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I can see a book coming on (w00t) :- "
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Demoting Digit!
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Awww shucks! thanks for your votes of confidence! I have thought about collecting this together in some way - best wait to see if the subtitle needs to be 'the story of my success!' or 'lesson in abject failure' lol
ok - it's a long one today, so pop off and make yourself a cuppa.
Got one?
Then i'll begin..............................
ok - it's a long one today, so pop off and make yourself a cuppa.
Got one?
Then i'll begin..............................
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D-Day +14
Today has been a real test of what? Wills? Patience? You decide! It was a friend’s birthday barbecue this afternoon and knowing there would be quite a few dogs there, I thought it would be a good idea to do some work with Dij on it not being his job to protect the pack anymore. So we walked round (plenty of opportunities for ‘close’ and ‘back’) People must think I’m some kind of road-crossing cultist – every chance I get, one side to the other!
We got to my friends and saw his dog Jack – Dij and Jack get on well but in a teenage boy sparring kind of way. But Henry the big old rottie x was there and Digit wasn’t keen. So, we divvied up my friends flat – Henry in the bedroom, Jack outside the french doors and Dij with me. Each time I stepped out of the doors with Dij, if he barked I thanked him. If he didn’t then defer, to me I put him without ceremony into the sitting room, with his lead caught in the door and me with my back turned on sentry duty. After a short period of calm we tried again – and again, and again and…..you get the picture. However after around 8 attempts, Dij emerged and took up position BEHIND me – result! Very very slowly, a couple of paces at a time, we progressed along the path towards Jack and my friends. I had purposely arrived early, both because I’m a punctuality freak but also so that I could be doing the bulk of this before everything got too exciting with people and dogs and food smalls and other distractions. After around half an hour Dij relaxed completely and lay down on his blanky. Time for some well supervised play in the garden off-lead. As other dogs arrived, I explained to people what I was doing and repeated the exercise with the french doors. Luckily the new dogs arrived singly, particularly as Jack is a wind up merchant!
Eventually by the end of the evening Digit managed to be relaxed on his blanky by my feet, with all my friends and their dogs in close proximity. Well done my little chap. There was a small hiccup when one guest realised that her bitch was coming into season (the intact males of the gathering helpfully pointed this out!) So Boot was taken home to avoid harassment and competition. Dij then whined for 10 minutes until I took him a tour of the whole garden and flat to prove she wasn’t hiding somewhere!
For a relaxing afternoon I sure am exhausted!
Went to see Jack an he shouted at me so I shouted back coz I’m biggerer an betterer than he is an he knows it! But Anty put me INSIDE. And it wasn’t fair coz Jack was outside and I wasn’t so when I came back out I shouted again and Anty made me go back and in, and out and in and out and in and oh gosh I’m getting dizzy! So I gave up shouting and stood behind Anty and she looked like we didn’t need to shout so I didn’t.
Then we went Off-Leadin! Me an Jack went zooming round the garden an he’s not as fast as me so I was better! And we played swashbuckling and he was the three musketeers and I was Zorro and we brandished our swords shwishy prashy and rescued damsels in dresses yaaaaay!
After dropped sausagey goodness, more dogs and people came and I didn’t know the dogs and I didn’t know what they might do so I shouted at them just in case. But Anty didn’t want me to keep shouting so I went back INSIDE.
Then Boot came and she smelled kinda funky and I tried to get in for a whiffle but Anty thought I shouldn’t. Hhhmmmmph Boot thought I should! So Boot’s Anty took her away but I thought she might be INSIDE like I was, even thought she hadn’t shouted at anyone and I cried. Me and Anty went looking for her but she was definitely gone, I whiffled out where she walked through the gate with my whippety whiffler.
Today I have learned: people drop a lot of sausages at barbecues …..yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Today has been a real test of what? Wills? Patience? You decide! It was a friend’s birthday barbecue this afternoon and knowing there would be quite a few dogs there, I thought it would be a good idea to do some work with Dij on it not being his job to protect the pack anymore. So we walked round (plenty of opportunities for ‘close’ and ‘back’) People must think I’m some kind of road-crossing cultist – every chance I get, one side to the other!
