PET'S CORNER

[Stanley]

Realised we had lost all our dog stories.
Jack is doing fine and there is a cat in the nest under the bench outside. It's getting quite popular on cold nights with the local cats, not found two in it together yet!

[Callunna]

Gracie Wragg came to us as a quiet, subdued, poorly pooch. She had a bad infestation of worms and had developed kennel cough, which means we can’t take her out in case she passes it on to other dogs. We need a clear 24 hours cough-free.

After a spell in the vets she’s now very much on the mend. Consequently she’s got cabin fever and has turned into a very ... shall we say ... lively and sparky dog! I’m sure regular exercise will alleviate this.

[Tardis]

I fear Maggie (my golden lab) may not make it to the MOT with the vet in March.

She is not very happy now, and I am getting quite cold on the dawdles around the green, but whilst she gets up I will keep looking after her.

[Wendyf]

Glad to hear that Gracie Wragg is on the mend Cally, hope you can get her outside for walkies soon. She looks wonderful. Is she yours to keep yet or are you still fostering?
Sorry to hear about your old girl Tardis, it is a tough time.

[Stanley]

I do like the looks of Gracie. A useful dog I reckon. Wouldn't surprise me if she had some Bedlington in her.
Michael, always hard deciding when enough is enough. She still perks up when she sees Jack, there is still a spark in her.
I wonder whether Doreen got another dog? Have I remembered right? Was it Doreen who struggled with the rescue dog?

[Nolic]

Tardis, I sometimes on my early morning walk meet a guy with a 17 year old black lab who was debating about when the time was right to say goodbye. The dog walked very slowly but always shuffled up to Misty and wagged his tail furiously and had a good sniff. So my advice was as long as he keeps doing that he has a spark in him that should still burn. Unfortunately I haven't seen him since Christmas so maybe he has passed on. Nolic

[Callunna]

Update on Gracie: I would have posted a video of her taken this morning up at Letcliffe but I managed to totally wipe and reset my iPhone when I tried to upload via the USB cable. My fault - I pressed the all wrong buttons. Story of my life.

Gracie’s cough has gone now which is why I could take her out, although I’m keeping her well away from other dogs for another 24 hours just to be sure. The poor animal is full of beans but has had to be confined to the house ... with inevitable behavioural problems. Whereas before she was quiet, obedient and patient, now she’s tearing around, up and down stairs, in and out of cupboards, barking at the gargoyle head in the yard, standing on the window ledge and barking at our neighbour doing her ironing ... in other words, a right handful!

She needs a good long walk and hopefully that’s what we’ll be doing later today - maybe even attempting Weets. Apart from that, we need to start some serious training. She’s responded well to her new name and sits when asked. She loves playing with toys so I think that’s the best way rather than using food bribes, but we shall see. I’ve already started on the pulling problem. She’s learning that straining on the lead gets her nowhere and we only move when she’s walking by my side. Not 100% there yet but it’ll only be a matter of time.

We think there’s a good measure of Bedlington in her genes and maybe a mix of whippet and collie too.

Edited: Gracie has just been munching on a spider plant baby. Managed to stop her but I hope they’re not poisonous!
We’ve said we’ll formally adopt Gracie so unless something drastic goes wrong in the next couple of weeks, she’ll soon be ours. The rescue centre have still to complete all her vaccinations and spaying.

[Wendyf]

She has a look of a Beardie collie doesn't she?

[Twinkletoes]

We had a lovely walk along the canal this morning, Lady is still very shy around other dogs since being attacked a year ago, so I do worry myself when dog off their leads bound towards us! But she is gradually gaining confidence and instead of wrapping the lead around my legs, she now just cowers behind me until they pass!

