anichka

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Posts posted by anichka

  1. Posted

    Haha, yeah, Lasz gets some interesting cuts sometimes because of the matted hair, which makes him look like he's balding in some spots.

     

    I've done some research into clippers and would get either an Oster or Andis. I've heard that dogs are generally better behaved if you can get them on a grooming table (another expense and need for space), which is contrary to my usual method of wrestling him to the living room floor with scissors - not pretty results for either of us.

     

    Good luck, and post pictures of the results if you can!

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  2. Posted

    Another very important question to me - any advice on dog groomers around HD?

     

    I have little hope of finding someone who is experienced with PWDs as they seem to be pretty rare there. The woman who grooms Lasz here in the UK had only done one before but she does a fantastic job. He was groomed by someone else once and ended up looking more like a poodle than anything - I am pretty sure that woman didn't even look at the laminated grooming chart I gave her (while his usual loved it and even asked where she could get her own).

     

    I am contemplating investing in clippers, etc., so I can do it all myself, but I have a feeling I'll have even less storage space there than here, so I don't want to do that quite yet.

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  3. Posted

    Moving from the UK now, I am listening to the Smiths a lot again. Morrissey's You Are the Quarry was my soundtrack for moving here three years ago.

     

    I am wondering what my soundtrack for the move to Germany should be... it will happen as it will, but my iPod won't hurt much for any suggestions. I was thinking the Notwist, Shrink, but that's pretty much because it's the only German band I know I like.

     

    Apologies, as always, if this question has been asked before, and I know it's silly, but I am finally getting excited about this move after four or five months hanging in the balance.

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  4. Posted

     

    Best bet for walking to work is Rohrbach as others have said, if you can you should get a temp place for a month while you check it out for yourself, have a look here .heidelberg-marketing.de they have a list of Ferienwohnungens available.

    The company is reimbursing me for relocation, including temporary housing, and they recommended a few places. I think I am going to stay at Keller Residence (if it's available) since they allow dogs. Thanks for the site though - if Keller doesn't work out, I'll need to look into other options.

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  6. Posted

    Thanks for all the advice, guys. I think Sudstadt may be off the list for now.

     

    I've been looking at the classifieds on the RNZ site (along with immopool.de and www.immobilienscout24.de). I don't speak German, but I am able to figure out the advertisements. A friend who moved down three months ago basically went through newspaper ads and found a few that she liked, then went to the housing office to arrange viewings. She didn't end up paying the agent fees and got a cheap (but tiny) place for about 500 or 550.

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  8. Posted

     

    Welcome to the Heidelberg area then! I'd have to agree with your friend on Emmertsgrund. It is considered by some to have been a mistake to build. Basically it is mostly high rise, low income apartments with a few row houses scattered about. Boxberg is a little better with a bit more of these flat roofed houses overlooking the valley but also does not come up high on the list of places to live. It's a shame because it is right next to the forest too.

     

    Weststadt, Sudstadt, Rohrbach are all very nice (I've lived in all three) but finding affordable housing is difficult and finding something you really like almost impossible although sometimes with LQA you might fare better as some landlords look to capitalize on a higher rent. I would recommend looking for something on Von-der-Tann Strasse, Goerrestrasse or Panorama Strasse. From here you can walk to Campbell. These would probably suite you well as they abut right up against the trail heads into the forest (steep but not bad) and are a short walk to the tram stop into Heidelberg. Altstadt can be nice too but the apartments tend to be much older and the noise levels much higher. Neuenheim and Handschuheim on the other side of the river are very nice as well but availability is extremely tight. Plus I'd say the Altstadt is not very dog friendly.

     

    I chose to move out to the Schwetzingen area because IMO the value for money is better.

     

    Hope this helps!

    It helps a lot, thank you! I was wondering what was so bad about Emmetsgrund and Boxberg. I didn't see a whole lot of Heidelberg (I was there for a Vampire Ball for Fasching, just overnight), but I didn't see anything that looked scary.

     

    I do know I don't want to live in Aldstadt... I just can't deal with that much activity. I lived on the High street here in a small town when I first moved to Britain and I don't think I ever got a good night's sleep.

     

    Sounds like you've moved around a lot. I am really hoping I can find something I will like for three years because I don't want to deal with the agent fees more than once. Did you find most of your places through classified ads?

