Melody, yes the sooner we ban drinking and driving altogether and introduce random breath tests, the better imo. OK so an absolute zero limit is difficult because people sometimes produce enough metabolic alcohol to show up on a breath test, but it isn't beyond the wit of man to set the level so low that drinking any alcohol will put the drinker above it. Don't see why you can't criticise because you smoke - I've never known anyone to beat up the wife, shove a beer glass in a face or smash the furniture because they're under the influence of a fag :-).

dont smoke :rolleyes: drink very rarely!!! and not when driving, where should i throw my first stone :D :D :D :D :D :D

I believe in live and let live,personally I dont smoke but thats my choice,I do however like a tipple and that also is my choice,I dont agree that someone wont lose their temper and hit you whilst under the influence of tobacco,I saw my friend nearly kill her husband for the want of a smoke,she had none and he had two left and wouldnt give her one of his and My son is absoloutly wicked in the morning till hes had one,I however will have my tipple in the evening and wake up quite sociable in the morning :)
they are both addictions really . we'd be lost without them :)

I can understand not selling pups to Koreans :)

Whatever next, not selling to blacks/jews/ugly people?

Being black, Jewish or ugly, or even all three, poses no health risk to a puppy you have lovingly reared! If a breeder doesn't like smoking and feels there are health issues, I can fully understand them wanting the best for their pups. It isn't bigotry!
LynnT

Lynn, I read Dave's post as good-humoured sarcasm rather than bigotry.

Just as well I'm not black, or jewish, just very ugly :)

I also smoke, but the dog's kept outside, so I'm ok there.

Sharon I sometimes wonder how we all survived at all :) Reggie the G.S. I had when the kids were little had a great deal to do with the children , saved Gerald from being run over , saved Sharon from being assaulted.allowed Lorraine have all her afternoon naps on his belly walked up and down like a sentry when Neil was in garden, and fair broke our hearts when he went to the bridge .I would hate any child to be deprived of that affection , it does really do them good and helps them to grow up kinder. To quote my Dad [rip] there cant be too much wrong with a person who loves and cares for animals . I believe that as well so how do they get to that stage if they are not allowed to experience that love growing up.I do however appreciate that some spoiled children are allowed to do what they like to a puppy , but most children are good . I supose its like give a dog a bad name. works both ways Mari

Just a note of wry humour here:
About a year ago, I went out my door to see my brand new neighbor smoking a cigarette outside of his own house in the heavy "mist". He was about 23-24ish yrs old, single, and really sweet. I asked him if he had visitors, since he was outside like this.
"Nope, just can't stand the smell of smoke inside or on my stuff." :) :) For some reason, I just thought this was the funniest thing to hear. :)

My guests who visited recently are both heavy smokers and know I just can't handle even the heavy odor on clothes (my sinuses really act up and life is rather miserable :(), so they'd troop out my front door, smoke, then spray themselves down with Febreeze before they came back in... even on road trips. I thought it was really sweet of them.

Yeah, it does make things difficult being really sensitive, but I do my best to work around it. Outside cafes in the summer + eating earlier in the winter in empty restaurants :) And taking Febreeze with us to spray down clothes [$ hotel furnishings helps ])
I have noticed the 'girls' do start sneezing a lot if we're in a smoke filled room and stop when we depart. So it's likely, it does bother them. :(
toodles

When I used to take my first labrador visiting for Pets As Therapy she would not say Hello to anyone who smelt of smoke. Residents who smoked hated the way she backed off of them but that was her choice!
I also have a rescue dog who was beaten and abused (the last owner used to drink heavily at times, I'm told) and if Whiskey is walking with me and someone approaches who smells of acohol, he gets very wary.
I do not smoke or drink so I guess they are funny smells to the dogs.

I would beat up the old man if I DIDN'T have a fag though

:D

Having had a husband who still is an alcoholic, I can relate to the what it does to families Issue! Try consoling a child who hasn't seen her Dad for 10 years, and then is subjected to hot and cold treatment.

Brainless- I can relate to that too;) Depending on your definition of an alcoholic- you're either older than me or wiser and got rid sooner. My other half's Father was an alcoholic (his Mum likes a drink too) and the stories etc from his childhood- being 4 (youngest of 7-so he slept in his parents room) and see your Dad drunk smoking in bed- the bedding caught fire and esculated- they all got out expect my other half who like I said was only 4 years old at the time- his parents were too drunk to even let any of the other or themselves back in for him- he was at the bedroom window, banging on it, crying and could see the others at the bottom of the garden:( His oldest brother (2nd child) fought with his Father while his oldest Sister- climbed in through the pantry window and got him out:( The baggage etc connected with my other half is unreal- he's also a bottler! Last year he had an arguement with his Mum and his Sister (the one that saved him) camre round to try and talk to him- he started screaming about when I burn stuff and it all comes back to him and he's got to get out! In the 9 years I've been with him, I've heard this story but never things like that:o Trouble is he can't see that he's going down the same road:( The devastation alcohol causes to families is unreal. My parents very rarely drink- glass of wine at Christmas sort of stuff this makes our situation even worse as I'm not a drinker myself therefore loathe the smell etc in the bedroom in a morning and the drowsyness and slurring:( It's funny really- I find it quite nice to know that I'm not alone on this one;)

Stacey x x x

Oh I got rid nearly 12 years ago, before the birth of our second child! He has taken up with another woman, and married. They have 3 children.

He made contact last year, and my daughter going through the rebelliousness bit at 13 1/2 went to stay with him for 9 weeks. She was in a right emotional mess when she saw sense and came home.