We got to my friends and saw his dog Jack – Dij and Jack get on well but in a teenage boy sparring kind of way. But Henry the big old rottie x was there and Digit wasn’t keen. So, we divvied up my friends flat – Henry in the bedroom, Jack outside the french doors and Dij with me. Each time I stepped out of the doors with Dij, if he barked I thanked him. If he didn’t then defer, to me I put him without ceremony into the sitting room, with his lead caught in the door and me with my back turned on sentry duty. After a short period of calm we tried again – and again, and again and…..you get the picture. However after around 8 attempts, Dij emerged and took up position BEHIND me – result! Very very slowly, a couple of paces at a time, we progressed along the path towards Jack and my friends. I had purposely arrived early, both because I’m a punctuality freak but also so that I could be doing the bulk of this before everything got too exciting with people and dogs and food smalls and other distractions. After around half an hour Dij relaxed completely and lay down on his blanky. Time for some well supervised play in the garden off-lead. As other dogs arrived, I explained to people what I was doing and repeated the exercise with the french doors. Luckily the new dogs arrived singly, particularly as Jack is a wind up merchant!
Eventually by the end of the evening Digit managed to be relaxed on his blanky by my feet, with all my friends and their dogs in close proximity. Well done my little chap. There was a small hiccup when one guest realised that her bitch was coming into season (the intact males of the gathering helpfully pointed this out!) So Boot was taken home to avoid harassment and competition. Dij then whined for 10 minutes until I took him a tour of the whole garden and flat to prove she wasn’t hiding somewhere!
For a relaxing afternoon I sure am exhausted!
Went to see Jack an he shouted at me so I shouted back coz I’m biggerer an betterer than he is an he knows it! But Anty put me INSIDE. And it wasn’t fair coz Jack was outside and I wasn’t so when I came back out I shouted again and Anty made me go back and in, and out and in and out and in and oh gosh I’m getting dizzy! So I gave up shouting and stood behind Anty and she looked like we didn’t need to shout so I didn’t.
Then we went Off-Leadin! Me an Jack went zooming round the garden an he’s not as fast as me so I was better! And we played swashbuckling and he was the three musketeers and I was Zorro and we brandished our swords shwishy prashy and rescued damsels in dresses yaaaaay!
After dropped sausagey goodness, more dogs and people came and I didn’t know the dogs and I didn’t know what they might do so I shouted at them just in case. But Anty didn’t want me to keep shouting so I went back INSIDE.
Then Boot came and she smelled kinda funky and I tried to get in for a whiffle but Anty thought I shouldn’t. Hhhmmmmph Boot thought I should! So Boot’s Anty took her away but I thought she might be INSIDE like I was, even thought she hadn’t shouted at anyone and I cried. Me and Anty went looking for her but she was definitely gone, I whiffled out where she walked through the gate with my whippety whiffler.
Today I have learned: people drop a lot of sausages at barbecues …..yaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
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Oh my god this is priceless!!! Loving every minute of it!!! (w00t)
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Mad as March Hare, you whippity raconteur (esse).Lynn-Alexandria said:
Get this published!!
It makes me larf (then again, I'm as potty as a box of frogs anyway).
True Entertainment - The Sun. A Chronicle of chortling - The Times, English Eccentricity at its' best - New York Herald.
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awww *blush*.....
actually, it's no use me acting coy (even though it does suit me soooo well) coz, coz coz.......well, read today's entry and you'll see why!
actually, it's no use me acting coy (even though it does suit me soooo well) coz, coz coz.......well, read today's entry and you'll see why!
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D-Day +16
Sunday was less trying and more rewarding for all concerned! We went to a friend’s house for dinner with around 20 people but no other dogs: lamb, beef and chicken were catered for nearer 40! After patiently watching everyone else eat, Dij was rewarded with a lamb bone bigger than he could believe and the sinewy chew-for-a-week end of beef that the butcher had cheekily rolled into the middle of a joint. No match either of them, for a persistent whippet!
Today, I have come home from our 1½ hour exploration of Birmingham’s side streets, with a grin that stretches from here to next door! Today I have finally seen real signs that Digit has accepted the coronation of a new Alpha!
He has deferred to me for every decision concerning which way the pack should travel. Even when I’ve tested him by walking straight at a wall, he’s made no attempt to pre-empt the turn, following my lead until I gave him my verdict – ‘Close’ or ‘Back’.
But don’t go thinking the pilchards for tea are already earned – hot dang! there’s more to come, we’re not even half way yet!
