Look who’s talking!!

Hmm is she calling us???

We all know you are not meant to shout at your children and that they respond better to a calm voice and reason but sometimes it seems only a screech will do!!!  Well it appears the same is true for dogs!!

Calling them to you in a nice kind voice will usually work better than a bellow!!! However it’s hard to remember the basic rules when you see them heading towards potential danger or you have called them 3 times already and they have become deaf!!

Lulu

My friend Sue has a recall issue with Lulu her Tibetan Terrier. She is not usually able to let Lulu off the lead to have a good run with other dogs because she wont come back when called!! Her ears twitch so you know she has heard you and sometimes she even stops to decide what she is going to do… you can almost see her brain working things out. ” Hmm I really want to carry on running through this field to chase the rabbit / play with Muffin and Princess / see how far I can get before I drop in a heap… but I can hear my Mum calling me.. Do I run to her or from her??!! She may have treats for me?? She may put me back on the lead!!” What a dilemma!!!

Anyway Sue has found an enclosed dog walking field near to where she lives and has taken the plunge lately and let Lulu off!! It has been a huge success and obviously it’s lovely for Sue to see her dogs having such fun, running around and playing with other dogs.

Until……. some pesky children had left the gate to the dog walking field ajar!!! Lulu and Princess were running off the lead and Sue probably saw the open gate at about the same time as Lulu did!!! It was a race against time now!!! Lulu spotted her escape route and went for it hotly pursued by Princess. Sue called them both…then called again and both ignored her. She shouted at Princess who then stopped in her tracks and came back. So now she just had to stop Lulu!!!

She shouted at her and saw Lulu do a half halt and think over her options ( see above!! ). Unfortunately she decided she would rather carry on and risk Sue’s wrath. After all she was already being shouted at so why come back?? Sue realised she needed to calm herself down and after a few deep breaths called her in her best sing song voice while reaching into her pocket for a treat.

And lo a miracle occurred!!! Well ok maybe not a miracle but Lulu turned and came running back to Sue, tail wagging , happy as could be!!

I think we have all  been in scary situations and reacted accordingly, then realised the shouting scared voice doesn’t encourage the dog to come back. In fact it probably scares them away!!!

I always take a whistle out on walks to call Rudy and Rio back as they run so far away from me on their travels!! It works well and saves using the “wrong” voice!! However I have found that you can actually blow your whistle in an angry way!!!!!! I have found this out twice this week whilst waiting for my little angels to come back!!! You can in fact grip said whistle between your clenched teeth and blow til u pop the button off your jeans!!! Yes really!!!

Slip sliding away..

Slippery slope!!

We have had so much rain lately, both in Britain generally and closer to home that walking Rudy and Rio has become like a Boot Camp Survival challenge every day!!!  Everywhere you try to walk is so wet and slippery that I am often found poleaxed and prone on the ground after yet another Olympic standard fall / slip/trip/slide while Rudy and Rio are as athletic and graceful as ever, completely sure footed and steady.

The dogs are able to run at the same speed ( flat out ) whether they are going up hill, down hill or on the flat!! How do they manage that and still stay standing? Some of the hills they sprint down are so steep I expect them to end up rolling down instead but they never do.

On one walk on Cleeve Hill I remember a lady rushing up to me quite upset because she had seen 2 dogs racing to the edge of the hill and disappearing!!  I calmed her down as I explained that yes they had gone over the edge but that they did it regularly as part of their walk and that in a few minutes they would reappear tails wagging furiously happy as could be!!

Rudy

I must admit that when you see the inclines they tackle it does make me wonder why I have such trouble staying upright just crossing a flat wooden bridge? This triumph of human (in) stability happened not so long ago when I took Rudy and Rio to Cheltenham Racecourse fields for a walk. It is a very popular place for local dog walkers and you usually bump into someone you know to have a chat to.

Anyway the ground was quite wet as always and we approached the wide wooden bridge from an adjoining field. The dogs were happily off exploring and I walked down a slope to the bridge thinking to myself that it was probably quite slippery so I should be careful.

Hmm as I reached the edge of the bridge I decided I should jump onto the bridge to avoid a huge puddle. As soon as my first wellie clad foot touched the bridge it skidded straight back off and then I found myself literally flying through the air both legs higher than my head ( no mean feat ) before landing with a massive thud on my backside!!!

