What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

How about you get up earlier and see to Bax before you leave?
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

We're having a bit of a heatwave in the UK - temperatures where I am have been up to around 28c, though today it's 'only' set to get up to 23c. I've been taking Jasper to the woods a lot, as there is water as well as shade there, though it's not his favourite place. It doesn't help that it's very hard to get him out of the house much before 9am :?

But today we went to Upton Heath for a change and managed to get round before it got too hot for him. On the way back we met a huge young male mastiff, Zeus. I'd seen him before and always put Jasper on lead, but the owner had assured me he was a big friendly lump so today I let them say hello. They had a little play, but the motives were different - whereas Zeus just did simply want to play, Jasper wanted to make it clear that he was 'Da Boss'. He did playbow, but there was a bit of growly stuff and head over the back of Zeus's neck. It was all fine, but as usual I reckon it was Jasper being slightly insecure ('Crap, that's a BIG young fit lad') and then bolstering his ego ('Haha, I could so have you, I must be REALLY REALLY the dog's thingys if I can push you round') :lol: He wouldn't have bothered playing with a dog he didn't see as a threat to his supremacy :lol:

The owner was telling me about about how his 4-year-old niece could do anything with him.... The other day he was behind the sofa chewing a rawhide bone and she was standing on his back watching the TV over the back of the sofa.... :shock: I HAD to tell him that maybe he was risking Zeus one day having had enough, though hopefully avoided sounding like a know-it-all by saying that it was because of my experiences with Jasper. But it's all OK, the owner always keeps an eye on things - like he'd be able to react and protect the child if Zeus did suddenly flip because he'd been tolerant for as long as he could stand.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

:shock: sometimes there's just no educating people and it's only going to end badly for the child and dog :(

Jasper sounds like he's not doing so well in the heat Judy, I hope it eases off soon. Ours are doing surprisingly well. It's my first experience of the magical effects of the double coat - whilst I've always known the science behind it, it's really an amazing thing to be far too hot and just run your hand through her fur and it still be optimal temperature. If everyone experienced this just once they'd never shave their double coat again! Laufey is feeling it a bit more, probably because he has to go out in the middle of the day for a pee but he's out in his cooling coat and we're literally out as long as it takes him to pee (carrying if it's too hot for his paws). Last night he even voluntarily laid(!) in a pool on the beach which was adorable but very surprising as he hates getting wet!

In other news, my car that was stolen at the start of last month has been recovered without damage and all of the dog items inside it are also there!! Shame it's been missing almost two months and I've bought a new one and replaced a lot of the items.
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

So glad you have your car back. I've had one stolen and it's horrible on many levels.

We are going "proper walkies" very early, because it might not be hot by other countries' standards but it's too hot for me and my dogs. Afternoons are a short saunter in the shadiest part of the woods. We are so lucky to have these places to walk.
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

delladooo wrote:Jasper sounds like he's not doing so well in the heat Judy, I hope it eases off soon.
It's a lurcher thing - or possibly a greyhound gene thing or a general sighthound thing (though I'm guessing salukis should be OK in the heat). Just about every year when the sun shows itself I ask on the Lurcher Link forum 'Should Jasper really be struggling already?' and every year others say their dogs are also panting and flaked out. It'd be really difficult if we didn't have the woods.

We went there this afternoon and I met a man in a tiny campervan with his dog and her eight 9-week-old puppies :D Jasper said hello to one on lead, but he was rolling his eye a bit, like a teenage lad handing a human baby :lol: After the man had put them back in the back of the van and I was leaning over going all soppy and letting them chew my hand off, he said 'You should see it when I settle down for the night in there with them.' He lives in the van! :shock: With one springerpoo and eight springerpoopoos (as she was mated to a standard poodle)! The living area must have been about 8' x 5' max. Urgh, assuming he doesn't take every one out in turns in the night (somehow managing to stop the others escaping), it must be quite unpleasant in there by morning :lol:

He was a lovely man though. A bit like Michael Stipe from REM. I'm going to have to go back and say hello to his puppies again tomorrow :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
delladooo
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by delladooo »

Thanks Nettle - it was absolutely awful but now I'm left with the huge mystery of what happened to it because it's in good condition with the petrol still in it and all of the stuff.

Bless him Judy. I suppose you can always be thankful he has some self preservation? Laufey wants to run around like a loon and play ball in the height of the day and would if I let him! The puppy situation sounds very overwhelming, good luck to him! Just remember puppies are much like babies - better when you can return them!! :wink:
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

Delta has been very clingy lately. It's kind of odd. I'm not sure if it's just his personality or part of the standard changes as a dog matures or if there's something I need to be worried about...in all other respects he's fine - demands his walks and play and training, eats an appropriate amount of food (more if we haven't done much training that day, less if we have done lots), greets people happily and enthusastically...I don't know what a vet would test for if all you have is "he sleeps on the bed, right next to me, instead of the floor, and also hangs out on the couch (right next to me) more than the floor." I don't think he's cold as we don't run the AC strongly - 76 is about average for the house temperature.

Anyways - I'm helping with a puppy class next week as the normal trainer is out of town and it's full of young puppies who need the training now and not two weeks from now, so the trainer I'm working under for the manners classes is teaching for a week and I'm assisting. We both attended class this week so we'll be familiar with the dogs and there are a lot of them :shock: only two more than our manners classes but when they're little puppies with owners who are brand new to training it feels like soooo much more!

