I have had a real frustration in the last few weeks trying to put my wellies on as Rodders is usually so excited to be going out that he leaps all over them, knocking them flying or trying to bite them.
This week I started off by putting him in the lounge if he doesn't stop and sit when asked. We have now progressed to him learning to sit and wait while I put them on. He has tried really hard but he is so funny, he squeaks and shuffles on his bum but so far he has managed to contain himself and stay sitting.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
The neglected blog
I'm finding it tough to keep up with the blog, do a full time job and give Rodders the attention needs.
I don't want to blog for the sake of it as many days are the same - we get up, I either get washed and dressed and we go for a walk up the rugby field where Rodders gets to run about or I get showered and dressed but we only have time for a quick walk around the block because of the extra time it takes to dry my hair.
Rodders gets taken out by Sue, the dog walker, on Mondays and Thursdays and he gets an early day on Wednesday when Skevi comes to clean (she is happy for him to chase her about!) and Fridays when I finish at 4pm and come straight home to take him out for a run about.
I come home each lunchtime and after an initial fuss Rodders usually ignores me and goes off to play with his toys or in the garden.
In the evening he wants to play and be with me, whatever I am doing. I try to make sure he gets combed through at least every other day, especially at the moment as his coat is quite long and his legs tend to get quite knotty and scruffy very quickly.
When OH is here Rodders gets at least half an hour alone with him in the morning before being sent upstairs to wake me. In the evening he gets to play for at least an hour with OH and it is usually much rougher play than he would get with me. We usually spend a little while training and practicing what we learnt at training school each week and, right now, I am trying to teach him to bring toys back to me so that I can throw them again.
So for now the blog will be updated as and when, to record our highs and lows.
I don't want to blog for the sake of it as many days are the same - we get up, I either get washed and dressed and we go for a walk up the rugby field where Rodders gets to run about or I get showered and dressed but we only have time for a quick walk around the block because of the extra time it takes to dry my hair.
Rodders gets taken out by Sue, the dog walker, on Mondays and Thursdays and he gets an early day on Wednesday when Skevi comes to clean (she is happy for him to chase her about!) and Fridays when I finish at 4pm and come straight home to take him out for a run about.
I come home each lunchtime and after an initial fuss Rodders usually ignores me and goes off to play with his toys or in the garden.
In the evening he wants to play and be with me, whatever I am doing. I try to make sure he gets combed through at least every other day, especially at the moment as his coat is quite long and his legs tend to get quite knotty and scruffy very quickly.
When OH is here Rodders gets at least half an hour alone with him in the morning before being sent upstairs to wake me. In the evening he gets to play for at least an hour with OH and it is usually much rougher play than he would get with me. We usually spend a little while training and practicing what we learnt at training school each week and, right now, I am trying to teach him to bring toys back to me so that I can throw them again.
So for now the blog will be updated as and when, to record our highs and lows.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
So what does Rodders think of snow?
On Saturday evening it started snowing lightly around 6pm and Rodders was happy to be outside. He was barking at it and eating it and playing quite happily.
By 10pm it was about 3 inches deep and he was happy to run about and play in it. The snow was still coming down and he was getting covered but one shake and it all fell off his back and head but his legs and feet were covered in small snowballs attached to his fur.
I rang my sister for advice about how to remove them as they were not coming off by rubbing with his towel. Apparently the only way is to pick them off but even that isn't very successful.
Rodders didn't like the noise as the snow fell off the conservatory roof and kept barking at it.
When he went out at bedtime he didn't have a piddle and only walked as far as the end of the patio before coming back in and straight in to his bed. About 30 minutes later he was barking the house down and so I came down and sat beside his crate talking gently to him. He soon quietened down again and I went back to bed.
At 7.20am this morning he started barking again and I came down and let him out of the crate. After a quick fuss he wanted to go out in to the garden....... until I opened the door.
He took one look at this huge expanse of white and started to back off. He so wanted to go out but he wasn't sure about it at all. He sat just inside the door, shuffling on his bum, making squeaking noises. After about 5 minutes I shut the door and went to make a cuppa. Rodders stayed where he was, just looking outside. I came back in to the conservatory with my cuppa and he was dancing at the door so I opened it again.