Of course my first thought was that I hoped the people I knew were walking behind me hadn’t seen as I tried to get up!! Rudy must have heard so he came rushing back to see what was going on, saw me laying on my back, figured I must be ok as I was gesticulating wildly and promptly ran back off to scour the hedgerow again!! Rio didn’t even bother pretending to be concerned!!

I struggled to my feet and soldiered on tears springing to my eyes and limping madly so we could continue the walk. I whistled the dogs as by now I had no idea where they were and they both came crashing out of the hedge greeted me gleefully and headed off again, apparently not noticing that I was now walking with a stoop and slightly off centre!!

The bruises from that walk lasted a few weeks but I must admit if I had seen someone else do it I would have found it hysterical!!

Wo(Mans) best friend

Best friends

As Rudy, Rio and I set off for our lunchtime walk today the wind was really blowing hard, so I knew up on Cleeve Hill it would be wild!!! I wasn’t wrong!! The car park was now completely under water due to the heavy rain this area and many others have been experiencing over the last few days.

There were only 2 other vehicles in the car park, hardy dog walkers or just plain crazy!!! I got out of the car and was nearly blown off my feet!!! As I got the dogs out of the car I pondered my sense in coming up here just to let them have a run around and realised I do it because I love them!! There are not many other things I would step out in this weather to do!!!

Unfortunately it was not the best day to realise I didn’t have my whistle with me!! I attempted one of my own and heard it sail away on the wind, the dogs none the wiser!!! I called to Rudy and he didn’t hear me at all ( I’m sure he wasn’t ignoring me!! )

The ridiculousness of the scene..dogs happy as ever running here, there and everywhere, ears flying madly, having a whale of a time…made me realise what an important place our dogs have in our hearts. Yes Rudy and Rio are “just” pets i.e they don’t work but still I am more than happy to walk them whatever the weather for hours at a time for 2 reasons. 1; They love it. 2; I love it!!! Simple!!!

It’s in here somewhere!!

Other dogs serve a much more useful purpose. There are Guide Dogs for the blind, Hearing Dogs for the Deaf and PAWS, dogs trained to help children with Autism.

Dogs are so clever and so happy to do the right thing and just imagine the difference they must make to a blind person. The freedom the dog provides and the opportunity for the blind person to go places and do things previously impossible must forge an incredible bond.

Again hearing dogs for the deaf must be an incredible aid to an easier life for the human, alerting them to the telephone ringing etc and it has been proved that having a dog helps lower stress levels for families with an autistic child.

Dogs really are our best friends and I’m sure if they were human they would do all the right things!! They would always remember our Birthdays and buy the best presents!! They would never moan about us going out with our friends or forget to put the bins out!! They would always insist our bums didn’t look big in that and assure us  that no one would notice the spot in the middle of our chin!!!!

We walked on and I was nearly blown off my feet a few times but watching Rudy and Rio enjoy themselves more than made up for it .

Rain stops play?… Never!!!

The calm before the storm

The weather was against me today it seemed!! The drizzle that had persisted all morning started to get slightly heavier as I drove home from work to take Rudy and Rio out. By the time I had changed clothes into Dog Walkers Uniform and the dogs had performed their daily sofa acrobatics to show their excitement levels were reaching boiling point, it was raining properly.

It was only as I pulled into the car park on the hill that it actually became torrential!!! Obviously my nice new shiny waterproof trousers ( sexy I know ) were sitting at home neatly folded and perfectly dry thank you very much!!!

There was nothing for it, I had to get out and walk. As I exited the car my head nearly got blown off, my coat blew back off me thus choking me and the hood whipped up,  toggles slapping  me in the face!! Not altogether the best start!!

Still nothing ventured and all that so I let Rudy and Rio out of the car and off we  ran ( yes all 3 of us as they were still on their leads )  down the path. I let them off and then started to think as I walked bent almost double against the wind…Why do I usually choose the wrong coat to wear ??

You can guarantee if I choose my thick fleecy coat that is not waterproof it will rain and I will get so warm ( think Menopause ) that I nearly faint.

If I choose the thin waterproof , it will rain so heavily that said waterproof will prove that it is in fact only showerproof and leak in patches across my chest ( think Lactating new mothers ).

Then there is the all weather super fleece lined thick waterproof that will indeed keep out gusts of wind but weighs so much I can barely lift it off the coat rack at home. The hood of which while functioning perfectly, flattens my hair completely to my head ( think hard boiled egg).

And don’t even get me started on the fact I have had to wear wellies all summer. I wonder if I will develop webbed feet soon?? Needless to say Rudy and Rio had a fantastic time running everywhere, exploring the gorse bushes, ears flying wildly in the wind , loving every wet windy second!!

