Post Your Pets

it's weird how lurchers/whippets/greyhounds sleep like that. my parents lurcher (posted near the beginning of this thread) sleeps in weird positions too.

domesticated to the point that they don't need to be alert for predator like they do in the wild I suppose.

similar behaviour to cat, we have a not so domesticated cat nearby and it's pretty alert, little twig make them jumpy, whether my cat just lie on the grass even if there's a loud bang nearby.

Spot the cat!

Spot the cat!

:)

^^^that and the pigeon spotters are brilliant. And also asking to be LOLcatted.

Spot the cat!

I can't see it! It's hiding so well! It's a master of stealth and sneaking up on people!

pugs ftw!

pugs ftw!
k thnxz

Eric.

^wow!

holy shit! that picture of eric is amazing!

ross, that a sweet puppy. I am thinking about getting a pug when i have a bigger place, is there anything in particular i should be aware of... i know about the routine cleaning of the face...

ross, that a sweet puppy. I am thinking about getting a pug when i have a bigger place, is there anything in particular i should be aware of... i know about the routine cleaning of the face...

the main thing you should be aware of is that buying a puppy and owning said puppy have been the most stressful months of my entire life.
ludd is not a pure pug, he's a pug crossed with a king charles spaniel which is why he has a longer face with big stupid ears.

i read up a lot of pugs when i was looking and i think doing your research is super important, pugs can have a bunch of problems cos of their flat faces however being a pug owner isn't a fucking cruelty sport like some people like to tell you. they can get quite running noses, sometimes weepy eyes and have some breathing difficulties (they basically just snort a lot) obviously not being a vet is a hindrance when going to actually view pugs you're best off finding pug owners and inquiring which breeder they bought from. i would personally steer clear of anyone that is into dog shows and the like because they've probably inbred their dogs to fuck. i pretty just went on instinct when i went to view ludd, the breeders were very open, honest and happy to show me the mum and dad as well as all their other dogs. they offered to give me contacts for people that had bought from them before - i would just go on the advice of others and instinct.
i meet a couple out walking occasionally who have a beautiful and healthy pug who loves to walk, they bought him from portsmouth even though they live in hackney. prices in london tend to be a bit higher. the people i bought ludd from may breed pugs i'm not entirely sure but they're only based in catford. i wold recoment them 100%

lastly be prepared to drop at least a k if not more, cute dogs don't come for cheap. and don't be fooled into thinking pugs are a cute city dog, you'll still need to walk them once a day. i walk ludd twice a day for at least half an hour a go.

it is a total life commitment, and it drastically ulters your lifestyle.
i would, however, say it is the best thing i have ever, ever, ever chosen to do.

• 1 to drastic change in lifestyle! I didn't anticipate quite the massive change that has occurred. I ,however, absolutely sure that I have done the right thing. Dara - although HUGE in size and the ultra Drama Dog (as in "Take me to emergency I stubbed my toe and I may die!) is certainly the best thing that has happened to me. I do miss the selfish independence of my past but, having a waggy happy sweet monster at home totally makes up for it.
  

some of you saw some early work by the artist I work with: These come out next month... I love this shot the photographer's idea, makes me smile everytime.

http://www.londonfgss.com/members318-albums672-picture4046.html

Listen to people's advice/experience on dog ownership and heed the commitment warnings. I had 2 beautiful Beagles with my ex partner which had to be re-homed after we split up and sold the house we had as neither of us could look after them anymore.

It is the most heart breaking thing I've ever had to do and not a day goes by I don't think about those lovely dogs.

Spot the cat!

Basement cat conquers Ceiling cat's fortress :)

^ awesome quote for it!

What do all of you people with dogs do during the day? Do you all work at home most of the time? This is the thing that puts me off having a dog. I'd love one but don't think it's fair to have it locked up for 10hr a day every day.

basement cat conquers ceiling cat's fortress :)

hah!

What do all of you people with dogs do during the day? Do you all work at home most of the time? This is the thing that puts me off having a dog. I'd love one but don't think it's fair to have it locked up for 10hr a day every day.

Piper stays at home all day. She's only ever known that and we've found she is well suited for it. She doesn't pee everywhere or tear everything up. The hard part is not feeling guilty or overcompensating. If you act to a dog that "leaving is normal, nothing is weird, I'll be back in a bit" then they chill out and wait. If you leave/come home anxious then they'll freak out along with you.

Piper gets annoyed when we're home during the day now. She sleeps during the day and will go off by herself in the bathroom or garden if we're home.

One theory is that dominant dogs make decisions and lead the pack. If your dog is dominant (i.e. you do everything it wants whenever it wants) then it will become confused when you leave without it. It will try and compensate for this by becoming anxious and acting out. Whereas if you're the dominant one then it doesn't think it is strange when you leave without it.

Not sure how much I buy into the above theory, but it seems to work in practice. One thing I will say about Piper is that I do feel bad leaving her. I try not to do it every day during the week (5 days in a row). And I do stay up late and play with her a lot when I get home (midnight is bedtime). She is well adjusted and socialized, but I can't help feeling like she'd be happier if she was with me all the time. I know I'd be happier!

One thing to remember, there's no more after work pints that last 8 hours. My wife and I can't meet impromptu for a meal at a nice restaurant without thinking about the dog and making arrangements. She stays home during the day, but we make it a priority to take care of her at night. Which is a major lifestyle change if you live in central London-town!

Basically like having a baby then!

Basically like having a baby then!

Haha, yes, exactly!

My dad says it is worse because you can reason with a child after a certain age, but you can never reason with a dog. However, you'd probably struggle to leave your baby alone at the flat for 9 hours during the day so I don't want to make out like it's as much work as child-rearing!

Oh dear...