Hello!

[abby_someone]

I found my way here because I was looking for a young companion to my ancient Great Dane, Lena. We decided to get a miniature Australian Shepherd. Unfortunately, Lena's health took a turn for the worse, and within 5 days we had to make the worst decision possible for any dog owner. She went to the Rainbow Bridge on May 15, 2011. She was nearly 11 years old. My heart broke that day.

On to the mini-aussie puppy that we were thinking about getting.....we decided to get him anyhow. To keep his mind occupied and to train him in a completely different way, I found this site. I don't have him yet. I will get him on Memorial Day weekend. I can't wait to start training!!! I love to train dogs and I am excited to learn from the fun people on this site.

 

[Dodge]

Awww,R.I.P Lena,have lots of fun at the bridge,angel big hugs to you Abby!
A very warm welcome to you,hopefully your little pup will mend your heart and you will have heeps of fun on here and of course training your new little sweety pie,looking forward to get to know you

 

[abby_someone]

Thank you for the hugs, they really are the best medicine for a broken heart.

I am really excited to get my new little fur baby and hope that he can help reduce the empty feeling in the house. Although, I don't think that my cats are going to be as excited LOL. I look forward to getting to know you as well, while I learn new techniques.

 

[Dodge]

Ooooooooh and AWWWWWWW lourve your avatar!!!! A right little furballyour cats will be just fine,its a pup,so he will be used to them from the word go,same with your kitty's

 

[abby_someone]

He is cute! He is only 6 weeks in this photo...will be 8 weeks on Friday. You are right, the kitties will get used to him (secretly, I can't wait for the introduction) I have very spoiled animals, and the small torture of a canine addition will be entertaining.

 

[Lexy88]

aww cute puppy!! Welcome to the DTA!!

 

[abby_someone]

aww cute puppy!! Welcome to the DTA!!

Thank you! I am learning LOTS!!! I taught my Dane the old Barbara Woodhouse way. Ya know, with a choke chain. I didn't know if you could train loose leash walking with rewards and clickers reliably. You can bet that there will not be a choke chain in this house again. I will stop at a pet store for a clicker on my way to pick him up. I live out in the boon docks, there are no pet stores within 90 miles. . I think that there are a few supplies that I might get from Amazon too, once I get enough to reach the good old $25 amount .

 

[sara]

Weclome to the DTA (somehow I missed your post earlier!) Your pup is really, REALLY adorable!

I dont live in the boon docks, but I still buy alot of stuff online, as there are much better products online than what I can get here.

 

[tigerlily46514]

Adorable lil fur baby you got there!! and GOOD ON YOU for no more choke chains!! I have learned so much here, too, positive, positive, positive.

 

[jackienmutts]

Welcome to DTA! First, so sorry to hear of your loss. Losing an old sweet friend is just the hardest, isn't it? I went thru that myself just a few months ago (my old Aussie, almost 16 yrs old), and she's still in my thoughts daily. They leave such a huge hole in our hearts.

Congrats on your (soon to be) new little fur-baby! He's just adorable!! You'll learn so much here. Feel free to ask questions any time, lots will jump in and help -- we especially love intro'ing new people to the world of positive reinforcement training.

And, like Sara mentioned above, you can buy so much online, you don't need to live in a big city to get the latest/greatest in dog stuff. Ask around, we can recommend things, and you surely can find most anything you need online, and so many places offer reduced or even sometimes free shipping. We'll keep you up to your ears in dog supplies!! Have fun!!

 

[abby_someone]

Welcome to DTA! First, so sorry to hear of your loss. Losing an old sweet friend is just the hardest, isn't it? I went thru that myself just a few months ago (my old Aussie, almost 16 yrs old), and she's still in my thoughts daily. They leave such a huge hole in our hearts.

Congrats on your (soon to be) new little fur-baby! He's just adorable!! You'll learn so much here. Feel free to ask questions any time, lots will jump in and help -- we especially love intro'ing new people to the world of positive reinforcement training.

And, like Sara mentioned above, you can buy so much online, you don't need to live in a big city to get the latest/greatest in dog stuff. Ask around, we can recommend things, and you surely can find most anything you need online, and so many places offer reduced or even sometimes free shipping. We'll keep you up to your ears in dog supplies!! Have fun!!

Thank you! and I am sorry for your loss as well. I still find myself looking for her at funny times, or feeding her some fat off the steak. I am hoping that my new little guy will help fill the void in the house. That said....I am looking forward to buying new stuff, I love to shop (my poor husband!).