General Dog Chat 4

[geekone]

Apologies I just noticed the thread was running out so I am going to repost.

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Oooo distant yes I can see the photo. That's deep snow

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Yay - they worked! We went off the track and I sank up to my waist so not sure how Ddog managed to keep her head above it (well actually, she's clearly a lot less heavy than me)!

The only time we had deep snow (up to my knees) I had to carry BiteyDog as we got half way and he stopped. I was bloody knackered.

Btw up to my knees sounds impressive for the uk but it's not as I am short

Hmm so I have found out by accident that BiteyDog is far more amenable to having his claws ground down if he's on his back and I do them whilst giving him an intermittent belly rub. Wish I had found that out months ago.

Hi distant, navigating that snow does look knackering but great fun. My adult dc are all together skiing in Austria, DH, coco dog and I are in deepest Devon, we have had the best weather today and yesterday with wonderful walks but now in for a few wet days...can we teach coco dog to play scrabble I wonder🐶

Ha yes bitey - I was up to my waist today but stayed low as it was a very strong avalanche risk today. Last week DH went higher up without me and was up to above his waist when he ventured off the track... he's 2m tall so I'm not sure how I would have got out of that hole as I'm a lot shorter than that! Am catching up on the thread and seeing blue is somewhere that is 46 degrees!! We were really concerned that Ddog had spent the first year of her life somewhere very hot and then come to us when the first couple of months were 30+ in day so thought the winter would be a big shock for her but she adores it - clearly prefers it to the heat.

Hope your DC are having a lovely time thegirls - conditions are absolutely lovely for skiing right now! I love scrabble. - would be so great if we could get pets to play it instead of causing mischief... that said, right now, the prospect of teaching her to be a "normal" dog and play fetch with a ball seems a million miles away. My sister has a new dog who is utterly obsessed with a ball (as I see quite a few of you saying yours are on here) and will actually ignore food in favour of a ball... like having a completely different species of animal on your hands!

Other dogs I have had in the past have enjoyed a game of ball but not fussed when it ended. That’s what I call normal. Coco dog turns from a calm, happy listening dog to a highly strung, fixated mess who cannot focus on anything but the ball. Hence why we never play on a walk and only ever for short periods in the safety of the garden🙄 I am having success with making her work for the ball so sit, stay, bit of heel work before I throw it so she is having to listen and focus on me but it does feel like a lot of hard work for something that is supposed to be fun☹️

I make BiteyDog do several spins and then have to run around the back of me before I throw the ball on walks now. But the noise he makes is embarrassing as he does a loud combination of a squeak/bark and whine as if to say 'for gods sake just throw the ball'

Oh, the spaniel squeak! Coco dog doesn’t make a sound when playing with the ball, too intent on it but when we arrive somewhere new or a favourite place for a walk by car...it sounds like several dogs in the boot. The shrillness if she spots the beach hurts your ears. I don’t really mind because she isn’t a barky dog at all and her squealing and squeaking is pure enthusiasm at the prospect of an exciting walk.

I wouldn't mind so much but lots of walkers comment on him 'really wanting the ball' he is so loud .

BastardPup is having his nads removed tomorrow. I am stupidly worried. But it is the right thing - he tried to shag DS1's leg the other day, and our amazing daycare will not keep taking him much longer if he is intact.

Oh lovely pics distant, steppedog would love that he went mad in the snow last year.
Snow forecast for here today yet to arrive.

Steppedog didn''t start on our bins until he had been here for months. Then he started on the plastics bin, and now he would empty both bins f we left them in the kitchen

Got to love the dog who will do anything for a tummy rub Bitey!

I know how distant dog feels preferring the snow to the heat I’m in the French Alps at the moment and love seeing the dogs here romping in the snow.

Good luck to Bastardpup and his op. I’m sure he’ll be just fine. Bluepuppy was leaping all over the place when I picked him up from being done

Awww we can't help worrying about them BunchOfBastards but I am sure he will be fine. Unlike bluepuppy BiteyDog was very wobbly and cried when I picked him up but he soon bounced back.

Are you on a ski holiday blue? Very snowy this morning!

Good luck Bastardpup.

