oh dear.. as I have Guides on a Thursday Richard has to take the puppy to her classes. But it's me who trains her all week and she knows I'm really the boss. So poor old Richard gets terribly embarrassed as she refuses to do what he tells her. We'd worked hard on "paw" and "roll over" all week and she had them down pat (in fact she doesn't even wait for the command, she sits and waves alternate paws at you til you give her a treat!) but she wouldn't do it for Richard. In fact, for the off-lead training she instantly ran to the door and stayed there...
Richard is used to Murphy having been top of his class for his puppy training (not that he pays any attention now).. so it's a hard pill to swallow. More work required!
29 January 2010
18 January 2010
housework hell...
Poor wee Maddie - I was hoovering the living room and found her curled up at the back door, shaking. She really doesn't like the hoover. Possibly my fault as that's the first time I've had the time or inclination to hoover since we got her (3 weeks before Christmas!) - I know - very bad housewife but when it's me against 2 teenagers, one man, 2 dogs and a cat there's no real motivation to be cleaning the house every week, you're back to square one two days later!
When I opened the door to her crate (which I'd shut while cleaning the kitchen floor) she went in there and seemed to be happier - Murphy was between her and the hoover by then so maybe she felt safer.
When I opened the door to her crate (which I'd shut while cleaning the kitchen floor) she went in there and seemed to be happier - Murphy was between her and the hoover by then so maybe she felt safer.
10 January 2010
we thought we'd lost her...
truly - the worst afternoon of my life
we took the two of them down to the beach, we thought they'd like it. I turned out it was blowing a gale and freezing, the waves were HUGE! and the tide was going out...
Richard went down to the water's edge by a groyne and the dogs went with him; I walked away across to the other groyne, it must have taken about 20 seconds, but when I turned back she had gone...
Richard wasn't looking and didn't see her go, where was she?
we spent about half an hour going up and down, calling her, I nearly drowned Murphy walking along the top of the groyne to into the sea, he followed me on the beach til he was having to swim and the sea was so rough..... Richard went up the top and looked on the road and the other sections of the beach.. nothing
we had to assume she had been caught up and swept out to sea.. I broke my heart (cue wading into the sea, kneeling on the beach, tears) ... how could this happen? how could we do this?
eventually we went back home, just frozen, in shock. the 3 of us - me, richard and murphy.
When we got home Richard looked at his mobile (which had been charging at home) -
- and there was a phonecall! From someone called Matthew! Who had found her! (alive and well, if very tired and cold)
What had happened?
It turned out in that 20 seconds we weren't watching she had taken off and followed two joggers - about 2 miles all the way down the beach to the other end.
They didn't know what to do with her but this Matthew has 2 spaniels of his own (although not currnetly staying with him as he's renting) so took her in, watered her and dried her ... and when we got there she was asleep on the sofa, cosy as you like.
We're not going anywhere near the beach, ever again!
we took the two of them down to the beach, we thought they'd like it. I turned out it was blowing a gale and freezing, the waves were HUGE! and the tide was going out...
Richard went down to the water's edge by a groyne and the dogs went with him; I walked away across to the other groyne, it must have taken about 20 seconds, but when I turned back she had gone...
Richard wasn't looking and didn't see her go, where was she?
we spent about half an hour going up and down, calling her, I nearly drowned Murphy walking along the top of the groyne to into the sea, he followed me on the beach til he was having to swim and the sea was so rough..... Richard went up the top and looked on the road and the other sections of the beach.. nothing
we had to assume she had been caught up and swept out to sea.. I broke my heart (cue wading into the sea, kneeling on the beach, tears) ... how could this happen? how could we do this?
eventually we went back home, just frozen, in shock. the 3 of us - me, richard and murphy.
When we got home Richard looked at his mobile (which had been charging at home) -
- and there was a phonecall! From someone called Matthew! Who had found her! (alive and well, if very tired and cold)
What had happened?
It turned out in that 20 seconds we weren't watching she had taken off and followed two joggers - about 2 miles all the way down the beach to the other end.
They didn't know what to do with her but this Matthew has 2 spaniels of his own (although not currnetly staying with him as he's renting) so took her in, watered her and dried her ... and when we got there she was asleep on the sofa, cosy as you like.
We're not going anywhere near the beach, ever again!
01 January 2010
Happy New Year!
new day, new decade.. my god, where has the last one gone? That one was all about Aberdeen, I moved up here exactly 10 years ago. Now look at me, I even sound vaguely Aberdonian! (emphasis on the "vaguely") I was up bright and early at 7.30am to let Maddie out, then couldn't get back to sleep (lots of gunk sitting in my chest so started coughing) so took everyone out (well the canine ones) - met one of Julia's pals with a 8 month old lab-cocker sp cross - he and Maddie took a liking to each other so we wandered round and they tore round in circles... needless to say she's conked out on her cushion now - yes!!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
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