Eventually Rodders ventured out, he was walking with extended front legs like horses do in dressage and it looked so funny. He ventured across the patio and on to the grass but he really wasn't very sure of it even though he was making snowballs with his nose and sniffing and snuffling. The snow was right up to his tummy. He came back on to the patio and was desperately trying to find a place where there wasn't any snow but it was just impossible. He gave in a piddled and pooped on the patio before asking to come back in.
By this stage his legs were covered by quite large snowballs and as I was picking them off he was eating them. It took ages to get the worst of them off but it was impossible to get them all off.
By 10pm it was about 3 inches deep and he was happy to run about and play in it. The snow was still coming down and he was getting covered but one shake and it all fell off his back and head but his legs and feet were covered in small snowballs attached to his fur.
I rang my sister for advice about how to remove them as they were not coming off by rubbing with his towel. Apparently the only way is to pick them off but even that isn't very successful.
Rodders didn't like the noise as the snow fell off the conservatory roof and kept barking at it.
When he went out at bedtime he didn't have a piddle and only walked as far as the end of the patio before coming back in and straight in to his bed. About 30 minutes later he was barking the house down and so I came down and sat beside his crate talking gently to him. He soon quietened down again and I went back to bed.
At 7.20am this morning he started barking again and I came down and let him out of the crate. After a quick fuss he wanted to go out in to the garden....... until I opened the door.
He took one look at this huge expanse of white and started to back off. He so wanted to go out but he wasn't sure about it at all. He sat just inside the door, shuffling on his bum, making squeaking noises. After about 5 minutes I shut the door and went to make a cuppa. Rodders stayed where he was, just looking outside. I came back in to the conservatory with my cuppa and he was dancing at the door so I opened it again.
Eventually Rodders ventured out, he was walking with extended front legs like horses do in dressage and it looked so funny. He ventured across the patio and on to the grass but he really wasn't very sure of it even though he was making snowballs with his nose and sniffing and snuffling. The snow was right up to his tummy. He came back on to the patio and was desperately trying to find a place where there wasn't any snow but it was just impossible. He gave in a piddled and pooped on the patio before asking to come back in.
By this stage his legs were covered by quite large snowballs and as I was picking them off he was eating them. It took ages to get the worst of them off but it was impossible to get them all off.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Our first intermediate class
So we were up early today and ready for our first class with the big dogs. It had been very cold over night and there was a heavy frost so I kept Rodders on his lead while I started the car and walked around it scraping the windows, he wasn't very sure about this and kept barking at me.
Once the car was clear I popped him in his crate and we made our way to the Training School. We all gathered in the car park as usual and Rodders was very excited. After letting him say a hello to each dog I did manage to get him to sit nicely as we waited.
At the start of the class we all lined up with our dogs sitting beside us and the class leader checked who was there. Rodders had joined from Puppy Class and Coco, an Alsation, had joined from 1 to 1 training with Pete. We were put in to pairs and then we walked up to the field with our dogs at heel.
Once we got there we stopped and did a right turn and our partners stayed back while we moved about 4 feet in front with our dogs sitting beside us. The back row then walked up through us and stopped so we could do the same thing. We did this again and then we walked past, turned and back through them. Rodders did quite well at this.
We then headed back to the edge of the field and then walked along the side, stopping and making the dogs sit or lie down on command. We then had a jog (didn't realise it was also a keep fit class!), then back to walk, then to a slow walk and then back to normal pace. Rodders was OK at this.
By now we were at the far side of the field near the rough grass, not been up here before. We all lined up and put our dogs in to the down position and asked them to stay while we walked about three feet away. The handler at the back then returned to his dog, picked up the lead and walked along the line. For the first two dogs Rodders hardly moved, for the next two he got up and I had to grab him and make him sit. I then stayed with him and kept him sitting until it was our turn. He walked past the other dogs without problem.
