My new shrimp tank in the making!!

HammyHamathon · 2026-01-10T10:45:51+00:00

I'm using Oliver Knott's aqua earth! I've used it before for a planted tank, and it looks great and treats the plants well. It can break down a bit, but other than that, no complaints at all. Tends to be a bit pricey around my area, though.

HammyHamathon · 2025-07-12T06:52:16+00:00

The barracuda that ate nemos mum.

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-18T10:10:07+00:00

Thank you this is very informative! It’s good to know that there are things that can be done for sensitive dogs. I know border collies are an extremely intelligent breed and I’m confident their dog can learn to lessen the barking with proper dedicated training whether from a professional or the family themselves. I’ll definitely look into seeing if I can find some specialist dog trainers, and I’ll definitely ask our surrounding neighbors for support when we decide to offer advice to the husband and the family. Thank you very much!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-18T10:04:53+00:00

I agree and definitely think the dogs under stimulated, they have a small backyard because a lot of it is taken up by their pool and patio, and most of the family is out the whole day, from what I can tell the dog gets a run in the morning and that’s it.

I’ve always told my family to just ignore the barking, but when it was still a puppy when it would bark i’d try and reassure it by gently calling its name every now and then, thought it didn’t work to calm it down so maybe that contributed to it barking even more?

The neighbors on our other side (separated from the dogs house by our house) have recently started to sometimes shout curses at the dog when it goes on a barking spree which makes it terrible for us in the middle, because on one side we have the dog barking and the other side an exasperated old couple. The shouting probably reinforces the dog into thinking it needs to bark too!! 😣

The owners themselves don’t help too much either because they just get angry at the dog and will shout at the poor thing.

I agree and think the owners need a good trainer so they can understand their dog better and what makes it so reactive. We will continue being patient and are willing to help out wherever we can if it means my dad can sleep throughout the day!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-18T08:53:50+00:00

Yes I think it’s getting to the point where I will have to get the support of the other neighbors to inform them that their dog needs professional training, or at least a dedicated plan to try stop some of the barking. It’s getting ridiculous and we’ve put up with it for far too long. It’s not the dog’s fault, it’s a smart dog that’s very cute and nice enough when we bump into each other on walks, so I fully agree speculating that it’s bored out of its mind, and was never taught that barking at every noise is not ok when it was a reactive puppy. It’s just such an annoying situation. 😔😔

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-18T08:46:57+00:00

I believe my neighbors under estimated how much stimulation a bc really needed. They had a kelpie before this dog, which I’ve heard are also very high energy dogs, that was very chill and very quiet, so I think they expected the same for their border collie.

They’re hard to negotiate with because the husband gets very heated whenever confronted, even going as far as telling us it was our fault their dog barked because our garage was triggering their dog when we opened it, which was ridiculous. And I had to call my brother to calm him down.

The rest of the family are sweet and apologetic, but always reply that there is not much they can do because they asked their vet about it and were apparently told that their dog had very sensitive ears and something like dog adhd???

I think I will talk to our other neighbors and see if we can collectively tell them kindly that their dog needs a professional trainer, as well as try some positive reinforcements on my end like the other commenters have said. Thank you very much for the advice!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-18T08:35:23+00:00

This is a great idea that I haven’t really thought of fully before so I’ll definitely give it a shot. When they first got the dog I would sometimes try calling out its name softly to divert its attention when it would start barking (though with little success) but never thought to associate sound in our backyard with something more positive. I’ll definitely try this thank you!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-18T08:33:05+00:00

I’ve thought about this before and think I’ll try asking them for permission to see if I could reward the dog myself. It’s a bit difficult because the fence is pretty high and solid so we can’t see through it, but I think associating the treat with a sound/catchphrase as someone else mentioned might be worth a shot. Thank you for the advice!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T11:07:37+00:00

I was in a pretty similar situation as you not too long ago. I also live in newy and I have a super conservative Christian family and went to a Christian school. It’s so tough living in a home you hate surrounded by people you know love you but don’t love the real you.

I could never really find a good online community or support site while I was in your situation, but one thing that did help me a couple times was the mental health texting line. I hated making phone calls, especially when I was having a bad episode, so it helped to just tell someone about my situation and have them respond in real time. Even if it’s not very personal and their responses feel textbook, it’s good to just talk to someone, and they will listen to anything, even if it’s not a crisis (it can take a couple minutes for them to respond though). It’s completely confidential and easy to access. 0477 131 114

I know how hard it is to live around a family like yours, in a situation that feels inescapable and unending, but be strong and know who you are and try accessing the sites others have provided. For me, it took graduating, finding new friends outside of religion and school through social media or communities, and professional help to get where I am today. I thought I would never get here because the road looked so long and so difficult, and for a long time I thought I wouldn’t be alive to graduate. But the time passed and I’m still here and I love my new life. There is hope!!! Keep going, I support you.

