PET'S CORNER

[Tardis]

Believe it or not, Maggie used to pull quite a bit

She failed the Guide Dog selection, so pulling was compulsory.

It was usually just much easier to find an open field and let her off the lead, then throw a ball until she was worn out. A tennis racket and sometimes a cricket bat was used to ensure the ball actually got some distance

[Nolic]

In an earlier post I wondered if an old dog I used to see had passed on.
Nope. It was good to see him this morning, still alert and having a good sniff with his tail well up in the air.
His owner has changed jobs that's why I'd missed him. Nolic

[Stanley]

Heather, like babies they do have one. Exercise, food, sleep. Problem is when the dog is Duracell and you're still on lead/acid! Early days, in a few months she'll be like an old slipper.

[Marilyn]

Watched the videos. Gracie looks like lots of fun.
(and one of you lasses is better with the camera than tuther one. Got a bit dizzy, E!)
The first pic I saw of Gracie, all I could think of was a bit of steel wool with legs, but she has scrubbed up ok.
We still haven't weakened to the point of puppy shopping. Baby-sat son 's rather stupid Labrador again last weekend and she dug up all our garden watering system. Costs me a fortune replacing all the sprinkler heads every visit....and she is that quick and sneaky about doing it...she knows she is being naughty. I think she saves up all her whoopsies for our beautiful manicured lawn too. Do I sound put off puppy shopping? Best put it on the back burner for another few months I think.

[Callunna]

... a bit of steel wool with legs, but she has scrubbed up ok.

I like it! Very true!

Quick update: bought an easy-to-install body harness (for the dog, obviously) which instantly solved the pulling problem. Decided to risk letting her off the lead in Letcliffe, with promising results. She came back 7 times out of 10, played happily with a spaniel, got into a fight with a Jack Russell, absolutely LOVES snow.

Seriously considering attending dog training sessions at the New Ship on Monday evenings. Gracie is very loving (the Bedlington bit) but may have a tendency to be a bit overprotecive and controlling (the Collie bit). If we can knock her into shape at this stage I'm confident we'll have a briliant dog.

[Marilyn]

Those harnesses are great. I have now bought three of them for ABBY the LABBY. ( pup sized, Labrador sized, then the biggest I could buy as Abby has exceeded all expected Labrador dimensions). I don't recall anything on the packets saying "easy to put on" as we have had some laughs trying to get her into them...especially when left dog-sitting. I get it all arranged on the kitchen bench one way and hubby argues I have it upside down...and this is before we even approach the hound. ( the whole scenario is a scream after a few red wines!)
I mainly bought them so son could safely restrain her in the car. We have affectionately nicknamed her "Flabby" and I was worried that if she wasn't correctly retrained, son would be hit in the back of the head by an enormous black dog if he braked suddenly. He is very good and never takes her in the car unless she is properly retrained ( ranting mother finally got her message across).
She is easier to control whilst walking too ( though she still pulls). She is a delight to walk after about the first half hour, as it takes her that long to calm down and walk at a sedate pace without pulling ones arms out of the sockets. :confused

( have tried to submit this three times and it keeps telling me my post is invalid!)

[Marilyn]

putting dog harness on goes something like this...

I 'arrange' dog harness ( which at best can be described as a series of straps and clasps) on the kitchen bench.
Hubby comes along and says it is upside down and rearranges ( now it really IS upside down!)
I rearrange to original position, placing demonstrative hands through various straps saying ' this is where the head goes'...'this is her right front paw'...'left front paw goes in here'....' lead connects here' ( pointing to metal loop).
Hubby insists I am wrong, so I tell him to knock himself out getting her into it his way.
Hubby fails to get the harness on the dog.
So we do it my way, with the instruction that if he gets THAT bit of harness around the right paw, I will deal with the left paw.
We approach grinning dog, then we all turn about in circles two or three times calling out ' I think I have got it'.
Harness falls to the floor. Dog is still grinning.
Back to the kitchen bench to lay the apparatus out again and go through who will do what when we approach the dog.
It tends to go better the second time, with a ninety five percent success rate, and us left sitting on the floor laughing.

[Stanley]

Heather, off the lead on Letcliffe, that's progress and the socialising with other dogs is great. Natural behaviour and less boredom.... Lots of people won't trust their dog and are very protective, never let them socialise, result, a bored nasty dog with bad habits. Gracie is going to be fine!
Later... Jack's enjoying his walks as usual. What struck me this morning is that a fall of snow highlights all the non-recovered faeces, it's a mystery to me still why people don't clean up. As my mother used to say, "Makes you wonder what they are like at home!"

[Callunna]

Maz - sounds like fun! I used to go through a similar palaver with Boo’s harness. However this one is dead easy.
You lay the harness on the floor (see photo). You place the dog’s front paws inside and swiftly draw up each side to clip centrally over the back. Less than 2 seconds of a job.
Mind you - I’m now in the doghouse because Gracie thought we were off for a walk when I got the harness out to photograph it. I’ll take a pic of her wearing it when we do go out - I hadn’t the heart to put it on her then remove it without any walkies.

Dog harness.jpg

Stanley - We made the decision that Gracie would not be an overprotected dog and that she has to stand on her own 4 feet. I don’t want to be restricted or have to make any special arrangements when we’re out. Last night we had a ‘tied-up-outside-a-shop’ training session where E went inside and I disappeared round a corner for varying lengths of time. At first she whimpered but then realised we always came back for her. It might take a few more goes but the lass cottons on quite quickly.

Yesterday was a milestone - we had actually used up all Gracie’s energy and she slept most of the evening in front of the telly...