Part of my decision to stick to road walking in these early stages, is to avoid the association of the park with play time and Dij’s home territory. The other factor is to reduce the number of dogs we meet so that Dij can pay full attention to his lessons. Avoiding parks in Birmingham is harder than you might think, especially if you’ve never been there, nor made the mistake of dismissing the city to a Brummie (native or adopted) as a concrete monstrosity. The semi-apocryphal tale of never being more than 5 feet from a rat, is actually pretty much true when applied to Birmingham and its green spaces. So this evening we have taken a route that has circumnavigated 2 of them, bringing us into close proximity with several dogs. Dij has been alert to their presence, but not attempted to pull towards any of them. When it has been clear that our paths must cross, I have found a patch of wide verge, turned Dij onto it and placed him behind me. With my weight on my hind legs (a la wolf in unconcerned posture) I have waited for them to pass in a relaxed manner, yawning, oh yes ! and licking my lips to further reinforce the message that we are not at all bothered! And even when a young cocky doberman buck pranced by, barking at us and pulling on his lead, we remained calm and unflapped and above all – quiet!
Ker-ching! Pilchards for tea!
Went out walkin tonight and Anty was IN CHARGE. She knowed where she was turnin, so I went where she went and IT WAS EASY! We saw other dogs. Anty was all magnificent and leadery and she said it was ok and we didn’t need to shout coz she’d GOT IT ALL UNDER CONTROL. And she looked like she had, so I didn’t shout coz she wasn’t shouting, she said we wasn’t bovered so I didn’t bover eiver! She’s sooooo cleaver and in-chargey and she made it be pilchards for tea, just like that!
Sunday was less trying and more rewarding for all concerned! We went to a friend’s house for dinner with around 20 people but no other dogs: lamb, beef and chicken were catered for nearer 40! After patiently watching everyone else eat, Dij was rewarded with a lamb bone bigger than he could believe and the sinewy chew-for-a-week end of beef that the butcher had cheekily rolled into the middle of a joint. No match either of them, for a persistent whippet!
Today, I have come home from our 1½ hour exploration of Birmingham’s side streets, with a grin that stretches from here to next door! Today I have finally seen real signs that Digit has accepted the coronation of a new Alpha!
He has deferred to me for every decision concerning which way the pack should travel. Even when I’ve tested him by walking straight at a wall, he’s made no attempt to pre-empt the turn, following my lead until I gave him my verdict – ‘Close’ or ‘Back’.
But don’t go thinking the pilchards for tea are already earned – hot dang! there’s more to come, we’re not even half way yet!
Part of my decision to stick to road walking in these early stages, is to avoid the association of the park with play time and Dij’s home territory. The other factor is to reduce the number of dogs we meet so that Dij can pay full attention to his lessons. Avoiding parks in Birmingham is harder than you might think, especially if you’ve never been there, nor made the mistake of dismissing the city to a Brummie (native or adopted) as a concrete monstrosity. The semi-apocryphal tale of never being more than 5 feet from a rat, is actually pretty much true when applied to Birmingham and its green spaces. So this evening we have taken a route that has circumnavigated 2 of them, bringing us into close proximity with several dogs. Dij has been alert to their presence, but not attempted to pull towards any of them. When it has been clear that our paths must cross, I have found a patch of wide verge, turned Dij onto it and placed him behind me. With my weight on my hind legs (a la wolf in unconcerned posture) I have waited for them to pass in a relaxed manner, yawning, oh yes ! and licking my lips to further reinforce the message that we are not at all bothered! And even when a young cocky doberman buck pranced by, barking at us and pulling on his lead, we remained calm and unflapped and above all – quiet!
Ker-ching! Pilchards for tea!
Went out walkin tonight and Anty was IN CHARGE. She knowed where she was turnin, so I went where she went and IT WAS EASY! We saw other dogs. Anty was all magnificent and leadery and she said it was ok and we didn’t need to shout coz she’d GOT IT ALL UNDER CONTROL. And she looked like she had, so I didn’t shout coz she wasn’t shouting, she said we wasn’t bovered so I didn’t bover eiver! She’s sooooo cleaver and in-chargey and she made it be pilchards for tea, just like that!
