April chat

[Gina.Jenny]

Podge, Snickers and Pippi’s tum

Also Sterling x

Happy Easter Every Bun x

[Hazel]

Hoppy Easter everyone! 

Ellie: I’m so sorry about what happened with that creep. Disgusting, I hope he gets fired.

The hubby and I have come to realize that Otis is becoming a bit of a problem. We just can’t control him, he gets so riled up in the house, he starts biting and knocking me over, grabbing everything that’s not nailed down, being rough with the cats. Nothing we try to calm him down works, he either ignores us or just gets more riled up. Just me walking into the room can set him off and send him into a running/biting frenzy. Because of this he spends a lot of time in his crate, which I know he hates. The kitchen is safe for him to be in unsupervised, but if we leave him alone in there he freaks out. We’ve tried just letting him cry, but he keeps going for hours. I know he has too much built up energy which is a huge part of the problem, and we try to tire him out but it’s never enough. I plan to take him biking once he’s 18 months old, but he’s still too young for that now. So, we’ve been looking into getting him an e-collar. I know, we all think it’s evil. I’ve done a lot of research and I think it’s a safe tool to use if you know what you’re doing. The one we’re getting also has a beep function and a vibrate function. Lots of people have said that they don’t even need to use the zap, beep or vibrate is enough. Hopefully that will be the case for us too. If not, I will try the thing on myself first to make sure it won’t hurt him. If any of you have experience with this, I’d love to hear about it.

[joea64]

Fernando, Bindi and Buttercup.

Also white rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit!

Happy Easter everyone.

[sarahthegemini]

Buttercup! Bindi, Chewie, Nimbus & Fernando!

[Bam]

Bindi Buttercup Apollo Nimbus Fernando Bianca Podge Chewie Olaf Henry’s tummy and last but not least Sterling.

[LBJ10]

Wooly’s blaze, Leopold’s tummy, Bindi, Chewie, Olaf, Podge, Ferando, Apollo, Peep…

And yes, of course, Sterling!

Hazel – I’m sorry Otis is too rambunctious. I forget… is he a hunting breed? My brother had to have his dog sent to a training “bootcamp” because she was impossible to control. She was a hunting breed. I can’t really comment on e-collars. I have personally never used one. I know someone who did use one. It was a long time ago. I don’t know much about it, other than it only worked when the dog was wearing the collar. What I mean is, the dog did not wear it all the time. They only put in on her when she was acting up. I suppose it works short-term, but it doesn’t “cure” the dog of the behavior. If that makes sense.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Chewie, still in our memories {{Sterling}}, Kurotta and Breintje’s white socksies!

Thanks for the support Hazel, I’m glad that his actions have been outed to the colleagues and management. Getting a formal complaint is already a big slap on the fingers by itself. In NL we have a social security system which takes a large chunk of your paycheck for a nationwide unemployment&disability insurance. This makes wages lower than in surrounding countries, but people also don’t have to save up large sums of money “just in case”.
Due to strict employee protection laws here it’s quite difficult for companies to fire people with a permanent contract, and it can lead to legal battles unless the company can prove that the employee is severely lacking in their duties. Formal complaints are excellent proof in such cases, the more files they have, the stronger their case. The employee who’s been found lacking also can’t apply for unemployment benefits if they were fired because of their own wrongdoing. As many people don’t have money put aside for this situation, many employees will think twice about crossing the line after a complaint has been filed. I expect a massive improvement one way or the other.

Sorry to hear about Otis: could his problems be puberty-related? I’m sorry that I’m not much help with issues about dogs, don’t know a lot about them

I’m sad that I’m missing out on the Easter bonfires again this year. Hopefully next year I’ll have people to go with me and to take me there. Easter bonfires are a very old tradition here in eastern NL, large parts of Germany and other areas with Saxon tribal heritage. It’s a nice way to burn away the old year and welcome the spring. I’d definitely want to burn 2017. Villages hold competitions between eachother who can build the highest bonfire, the highest this year in NL measures 20 metres (65.5 feet)!
If people want to see pictures, these are from our local news channel: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/289319/fotos-van-paasvuren-in-overijssel-op-eerste-paasdag

[Dface]

Ellie-those bonfires are amazing! I tend to view bonfires quite negatively as they are often burned in a mark of intimidation here, so it’s cool to see them as a symbol of community elsewhere!

Hazel- sorry to hear about Otis! We recently got a puppy (3 month old border collie) and boy did i forgot how much work they are. Everything is chewed, he refuses to be left alone, and has a serious problem with authority (growling at the word no)
Is he neutered? Maybe it’s not too early to start introducing him to cycles? Short ten minute runs, just to get the worst of the energy off of him?

I’ve been back and forth to the vet with yumi lately. I think it’s the worst feeling when your pet is an “anomaly”. Yumi had ear mites in one of her ears. And instead of scabbing up, and spreading out like they should they went down. She has some scabbing in her ear but it looks more like random ulcerations so the vet wants her back in a week to see if medication helps clear it

Work is also preparing to launch the project we’ve been working on, and have announced no fridays /Saturdays off for the foreseeable future -_- two of our managers were fired last month so now we’ve two new managers being trained in, and putting pressure on all of us for previous managements mistake and making insane decisions.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hazel. I feel for you. I so do. Obviously it not the only reason, but have you tried changing food. I had frineds once whose golden retriver adolescent pup was uncontrolable. They changed diet and it was miraculous.
Also, scent games. They go wild for it and it drains them mentally.

An ecollar MUST be a temporary measure only, and as such used with great care and experience.
You could do more harm than good….
Have you had someone ‘outside’ come and see where the prob could be coming from….?

[Blue Moon]

poppy, chewie, sterling

[Hazel]

LBJ: Yes, he’s a german shorthaired pointer. They’re very high energy, and he’s a puppy, so…  The post office outdid itself and we already have the collar. I’m letting him wear it for now without using it so when we do try it out, hopefully he won’t connect the sensation to the collar since it won’t be “new” anymore. I’m hoping that way he will still behave even when he’s not wearing it later on. It’s supposed to be a temporary  teaching tool, so we’ll see how he does without it after a while. He really doesn’t care about it for now, he wears his regular collar 24/7, so I guess it feels pretty normal to him. I only put it on when I can watch him though.

Ellie: He just turned one, so there’s definitely some puberty mixed into the craziness.  He’s never tried to hump anything though, or shown any other “hormonal” signs, so I don’t know how much it’s really affecting his behavior.

Dface: I love border collies!! Pictures please??  They’re high energy AND smart, so you might be off worse than me.  Or maybe better? Otis is just high energy…  He’s not neutered yet, we want to wait another six months just to make sure he’s done all the growing he wants to do first. I’m hoping he will get better after the neuter, the vet says he will…  I hear you about the “problem with authority”. He doesn’t growl when we tell him off, but it seems to make the game more fun for him and he will get all pushy and nippy. He doesn’t seem to have any sense of when we’re “serious”, or maybe he just doesn’t care. I don’t want him to be afraid of us of course, but it would be nice if he showed just a little respect. His ears are never down, he never shows any kind of submissive behavior, he just doesn’t give a dang…  I might try short runs with him like you said. The problem is that we don’t have any dirt trails here (well, we do have them but dogs aren’t allowed…), so I would have to run him on asphalt. I read that since it’s high impact you’re supposed to wait until they’re 18 months old. He does a pretty good job at running on his own in the backyard, but I haven’t let him do that the past couple of weeks after finding a dead rat back there . I don’t know what it died from, I didn’t notice any blood or injuries. I’m afraid that if it had a disease, he might pick something up (I did get rid of it right away). The hubby says I’m being too paranoid, he’s probably right.