[Callunna]

You could be right, Wendy. I guess we’ll never know.
Just got back from 2 hours ramble (Tubber Hill - Lane Bottoms - across to Folly Lane via Dingly Dell - back down into Barlick - Chubby’s Chippy. Classic healthy walk.)
Gracie had a great time though we didn’t let her off the lead as it’s the first time we’ve been anywhere away from home.
Here’s a couple of videos (excuse the appalling quality!) I’m trying to add a You Tube link but it’s not happening in the Preview window. I’ll have to do a bit of research on how to do it - I know other people have done it in other threads.


http://youtu.be/nskgasAi9v0


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBvlMtSa ... ure=colike

[Stanley]

Heather, I learned You-Tube from the helpful suggestions on 'Bradders Bluesinger'.
Think about getting a shepherd's whistle. If you use it when Gracie is off the lead and you can see she is ready to come back to you or actually running towards you, she will soon associate the sound with instant recall. I use mine with Jack but only occasionally when he is out of sight and it works like a charm. Very useful if she's scented a rabbit or something like that. I was once with a lady on Letcliffe who had a very new Red Setter rescue dog (Only had it four hours!) and she was a bit worried because it had run with Big Jack to the far side of the park. I whistled Jack and waited for the 30 second delay to kick in but the Red Setter came back instantly, it must have been trained to the whistle before she got it. She got a whistle at Lindley Pates' at Gisburn and told me on a later occasion it was magic. Someone had spent a lot of time/money on whistle training. Sight dogs seem to take to the whistle well. Mind you, Black Jack the Patterdale responds every time and it's a handy back stop. Have you seen Sue (Lady from Co-op) and her two Bedlington crosses?

[Nolic]

Cally, I've managed to sort one of your video's out. Nolic

[Callunna]

Thanks for sorting the video Nolic. I’ll read up on how it’s done.

Maybe we should have a “How To...” sticky topic dedicated to explaining the intricacies of forum posting on the new site, instead of things being in different threads?

Stanley: I was considering using a whistle. Is a shepherd’s whistle very different from an ordinary whistle? I’ve got an ordinary one and if I don’t have to spend any more money at the moment then that would be good. What with a plastic bed, a crate, feeding bowls, lead and collar, toys and food - it all adds up.

However, Gracie has taken to barking furiously at our gargoyle garden ornament, which has a big gormless-looking white face and seems to glow when it catches the porch light. If I can take a video of that and send it up to Harry Hill’s You’ve Been Framed, she could earn herself £250...

[Stanley]

Heather, shepherd's whistles can be cheap. Lindley Pate's have plastic ones and I think they are less than a pound, just as good as the better ones and they have a loop so you can hang it round your neck on a piece of string. Mine is stainless steel and I bought it on the web, not dear, they tell me you can get gold ones! The advantage of a shepherd's whistle is that you can vary the 'tunes' once you have mastered the technique and this personalises the message you are giving the dog. Almost all the dog handlers on 'One Man and His Dog' use them for that reason, they can issue varying commands. I always have mine on my trouser pocket and it's very useful when Jack the Lad has gone on one of his furtles! Another thing that struck me as I thought about Gracie yesterday was that a drop of Abidec on her grub each day wouldn't harm seeing as she has been dragged down a bit by the worms. Abidec is liquid vitamins used for babies and a small bottle lasts for yonks if you keep it in the 'fridge. Of course you never know exactly whether a dog is short of something but a low dose of Abidec can't harm and at least you know you have that base covered. I've used it for years and am convinced it is useful.

[Callunna]

E had already gone and got a whistle from the pet shop before I could mention the special ones. It only has one ‘sound’ but I think it’ll do for our purposes. I don’t think Gracie will be entering any sheep herding contests...

We’re thinking of renaming her Disgracie. Actually it’s not her fault. She’s just very, very, very lively which has taken us by surprise because we thought she was shy at first. Now she’s in full health I’m struggling to handle her on the lead as she frantically pulls ahead and jumps up at anyone passing - not good. She’s eager and friendly but hasn’t learned that not everyone is a puppy like her.

We’re training her at home, of course, and she’s responding well to Sit, Stay and Here. But obviously I have to take her out every day and she just goes mad! She also has a separation anxiety complex - if one of us goes out of the room she whines loudly. And when I was at my mother’s house this afternoon, my mum got up to make a brew and Gracie became distressed.

I think we’ve got our work cut out!

