I quite like the idea of dried food. 

and... Sounds the same as Marley Bunny in most of those respects!


The pictures are fab. Beautiful dog.

My cats have met Marley, and it was just inquisitiveness. Not a bad first meeting.

My sooty cat is like a soft lump of clay, nothing bothers him! nothing!.. so laid back for a cat.





Katty

Ev, I know it's a different animal but my cousin has two cats and used to feed them nothing but dried food. They now have kidney problems and have to live on a special diet. Just something to take into account 

Well I've got two house rabbits ( my nieces actually)She's moved into a flat now with her fiance.I've aquired the bunnies! Rio is nearly seven and Cleo is nearly four.Now they really are pretty untamable creatures.Yes you can clicker train them if you have a big outdoor run etc,however we have urban foxes and two legged vermin  who would harm outdoor bunnies.
They are the most expressionless animals ever and nearly silent apart from the odd grunt if annoyed! Part of their defence as a prey species, their face never changes expression,you might get an odd ear lift here and there.
One reason you have to be vigilant in watching them closely to spy any illmess signs etc,they really are not an easy pet to keep ,especially for young kids etc and alas many buns die young due to neglect and ignorance,however unintentional.They also have a very comlpicated gut system and can go into "Gut statis" life threatening in less than 24 hours.So any one out there thinking  of rabbits as pets for kids etc do some good research.Rio been at the vet once .Cleo been about half a dozen times ,vet costs for her so far Nearly £300  Cost of bunnies £20 quid each.


I'm preaching again...ain't I...bottle of Zinfandel....hic!

Its not that different from dealing with kids really.


Kids !!  I can work with.. .so it can't be that bad then?  

Oh and please do not buy bunnies from a well known pet chain..Grrr! There are plenty re-homing/rescues places out there.Thank you that is all.....

Great advice Katty, very interesting as i (long ago)  lost a small lionhead rabbit very young, and didn't know why it died. It was so healthy one day, and had died quite suddenly. I always wonder what it could have been.

aww such a shame Eve,sometimes no matter the care we give they can have problems etc.Young kids don't know how to look after buns properly,their parents probably think chuck it in a hutch and feed it  water it, job done.Alas they need interaction and grooming and cuddles(if they let you!) Mine are house buns but they do not like being handled ,picked up at all,.Cleo will tolerate it.I wrap her in a towel to pick her up and wash her arse when needed,she is a bit of a lardy bunny.  Rio will buck and kick if I need to capture him in a towel.

However they are both mini lop buns ,which means their ears are mini lop.they ain't!

Cleo is over three kilos,and rio is nearly four.You have trim their claws if they are house buns and not wearing them out as outdoor buns.,Front paws are usually ok to trim,however they have ticklish back feet and will buck and kick .Two person job,big bath towel and flip them over onto their back,trim their paws,job done.!

Eve, if you are going to be looking after the pup for a while, it might be worth buying Cesar Millan's book, How to raise the perfect dog: Through puppyhood and beyond (Play.com £4.99).
Labrador puppies are usually very boisterous, so it's important they have at least two walks a day, or they tend to use their excess energy for naughty stuff - like chewing.
Don't let it drag you around on the walk, the pup should walk beside you - otherwise they think they are in charge.
In the house, make sure everyone is sticking to the same rules, or the pup will become confused.
If the pup bites or nips you, a loud NO or yelping sound usually does the trick. Dogs are sensitive to your mood, so they do know when you are not pleased with them. Give lots of praise when they do something well.
Labrador pups are absolutely gorgeous with lovely natures, so I am more than a little bit jealous of you. Good luck with the puppy training.

I think a good idea is to write some of this good advice down so they can refer to it as well. I know a lot of it is common sense, but i think it is important for them all to stick to these rules, as you and Katty have mentioned, Yogi. 
Right, off to it!

That's me away for first walking session.       Will let you know how i get on, maybe get a photo up at some point.

I'd love to see a pic.

I spent most Sunday evening looking at dogs to adopt, I think I might give into his nibbs begging for a dog soon. I'm liking the downstairs and no sofa rules.  Mmm

I let Hamish on my sofa it is leather  I put a little blanket on it for him to lie on, when I am sat on the sofa with my laptop he sits next to me he also does not shed any hair, he has the run of my house..it is his house too,I find it very theraputic when he is sat next to me and I am stroking him,the only advice I would say to you Evelyn is not to let him off the lead in the park or anywhere outside until he is older/trained as he might run away, hope you enjoyed your walk

  Marley


This is Marley over Christmas. 