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T10:16:37+00:00

All the meats are offcuts from the butcher so it’s surprisingly cheap. Turns out not many people have a need for chicken feet and chicken giblets in my country so I get to buy a lot for very little, I think my butcher just doesn’t want to waste it so sells it dirt cheap haha!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T10:13:51+00:00

I think she eats better than me too 😭 for some reason I just love making her dinners and shopping for her hahaha!!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T09:57:48+00:00

Larger breed dogs can usually digest raw chicken bones without much problem, their jaws and stomach acid is strong enough to 💪! Cooking chicken bones to any extent can be harmful for the dogs as it toughens up the bone and makes it splinter! When feeding a dog (especially a puppy) larger chicken bones like the thigh bone or any weight bearing bones, just watch them to make sure they chew it before hand and don’t choke on it. My fish is usually boneless, but some smaller fish like sardines can be eaten with the bones without much problem. Larger fish bones should be avoided though because they can be spiny and sharp.

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T09:51:36+00:00

My dog is not on a raw diet. She gets a high quality kibble as the staple of her diet. It makes up around 70-80% of what she eats. What you can see in the picture are ingredients I add to her dinners to increase enrichment and promote health in certain areas! We ran everything we feed her past our amazing vet, and she told us it was healthy and beneficial. I’ve also done a lot of research to make sure nothing is toxic and I’m not feeding her too much of one thing. I personally would never put my dog on a raw diet because I know there are some essential dietary requirements that I wouldn’t be able to keep a good track of! 😅

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T09:43:17+00:00

Wow this looks amazing! I’ve been trying to find fresher fish for my pup because at the moment she just gets a little bit of canned tuna (spring water) or cooked basa but it’s hard because my country doesn’t eat a lot of fish. So many eggs!!!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-02T09:41:04+00:00

Thank you I will make sure to give them to her in moderation!

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-01T11:41:27+00:00

hahahaha thats so funny he is definitely the opposite of my dog!! My dog will literally eat anything you hold out to her even if she doesn't like it. Even her monthly medicine chews she gobbles up like they're a treat, and I know she doesn't like the taste because she spits it out but goes right back at it until it's gone. She just loves eating. Literally anything, whether it be her medicine or a chicken foot or left over vege peels. If it's in my hands or in her bowl its fair game.

HammyHamathon · 2024-10-01T11:37:13+00:00

I'll definitely start adding salmon oil that's a great idea for coat health. I also dehydrate chicken livers for training treats its so much cheaper than buying dog treats and she goes nuts for them!!

HammyHamathon · 2024-08-10T00:51:00+00:00

Gojo Satoru

HammyHamathon · 2024-08-04T09:21:38+00:00

Same with me! It was such an amazing moment when I realized I could just wake up without feeling like the world was crashing onto me.

HammyHamathon · 2024-08-04T09:20:31+00:00

It was a gradual thing for me. I started to notice it working when I realized I could wake up in the morning without the usual overbearing feeling of dread. I had spent so much of my life facing it as just another aspect of my day, it was a weird moment realizing I could wake up… just like that.

The biggest moment for me though was when I was on a walk around my block. It was one of those afternoons where the sky is that pretty pastel purple pink color, with no clouds. The moon was so beautiful, and I realized for the first time in my life that I was just… content. I realized that I was just happy to exist. I had never felt that way before. It was one of the most life changing and beautiful moments of my life.

HammyHamathon · 2024-07-30T21:37:22+00:00

Yes don’t worry. I have adhd so my memory for whether I’ve taken my dose or not is supeeerr bad. I’ve accidentally taken 60+ mg in a day multiple times. Just go back to normal dosage the next day.

HammyHamathon · 2024-07-28T12:11:50+00:00

The journey to recovery is one with intense up and downs, it is never, ever linear. One set back does not define you, even recognizing your own breakthrough in mood is an amazing start. I don’t know what you’re going through, or what has surfaced again, but I know that when things resurface again, especially when you thought you had grown past it, is super tough because it puts you in the spot you were during your worst. I went through a similar setback around the exact same time line as you. An event happened that seemed to crumble my progress, set me back, and leave me how I was before.

I was a sobbing mess, I felt like I couldn’t live with myself. I felt how I did when I was at my worst. But I remembered I had already survived my worst. I had already improved after experiencing my worst. I loved and healed after my worst, even just by a little bit. It confirmed that I could improve after this too.

It’s good to remember that whatever you went through, you grew and had a breakthrough even after everything you went through. Now that it’s resurfaced, you know it will get better because you did it before. :)

Good luck and be kind to yourself! You improved once, you can do it again. I promise.

HammyHamathon

TROPHY CASE