More training

First time training at Princes Street. Seriously, it’s a very chilled out training session, where no one apart from the instructor and I are really enthusiastic. But! We do different things there. Not all sit / stay, down / stay. We first done some heel work. The instructor laid out a course of 8 chairs. At each chair we had to get our dog to sit and then walk onto the next chair. With 5 of us going round it was fun! Then we done some heel work round hoops. ‘Back to back’ recall. Getting the dogs to walk backwards and then ‘through’ the chair legs! And weaving between our legs. Its good fun and makes a change from all the ‘sit stay’ stuff I normally encounter at training classes.

Play date!

Went up to Maggie’s (my sister) after training for a play date with Duke. Now that was fun. Poor Duke is my sisters’ old boxer dog and Tommy was very excited! Unfortunately the bitey face was all over poor Dukes jowls. He is such a polite dog and didn’t tell Tommy off once.

Downes pt 2

It was really nice at the vets tonight – well, I thought so. The vet came out to me first and asked how I was, and then asked about Tommy – where I got him from, any issues I’ve come across, what history I was given. We then went through to the consultation room. The door was shut and Tommy had a good sniff round. He was weighed (7.85kg) and after he settled he went on the table. Ears, eyes, nose and teeth checked. Couple of treats and then the Kennel Cough vaccination. It’s sprayed up the nose so it was my job to hold his head in the pit of my arm. All ok. We chatted about his allergy, and his coat not growing back under his chin. He said I could up the flea treatment to every three weeks. He also said that I’ve only had him 7 weeks; he has had to adjust to his new home, new rules, diet, exercise programme, routine and new people. Even though he has now got a better life, he didn’t know that to start with. I suppose I forget that bit.

Hard day in the office...

Downes and Partners

I’ve called my old vets to see if my old vet (!) is still there. He is. I asked how much the Kennel Cough vaccination is - £6.00 more expensive than the RSPCA vets. Do I pay the extra and have a vet I trust and explains things? Too right I do. We go tomorrow. The receptionist asked if it’s a new addition to the family ‘because I’m sure Rocky the Chicken doesn’t need it’

Waggy walking still

I mentioned the horse episode to Emma Waggy Walker. She has said that she has never left him around horses. Hummm, I thought she took him over the stables with her. She mentioned his collar is rough on his throat. I will remedy that tonight using scissors. He was tired again and had a happy look on his face. It’s a right pain to get over to Waggy Walkers, but I think Emma is excellent with him.

Rochford training

First time training at Rochford. They showed me how to get Tommy to sit, and how to get him in the down. It was all good and quite easy really. You could see Tommy was enjoying it and watching the other dogs to see what he was meant to be doing. Must practice during the week though, you cant expect them to remember one week to the next can you?

Horses..

B/f and I took Tommy over Belfairs Woods again so we could let him off lead. It was great fun, for a while. He played bitey face with other dogs, ran around with other dogs, sometimes chasing but more often that not being chased! We then went past the private paddock and Tommy thought it would be nice to say hello to the horses. Would he come back? Oh no! He was enjoying barking at them way too much. The horses were getting agitated and started to stamp. We carried on calling but to no avail. B/f jumped in the paddock with the agitated horses and the excited (and still barking!) dog. He couldn’t get anywhere near Tommy, so I jumped in as well. It was probably the most scariest 15 minutes of my life trying to catch a JRT whilst dodging three agitated horses. We put him straight back on his lead and walked him to the exit. A disappointing end to a really lovely walk. We now believe he is ‘responsive to horses’.

Rotties x 2

Had a day off today, so I didn’t get up until 7:20. I went over the graves where we normally go, and was quite happy with our ‘on the lead, run around a bit and sniff’ thing we normally do. As we got towards the entrance / exit a man walked in with two rotties, trying to light a cigarette whilst holding the two rotties. Obviously they wanted to say hello to Tommy and I could see the man wasn’t in control of them. They pulled him over! Right over! He started shouting at them and they ran off a short pace. He chased them and got them back. ‘Sorry love’, he said ‘he’s aright but she has had puppies and it has turned her funny’ hummmm. Nothing to do with the fact that they are not trained very well and strong then? Nothing to do with the fact that they wanted to say hello and you was more interested in your cigarette then? People are strange.


Later on we went to Belfairs woods and I let him off lead. And he came back, although sometimes it was more ‘eventually’ rather than ‘must get back to mom’. And I managed to ‘disinterest’ him in another dog so he followed me. And we played hide and seek. And I really enjoyed it.

Waggy walking off lead

Waggy Walkers Emma let Tommy off lead today. She said his recall was excellent. I’m not convinced. I believe it’s more to do with chasing the other dogs and eventually making his way back to her.

Waggy Walking

Tommy’s first day at Waggy Walkers. This is a new thing for me, but I thought it would be good for Tommy. Basically, I get up at the normal time (too early!) and take him for a short walk. Then I get ready for work, drive the 5 miles to Stambridge against rush hour traffic and drop him off at Emma’s, before driving the 4 miles back to work in rush hour traffic to get to work. I told her his recall is non-existent still. She takes Tommy and the various other dogs she looks after over Hockley Woods, Shoebury Park and other places. He also gets to go over the stables and has a day with other dogs and people. I think it’s good socialization for him. I collect him at about 6:00. Emma said he was very well behaved and that she loves his markings. She asked about his skin condition and mentioned that he hadn’t been neutered long. When it was time to go Tommy wanted to jump back in her van – bless him! Well worth the £15 it costs, and he must get bored being either at home or in the office with me all day. And he was so tired tonight I got to go out! Hurrah!

Vacs done!

At last! Tommy had his second vaccination today! I feel that we are getting somewhere and I can start to enjoy him more, because there is now no, or little, threat of catching the diseases that he needed to be vaccinated against! Hurrah!