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[RGC]

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PS. Should have gone to SpecSavers, sorry Judy .

 

[JoanneF]

On ducks and Specsavers ...

A couple of years ago we were on holiday and staying on the shores of the Bodensee. Just round from the campsite was a nature reserve. So, we were about to have lunch, and Mr F said ”I've been watching that duck on the lake for ages and it hasn't moved, I think there's something wrong with it”. So we got out the binoculars and sure enough, there was a cord round its neck, attached somehow to a marker buoy. So, of course I couldn't leave it - I tied a pair of scissors on a cord round my neck and put them down the front of my swimsuit, and started swimming the ¼ mile or so out to where it was.

As I got closer, I was really relieved it wasn't panicking, I assumed it must have seen all the YouTube videos of animals that instinctively stay calm when they realise someone is trying to help them.

But no, you have probably guessed by now (I hadn't) that the real reason it wasn't panicking was because it was plastic.

It took me quite a while to live that one down!

 

[JudyN]

Well yes, RGC, but I was looking for something more specific - a duck is still a bird!

Jasper chose to go to the park again this afternoon. He did attact the attention of a cockerpoo pup who followed him round for a bit with his nose up his bum and then playbowed, but apart from a polite friendly tail wag J totally ignored it I still got in between them and sent it back to its owner once I'd caught up with them though.

 

[Finsky]

Ey up me ducks!.....it ain't a duck but a Coot. I didn't know it myself but since Judy asked, I looked at the photo bit closer and noticed it looked bit 'different' from a duck. So now we know

 

[Finsky]

On ducks and Specsavers ...

A couple of years ago we were on holiday and staying on the shores of the Bodensee. Just round from the campsite was a nature reserve. So, we were about to have lunch, and Mr F said ”I've been watching that duck on the lake for ages and it hasn't moved, I think there's something wrong with it”. So we got out the binoculars and sure enough, there was a cord round its neck, attached somehow to a marker buoy. So, of course I couldn't leave it - I tied a pair of scissors on a cord round my neck and put them down the front of my swimsuit, and started swimming the ¼ mile or so out to where it was.

As I got closer, I was really relieved it wasn't panicking, I assumed it must have seen all the YouTube videos of animals that instinctively stay calm when they realise someone is trying to help them.

But no, you have probably guessed by now (I hadn't) that the real reason it wasn't panicking was because it was plastic.

It took me quite a while to live that one down!

Oh that is funny....I wish I would have been there to see it all unfold. Now you have to live that down little bit longer again.....

 

[JudyN]

Ah, I looked at coots, but the adults don't have the white chest which threw me. Thanks, Finsky

 

[Finsky]

Girls had early forest walk this morning and I did their tick inspection afterwards as usual. But this time I decided to do little 'experiement' with them....
For some reason tick inspection has been something they've never argued about...they willingly lie on their backs, legs pointing to all different directions while I rummage around their underside, wearing my specks and head lamp...often even holding some 'implements' to be ready for an action if those yucky little crawlers are found.
So same set up again as usual with all the tools of the trade...BUT, this time I sneaked amongst the tools one extra, their nail clippers
Not a eye lid batted while I processed with inspection...they didn't twitch their noses when I reach to different tweezers..as soon as I took the nail clippers into my hand (and they are not any different colour or size from the other tools) they gave a wary look 'what are you going to do with those'!!??? Yep, you cannot fool them and once it was established I wasn't to be trusted anymore, they took off and the inspection was over. Each girl proved to act exactly the same and they didn't even see other's reactions as I checked them out of each others sight.
You just cant help but wonder how much function there is after all inside their stubborn little brains

 

[Finsky]

Ah, I looked at coots, but the adults don't have the white chest which threw me. Thanks, Finsky

Yep, chicks are not always easiest to recognize. I took photo of its parent too....

 

[JudyN]

As I've often said, they may be daft, but they're not stupid!

