I love Dogs me...
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He looks quite a character, Spriddler.
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Full of life & fun Spriddler, what a little corker
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He certainly is a character, and a great pal.
He likes to smell the flowers,
and go out poshed up on the pull with my son,
and after a long walk of 4 miles or so over the fields we both have a drink and a biscuit and 'Quiet Time'.
I had some tee shirts made for summer walks!
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He looks a real "Bobby Dazzler", Spriddler. We've always taken on rescue dogs, ranging from 6 months to 5 years when we've adopted them. We just like the idea of giving a dog a second chance - and missing out on all that puppy "playfulness" has never seemed a bad thing to us!
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My 9 year old Jasmine was a rescue along with Millie who sadly went to Rainbow Bridge in Jan.
They both desperately needed a second chance and boy did they get it!! They developed into amazing characters, full of life and fun. I've gone down the puppy route this time and can't say I regret it. Angus and Isla are brilliant pups and a real credit to their breeder.
Off to Somerset in the van tomorrow. First time for the pups. Wish me luck.🐾🐾🐾
Gill
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Thank you, a sensible reply, nod yes I agree with all the guidelines and would not let my dogs foul the site but sometimes accidents do happen, and I am a 'picker up'. It's just the urinate thing I struggle with although as I say not on pitches and my bitches don't 'cock their legs'. I will keep up instructing them
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Another beautiful day in the making, out with the Dogs again, pre dawn again, all 3 of us happy again. No excited running nor 360dg circles nor speeding away & back again, today Young un & Her Mum were walking & jumping up my legs for a stroke & ear rub. I may think I understand Dogs but I don't really. I often wonder why considering they are creatures of habit their early morning walks generally start differently, they don't do moody but they do high energy/low energy. As long as they're with me I'm happy, it's a canine mystery. Today we chose the short walk but long sit on our log in the near small copse, I was in a reflective mood, I wanted to just drink in the landscape & sunrise, feed my soul & senses. Not fully light & better for that, it's a wonderfully atmospheric time is the pre dawn, only partly lit but with a backing canvas of light created by the sun as it slowly returns to us. The Sun appeared without a fanfare of dazzling colour into a cloudless blue sky. I sat down on the log facing East Young un & Mum reverted to 'creatures of habit' up they jumped. Today I didn't bend over & hug them in my coat, if I had I'd be heading home soon with an aching back. I just extended their sleeping platform(my lap) with my arms for added comfort & security. The relaxed, contented sensations soon overtook me, that near dreamworld I find whilst in the presence of beauty, the landscape stretched out before me with its bucolic allure, the brown ploughed fields replaced by growing wheat & Rapeseed, dotted with hedgerows & copses, my idyll. Along my left ran an uncut ancient hedge with an understorey of brushwood & dead grasses. Slightly to my left in front of the hedge were Rabbits feeding just into the field, nothing could be sweeter. Until I heard a high pitched squealing within the hedge, the Rabbits shot towards us, the Dogs sat bolt upright & I just managed to miss being head butted by Young un. I held the Dogs in place to ensure they didn't investigate. Tail first, reversing from the hedge came a tiny Weasel dragging a kicking Rabbit almost 3 times its size. Now I detest Animal cruelty, but I don't interfere with the natural world. Playing out approx 20 metres in front of us was nature at its most red. I've seen a Stoat dance a couple of years ago, now I'm watching a Weasel killing its prey. I felt uncomfortably privileged. I don't doubt the Weasel knew we were there, it kept glancing our way, but that didn't stop it for one second. It dragged the Rabbit in a half circle then back under the hedge. Within a few minutes, my mouth still open in wonderment, the Rabbits came back out & were feeding as if nothing had happened. I put the Dogs leashes on & slowly left the copse. I'm sat writing this & I can still hear the screaming, it was so unnerving. Enjoy your day.
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Hard frost here Rocky. I am always astonished at how large a rabbit a weasel will tackle! It's always sad when something has to die, but I would feel the same if the weasel starved. Have a nice day!
