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

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

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Merlin passed three things today... First he passed the used condom (thank god!), then he passed his KC bronze award (so proud!!), and when he got home he passed out from all the work he did :lol: He almost cocked his leg on the gate during control at the gate... He had to remind me he's a teenager somehow!
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Lotsaquestions wrote: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:49 amthen he passed his KC bronze award (so proud!!)
He ate that too? :shock:

Sorry :lol: Well done - you should be proud of yourself as well as Merlin.

When Jasper ate a lolly stick once, it emerged three weeks later! I know it had a relatively long way to go but that's ridiculous!
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Lotsaquestions
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Awww poor Jasper, I bet that hurt coming out!

You joke about eating his certificate, but he did try to :roll:
mansbestfriend
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by mansbestfriend »

Hi. It's a lazy day today after an evening and night of thunder storms and barking. Max the GH seems (slightly) less troubled by thunder now, but when it shakes the house at 12 midnight, 12.05am, 12.10am, 12.15am, 12.20am, 1.00am, 1.30am etc. it kept Kelly dog awake and sitting up, and meant my sleeping on the couch to keep Max company. After that it was an uncomfortable but quiet night. More storms expected this evening. :|
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Sit.
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

mansbestfriend wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2017 10:20 pmmeant my sleeping on the couch to keep Max company.
Aww :D We're preparing for firework season here. There's been a few bangs, but far enough away that Jasper didn't bat an eyelid. He'll be given priority sofa access when they start up in earnest (we can't share sofas with him because he sprawls all over us and then gets snarky if we move :roll: ). I need to put a notice on the door tomorrow that says 'No trick or treaters - nervous dog'. He's generally fine with people coming to the door but could get a bit iffy by the third set of noisy children.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
mansbestfriend
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by mansbestfriend »

No trick or treaters - nervous dog
Great idea.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single Sit.
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

Opal had her cruciate ligament repair recently, so I'm going to dress up the front of the house in some cute Halloween-themed "DANGER" and "DO NOT ENTER" ribbon. I'll add a note about how the house has been quarantined due to paranormal activity, and here's a bowl of candy to take from as thanks for your cooperation in not disturbing the spirits. If we get people all the way up to the door we have the every-day "DO NOT RING DOORBELL OR KNOCK ON DOOR, Opal just had surgery and is recovering. Text or call _________" poster up there, so they should get the message by then.
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 »

You're much more into the Halloween spirit than me, Erica! But then I thnk it's a much bigger thing in in the US than the UK anyway. How is Opal doing?
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

Yes, I believe the US celebrates it more intensely than the UK. We have to shut down the roads downtown as we get thousands of adults gathering to celebrate in costume. :)

Opal is doing well! She's starting to get restless so I have to kick up the enrichment. We have a gate keeping her in a carpeted room, but she's starting to work out how to get around the gate. Vet said she can be allowed to hang out on carpeted floors but needs support and supervision on slippery ones, and most of the house is hardwood. She is putting weight on the leg and walking well.
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 »

I'm glad Opal is doing well, Erica :D

This morning we walked past a house with two pumpkins on the doorstep, with very basic faces carved into them. We were on the far side of the road but Jasper had to stop and stare at them hard for a good minute or so. He then decided either that they weren't important or that I wasn't going to let him investigate them anywayand walked on, but it's interesting that just as we are so good at spotting faces in clouds and other random patterns, dogs can interpret a couple of holes for eyes and a slit for a mouth as facial features.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Lotsaquestions
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Living with a dog that is sensitive really does give you an insight into the inner workings of dogs brains!

We went to a local nature reserve we've been plenty of times before, nice and quiet in the mornings. Merlin is perfectly fine with all the swans, ducks and geese that swim about. However today a swan was on land. He decided that it was the devil incarnate and that swans should definately not have legs :lol:

To be honest I wish he was more afraid of swans in the water. He went for a paddle, and turned around to look at us with his big spitzy smile. Right behind him a swan was lurking. It was like a scene from jaws, with a shark circling the happless swimmer.
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Swans always hiss at Jasper, which makes him wary of them. I've never noticed them hiss at other dogs so maybe it's just him :?:
Lotsaquestions wrote: Thu Nov 02, 2017 7:55 am Living with a dog that is sensitive really does give you an insight into the inner workings of dogs brains!
I mentioned to someone the other day about J being affected by the clocks going back an hour - expecting to get up, go out, and have his tea (particularly the latter of course) an hour earlier than usual. She was surprised that the clock change affected him, and then realised why one of her dogs needed to go out for a wee earlier than usual that morning.

How can dogs not be affected by the clock change? Are some dogs so passive they just hang around quietly waiting for their owner to tell them what happens when? Or does this owner have no idea what her dogs are thinking, and whether they might be fretting because teatime has come and gone?

On balance I think we should be glad to have such special snowflakes because they teach us so much more :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Lotsaquestions
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Oh its not just Jasper, Merlin has been hissed at, clicked at (very weird noise they make, like something from the depths of hell!), and paraded at with wings up. If they're in the water he just ignores them, or gets out the water and watches them. He once tried to swim after one, but when the swan turned around and hissed he realised that that was a big mistake and ran back to me sharpish :lol:

Some days I do find myself looking at calm confident dogs wishing Merlin was like them, but then I wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing him decide that the thing he was once wary of is now harmless because of all the hard work we've done together. Then when he sees something that worries him he comes back to me to 'see if its alright'. A quick 'its ok, its just a silly thing Merlin' and a bit of chicken and he's off bouncing around.

Definately wouldn't swap him for the world!
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

Judy, Delta and I have such a variable schedule that I doubt either of us will notice much when clocks go back this coming Sunday for us ;)

Delta and i are working on heeling pivots for our current training challenge, as well as being able to tell the difference between "touch " and "paw" for both his "piggy" and "spinner" toys. The eventual goal will be to be able to combine a noun and verb for him to execute, eg "piggy touch" or "piggy paw" or "spinner touch" or "spinner paw" and for him to recognize both the object and action. It's tricky but fun! We're also finally making working on and getting somewhere with roll over. :D

The Picard breeder I stumbled on by complete accident seems absolutely fantastic. Aware of controversy of early neutering, competant R+ trainer in many sports, transparent about health concerns...next Tuesday can't get here fast enough. I can't wait to meet her and her dogs!
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 »

I've often wondered to what extent dogs can understand words in combination. Jasper can do 'Find Daddy' or '[Take it] To Mummy'. Though the time I tried to get him to hurry up getting back home by saying, 'Let's go HOME and see GRANNY' backfired and he stood there refusing to move for about 10 minutes while looking all round him for my mum :lol:

I'm pretty sure if our schedule varied daily Jasper would just want to get up/eat at the earliest time I'd ever got up/fed him :lol: Not that I've tried, but then being a food-obsessed stress-head it must help that he knows when he'll get fed (and stops him pestering when he knows he won't get fed).
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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