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Humyo might be worth looking at if only for the comparison chart that the website contains.

I'm pleased to see your endorsement of the company Mr Shaw because I too have had satisfactory dealings with the company. Whilst I agree with the comments about correspondence in this instance they were very helpful and supportive. Although they do not see people at their offices (they have no reception), they did not turn me away when I called some time ago.

This sounds very interesting. Please could you let us know the approximate cost of such courses and how many weeks you have to sign up for? Also, what software do you teach? I did a mini course once and it was WebPlus, which I bought quite cheaply but I draw the line at paying for Dreamweaver as it is so expensive.

I think that you will really need to invite the companies to your home for proper estimates. However, you could telephone a few and submit your measurements to them. So much depends on the type of grass you choose - there are many, some better than others. The more expensive ones tend to look more natural, particularly if they have some 'thatch' in them. At a (very rough) guess for that size you would be looking at a sum of at least £800/£1,000 but do make some enquiries yourself. There is a lot of ground work to be done: Lifting existing turf (skip needed) Level/roller ground Apply dust/gravel mix and level Underlay Grass Sand There is a lot more to it than it would first seem. If you go to a few garden centres you will be able to work out a rough price yourself but it will only be for the grass of course. There is a chap in Rotherham indoor market that does it - can't remember his name. We had Lazy Lawn and like it very much indeed, particularly as we have dogs. Ours is a larger area than the one you describe. It was very expensive but is maintenance-free and looks lovely.

The fact that she would have been due in season has no bearing on this at all. The hormones left the blood stream long ago - the bitch cannot be affected by these as she no longer has them. I'm glad to see that you are considering professional help and hope that this can be sorted. Good luck.

It is not unusual for bitches to become 'touchy' for a few weeks after speying due to the sudden drop in hormones. This can happen even if they were operated on at the correct time of their cycle. Within two to four weeks they are usually fine. However, this one was speyed in March which is five months ago so I really can't see that it has any bearing on the situation. It is not really something that any of us can help with. Remember that the OP states that the child was only stroking the dog - not teasing her or taking food away. When a dog has bitten, tried to bite (or nipped) even once it could lead to more serious injury at a later date. This is potentially a risky situation and the OP needs to seek professional help ASAP in order to ascertain what is going on.

I would doubt whether this has anything to do with her being speyed or due to age. The growling is the dog trying to tell you that she is not happy - a warning in fact. As she has tried to bite your child I would strongly advise you to see a vet for a check up and a good dog behaviourist. It could be far worse next time. Meanwhile, it might be safest to keep the child away from the dog and vice versa.

Very pleased to hear that you have made contact with some good breeders. Often it is the case that you telephone one and although they don't currently have puppies themselves, because they are experienced members of a breed club they will know other people who do so it is really a network. If more people took time and care before purchasing a puppy the less scrupulous breeders would go out of business.

Being new to dog ownership, it is understandable that you should want a puppy. They are hard work but enjoyable. There is a huge learning curve if you haven't had one before so I am glad that you have registered with the Lhasa forum. You are doing exactly the right thing by asking for advice and learning all you can before purchasing a pup. Well done and if you do go ahead and get a Lhasa, do let us know.

You are right to be wary of Internet pet sale sites although not all advertisers are bad - you just have to ask the right questions and gain a feel for the situation. Do follow those links to the breed clubs that I gave you in my previous post. They will not only be able to advise you about the breed but may well have a list of members with puppies. These puppies will be expensive but possibly equal to or only slightly more money than you would pay for a pup from an Internet site. You should get a good, well bred puppy from an experienced breeder with full pedigree and health checks done. Because your colour choice is so specific you might have to wait a while. *The Lhasa Apso Club is back on line - link here. Includes puppy buying advice and also a list of breeders. Also check out the Kennel Club list of Lhasa breeders.

Thank you sami88 - will give it a try because if it works then perhaps I won't have to convert the file.

Because you haven't said whether you want a puppy or not, I just want to add that if you are going down this route, there is plenty to think about. Have a look at this page on the Dogs Trust website - it has lots of information about how to choose a puppy plus ethical considerations. Here are some useful links: Lhasa Apso Forums Midland Lhasa Apso Association Lhas Apso Club (site unavailable at time of posting). Also read up about inherited conditions and be sure that the dam and sire have had appropriate screening tests. Take your time and learn as much about the breed as you can before purchasing. Well done for asking for advice and not just leaping into getting one without thought.

Puppy or older dog? If you are interested in a rescue dog, the website here might be useful.