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This is better than a best seller...can't wait for tomorrow :thumbsup:
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D-Day +17
Working late, so came home at 3 to break the day up with an excursion. It was very hot and as he’s no better in the heat than I am, I decided against a long road walk. So we went to the park for a potter round the pool. This is the first time Digit has been to ‘his’ park since we started all of this, so I wasn’t sure what the effects would be: apart from a bit of pulling, the answer was ‘negligible’. Still, I slowed to child-called-in-for-tea pace every time he tried it on, bad habits are easily endorsed.
Apart from a few boys playing football it was relatively quiet but we did see a couple of dogs. On both occasions he had a little whimper, but made no attempt to pull towards them. And no barking! Not even a little barklet! Of course, the challenge will come when he meets one of his sworn enemies – but am hoping we can have consolidated this new behaviour a bit prior to testing his restraint to destruction!
Park, park, park, park, parkparkPARK! Sniffs to whiffle and stuff just beggin to be wee’d on! No friends out playin Boooooo-oooooo!
Saw some new dogs. Anty didn’t want to say hello – but then she didn’t want to shout them away neither. I whimpered a whiney one, just in case she hadn’t noticed them – but she had, and said thanks for telling me WITH A BISCUIT! And we ignored them together.
Working late, so came home at 3 to break the day up with an excursion. It was very hot and as he’s no better in the heat than I am, I decided against a long road walk. So we went to the park for a potter round the pool. This is the first time Digit has been to ‘his’ park since we started all of this, so I wasn’t sure what the effects would be: apart from a bit of pulling, the answer was ‘negligible’. Still, I slowed to child-called-in-for-tea pace every time he tried it on, bad habits are easily endorsed.
Apart from a few boys playing football it was relatively quiet but we did see a couple of dogs. On both occasions he had a little whimper, but made no attempt to pull towards them. And no barking! Not even a little barklet! Of course, the challenge will come when he meets one of his sworn enemies – but am hoping we can have consolidated this new behaviour a bit prior to testing his restraint to destruction!
Park, park, park, park, parkparkPARK! Sniffs to whiffle and stuff just beggin to be wee’d on! No friends out playin Boooooo-oooooo!
Saw some new dogs. Anty didn’t want to say hello – but then she didn’t want to shout them away neither. I whimpered a whiney one, just in case she hadn’t noticed them – but she had, and said thanks for telling me WITH A BISCUIT! And we ignored them together.
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:thumbsup: Loving it......and if you turned it into a book i would buy it cause it so funny and i would be giggling my socks off....
Can we have a pic of you baby?
Can we have a pic of you baby?
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here he is!
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Only just found this
What a wonderful whippety story. Big hug for Digit, being such a clever boy know he knows whos in charge. :luck: Well done you lot
What a wonderful whippety story. Big hug for Digit, being such a clever boy know he knows whos in charge. :luck: Well done you lot
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(w00t) This is BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!
giggled myself off my chair!!! :lol:
more please!
giggled myself off my chair!!! :lol:
more please!
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D-Day+18
Oooo, I do like a bit of focus!
The focus for today has been ‘Aunty sets the pace’: otherwise known as more heel work.
Pulling is a habit I pretty much broke for Dij when I first got him, but he still does try to speed me up sometimes, when he thinks we aren’t taking in enough interesting things. Today was the day to underline my new-found status by controlling decisions around the speed at which we walk. So any time Dij tensioned the lead, I slowed til I felt the slack again. Other times I simply changed speed to get him used to adopting my pace, without question, whatever it might be.
One of the side effects Jan suggests you look out for, is an increase in wee volume as dogs begin to accept that they are no longer in charge. This is because they no longer need to retain vast quantities of urine for scent marking purposes. Today’s walk was the first time Digit’s done anything other than wee up every tree, lamp post and litter bin that we pass. 3 big wees in an hour as opposed to around 15 brief sprinkles.
Think Anty’s been Tangoed! Slow, slow, quickquick slow!
Oooo, I do like a bit of focus!
The focus for today has been ‘Aunty sets the pace’: otherwise known as more heel work.
Pulling is a habit I pretty much broke for Dij when I first got him, but he still does try to speed me up sometimes, when he thinks we aren’t taking in enough interesting things. Today was the day to underline my new-found status by controlling decisions around the speed at which we walk. So any time Dij tensioned the lead, I slowed til I felt the slack again. Other times I simply changed speed to get him used to adopting my pace, without question, whatever it might be.