[Marilyn]

( attempting post for the second time as I was logged out whilst posting before)

Abby's harness is much more robust, with another section that goes over the head and down the back of the neck. I see how yours works though.
Will take a pic, ( or amusing video) next time we have to don the apparatus.
Both my husband and I attended the ' school for the gifted' of course... But her harness is a piece of extreme work.
( is this why I have not been blessed with grandchildren? Could Nanny not master strapping them safely in the stroller?)

[Stanley]

Heather, exactly the same as the one I used for Jack. One thing that I was slow to pick up with Jack was that as he grew I had to let it out a bit. Funny how it crept up on me. I thoroughly approve of the 'stand on her own feet' approach. Nothing more sad for me than seeing a good dog over-protected and consequently spoiled. They get neurotic if they aren't allowed to do their own thing especially being occasionally put in their place by a more assertive dog. They learn the hierarchies remarkably quickly. I reckon Gracie is lucky and if I'm any judge will turn out to be a character like Jack. Nice!

[Callunna]

We’re having a few issues regarding Gracie and other dogs. Gracie is very exhuberant and full on, and the Collie part of her eyeballs any dog she comes into contact with. Consequently, although she wants to play, the other dogs seem to feel intimidated and a snarling/snapping conflict ensues. Some owners let the dogs sort it out between them while others rush in to protect their dog from my vicious beast (yeah right). I then feel obliged to haul Gracie away and she lets out a blood curdling howl, looking longingly at the other dog being dragged off in the opposite direction. It’s something I’ll have to think about and work on. I don’t want to have to keep Disgracie on a lead all the time.

The next dog training course at the New Ship starts 3rd week of March. I went along on Monday night to check it out and was very impressed.

In general Gracie is coming along nicely but there is one MAJOR problem. She is terrified - literally terrified - of the guitar and mandola, even when played gently. I left them around for her to sniff and check out and she was cool with them, but as soon as a string was played she shot downstairs.

And she hasn’t even heard me sing yet...

[Stanley]

Heather same problem with Jack and other dogs, exuberance and normal hierarchy sorting looks like a full on attack but of course isn't. I don't know of any 'cure' and don't worry, I just put up with the flak when it happens. One consolation, age takes the edge off, she will get better. As for the mandolin, dogs hear different frequencies to us of course and it can be most peculiar the way they react to things like vacuum cleaners etc. My old cattle dog Fly was bullet-proof until he heard bagpipes. He just sat down, threw his head back and howled like a banshee. Luckily he didn't come across them too often! All part of the developing character!

[Callunna]

I mentioned earlier that Gracie was terrified of my guitar.

Here’s an example of how easy it is to overcome your fears when you have a nice warm cosy place to snuggle into:

[BBvideo 425,350]http://www.youtube.com/embed/K_9pWAHpuiA[/BBvideo]
http://www.youtube.com/embed/K_9pWAHpuiA

Apologies - selecting that camera icon doesn’t seem to do anything, so I included a direct link to YouTube too. How DO you get a video to show up?

And the Gallery isn’t playing ball tonight, so I’ll just have to do an attachment of the still shot:

Gracie in Case.JPG

[Stanley]

I do like the look of that dog!

[Cathy]

Gracie looks so different from her first photo. Has she had a beauty treatment, her coat looks soft and silky? She's very cute.

[PanBiker]

Smashing picture Cally. I think Gracie has that look of "Oh well, if you can't beat em, join em".

[Callunna]

She had one bath just after we got her but surprisingly not needed since, even after spending a week in the dog hospital. She seems to be a self-cleaning dog - we can both get very muddy in the park and by the time we’re home she’s pristine and I’m still mucky!

I put a few drops of olive oil in her food every morning, mind...

[Tizer]

If any of you owners have got insurance for your pet, check the small print. There is trouble at the moment because Halifax have been terminating pet insurance policies although the pet owners have thought it was insurance for the lifetime of the pet. The Halifax marketing material used the words `lifelong' or `lifetime' but they are claiming that the terms & conditions says the policies are renewed each year and therefore can be terminated at the end of any year. Some people then find they can't re-insure their pet with another provider because by then it already has health issues. On the Paul Lewis Money programme (Radio 4) he was saying that Halifax may end up having to find alternative insurance for these people or compensating them for any costs incurred by illness etc of their pets. Another kick in the teeth from the banks and another example of them using using their own versions of the meanings of the English language!

[Whyperion]

Does the olive oil make her self cleaning ? Have you tried it yourself ?

[Callunna]

Does the olive oil make her self cleaning ? Have you tried it yourself ?

http://www.unrv.com/forum/topic/11206-h ... hemselves/

[Stanley]

Good informative link. Good soaps are still based on oil but emulsified with caustic chemicals to make the residue soluble. There are times when a dog gets very muddy and you have to do something about it to preserve the house but if you left them alone, they would shed the dirt very quickly. If you can manage it, a good rub down with a dry towel after a walk in the rain is all you need. In case you hadn't noticed, they have their own way of attending to the smelly bits!

[Tizer]

A bit more on pet insurance...the problem has spread to Lloyds TSB: LINK

[Gloria]

My tip of hot water with dettol added, wringing out a chammy leather in it, and scrubbing over the dog, is by far the best way of cleaning and drying a mucky dog. I have done it thousands of times on mucky, large german shepherds---and it works.

[Cathy]

Has anyone noticed the new Bakers Meaty Meals ads for dogs? It has high frequency noises similar to a dog whistle on it that only dogs can hear - apparently the ad talks to the dogs. Have you noticed a reaction to it from your dog?