Where the Wild Things Are

[barbarianoftheuniverse]

I have an eight month old Border Collie called Meg. She is far from perfect (and so am I).
Today she has been about 60/40 good. The 40 included chewing up my camera memory card which DH is sure he put safely on the mantelpiece. Every time I look down at this screen she takes a quick munch of the coffee table with her eyes on mine. This despite a 2 hour walk which included much in and out of streams.

I knew about it and think it's typical knee-jerk, pre-election/vote grabbing legislation. Just like the original DDA, which was also installed by the Tories.

None of my dogs have ever barked at the door/doorbell. Not sure why, as I've had a few large, guarding breeds - but they just haven't. Mind you, I always put them behind the kitchen dog-gate before I open the door anyway, more for fear of them getting out than them bothering anyone else.

Basically if someone is made to feel that your dog 'might' bite or attack them then they are considered dangerously out of control. Realistically, neither the police or the courts will want to be clogged up with people saying 'her dog ran to the front door, but didn't actually do anything else' or 'it barked but was nowhere near me' and it would be very hard for them to prove without any sign of injury anyway. I would say it's more likely to be if your dog jumped up and scratched someone they could, potentially, prosecute, whereas before it wouldn't have been possible. That said, I believe the DDA does refer to dogs 'causing apprehension' which is very vague and open to abuse and interpretation. I believe it does cover posties getting their fingers nipped through letter boxes though.

Truth is, you could have been prosecuted for any of those behaviours as soon as you stepped off your own property anyway, prior the 13th, yet it rarely happened. It was still only genuine cases of dogs growling, biting, knocking someone over etc that got reported and action taken. Not saying it has never happened, there will always be those that abuse the law to victimise people they don't like, but I don't think it's common.

Thanks for that Moose. He rarely jumps up and never to strangers, he's too wary of them, thankfully a complete wuss.

I have to say I go into lots of houses for work and have never felt threatened by a dog, I make an effort to drop my shoulders, appear relaxed and completely ignore the dog. So far it's worked even when the owner isn't able to speak to the dog.

Our only problem with the postman and delivery people is that Eric absolutely loves them So he puts on his fiercest bark (for a little one) and then I open the door and he throws himself at their feet requesting a tummy rub. I rescue them then or he'd be off up the path with them

I do sometimes worry about him knocking someone flying on a walk when he's playing with their dog, he hasn't come close to it yet but I've been knocked flying by other peoples dogs when mine isn't playing with them.

I sort of 'divide' playing by calling him back at intervals so he doesn't get too worked up but it is something that concerns me.

I think that if dogs are playing together, owners are fair game for getting knocked over and that can't really be classed as out of control. You'd be very unlucky to find another dog owner that would use this legislation against you.

Well, this afternoon's walk had to be cut short when Lurcherboy suddenly went lame. Holding his front paw up and limping. Walked them slowly home and he seems to be walking on it fine again now, so wondering if he just twisted it, will keep a close eye on it anyway.

Discovered when we got back that Pip was missing his collar. Fortunately the neighbours were out, so I had to shove the dogs in the kitchen, put the tv and tumble drier on so they didn't hear me leave and run back to the park to look for it. Took 10 minutes of walking the field in zigzags, but I found it. Definitely buying him a single look house collar now.

moose quick post but Hector has lost two of his collars already and I think that we got them from the same place (which I won't name)? Just wondering if there's a weakness?

Sorry about Lurcherboy, hope he's ok.

Did yours have the chrome clip needa?

I've worked out, since I found it, that it doesn't click shut properly if there's any fur at all in the mechanism, not even a couple of individual hairs.

I don't know about you, but I'm unimpressed, given the cost of them and how long it took for them to arrive etc. I expected better quality. It looks and feels like fantastic quality, the stitching etc is really good, but it's no use at all if it falls off him when he's free-running.

Apologies, if you bought yours from there on my recommendation.

I'm sure you're right Moose - they are developing gradually and in fits and starts rather than consistently across all areas if behaviour but they'll turn into lovely adult dogs.

I forget there is a settled calm adulthood ahead. Thankfully I've forgotten the horrors of the puppy stage and my kids are too forgetful or sweet or self absorbed to mention me crying, saying I didn't think I could cope being mummy to a puppy and I'd made a massive mistake. Long behind us now.

Our collar was from PAH and has lasted well for 7 months now and has a secure clunk so you know it's in place.

It's BB here (thought it was time for a namechange) - how are you all and your pups? It's been lovely weather here which has given me two problems ...
Firstly, Fitz isn't coping too well with the heat - with his fur he gets hot really quickly and then just wants to go paddling - our local pond has blue-green algae so can't let him in there which leads him to seek out the filthiest puddles possible and wallow in them - I've decided he's not really a dog, he's a hippo

My next problem is picnickers and sunbathers - they're everywhere and today Fitz got it into his head that everyone wanted to admire his squeaky ball so started bouncing up to unsuspecting groups of people - his recall today was pants so he spent most of the walk on the lead :(

We're off to the woods tomorrow - more shade and no sunbathers ....