I have scanned for updated drivers on the computer that is not playing MP4 properly and it comes back with best match. Have therefore converted them all to avi with Sweetpacks converter and they are playing OK so will leave it at that as it is no problem really - the software is very easy to use. Thank you for your interest and help.

They are the same laptop make and model. The one that is struggling to play MP4 on Media Player Classic actually has more RAM than the other (it is 2GB) and yes, they both run Vista Home Basic. The machines are all fully updated but I can certainly compare the graphics drivers when I have them booted up. It does seem strange that one can cope and the other can't.

Just a quick update - K-Lite was installed on the other laptop after removing VLC. For some strange reason MP4 Video files would then play in Media Player Classic but not correctly - they were stuttering. Have therefore used Sweetpack converter to change them to avi (doesn't do wmv) and they now play OK in MPC. So in the end I've had to use both recommendations. Thank you for your help.

Thank you so much me-and-pippo - downloaded the standard K-Lite Pack on my laptop and it works perfectly with Media Player Classic. Will do a thorough uninstall of VLC on the other and install K-Lite and all should be good. Also thanks to terminator for advice about Sweetpacks - it's good to know about these things for future reference.

With regards to Windows Media Player version, I don't have the actual laptop here (belongs to a relative). However, I have the same laptop here and I have just checked - it is version 11.0.6002 so maybe it is the same. Mine will play MP4 but the film is slow and jerky. I will uninstall VLC with Revo Uninstaller then try the K-Lite and let you know how I get on. Thank you for your help.

Thank you for the information. With regards to K-Lite Codec pack should I uninstall VLC first or does it matter? Am I best trying that first because then I won't have to mess about with converting them in the future? If so, I think that I will try that first but I have also found the Sweetpack video converter download page here. Is it the right one, and if so, I will bookmark it. From the graphics I see that it looks fairly straightforward.

MP4 will not play on Windows Media Player (Vista) so I downloaded VLC. Unfortunately they won't play properly on that either. I suppose that the best thing to do is convert MP4 to .wmv so tried a couple of free converters with no luck. I have searched the forum but some of the links are not working so please can someone advise on a free, easy to use converter?

And not if you have the money for the energy bills! I have air conditioning throughout my property and wouldn't be without it but I don't have it in the conservatory - it would be far too expensive to use in there, particularly as it is a large structure. Added to this is the cost of having air conditioning put in - it is very expensive to have it done properly. It also needs to be serviced at least yearly so that is an additional cost to factor in. We also have two good size double radiators but in winter as soon as the heating goes off it gets cold, despite the fact that it is double glazed, including the glass roof. Right now the morning sun is on it and you could not sit in there comfortably, read a book or whatever - it is too hot and bright. If ever I am in the position to be able to afford to have a pitched roof put on I will do it. By coincidence I was speaking with someone last week who attended a wedding, the reception being held in a conservatory. He was complaining that the sun came out and it became unbearable for the guests. As has been said, it is up to the individual but my view is that a proper roof makes the space much more practical and cheaper to use as it would be properly insulated.

Conservatories look very nice but are not all that practical - often too hot in summer and too cold in winter. Furnishings tend to fade due to the sunlight. A garden room with a proper roof on might be a tad more expensive but much more practical and usable.

That's a good point that you have raised Cyclone and one that is relevant to the OP, being a gas engineer. Last year we replaced the boiler at a relative's property and we did manage to recycle everything, including the old boiler, which was working but we could not sell it due to its age and D rating. Managed to get a few bob for the copper cylinder too. The only reason that we changed it was again down to expense because the old system was costing too much to run - nothing to do with carbon footprint I am sorry to say. On the subject of cars, I too am dismayed to see how many are on the roads purely for short journeys, particularly to fetch and carry children to school. There are so many large vehicles too such as the 4x4 ones. We have an LPG conversion and the fuel is cheaper and not so polluting so if the government were serious about carbon footprint why not give grants for conversions for people who do high mileage, e.g. van drivers?

What an interesting question and maybe the results will be different according to age group. Personally, I am interested in saving money so I have my home double glazed, cavity wall insulated and the loft space well lagged. I am too old to derive any benefit from solar panels so would not go down that route. I am all for government promotions to help people to insulate their homes properly but not particularly from the carbon footprint angle. I would take this much more seriously if people would reduce their use of cars etc. As a nation we are enslaved to personal transport and it is ruining the quality of our lives. Walk along any main road and the pollution from exhaust fumes and noise is appalling.

There are specialist companies who do conservatory roof insulation (sorry if you already know this). If you take a look at post #11 on this thread there are some links there to some who of these. Might be worth giving one or two a call to confirm the legal/planning situation.