Soggy dogs!!

And the winner is…..

This weekend has been a mixed bag weather wise for walking on Cleeve Hill. Considering it is the highest point in the county of Gloucestershire ( 1083 feet ) with views on a good clear day reaching as far as Winsford Hill in Somerset some 90 miles away , Friday came as something of a surprise when I arrived with Rudy and Rio . The fog had descended and was so thick that you literally could only see about 20 feet in front of you and as you walked it enveloped you completely!! Slightly spooky!!

A few other hardy dog walkers were just leaving so I figured now we were there we may as well go for it!! Needless to say the fog didn’t bother the dogs in the slightest and they took off at the obligatory break neck speed..well don’t forget it was a whole 24 hours since their last marathon!!!

As we walked round towards the front of the hill overlooking Cheltenham I could hear the excited tones of the race commentators urging the Racehorses on and just hoped the fog was not as thick down there!! A vision of a Racehorse with a fog light fitted to it’s brow band sprang to mind!!

Saturday’s late afternoon walk was completely different and the sunset was amazing! So beautiful I have never seen the sky such a rich red!

Enjoying the Sheep Dip

Today I met my good friend Fi and her working cocker Digby ( known as Digs ). It’s been a few weeks since we met up to walk and it was good to see them both again. Digs was 1 in september and seems to have hit the ” Kevin the teenager ” stage!! Both Rudy and Rio have gone through it and still act up at random times especially Rio who is 19 months.

The ” Kevin” stage is particularly shall we say challenging!!!  You say ” don’t dig the garden” and the dog digs a crater you could land a UFO in! You say” don’t get in the golfers way ” and the dog helpfully fetches the golfball and takes it into the nearest gorse bush never to be seen again! You say ” come here while the horses pass” and the dog rounds them up like a professional!

You get the general impression!! While it sounds funny it can be very embarrassing and frustrating especially when they can be angelic at home!!!

Anyway Fi’s secret weapon are her salmon treats ( recipe below ). To be fair they absolutely stink and if you have to touch them your hands will need disinfecting for probably about a week!! That being said I have never seen dogs react to anything in such a huge and positive way!!! Even Rudy who is so self absorbed on a walk, will come sprinting back and skidding to a halt as soon as said treats are taken out of the pocket!!

Soon all 3 dogs were sitting to attention like perfect models of Canine obedience, tails wagging furiously, desperate to get those fishy treats!! Honestly it’s amazing!!

Fi is starting to whistle train Digs and every time he came back when requested he got a treat. However Rudy and Rio thought that as they had come back too they had earned treats!! As anyone with a dog with appealing eyes will tell you it’s very hard to say no when they fix you with a longing look!!!!

We walked a huge circuit round the top of the hill then descended to the Sheep Dip. This is a small pool that farmers used to use in days gone by and now is a meeting place for dogs and their owners and the dogs all enjoyed a swim. It gets like Doggy Day Care down there sometimes.

Comic sight of the day was a small dog..I think it was a Shih Tzu..dressed in a pink coat!! The dog was allowed a small drink from the spring that runs directly down the valley to the Sheep Dip but then she had to be picked up and carried so she didn’t get her paws wet!!!

We said good morning to the owners trying to stifle a grin and all the spaniels went to say hello too. It was all going so well until we wanted to walk on and Rudy was nowhere to be seen!! It would appear he quite fancied this Shih Tzu and had become deaf to my calls!! I had to walk back and literally drag him away by the collar, the Pink Princess’s owners looking at me pityingly!!

As Cath put it so succinctly when describing Fern  ” she developed Spanielitis”…you know…totally uncontrollable!!! Hmm yeah thanks Cath!!!

Salmon Treat Recipe;

1 Tin Salmon, Garlic paste, 1 egg, 1tablespoon plain flour.

Mix all ingredients and spread onto baking tray and cook for 10 minutes. When cold cut into tiny pieces. Can be frozen..if it lasts that long!!! Use sparingly and be prepared for miracles!!!

Jumping for those Salmon treats!!!

Lookey Likey Dogs

I’ve been thinking..sometimes you see someone walking their dog and the resemblance between dog and owner is amazing!! I’ve seen a short, squat, bald, chubby guy walking a short, squat, chubby Bulldog. They both had the same thick necks and determined stride and that ” Don’t mess with me” look.

It made me think of my dog owner friends and whether we choose dogs that reflect our looks and personality traits or are we just drawn to them??

