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.

Have to call at 3 to check how it's gone but can't pick him up until he's come round fully, has eaten and wee'd etc so prob will pick him up at about 5

He just couldn't understand why I wasn't giving him breakfast - he was doing his best appealing face too!

No time, got to fetch ds2 and dd, but Mint the cross shoulder leads are double clip police leads. They sell them on ebay and I recently bought one for Pip from the same people that made his longlines.

Basil, I know how you feel - perfectly normal to fret a bit while they're in the vets, but he'll be fine - the two dogs I've had neutered barely seemed to notice anything was - ahem ... amiss.

BB - Harry was running around the next day, which wasn't strictly allowed but he was absolutely fine. Both mine get knocked out by a general, other dogs leap up and are happy as can be a couple of hours later. In fact, Harry wobbles around like a drunk

Laughs at mint re the sausage, dog stuff gets everywhere doesn't it?

And mint, you were correct, Hector had no problem at all with any of the dogs we have met today, about 8 in total!! I am trying hard They were all little .models of politeness to be honest, and he gently greeted them all too. Met a super cockerpoo, so different to the labradoodle we keep meeting

Harry's paw is nearly better, just the last tiny bit to close up, so he's had a good run over the grass of the park, mecca for other dogs, so great for Hector. Don't usually drive this much to walk the dogs, but it's so rural where we live, we don't always/often meet other folk with dogs.

Harry is pulling like a sod on the lead though now, and I need to perfect my technique with two leads and dogs!

moose I remember your posts previously about puppy classes. Hector has been fab today, but I fully intend to keep going to this park, it's so soft for Harry's foot and full of dogs. He's 14 (I think) weeks on Saturday, so if I can expose him to as many different dogs just for a few more weeks at least, it will be worth it.

All went fine :) he's awake but a little wobbly and I'm picking him up at 5 - yay!

Glad it went well and Fitz is awake and ok. Good sign that he's already eaten - sounds like he's going to be one of the dogs that recovers from the GA quickly.

mint this is the lead we've just bought. It comes with a leaflet to show all the different ways it can be used eg cross body, round the waist, short/traffic, long-lead etc.

Example of one in use with an OES!

Eurk, just seen the reference to a certain dog trainer I definitely don't want to endorse. Sorry, just Googled for an image of the lead in action and chose the one with an OES.

Thanks Moose and don't worry we"ll ignore reference to that trainer.

Have you seen any of the David Hogan dog trainer videos - he uses an OES called Tiffany and he's lovely - the trainer and dog!

You're doing great Needa with all your socialisation.

Great that Harry is all fixed and nearly home. Quiet few walks for a week or so?

Not heard of David Hogan, will have to look him up.

Pip is obviously feeling quite a bit better today. He's been far more lively than he's been and spent much more time running around outside. Hadn't consciously noticed, but thinking about it he hadn't been doing his loopy Lurcher impression churning up the lawn for a few days.

Lurcherboy's turn at the vet's tonight to get his medication sorted. Poor dh has the vets at 6.00, then parents' evening for ds2 and dd at 7.00. I'm not well enough to go to either unfortunately, so he's flying solo for both. I missed their last parents' evening, back in October, as well - as that's when I had the previous vile fluey virus bug.

Roll on the spring, dry fields and parks and no more colds/flu's!

Finn mugged a baby soldier today for his cereal bar, he snuck up on him as he was lying on his tummy in the undergrowth, the chap in charge was snorting with laughter. Apparently my dog could teach them a thing or two about sneaking up on people unnoticed. Finn did leave it when I told him to which I was pleased about.

Norty Finn - but very good boy for leaving it when told.

Glad they saw the funny side. Perhaps you could sign them up for a 'stalk like Finn course' and make a few bob on the side!

NCIS you'll have to get Finn a camouflage dog coat like this

He doesn't need any camouflage, he's silent and deadly , the army have always been lovely with him, they've said before they could do with him to round up the youngsters when they get lost. he generally stays away but the food smells were just too tempting and i must admit I didn't notice them lying there until it was too late. Not sure the poor lad will ever live it down!
He was extra good after that even leaving a ball another dog walker threw in our direction, very good for him as he is obsessed with balls.

