I don't want to come over as being flippant Julie , I know full well that you are both worried to bits, can understand it too , but you have a lovely well balanced dog in Charlie , he is just the same lad but going through a rough time at the moment poor sausage . But he is a grand dog, he will bounce back I`m sure .
I just want to say what a lovely dog Charlie is -- such a lovely expression! And what a wonderful carer you are! I would be at my wits ends trying to think of things to do in such confined conditions, and for so long. You are a superstar! I send you my very best wishes for a complete and successful recovery. If I had a massive work deadline or was preparing for a trip away, 20 July would seem way too close!! Funny the way time works.
Is Charlie allowed to get into the car? If so, take him to a supermarket, children's play area, a river, railway station etc and let him just sit a and watch, or even just a beautiful place. I wish I had done that with my Lab when he was confined for months. It should help with his new nervousness.
That's a good idea - I am not sure though that it wouldn't just be very frustrating for him. He is not the kind of dog that will just sit peacefully and watch the world go by. My bet would be he'd be pacing round his crate, whining, and desperate to get out and explore. I might try though....
Poor little man, I am so sorry he is feeling this way Any chance of escaping to Cornwall for a change of scenery? Wishing you all well, lots of hugs from us xxx
I'd love to go to Cornwall. But the house has steps up to it - which are banned at the moment. I'm hoping after the 20th July x-rays we'll be able to go. Anyway, in better news....I decided I'd try to go to a green just at the very start of the Common, right in Wimbledon Village (Rushmere pond). I couldn't remember seeing a lot of off lead dogs there before, so gave it a go... Was an awful faff as difficult to park (it's not very far away, and I'd normally not dream of driving, but too far for Charlie to walk there and back at the minute) but we had a nice walk. And there were off lead dogs but only one came close to us - they were all playing in the pond and we stayed at the far end away from the water. Charlie had a bit of a hunt for wombles, but didn't find any. He felt better for trying though, I think. common by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Sorry about Cornwall I forget about the steps Is Charlie allowed to go up and down a ramp instead? Ooh lovely walk Charlie, hope you found some Wombles!! I have to say I cannot see this 'extra' 1 kilo the Vet wanted Charlie to lose, he looks very slender to me x
There are about 20 steps up to the house in Cornwall - although, there is a path through the front garden that avoids most of them, and OH is going to see what he can do about a ramp for the remaining few....so hopefully.... We did enjoy the walk! We might go again today. He has lost the 1kg now, I think, although I haven't had him weighed he looks to be back at his fighting weight.
That would be great if a ramp can be sorted out, a change of scenery for all of you would be a great tonic. Well done Charlie for losing the weight but I bet you miss your salmon mousse kongs!! Enjoy your walk lovely boy!
I bet you feel better for getting him out somewhere different and enjoyed it as much as Charlie x He looks really great Julie,nice and slim ,not that he looked overweight of course but I know every gram counts at the moment x
I think part of it is that he is not very obviously muscled right now, so he is looking quite "slight" - although if he were stood by a working line Lab, he wouldn't so much. The watertreadmill will sort that though... We had a good day. He has been very normal at home, and this morning we visited a fair that is setting up on the Common. It was early, so not much activity, but I thought it seemed a good place to make sure he kept hearing new things etc. I'll go again but a bit later tomorrow...
So we are doing better - the strategy of getting Charlie out to a new place each day, plus giving him a bit more freedom in the house, and returning to clicker training (and also cutting down the amount of time either of us are at the office ) all seems to be helping. Also, it's possible that there was a bitch in heat around that accounts for some of his strange behaviour in the street - although I haven't actually found anyone with such a dog, the area I live in is busy so it's quite possible.... We have been visiting a fair that is being set up by the duck pond in Wimbledon village. It gets a bit busier each day as the rides are set up. The first day, it was quiet, second some banging, today generators starting and so on. He's been doing ok with it, so I'm pleased. We also found a "new" park - obviously it's always been there, but we haven't used it before. Dogs are allowed off lead, but it's quite a formal park (lots of flower beds) so I'm hoping it will be quieter in terms of off lead dogs. Unfortunately, Charlie's walk time was up so we just could walk down a path to a water fountain but I spotted some parking nearby, so maybe I'll be able to park a bit closer next time. Of course, my hooligan will try to pee on the flowers but hey, we'll try to behave..... It's called Cannizaro Park and I'm looking forward to making it 20m further inside each day until we get to the cafe!
It looks a bit try hard. A few brown wee patches will make it look more natural. It'll be a big improvement I reckon.
So I haven't mentioned this before - the "this" being a tent. The reason I haven't mentioned it is for fear you think me quite nuts. Then, I realised that's not news.... When Charlie had his op, there was much distress because OH and Charlie curl up together at night (me too, except I usually escape to the wonderfully clean sheets and dog hair free space of the spare room). Charlie isn't allowed up the stairs, much to OH's and Charlie's mutual horror. OH comes up with the idea of a tent. Oh no, I say, don't be so ridiculous! You see, Charlie is good in tents. He stays neatly inside them, and just cuddles up and goes to sleep. Plus, there is nothing he can jump on inside a tent. So, OH wore me down and my furniture was banished from the breakfast room and a tent arrived. Arrangement of tent inside a pen - so it's like a sort of dog/human bed in a crate. It got more elaborate over time. A flysheet, then a fitted thermorest, cotton sheets, duvets, pillows.... I have to say, it works very well as a post surgery way to sleep with a dog. But I'm not sure it would work for all dogs and humans. Just nutty ones. Here is his royal furiness tonight in his tent. IMG_1372 by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
