PET'S CORNER

[Marilyn]

That is terrible, Cathy!
( gosh...did they exercise their children the same way?)

Sorry, but that is totally irresponsible behaviour.

[Stanley]

Wendy, of course not, tongue in cheek.... Cath and Maz, we have an owner like that in the back street. Too idle to take it out and pick up after it. The dog trots off and distributes crap round the neighbourhood. Low maintenance dog ownership and no thought for anyone else. And yes, I've reported them but the problem is you have to catch them at it.

[PanBiker]

We have one as well Stanley, it's a big dog as well, allowed to lope up and down the front gardens. It can leap the fences easily and then goes through the gap onto the back in and out of the back yards on Bessie and Pleasant View if the gates are open. Disappears down Valley Gardens with the owner following a few minutes later with lead in hand. She says the dog is under control, yeh right.
Pity Ming the Merciless moggy is not still on the street to issue a short sharp shock. I had to use a stick and a bucket of water once to separate Ming from the head of a German Shepherd dog who was allowed to wander off lead down the street. Went a bit close to his wall and suffered the consequences. I have never heard a dog scream so much (or rotate so fast on the ground). Knowing dogs crossed the street when passing his wall and were left alone.

[Cathy]

Oh sorry everyone That dog is dead now and it used to happen years ago, before owners were told to pick up their dog's mess.

I went with my daughter and her dog a few weeks back to the local dog-park. It was really good, and quite surprising how all the dogs got on well with each other. Her dog is a cross between a great dane and a labrador, obviously quite large, and he only 'went' for one other dog once, because the other dog was slightly bigger than him. Most of the other dogs he could look down on or was just above eye level with them.

[Marilyn]

Certainly times have changed.
Cathy, I had actually thought of the guy with the perfect lawn who, for however many years, had to pick up the crap from a dog he never owned...simply because he lived half a block away from self exercising doggy.
( I have the same problem from someone who drops their cigarette butt in front of my house every darn morning on their walk! They obviously light up at the same place every morning and finish their fag at Maz's house).
But an owner is responsible for any damage that dog does, from biting a child to running out into traffic. Apart from that, I would hate to think the dog would be run over by someone reversing down their drive.
I was out gardening very early this morning and neighbour asked if I had seen their cat ( a feral kitten they have adopted). I mentioned it had been in my garden a lot ( how do you say it toilets here?) and that I see it running up the street ( it roams wild). I'm not sure I said the right things because they seemed to think I had some kind of affectionate bonding with it. I don't mind the cat really, but it needs a bell around its neck at the very least. ( to give the birds a chance)

[Stanley]

Maz, I know the feeling. I have the only 'proper' front garden on the street since the big refurb and every cat in the district uses it as a toilet! No wonder my herbs grow so well. I have a furtle in the spring when I clear the dead wood and generally gat half a carrier bag full. I hate cat shit!

[Stanley]

Jack had an enjoyable walk this morning when he met two of his harem on the Green on the way back from the butchers. It was funny watching them vying for his attention. All happy dogs and no problems but I'm afraid I had to drag him away from the attractions! Amazing what a few hormones can do! Never mind, he is a satisfied pooch now and an encounter like that sets him up for the day.

[Stanley]

Jack's mastiff/ridgeback girlfriend was on the Green this morning and definitely receptive! Luckily, due to the disparity in size we were able to let them go through their courting rituals without much danger but it was hilarious watching him trying to do what comes naturally while she stood there with her tail on one side obviously wondering what the hold-up was. In the end I had to call Jack off so we could get on with our walk and I think he must have realised that he was flogging a dead horse because he came to hand immediately. Frustrating for both of them no doubt but honour was satisfied and I suspect they are both contented dogs.

[Tardis]

Picked this up on twitter last night:

[Big Kev]

Maz, I know the feeling. I have the only 'proper' front garden on the street since the big refurb and every cat in the district uses it as a toilet! No wonder my herbs grow so well. I have a furtle in the spring when I clear the dead wood and generally gat half a carrier bag full. I hate cat shit!