Vienna: Scent work is a great idea! I’ll look into it.  I guess you basically make a track in the yard for him to follow? About the food, we actually just switched him to adult food, I didn’t notice a difference in behavior. It’s still the same brand as his puppy food though. Do you remember what the difference in the food was for the golden retriever? Did they switch from grain to grain free or something like that? Or just a different brand? And no, we haven’t had anyone evaluate him, we’re pretty sure it’s simply an issue of too much energy, coupled with the fact that he has no natural “follower” instinct whatsoever, which makes it harder for us to guide and channel his energy into something not destructive. He spends way too much time in his crate, if the collar can help us teach him some appropriate indoor behavior, he could be out and about more and I think he would be so much happier. He CAN be good, it’s just that he’s on a hair trigger, and any little thing will set him off.

I tried the shock on myself. The levels go from 1 to 100. I didn’t feel anything on 1 and 2. On 3 and 4 there was a very slight tingle, 5 kinda felt the same as when your foot falls asleep. Not painful at all, just a weird sensation. So, if the vibration isn’t enough, I think he’ll be okay with it, he’s a big wuss so I doubt I would even have to go to 5.

[Bam]

Hazel, he does sound like a typical high energy 1-year old =) Completely exhausting of course, but it won’t last forever. Most dogs do calm down when they’re about 3. (Probably seems like an eternity now when you’re in the middle of it). My Effi (GSD) has always been a very sweet dog, but even she had a period of being completely hopeless. Her receivers were full of caramel, as we say here. Total selective deafness.

We took a lot of courses, obedience, rally obedience, tracking, locating and retrieving objects, even agility (she hated agility though). If she’d been young now I think I’d take nosework classes (weren’t available then). It’s super important to make a dog use its brain, not just its physique. A young dog of an active breed is physically next to inexhaustible. But brain work really tires them out. And stuff you teach them do stick even if it doesn’t seem like it. People kept telling me that when Effi was a pup, and I didn’t really believe them. But they were right.

So don’t give up, even if it feels overwhelming at times and you just want to cry. Take breaks, then get back on it.

[Vienna Blue in France]

It wasn’t puppy dog food to adult dog food I think and 20 years ago I don’t think there was grain free. I think it was simply a different brand with a lot lower energy type food or vitamins. It was just making the dog hyper so yes a different brand.
I presume you are keeping him occupied with Kongs and stuff. I have just discovered the wonderful invention of putting a Kong in the freezer oh my God change my life from 10 minutes of quietness to at least 45 minutes to an hour of quietness and of course Baloo is tired out afterwards. It’s win win !!!
I also presume Otis is having plenty of play times with like-minded canine creatures so he can play and get tired and sleep a lot after. How come he is so much time in the crate? Is he in the crate when you are at work? So lots of energetic and mental stimulation when he is out of it. You don’t happen to have a running machine…..? The conveyor belt would be softer than tarmac. Running for a bit is ok isnt it? (Obv not marathons!!) Its just jumping and impact stuff that could be damaging.

Are you in contact with his breeders? They could maybe give you some pointers (hahaha) as to if he is normal energy, or if he is hyper active, or what really rocks the boat to tire them out….

As bam says, keep with it. (I’m trying too…)

[Sirius&Luna]

Those bonfires are amazing Ellie! we have similar bonfires on Guy Fawkes night in the UK, which is one of my favourite nights of the year. Why wouldn’t we celebrate someone trying to blow up parliament with huge bonfires and fireworks?

Me and my boyfriend are off to California for two weeks in May. I’m getting really stressed about what to do with the bunnies. I don’t want to board them, as I’m worried it would effect their brand new bond to be somewhere where they can smell other bunnies, and I also don’t think most boarding places give them adequate space. My parents normally pop over and feed them if we’re away for the weekend, but I don’t want to leave them with such limited human interaction for two weeks. And my parents don’t want them at their home, which is fair enough. Ideally I want someone who wouldn’t mind staying in the house for two weeks… which you wouldn’t think would be that hard in central London, but apparently it is. Ugh. Anyone got any bright ideas?

[Deleted User]

I told Garfy and Sam I’d watch their bunnies, so I’ll just pop on over to London to watch yours too I wished xD

Could you find a breeder to watch them? That’s what I ended up doing with my boys for our trip in May. The woman we found breeds Holland lops and Lionheads, so it made me feel a little bit more comfortable with them going there.

Where in Cali are you guys headed?

[Sirius&Luna]

Is the breeder having them at her place? I’m just worried that any other bunny smells would break their bond, as obviously Nimbus ended up breaking Luna and Atlas’s bond before. So really, I’d like them to be in a non-pet home. That’s what puts me off trying to find one of my instagram bunny friends too, as I just don’t know how Luna will react to smelling other buns.

We’re flying to San Fran, doing Monterey, San Fran, Yosemite, Sequoia, Death Valley, Vegas and LA… Did we miss anything?

[Deleted User]

She keeps her bunnies separate from our boys. I think she has a separate shed type house (like Hook’s Hollands on youtube) for her breeding stock and the boys will be kept indoors. Although I am still holding out a minute amount of hope that the bonder will be able to take them that week and I’ll come home to two little snuggle buns

I’ve always wanted to go to Yosemite and Death Valley, jealous! If you still had time in your trip I’d say head down the coast to San Diego or Santa Monica. Hubs’ work partner just moved to San Diego and she doesn’t stop raving about it. You’re going to have so much fun!!

[Nibbler&Georgie]

Hazel – We use an e-collar on our Husky mix. I have always been anti-e-collar, and I definitely think you have to go into it knowing its an aid for training not actual training. That said, with him, its my favorite thing. He only wears it when he goes outside, if we have friends over, or if we take him to the park or a walk. I have never once shocked him, my husband shocked him one time with a warning beep before and now all you have to do is beep him. He very much has a husky brain that questions everything you ask him to do, and the collar helps with that. If you can get him outside and more exercise, you can probably minimize some of that excess energy, especially if he’s stuck in his crate a lot.

[Deleted User]

Ellie, those are cool!! I haven’t been to a bonfire since I was a child. In Louisiana, they used to line the levees with bonfires for miles.

S&L, in my 23 years in the U.S. I haven’t even been to California yet! I actually don’t travel though, I’m very lame lol. I hope you figure out something for the buns! I agree that it would be best to keep them together at home. Wait, are they officially bonded now?!

Tomorrow’s my birthday and I’m honestly just in shock that I’m already 23. It feels like just yesterday that I was a dumbass 18 year old wondering around the world clueless. lol. In other news, my chiropractor sent me for an MRI and it was found that I have two herniated discs in my lumbar spine, along with facet joint arthritis. So I guess that explains my pain. I think that this was present before I was hit by a car, but since I hadn’t had an MRI before that, it couldn’t be confirmed. Since I’ve had this sharp, shooting nerve pain that doesn’t go away, they think that I may have had disc bulging before the accident and that the accident caused it to full blown herniate, compressing surrounding nerves. I’ve been doing chiropractic and massage therapy 3x a week for a month now… I see an orthopedic specialist on Thursday to talk about treatment for the herniation.

Ophelia was also an absolute nightmare on day 1&2 of vacation… thankfully she settled down after two days, but I seriously thought that I was gonna have a bit of stasis on my hands. Lesson learned, I don’t think she’s the traveling type bun ….

[Sirius&Luna]

Thanks A&B – I’ll see whether incorporating San Diego or Santa Monica is possible! There’s just so much to see and so little time :/

BunNoob – buns are officially bonded! It’s incredible. Just as well you don’t travel since Ophelia didn’t exactly take to it! I really hope the orthopeadic specialist manages to help.