Check out the length of those ears!

I can’t say I think I look like Rudy and Rio..after all my hair isn’t red/ginger and my ears aren’t ridiculously long!! Neither do my ribs show in a relaxed stance and unfortunately I don’t have endless energy!!

My friend Cath has a black lab called Fern. She is laid back, quiet and calm but has hidden depths…not sure that describes Cath aswell but there are some parallels.

Hidden depths???!!

Then there is Sue who has Lulu the Tibetan Terrier and Princess ( yeah I know!!) the Maltese Terrier. Lulu is quite fluffy and aloof while Princess is quite needy…hmm what does this tell us?

Sue’s husband Rich owns Muffin a Terrier cross. Muffin is very single minded and stubborn and a little scruffy. Rich is a little scruffy too ( Sorry Rich) and his  equivalent human traits have made him an extremely successful businessman!

Paola has the beautiful Crash a huge Dalmation. Crash is in a league of his own when it comes to dogged determination..especially when it comes to trying to relieve you of your dinner!! He is also elegant and graceful, he and Paola are very similar in that respect.

Crash look a like

And then there is my Mum. She has always had dogs and currently owns a Tibetan and a Miniature long haired Daschund. The Dachs, Crumpet, is getting on a bit now, he tires easily, is generally slower but don’t tell him he can’t do the same as he always has!!

So maybe there is something in the theory after all… is anyone you know the clone of their canine companion???

Sudeley walk,Winchcombe

Sudeley Castle Gatehouse

After a few days of excessive free running ( the dogs) and stumbling up hill and down dale ( me) I decided in my infinite wisdom that Rudy and Rio needed a reminder of disciplined ” heel” work and general good manners.

It didn’t really start too promisingly, as while I was getting into Dog Walkers Uniform ( jeans,thick socks, wellies and waterproof ) both dogs were busy doing circuits across the sofas in the front room. Apparently they can leap and almost clear the gap between the sofas without dropping a paw to the ground!! Quite impressive should they ever need to prove themselves at long jump!!!

After the usual kerfuffle to get their leads on I opened the front door. They know not to go through it before me now, the next step being  not to dislocate my shoulder barging towards the car!! So it went something like this…Me  ” Rudy come”  Rudy obliged and so did Rio. So  I  put Rio back in the house. Me  ” Rio come”  Rio came and Rudy shot back into the house!! This was getting beyond a joke and I thought with one more in and one more out we could start the Oakey Cokie!!

Anyway with limited time I decided now they were both out we would head off to Winchcombe. I parked in Vineyard Street ( beautiful) and the dogs dragged me kindly down the road to the field. Hmm this controlled heel work is actually quite hard!!

After they had a good gallop round we headed down the lane towards Sudeley Castle with both dogs pulling happily and me growling, hissing ( yes that does work sometimes!!) and  getting longer arms by the minute!! Not good

We headed up the bank so the dogs could have a run in the wooded area just past the lake and they took off thrilled to be doing their favourite thing… scenting all the beasts that have no doubt been in there during the night. Heads down and tails wagging wildly they soon disappeared from sight.  Good time to practise  their recall work I thought so I blew the whistle and Rudy came back immediately followed not much later by Rio. Great I thought I’ve got this bit cracked and sent them both off again.

A few minutes later and we repeated the exercise and again Rudy whizzed back but this time Rio took a little while longer and had to be whistled again. Still when he finally came back he looked so pleased with himself I didn’t have the heart to point out the timing issues!!!

Time was marching on and I needed to start heading back to the car in the certain knowledge both dogs were going to need washing when we got home as they were by now filthy.

So..the final whistle. Rudy came straight away…Rio the little stinker was nowhere to be seen. Cue me blowing the whistle, calling him ( albeit through gritted teeth with the expletives *** out) and getting madder and madder by the minute!!

A good 2 or 3 minutes later he appears at breakneck speed and skidded to a halt in front of me gathering as much thick mud as possible in between his paws!!  Oh bless I thought…well something like that anyway!!

With speed Usain Bolt would be envious of we rushed home, hosed both dogs down, dried them very quickly and they then permeated the hall with that beautiful wet dog odour that even Febreeze struggles to eliminate for the next couple of hours!!

Oh the joy of owning dogs in the winter!!x

Autumn colours

Cleeve Hill

Cleeve Hill overlooking Cheltenham Racecourse

Wednesday 7th November

So today the sun was actually shining and the rain stayed away!! As i sat in the office I couldn’t wait to get home at lunchtime to whizz Rudy and Rio out and decided as it was such a beautiful day I would go up on the hill. I dashed home to change into Dog Walker’s Uniform…Wellies, dirty jeans and waterproof and set off with 2 very over excited dogs.