Edited: Update - Gracie also 'guards' the stairs and doors. Classic Collie controlling behaviour which will have to be corrected. I've installed an app on my phone from the Dogs Trust which will help with the training while out and about

[Tardis]

I will keep her going for as long as she wants. You can see the stiffness in her hips and back legs when she moves. The medication helps a little

The vet said she could be a hearth and yard dog, but always asks to go beyond the gate. When the gate was open last I found her down on Wellhouse Road waiting for me so that she could cross the road

She is always glad to get back to her bed

[Stanley]

Heather, I often think that the pulling and jumping on the lead is simply due to the fact that we can't walk at the speed she wants to move at. Opposite problem of course to Michael and his old Lab. Time and routine will alleviate the problem but she'll always want to get to where the action is as fast as possible. I often think that the main thing to do is make sure she doesn't damage her throat by pulling, a broad 'Foxing' collar can help. Like children, she's pushing the boundaries to see how far she can go and as long as you are consistent she'll soon learn the rules. Look at this way, if she did nothing but cower in her corner all day you really would have a problem! There's nothing more assertive than a terrier like Jack but after about twelve months he moderated his efforts to dominate me and three and a half years later (Can it really be that long?) he is a very civilised companion. That's the point where you know you were doing the right thing and the biggest lesson I ever learned was from a primary school teacher who reckoned that 'benign neglect' and deprivation of eye contact were the most effective strategies.

[Callunna]

Yes you’re right. Gracie needs to know the rules and boundaries and where her place is in the pack. (E is Top Dog, Gracie is her subordinate and I’m the Sh** Shoveller... )

Gracie has always worn a broad collar supplied by the greyhound rescue centre, but once we formally adopt we’ll buy one of her own. I might consider a harness but they’re quite a faff, aren’t they?

We had several short training sessions yesterday and Gracie’s behaviour has improved slightly. We didn’t allow her to control the entrances/exits and stairs and now she hangs back for us to go through a doorway first.

I was wrong about being motivated by toys - it definitely works best with morsels of food!

[Gloria]

Your videoes are wonderful she looks a really happy dog. If she were a horse I'd put her on a lunge line and let her have a fling about-----might be worth putting her on the end of a clothes line till she gets used to coming when called.
When we went to dog training the best things we were taught were just two words, off and leave. Off, when they jumped up, and leave when they went to investigate another dog/person/food.
I really don't think those harness things work on a strong or boisterous dog, from what I have seen the dog tends to pull into them.

[Callunna]

Thanks Glo - yes, a washing line is a good idea and one was on the shopping list today, but I forgot. And I think you’re right about the harness. I only considered it because Gracie is prone to “reverse sneezing” * which may or may not be caused by undue pressure on the windpipe by a collar. Boo used to get it but grew out of it eventually. It may also be caused by stress ... or in Gracie’s case, extreme excitement and glee.

So without a long line I had to let her run with me in tow. Anyone in Letcliffe Park at around 2pm would have been splitting their sides laughing at a small bouncing woman struggling to keep up with a scruffy bouncing dog. I thought she needed to burn off a bit of energy but I nearly ended up in casualty...

* http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/D ... ezing.html

[Julie in Norfolk]

It's us small bouncing women that keep the rest of 'em smiling. Spaniels have firm springs whilst mine need a bit of tightening these days! Less bounce, more galumph.

[Stanley]

I think Gloria is right about harnesses, I used one on Jack for a while but it never gets an airing these days. If the pulling is really bad one thing that reduces the strain on the dog's throat is having a very short lead, they don't have enough scope to get speed up and get a serious strain. I once saw a very effective collar that transferred the pulling to one of the dog's forelegs and in effect, tripped it and stopped the pulling. The owner told me it worked but again, was a bit of a faff. Early days and I'm sure you'll see big improvements. Happy dogs soon learn to work with the pack.

[Wendyf]

Our dog has improved with old age, but he always pulls on the lead. After trying harnesses and halter type leads we finally discovered that a simple slip chain collar works best. The collar part is leather, so it's not like the old choker chains. It releases immediately he stops pulling, and seems to have an effect.

[Moh]

I think the lady with the damaged rescue dog was called Annie. When Sam, our Shih Tzu developed lymphoma we were advised to always use a harness on a dog then there was no pressure on the various elements in the throat.

[Callunna]

Having had to cut short Gracie’s walk in the park owing to her pulling (I was nearly propelled like a human cannonball into Manchester Road from the ginnel at one point) I’ve invested in a Halti head collar as a temporary training method. Gracie is NOT impressed.

She spent the walk back home from the petshop on 3 legs as she tried to remove it with her front paw, but I’m sure she’ll get used to it in time.

Oh, if only dogs had an On/Off switch...