American BBers – we want to go to an authentic American theme part while we’re in California… is six flags the way to go? I’m not into Disneyland (shock horror, I know) and wouldn’t want to go to Sea World…

[BB8]

@BunNoob happy birthday!
@Sirius&Luna Six flags is fun! I also recommend Knott’s Berry Farm!

[GarfyTheLop]

@S&L if only I could bring Garf over! I’d happily come and watch them for two weeks! You’re only 45 minutes on the train away from me too

Haven’t been on here in sooo long as we’re currently in the process of buying our first place! In the mean time we’re at my boyfriends mums house with two dogs and a cat! Safe to say Garf loves having all the animals about and runs around with one of the dogs like he’s a little puppy, it’s sooooo cute to watch!

Once we’re in our new house I think it’ll be time to get him a little bunny friend.

I’ve missed chatting to you all – hope you’re all doing well (bunnies included) <3

[Sirius&Luna]

Garfy, I would LOVE that, I just wish Luna was better with other rabbits Seriously let me know if you’d like to do a weekend break in London though (minus Garf) while I’m away though- I’m thinking of getting a few people to stay for different times now

It’s so great that he’s enjoying having other animals around I hope you get the new place sorted soon. 

[Bam]

Belated hoppy birthday wishes, BunNoob!

Hi Garfy! Congratulations on getting a house!

[Hazel]

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 4/02/2018 4:29 PM

Are you in contact with his breeders? They could maybe give you some pointers (hahaha) as to if he is normal energy, or if he is hyper active, or what really rocks the boat to tire them out….

The one they gave us is more than enough…  His parents are actual hunting dogs, and are kept in large enclosures where they can run whenever they feel like it. Before we bought Otis, we talked to the breeder about energy levels, and if he would be “too much” for a pet home, he said he’s comparably calm and should be fine with us. I reckon he might advice us to get into scent work or something similar, like you have suggested. Otis doesn’t have any dog friends to play with, unfortunately. We don’t know a lot of people with dogs, and the ones we do know aren’t what I would consider well behaved. There is no dog park close to us, but even if there was, I don’t think I would feel comfortable taking him there to play with random dogs I don’t know. There’s also the poop issue… People don’t pick up after their dogs, at least not around here. There’s this cute little park down the road that I used to take him to for walks, but after a while it just became too nasty. One day I ran into a turd right in front of the entrance to the park, where everybody wanting to get in or out would almost be forced to step in it. Mind you, there’s a poop station 10 feet away with bags and a trash can for everyone to use. Seriously?  I loved going there but it’s not worth coming home with his feet and my shoes covered in sh*t. And that’s exactly the reason why it’s so hard for me to find a place to take him biking, seems like dogs aren’t allowed on any of the trails around here. And I totally understand why, hikers don’t enjoy stepping in poop either. I found one trail not too far away where it doesn’t specifically say they don’t allow dogs, but I kinda have the feeling they just forgot to put up a “No Dogs” sign. I’ll give it a try though.

He does have a few Kongs. The other day I put his regular kibble in and froze it, he loved it (which surprised me because he’s usually not all that crazy about dinner). Unfortunately one Kong only holds a quarter of his dinner, so I’ve been giving him two frozen Kongs and then feed him the other half in his bowl. It only takes him 15 minutes per Kong though.  I guess if I got two more Kongs, feeding him his whole dinner would keep him busy for an hour. What do you fill yours with?

Yes, he’s crated when we’re at work, I let him out when I get home. I try to let him hang out with us in the living room after we’ve eaten dinner. The hubby is kinda hesitant about it, because he might be fine for a bit, and then he’ll snap, start running at full speed and do something like launch himself onto us as we’re sitting on the couch. He weighs 50 lbs, so that hurts. At that point he’s usually too far gone for us to calm him down, and I put him back in the crate. So I’m hoping that with the collar I will be able to get through to him and get him to settle down again, without having to resort to crating. And more exercise. We have an elliptical, but that’s probably a bit too advanced for him. A running machine would be the thing to have, for sure.

bam: Thanks! I’m glad to hear that you went through the same thing and survived!  It does get frustrating, but I know it’s not his fault. I’ll try and get his mind working more like you said. I’ve looked into agility classes but couldn’t find anything around here sadly. 

Nibbler: Thanks for your input! I hope it will work as well for us as it did for you, your dog learned fast! How old was he when you started working with the collar? More exercise will definitely help. If using the collar allowed me to let him run off leash in a big open space, how great would that be??

BunNoob: Happy belated Birthday! What did the specialist say about your back?

[LBJ10]

Happy birthday BunNoob! Oh what I would give to be 23 again. ;p I do hope they can do something for your back. Are they talking about fusing some vertebrae?

S&L – I have not been to California, except in passing (i.e. layovers). We did go to Disney World in Florida though. The Magic Kingdom was very… yawn. Except the Haunted Mansion ride. It was awesome and I think they have it at Disneyland too. They have several Disney parks in Florida though and the Epcot Center was a lot of fun! So I wouldn’t immediately discount Disney. They actually have some very unique rides with cool special effects.

When we went to Disney World, it was part of a family trip to Florida. I didn’t really want to go to Sea World, but everyone else did. So I did go to keep the peace. I would not recommend it. The whole thing made me really sad.

[Deleted User]

I am sooooo burnt out on Disney World. My dad is a mechanic and had a friend that worked on the rides at Disney. The guy didn’t have a family but would take the passes Disney offered him and give them to my dad so we went to Disney sooo many times. And when I was 16, my friends parents took us camping there for a week….I am absolutely bored of Disney lol!!

Anyone looking for theme parks in Florida, definitely check out Busch Gardens!!

The consultation at the spine center basically put surgery on the table as my best option. Physical therapy has made my pain worse in the past, and since I have nerve root compression and a weak back due to structure and facet joint arthritis they aren’t thinking that PT will really do much for me right now. The massage therapy is eh, there is one girl that actually makes my back feel better, but the others usually leave me more in pain than when I went in. I told them that I wanted to try epidural injections first, because the thought of surgery kinda scares me. I’ve heard stories of people ending up in more pain than they had pre-op. If the injections don’t provide relief then I guess I’ll be getting the discectomy. There’s no blood flow to discs so she said it’s not going to heal on it’s own. I basically have to choose between managing the symptoms for years or longer, or go ahead and try the surgery.

[Deleted User]

You guyss make me sound so lame for loving Disney World! Hubs and I were originally supposed to go to Bali for our honeymoon, but the travel agency put my married name (which obviously I hadn’t even changed yet because we were leaving on our wedding day) instead of my maiden name. TSA wouldn’t even let me in to security, even with our marriage license in our hands. We were at the airline counter for 2 hours trying to cancel and repurchase our flight, but by the time anything got sorted out our flight was in the air. So we decided to go to Orlando spur of the moment the next day. We did NASA, Disney, and Universal.

Universal was the favorite and we went 4 out of 7 days there. Neither one of us had ever been to Disney, and I had been waiting and dying to go since I was 4. John thought it was lame and only wants to go back for the Food and Wine Fest again. Of course I was a big baby and cried hysterically during the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. Like it wasn’t the greatest (Thunder Mountain was closed boo!) but it wasn’t terrible.

[Deleted User]

Thunder mountain, Splash mountain, the space ride, rockin roller coaster, and the Hollywood drop tower thing were the only rides that I liked. It was fun when I was a kid but when I got older I was like bleh, these damn baby rides! Especially since I went to Busch Gardens and went on some REAL coasters…I was so terrified of Shikra…they bring you up pretty high and then put you slightly over the edge and stop the cart so you are dangling and looking down….then you just drop like straight down. I thought I was gonna have an accident in my seat XD so scary.