Good news. Dh has had an email from the rescue saying they are happy for us to delay neutering until it's the right time for Pip, as long as we are still committed to neutering long-term.

I was so worried they were going to make us do it and mess up all the behavioural work we've done and are still doing, not to mention the potential for osteo issue in later life.

He's making such good progress, I'm as confident as I can be that if we wait till maturity, by then he'll be fine.

It's a huge load off my mind.

I got in a muddle there with so many of the puppies poorly recently. So sorry to Needa and BB, I got Harry muddled for Fitz!

Hope Fitz is back home and happily sleeping off his op.

Your location sounds great NCIS - lovely to feel so safe walking amongst soldiers!

That's really good news for Pip! Great he can stay intact till ready for the change.

Moose - are your potential dog walkers happy to take him on on that basis? I've been checking out a dog boarder for a few days in May and she said she has no blanket rule re: intact dogs, but assesses each dog individually in terms of how well they get on with the other dogs which seemed sensible.

Mint, I think I managed to send you Meg.

NCIS, wish we had somewhere like that to walk. I am so tired of the same muddy tracks.

We are very lucky, acres of heathland/woodland in every direction, I have to drive there but only a ten minute drive. There are advantages to living near the home of the British Army.

The dog walkers we've found take entire males. The only rule of that type they have is no in-season bitches.

Still not sure if we're going to go for it though. I keep clinging to the hope I'm going to start improving soon and won't need to.

No worries, thought you were talking to me anyway!!

We are lucky to where we live, a long rural walk in any direction I go from the house, although I will drive too, to get to other close by places that I know are good for dogs too.

Good news moose.

I was wondering how much variety folk 'do' for their walks. I have a friend who does the same route in the morning and then another one in the afternoon and never varies. That would drive me bonkers as I love the variety and happen to think we are lucky where we live to have so many lovely places to walk. Also like to give the dogs new sniffs but what do other guys do?

at Finn

I find the dogs get bored, as do I, if we do the same walk at the same time every day. Walks are adhoc here, they happen when I feel like it, when I've finished my chores or when I am avoiding them depending on my mood!

I have about 6 routes I can do from the house, encompassing 2 parks and the fields (of which I can pick and choose from several). I don't tend to do the fields on my own often though, as I always feel more vulnerable there - despite having two great big hairy hounds with me.

When Pip's older and able to walk further on lead I will have 2 more (much nicer) parks to choose from.

Weekends we do various country parks or if pushed for time, one of the 2 parks that are too far to walk to with Pip.

That said, if I'm not in the mood for a big walk or lots of 'handling' with Pip around other dogs, I do know what times to take certain routes so we can have a nice walk without meeting any other dogs. Most people round here seem to walk their dogs at the same place and time every day - you can set your watch by them.

I have three or four 3-4 mile circuits I do which are all on common type land. One depends on if they are live firing on the range but the others are always available so I rotate.
Like you Moose i find there are certain time that are quieter, weekend early mornings at about 7.30am are really deserted, especially if it's raining. Sometimes I don't mind company and sometimes I'm really antisocial, fortunately Finn is always sociable.

I am so pleased to have found this thread! I have a male 6mo BC called Kipper who we all adore, but he drives me bonkers at times! I havent read the whole thread (it is v late & I need to go to bed after working late!) I would be interested to know how much I should be walking Kipper. At the moment he has 1hr morning with beaches & fields, 30 mins after school pick up, again beach time with ball playing plus an extra 40 mins first thing on the lead for school run when it isnt raining & 30 mins in the evening 2 days a week when it is cubs / rainbows nights. I have had people tell me I'm either walking him too much, or not enough?!?! opinions please...

Finn, also a BC, who is seven months old has up to three hours a day, nearly always two hours,sometimes more at weekends mostly off lead. He sometimes gets a thirty minute on lead walk in the evenings too.

Goodness that's a lot!! Is there not the same kind of worry about joint problems with collies as there is with retrievers? We were told very little exercise for the first six months then gradually build it up over the next six months and then from a year onwards he should be able to cope with however much exercise we can throw at him (building up gradually of course - I don't intend to do a full day's hill-walking on his first birthday!)