Bored

The dogs look as bored with the television as I am. Much as I am pleased we got the olympic games I will be glad when they are over.

Five weeks +

Checking the calendar this morning I realized I have had Sky for just over five weeks. The time has flown by and she has made quite a bit of progress. When she is round the house she is a confident happy little dog. Although when people come she won't go up to them she has given up running off and barking. Most of the time when we are out she is fine but still has the odd panick when we meet up with people. I have not yet let her off the lead but yesterday evening we met a man with his two dogs and walked with them, we have seen him quite a few times before and he thinks I should let her off. I think maybe if we see him again I will.

One of the things I am most pleased with is she is not so inclined to bark at every little sound and will stop as soon as I say no. I am still keeping the water skirter handy. In fact Carmen has just this minute opened her garage door and Sky was up ready to rush out into the garden barking but as soon as I said no she went and laid down again.

Very good day

Well the water skirting idea is working quite well and we have reached the stage where I only have to pick up the water bottle and Sky stops barking. She has also stopped when I have not had the skirter to hand and have just said no. I think now I just have to be consistent. The barking occurs mostly when my neighbour opposite raises her garage door, as soon as Sky hears the noise she is up ready to bark and this is what I want to stop.

All in all it has been a very positive day, first Bryan came round and both dogs came to the gate with me and neither barked. I was really surprised at Sky she wasn't a bit timid, all though she wouldn't go right up to Bryan she was wagging her tail. Next Ian and his brother Mick came and she was fine. Ian thought she had made loads of progress and reminded me how nervous Shula was when I first had her.

Ian, Mick and I went out to a garden center and I bought six climbing plants and some border plants to put round the back of my house. Ian is going to come round early next week to help me put them in. I am hoping that the climbers will fill the gaps in the back hedge so we will see less of our neighbours garden. It would be nice if it would help stop their dogs barking as you can't walk there without the constant yapping of her dogs. That is one good thing, neither of mine bark back. Fortunately most of the year it is only their weekend house, it is just a couple of months in the summer when they are there full time.

PADS

Saturday I went with Carmen to a charity evening in aid of PADS. It was not as good as it could have been as there were only about 30 people attending. In the end this was probably a good thing as the restaurant was having problems in the kitchen and it was hours between the first and second course. One of our party left just before the main course arrived. I did win a prize in the raffle however.

Some of our party were FAMA people and were pleased to hear Sky is progressing well. I did tell Pat that she had found her voice which is very loud and I was trying to discourage this barking at every little sound. Pat said she had overcome the problem with one of her dogs by skirting water and saying no. She said in the end she didn't need the water and no was enough. I have tried it and it is working to a degree, I have to have the water skirter at the ready and be up and out as soon as the barking starts, but as soon as I skirt the water she stops. It is quite hard work but I am going to persist. What I want is for her to be like Shula, only bark when there is good reason and not jump up at every little sound. My friend Carmen thinks the barking is a good thing as it lets people know I have dogs. I don't want to be like my neighbours who have real yappy dogs who bark for hours and really get on your nerves.

Sunday Bryan came round, Sky did bark while I was opening the gate and while he was walking up the drive but once he was in she was quiet. She came in and lay down and although she wouldn't go up to him she didn't bark or display any of her silly behaviour. Progress? I really hope so.

Early morning walk

I went for an early walk down the ravine this morning with Shula and Sky. Sky as usual was on the lead. I haven't plucked up enough courage to let her off yet, mainly because she isn't mine and I don't like to take the risk of her pannicking and running off.

On the way back we met a lady with her GSD that I haven't seen for ages, but I used to walk Shula with them a lot. Shula and Roxy greeted one another fine and I stopped to have a chat. Big mistake, Roxy for some reason took a dislike to Sky and flew at her. Sky screamed and I dragged Roxy off. There was no harm done, except Sky was very frightened, something which I really didn't want as I am tying to make her feel safe and secure with me.I don't know whether it was because Sky was the only one on a lead, or that Roxy just took a dislike to her.Well we will never know the answer to that one. I am glad in a way that Sky was on a lead because if she had run and Roxy had gone after her I dread to think of the outcome. I will be avoiding the ravine early morning from now on.

Back home and Sky has recovered and is quite happy and relaxed.

Your feet smell

Sky has just discovered that Shula has smelly feet and loves sniffing them. I think they must be due for a wash.

You are awake

Sky has managed to wake Shula up but I think Shula thinks it is too hot to play.

Are you asleep?

I think Sky can't resist waking Shula when she wants to play, Shula on the other hand is too lazy to move.

Shula's asleep

Sky July 17th

Sky is such a good little dog and now comes as soon as she is called. I am trying to teach her to sit and stay but am finding it more difficult with two dogs as Shula interfers all the time. Being on my own I don't like to leave one of them in while I train the other as they both get upset.

Where are you Shula

Sky looking for Shula in the garden. The weather is quite hot but they still love running round the garden.

Shula Playing with Sky

Shula and Sky playing, they really are. It looks a bit like Shula dragging Sky round by the ears but Sky seems to like it and when Shula gets fed up Sky keeps on for more.

Ian relaxing after the repair

.

When Ian got back he was able to replace the chlorine dispenser with a piece of solid pipe and all is working well.

This is him sitting relaxing on the terrace with a well earned drink and guess who is sitting not too far away. I think maybe we are getting there, slowly slowly.

Disaster Strikes

Why is it that disaster always strikes when Ken is not here and always at the weekend. Yesterday the little pipe on the automatic chlorine dispenser for our pool sheared off. There was no screwing it back on, it was totally kaput. I had water running out of the pipe and the hole where the pipe was attached, which is the little black circle on the right under the dispenser container. I turned off all the gate valves but water was still running out. The gate valves which are getting old are not totally shutting off the water. My solution was to jam pencils in both the holes. One pencil you can see, the other broke off but sealed the leak.

This morning my friend Ian came round and we have decided he will replace the dispenser with a solid bit of pipe. We don't use the dispenser and it is just another weak spot for leaks in the future. It is not a straight forward job with the gate valve not working properly but we have worked out a way to do it.


On a positive note although Sky barked and went silly when Ian first arrived she soon gave up and even followed him round the garden at a distance. He has gone off to get some tools and pipe so we will see how she is when he gets back. I am trying to stop all this barking as Shula rarely barks and never without good reason. Sky on the other hand barks as soon as she hears a noise.

Weigh Day

I weighed the dogs this morning and was surprised that Sky was 6.5 kilos. Shula weighed in at 15 kilos which would please her vet as he thinks that is her ideal weight.  I am really happy with anything under 16.
Anyway they both look fit and healthy which is the main thing.

Went to the park this morning for the dog school walk, not quite sure why, but nobody turned up. We came back home along the nature trail and we were out for an hour and a half so got plenty of exercise.