[Sirius&Luna]

Haha nooo, it’s just that I never really watched any Disney films as a child, so I don’t really have any references for it. If you don’t watch them as a child, it’s just not as fun to watch them as an adult. So I kind of think I just wouldn’t ‘get’ it, and I wouldn’t know who half the characters and rides etc were. But maybe that doesn’t really matter, and I could just treat it as a theme park.

I can’t believe they wouldn’t let you get on a flight to your honeymoon though… But good job making the best of it! Universal appeals to me the most, but it seems pretty pricey… Guess I have to just suck it up!

[Deleted User]

Universal has honestly been the best trip of my life, and once I turned 18 and supported myself I’ve been quite the travel bug for the past 8 years xD Universal is just so immersing and fun. But… part of that might be my love of the Wizarding World. It wasn’t too expensive, compared to a place like Six Flags here in the states, but food is so pricey. Just make sure you try butterbeer!

Busch Gardens sounds like so much fun! I’m a roller coaster junkie, and that sounds heavenly.

[Deleted User]

Well there is ONE perk to living in Florida, you get discounted prices at the theme parks. I keep bugging Corbin to get Busch Gardens year long passes… but he’s like “we wouldn’t go enough to make it worth it”…psh. I would go every weekend. I’m also that person that can just ride and ride and ride but he starts getting sick after like 2 or 3 times on a ride. I’m too intense for most people when it comes to roller coasters XD

[Azerane]

I LOVED Disney World I’m not a roller coaster person so despite how lovely Busch Gardens is, it was a little wasted on me since it’s mostly roller coasters. I like Disney because there’s a lot to explore. If you just want to go on rides it’s really not the place for it, but I found it so interesting and there’s a lot of little hidden features to see and experiences as opposed to just rides. We went to Busch Gardens. You’d never get me on Shikra even if you paid me a million bucks. Hubby loves it.

Thunder Railroad is probably my favourite ride at Disney, either that or Expedition Everest. Though the latter scares the absolute daylights out of me, it’s a fun ride. You know how everybody screams for fun on rides? Well I’m the person that screams like they’re actually about to die, lol. I’m pretty sure I’ve been to Universal too, though don’t remember much about it except I bought a Jurassic Park shirt there, haha.

Happy belated birthday BunNoob, though I’m sorry to hear about your back troubles.

All is well here, the bunnies are shedding. Apollo constantly looks like he’s hooked up to a van der graaf generator but otherwise no dramas.

[Hazel]

Posted By Sirius&Luna on 4/06/2018 9:08 AM

Haha nooo, it’s just that I never really watched any Disney films as a child, so I don’t really have any references for it.

Whaaa??? You poor thing, every child should watch Disney movies! What have your parents done to you!!! 

Ariel and Bombur: Wow, they didn’t let you on the flight? That’s crazy! 

The collar is working great so far, tried it out for the first time yesterday. No shocking, just beeping and if that didn’t do the trick, vibrate. He’s like a different dog now. He spent most of the day with us out and about in the house. He did get riled up a couple of times, but a quick beep calmed him right down, and he would just lay there most of the time and chew his toy. The hubby even got down on the floor with him for some cuddles and didn’t get hurt!  Otis stayed totally calm, I couldn’t believe it. Next up is some recall training.

[Azerane]

I hope the training continues to go well Hazel ?

I think I’m going to bite the bullet and take Apollo to the vet this week. He’s always missed the litter tray on occasion (once every week or two) but now it’s getting beyond a joke with pee outside the tray at least once a day. At first I thought he was being a pain in the neck after they both stayed overnight at the vet following Luna’s surgery, but that was probably 2 months ago and there’s still no improvement. So nasty vet visit to check for UTI it is. Either that or he’s just being a lazy bum. I’d prefer the UTI because I feel like that’s more easily fixed, lol. At least I assume it’s Apollo. I very rarely catch the culprit but he’s usually nearby when I discover it.

[Bam]

I’m glad you’re seeing results, Hazel! Life is so much better and freer for obedient dogs, only they don’t really understand that themselves.

Today Bam had his myxo-HRD and Filavac shots. New guidelines now, both shots can be given on the same day. I hope he’ll be ok. Vet gave him a clean bill of health and was pleased with his weight (2002 grams or 4.41 Lb on their scales).

Az, I hope you’ll get Apollo’s peeing sorted!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hazel that sounds great with Otis. I presume you’re doing the pre-beep commands so that eventually when you take the collar off he knows what the commands are, ha ha, like Otis stop (no reaction) beep and because you use the beep you can’t say good boy afterwards. You (apparently) should only praise when they do it without having a negative. So then when you say Otis stop and he does without the beep, you can THEN give him praise. So you shouldn’t follow a NO with a YES. That’s basically the idea.
Hmmmmm I hope I’ve made myself clear enough…
Keep up us to date and go go go with the one on one training to keep his mind really tired.

[MK]

Hello, I don’t think all of you will remember me but I just thought I would jump in and say hi to everyone! (BB is hard to get out of your blood! )

Hazel – I’m glad the collar is working! My family’s dog also has a barking problem and we got her a collar, but we only use the vibration mode and that’s all she needs! once in a rare while she is still not calming down/is scaring passersby so occasionally the lowest level shock is used (you can barely feel it).

I would LOVE to go to Disney World! I grew up on Disney movies

[Azerane]

Thanks Bam, it would seem that so far the threat of the vet has sorted Apollo’s peeing out. Cleaned the cage and so far we’re 48 hours accident free! Now what do I do? Lol. If we go another 24 hours without an accident is it more likely behavioral? I just don’t know anymore with this boy.

[MoxieMeadows]

MK!!! OMG HI! It has been so long! How are you?

[LBJ10]

Yes! Long time, no see, MK! How’s it going?

[MK]

Hi Moxie!! Hi LBJ!!
It’s been going well, I’m going into my junior year of college (time flies!) in the fall, I’m pre-physical therapy so I’ll be getting my DPT after undergrad hopefully!
It’s lovely to talk to everyone again! I was off for so long but I missed having bunnies as part of my day! I don’t currently have any rabbits, I’m waiting until I graduate and have a settled place where I can take care of them, but I still go to my local HRS when I go home for breaks!
I’ve been wondering: where has AndHenry gone?
And Moxie – I was so sad to hear that Moxie passed away, it’s so hard to love and lose a rabbit. I’m glad you made room for another bunny in your life!!

[BrunosMama]

Hey all! There’s a lot of new faces since I last posted.

Moxie – sorry to hear about Moxie bun. It’s never easy to lose a pet. How are all the other critters?

Hi MK! Hi LBJ!

Things have been going well here. We’ve had a few losses and a new bun, Picard. Our original bun, Bruno turns seven in June!

I just started my third year in school. My husband has been busy herding the bunnies .

Hope everyone is doing well!

[LBJ10]

Well hello Brunosmama! Nice to see you too!

It’s nice to see you MK… buns or no buns (hehe!). You’re always welcome to pop in and say hi.

[Bam]

Hi MK! So glad to hear your studies are going well! A DPT sounds very cool!

[Hazel]

Hey BM and MK! 