I have an ultrasonic cat deterrent in my front yard. Works on all the cats with the exception of one, I'm sure it's deaf.

[Cathy]

TARDIS how sad, any answers yet??

[Tripps]

"Works on all the cats with the exception of one,"

Is it possible that it is not working at all, and it is the one that remains which is 'deterring' the others.

[Tardis]

TARDIS how sad, any answers yet??

Hopefully it is going in the Barlick & Earby tomorrow after Andrew Spencer contacted me

[Tardis]

TARDIS how sad, any answers yet??

Hopefully it is going in the Barlick & Earby tomorrow after Andrew Spencer contacted me

pages 1 and 3

[Wendyf]

Alfie left home this afternoon. I came back from my trip to Mum's to find Col working outside, building a new house for the bantams. He was using a nail gun with a compressor which Alfie is terrified of. He told me what a nuisance Alfie had been, hanging around, anxiously watching, and said that he had now disappeared into the house. He hadn't. We searched the house, barns, garden, field and next door's fields...but no Alfie. He's nearly 14, deaf as a post, lame and is still a bit unbalanced from the vestibular disease he suffered during the snow storms...where on earth could he be? I drove round to the Kitchen track and went down into Harden Clough...no sign of him, and he can't walk that far anyway!
I got back to find Col talking to a chap who had brought Alfie home in the back of his van. He had turned up at their house..over on the other side of the road and down their track. He has never wandered off like that before, and how he survived crossing the road I have no idea. Thank heavens this chap thought to try us...we don't know him and he didn't recognize Alfie.
Phew, big drink needed....Colin is feeling verrrrry guilty.

[Stanley]

I know the feeling. Glad Alfie is back in one piece. Lots of TLC needed for a day or two perhaps.... Tracker collar?

[Wendyf]

We still can't fathom how he disappeared like that. The gate was shut and he normally can't manage to shimmy under anymore. He has never crossed the cattle grid up by the road by himself, even when we pick up the milk from the roadside he sits and waits without crossing it. What made it worse is that the tag fell off his collar a while back and we haven't got round to replacing it....will do now!

[Cathy]

Oh Wendy how awful for all of you. Maybe Alphie was spooked by something or he may have a touch (onset) of dementia. So lucky that he was spotted by someone who didn't just see him as a stray.

[Stanley]

That struck me as well Cathy, when Eigg got very old she was often confused. If you want a tag making with phone number on give me a shout Wendy.

[Wendyf]

Yes Cathy, I'm sure a touch of senility is creeping in. It's the air compressor with the nail gun that terrifies him, but he normally sits and watches it anxiously. Thanks for the offer Stanley, but we have found a spare blank and Col will have a go at engraving it.

[Marilyn]

I think most of us have grown pretty fond of dear old Alfie...

[Stanley]

Jack thinks he's OK too...

[Wendyf]

Aw, thank you folks, Alfie's very pleased to hear that. He nearly went again yesterday....He was happily keeping me company picking up horse muck down the field, (I was collecting it into a wheelbarrow and he was having a little snack for elevenses) and on the way back up towards the house I stopped to have a chat with the ponies. Alfie must have gone towards the barn where Col was attaching netting to the new bantam run...with the dreaded nail gun. I just saw him whizzing past down the track, but managed to screech loudly enough to attract his attention and he stopped, thank heavens. I had to pick him up to take him back to the house though.

[Cathy]

I guess keeping him on a length of rope would be too unworkable on your property, you would always be way off in the distance to him, anyway scratch that - not a nice thought.

[Stanley]

It appears to be the nail gun. You'll just have to make sure he's constrained when it is being used. Big Jack was the same with high pressure air escaping from wagon brakes. Black Jack hates fireworks and sudden thumps he can't identify. One consolation is that Alfie would be much worse in towns where there is always noise. When you think about it he isn't attacked by sounds very often. Funny how animals react to certain sounds, I've often thought that vacuum cleaners make high pitched sounds we can't hear and my old cab dog Fly had an instant reaction to bagpipes, he just sat down and howled at the top of his voice. Only time I ever heard him doing it. I wonder what was going on inside his head?