along on a sea of drool, pretty much like the owl and the pussy cat. All we were short of was a flaming pea green boat!
Mind you we have ourselves solely to blame!
Every weekend we do it, well to be more exact we overdo it!
Today we decided as our surgery was open for the old duffers flu jab we would for the first time, leave Ellie home alone.
I drifted out first, without a by your leave, himself followed ten minutes later. We met up like ships (got a nautical theme going here?) that pass in the night, me having been done, him just biting the bullet going in. We sat outside our local coffee shop, quite like old times before the dog’s arrival. She still isn’t brave enough to venture into town yet. Being the Food Festival, the town was heaving, the church bells were pealing and the great and the good of the surrounding Shropshire hills were there en masse, today just wouldn’t have been a good introduction to town for her. As we got to our gate we heard her bark... Oh dear! Our neighbours were out luckily, whether driven out by her we’re not sure? We will enquire when we next see them.
Ellie is certainly a very clingy dog, especially with me, which is flattering in one way, although I do want her so much to be a big brave dog. And it is only four weeks today that she arrived, so maybe we are expecting too much too soon?
We then thought it would be good to get her out in the forest. She drooled and foamed at the mouth, there and back. On top of us
leaving her earlier on, not a good idea we belated decided!?! What clots we both are!
leaving her earlier on, not a good idea we belated decided!?! What clots we both are!
I hope Ellie gets more relaxed and trusting, it is still early days for her in her new home. She is a pretty girl.
ReplyDeleteWith her ears cocked she is so much prettier. Wherever we go people say ‘What a pretty dog!’
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My niece has a great big Alsatian .He looks fierce but is really a cowardly custard.They are all so individual.Ellie is such a handsome dog and she is making huge progress.Early days.
ReplyDeleteYes, she is going to be worth the effort... it’s blooming hard at the moment though!
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Early day yes, but she'll get there. You have to try and test her gently.
ReplyDeleteIt’s us it is testing and not gently, we both of us didn’t sleep last night very well for the worry of just exactly what WE are doing wrong!
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Ok, as usual I'll drop in my 'experience'! Two things to try. One. Buy one of those puzzle games for her! (pretty sure Pets at Home have them - if not one near try online) Stay with me here, Its a board thingy with places in it to put small treats. We use the small cheesy bites by Pedigree. We used this to great success when Sonny was a puppy to leave him. If you only give it to her as you leave it gives her something to concentrate on for a while and will distract her and hopefully she'll quite enjoy you going out as it gets her unexpected treats. Two. Don't make a fuss of you going out. Very calmly say, We'll be back soon, bye and go. No fuss, no pats no making it like its going to be traumatic for her. Try to leave her every day starting off with 5 minutes and work up to an hour eventually. Once you successfully leave her for an hour, she won't know the difference between an hour or three after that but its a slow process and one you want to get right as there is nothing worse than having a dog you can't leave. To be honest, I didn't leave our dog enough in the evenings at the beginning and now he gets in a terrible state if we leave him at night - I suspect its because the curtains are shut and he can't watch for us and its dark. It makes it hard for me to go out in the evening particularly in winter as I hate coming back to the panting wreck he is. So, if I was you I'd persevere leaving her, it will make life much easier in the long run. Also, well you know me, if I can write a very long paragraph or a short one I always go big!! Yes, also, we now tend to leave our dog with one of those treat balls you can put treats in if we go out. The puzzle game was brilliant but now if we go out for short times we put a treat or three in his ball and he takes it from us and runs off to play with it before we're even out the door. Good luck with it and I hope you both feel fine after the flu jab. It never even occured to me it was that time already!! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for that long comment MG with lots of advice. Her problem is she doesn’t know how to play. We bought her one of those puzzles, she wasn’t that taken with it. It went off to the charity shop. The leaving her thing, I do without much comment and she has got used to me going. We did have your advice firmly in our mind from various training books, unfortunately didn’t put it into practice before we both went up to town. The thing now is, that if we start the five minute test, if she barks within the five minutes what do we do... stay out? Otherwise our return would seem to her to be in direct relation to her barking? This is what happened yesterday and when we said goodbye to our visitor the day before. She barked and after they had driven off we came back in. The good in all of this is she isn’t a barking dog normally.
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My instinct says to stay out of sight but within hearing range until she stops barking - unless of course an hour goes by! Once she's stopped barking go in and tell her good girl but I wouldn't make too much fuss of her, it has to seem 'ordinary'. I'm no dog trainer and I do think a behaviourist might be your answer. I think also when you leave her at the kennels you need to try to behave as though its perfectly natural. Could you leave her overnight once before you go? Just so she knows you'll come back and get her. If only they could talk eh! You'll get there, but remember like babies, they quickly sense if you're uptight and they get up there with you. You need to stop worrying so much and try to just relax and enjoy her, the behaviours will sort themselves out in the long run and I'm sure she'll come round to your lovely man in time too. Perhaps he should be the one to give her 'special' treats like little bits of chicken etc. Food is usually a good way to the heart! Good luck and RELAX!!
DeleteA good call MG although if she barks, it rather means we have to stay out until she stops, might be a long haul! Tomorrow we are off to chat about our duties at the hospital, so that will be a test! I am filling her kong with goodies and we have even found a gadget that calms them with inaudible to human sounds. Any port in a storm!?!
DeleteHow can I relax when I know what is hoving into view, what with our holiday on the horizon? The kennels say exactly the same as you, pretend it’s a wonderful treat going back to see them. I know I’m a good actress, my skills will be put to the test BIG TIME! Watch this space...
Thanks for your wise words.
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What a beautiful photo of Ellie. Marksgran's advice sounds excellent, and reasonably easy to follow......good luck !
ReplyDeleteTheory and practice... our trouble is Ellie’s IQ is higher than ours!?!
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