I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs, but you could try tick inspections with the clippers just on the floor next to you. If they're cool with that, move your hand towards the clippers and give them a treat (from your other hand - it needs to be associated with you touching the clippers, not moving your hand away from them). Gradually build up to picking up the clippers, treating for as long as they are in your hand, then put them down and stop treating. Then hold them near to a paw, give treats, put them down, stop treating... then touching their feet, and so on, all the while aiming for a 'happy' response when you do whatever you do with the clippers as they know it means a treat (and disappointment when you put them down as it means the treats stop).

Some people stall when it comes to the actual clip, but one method here is to clip a piece of dry spaghetti right next to the paw (and treat, of course) so the dog gets accustomed to the sound.

 

[Finsky]

As I've often said, they may be daft, but they're not stupid!

I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs, but you could try tick inspections with the clippers just on the floor next to you. If they're cool with that, move your hand towards the clippers and give them a treat (from your other hand - it needs to be associated with you touching the clippers, not moving your hand away from them). Gradually build up to picking up the clippers, treating for as long as they are in your hand, then put them down and stop treating. Then hold them near to a paw, give treats, put them down, stop treating... then touching their feet, and so on, all the while aiming for a 'happy' response when you do whatever you do with the clippers as they know it means a treat (and disappointment when you put them down as it means the treats stop).

Some people stall when it comes to the actual clip, but one method here is to clip a piece of dry spaghetti right next to the paw (and treat, of course) so the dog gets accustomed to the sound.

We are at the point with the nail clipping training that in a good day I might get couple of 'clicks' done and that's it then. They are not frightened them as such...but they are aware they are around and it is all in day how much give in they have with them. But I take it as a good sign...eventually they will stop getting bothered with it. Yes, I do tend to 'stall' a little because I struggle to see what I'm doing with their nails and I don't want to take a chunk out of their feet. Youngsters both have black nails and their mum have 'blond' ones, much easier to see where to cut. But so far no injuries, nor blood has been drawn...so there is at least that.

 

[Hemlock]

Really good idea about the dry spaghetti.

 

[RGC]

Ah, I looked at coots, but the adults don't have the white chest which threw me. Thanks, Finsky

Dear JudyN, I’m more than happy to eat humble pie. Those feet were a giveaway. Definitely not a duck. Yours in chaos and confusion. RGC

 

[JudyN]

We were having our usual snooze in an area of long grass this afternoon when I spotted a Common Red Soldier Beetle. Being rather fond of beetles, I went to say, 'Oh, hello Common Red Soldier Beetle!' But I only got as far as 'Oh, hello...', and Jasper immediately jumped up to see who I'd spotted. They say that dogs learn to understand everything you say, but he clearly doesn't understand 'Common Red Soldier Beetle'

 

[JudyN]

Poor old Jasper... I went into town with my mum this morning, and came home with a pair of fluffy, fleecy pink slipper. Jasper caught sight of them... 'Oh Mum, have you bought me new toys? They look wonderful, best toys ever! Please Mum, they are for me, aren't they? Oh Mum... Mum? Why are you putting them on your feet? They're not for me after all?'

I'm tempted to get him something from the local pet shop this afternoon - but really, new toys tend to be so exciting that I don't trust him not to guard them, and as soon as that's worn off... he's not that interested any more.

 

[Hemlock]

I had similar when my current dog's dam (sadly no longer with us) caught sight of a hare ornament that I had brought back from Glastonbury. She was devastated that it wasn't a soft toy and wasn't for her. I felt awful.

She was the only lurcher I ever had that loved soft toys, and never wrecked one. Her puppy toys were almost as immaculate as new when she left us 12 years later..

 

[JudyN]

Jasper's toys usually ended up disembowelled, delimbed, or both. Though the most recent and sole-surviving Kong Snugga still has all its limbs.