Vienna: It is kinda complicated isn’t it??  As far as I understand it, you use the collar different ways depending on what you want to do. You can use it to simply show the dog that a certain behavior is not acceptable (in our case, jumping on the cats, ripping at someone’s clothes, going on a rampage) which is mostly what we have done so far with the beep or vibrate. Now, if you want to teach or refine a command, like “come” for example, you give the command, hit the collar at the same time, and then guide the dog to you with the leash. As soon as they come towards you, you turn it off. Now, it’s important that the stimulation is just barely noticeable by the dog. It’s not supposed to be a punishment, but a motivation to figure out what you want him to do. It shouldn’t be more than a tingle or an itch. The dog is supposed to go “What’s this? What do I do with this?” So you basically teach them how to turn the itch off, by following your command (once they got that down, I think it’s like you said Vienna, only use the collar when he won’t comply). Now, this is where I messed up, I’m afraid. He was doing so well, I decided to try recall training. I had decided from the get go that I wouldn’t use the shock function unless absolutely necessary. Now I think that was a mistake. He really dislikes the beep and vibrate, even on the lowest level. I tried it out and I can feel it on level one. When I tried the shock, I didn’t feel anything on the first few levels. So really, the shock might be better for him, to find that level where he just barely feels an itch. It seems the beep and vibrate are too much for him, unless you just want to tell him off. When I tried the recall he just got apprehensive and worried. He must have thought he did something wrong. Now when I give him a command he’s still unsure, and doesn’t really want to work. He seems to be getting over it though, I haven’t used it for the past couple of days, only treats. I guess I underestimated what a delicate little flower he really is. 

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hi Hazel, I’m so sorry that you found out this is one of the problems of these collars turning the dogs into a neurotic “wheres the next beep/vibrate/tingle coming from”.
You’re ok, he’s young and you can work the trust back with mega treats and mega goofing around with him to get his motivation going (just watch ZAK GEORGE! !). Baloo’s previous owners told me they had put a shock collar on Baloo as he was (and is) a barky dog (but why do dogs bark? Insecurity is the main reason, think of ‘yappy’ miniature breeds)…. and – I quote – “it worked great for the first few days and then he got used to it and started barking again, so we turned it up and again the same happened and he just got used to it at max so we took it off, IT didnt work anymore….) ggggrrrr
So poor Baloo was getting zapped each time he barked which (amongst other reasons) has made him into an insecure dog who barks like a madman outdoors at other dogs (insecure, afraid), is incredibly loving indoors (insecurity again?), loves working and being trained (builds self confidence) and goes into a shaking jelly who can hardly stand up when the bunnies thump their feet…

I’ve been watching ROBERT CABRAL videos too recently. Me likey.
He seems to talk sense too, although why do these people tend to do videos with already trained dogs…
Anyhoo, am putting all these training tools into place and although his jelliness towards the buns hasn’t gone away, and is a major problem, he is getting good outside in the field with follow me, concentrate, go find (hidden ball) and fetch (this is what he did for 6 years so hes a pro fetcher, albeit a tad obsessed !!

Is it possible to have a longline on him in the house so when he goes for the cats or jumps up you can prevent him…?
But of course the main way is to tire him out physically and more importantnyl mentally so when he is indoors, he empties a frozen kong and then “flops” till the next training session with you.
(Ps frozen kong only lasting 15 mins??, do you soak kibble in water until its mushy gunk before putting it in and freezing it? The water in the soaked kibble makes the Kong like a huuuuge ice lolly!!) Baloo is on his at max determination for at least 30 mins min. He just has to lick and lick to melt the ice lolly!!)

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

@Hazel: I hope you’ll find a good method to calm him down. It can be quite a challenge if your dog is so high-energy I don’t know if it’s an option for your family, but maybe your vet can refer you to a good behaviourist?

@Vienna: those are some great tips, thanks for sharing knowledge! Reading along as well, because I want to learn more about dog behaviour. I always used to be afraid of dogs because my mother was afraid, and she rubbed it off on me. Bas is helping me to get over that fear, we often go to a park to meet dogs. He’s a dog person and spent his childhood playing with his best friend their huge Rottweiler. My fear mostly comes from a lack of knowledge, and I found out that I actually like calm dogs Especially medium to big dogs are hardly a problem anymore, and I’ve come to appreciate Sheppies and several other breeds. Bas would love to get a dog one day, and it’s slowly becoming a situation I could see myself in. If you told me 5 years ago that I would ever consider the idea, I’d have laughed.
What I don’t like are those small insecure dogs who take advantage of the situation and will try to dominate you. Large dogs are often better trained as well, while the little ones are often left to make mischief. Especially now that I’m in a mobility scooter small dogs are becoming a problem. Bas says that it’s all about having a dominant posture, and that my low energy (pain!) and sitting down makes me look submissive to these dogs. Bas regularly has to chase small dogs off of me, very annoying. My fear is lessening though, it’s turning into irritation more than actual fright.

Quick update: I’m currently in a rehabilitation programme with my physio. We meet twice a week to do exercises and I have to exercise at home daily. From exercise once a week to every day… It’s everything I expected: extremely painful, tiring and consuming most of my energy. But hey, you can’t expand your limits if you don’t seek them out! I’m taking a lot of bedrest because of the nerve pain from my lower back, this is why I’ve been so silent on the forum. In the meantime I do have a nice project going on though: making a costume for Bas for a LARP next month. Will post pics when it’s done ^_^

[MoxieMeadows]

MK- It’s really good to hear from you. I hope school is going well! Hopefully you’ll visit us more often. I was just thinking about how I hadn’t heard from you, TheMidnightSapphire or AndHenry in a really long time, and was hoping you were all doing well.

Hey BrunosMama! How are you? All of our critters are doing well. =) I think I recently found you on Instagram. I’ll have to leave a comment so you know it is me, since my username is not the same, haha.

Being asked about how my pets were reminded me that I never told you all about Paris’s vert visit. The vet determined that her hair loss was due to developing a new allergy to something, so we have changed her diet to a new brand that is all grain free etc., and she is doing better. The lumps are apparently just warts, that aren’t contagious, or causing any harm, but he did recommend bringing her in to go under anesthesia and get them burned off.

[LBJ10]

My dog had warts/bumps. We had to have some removed. We tried switching her diet, but I think a lot of that is genetics too. The dog my in-laws used to have had terrible skin problems. Lumps, bumps, warts, etc.

[MoxieMeadows]

It’s interesting seeing how different Paris and Tilly are. Yes, they are sisters (and look VERY similar), but their temperaments and health issues are so different!

[Hazel]

Vienna: Thanks a lot for all your advice, it’s really helpful!  I guess I was doing the Kong wrong, I just got the kibble wet and put it right in, I didn’t let it soak. How long do you soak it for? Any tips for keeping the mess down while filling the Kong?  I’m familiar with Zak, and I will definitely check out Robert Cabral, thanks! Sometimes I do wish Otis wasn’t such a wuss, it would make things a lot easier.  There’s a bumblebee living in our carport, and he’s convinced that it’s out to get him. It kinda is, but still… he’s acting like it’s the devil incarnate.  He’s also scared of people we run into on walks. Anytime someone tries to pet him, he acts like they’re going to kill him. It’s a little embarrassing, people probably think he gets beaten at home (he doesn’t, promise! ).

Ellie: Thanks! We’ll keep working on it. Might look into a behaviorist if things don’t get better. You should totally get a dog! Then you can join Vienna and me in complaining about all our puppy problems!  Sorry those little yappers are bugging you. You might look into getting one of those dog repellers, they make an ultrasonic sound that dogs don’t like, that would be helpful if Bas isn’t there to shoo them away. I hope you’ll see positive results soon from all that exercise!

[Deleted User]

Send vibes please…I’m having back surgery on Wednesday and I am terrified…

[Bam]

(((((BunNoob))))) Major vibes! My SO had back surgery (a really bad herniated disc) 10 years ago. The outcome was great, he made a complete recovery, all function was restored to his back and leg and foot. But he was really scared before they did it.

Ellie, I was just thinking of you today, that I hadn’t seen you around lately. Well, no wonder with that boot-camp programme! I so hope it will help you. And YAY for LARP-cosume pics to look forward to!

