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.

Hector humped Harry? Sounds like a title for a porn film.

My whole last sentence does

Possibly because I'm halfway through a bottle of wine after a run of horrendous night shifts. My thought processes are slightly suspect.

Going to seriously rock the boat here, my dog was 2 on New Year's Day, still intact with no intention of neutering!

Well that's okay Lil, these puppies that we worry about so much were not found under gooseberry bushes!

Are you sure Barbarian? I'm sure the little angel asleep on my feet was.

I wish my little angel was NCIS. Instead she is trying to extract chicken liver pate off a teaspoon taped into a toothpaste box trapped under a laundry basket with the hearthrug on top. On a shiny floor. It isn't very restful.

That's border collies for you. It's why we love them.

Pip still isn't neutered either. Appointment at the vets tonight to discuss his leg and whether she's happy to speak to the rescue for us about delaying neutering further. Also need to get her to look at his eyes as they seem a bit red and irritated.

Think I've found a decent dog walking service locally. They are behaviourists, run training classes and do dog walking and home/pet sitting. Think the best course of action is to get them to take Lurcherboy out (after he's been checked out at the vets) on his own at first, then when they have the measure of his behaviour, with a couple of other dogs (they only walk a max of 3 at a time). Then, while they're out I can concentrate on training Pip, who doesn't need such a long walk, but does need lots of stop, start training and work around other dogs. Only downside is they have no prices on their website. Hoping they will be able to wear Lurcherboy out, as like Needa, I do find my two's differing exercise needs awkward to balance and Pip can't do long walks until he's quite a bit older and skeletally mature.

Going to give them a call and arrange for them to come and meet the dogs. They do a free home visit to start with to discuss what you want and be introduced to the dogs.

Oh Dog no, I have no intention of breeding from him, big Lab lump has some fear issues that we are working on, if I take away his bravery hormones it will reduce him to a quivering wreck. That's why his plums are staying put

I haven't decided yet about Hector yet. Harry was 'done' at 6 months, but he was going under a general anyway due to having a tumour (common in puppies, not serious) removed from his foot anyway, so we had him done. Had I known that he would be so accident prone, and that there would be further opportunities later on, I might have made a different decision.

I think I am going to research it more thoroughly this time. Would having a plum free dog and one with plums have any bearing on my decision, love the description Lil

Thought Harry wasn't recalling today, he stood in the middle of a field while I shouted and shouted him. I walked over, trying to be calm and not show any frustration (failing probably) and it turns out his boot for his poorly foot was hanging off, can't wait to get rid of the boot, the damn dog limps when it's on, walking normally when it's off!

Let us know how the vet visit goes, we have our first puppy class at the vets tomorrow, I am going for the socialisation reasons really, plus it's free, the dog trainer we use has a course but charges.

Dh just back from the vets.

First off it seems Mr Pip has a respiratory tract infection, so that was eyedrops and antibiotics £70.00 thank you very much. Vet thinks it's highly likely that Lurcherboy has it too and needs the same treatment - so that'll be another £70.00 for him at his appointment later this week. Not sure if that has any bearing on his behaviour over the past week, I know I'm a right grumpy cow when I've got a cold/flu, so it could at least have a bearing I suppose. Interestingly I did notice that Lurcherboy appeared to have a runny nose this afternoon. I noticed it, thought it was odd, then just assumed he had got hot all snuggled up in his memory foam bed.

He was supposed to get his kennel cough vaccine this evening ready for us to start acclimatising him to kennels, but that couldn't be done because of the infection. We were supposed to taking him for a walk around the kennels next weekend, then leaving him for an hour while we have lunch at a local pub the next weekend, then leaving him for an afternoon (to include a good romp around their fields), then leaving him just before they close and picking him up first thing. Obviously dependent on how well he does at each stage. We need to leave him for 2 nights in May and another 2 in July so he has to get used to it. Annoyingly the people we've found to do dog walking also do house/pet sitting, but they leave the dogs for 3 hours in between walks, while they walk other dogs - so that wouldn't work for our two.

She's manipulated his leg fully and watched him walk and said he seems ok and there's nothing obvious, which is reassuring. She's going on holiday at the end of the week, so she said, keep an eye, see if we notice a pattern of specific times when his gait seems off and come back to her when she's back if we're still worried and if we want her to she'll organise xrays, but as it stands she doesn't feel it's necessary.

