At what age do you not replace the pet in case you die?

Brilliant*glammanana*! I would love to have seen him. My Nell is going to have a bath when she goes to doggie daycare on Friday - if I bath her at home, she wriggles out of my way and makes a break for the stairs, full of suds. Last time she had a bath at daycare, she had backed into a beagle who happened to be having a poo in the yard area. He yelped, she slipped in it and ended up with it on her long ears and teeth!! When I went to pick her up, the staff were crying laughing - two of them had to bath Nell and brush her teeth, and two more bathed the beagle. At least she got a free bath, and smelled of coconut shampoo - just lovely! Dogs, eh?

Annobel - One of my friends breeds border collies and her parents breed shelties so I've spent some time with them. The sheltie pups in their first couple of weeks are amongst the cutest pups I've ever got to play with! Don't you love puppy breath?

glammanana - A friend's Dad had a JR and we always said it was like a ferret after a double cappuccino.

When I was with the ex her parents had a long haired chihuahua. They used to baby the crap out of him, insisted on feeding him better than they fed themselves, treated him like a spoiled toddler and let him get away with murder. We used to look after the chi for a couple of weeks when they went to stay with family interstate every few months and we treated him the same as the border collies. He had the time of his life, lost all his excess weight, found his manners again and was a delight to be with. Within minutes of them picking him up he was back to being the alpha member of the family.

Oh; puppy breath....when I'd had a litter of cocker spaniel puppies [no me personally] a friend came round who had bred a couple of litters of retrievers and she had to pick up one of the puppies and breath in that wonderful smell, so I realised it wasn't just me! You don't see many shelties these days; I've often wondered what they are like as pets [but I'm no good a grooming]. Would love a border collie but haven't got the time or the energy. Someone once told me that Papillons make good pets, and will actually walk for miles if you want them to. My dog is currently at the seaside having a wonderful time while I stay here with the decorator and the condemned boiler.

Working border collies are typical working dogs. My Gypsy sits near me most of the time, wanders outside now and then to make sure the world is behaving itself, and then comes back to wherever I am. As soon as I get up to do anything she's up and ready to go. I live about 600 metres away from the beach so we go down a couple of times a week and she has a great time chasing balls and seagulls and sniffing about. When we get back home down she flops ready for next time. Bailey, the pedigreed BC is a different animal entirely. Gorgeous nature but unbelievably thick and totally food driven. To wash Gypsy I simply take her down to the beach, tell her to drop and she flops in the water, rub wet sand into her all over, off she romps to rinse off and when we get home a quick brush and she looks gorgeous. Do the same with Bailey and his undercoat smells like a rotten blanket for a fortnight, so I get the mobile dog wash people out every few months to give him a good going over... I definitely will not miss him.

Sounds like an Afghan coat I used to own in me hippy days!

Ahhh! spaniel puppies and their sweet puppy breath. We have had two cockers and a clumber as puppies - so sweet, although not a brain cell between them, especially the clumber, who would piddle by the back door until she was into her dotage, then look at us with puzzled eyes, as if she hadn't a clue how that had happened.

My last cat, Rosie, died at the grand old age of 24 a few years ago. Because we were about to do a lot of travelling (not just for pleasure) we reluctantly decided not to have another cat. Now, I do like not having the responsibility, but the living room door is still propped open ( in case a cat wants to come in) and I always put the butter carefully back in the fridge...Maybe a retiree when we move to Devon?? I miss the company of cats, and I do love dogs too, but not right now.