One of the side effects Jan suggests you look out for, is an increase in wee volume as dogs begin to accept that they are no longer in charge. This is because they no longer need to retain vast quantities of urine for scent marking purposes. Today’s walk was the first time Digit’s done anything other than wee up every tree, lamp post and litter bin that we pass. 3 big wees in an hour as opposed to around 15 brief sprinkles.
Think Anty’s been Tangoed! Slow, slow, quickquick slow!
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fantastic! :cheers:
:cheers:
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Brill !!
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Have to say that I have been an avid fan of this thread, thoroughly enjoying it, as are my work colleagues (w00t)
Well done Urchin and Dij :thumbsup:
Well done Urchin and Dij :thumbsup:
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D-Day+23
There hasn’t been much to report over the last few days, just repetition, repetition, repetition – to coin a sentence construction!
Yesterday we had a small incident in the park. As we’re in the middle of a heat wave it seems better to scuttle round the park in the shade of the trees, rather than pace the streets. So I’ve cut back on the road work to preserve me little fella’s pads. Don’t want him sticking to the tarmac. So we’ve been in the park of multiple distractions where the squirrels lurk!
We’d only just arrived and he saw one, twitching invitingly by a tree. Just begging to be barked at; so he did. Now I’ve no intention of stopping him barking at squirrels – but as this also involves wrenching at my arm, so long as he’s on a lead it’s not acceptable. So, I stood firm; sadly the buckle on his collar did not.
Still, an impromptu opportunity to test his recall is not to be passed up, and I’m pleased to say he returned at the first time of asking.
This morning we had repeated encounters with more grey American immigrants – and Dij completely lost himself in the throws of squirrel delirium. He hurled himself around and interrupted his bellicose barking only to make room for a satisfying belch!
After he had worked himself up into a complete frenzy, I was dismayed to see a woman come through the gate ahead with a black lab off the lead. I was very aware that I could easily add to the excitement by tensing up, so I very studiously relaxed in front of Dij as the dog trotted by….and not a peep out of Dij. What a whippet!
It’s blummin hot. We been going to the park and it’s full of squirrels and they prance about taking the ****, twitting their tales and it’s not fair and I want to chase them and Anty says I can’t and I’ve got to be withme. Hmmph! But I’m the mighty whippet avenger! I pulled and my lead came off and I went all acceleratey and skiddy round corners and I was the Buck Rogers and the squirrel was the enemy and I swooped down on it niieeee-owwwwwww! And it ran up a tree! And Anty said come-on and I thought I’d better had, so I did a big circle and came back and she gave me a biscuit…and put my lead back on Double Hmmmph
There hasn’t been much to report over the last few days, just repetition, repetition, repetition – to coin a sentence construction!
Yesterday we had a small incident in the park. As we’re in the middle of a heat wave it seems better to scuttle round the park in the shade of the trees, rather than pace the streets. So I’ve cut back on the road work to preserve me little fella’s pads. Don’t want him sticking to the tarmac. So we’ve been in the park of multiple distractions where the squirrels lurk!
We’d only just arrived and he saw one, twitching invitingly by a tree. Just begging to be barked at; so he did. Now I’ve no intention of stopping him barking at squirrels – but as this also involves wrenching at my arm, so long as he’s on a lead it’s not acceptable. So, I stood firm; sadly the buckle on his collar did not.
Still, an impromptu opportunity to test his recall is not to be passed up, and I’m pleased to say he returned at the first time of asking.
This morning we had repeated encounters with more grey American immigrants – and Dij completely lost himself in the throws of squirrel delirium. He hurled himself around and interrupted his bellicose barking only to make room for a satisfying belch!
After he had worked himself up into a complete frenzy, I was dismayed to see a woman come through the gate ahead with a black lab off the lead. I was very aware that I could easily add to the excitement by tensing up, so I very studiously relaxed in front of Dij as the dog trotted by….and not a peep out of Dij. What a whippet!
It’s blummin hot. We been going to the park and it’s full of squirrels and they prance about taking the ****, twitting their tales and it’s not fair and I want to chase them and Anty says I can’t and I’ve got to be withme. Hmmph! But I’m the mighty whippet avenger! I pulled and my lead came off and I went all acceleratey and skiddy round corners and I was the Buck Rogers and the squirrel was the enemy and I swooped down on it niieeee-owwwwwww! And it ran up a tree! And Anty said come-on and I thought I’d better had, so I did a big circle and came back and she gave me a biscuit…and put my lead back on Double Hmmmph
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