Finally the neutering. She doesn't want it done yet and she's happy to speak to the rescue about it directly if they want to call her - so that's a load off my mind. Problem is they have to call her either Wednesday or Thursday this week or it will have to be in a fortnight's time, as she'll be away. Dh is going to call the rescue first thing tomorrow to discuss the situation and give them the vet's details.

Apparently she couldn't believe how big he's got and told him he has legs like stilts!

Lurcherboy is now in a big old strop because Pip went out without him - he wouldn't have minded a vet visit himself, as he absolutely adores her. Daft dog!

Barbarian - what an assault course you set your dog for a lick of pate! He must love it and I think I will copy your idea and see how minty gets on. Must be fun! We use lots of boxes for food and sometimes under tea towels but nothing as complex as you!

Moose- sounds great dog walking people, hope it works out. Do you think it would be suitable for your overnights though if they're together in a different house, being left for the 3 hrs? The change in environment might mean they respond differently. What a pain about the health issues you're facing though, poor Pip and Lurcherboy

Barbarian, I missed Meg's pate assault course challenge - brilliant!

Mint, they stay with the dogs in your home, so it's really not an option.

Forgot to say in my last post. Dh said Pip was a star at the vets. There was another dog in there when they were waiting to go in and he was really good, able to focus on dh, happy to take treats and absolutely no fuss or hiding.

Oh I see they stay in your house! After packing/departing for a holiday there is no way in a million years my house would be tidy enough for visitors!

What about the kennels? Are you happy with them? A pain to have your well thought out settling plans set back though. Hope you still get pub trip!

You lovely people came into our tea time conversation tonight!

We have a massive family dilemma about minty. It's really dominating family mealtime conversations, DS2 has been in tears about it and I dreamt about it recently so there's a fair bit of worry going on. Anyway we had a breakthrough tonight when DS2 said "I know what to do! Just ask your mumsnet friends" DS1 then said "yeah just ask Moose, she'll know"

Funny when MN comes into RL! So our dilemma is coming up in a sec - just got to settle DS2.

Moose, poor Pip and Lurcherboy and your bank account! I hope they are better soon. I will never forget the winter our vet spent swanning around the GB Reef entirely funded by our rabbits teeth...
Or so it seemed at the time.
the assault course started out as good as a short walk and I highly recommended it as a boredom buster. But here it now takes 4 minutes and is more like a party trick.
The other good boredom buster we have is hide-the-kitchen-timer (in one of those kongs that unscrew). It is a nice quiet game because they have to listen for the tick.
I need to start clicker training again soon- I think she might be ready for it now. She was too hyper when we did it at puppy class. However, I am running out of ideas for reward treats- tried chorizo and she was terribly sick- no good with rich food in any sort of quantity which also rules out cheese and too much pate. Chicken is loosing the novelty as is Primula cheese.

Mintochick, sorry cross posts. I hope Minty is okay. Yes, Moose will know.

Oh blimey, I barely let people over the threshold of my house, let alone stay here overnight without us around to hide all the mess in our bedroom!

The kennels are brilliant. My dogs have been going there since the early 90's with just a few years off when we moved up north. The lady that owns them is a total softie and always tries to fatten Lurcherboy up whenever he goes there - she can't bear skinny Lurchers - so he gets tonnes of treats. They walk them three times a day in their own, well fenced fields and all my dogs have always been happy there - to the extent that most of them have tended to drag us down the drive to get there when we drop them off.

We just need to handle things very carefully when it comes to getting Pip used to going there - although he is now doing an hour and a half in the kitchen with the door shut during the day and doesn't make a peep. I am in the house, either in the next room or upstairs and haven't tried it with me going out the front door yet, but it's hopeful.

Very that your ds2 thinks I am a doggie know-it-all Mint!

Barbarian, I know what you mean about funding the vet's lavish lifestyle. Why is the treatment always just under their insurance excess as well. Blooming £40 odd quid a month to cover both dogs every month and so far only one month without a vet bill on top - that isn't covered.

A few on here that might!

Our dilemma is that my parents have had a timeshare holiday cottage in Scotland for the past 30 years for one week in April. I / we have gone every year without fail whether the week falls in school hols or not, because it is a beautiful place with gorgeous walks and peace and we all get on brilliantly. However my dad has been poorly recently, is sort of better but now very frail, in his 80s and doesn't like dogs. My mum is fitter, loves dogs, adores minty!

Should we take the dog or leave him at home?

Minty jumps at my dad, not often but frankly once is too often as my dad is frail. He barks at my dad and my dad doesn't know what to do so holds his hands up and issues long complex instructions to minty which makes it worse. Minty is big, boisterous, noisy and can't really be ignored.