     

    When I first moved to the UK, I lived in a small town (pop 20K) in a tiny terraced house. Even though I wouldn't move there again, I do miss being around people and at least having the option to go out. There's really nothing happening here where I live (village of 150 people, 7 minutes to work), not even a pub. Is Schwetzingen lively at all? I don't need a lot, but at least a local pub is nice.

     

    I won't have LQA (I am a contractor).

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  9. Posted

    Because after three or four months of waiting to find out whether I am moving to Germany, it is actually happening now, and I am really looking forward to it.

     

    Also being home from the States and reunited with my dog. He makes me happy even when he's just sleeping on the floor.

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  10. Posted

    It's official as of Friday - I will be moving within the next month and starting my job there 1 May. I am pretty sure I will be working at Campbell Barracks.

     

    From what I've been able to piece together from Wikipedia and the map of districts, I have been leaning towards Weststadt or Sudstadt. I am all about minimizing my commute, and I would like to be able to get to work within 20 minutes walking or by bike (I will have a car, but if I can manage without using it on a daily basis, I will be happier), yet I also want to be able to stumble home easily on a weekend from a night out. I'm ready to get out of this tiny little village!

     

    A friend who lives there gave me the following advice:

     

     

    As for the neighborhoods, Definately stay away from Boxberg and Emmertsgrund. As I said, I prefer Altstadt. Most of the single people I know live here becuase you can walk to everything and there is a lot of activity. Neuenheim, Bergheim, Weststadt, Sudstadt are all close in as well and nice places to live too. Just keep in mind the above neighborhoods are all somewhat cramped w/o much parking or open spaces.

     

    Then there is Ziegalhausen and Schlierbach. The are up river a bit and pretty nice. I had a corporate flat in Schlierbach for 3 months and it was nice. Rents are a little cheaper here too.

     

    Rohrbach is nice and they have a lot of new apartments there now. It is near Campbell Barracks. Some folks I know working at Campbell like to live up the hill in Gaiberg or Bammental. They are quiet hill towns and you might have better luck there with Lazlo. [my dog]

    I've only been to HD once, about a month ago, for one night. It doesn't seem like if I go with the neighborhoods I am leaning towards it would be hard to get anywhere - to work or for a night out - but if anyone has any more advice, I would love to hear it. Thanks!

     

    Oh, and if it matters - I am trying to find a place for less than 1000 a month. I could probably go higher, but I can be cheap about rent. After living in the UK, I am not concerned about having an especially large place, but a patch of grass nearby would make my life easier with the dog.

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  11. Posted

    At least with Frontline, I know you can sign up for email reminders to give your pet treatment (I do the same with his wormer pill through Milbemax).

     

    On another note, a few weeks ago I traveled to Amsterdam. Of course, we had to go to the vet to get cleared to return to the UK. She said Frontline doesn't work all that well anymore, and used a product called Stronghold instead. I don't know how reliable her advice is. I think Frontline takes care of both ticks and fleas but Stronghold is only good for one (can't remember which though).

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  12. Posted

    Thanks again for the advice. Re. shooting dogs, it's similar to the UK since farmers can/will shoot your dog if it is worrying livestock. Luckily most of the fields near my house are just for crops. I really have to work on training him to heel more. Some days he's really good, but others he's a stubborn little boy, so I have a ways to go.

     

    I've been leaning towards Weststadt in my searches, so I will keep the trail heads in mind. Maybe in a year or two I'll be ready for more rural life again, but after living in a village with a population of 150 for the last year and a half, I'm craving a bit of town life again. Walking my dog has always proved useful in meeting people as everyone likes to stop and ask what breed he is or tell me random things like "he looks like a hearth rug." One thing I miss with the pup is sidewalks! I am looking forward to walks where I don't have to dodge cars passing by at 50+ mph on winding country roads.

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  13. Posted

    Thanks Bipa. I've seen quite a few EU websites (as I mentioned, there's one in the Netherlands - Casa Hoya I think), and I know I will probably have to travel outside of Germany for my next pup if I decide to get one while I am there. It would be pretty cool to get a PWD from their homeland! Who knows, I haven't had my boy fixed yet, so maybe he'll even be a father some day (though I have a LOT more research to do before I would even consider it).

