Phew! Just over a week ago, I left the west of Ireland loaded with my luggage and the beautiful 5 month old lab-collieX, Dilly... and HER luggage! What a relief it was to arrive safely home at the end of the following day having travelled across Ireland to Dublin and north to Belfast, crossed on the ferry to Scotland, stayed in a hotel in Stranraer (I can recommend the comfortable dog-friendly North West Castle Hotel [though the cooked breakfast was a bit disappointing!] and then crossed to the north-east coast of Northumberland. Dilly took the whole thing in her stride, apart from the night-traffic of the town which scared her greatly, poor love. Since then, she’s gradually settled in with us to an existence very different from her previous free and easy one on my daughter’s farm. She’s very gentle with my disabled husband, never barks (touch wood!) when visitors ring our loud doorbell and come in, is eating well and has learnt to cope with our village traffic and all the strangers and their dogs we meet here. She has not yet pulled on the lead but seems to walk naturally happily on a loose lead. She’s already learnt the most basic sit and down commands and waits till invited to eat her dinner. OK, ok, I reassure you she IS a normal pup not a complete prodigy... So, given half a chance, she nibbles surreptitiously at chair and table legs, had a 10-minute howling session (my poor husband!) when I popped out to the shops for half an hour, has piddled on the carpet a couple of times and has occasionally become a bit too interested in my hands with her mouth and occasional teeth; I put this down to me maybe not perfecting the Click/Treat techniques so she seems over-eager to receive a treat even if I’m just saying ‘Good Girl’ and stroking her after some activity. I’m now making contact with a highly-recommended dog centre nearby and hope to learn how to be a better owner/trainer! She is gorgeous and I’m incredibly thrilled with her. Thank you to so many of you who have been posting valuable information over the past weeks, which I’ve been reading avidly. It’s a great comfort to have this link to other owners
Wow! What a journey you have both been on! Love to see some photos of Dilly...oh and a warm welcome from the Beanwood Gang!
Many thanks to all who have kindly written with a welcome and asked to see photos... i did try to load some the other day but was interrupted in the middle of researching how to do this and, what with one thing and another, I realise I’ve not done so yet. But photos ARE being taken and some will appear soon(ish)!
Well done to you both making the journey home, Dilly sounds like a super (but normal!) puppy, I look forward to reading more about her, and seeing the photo's!
Here goes with a few of Dilly from Ireland days with her mum to life with us in Northumberland. I dont know how to check photo pixel sizes on an ipad so these may not work... in which case, back to the drawing board!
She’s looking good! How is the training going? I hope a mod can fix the photos for you so that they appear resized in your post.
Hi Granca - thanks for you reply. Training is, er, interesting! She’s VERY bright. In fact brighter than me i fear! She spots the loophole in anything i do and interprets it in a totally logical doggy way... so im finding the website plus (some!) youtube behaviourist’s films and books very helpful to understand how she and what i do to refine what im doing. So, a work in progress! I took her to one puppy class but the constant feeding of treats during it resulted in her wanting to check my hand with her open mouth and (almost) teeth constantly and that was getting in the way of all the exercises like walking with a loose lead. By the end, she’d also become frantic because of the ball throwing session and clearly couldnt get why she was being restrained when it wasnt her turn. I know she’s got to learn this but until she’s understood STAY, LEAVE IT and DROP IT i dont think it’s fair to put her through this. So am continuing to plough a lone furrow for the moment. She’s such a willing student (collie/lab) and very greedy (lab?!) so we’re definitely progressing at the moment. Poor thing has picked up conjunctivitis in one eye so made first ‘real’ visit to the vet this morning. First ‘normal’ bill - ouch! Hope you and yours are doing well?
PS dont the pics resize if clicked on? I thought they might, and they do when i click them. I wonder what other way would be better for photos. I looked at some of the guidance but i only use facebook and my ipad so the other apps mentioned are a bit beyond me!
She sounds so much like Tuppence! It’s a bit more of a challenge to train a treat-and-toy-obsessed dog, particularly if they’re very bright - a mixture frustrating, yet great fun. I hope her conjunctivitis is sorted out quickly, without any further expense too! Yes, the photos do resize when clicked on, but there should be a way of getting them to appear the right size within the post. I think as a forum supporter you can add them to the by selecting ‘upload a file’ rather than clicking on the landscape image and attaching the images. Have fun with Dilly; she sounds a great character!
She looks gorgeous! Sounds like training going very well...looks like Dilly has got things sussed on the treat front! Keep up the good work, although in those early days you do feel little more than a treat dispenser!
I’m glad the gorgeousness shines through... quite tricky to photograph a mostly-black dog so she doesn’t just look like a black blob! Yes, she’s onto the treat mullarkey and you’re right, a living breathing treat machine - that’s me!
Thanks Cath - your two in the small avatar pic look great too. No doubt keep you busy and well-walked?!