Moxie, great to hear new food has helped and that the lump-warts are harmless. It really is fascinating that P &T are so different from each other seeing that they are sisters and look so much alike and have been together all their lives.

Hazel, having a sensitive dog is often demanding. Effi is sensitive in many ways. In others not at all – she doesn’t display any separation anxiety, she’s not afraid of loud noises or crowds etc. But she’s like super-perceptive. So different from my bridge GSD who was about as sensitive as a combat tank. It took me quite a while to figure out what methods of training Effi would respond well to.

[Sirius&Luna]

Good luck BunNoob! I’m sure it will go well, but I can imagine the thought is terrifying. We’ll have all our paws and fingers crossed for you.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Good luck with the surgery BunNoob! I hope it’ll give you a lot of relief after it’s healed

@bam: Thank you I just don’t get to spend a lot of time on hobbies of late, which includes browsing and foruming. It’s mostly sleep, exercise, chores and treatments right now, but I’m sure that will pass when my body starts to adapt to the new regime. Bas says he’s seeing some improvement (less stiff in my movements), but all I notice about my body is {{{PAIN}}} and a lot of tiredness.
In Dutch we often say: “I’ve got energy for 10!” when we’re feeling particularly energetic. Some days I also tell people I have energy for 10: it ran out after 10

[Deleted User]

That’s so great to hear, Bam! I’m actually having a discectomy for a herniated disc, so I’m really glad to hear another success story. It’s a minimally invasive surgery…but still so scary to think that they will be working to remove the disc material from the nerve root…no room for errors at all! I’m super anxious.

[Deleted User]

(((((((((BUNNOOB)))))))

I think having a story like Bam’s helps to put it into perspective that it’s actually going to help improve the quality of life so much.

[Muchelle]

So I have a fever, so I was lying on the couch. K jumped on my head and farted on me (senpai noticed me?). It smelled like onion pizza and it made me hungry. I am a bad person lol

btw good luck bunnoob!! <333 They do that kind of surgery all the time in my ward, I'm sure everything will go accordingly!

[LBJ10]

Hope everything went well BunNoob! We can’t wait to hear from you!

OMG Muchelle!!! LOL

[MoxieMeadows]

((((((((((BUNNOOB))))))))))

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hazel. I put a kongs worth of kibble in a jam jar with water enough to cover it, and some more.
I let it soak for a couple of hours, until when you shake it in the jar (with lid on!!) it turns into mush !!!! Literally like mashed potato or purée.
I then put the kong upside down in a mug to stabilise it hands free.
I put a teaspoon of peanut butter in bottom to plug the hole or the watery mush will leak out. With a teaspoon, fill the kong up, popping in surprises now and again, a blob of peanut butter, or tiny bits of cheese. Fill all the way up. I top off the opening with another blob of peanut butter to make major motivation to start it.

Re new things and meeting people, loooots of positive rewards and LOOK commands (to make him look at you, then he gets immediate reward) to make him think “new person equals treats, yippee”!!!

When Henry thumps, i shower Baloo with treats… Baloo should think “when bunny thumps, GOOD things happen!!!”
Its a WIP and his emotions are overruling his treats…. but we’ll get there.

You need to take Otis to a busy area, park or mall and just give treats constantly so he is not overthinking the situation “im scared” “i dont know what to do”. It really is like when a child starts to cry and you try a diversion tactic of “oh look at that parachute falling over there” “oh, look at that nice puppy over there”, “oooo shall we going to the sweetie shop?” and miraculously they don’t think about crying anymore their mind is diverted!! Problem solved. It’s the same !

Don’t forget, not only do you say a gentle no if he is doing something we don’t want, but also REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOUR. We all tend to forget that part….

[Hazel]

Vienna: Thanks for the instructions!  I guess I’ll have to buy some jam now…  Sounds a lot fancier than I imagined, with cheese and peanut butter. Poor Otis had to do with plain old kibble, I’m a horrible mom!!!  I think he’ll love this.

The problem with him is that he refuses treats in “stressful” situations. I’ve managed to get him to take treats when we start walking, but as soon as we’re past the driveway he gets too amped up and won’t take anything, I’ve even tried pieces of hotdog! I’ve had some success with just waiting him out. If I take him out to potty and someone slams a car door nearby, he will often freak out and make a run for the house. I’ll let him get to the door (so I don’t get my arm ripped off) and then just sit there until he gets over it. That might take 5-10 minutes. So I don’t know how he would be in a busy place, since there wouldn’t really be a “cool down time” with people all around. Just gotta try it and see I guess. I’ve taken him to the pet store before and he wasn’t too freaked out, maybe being inside helps some, even if it’s a strange place. The hubby took him outside the other day and the mail man came by just then. Otis totally lost it, poor hubby was so embarrassed.  I do the “watch me” command with him, he’s okay with it, as long as he’s not distracted…

And you’re totally right with rewarding good behavior. I’m guilty of forgetting that for sure!

bam: “As sensitive as a combat tank”  I’ve never seen a dog that’s so flighty. I keep asking him “Why can’t you just act normal?!”  Poor thing, I know it can’t be nice for him being so nervous a lot of the time. But if you found a way with Effi, maybe we can too.

BunNoob: I hope you’re doing well, let us know how it went!

Happy Holidays everyone!

[LBJ10]

Would a Thunder Shirt help Hazel?

[Azerane]

The buns and I are doing battle. I made a vet appointment for Apollo last week because I was concerned about the possibility of a urinary tract infection. No exaggeration but after I made the appointment there was no pee outside the tray for four days. So on the day I cancelled the appointment. Literally half an hour after the appointment would have been there was pee outside they tray again and has been every day since between 1-3 times a day. I’ve decided he/ they are just being royal pains in my behind, so I’ve been cracking down extra hard and pretty much stalking them when it comes to eating hay from next to the tray and cleaning up around the tray (poop/hay/pee) about a million times a day. I am going to win this one. (I hope) I am just so done with all the constant mess.

The buns are well though, just so unreasonably messy since Luna’s surgery a few months ago.

[Deleted User]

I’m doing ok, super bored having to sit around at home and not be able to do much! So I’ve been sleeping a lot. The first two days after I was super sore all over, they said it was from the general anesthesia. I had quite a sore throat as well from the intubation. I have to get back to doing some school work today, boo! I’m supposed to be back to work on the 26th.

[Bam]

Hi BunNiob! Sounds like everything went well, that’s great! I’m sorry you’re bored of course, so was my BF after his surgery, he wasn’t allowed to work for 3 months after. He gained like 6 pounds or so ?

Az, how puzzling. Is Luna messy too?

[Vienna Blue in France]

Would a Thunder Shirt help Hazel?

Oh, the difference a comma makes!!!!

I’ve wondered about a thunder shirt for Baloo indoors with the buns. But I’m showering him (literally!) with treats AS SOON as I see him start worrying which seems to be working at the mo.

Hazel, re getting past the driveway, it has to be done in stages. Like 20 feet at a time, treat and turn around. Then 30 and so on, and if he freaks at 40feet, then go back to 30, in his comfort zone.
If he is not taking treats when stressed then he is way past his comfort zone. But you know that. Baloo did just that this morning. (The treats were not high value either…. ) Go back to a place he will take them and that is his comfort distance. Did you see the Zak video when he was trying to get the dog to sit in the street when she could see another dog? She wouldn’t, so he moved further away, again and again!! And then the dog sat, so THAT was her comfort distance.

