Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Oh no that is a real pain with the Beagle but well done Charlie, but such a worry for you both if Charlie starts jumping around with excitement, I would worry about that too. I really hope you find a trainer but it's not easy. Are there many trainers within easy reach of Wimbledon? x
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie [quote author=charlie link=topic=4619.msg74083#msg74083 date=1399321772] I really hope you find a trainer but it's not easy. Are there many trainers within easy reach of Wimbledon? x [/quote] There are surprisingly few trainers within easy reach. I would have thought there'd be more. Well, I suppose there are 20 or so, which is quite a lot. I've investigated most of them and decided not to go to them. I'm waiting to hear back from another couple, so still hopeful.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Aaggghh to crazy beagles! You're doing amazingly brilliantly there is no doubt. It's only going to get easier xxx
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Julie, I have thinking about making other owners aware of Charlie's injury, would it be possible to buy one of those collar/lead sets that you can have embroidered e.g. NERVOUS, RESCUE DOG maybe you could get RECOVERING FROM SURGERY or something like that in a really bright colour, it might make owners keep their dogs away from Charlie so as not to over excite him and not place you in difficult situations. Just a thought ??? x
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Helen, yes, I think that's a good thought. I looked at Annabelle's Gizapaw thread. I think, though, off lead dogs when we are on lead are the real problem. If the owner is around, and they often are not, I just tell them - which is quicker than waiting for them to read a notice on a lead. This morning, post beagle, I asked 2 different owners with dogs walking towards us to put their dogs on leads (very politely, of course) and asked another owner not to open the rear door of his car to let 3 dogs jump out into our path, but to wait until I got passed. Other dogs on lead are not so much of a problem (we are only a bit disgraceful, but no risk of injury or anything like that). People are funny though. Yesterday, someone told me off for walking a bitch in heat! She shouldn't be out at all! They just assumed that was why my dog was on a lead, and dancing about, and told me off! I wouldn't mind, but they were behind us, and what with Charlie's half shaved bum, I think it's pretty obvious he's not a girl! ;D ;D ;D
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie [quote author=charlie link=topic=4619.msg74100#msg74100 date=1399324165] Julie, I have thinking about making other owners aware of Charlie's injury, would it be possible to buy one of those collar/lead sets that you can have embroidered e.g. NERVOUS, RESCUE DOG maybe you could get RECOVERING FROM SURGERY or something like that in a really bright colour, it might make owners keep their dogs away from Charlie so as not to over excite him and not place you in difficult situations. Just a thought ??? x [/quote] Oh yes! Annabelle posted about the Gizapaw Site - they do one saying POST OP.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie As the young couple were madly running round after their beagle, landing face down in the mud when their rugby tackles missed, I did call out "come on! my dog's recovering from surgery!". OH told me to shut up. :-[ He was right. It made no difference, they still couldn't catch their dog.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Charlie is very obviously not a girl!!! ;D I think that the reaction to the Beagle was pretty normal for a young, enthusiastic lad - especially one who is busting to have a good run. As for the Beagle....wouldn't you hate to have a dog that you could only catch with a well timed rugby tackle? Nightmare. I'm pretty sure that any trainer is just going to advise desensitisation (tolerating gradually increasing exposure to doggie stimuli), and training an alternative behaviour. Those are the methods that are used to reduce over-arousal and develop something more controlled. The aren't really any other magic options.... Just training and time. A good trainer can help with motivation and structure but you are already very motivated and I get the impression that you're pretty good with the structure thing too I think that your fab dog walker with her access to many other dogs is likely to be of most benefit. Or bribe Jen to take a trip to London
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie [quote author=Oberon link=topic=4619.msg74112#msg74112 date=1399326308] I think that your fab dog walker with her access to many other dogs is likely to be of most benefit. Or bribe Jen to take a trip to London [/quote] Maybe I've been thinking about it wrong - because I work on Monday and Friday and that's when the dog walker says she can do the training exercises - so I thought to find a trainer until I finish the contract I'm working on now. But I could ask her whether she can not do the walks on Wednesday, and do training instead. Right. I'll get onto it.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie I agree with Rachael. Unfortunately Charlie just wants to play and has a lot of pent up energy at the moment so dogs like the beagle are going to get him wound up and excited. Im not sure a trainer would be much help with that either. Never mind what your OH said the beagle people would have certainly got a mouthful off me. It serves them right landing face down in the mud.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Hilarious Julie, if they thought Charlie was a girl I sure wouldn't want to see a boy x
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Bummer, Julie! So frustrating for you! Perhaps more training will help, I mean, it's not going to do any harm, but I have the feeling that due to your situations with Charlie's personality and restricted exercise there's only so far you'll be able to train for calmness in those types of situations. :-\. The best you can do is manage the best you can as you are doing. Is there any times you can go for walks when you can avoid the off-leash surprises, when less people are out and about?
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie 10.5 week check up. I was waiting for it keenly because Charlie is still protecting his leg. This means that when he hops over things (like the side of his bed, the brick edging in the garden, over the log he has just peed on, and so on) he does a little hop with his left leg. So instead of a 1-2 step, he does a 1-1 and puts his injured leg down after a missed step. He has done this since injury, but I was hoping it would be gone by now. Anyway, we got an all clear. He is 1/10 lame, 10% of the time. So 10% of the time at a walk (but not trot) a small amount of lameness can be detected. The vet thinks this is probably due to a bit of tight scar tissue or something like that, and Charlie can just be "pushed through it". That is, we push on with increasing his regime, and it will probably all straighten out. He said that unless it persists for 6 months or more, he wouldn't judge it to be a problem. He also asked me whether I thought I was "a bit of a perfectionist". ??? Which I thought was a very odd thing to say. But anyway. Physio exam tomorrow, and if we get the all clear from that too Charlie gets to go free swimming! Yay! Not in a river or anything outrageously wild like that : , just in the hydro pool. Charlie also has an "itchy bum" and had a watery poo again today. So got his anal glands squeezed, which he thought was a bit odd but very exciting and promptly did a "wall of death plus tail chase" round a very small consultation room with 4 people in it, ;D : ;D : , there was no problem with them, so OH has to take a poo sample in tomorrow. OH is not impressed by this. I'm at work though so he just has to get on with it.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie I think you may show some perfectionist traits Julie This sounds very good. Big whoop whoops for the swimming 8)
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=4619.msg74982#msg74982 date=1399576750] I think you may show some perfectionist traits Julie [/quote] Oh, ok. Well, maybe - just a tad though. ;D
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Excellent news Julie. ;D I bet swimming will help with that last little tiny bit of lameness so fingers crossed for tomorrow. I guess it's like when we have an injury it takes time to get rid of stiffness caused by not using it as much.
Re: Lovely Chocolate Charlie Good news Yes, you have at all stages striven for the best possible everything for your dog. Your expectations and standards have been high. And all along this has paid off for Charlie. It's no co-incidence that his recovery has been so good.
