Yo Wynken! Today I visited my local gun shop

[Slubberdegullion]

and bought myself a lovely big shiny gun

heh heh heh

no

not really

I am now the proud owner of an ACME 211 and a half (no pea) plus a camouflage green lanyard.

And Wynken, you know what, the gun shop dude gave me EXACTLY the same chat he gave you. He made me write it down and everything. It was of vital importance that I did not lose the bit of paper with my number on it.

What you did not tell me was that there was a choice.

Whan he asked which I would like I sqeaked 'oh I don't know' and blushed like mad because he was SO a proper gun shop owner, all dressed in green with sleeved rolled up and his big guns behind him plus seriously alarming laminated signs saying I needed a permit to buy ammo.

He did a heavy nostril sigh and brought out the tupperware container from under the counter (probably had NOVICE NIT-WITS: MAKE SURE THEY WRITE DOWN THE NUMBER on a laminated sign on the side).

Then he gave me The Talk

It was all jolly exciting.

Love it Slubber, I can just imagine the scene, I think it should be an initiation for all new dog owners. I wasn't given a choice of whistle, just squeaked (effect of 3 large dogs and lots of guns) that I wanted a whistle and he reached under the counter to produce one. I then got the talk.

Unfortunately that wasn't the end of it as I couldn't pay by Visa for two whistles so had to go to cash machine and returned to get the talk again as I paid, marvelling at how beautifully trained the dogs were and feeling totally inadequate as owned totally deranged brown jumping thing who didn't resemble them in any way at that point.

Blinked as the contrast of bright sunshine hit me as I left the small, dark shop with the feeling I had just entered some kind of parallel universe. DH managed to lose the spare whistle within days so I've been pondering on going back in to get a replacement with plog who has shown definite signs of lookng like a reasonably well trained dog recently, but am worried she will let me down at critical moment and I will get all flustered and squeaky.

How is Elsie doing, are your hands recovering?

Very funny! I didn't go down the whistle route in the end (though I agree, it all sounds jolly exciting!!) and have stuck with the clicker which is working well. HOWEVER (a bit of a thread hijack) although Phoebe will do every trick INDOORS, including 'stay' while she can see somthing yummy to eat a few mtrs away, she transforms into the 'brown jumping thing' Wynken refers to the minute we go outside. Actually, that's unfair as she is well behaved and sticks close but just forgets most of her training. Practice, practice.

We had a lovely day yesterday and walked in the woods with a friend who has a 5 yr old choc lab. He was a great example to my pup and we had a really nice walk and play.

(Must say the lead walking is going much better now though so thanks to everyone who gave advice)

I'm glad the lead walking is going well Oxo and it sounds like she is doing extremely well in the house. Unfortunately they have to re-learn most of it outside and in different settings as they don't generalise a behaviour, completely inconsiderate.

We're off on holiday in half term and the dog will be one whilst away, she's boarding with her trainer. For one moment I contemplated sending her with a sardine cake, then remembered she is a dog and I don't actually make the DC's birthday cakes. Unfortunately I voiced my musings on caked out loud to DH and suspect I'm not going to hear the end of that.

Morning! Well, re the re-learning, its what I suspected TBH, although we went out to the woods this morning and the weather was so horrible - cold and pouring down - that I wasn't in the mood to do any clicker training .

She is getting much more confident with other dogs now. Where I walk, there seem to be lots of people who team up to walk their dogs together so its not uncommon to see 6 or 8 big dogs all together off the lead. Obviously Phoebe was a bit freaked by this at first but its going well now (although I still try to detour to avoid more than 3 dogs at once)

Your sardine cake sounds delicious - I think you should go for it, complete with doggy icing!!

Afternoon you guys.

lol at your x2 talks Wynken. So do you have an ACME whistle too? tbh I only thought ACME was in roadrunner cartoons, you learn something new every day.

Elsie and I had our first (2 hour!) one to one session with the APDT trainer today. Well I was on one to one with the (lovely lovely) trainer. Elsie got involved in the end when we did clicker training for

1. push ups (sit down sit down stand)
2. heel walking...with turns! [imprssed audience oooh]
3. wait from sit
4. recall with the crazy recall arms signal
5. taking treats nicely...ho ho we have a way to go on that one.