Oh no - what do I call you now? I can't call you sodding!

Sounds like Fitz needs his very own paddling pool. Lots of people get them for their dogs to use in summer, although you do have to make sure you don't get an inflatable one!

My two aren't doing too well with the heat either, despite Pip having very little fur. Evening walks are the order of the day, although Lurcherboy keeps getting that intermittent lameness, which is a worry. Sometimes he's literally just lame and holding it up for a minute then back to normal walking/running on it though. There's no heat or tenderness, full range of movement etc - not sure what to make of it really. I know I'm slightly paranoid, having lost Oldgirl to Osteosarcoma last year, but intermittent lameness is one of the first signs of that and sighthounds are prone. I'm too scared to take him to the vets, just in case, which I know is ridiculous. I need a good slap, because it's far more likely to be a strained muscle or ligament.

I've also been flinging a tennis ball up and down the garden for Pip when it's cooler. Have just come inside from doing it actually - Pip is now snoring upside-down in his bed.

We don't have many picnickers or sunbathers, but we do have a lot of teenagers (supposedly on study leave for GCSEs) playing football in the local park. Lurcherboy adores children and balls, so I have to really concentrate to keep him with me if he's off lead. Pip stays on-lead unless the park is clear of other dogs anyway, as he's still liable to bolt if spooked by another dog and I worry about him getting onto the road. If we end up not being able to let him off, I try to go back at one of the times I know it tends to be empty and let him have a run then instead.

You know moose I'm so used to being basil I'll probably change back - as far as this threads concerned anyway I'm basil

Fingers crossed for lurcherboy - I'd take him to the vet if it gets any worse - you don't want a vague, undefined worry hanging over you. (Took my own advice this week and saw gp about symptoms which could have been something really nasty - blood tests have ruled that out and I feel so relieved)

Padding pool is a good idea - his breeder had a big one out in her garden when we went up to meet Fitz's parents

Good advice basil. I will definitely get him vet checked - just can't do it this week. I think they may want to do xrays, as there's no obvious outward sign or tenderness - although I suppose they may just try anti-inflammatories/pain killers in the first instance.

Glad to hear you got the all clear from the GP.

Oh no I can't bear the thought of a kitchen drenched from minty shaking out his paddling pool fun! DH sprayed him with the hose this weekend as a telling off because he leapt off the ground up at DS2! He was spritzed for a second, ran inside and shook himself in kitchen - the whole room was splattered!

Oh dear Moose, another vet trip poor lurcher boy.

Well Eric is off to the groomers tomorrow so tonight's walk will be up by the ponds as he always gets home ditched from there . His teething seems to have eased and he's being pretty good of late although don't suppose it will last. He's definitely decided that dogs are worth knowing now and likes a race and a chase in the park which is great as it tires him out. He has a definite preference for small light coloured bitches though and ignores the bigger dogs unless there is nothing better to play with.

Phew - dh, dd and I have just survived a weekend away at possibly the wettest, muddiest festival ever and both dogs survived the kennels.

Pip was ridiculously pleased to see me, but seemed relaxed and happy and was clearly fond of the head kennel lady. He's dropped a little weight, is clearly exhausted and apparently was none to happy with the thunder storm (neither was I seeing as I was sitting in a tent when it came over) but was definitely not stressed or unhappy when we went to collect him and they didn't know what time we were coming, so it was a true picture, iyswim.

So that's a load off my mind, especially as we have them booked in again in a few weeks time for our annual Legoland torture weekend.

Off to have a hot meal and warm bath now, before sorting out the two binbags full of muddy, sodden clothes that need washing.

Awesome festival though ... we had a blast!

That must have been a relief to know that Pip was happy at the kennels, moose

We took Fitz to the beach yesterday for the first time and he had an absolute blast and (STOP PRESS!) he's learned how to swim

We had to take him home a bit earlier than we'd planned as he just would not stop - he was swimming and running and digging and playing with other dogs and chasing balls - he obviously couldn't believe this magical place existed but we'd never taken him there before

He was absolutely shattered on the way home ...

So glad that Pip was okay at the kennels Moose

And it sounds like Fitz has a new favourite place!

We are in Kent at the moment until tomorrow staying with family. We have had a lovely weekend and Maz is currently snoozing next to me and my uncles spaniel is snoozing at my feet. We have had a few hairy moments with them really as the spaniel is not the most chilled of dogs and tends to be a little agressive. It works most of the time as Maz is very submissive so does all the right things but he took a slight battering yesterday for looking at a stick in the wrong way They have been okay today ...the spaniel has just been grumpypants with everyone else (ds learnt the hard way that you have to watch out when around dogs with long tails) so was a little fraught at times but the dogs have rubbed along okay and Maz is his usual cheerful self.