At Nearly 5 months old  (Christmas)    V



I have loved today!
Spent a bit of time with her at her home. Very excited and full of energy and fun as these dogs are as a rule. I was very surprised how obedient she is out on the lead.

I didn't take her off the lead. She does however tend to jump up and a lot with her mouth open, full of play, so ive been firm and trying to show her that is not acceptable.  lol

I can only say i hope to see more improvement on that as time goes on. 

She is sitting on command only a handful of times, again, i think the more you do this the more she will sit to command.
It was just one long day of fun for her. (I'm shattered) On the walk back home, she stayed by my side without jumping up !!  yayy!!

What a lovely lab. I had a lab, they are very boisterous for also very quick to learn. No should be said firmly and meant. Good behaviour should always be rewarded with a little treat. Love her lots and enjoy her. I only had my lab for 2 years before he died of brain cancer. He never had a chance to get out the puppy stage but he was so much fun and I loved him lots.

Eve the photos are brilliant and Marley is gorgeous.
Keep up the good work on the walks, you're doing fine.

Aww Longcat, that is so sad. At least he lived his short life with someone who loved and cared for him.

Yeah... I know how that feels.   We lost a pup to cancer at just 10 months old.   Like Yogi says, we take comfort from the fact that he came to us and we gave him the best life possible in those few short months.   It breaks your heart though..  

Aww what a lovely Photo Longcat.   

Its lovely to know you have loads of great memories. How long ago did you have him?


and Yogi and Ditty..Its just a blessing to know they had the best time, in the time they have.

 

 xx

I really did enjoy it, very frosty this morning, but the sun was out, and later on it became very pleasant.  I have a great picture of the cats scrutinising the situation from the stairs, I'm just going to upload it. 
A few dogs came bounding towards us on our walk .. You should have seen my face..the owners shouting.. "they are friendly", they were huge, but she rolled around and played great.
I decided to contain myself and pretend i wasn't nervous. 

Awww... she is lovely.

Re: the open mouth thing...   its a tough one cos puppys want to use their mouths to explore things... including your hand.    My dog used to "mouth" on my hand... and it didn't bother me too much (though puppy teeth are bloody sharp)...  I had to stop him doing it...  cos then he would chase the kids feet around and nip at them...   my son ended up sitting on the stairs too scared to come down!

It all worked out in the end though...   they get the message very quickly.

I lost him 4 years ago he died before his second birthday and I still get emotional when talking about him. I have a lab cross now and she has a lot of Harvey's mannerisms which is spooky but comforting.





Sooty and Tipsy are not so sure..We will just stay out the way on these here stairs thank you very much... they seem to say 







These were taken today. Can't stop laughing at the cats viewing the situation from the stair bannister  lol 

They stayed there all the time.

So cute Not all labs are good looking but you got a beauty.

I found that! 

She was taking notice, even though  her boundless energy never stopped. 




That last piccie Longcat of the black dog is adorable, i take it that's your Lab Cross! 

I think its a nice thing if they share similar mannerisms.

Photos are lovely Evelyn     Longcat

Longcat it is very sad you lost your lovely Harvey at such a young age it is heartbreaking  you have your memories and know you gave him a lovely life,your lab above picture is gorgeous it is lovely she reminds you of Harvey and that gives you comfort

Evelyn sorry I got it wrong I referred to your lab as a he .. she is gorgeous I am glad you enjoyed your walk, I always ask  the owners of a dog who is walking towards me if there dog is friendly a few say no which means I dont stop, Hamish is very friendly and loves other dogs so in turn I always say to other dog owners he is friendly it is best to be safe,I love the photos of your cats they are so sweet, their little faces looks so wary and funny sat on the stairs lol happy walking

your lab is beautiful, i dont envy you tho, my german shepherd was a little tw*t when she was a pup.
longcat, thats soo sad.. what a beautiful dog..

Ev, it's the one on the top that made me smile, it's like.........   

Thank you for all your hugs and thoughts. I am very lucky I managed to pick 2 wonderful dogs with lovely personalties.

 
 

 
 

ok...onto Plan toooooo

I know! Their little faces, Sooty's eyes nearly popping out and very round  ahhahaa

I have her here now, i wish i had her energy. 

She was very excited to go for her walk. I notice she is also aware of the traffic, which is good. 
No huge dogs trying to molest us as yet on our walk today.

At the moment she seems to be having a word with the cats in the garden.