Some of the dogs were then allowed off lead and had a bit of a play but I wasn't allowed to let Rodders off incase he got nipped at by the bigger dogs. We then moved on to recall and Rodders was really good at this.
It was then time for the agility course and Rodders was his usual excited self. He really loves going over the AFrame and through the tunnel but needed lots of encouragement to go through the life belt or over the jumps. In this class they teach the dogs to go in to the down position as soon as they come out of the tunnel so that they don't run off, Rodders wasn't sure about this at all.
We then moved in to a circle and got the dogs to play with their tuggies, Rodders is very good at letting his toy go and will sit until you throw it again. He isn't quite so good at retrieve but we are working on it. Some of the dogs are really good at this so everyone threw their buggy in to the middle to see if a few of them could find their own toy. Only one managed it but they all still got lots of fuss for bringing a toy back.
It was time to head back to the classroom and Rodders must have been tired as he walked nicely to heel all the way and wasn't distracted by Sam walking past us doing a one to one with a nervous lab.
Rodders sat and waited nicely at the door but that was it for the day. He was messing about and wouldn't go in to the down position or stay there once I got him there. The tutor was happy with him though, she said he had done really well for a first time.
Rodders sat and waited nicely as we came out and then spotted the Puppy Class waiting and nearly pulled my arm of trying to get to Leon. As he was saying hello to Leon I got to give Beau a fuss and then all 3 puppies had a bit of a play.
There is a Yorkie starting the puppy class today, he is a rescue dog and about 4 years old but he doesn't seem to be very well socialised. Apparently he was found in the PE postcode area tied up in a car park and he was micro chipped. The chip was registered to a house in Edgware buy it was empty so, after some time in a rescue centre, he was put up for rehoming. The lady that has taken him on is concerned about how he behaves around other dogs as there is lots of growling and snarling but, after 2 weeks, she has already got him to sit and walk nicely when no other dogs are around and he is great at home. It will be interesting to see how he gets on. As we walked away we spotted Leo and stopped to say hello to him.
Sam was now in the car park with her one to one and was happy for us to be around the lab but not directly beside him. A few dogs from our class were also there and Rodders was happy saying hello to them when all of a sudden Coco managed to roll Rodders over on to his back and was standing over him, pinning him down. Rodders was squealing and I couldn't get him out of there so I dropped his lead and he got himself out. It all happened in seconds and everyone was stood there ready to grab Rodders as he made his escape. I caught hold of him and gave him a very quick fuss and then let him say hello to a dog I knew was OK with him.
Sam then came over to check he was OK and she felt him all over while saying to me the noise he was making was fright rather than hurt. He does seem none the worse for the experience but I think we will be giving Coco a wide berth in future!
As I picked Rodders up to pop him in the car Sam and her one to one were stood at the back of it and we got used as part of their training, making sure that the lab didn't react to Rodders me or my car.
Once the car was clear I popped him in his crate and we made our way to the Training School. We all gathered in the car park as usual and Rodders was very excited. After letting him say a hello to each dog I did manage to get him to sit nicely as we waited.
At the start of the class we all lined up with our dogs sitting beside us and the class leader checked who was there. Rodders had joined from Puppy Class and Coco, an Alsation, had joined from 1 to 1 training with Pete. We were put in to pairs and then we walked up to the field with our dogs at heel.
Once we got there we stopped and did a right turn and our partners stayed back while we moved about 4 feet in front with our dogs sitting beside us. The back row then walked up through us and stopped so we could do the same thing. We did this again and then we walked past, turned and back through them. Rodders did quite well at this.
We then headed back to the edge of the field and then walked along the side, stopping and making the dogs sit or lie down on command. We then had a jog (didn't realise it was also a keep fit class!), then back to walk, then to a slow walk and then back to normal pace. Rodders was OK at this.
By now we were at the far side of the field near the rough grass, not been up here before. We all lined up and put our dogs in to the down position and asked them to stay while we walked about three feet away. The handler at the back then returned to his dog, picked up the lead and walked along the line. For the first two dogs Rodders hardly moved, for the next two he got up and I had to grab him and make him sit. I then stayed with him and kept him sitting until it was our turn. He walked past the other dogs without problem.