I'd rather leave minty at home as I keep thinking this is my dad's holiday, he deserves peace to enjoy it and who knows how long we have my dad for. I'd hate my dad to be upset. BUT the boys have been looking forward to having a dog at the cottage for years! They talk about the walks we could have with minty, it would be our first holiday with him and they would be gutted to leave him behind. The cottage is open plan so stair gate at stairs but whole kitchen/dining/sitting area is open and too big/wide to section off. Minty is too big to crate now.

My dad will spend most of the holiday in the cottage as he's too poorly to go out far - maybe a daily trip to a tearoom but not out for more than an hour a day. Minty also spends most of his day inside with one long walk a day. We normally cycle, swim in the pool on site, go to restaurants, go to islands for day long hikes (that wouldn't be suitable for minty as they are 6 hrs out so too much walking for a 10 month old and there are free roaming sheep on the islands and they'll be lambing and I wouldn't even risk taking him on the lead)

Any ideas? We are really stuck with this one.

Sorry for the pressure Moose! DS1 didn't say it in know-it-all way, he thinks you're cool knowing all this dog training stuff! I didn't realise how frequently Ill be on my iPad and will read an idea out to everyone. They love it!

Your kennels sound fabulous.

Mint, I have an idea because I know the kennels we looked round the other day (lovely place) offers it for people on holiday around here.

Is there a kennels local to Scottish cottage you could leave Minty in, and collect him for day time walks?

How long have you got to train? My BIL is seriously afraid of dogs. Meg is very very bouncy. We have train her to lie flat at his name. I know it sounds silly but it has worked. DM me if you like with your email, and I will send you a quick video clip of what it looks like.

Wow that sounds amazing. So she will lie down when BIL name is called and you can do that when he walks in the room? I will PM you but might have to do it tomorrow as I'm up and down stairs after DS2 who is as unruly as the teenage dog! Teenage boy, no problem!

I think DSs would be heartbroken to leave minty in kennels each night. I don't think they could cope. Leaving him at home once for the week would be easier. Plus our drive to Scotland is 9-10hrs so I'm also worried about the journey and thinking easier on dog to stay local, easier on dad too. But I love the training idea - that would help no matter what we do about the holiday.

Mint, yes, we started it seriously about 8 weeks ago. Now if his name comes up in conversation down she goes. You don't have to call it, you can just say, "What will you do when K arrives?" in a normal voice. It was easy to teach.
BIL seriously bitten 3 times as a boy, and properly scared. He finds it hilarious and reassuring. Once down she waits for 'OK' to get up. However BIL not frail at all and really he is at no risk from Meg. I mean if she did jump him (she won't I don't think) she wouldn't hurt him.

It is a real problem. If I had no other choice, like you, I would leave Meg behind. Unless worth investing in a bigger crate?

Mint, in your position I would do one of two things - or maybe three things.

1. Leave the dog at home but agree with the boys you will take him somewhere equally lovely for X weekend as compensation. (Could you sell it to the boys by explaining that he is too young to join in most of the activities you normally do. So, either they will be disappointed at not having their usual holiday fun or they will have to do it with only one parent, so someone can stay to look after Minty as he can't be left with Grandad or alone in a holiday home.)

2. Look for accommodation close to your parents' holiday home, so you can take Minty and spend time with your parents - although that idea will limit you in terms of hiking etc and some places may insist on crating. Some B&Bs take dogs or see if you can get a late deal on a self-catering place.

3. See if anywhere local does dog daycare or is a home pet-sitter that would have him in their home for a few hours each day.

Thanks to you both .

We have run through the idea that dog in cottage = no day hikes, no family cycling trips, one parent only trips everywhere etc. So been very stark. Both boys are saying they'll gladly miss those things and stay in cottage all day (except for one long dog walk) just so minty can come. They love their bikes so I'm amazed at this.

Good idea to research dog sitting, I'll do that. Also the cottage site has several cottages and there are some available to rent and they all allow dogs uncreated. BUT they're gorgeous cottages, we couldn't afford to rent a week. My parents bought their week 30yrs ago when it was a derelict set of old stables /farm buildings. They cost next to nothing as it was all dreamy plans of one guy and was high risk. It's worked wonderfully as a development so they're expensive but very dog/child friendly. My mum suggested they rent another cottage on site but I told her that was a ridiculous expense. Now I'm thinking maybe we could go halves and take the hit - if it's one of my dads last holidays it will be worth it.