[LBJ10]

Well… maybe one would help Hazel. LOL

[Azerane]

Lol, Vienna xD

Bam, while Luna certainly contributes to pulling hay out of the rack onto the floor around the tray, I’m 90% sure the actual mess making is Apollo’s handy work. I’ve been watching them like a hawk the past few days but still haven’t caught one of them in the pee act. Apollo is however commonly seen avoiding tray whereas Luna is in it a lot more.

BunNoob, I do hope you recover quickly and fully.

[Deleted User]

So, we’ve been looking into getting him an e-collar. I know, we all think it’s evil. I’ve done a lot of research and I think it’s a safe tool to use if you know what you’re doing. The one we’re getting also has a beep function and a vibrate function. Lots of people have said that they don’t even need to use the zap, beep or vibrate is enough. Hopefully that will be the case for us too. If not, I will try the thing on myself first to make sure it won’t hurt him. If any of you have experience with this, I’d love to hear about it.

Hey Hazel….

We had two of those collars and shared them between our 4 little doggies (years and years ago), as we HAD to stop them from constantly barking when outside. It was better than having a neighbour complain and council finding out we had ‘4’ babies and not the allowed ‘2’. As long as you use the collar with compassion and for it’s intended use, I found it helped us a lot. Why have an awful/stressful relationship with your pet when this behaviour is usually short lived or overcome with maturity. It’s usually a short term fix that may help keep the family intact, when others are quick to move the offender on – GASP!  I love that you are looking for a “remedy”, good on YOU! 

[Deleted User]

Oh my GOSH…. MK! And Moxie (and my other BB child TMS), it’s been way tooooo long. xo

[Bam]

OMG JustHenry!!! Is this you? 

[Deleted User]

Posted By bam on 4/24/2018 1:09 AM

OMG JustHenry!!! Is this you? 

LOL bam…. it is – thank YOU!

I need to start fresh. xo

[Deleted User]

And to BM… every time I listen to Collective Souls ‘the world I know’ – I think of YOU every time! xx

[Azerane]

Hello JustHenry, welcome back it would seem ?

I’m just killing time while waiting impatiently for my supermarket lasagne to be ready in the oven. Bunnies were bad today, two pees outside the tray when I got home from work ? Tomorrow is a public holiday so we’re heading up to visit my Nanna for a few hours. I meant to visit her almost 2 months ago but came down with a bad cold that really set into my lungs, and that’s not something you want to pass on to a 90 year old. So here we are, I love the long country drive, but it is very tiring.

[Deleted User]

       Hi? Is this posting? 

[Deleted User]

Hey – hello…. GOSH, is this working? I’ve tried 3 times, ha ha ha! 

Good on me for trying again, lol!

[Bam]

Yes, good on you for posting again! Hope all is well with you and yours. I saw in the RB thread that you have just lost Frank. I’m so sorry. It’s devastating to lose a dog.

[Deleted User]

Posted By bam on 4/24/2018 9:16 AM

Yes, good on you for posting again! Hope all is well with you and yours. I saw in the RB thread that you have just lost Frank. I’m so sorry. It’s devastating to lose a dog.

WE took Frank to our vet after a quick phone call – they said they’d make time for him. And they did. Stupid us… we never once thought we’d come home without him.

Blair had a cry at his day centre – Frank was our ‘everything’!

Henry is NOT happy……

I’m NOT happy. And Jose is crushed. 

[Bam]

Oh, how sad =( I remember coming home without my sweet Nala. Like I couldn’t breathe. Like a part of my own body was missing. Poor Blair =(

[Deleted User]

Ta (thank you) bam. It means so much…..

[Hazel]

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 4/22/2018 2:54 PM

Would a Thunder Shirt help Hazel?

Oh, the difference a comma makes!!!!  

LOL!  Heck, at this point I’m willing to try anything. 

Vienna, I’ll try to work closer to the house, hopefully that will make him less distracted. I really couldn’t believe he wouldn’t take a piece of hotdog…  All things considered, I’m pretty happy with him right now though. He’s SO much better in the house, if he gets that “look” around the cats, all we have to say is “uh uh” and he’ll walk away from them. Same with things around the house he might want to grab. So he’s getting lots of time out of the crate, everybody wins. 

LBJ: I have considered the thunder shirt. Unfortunately I don’t think I could use it on walks, since it’s so hot most of the time.  (I mean use it on him, not on me ) I’ll look into it more though, thanks. Maybe they make a special one for hot weather?

JustHenry!!! You’re back!  How is my favorite Cokeoholic doing?  I’m so sorry to hear about Frank, that’s so sad.  You know we’re here for you.

And thanks for your input about the collar. It’s made things so much better already. Even the hubby is starting to enjoy being around him. A little. 

[Vienna Blue in France]

I’ve wondered about a thunder shirt for Baloo indoors with the buns. But I’m showering him (literally!) with treats AS SOON as I see him start worrying which seems to be working at the mo

Nope just gone back a few months in the past couple of days. Baloo is TERRIFIED of the buns. (Thanks Henry’s thumping foot )
So a TS WILL be on the next shopping list. I’ll let you know if it has any effect…

[Bam]

Hazel, wonderful to hear he’s improved! I think Vienna is having the same issue as you with a TS, they don’t seem to exist in a warm weather version. Maybe email the company? If they get many requests maybe they’ll launch a summer version?

JustHenry, if you have pictures and /or stories about Frank we’d love to see/read about her. If you can bear it. Or when you can bear it.

[MK]

Andi!!! Its been too long, I was just thinking about you! I’m so sorry to hear about Frank I hope Blair is doing OK, loss is so hard.

[LBJ10]

OMG, my head is spinning from work. There is just WAY too much stuff going on. It was a long day. =\

Hazel – I thought maybe it would be worth a shot. I don’t know if they make one in a more breathable fabric or not. Another thought I had was using T-touch. I had a lot of luck using it on a snake, believe it or not.

Andi! So good to hear from you! I was just thinking about you, actually. Perhaps you were reading my mind? Hehe! How’s Henry doing?
I’m sorry to hear about Frank. That’s so sad. I’m sorry for Blair too. There are many of us here that know what you’re going through, myself included. Let me know if you need someone to talk to.

[Vienna Blue in France]

TTouch have a method with just a long strip of stretchy band going in a figure 8 around the body of a dog. It seems to work well and this would sort out the hot weather problem, but I prefer to have the whole body version and feed Baloo an ice cream
(It never gets really hot here….)

[Azerane]

I had a rather obvious brainwave today regarding the bun bun toilet habits (Or lack of). I considered getting another tray so they’d be side by side but the sifting tray I use wouldn’t fit. I also use sifting trays for the kitty which are almost identical. I never thought to measure them. I measured them today and turns out they’re just narrow enough that they should work side by side in the bun cage and essentially eliminate the hay nomming lazy pee and poop spot. I’ll buy new trays tomorrow, so there’s no chance of kitty confusion thinking the bunnies trays are still her own. Hopefully the store has two of the same colour, would be nice if they matched and looked like one tray ?

Basically, I’m not winning the toilet training war just with cleanliness and other measures must be taken!

ETA: I also drilled into my thumb at work today, no big deal Fortunately it was a driving bit, not a drilling bit and the bit went along under my skin rather than going down into my thumb. It still hurt but it’s really nothing more than a bit of a messy cut, nothing a bandaid can’t fix 

[Muchelle]

I’m having some forum loading issues as always, so I’ll drop it here real quick… can’t find the post we made with all the instagram handles. I’ve recently started using it, followed Q8, then found Sirius&Luna’s account… I plan to add everyone that I can recognize So if you see a request from an account called Intoxicatingrace, that’s me!
I’m not posting pics of K at the moment, so don’t worry about following back just wanted to make myself know so you know it’s not some random insta-stalker ahaha

[Hazel]

bam: I guess I’ll just have to pester them until they make a summer version! 