Ah steppe - I always like to read your posts because steppedog is obviously a scavenger and makes me relieved to know that we are not alone with Ddog's pesky ways!! It didn't occur to me that she would eventually move onto both bins - having clean plastic/cardboard shredded and strewn about the place is one thing, but if she starts going for the kitchen bin...

SquirrelDog has a bloody irritating habit of not noticing a thing for months, then he clocks it and it becomes the object of desire and he’ll try and try and wait and wait until he can get his little paws and/or teeth into it. He usually wins, because he’s more stubborn then I am.

distant
steppedog is so food mad, that if he thinks there might be a packet in the bin, he will empty it.

Actually, he is so much better all round now, that I might try putting the bin back in the kitchen (I hate having to open a door to put stuff in the bin)

Distant, can I ask, have you recently moved to where you are, or is it just that distantdog is a new addition? What took you there, are you from there, or working there?
Pure nosiness on my part, so feel free to ignore! I have spent a number of years living and workign in other countries and I am always intrigued by people's stories.

so, dh and steppedog and dd2 are going to the agility class tonight. dd2 is very keen and was actually very good with steppdog when we were lead training, so wondering if this might be something for her.

If it is good, I will try and rearrange my student so I can go too.

Scent work is on hold for a while, we will see how this one is first.

On a positive note, I am doing loads of training on our wakls - stop in a big field and do it. He is learning so much, and the more he learns specific things, the better he is overall with listening etc

Hope you enjoy the agility.

We start scentwork next week for a group of 6 weeks.

BiteyDog is not impressed as he has been to the groomers. All his tufty bits have been taken off as he looked very scruffy. Not sure I am forgiven yet

Aw Bitey!

Hope Bastardpup is doing ok?

Well we had so much snow overnight and this morning it actually defeated us today. I tried to take Ddog for a walk when it finally stopped snowing late afternoon and there was nowhere we could go. She was very excited about running about in the drive as it had been cleared but as soon as she tried to go anywhere else (apart from the road which had lots of big scary snowploughs going past all the time) she was in well over her head and panicked and had to scramble back out onto the road asap. There's a deep base of very solid snow here but usually she can keep her head over the top layer of fresh stuff above that, but not today - it was a good 60cm of fine powdery snow that she was sinking into. Think we will have to drive her somewhere lower down tomorrow to give her a proper run around. She hates the car but it's that or no walk.

Steppe - we have been here quite a few years now. We moved over to give DH some time out from office life in the city (I gave up on office life within a year of graduating!) and to run a little business with the intention of going back after a few years and getting back on the career ladder. We've stayed here much longer than planned and love it so much now that we can't imagine going back. DH has been making the case for us to get a dog for nearly a decade and I finally gave in last summer - there didn't seem to be any local rescue homes here so she came from a rescue place in Cyprus. We're not sure what long term plans are as I guess it all depends on what happens with B*** (don't want to contaminate the lovely dog thread with contentious politics)! We have started passport applications but it takes years. Who knows - in a couple of months' time, Ddog might be the only one of us with a European passport!!!

So we are having a wonderful time in Devon but I am feeling annoyed this evening and DH although sympathetic is making me feel like I am being over precious...so please do tell me if I am.
We walked cocodog on the beach late this afternoon and spotted a tiny, cosy pub just off the beach and went in to get a pint. Another couple in there just leaving, we ordered our drinks and settled in a corner with cocodog on lead happily under the table. Door opens and in come another couple with collie dog off lead. They appear to know the staff member behind the bar, their dog disappears behind the bar and is pulled out by the male owner laughingly, dog comes over to investigate cocodog. Very friendly dog,male owner comes over after a few mins to pull dog away. Female owner ignores the dog and us completely. Dog comes back again and starts routing through my coat pocket where I have some treats for cocodog for being a good girl in pub, I move my coat on top of the table. Male owner calls dog back. Dog goes back but reappears within a couple of mins.This happens another four times before I lose my cool and want to leave. The owners of that dog have no idea of the temperament of mine etc, she also could be very tired from walk or an elderly dog. What is the problem with using a lead or at the very least keeping the dog laid down beside you and under control.