Some of the dogs were then allowed off lead and had a bit of a play but I wasn't allowed to let Rodders off incase he got nipped at by the bigger dogs. We then moved on to recall and Rodders was really good at this.
It was then time for the agility course and Rodders was his usual excited self. He really loves going over the AFrame and through the tunnel but needed lots of encouragement to go through the life belt or over the jumps. In this class they teach the dogs to go in to the down position as soon as they come out of the tunnel so that they don't run off, Rodders wasn't sure about this at all.
We then moved in to a circle and got the dogs to play with their tuggies, Rodders is very good at letting his toy go and will sit until you throw it again. He isn't quite so good at retrieve but we are working on it. Some of the dogs are really good at this so everyone threw their buggy in to the middle to see if a few of them could find their own toy. Only one managed it but they all still got lots of fuss for bringing a toy back.
It was time to head back to the classroom and Rodders must have been tired as he walked nicely to heel all the way and wasn't distracted by Sam walking past us doing a one to one with a nervous lab.
Rodders sat and waited nicely at the door but that was it for the day. He was messing about and wouldn't go in to the down position or stay there once I got him there. The tutor was happy with him though, she said he had done really well for a first time.
Rodders sat and waited nicely as we came out and then spotted the Puppy Class waiting and nearly pulled my arm of trying to get to Leon. As he was saying hello to Leon I got to give Beau a fuss and then all 3 puppies had a bit of a play.
There is a Yorkie starting the puppy class today, he is a rescue dog and about 4 years old but he doesn't seem to be very well socialised. Apparently he was found in the PE postcode area tied up in a car park and he was micro chipped. The chip was registered to a house in Edgware buy it was empty so, after some time in a rescue centre, he was put up for rehoming. The lady that has taken him on is concerned about how he behaves around other dogs as there is lots of growling and snarling but, after 2 weeks, she has already got him to sit and walk nicely when no other dogs are around and he is great at home. It will be interesting to see how he gets on. As we walked away we spotted Leo and stopped to say hello to him.
Sam was now in the car park with her one to one and was happy for us to be around the lab but not directly beside him. A few dogs from our class were also there and Rodders was happy saying hello to them when all of a sudden Coco managed to roll Rodders over on to his back and was standing over him, pinning him down. Rodders was squealing and I couldn't get him out of there so I dropped his lead and he got himself out. It all happened in seconds and everyone was stood there ready to grab Rodders as he made his escape. I caught hold of him and gave him a very quick fuss and then let him say hello to a dog I knew was OK with him.
Sam then came over to check he was OK and she felt him all over while saying to me the noise he was making was fright rather than hurt. He does seem none the worse for the experience but I think we will be giving Coco a wide berth in future!
As I picked Rodders up to pop him in the car Sam and her one to one were stood at the back of it and we got used as part of their training, making sure that the lab didn't react to Rodders me or my car.
The Spacehopper
On Wednesday evening I left OH and Rodders at home after dinner and headed off to Tesco to do my monthly shop and I was back just over an hour later with treats for everyone.
OH got some fruit bars and a carton of nuts and seeds to have as snacks, I got a new pair of wooly tights and Rodders got a space hopper!
I have been asked how I get him to ride a space hopper but that isn't a challenge I need to take up as this one is only about 6 inches big. It is made of rubber and has a squeaker that seems to make a noise even when Rodders isn't biting it.
OH unpacked it and played with it for a little while to get Rodders interested and then let him at it. He loves it and it has become his favourite toy of the week!
The squeak can get a bit much but he is happy!
OH got some fruit bars and a carton of nuts and seeds to have as snacks, I got a new pair of wooly tights and Rodders got a space hopper!
I have been asked how I get him to ride a space hopper but that isn't a challenge I need to take up as this one is only about 6 inches big. It is made of rubber and has a squeaker that seems to make a noise even when Rodders isn't biting it.
OH unpacked it and played with it for a little while to get Rodders interested and then let him at it. He loves it and it has become his favourite toy of the week!
The squeak can get a bit much but he is happy!
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