Post by laurag on Apr 24, 2008 14:35:43 GMT -5
I have been accruing a billion issues so any help please feel free to pitch in at any point!
The move is finally over. Still not unpacked fully but we've been in the house a couple of weeks. It was a hellish time and we were under more stress than we probably thought. We're still renting, and there's the worry that it could fall through at the last minute, and when there are 3 dogs and a cat to consider, there is a lot riding on signing that contract.
But we're here. I need to take some pics; not quite sure where the camera is. But this is the place.....
www.aboutmyplace.co.uk/showmap?mv=h&type=property&scalelevel=16&id=10134075&panx=-376.0&pany=391.0&poi=property&offsetx=-275&offsety=-197&tile.3.3.x=130&tile.3.3.y=2
You've got the farmers big house, his mums medium house and to the top you'll see our weeny little square bungalow! The land around is all private, owned by the farm and (obviously depending on work going on or any animals around), I can go anywhere with the dogs. Including another few hundred acres that dont fit in the pic!
I got friendly with the girl who moved out and we spent quite a bit of time together before she left. The dogs came over to meet the farm dogs. There is a terrier and a rottie at the farm. Farmers mum has terriers daughter and rotties son - a year old loon. They are all wonderful dogs who have free run and free reign.
On paper its house and animal heaven for us. For anyone. We feel so lucky - private, secluded field walking everywhere and no more getting in the car to find somewhere to walk.
It's no wonder the smug fairy has come calling. Cos there are teething issues. The wide open space and fab smells and amazing animals seem to have turned my guys somewhat delinquent. Sensory overload, perhaps? I think I was a bit naive: move in, turn them loose (if you know what I mean) and all would be wonderful. But it's shown the gaps in my training and handling and and I need to nail it now.
I was very doom and gloom until recently (all this move mainly so we could enjoy the animals but they're behaving like arses and we're arses because we cant deal with it what kind of owners are we etc etc etc).
Things seem better now I have recovered a little sleep but I could do with reassurance that I'm doing thing as right as possible.
To make this less of an epic, I'll tackle one issue/dog at a time.... and you'll forgive me if I start with my 'good one'!!!
***************************
Anyone who knows my guys wont need three guesses to know that Twigg is the 'good one'!!
If I just had her then I'd never close my front door or garden gate. I don't have to worry about her with the other dogs - she has impeccable manners. It took her a while to get the hang od Humphrey (the year old rottie with a nice line in dive bombs and shouldering) but one 'raar' and he now understands she doesnt like that kind of play. He now chases her, all the time making that ridiculous rottie 'arf' and he cannot get near her.
However she's not always a model of brilliance. She's very competitive with the other two - if they are offlead and start to run, she'll join in rather than set and example and they're on the horizon before you can say ******. So i've been engaging her in a ball game (she's ball obsessed) before letting one or the other off with her.
She doent 'need' a lead but I do use one - mainly as a reminder to her and also just incase we come across something unusual - like the blummin peacock. There's trust and trust! All the sheep have gone for now - just as well because I'm not quite sure if she's safe. And it's been a while since she's seen a horse - the farmer breeds and shows american quarter horses; there's alot of expensive animals around although they are not always in sight.
I'm also taking her out on own practically all of the time. As I am with the other two). The idea is to get them to focus more in me rather than each other. Also to get them used to being one or two short in the house. Currently the noise they make if they are being 'left out' is bloody incredible. It never used to be like this.... certainly has worsened since the move. It was also never Twigg and now it is.
I appreciate they might feel unsettled but I think they work each other up. There's also the thing that barking is not a problem here - ours, the farm, farmers mum ... You hear it all the time.
But I want my guys quiet (ish!). Certainly when I tell them to be.
I've invested in a dog gate and thats helping deter how frantic they are when we come back in (especially of one of the dogs has been with us). They are encouraged to be four paws on the ground and quiet before we move into the same room together.
Hope you're still with me and not asleep!
In this installment I'm interested in hearing about close knit hound groups and what you do about 'splitting' them and establishing focus on you rather than Any Other Thing. About competitiveness - especially when off lead playing. Not fighting but ruynning and again, unfocussed running meaning recall is out of the window.
