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.

omg omg I can get my 211.5 (no pea) in PURPLE to match my clicker

Oh dear, cows, we haven't seen any cows. Do you think she'll just think it's the same as a horse? I'm not sure she has seen a sheep either. I got overly confident with this socialisation lark and have mised bits. Where are you finding all these cows Oxo?

I want matching lanyard and pouch. Currently have blue pouch, knackered old green garden twine with whistle, green Muck Boots and no clicker. Plus Wednesday was out with a pink Disney princess ball which she had the audacity to ignore (leaving me looking very stupid).

Mars, there are times when I would happily do my dog in, I think she is about to raid the bin again and another of those moments could be coming on soon. Oh no, am wrong, she has come to fondly slobber over me which is even less appealing than it was since finding out her toilet drinking habit.

Do you remember life without them, I think the house must have been SO quiet.

That took me so long to type I had mused the fact we're onto whistle porn.

Wynken, I live in Holland and am fortunate enough to live in a town so have shops, cinemas etc but literally a 2 minute drive away we have access to woods/heathland which goes on forever. Cows roam on the heath and its popular with riders. Am looking forward to the long walks (often btwn 1 and 2 hours) I did with my old dog. Coming back after 20 mins with Phoebe is hard!

Interesting to hear of your trainer's loud yelp - maybe I need to make a lot more noise.

Whistle porn indeed

Need to find some sheep though - that's one thing we haven't managed to tick off the list

we had a top socialisation moment last week when the

window cleaner (strange man)

with

hat (hat)

and

glasses (glasses)

plus

luminous jacket (odd clothes)

came unexpectedly round the side of the house with his

ladder (ladder + loud clanking ladder noise + odd gait carrying ladder)

and

bucket (bucket).

I practically lept on him with the dog treats instructing him to give them to the dog.

[socialisation BINGO!]

Slubber I apologise unreservedly for the boots and ball. I had great trauma over my boots, first pair fell apart but they were polka dot ones and clearly a big faux pas at allotment. I now have Muck Boots which are incredibly warm and comfy for walking and balls are banned after stubborn refusal to play fetch in the woods.

Oxo that sounds lovely. We went to Duinrell last year, DS was sick and we didn't make it out of the campsite the whole 6 days so have sworn to go back and explore some of Holland properly. We have a heath fairly close by and they have just put cattle grids in but no cows yet due to lack of funds apparently.

I'm going to need to see a link of the muck boots I'm afraid.

We've been to Durinell too, and dd1 was sick at the campsite.

[small world]

ROFL at window cleaner scenario !

Muck Boots

It was going over motorway bridge at Rotterdam at 70mph with vomiting DS and a saucepan that the Duinrell problem started. Maybe will try somewhere other than Duinrell for return visit to Holland.

Muck Boots look great. Are they warm?

Very warm, will be too warm for summer I think.

Small world! Love the window cleaner socialisation moment! Forgot to mention a train track runs along one section of the woods so that's another thing ticked off the list We encountered bin men again yesterday but not very successful. Very noisy and scary.

Took Phoebe to the vets yesterday to get her used to it/make positive associations when she is NOT sick if that makes sense. The assistant there is lovely, weighed her and gave her a chewy treat. Phoebe is huge now and weighs 11.25 kg at only 15 weeks.

Am loving the boots. I blamed the dog for being smelly for half an hour this morning after the woods before realising I had stepped in poo

yes I tried to tick off bin men too. Ran out into the road with slippers on carrying lump of dog, dropping treats all over the shop, only to see them disappearing round the corner.

bugger

You 2 are still at this?

lol

oh yes

many, many threads could be filled with the exploits of us attempting to train our dogs (and co-ordinate our equipment )

Oh yes, indeed

Back from 2nd daily trip to woods. Dog is absolutely FILTHY. She decided to find the muddiest, deepest puddles she could and roll in them. Its very funny actually.

My last dog hated water, despite being mostly lab. He would always walk around a puddle if he could and we only saw him swim once when he accidentally fell in a pond whilst chasing ducks. New dog adores water and dives into any available. She has been relegated to the garden, where she is currently chewing on a log, to dry off

Can't wait to hear about your outdoor exploits Slubber!!

My friend has a retriever about the same age as mine. She has a complete obession with wallowing in mud like a baby hippo. Saw her in action last week for the first time. She then refuses to go into puddles which would at least help clean her off a little. Poor friend is very very houseproud and just stared in complete horror at the dog and mud scene that unfolded in front of her.

I was incredibly grateful at that point for my dog's puddle tactics which is to run at them as fast as possible then catch splashes in her mouth and also for her natural muddy brown colour.

Hope you are feeling better today Wynken.

If you are still in a delicate state then best not read this post (save it for another day).

I think we may have a serious rival to the liver cake for the stinkiest and most stomach turning and yet orgasmic to the dog treat recipe. Oh yes. Minimu's sardine microwave cake has been made this morning and the delicate aroma is still wafting through my house.

lovely

not

I let Elsie lick out the mixing bowl. She (unsurprisingly) liked it quite a lot.

Getting there thanks Slubber, hugely relieved SATs week is over and done with and my head hurts a whole lot less.

Now would be the perfect time to try Sardine cake, won't be able to smell a thing. Is it tomorrow you are having your first grand outing armed with smelly sardine cake ? Have you had a dress rehearsal yet with all your gear, one for the family album/iPod and we'll obviously need a full report.

Very much enjoying your thread and thinking of trading in my dog-on-a-string scruffhound for one that would properly accessorise the whisltes, lanyards, and treat bags that you have ogled. Bet you all have shiny Weimeranas and such like.

Re SATS, Wynken, that wd be the human kind? my dog has a Bronze Good Canine Citizen certificate but flunked out of Dog School bcs couldn't stop himself grumbling when the instructor was doing the judge-simulating bodycheck that they have to go through for the Silver.

Indeed Wynken. We'll be out first thing (5.50am probably) with full the ensemble. Am expecting a complete break down of training standards with lovely walking on a loose lead with turns that we can do in the garden being exchanged for pulling and general soviet missile behaviour.

Eleison, tell us about the good citizen certificates. What does the dog have to do to get a bronze?

I've got an ACME211 and half. actually I have two so if one gets lost I have another. Can i join your club?

You wise wise MNer how do I go about horse socialisation? A whole load have been dumped in the field near us and neither me or dog like them but dog looking as though she would really like to have a chase...

Love gun shops - always full of older men happy to while away time imparting valuable advice to ditzy women and their mad brown dogs