Still, they're very cute :)

The trainer is also doing a CLASS assessment Tuesday and offered to put Delta in the schedule, so cross your fingers for us! On a good day he would ace it easily, so I'm just hoping for a good day. :P
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

Made up for guilt and lost time today. It's the weekend so i had time to hang out with bax. We went to the store and he said hi to lots of people and then we got an ice cream together which he ate most of *gulp* if he has liquidy poops i have no one but myself to blame! :? :wink:
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

I hope Bax enjoyed the ice cream and had no intestinal repercussions from it! :)

Delta passed the CLASS assessment! Some parts he had no problem with - the loose-leash walking, and settle-on-mat for one minute, for example; in the settle-on-mat part, someone even came downstairs and took the trash out of the room and Delta kept his stay :D You're supposed to get two seconds of eye contact during the llw and Delta spent more time looking at me than anywhere else, which was awesome! The settle-for-one-minute while you talk with someone, though...I think he got close to failing that part :lol: We will need to work on that one. Maybe once it's not so awfully muggy and hot (feels like 102F/39C in the afternoons) we'll go to some dog-friendly restaurants with some other dog friends.

We're going to check out a new class at our agility facility; it's just about giving dogs a chance to get their energy out in a controlled and safe manner, in air conditioning instead of this awful heat, with things like tug, jumps, and other obstacles. And we're going to give Rally a taste-test too! Those aren't for a couple weeks, though.

I spray painted some spare wood we had to make a contact-practice board. It works well, though it helps Delta if it's elevated off the ground a bit. Otherwise he's just kinda "I've got two feet on the board, it's fine." Which isn't good practice, because if he does that on the dog walk he'll fall off :lol:

I might end up with a nearly-complete agility set in my backyard. I'm thinking of making a pool-noodle "tire" jump because he's not fond of that either, but could be great with a bit of familiarity and practice...

(Tire jumps can be bad if the dog gets tangled in them, though, so I'll have to figure out a way to make it safely break away if the dog misjudges where their legs are. I've got ideas though!)
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Well done Delta! What a team! :D

What do you do when you think you've found the best holiday spot for you & your dog but you think it's a bit sad to go back to the same place for a fourth year?

Pros of Brancaster in Norfolk:

Wide empty dog-friendly beaches
Hardly any children/picnics/balls/other dogs
No road close to beach
No cliffs that could be climbed up and/or fallen down
Dog-friendly pubs
No sheep
No deer
Sand dunes/heath, which Jasper loves
Just enough rabbits to make life interesting
I get to see my brother en route

Cons:

Five hours driving plus stops with a dog who doesn't like travelling

Alternative locations:

Cornwall: too many cliffs
Wales: FAR too many sheep
'Up north': too many cliffs/sheep/deer depending on location - and a long way

Any other suggestions, UK people? :D Or shall we just be boring. It would be such a shame to go somewhere else and wish we were in Brancaster again :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Sanna
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Sanna »

Well I'm sold, we'll be going to Brancaster it sounds PERFECT :lol:
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Do you think Jasper and Precious would get on? :D I've a feeling Jasper would look at him and say 'Holy carp, I'm not picking a fight with HIM' :lol:

Actually, talking about holidays with OH, it occurred to me that beaches have a down side. The moment we hit them, J wants to play ball chucker, and it really upsets his muscles. We indulged him while we were away, but by the end of the week it would only take a couple of throws before we could see him pull up with a tweak. So inland is now an option... if we can avoid sheep, deer, roads, picnics.........
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

I am amazed you manage to avoid the hares!!
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Ah, we did see one once - it came running towards us along a lane, happy as Larry, put the brakes on, and about turned. Luckily Jasper was on lead, but the look on the hare's face when it saw us was a picture to remember :lol:

Jasper is refusing to leave the house. He was halfway down the drive for morning walkies, when he was was attacked by a 'something' (possibly a bee or wasp, possibly he was stung, but it could equally have been a bit of hedge brushing against his face and scaring him :roll: ). He belted back inside the house, tail between his legs, rubbing his face, and is flatly refusing to go out again :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Poor Jasper. Judyn that vacation spot seems just marvelous except for the drive part. :lol:

Our beach vacation spot is about an 8 hours drive away. As I have gotten older and had some vision issues which have mostly resolved with treatment for high blood pressure, I am finding myself reluctant to drive very far for things especially alone. I have always been the family driver and never had issues with heading off by myself for this, that, or the other reason. There is also the matter of sitting for so long even with walking breaks. When traveling with my parents there is the added limitation that only certain handicapped restrooms are acceptable, and one must make as few stops as possible in between those.

The heat wave has finally broken, or at least that is what they are saying. We may not be having temperatures and heat indexes in the 100+ range anymore, but 95 is still quite hot. Sirius hasn't had a walk all week. Sky has only had a couple very short walks, and those were after dark. Even then, the temps were in the 90 range.

Temps are forecast to be in the 80s this coming week. I really hope that comes with lower humidity. The one good thing during the heat wave was that the humidity wasn't too bad. As things started to cool down a smidge, the humidity levels have gone up.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
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