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So would I TDA, that's why I never intervene with nature. I've seen hundreds of Weasels over the years but this is a first for me, the screaming of the Rabbit was pitiful
. The strength of the Weasel is quite astounding.0 -
That's nature. Some pretty, some not but all part of the cycle of life.
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Well the first trip in the van with pups and old dog has been a real success! The little ones have settled really well and the older dog seems happy to have them along!
Just one thing that's worrying me which I would love some advice on...
The older dog is happy to toddle along the beach off lead. She hasn't got a run in her and generally comes back when called although as a rescue dog I have never taught her this.
How do I teach recall to the two pups? At the moment they are at the loopy stage where there senses are in overload when we go out. I am worried that they won't come back!
Any reliable suggestions?
Thanks,
Gill
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Gill, I'd start them on a long lead. Call them to you and reward them with a treat and a fuss. They'll soon get the idea that coming back to you means they'll get a tasty treat and a bit of love.
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Gill, before you let them go on the long lead, give them a few treats so they know you have some, then tell them to "go play" or whatever suits you and let the lead run out. after a few minutes call them back, wave at them,or anything to get their attention, wave the treats, when they come back take hold of their collar tell them to sit and give them loads of treats, then tell them to "go play" again. Keep repeating this and they will soon learn that when you call them you are not stopping them from playing and enjoying themselves. It doesn't happen overnight, but, you'll soon kow when you can let them run free. Keep calling them back and rewarding them so they think and know that you are more important to them than anything else. Don't lose it with them, as dogs don't understand angry, you will just make them confused. Remember, repetition repetition repetition, you will get there.
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I would echo what BT has said ,but would add , when you call them back and show them the food walk backwards away from them ( but still facing them) ,so they have to come to you ,if you walk to them they will expect you to come to them ,and that defeats the object of a recall ......
also give them a treat that is special and not just any old biscuit , would come back for a dry old biscuit??
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Agree with Husky, Alfies favourite treats are either sliced up hot dogs or chunks of roast chicken..... Tip, to make the sausage less greasy, after slicing, place on paper towel in microwavve for one or two minutes depending on size of sausage, when cool they are easier to hold and won't stain your pockets or bag, whatever you keep treats in....
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Training him with a treat for returning works well with my rescue Westie. In fact, not only does he turn back as soon as I call him but he licks his lips all the way back! If he fancies a treat he'll spontaneously run back to me and sit, looking at my 'treats' pocket and licking his lips. He does make me chuckle.
briantimber......I started him off for the first week or two with pieces of Frankfurter. A whole Frankfurter fitted nicely in a plastic Steradent denture tabs tube enabling me to break off small bits with one hand. It worked a treat!
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We 3 set off after sunrise, not by much but the sun was above the horizon peering thru a blanket of coastal cloud with blue sky above. Birdsong is continuing to grow & the mixture of Birds with it, the bird life know Spring is well & truly on its way. Young un & Her Mum were fully energized today, bounding around the hedgerows with energy to spare, in & out of small gaps, checking my location then off again. We headed Nor'easterly today, the idea being to cover at least a good 3+ miles. Constantly checking over hedges & across fields as the sightings of Roe Deer has dropped of late. They could be keeping a low profile if enough of them are pregnant I guess as they'd find it more difficult to escape from predators(Humans) due to their size & weight. I saw up ahead that some animal was laid at the side of the road, it's legs on the road. The road is a feeder road, narrow but quite serviceable between 2 Villages & is used as a short cut for many drivers. My Dogs were interested in the male Deer we sadly found but not worrying the body in any way, just sniffing. One of the legs looked broken. The body was cold, some glass on the road & marks of skidding suggested a car had hit the Deer. It was a sad sight, just laid on the roadside. The Deer was in a decent condition as I couldn't feel any protruding ribs. To lose its life at the beginning of the Spring after successfully getting thru a Winter is doubly sad. It wasn't the first Deer I've seen dead but that didn't lessen the sadness of seeing this beautiful animal laid at the roadside like so much discarded litter. I dragged its body some 10metres & placed it behind a hedge to allow nature to take its course & recycle the body. It will feed other creatures that will be struggling to find food at this time of the year, all part of the natural cycle of life. It was with a sombre mood I continued with our walk, wondering if it had been one I'd seen over the last year. It won't make sense to many that finding a dead animal by the side of the road can impact on someone's day, but it does. I have spent the most enjoyable part of my life sharing my environment with these beautiful animals. Seeing them enjoying life, to then find one cut down by someone who wanted to shave off a few minutes from their journey I find quite tragic. With every negative comes a positive, after leaving the feeder road I cut North to see a small herd(5) of Roe Deer feeding just outside a stand of Trees, alert & very much alive in a thinning shroud of mist slowly being burnt back by the strengthening sun. Enjoy your day.