We went along to a local country fair today and Maz won 2nd place in the waggiest tail so that made ds's day anyway!

We have moved house and have just picked Finn up from my sisters where he has had a fantastic time, has met cows. According to my sister he now knows what cows are for, they produce vast quantities of a lovely smelling sludge to roll in. On the plus side she said she thought he was used to being hosed down as he seemed to positively enjoy it, he has never even seen a hosepipe before!

He is distinctly unimpressed with the house but has gone into his crate with a small bribe and seems to have settled (touch wood). It helps that he is shattered after four days of having another border collie to play with.

Sounds like everyone else had a great weekend. I wonder if I should try Finn in kennels just in case my sister can't have him. We know one we have used previously and found them very good. What does everyone think?

basil lovely pictures of Fitz enjoying himself. My dogs always love the beach, the boys have taught them all so far to dig on cue so they can help dig a moat around their sandcastle creations. The dogs always go into a depression the week after we come back from our holiday home.

Where on earth did you find sunshine? Our festival was a total mudfest after over 24 hours of solid rain, including a couple of spectacular thunder storms and apparently they had storms here as well. We did see the sun, briefly, on Saturday night and it was warm and dry, but not sunny on Sunday though.

Well done Maz on his waggiest tail prize.

Sounds like Finn has discovered the joys of 'Eau de Cows' - such joy for do owners that one.

I do think having a kennels you can use in an emergency is a good idea if you think there may ever be a time when your sister may be unavailable. Mine had to go into kennels for a couple of weeks when ds2 was seriously ill in hospital, simply because dh and I were constantly at his bedside and we didn't have the resources - physical or emotional - to look after them properly - it definitely helped that I knew I didn't have to worry about them as they were always happy there.

Both my two are spark-out, exhausted this morning. Pip didn't wake up until dh got up at 7.30, when he's usually ready to go out about an hour earlier than that and they've both been snuggled in their beds snoozing pretty much permanently since then. I always find my dogs are exhausted for a couple of days after they've been to kennels.

We went to the Sussex coast moose - it's really easy for us as it's just down the A3 so I'm hoping to do it a bit more often this summer. Only problem is day trips and ds2 don't go together that well as he usually needs 2-3 days somewhere before he warms up and decides it's ok. He spent the entire day on Sunday with his hoodie on, hood up, crouched next to the bags, only occasionally thawing with a bribe of chips and ice cream

We have paid for our burst of sunshine though today - just come back from one of the muddiest dog walks ever ...

Fitz hasn't ever been to kennels but I know he's now ok with my sister and with the dogwalker which is reassuring just in case there's any kind of emergency which meant I couldn't look after him

Sounds familiar basil, ds1 does the crouching in the nearest available corner thing too. We have to spend weeks preparing him for days out, but often he chooses to stay with my mum instead. Needless to say we haven't even attempted taking him to the festival with us. If he does come, we usually pay for it by him being all over the place for a few days afterwards, so we tend to end up at the same places over and over again.

Mine have had to put up with a lead walk today. I'm just too exhausted to attempt dragging all three dcs across a flooded field, there were enough moans about having to get dressed and go out in the first place. Fortunately I think both dogs are too tired to care, as they seemed very keen to get back home and we didn't go far.

Picture on the left is what the main stage area looked like mud-wise on Saturday night - don't have a photo of Sunday, but as you can imagine, it was a whole lot worse!

Haven't even attempted to de-mud the camping stuff yet. Dd's festival wagon is absolutely caked on the underside - you can barely see the wheels for mud. We had to line the back of the camper with bin-bags so we could bring it home. Wellies and DMs are all bagged up waiting to be jet-washed clean and I have been in denial all day about the bin-bags full of muddy clothes and coats that are still in the camper.

Hasn't stopped raining here all day.

Happy mud-cleaning moose

Ds2 can cope with legoland, the science museum and the British museum (all on quiet days) but anything 'different' is a bit of an ordeal ...

Thanks!

Ds1 loves Legoland. We go every year for ds1 and ds2's birthdays in lieu of a birthday party and stay in the Legoland hotel, hence the need to get Pip used to kennels. I am soooo sick of the place and keep praying ds1 will outgrow it, but no sign of that happening anytime soon.

Other than that it's the SeaLife Centre or a couple of local cafe's for a milkshake and gluten free scone, so not much variation at all.

Funny how quite a few of us have DS's with ASD or similar. Finally at 17 we can do out of routine stuff with DS so long as I let him know a little bit in advance. He now, rather touchingly, says thank you for giving him advance warning.
He does find social interaction with strangers very difficult though.