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  14. Posted

    That's one part of the debate I forgot - the fact that they want a rescue dog, and it's not like there are a lot of PWDs out there just waiting for homes (which, naturally, a lot of the mailing list people believe will rise if one ends up in the WH). There have been some interesting "conspiracy theories" about how they will manage to adopt one, including one about Senator Kennedy's latest addition of a PWD pup.

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  15. Posted

    At the moment I am in Virginia. I was hoping to head home (actually, Illinois, but downstate in C-U) to see the folks when I was done here, but it's not going to work out (mostly because of the potential pending move to Germany soon). I'll be back in the Midwest sometime this year though, and I'd love to meet any Porties (and their people) along the way.

     

    It will be at least another year before I am looking. I've yet to figure out what my housing situation will be when/if this happens.

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  16. Posted

    Really? Shoot, I just saw you're in North America. I have been trying to look for breeders in Germany (not much luck - I think the closest is the Netherlands) because I would like to get another one in a year or two. I had to wait almost exactly a year to get him in the UK. I am in the States at the moment for work and missing my goofy little boy. He's such a fun dog, but a little stubborn. He's taken to training really well. I hope we might be up to the challenge of some of the tests Bipa mentioned, but we'll have to work hard to get there.

     

    Just saw your comment about the WH. Most of the debate has to do with the breed becoming "too popular" or, because they are very energetic dogs, the First family not realizing what they are getting into (which I think is hogwash - they are going to have plenty of resources to help them with the dog).

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  19. Posted

    Thanks Bipa. That's exactly the type of advice I need. I've heard of the clubs you mention, but I haven't been able to parse out enough German yet on their websites. I will definitely look into joining one once I get there.

     

    Good to know about the trainers there. I am surprised by that, since I've heard Germany is so dog friendly (supposedly more so than Britain). May just be me, the books, the clicker, and the dog if I can't find something suitable!

     

    Is the Begleithundprüfung a state-sponsored test? I am trying to get through the Google hits, but of course they are mostly in German.

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  20. Posted

    Thanks. In regards to dog training, I would really prefer personal recommendations over the shotgun approach. I could be more specific and say clicker training, too. I've put my dog through three different training courses (three trainers, two of them using the clicker) in the UK. I would strongly recommend against one of the trainers. Often the training isn't cheap, so anyone who could give first-hand advice would be appreciated.

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  21. Posted

    I was wondering if anyone has advice about various things related to dogs in Heidelberg, including training classes, English-speaking vets, agility clubs, places a dog can run off leash, etc. Are there any dog parks there? I am especially concerned about this one as my dog needs a good run every day, and we'll most likely be living in a flat without a nice large yard and a house surrounded by farmland like I have in the UK. Thanks!

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  22. Posted

    Bipa, spot on advice!

     

    My boy loves the Gentle Leader now as much as the leash or his seat belt (a harness device) now. The biggest problem is waiting for his excitement to settle down when I take them out! He knows either one means we're probably gonna have a lot of fun soon.

     

    I, too, will try to find a muzzle soon just to get him used to it.

     

    I am a bit worried about how he's going to take the stress of the move and all the new places (temporary lodging, then a new neighborhood), but he's young (15 months) so I am hoping his age works in favor of this. He does not like strangers, though, and he will be meeting a lot of them soon if Germany works out for me...

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  23. Posted

    I wondered after I posted this last night whether the Gentle Leader is considered a muzzle. From what my friend in HD described, it seems like it might be. I usually walk my dog using the Gentle Leader because he behaves a lot better then.

     

    Unfortunately, I think we will be in temporary housing for 2 weeks to a month, and I will go to work right away after arriving there (if I make it, still waiting on TESA approval!).

     

    The biggest problem I've had with my dog on the train is his tendency to want to sit next to me (on the seat)...

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  24. Posted

    My dog, in general, is not a barker... but I do worry some since some other points have been brought up. He can be territorial, i.e., when someone comes on the property, he lets me know. I currently live in a semi-detached house, and noise from the neighbors will make him bark. I imagine I will be in a flat situation in Germany, and I am concerned he will bark when he hears neighboring noises.

     

    No worries about barking at people on the street, though. Really, the only time he barks is when he thinks we are being invaded at home... and he's also very well behaved in public (wish I could say the same at home!), usually sitting down immediately when we meet people. Many people remark on how well trained he seems in that regard - if only they saw the crazy he can be at home when he doesn't get enough exercise!

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