve that, heheheh....

Just a little observation: This thread, with the title "How to bring new people to the Refuge", has now turned into a "Why I don't post / what I'm not happy with on the Refuge". Don't think that does much to address the original question - although it might shed light on why it has become so quiet lately. I totally appreciate all the hard work that has gone into the Refuge, but blowing up when people say why it doesn't work for them anymore isn't helpful. As an analogy: someone can have slaved away for hours making a nice meal, and as it happens I was offered one to take away over the weekend. Looked nice, all very well cooked, but I couldn't stand the taste of it! Now fortunately I've not had to face the people who took the trouble to make it, so I've not had to tell them, but what I'm trying to say is that you can't force people to like something just because you've put a lot of work into it. And again, I totally totally appreciate all the hard work you put in to provide the frame. It's up to all the users to fill the framework in though, and if that's not to the liking of some people then you can't blame them. I have been mentioning the Refuge to other dog walkers, and in general people thinking of getting a dog, as a source of information, but I'm sure we all know how these things go: someone mentions a website when you're having a chat while out with your dogs, and by the time you get home you've already forgotten about it. I usually don't have pen and paper to hand and neither does the person who I'm talking to. So could it be that new people don't join because they don't know that the Refuge exists? I just googled 'dog rescue' and the Refuge isn't even on the first page - the dreaded DP is the first one to be mentioned tho, and that's how I ended up there first of all, many years ago. Would it be an option to advertise in a mag like, say, Dogs Today? I know that costs money, but I also know that a number of people, including myself, have in the past offered to contribute to the upkeep of the Refuge, and I'm sure that we could get some money together to pay for an ad, if that is what we want. Could we have 'business card' type things that we can leave in vets' waiting rooms? Now I'm buggered, because I don't have a printer, but maybe people who do have one won't mind printing a few out if there is a file that they can download? I don't know, only trying to come up with a few ideas. Maybe these ideas aren't helpful, but I thought I'd throw my two pennies in anyway.

Susie :wub: It does cross my mind to avoid greyhounds with my hooligans, because I'm worried they might damage the greyhound's paperthin skin! It's happened once already, which fortunately wasn't our fault, but it's made me very aware of how easy they can be "broken". On the "breedist" note though, most people at our agility club insist not just on having border collies, but also on buying them from a breeder! Now that's what gets up my nose - I'll happily admit to being "breedERist"!

Sabotage his scooter? He won't be able to get out of the house, but at least he'll be safe and warm and you know where he is

Totally agree with Fee here As for the 'brave' or 'stupid' remark, I'd say that that woman was either 'thick' or 'prejudiced' - neither one of which is particularly flattering or helpful. As for Staffie (crosses): I do worry when I see one over in our park, but simply because their silly owners don't bother to teach a decent recall, and my 2 hooligans don't "do" any dog that runs up to them: They chase them off frighteningly viciously - although they would never go up to any dog themselves to start trouble. Trouble is, one or two have retaliated (with mine on lead!) and stupid, ignorant ownerss still blame me, and/or smack their poor dog! So staffies in general do spell trouble for me, but only because of their stupid owners

Gorgeous models! :wub: I put their jumpers on yesterday as we went to Lyme Park and it's freezing inside the van for a good part of the journey. Sparky looked like he was about to burst into tears and Kiera looked as if she was put into a straitjacket and about to be hauled off to the looney bin! I had a neoprene coat for her too, but hopefully another dog will now be happy to run round with it, because Kiera refused to move point blank when I 'forced' her to wear it, until I took it off. Can I just ask where you got yours Alex? Because I got Kiera's from Robinson's, the biggest size there was, and it was quite small for her - and I think your gorgeous rabble is about the same size? Any case, took their jumpers off once we'd arrived at Lyme, and the first thing they did was roll around on the frozen ground. Me thinks they don't really need coats for walkies

So very very sorry for your loss Sleep tight little Smudge, until you meet again

Thanks for that! Now how to get dogs wear a coat without them having a face on them as if they've been put into a straightjacket and are about to be hauled off to the looney bin rather than a nice long walk?

What a gorgeous boy :wub:

*thud* oh my, what a handsome man! :wub:

Brilliant news Kathy While I agree that Ella's previous owner, who obviously was very caring, would in one way be saddened that the adoption would really make it 'final', I can't think of a better home for this girl Enjoy your new home gorgeous Ella

A couple of days ago I read about an RSPCA rescue somewhere, needing to scale down seriously, or even close, due to lack of money. And meanwhile RSPCA HQ has got their fat backsides pared on £153 million! I can't tell you how much I hate these barstewards! :angry: should Really Stop Pretending they Care about Animals - nicked from somebody but sooo true!

no words just a big

Happy Birthday Owl!! Hope you're having a lovely day :flowers:

Could Bullie SOS or Bullies In Need help? I'm sure you've tried them already, but thought I'd mention it anyway because it's the only thing I can come up with

Thanks guys Safneo, I've emailed them yesterday