She did SO well. The trainer was amazed that she is only 12 weeks tomorrow. I'm feeling v proud and pleased. Elsie was feeling full of frankfurter.

sorry am gushing

oxo - glad to hear your lead walking is going so much better. We are finally able to go out of the house/garden on saturday...freeeeeeedom at last!

I forgot to add the trainer gave me a nice shiny new purple clicker and....

wait for it...

a very special treats pouch with magnetic closing mechanism and belt clip

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohh

I look the biz now with my whistle, clicker and treats pouch.

hmm.............. makes my Ikea plastic box look a bit sick

Does your ikea box have a belt clip?

I have a belt clip of sturdy plastic.

Did I mention the magnetised top to prevent treats falling out as you bend over?

It also has a plastic inner liner for wiping clean liver cake crumbs.

I may just wear it on the school run tomorrow, even though my dog will not be with me.

You can go off people you know

(Although vom at the liver cake crumbs!!!!)

heh heh

yes, funny how something so very very revolting can be a culinary utopia for the dog. Trainer yesterday gave me some samples of various treats. This morning we have tried something that really should be called reeking fish drops.

Oh steady, I'm in bed ill and have a very sensitive stomach.

I have a pouch with a plastic clip and cleanable inside, but a drawstring rather than a magnetic clip. I now have magnetic clip envy, oh and lanyard envy as we have green garden twine for the whistle.

Am incredibly impressed at what your puppies will do at such a tender age, will be having stern words with mine to shape up. I have discovered lying here this morning that she has developed the most revolting habit if drinking from the toilet which is not helping my current delicate disposition.

Sounds lovely although I do need some tastier training treats as Phoebe has just turned her nose up at the doggy cookies I offered her. Think I will stick to the ham in the fridge though rather than attempt a spot of canine baking!

Just back from another rainy dog walk in the woods and first encounter with horses

sorry Wynken

will say no more about the unmentionable treats

eeww at loo drinking

Can I mention my new lanyard also matches my new treats pouch. Yes indeedy. I expect when I actually GET OUTSIDE (2 days and counting...)other dog folk will note this and quietly impressed.

I do not have a lanyard for my new purple clicker. Purple yanyard for purple clicker, or keep with the green theme? Should one lanyard ones clicker? Is there a verb to lanyard? Maybe a natty wrist strap.

Decisions decisions.

[woods and horses socialisation envy]

Why is this in Pets?

Are you intending to do in your pet?

Duh!

Just read it all PROPERLY!

That'll teach me to skim-read

By the way, do they only sell dog-whistles in gun shops? (non-dog owner)

lol marsbars

No you can get dog whistles all over the shop. I went to the gun shop to get my whistle because I wanted a valid excuse to go and have a butchers in a gun shop ...and I wanted to see if I got 'The Talk' and a special number.

and I did

it was mostly rifles really, not handguns, or oozy (sp?) 9 mms.

dur

Uzi 9 mm

at slubbers !! We have done cows to death and have moved on to horses now! My old dog used to hate them and if I didn't catch him quickly enough and put him back on the lead, he would chase them. Very dangerous.

Its lovely being out, I must say. This morning was fabulous, despite the dark and rain, with the birds singing and lots of other dogs to meet. Being out is no problem, its the evenings, when Phoebe has her mad half hour, that are more difficult. She races around snapping and growling at us all. Impossible to ignore those sharp little teeth so we usually end up taking her out for a quick walk but often she is still 'wound up' afterwards. Then, worn out, she will go to bed.

Am hoping she will grow out of it once the teething is over. She has learned 'gently' when taking treats which helps. The 'off' command doesn't seem to work when she is so excited. We are still doing 'ouch' and leaving the room which helps.

Slubber, I would be very impressed with your 'kit' if I saw you in my woods

Oh and hope you feel better soon Wynken

Whistle porn

Oooh, am liking the lime greem

oxo, although I may have to wear a belt over my coat upon which to attach my bag. Not sure if belt-over-raincoat look will cancel out impressiveness of the laynyard and bag combo.

Can't wait to venture outdoors, although coming back in again after only 15mins is going to be hard.
I really need to get sheep and cows and horses properly ticked off my list. I keep driving round with elsie in the back hoping to spot some livestock without success so far.

Trainer yesterday showed me a proper full on dog yelp yesterday. Miss practically jumped out of her skin when she did it. Impressive stuff.