hard task master I decided. Everywhere I go I am followed by...
no, no, not George Clooney, or Johnny Depp or even Cillan Murphy. If I was, I would be over the moon crowing to the world and the handful of followers I have about what a bright, gleaming, beaming 22 carrot (carat) full-on personage I am!?! However true life isn’t as glam. My shadow these days is a furry heap who dogs my every step.
We both didn’t sleep well last night for worry about Ellie. Especially as we know she is going back to the kennels she came from for our weeks holiday. It unfortunately is the only solution to the problem we have about her being such a nervous traveller. Her separation anxiety surely can only get worse. Her not accepting himself is also of huge concern. A kinder, gentler man you couldn’t wish to meet. He must unwittingly remind her of her aggressor: the builder came up with that one and maybe he has a point? Who knows? She will be assessed by a behaviourist while there. We are supplying copious notes on our maybe naive views of her problems. We both fully accept we are the ones that on our return will need the boot camp training regime for thicko dog owners! At least when we get back we can finally get in place a fast track obedience training course for us all. Ellie will be the star of the class leaving himself and me on the naughty step or sat in the corner facing the wall with pointed hat on heads...
Oh dear! Hope it all works out Ok. Where are you going on your hols ? In theory, tomorrow morning, we are going on a hot air balloon flight. Bought for us by our eldest boy for Xmas. Bit nervous....we have to phone at 11pm to see if it is happening and where from. Friend next door going to feed and walk the dog, as we will have to leave at 6 ish.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the flight, I went on one and was very lucky to get on the first day of trying, sometimes you have to phone up a few times for the weather to be favourable.
DeleteWe are off to the NW coast of Scotland where many moons ago I had five years crofting and trying to live a self sufficient life. I am going back to see very dear highland chums who are sadly getting old, although still amazingly hale and hearty. It was a trip I had to cancel once, so don’t want to repeat the exercise. Ellie isn’t ready for such a big undertaking, we will be so sad to leave her and obviously very anxious of how it will affect her?
LX
The balloon flight was cancelled due to low cloud ! I went to NW Scotland several times as a young teenager with my parents who loved it up there. Very bleak as you get further north....not many trees I seem to remember!
DeleteTrees? The ones flanking my croft were reminiscent of a Salvador Dali painting... tortured is the word!
DeleteBallon flight cancelled, not a surprise, you may have a few abortive attempts?
LX
The rest of us hope it won't be so awful as you imagine, and getting into training for all on your return will be perfect.
ReplyDeleteWith my other rescue dog I always found her a holiday home, this time we are too new here to know who is available. Added to which she has so many hang ups that until she settles into being a calm, well balanced dog we couldn’t expect anyone to take her on. At the rescue centre they are fully aware of her and her attendant problems... doesn’t make it any easier for us though!
DeleteLX
Our Border Collie had his 'snip' today. I shall be fetching him home in about an hour's time.... I hope he's still talking to me!!
ReplyDeleteMan to man... probably not! Although unlike humans he won’t hold a grudge. Won’t be long before all is forgiven and forgotten.
DeleteLX
This resonates with me, I had terrible problems with Toby Too, trouble was that he expressed his feelings with growls, which immediately made everyone, especially my husband, think that he was going to attack. I knew that he wouldn't, he was just telling people that he was stressed and needed space - you can imagine how much convincing that took, especially with grandchildren around...
ReplyDeleteI wanted to make his life perfect, after all that he had suffered, but I learnt to give him space, to ignore him. In effect, to treat him as though he came after the ship's cat. It went against my inclinations, but it worked. Mind you, if he gets caught between four or five people and is getting too much attention he still gives a very low growl, it still stresses him to be the focus of attention - he is also terribly upset by motorbikes, some car engines, gunshots, thunder, women who shout (several women around here are training their dogs to be gun dogs, apparently this involves a lot of shouting, of course they could simply be fishwives with shouting and screaming as their default setting - pass me that saucer of milk!) and fireworks...
All the work I put into him has been repaid a thousand times over, though. He is my perfect walking companion now (another long tale) and he absolutely adores the two grandchildren who live next door. Vets he hates, has to be muzzled - in fact our old vet used to offer to check him over and do the vaccination in the car park, so he wouldn't get stressed, it worked! Unfortunately the young ones aren't so brave/foolhardy, they prefer him muzzled and with several hands holding him still, it traumatises me as much as it does the dog.
Oh the joys of rescue dogs! Never forget though, they are worth it.
Wow, what can I say Elaine, this has come at the perfect time. Yesterday was a horror, without going into the gory details the day started off calm and sedate almost like having a normal dog. Then it plunged into a nightmare for her and for us scenario. So much so that on our return we sat down and had the most painful talk so far as to whether we are the correct people with the appropriate garden and lifestyle for such a crazy mixed up hound?
DeleteI went off to the osteopath for my back, knee and after yesterday shoulder! Ted phoned the rescue centre for their advice as to whether her going back to them for our holiday was the time for us to put our hands up and say we are not the people for her!?! Bearing in mind it could make things even worse on her coming home and feeding her many hangups? The afternoon walk in the woods wasn’t very successful, with her drooling copiously all the way on the five minute journey. The highlight of the day was her evening walk in the field next door but one, we left Ted behind, he was going to catch us up. All the way around the field she was bright sniffing trails, doing lots of wees on the lead... a result! Tail up and happy a normal dog. She saw him right across the field and started wagging her tail, we went positively towards him all the while looking pleased, then as we got to three feet she suddenly remembered this is the man I am supposed not to like and shied away. We both took heart that she was very pleased that he was there.
We can’t give her up, she is just so sweet and hasn’t a nasty bone in her body however we are both fully aware she is going to be a huge amount of graft. Your words about Toby Too came at just the right time. I well remember the pain we both experienced when our lovely chums Toby and Lettice died, so your words have struck a chord. Thank you.
LX
I wish I could be of more help, but I truly do know how ... tricky (whacking great understatement, I know) it can be.
DeleteForgot to say before: flissandmax @btinternet.com - without the space, of course!!