Obviously the 1st thing I forgot was the traffic lights in Winchcombe so I sat there for a few minutes with Rio whining pitifully in the back of the car!! That dog is so impatient!! Anyhow we arrived at the flooded car park and set off. The dogs dragging me as fast as caninely possible to the path so I could let them off the leads avoiding as many Golfers as possible. It’s odd but I have found that for the most part Golfers don’t tend to share my love of manic dogs running wildly showing their appreciation for our fine countryside!

Strange… As we walked along one path I saw a big dog coming towards us and my 2 went to have a sniff and greet said dog. As we got closer and the wind was lashing against me and whipping my hair into a frenzy I noticed the dog’s owner was well…rather tasty actually!!! “Afternoon” he said and I screeched something inane back above the roar of the wind and wondered yet again why some people always look effortlessly glam while I just look …like a dog walker!!! A mess!!! So we got to the end of the path and made the decision to head up a goat track on the side of the hill, me leaning towards the safety of the bank and away from certain death (ok I am exaggerating but only slightly!!) and the dogs as usual running at 100 miles per hour. I noticed they were head down and bum in the air trying to out do each other looking down rabbit holes! Tails wagging the whole time pushing each other out of the way and I was grateful for Rio’s undocked extremely long tail which I was planning on pulling him back out with should he get stuck!!

By now time was running out and so we headed back to the car much to their disappointment. On the way home we passed a lady walking a black cocker with a lead attached to her waist so she was hands free. Good idea I thought ’til I imagined my 2 pulling me over within about 20 seconds!! Oh well back to the drawing board. x

Murphy’s Law

Beautiful Cocker similar to Murphy

Again today the sun was shining so I raced home to take Rudy & Rio out at lunchtime. Cleeve hill seemed appealing again so after a quick change (me) and much leaping around the furniture (them) we set off with great excitement.

When we arrived at the car park I saw a friend just setting off down the path with her beautiful chocolate Sprocker Murphy. We have met on numerous occasions and I have always loved seeing Murphy running alongside my 2. They make a lovely colour palette!!! Very autumnal!! Anyway Rudy felt he had to assert himself so pulled himself up to his full height (about the same as Murphy) and all his hackles went up while he strutted around!! Poor Murphy looked quite put out and after a few minutes they were all fine again.

We basically did the same walk again and didn’t really see anyone else as we walked at some speed.. I’m sure Murphy’s owner must be fitter than me as she wasn’t puffing and blowing like I was going uphill!! It was lovely to have some company and as we haven’t seen each other for almost a year we had plenty to catch up on.

On the way back to the car we saw 2 dogs..I think they were French Bulldogs but I’m not sure.  They came rushing at us at about 90 miles an hour to have a go at our lot and especially Murphy. It always amazes me that the owners of aggressive dogs always claim that they are “just playing” or they “don’t mean it” or today’s version “he has small dog syndrome”!!! Well Renee and Winstone let’s hope you grow out of it before we see you again!

Anyway other than that little hiccup it was a lovely if brief walk and clean dogs! Amazing considering most of the summer has been spent hosing them down after every walk which can’t be pleasant but they tolerate it albeit with 1 back leg held high in the air trying to get away from the freezing cold water… still their coats always look shiny.. guess it’s cos they’re worth it!!

x

Welcome to the crazy world of Cockers!

Me and my 2 Cockers

Hello I’m Jane and I LOVE dogs!!

I have decided to try and write a blog which will be entertaining, informative but not too serious!!

I have 3 children who are mostly grown up and flying the nest rapidly so my 2 dogs are my company now. they keep me sane ( hmm some would argue that point!!), they keep me fit (to drop!) and most of all they are really good fun!!

I live on the edge of the Cotswolds so we are surrounded by some fantastic countryside which the 3 of us love to explore.

I have 2 working Cocker Spaniels. Rudy is 2 and a half & is a rich red colour, although his pedigree states he is golden and Rio is 18 months and is gold in colour with a pedigree stating he is lemon and white!! Is nothing simple with Spaniels??!!

I have come to realise Spaniels are not like other dogs and that they need training in a different way. This has provided me with some amazing highs and some equally horrendous lows..more of which later!!

I hope if you love dogs as much as I do you will enjoy following this blog!