LBJ, Vienna: Never heard of the T-touch, I will look into it! And I wanna hear that snake story, LBJ! 

Azerane: Yikes!  Sorry about your thumb! I burn myself pretty regularly at work, but at least a burn doesn’t bleed. 

[LBJ10]

It’s a technique that is used to help calm an animal. It utilizes circular pattern touching, along with some other things. So… the snake. He is grumpy and difficult to handle, particularly for people he isn’t familiar with. It took some time to get him comfortable with me when I first started working with him. I used the technique… at least my own snake-oriented interpretation of it since he does not have any limbs. I would run my fingers down his body and lightly massage him in a circular motion. I would keep going until I found a spot he seemed to like. I would also “grasp” his body and lightly run my hand down the length of his body and give his tail a gentle little tug at the end. Something about this is supposed to relieve stress. Anyway, I managed to get him to the point where I could pick him up without protest.

[Azerane]

Muchelle, I found one of the instagram threads here: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/165018/Default.aspx I know there’s another but it must be further back than 8 pages (From memory it’s called something along the lines of “Your buns on social media”)

Thanks Hazel, it seems to be healing well. That’s not good that you get burned all the time at work! I’m guessing (or hoping) they’re usually pretty mild.

Apollo is suitably unimpressed with me today I bought two new sifting litter trays that fit in their condo side by side. I washed them, put clean litter in them along with a sprinkle of some dirty litter from their old tray, and then I topped up the hay rack with fresh hay. They both came running and Luna jumped into the tray. As soon as Apollo realised he had to get into a tray to get to the hay he hopped off in a huff and hid under the desk, lol. He’s gotten over it and has used the tray to nom lots of hay since. It seems to be working a treat though. The bunnies are favouring the spot where they were peeing/pooping outside the tray before (but now it’s in a tray) which is at the opening at the end of the hay rack (ikea bag holder) so it’s likely that the hay rack was the problem all along. I have every intention of building a wooden one myself I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m really hoping this is the end of it because I am so tired of wiping up pee and sweeping giant poo piles every day in addition to cleaning the litter tray.

[Deleted User]

Thank YOU for the wonderful ‘welcome back’. You have no idea how lovely that was, especially at such a sad time. I mostly jumped on BB for a sticky at how bunny’s cope with losing their partner – Frank was Henry’s ‘everything’. He’s not doing well…. Henry is keeping to himself, not engaging in being social, he’s sad. But he is still toileting and eating normally to our relief. We still have George who is completely blind and hitting 16, but Henry has no interest in her. We can’t get Henry a new puppy – not with us caring for George and I’m not ready to love again. And when George leaves us, my hubby is gonna be an absolute wreck with her being his ‘princess’. The GRIEF!
So from having a read on BB, I couldn’t help but have a sticky beak at the chat thread, it cheered me up till I saw that Steph lost her precious boy. My heart was crushed. SIGH!!!
BTW, I am guessing you noticed that I am STILL super computer stupid and I forgot how the site works – sorry for my mess up’s, but I tried, lol!
I’d love to chat again and I will reply to everyone…. I just need a bit of time. Frank came home yesterday and he’s sitting next to the flower’s I was gifted on my dining table.
What I can’t get out of my mind – the hubby came home from work on Monday at 1am and NO one greeted him at the gate. He was destroyed. As soon as Frank heard the car in the driveway, he was out of bed with Henry literally on his tail, BOTH waiting at the gate for him – they were treated every night when he got home from work. Henry doesn’t know to do this without Frank…..

Blair is doing ok. He know’s Frank is ‘gone’. But I won’t tell him Frank (ashes) is in the box. I think that will distress him. Even though he seems to understand gone, I don’t think he understands death…. how Frank can be in a box?

Anyhow, enough soppy stuff…. again, thank YOU and I’ve super enjoyed the read – love it BIG time!!! I will be in touch soon. xo

[Deleted User]

Posted By MK on 4/24/2018 4:56 PM

Andi!!! Its been too long, I was just thinking about you! I’m so sorry to hear about Frank I hope Blair is doing OK, loss is so hard.

 I have ALWAYS thought about you MK…. I have ‘never’ forgotten anyone who touched my heart – thank YOU! xoxo

[Azerane]

Andi I am so sorry to hear about Frank. It’s never easy by any means.

We have created a monster. Jasiri has so many mouse toys that they each have a name ( eg. Moosey mousey, Christmas mousey, sparkle mousey etc). I recently bought her a new wand toy with the mouse on the end made from some sort of hair (horse or similar). Her play with this toy is at a whole new level and she is obsessed with the toy and turns into a seasoned hunter the instant I bring it out, so much so that we’ve nicknamed it danger mousey because of how wild she goes during play with it ? As a result the toy is brought out for short play sessions and then hidden away in the pantry on the top shelf. The only trouble is that she’s sniffed it out. Now any time I so much as look like I’m heading to the kitchen, she leaps onto the fridge and hops over to the pantry and stares at me longingly. <3

[Vienna Blue in France]

#jasirineedsafriendlolol

[Azerane]

It’s funny you should say that Vienna… I wasn’t going to say anything but there may be a little brother or sister in the making Nothing is settled of course, most of all approval from the rental agent, but I’m hopeful

[Deleted User]

Hey Hazel, I had to laugh when I walked in and found Henry trying to get George’s dog food – he’s STILL a naughty boy! If anyone is wondering, lol??? PS – we got him off the Coke! Ha ha ha ha….
Thank you so much Azerane, your kind words offered such comfort. You don’t know me and yet you were so kind. Thank YOU!!!!
Blair and I went to Rocky Horror theatre show again LBJ. I think of you all the time.

I get that no one will like me much anymore, and I get that. I’m happy to have a ‘read’ and I promise not to be a bother. I just wanted to say hi and thank the kindness shown to me. Wishing everyone well. xo

[Bam]

Andi, everybody will still like you. What’s not to like about you? Theres lots of “new” members here that haven’t had the chance to like you yet. I think of you often. It’s like you say, people that have touched your heart don’t get forgotten ❤️️

[LBJ10]

I agree Bam.

And Rocky Horror is the best, no doubt about it.

[LBJ10]

The boys are both going to the vet this week. Wooly seems more sneeze-y than usual and Leopold keeps messing with his ear. It’s good we’re doing this now since we will be going on vacation again in August. My parents will have to watch them and I don’t want there to be any active issues. There is no way they would be able to medicate a rabbit. LOL

I was grooming Wooly to get him ready for their appointment. He has a lot of loose fur right now. I just really wish he wouldn’t open his scent glands when I groom him. It’s like he’s trying to get me to put him down. LOL

[Hazel]

JustHenry: Don’t say that, why would anyone here not like you?! I’m always happy to hear from you and I hope you stick around!

And I’m glad you got him off the coke! 

LBJ: That’s so cool about the snake! I didn’t realize their behavior could be so influenced by touch. He must have liked you a lot! 

[Deleted User]

I ‘know’ I should NOT reply in an old thread (sorry!), but I don’t want to start anything – I promise I am happy to have a read. Everyone seems to be so kind and helpful, I just love it! Sometimes I get the niggle to reply to a question/concern, but it’s not my placeI – I just know MY Henry. And my Henry is NOT a BB bunny…. SIGH! Lol!  Silly / naughty boy! Ha ha ha ha!

I remember having the BEST time ever on BB until I got convinced that FB was the way to go – that backfired BIG time! I’m still on FB for my kiddies and ‘local’ friends (ONLY people that I actually know). Why I reckon some older BB member’s may not be fussed on me. I get it and it’s ok – there are a few people I don’t like much either. It’s all cool…..

[Author]

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