Class of 18. No need for new school shoes

DD is coming home for the weekend tomorrow. It feels like she has been gone for ages. She has activities planned with her sisters, which is great, because she started much earlier than all of her home friends, and they won't be back home yet.

Our dogs have always learnt pretty quickly that they come further down the pecking order than the cats. One particularly dim dog had to have a cat untangled from her face when the cat felt a need to point it out to her. That same dog and cat subsequently curled up together in the same basket and were pretty much inseparable. Current dog and cats co-exist much like toddlers playing along side one another. One cat cuddles up to the dog when they are all standing, but neither cat will walk past the dog when he is lying down. They are endlessly amusing to watch. All of our dogs have been sighthounds too, so theoretically should chase, but never really have.

Gin I would say that a Siamese cat - not your common or garden moggy by any stretch of the imagination - would have a low tolerance of a dog..miaaaowww. All the siamese I have known talk non stop and follow their humans around intelligently.

Ds is home this weekend. But dd and I are going to an Open day at his University for Foundation Art. Not very well planned...He has come back for the Film Festival I think?? Not sure, will be glad to hear from him as there is limited feedback as per usual.

I cannot say I have managed to train the dog to come on runs with me... I haven't managed to train myself to go on runs either... I have lost a half a stone though since I got him. Maybe it is the stress If you already take plenty of exercise a dog may not increase your output...... tbh I like the way that dog exercise is less goal orientated, and more just....trees birds sky play waggy waggy

Our two cats have quite a love hate relationship with the dog, but they aren't frightened of him. They were there first. But it definitely has been difficult to have all three in the same room, they weave in and out of each other's territory. Perhaps it is to do with the sort of dog. Terriers might not be very cat orientated (small furry objects remind them of rats) The cats sleep in their own section of the house at the moment with a door and have a cat flap. The dog doesn't bark at them though (unless he is chasing them in garden), he is used to always sleeping on the other side of that door and used to their noises, and comings and goings.

Our dalmation was a lively young dog, not a puppy. His previous owners were older and couldn't cope with him so he was rehomed with us.

The cat had established himself as head of the household with our previous dog, and he couldn't understand why this young usurper wouldn't bend to his will.

If your new dog is a puppy it will be fine because the cats will establish who is boss. If your new dog is an older model used to living with cats it should also be fine, probably, maybe. If it's an older dog, not used to living with cats then nope. The rescue listings I've seen say whether the animal is used to other dogs/cats/children.

With difficulty. We always had both when I was growing up, but we had the dog first before getting a cat, and they got on fine. After we lost our English setter we got a dalmation, and he just didn't understand that cats weren't just for chasing (we still had the cat - a siamese). We had to separate them all the time.

🐶🐶🐶

I donated a load of old duvets to a dog rescue kennels today, so I hope I get some brownie points from the dog lovers here.

@UrsulaPandress stop! My sil is very involved with a rescue shelter and is constantly sending me photos of dogs with big sad eyes and horrible stories. I'd love to have them all, but it's impossible while I'm working full time. So I just keep throwing hefty donations at them instead.
We have fostered then adopted a cat from them recently though.
I'm like you with fostering, couldn't bring myself to uproot him once he was well again and settled.

DD is having a ball in her pre-term weeks. She helped at a subject day yesterday, but apart from that has been exploring the new area and bonding with her housemates.
They're an eclectic and international bunch so she's had authentic Italian pasta and Spanish paella this week. Her offering was a full roast on Sunday which went amazingly well for her first ever!
Love that they are eating communally. Not sure if they'll keep it up once term starts though.

I’d love another but as he can’t be let off the lead and I’m a bit doddery I don’t think I’d cope if I had to manage two.

There are some bloody sad cases though waiting for foster homes. One that hasn’t been out of the house for 6 weeks!

Ddpg has been a complete pest this afternoon. He threw up his breakfast and then spent the rest of the day trying to wheedle more food out of me trying to steal my popcorn, my toast, my cup of coffee, my curried haddock I did give him something in the end at 10 and three new squeaky toys at 12, but this was not enough to satisfy him. He is now fast asleep next to me, and I daren;t move for fear he will start racing around biting things again.

Ursula I think you need another dog to bring the new one out of his shell. Maybe the dogs in the previous adoptive home were too much at the same time as a new owner, but once he is attached to you, perhaps he would like another dog around. My sister;s dog hated my dog to start with, very jealous snarling at him on walks to go away, but now they get on very well, it is touching to see them on walks together chatting a bit, but mostly doing their own thing in their own sweet way. She is about 10, a lab cross and a rescue and strangely less clingy with my pestdog around..

Good job Ursula. Just because he's not a very spanielly spaniel doesn't mean that he's not a Good Boy. They are all different, just like our DCs.

Adopted I’m afraid. I didn’t have the heart to move him on.

I look on him as penance for the almost 12 wonderful years I had with BastardSpaniel.

No packing here and we're going on Saturday!!!

Haha. Is he adopted or gone home because he is too naughty?

Hope your DD is improving NoHaudin.

DD's housemate seems to be getting worse so DD is going to try and suggest the University MH team. She had counselling last year which seemed to help.

DD has finally heard from the job she was offered. Has an induction day on 1 November. On the make up counter. Couldn't be better for her. It's her birthday on Thursday so we are going over to take her out to lunch and taking the requested chocolate cake.

Foster dog is no longer a foster dog......

Awww nohaudin life is really asking a lot of you right now. I hope your DC do well this year.

Thanks we have actually got some of her furniture here now so very visible.
I also have her wedding pearls but I can't bear to wear them although they are lovely.

Nohaudin when I had to do the same for my mum’s place, I took home some of her things and kept them visible in our house. It really helps. Most of it is now safely put away, but I still have a couple of favourite vases out.

Music is a great way to make friends at uni. DD is happy to be throwing herself back into it all. Makes it easier to pay the three months rent due tomorrow!