 

[Finsky]

Our girls are off from their usual food choices and I got fed up throwing thawed meat away...'bloody dogs' But their feeding has been going well for long time so I supposed the food boredom was due to happen.
There is one dish that even they find hard to refuse and if I cook it for ourselves...their noses are twitching as it is in a oven and for sure there is no left overs once they've had a chance to indulge themselves. That 'miracle' food is 'Yorkshire pudding' So now that they are not willing to eat 'normally', I've been making them their own 'in-the-hole' version of it...their meat has found its way into the batter Today I pushed my luck to see if these normally 'shy' fish eaters would eat their pudding with some frozen sprats cooked into it...and YES! It was successs!! Even fishy 'toad in the hole' was acceptable...so as long as there is some pudding involved,it will be tasty for them. While the going is good....they will get their pudding, though it will be interesting to find out how long that will last before they get bored with it..

 

[Flobo]

That is funny! I was really fancying toad in the hole a couple of weeks ago, but not eating eggs, milk or sausages to that matter, I thought I'd have a go with an egg substitute(chickpea water), flour, soya milk and veggie sausages...
It didn't quite turn out how I imagined it in my head, strangely, more of a veggie sausage cakey type affair, but it did taste a lot better than it looked! Think I might try and fine tune the recipe and give it another go...one day!

Actually, maybe I should stick to my gin concoctions, my latest that is brewing nicely now is forest fruits(I cheated and got a frozen pack), with added fresh redcurrants and fennel from my garden. It is coming along nicely, a super lovely balance of flavours going on there and the best thing is my other half hates fennel, oops!

 

[Finsky]

That is funny! I was really fancying toad in the hole a couple of weeks ago, but not eating eggs, milk or sausages to that matter, I thought I'd have a go with an egg substitute(chickpea water), flour, soya milk and veggie sausages...
It didn't quite turn out how I imagined it in my head, strangely, more of a veggie sausage cakey type affair, but it did taste a lot better than it looked! Think I might try and fine tune the recipe and give it another go...one day!

Actually, maybe I should stick to my gin concoctions, my latest that is brewing nicely now is forest fruits(I cheated and got a frozen pack), with added fresh redcurrants and fennel from my garden. It is coming along nicely, a super lovely balance of flavours going on there and the best thing is my other half hates fennel, oops!

Your gin concoction sounds yummy! And there is nothing wrong with 'cheating'...even if you would make the extra effort to go and forage the flavourings yourself...they are not around all year around anyway. So one has to result to get where one can get it
On a another note....no more Ypudding over here for the girls. They've eaten it almost a week now...everyday And although they don't gulp it down without chewing anymore...they still see it as best thing going. But I'm out of eggs and fed up making it. So now they are back on meat/minces and we have some battling of stubborn minds going on....and some hungry dogs. But they have healthy weight on them so few days not eating/having diet won't do any harm. I can be stubborn too....

 

[Finsky]

It seems something unexpected always happens in our household..
Well....yesterday we took our girls to forest and ended up our long walk for a cup of coffee and chat with the coffee van owner. Dogs were put away into car (parked only some meters away) for safe keeping. While slurping away we had sudden ginger dog flurry around our ankles...some 'strange' dog came to greet us and VERY enthusiastically too. 'OH HOLD ON......that's our Ella!?' Our Houdini had now managed to find her way out of the dog cage...jumped on the front seat and leaped out of the open window. This one has always managed to climb up without resulting any jumping or running towards the barrier to help her out but how she had managed to get out of the cage is impressive indeed. When I made it, I left small arm hole near car ceiling that I could the reach dogs for if necessary while on the move. But never would I have thought any of them could be able to get through it. I should have realized there is remote chance with Ella as she is proven to be master climber already.
This time we were lucky...getting out of car to meet us was much more exciting than going into forest hunting on her own. So now I have to make some adjustments to the cage and block that little access or make some sort of small 'door' for it. And there is me thinking that even with her climbing skills, Ella is more of 'stiff bodied' than her nimble sister...well even if she is, it ain't stopping her when she puts her mind to it...

When they start training early....(Ella at 2 months)...she is now unstoppable 10 months old.