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Beautiful read again Rocky - thanks. So sad about the deer, glad you moved it so anything else recycling the carcass should be safe from traffic. I do wish people wouldn't leave things they've hit at the mercy of passing traffic, wildlife or domestic. Sadly people think or time very distressing. Your reward for your gooddeed to see living herd. No kindnessis ever wasted.
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B2, I'm a firm believer in 'what goes around comes around.' Thankyou for the post it's good that others do actually understand & can share another's feelings. Dignity in death is also important to me, to others it's just a 'wild Animal' to me it's part of the rich tapestry that gives me a daily lift to my life & deserving respect. It's good to share
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Thanks, Rocky. A beautiful walk tinged with sadness. I hope the deer's line lives on in his offspring. You may actually have seen some of his descendants in that small herd.
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Thanks Tinny, good point it could quite possibly be. That's a positive thought
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I have not looked in on CT for a few weeks but this thread is always my first port of call.
Another great post Rocky and you are not alone in feeling sad at the sight of wildlife losing their life on our country lanes. Unfortunately pheasants are often the victims in my area.
My brother in law has a tale he must have told me a dozens of times. It involved him driving along a country lane on his way to work early one morning and hitting a deer. He stopped the car and walked back to the poor animal that was laid out at the side of the road. He was about to haul it into the grass verge when all of a sudden it jumped up ran over the road an cleared a five foot hedge. His story can vary slightly but at least the ending is a happy one, I do hope it made a full recovery.
Thanks again for your post.
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You are most welcome Nevers, it's good to see you posting
I just wish they were all as robust as the one BIL hit, alas they're not Mucker0 -
Good to see you, Nevers.
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Later start today, after the sunrise found us striding out into the new day & landscape. Cool, breezy with moisture in the air, but just short of raining. Both Young un & Her Mum staying close today. I donned my Hooded coat & Beanie hat to ward off the chill & expected rain. A slower short walk this morning, I noticed the buds continuing to plump up on the field Maples, Ash buds too. I sat on the log in the small copse, opened my jacket to see 2 expectant faces moving swiftly towards me as they both jumped up. I pulled them in close, lifted my hood & just hunkered down to let the contentment & warmth from the Dogs slowly seep into my body-bliss. It's late Winter, the wind is blowing the branches of the Beech Trees towering above me, soughing thru them with a hint of a low whistle. The green patchwork field blends seamlessly with the hedges as they have done throughout agricultural history-timeless. No major wildlife to be seen today, Rabbits feeding at the same spot from the same warren that was previously visited by the Weasel for breakfast the only company for us. Gladly no repeat today. No Birds in voice, most staying off the wing, particularly the songbirds due to their lack of weight no doubt. We just enjoyed the closeness & I enjoyed the connection to my landscape in perfect quiet & serenity, just touching base. The restless year moves onwards to Spring with expected toe dips back into Winter during its journey. I could have spent much longer if my back allowed, but years of Tree work, logs that were big but not as big as my ego, ego pushing me to ignore the future problems & just live for the day. I gave Young un & Her Mum one last hug before I gently awoke them, carefully put them down, accepted the looks of disgust as they stretched then we 3 slowly walked back. No rain came, a further time spent in the Winter beauty of our glorious countryside. Enjoy your day.
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That engenders a great feeling of peace, Rocky. May you and your dogs enjoy the weekend.
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