We are talking so bad that he is in and out of hospital, been sectioned under the mental health act by his wife, and often has the Police needing to be called out!

My daughter worries about the 3 kiddies living in this. She has seen her Dad twice in the last year, when he remembers her! My son just doesn't want to know, he showed some curiosity over the years, but after the situation with my daughter, he wants nothing to do with Dad, who he has never met!

My ex Father in law is just the same, difference being his Mum just puts up with it!

Barbara, well done for getting out. It must be really hard on your daughter. I've never lived with an alcoholic, thank God, but have them in the family and have done enough weekends in casualty to see the worst of what alcohol does to drinkers, their families and innocent bystanders. I enjoy an occassional drink myself, but I do not understand a society that is all goody-goody and pious about smoking while it seems to see drunk loudmouthed louts as funny or even something to be admired.

Smoking was banned in offices when employers realised that they could be sued by employees who contracted cancer through passive smoking. Now you see smokers "guiltilly" smoking outside office buildings. I think it is fairly clear that passive smoking can cause cancer. However, our dogs lived to be 16 years and 12 1/2 years old, although my father smoked. So I don't think the risk is particularly great.

Michael
13 June 2002

Just to put my tuppence worth in here :) I actually believe that cancer is something we are born with, in other words we all have the cancerous cells there waiting but it's a game of Russian roulette as to whether they develop into anything. how else do you explain the countless old people who smoke like chimneys and live till they're 90 with no sign of cancer and the other people who have never touched a cigarette in their lives and yet develop cancer? Bit of a simplistic view maybe but works for me!

My thoughts on cancerous onset is that genetically one is predisposed for developing it BUT (thats a big but!!) there is also need of a further trigger. One trigger is smoking. This means that not everyone who smokes will develop cancer but those who do smoke have a much higher probability of doing so. Other trigger factors cause the development in none smokers eg passive smoking.
Off the morbid:-
We had a dog who just would not behave when being judged if the judge was a smoker. She could smell the smoke and really disliked it!!! We now try to get a smoker to go over our dogs whilst still babies so they get used to the smell. It is another aspect of ring craft training to use smokers. I suppose the same could happen with strong perfume but most folk realise that and dont go mad when asked to judge.

I think there is a genetic link but also it has to be triggered by something (and this can include stress) I'm pretty sure thats why my mum developed cancer. She was very stressed out running her
own business and I think her body started being unable to cope. Thats why I've decided that being stressed out and unhappy for the sake of work is pointless.
Bec recently unemployed :D

Bec- I made a very similar decision towards the end of last year;) I had returned to work full time when my Son was 1 year old (he's 5 this year) I found it very stressful especially when my supervisor developed 'lung cancer' last June- the work which was normally done between us was left to me, no extra money or training for a job which I felt at the time I was unqualified for:( I badgered along picking it up as I did it, I missed my kids dearly (don't know why now;)) and my Son's due to start full time school this Sept and I felt I'd missed out- I have always felt like this but it was a case of tears then fine for 8 wk or so, tears then fine for 8 wk or so- and that's how I got through it. Between work and missing my kids I would say I had a kind of mini-breakdown towards the end of last year- my Son also suffers from fits and he had another- and I decided that a)I'm too young to put up with this s**t and b)This is going to be my last opportunity to spend some real time one to one with my Son before he starts school as there's no point leaving it until I'm older then regretting it- you can't go back then. Hence I said I was handing in my resignation and explained my reasons- my Boss decided to shuffle the dept round and that me and a lady who'd recently came off maternity leave could 'job share'- I was obvioiusly chuffed and although the money from working 16 hrs compared to 40 isn't great- I don't care- I get to liase with my Daughters teachers more and look at her work which gets put up in the hall, drop my Son off at Nursery for a few hours each morning, come home have a coffee and watch Kilroy, tidy up in a calm manner, collect my Son, go to the chippy for a cone of chips at lunchtime then walk up onto the park with him etc. I also pursued my dream and bought 'Kassie', my plans for this summer are to take it easy, get the paddling pools out on nice days, take Kass a walk while the kids are on theeir bikes and enjoy the summer as I haven't seen it for the past few years. The hardest thing at the minute is re calculating money as we have less of it (I earned more than my other half) but so what- life's for the living:) 'Work to live not live to work' and all that:) Sorry for the long winded reply- I guess in short I'm just trying to say I agree with you- and enjoy your 'unemployment' while it lasts- something will turn up and 'life's too short':)

Stacey x x x

Stacey,
couldn't agree with you more, I worked part time in the evening after my first child then gave up completely after the second as I wanted to watch them grow up, money is always a problem but so what, i know plenty of poeple with loads more money than me but they're not any happier!
I think women should get paid to stay at home to look after the kids, it's got to be the most difficult and tiring full time job I've ever had!! :)
I'm a great believer in fate, our lives are mapped out for us from the day we are born, how else can we explain some of the strange or daft things we do, thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it, it's all fates fault not mine!! :D

I'll remember that one then Julie- 'Don't blame me, it's fate's fault not mine':D :D Can I also just add that since I changed my job role they have two people doing the job again:(- how exactly did they expect me to cope. And yes Motherhood is hard work and it's amazing how exhausted you feel after you've had one opf those bad days where they just don't listen to a word you've said! On the other hand it can be quite fun too- at the minute we've got a project going- Shannon is the travel agents and I want to go on safari to Africa and a few other various places- the project is that Shannon's got to make me a brochure including map's temperatures, currency, what I might see and what the local food is etc- it's a great way to encourage geography skills. We do everything in a similar sort of way:)

Stacey x x x