Hehe, so everything has fallen apart now there is snow on the ground. It all just SO MUCH FUN!!!!! This is good for Willow, because I'm focussing on fun with her anyway and getting her relaxed before introducing more formal training again, but walking to heel on and off lead is just so boring, Mum, when there are snow drifts to dive in and smells to dig up. Back to the drawing board. On the plus side, we went for a walk with their best mate, black Lab Alfie, yesterday afternoon. A little way in, two Staffie-type dogs came barrelling over from nowhere, playing really boisterously with one another. I was a bit "argh" at first, because of Shadow's attitude towards boy dogs recently, so called my two to me - they came fabulously, but these other dogs chased over, too. I could then see they were both bitches, so relaxed, and released my two to play, which they did a bit, very nicely. Then, two more arrived, this time boys. The owners were miles away and I was really worried about how Shadow would react when seriously outnumbered by a group of dogs that all knew each other. Well, there was no aggro. Not a bit. No growls, snaps or posturing. I couldn't have been happier had I tried. So, I think that a lot of his problems with unfamiliar boy dogs, which I thought he had overcome before our travels, are exacerbated by unfamiliar locations. In a home setting, he was quite happy for these boys to say hi to Willow without sticking his oar in. I'm not sure how that leaves me inasmuch as our trips to the UK go, but at least it means I can relax a bit more on home turf and, if he has more positive interactions with unfamiliar boys here, it may make him relax more around them elsewhere.
I took some on my GoPro yesterday, but I've not downloaded it yet. Will have a look and see how it turned out
Well done Shadow! Sounds like a lovely, relaxing walks for all Love to see them both in a snow video. Praying for snow here!
I think this is the case, my friend's intact Lab, Zaba, is fine with all dogs now - but he wasn't 12 months ago - we had to be wary. Now that he's nearly 3 he has much more confidence and is relaxed round all shapes, sizes and sexes of dog
aaaahhhhh pups in snow, what's not to love does it get a bit "meh" for them after a while? or do they stay nuts about it?
I'm waiting to see what Juno thinks of snow as we didn't have any last year, but then again I can live without snow
They have already lost their initial zoomies, but they still love it, especially when it's deep and they get to bounce through it. Snowballs are the best thing ever and they just love catching them - they explode all over their faces! Willow gets a bit over-eager and tries to take them out of my hands whilst I'm still scooping up snow. It can take a while! It's not there yet, but hopefully this year we'll get the big snow bank along the side of the road that we did last year. It's hysterical, throwing the snowballs into it - the dogs leap, face-first into the soft powder. I had the grumpiest (dog hating) old lady in the village in hysterics last year, watching them. I'll get some video sorted when I have a bit of time. We don't have loads yet, but more is due tomorrow and for the next week or so. -13C out there this morning. This time last week it was T-shirt weather. Brr.
Oh, and they are both already struggling with the grit on the road outside. Both of them were sat like meerkats this morning, front feet waving in the air, trying to get them out of the salt. We've had a session with the Mushers' Secret, so hopefully they'll be fine now for a while. Willow has also reverted to refusing to go up and down our internal stairs because they are slippery, so we're taking the lift every time we go in or out. Sometimes for about ten stairs. People must think I'm the laziest person in the world!
Bless them It's a timely reminder for everyone that grit contains stuff that isn't great for the dogs if they lick their feet clean.