Look forward to hearing. Off now to give Oz his final walk of the day!
The move is finally over. Still not unpacked fully but we've been in the house a couple of weeks. It was a hellish time and we were under more stress than we probably thought. We're still renting, and there's the worry that it could fall through at the last minute, and when there are 3 dogs and a cat to consider, there is a lot riding on signing that contract.
But we're here. I need to take some pics; not quite sure where the camera is. But this is the place.....
www.aboutmyplace.co.uk/showmap?mv=h&type=property&scalelevel=16&id=10134075&panx=-376.0&pany=391.0&poi=property&offsetx=-275&offsety=-197&tile.3.3.x=130&tile.3.3.y=2
You've got the farmers big house, his mums medium house and to the top you'll see our weeny little square bungalow! The land around is all private, owned by the farm and (obviously depending on work going on or any animals around), I can go anywhere with the dogs. Including another few hundred acres that dont fit in the pic!
I got friendly with the girl who moved out and we spent quite a bit of time together before she left. The dogs came over to meet the farm dogs. There is a terrier and a rottie at the farm. Farmers mum has terriers daughter and rotties son - a year old loon. They are all wonderful dogs who have free run and free reign.
On paper its house and animal heaven for us. For anyone. We feel so lucky - private, secluded field walking everywhere and no more getting in the car to find somewhere to walk.
It's no wonder the smug fairy has come calling. Cos there are teething issues. The wide open space and fab smells and amazing animals seem to have turned my guys somewhat delinquent. Sensory overload, perhaps? I think I was a bit naive: move in, turn them loose (if you know what I mean) and all would be wonderful. But it's shown the gaps in my training and handling and and I need to nail it now.
I was very doom and gloom until recently (all this move mainly so we could enjoy the animals but they're behaving like arses and we're arses because we cant deal with it what kind of owners are we etc etc etc).
Things seem better now I have recovered a little sleep but I could do with reassurance that I'm doing thing as right as possible.
To make this less of an epic, I'll tackle one issue/dog at a time.... and you'll forgive me if I start with my 'good one'!!!
***************************
Anyone who knows my guys wont need three guesses to know that Twigg is the 'good one'!!
If I just had her then I'd never close my front door or garden gate. I don't have to worry about her with the other dogs - she has impeccable manners. It took her a while to get the hang od Humphrey (the year old rottie with a nice line in dive bombs and shouldering) but one 'raar' and he now understands she doesnt like that kind of play. He now chases her, all the time making that ridiculous rottie 'arf' and he cannot get near her.
However she's not always a model of brilliance. She's very competitive with the other two - if they are offlead and start to run, she'll join in rather than set and example and they're on the horizon before you can say ******. So i've been engaging her in a ball game (she's ball obsessed) before letting one or the other off with her.
She doent 'need' a lead but I do use one - mainly as a reminder to her and also just incase we come across something unusual - like the blummin peacock. There's trust and trust! All the sheep have gone for now - just as well because I'm not quite sure if she's safe. And it's been a while since she's seen a horse - the farmer breeds and shows american quarter horses; there's alot of expensive animals around although they are not always in sight.
I'm also taking her out on own practically all of the time. As I am with the other two). The idea is to get them to focus more in me rather than each other. Also to get them used to being one or two short in the house. Currently the noise they make if they are being 'left out' is bloody incredible. It never used to be like this.... certainly has worsened since the move. It was also never Twigg and now it is.
I appreciate they might feel unsettled but I think they work each other up. There's also the thing that barking is not a problem here - ours, the farm, farmers mum ... You hear it all the time.
But I want my guys quiet (ish!). Certainly when I tell them to be.
I've invested in a dog gate and thats helping deter how frantic they are when we come back in (especially of one of the dogs has been with us). They are encouraged to be four paws on the ground and quiet before we move into the same room together.
Hope you're still with me and not asleep!
In this installment I'm interested in hearing about close knit hound groups and what you do about 'splitting' them and establishing focus on you rather than Any Other Thing. About competitiveness - especially when off lead playing. Not fighting but ruynning and again, unfocussed running meaning recall is out of the window.
Look forward to hearing. Off now to give Oz his final walk of the day!
.
