Labradoodling

Dog Blog #31 – Greetings!

Jun 2nd, 2023
I know I have said it many times recently, but yet another week has gone by so fast and I am now writing my 31st blog about our puppy experiences. Once again, Margot has shown that she is mostly continuing to learn to follow our commands when we are out and about. The whistle has become more reliable as a fail-safe option to call her back whenever we encounter other people, dogs or horses, working over 95% of the time. (Lots of people have said how good she is in her response to this.)

This week I have continued to work every day (although I did have an afternoon off to attend my goddaughter’s confirmation last weekend which was not only a wonderful occasion, but also a very welcome break from the screen). It’s been tough at times, but Margot has been very good at pleasing herself, taking long naps and popping in every now and again to check I am okay.

With the warm weather continuing, Margot has found a way to keep cool whilst walking in the forest this week: by ‘swimming’ in the stream that runs alongside the trail. Most of the tracks are now dry and dusty after the long spell of sunny days, but at least the water in the stream looks clear. After we encouraged her to take a dip, there was no stopping her! She still takes sips from the stagnant muddy pools she can find rather than from the fresh water we offer her – surely the water from the tap tastes better?

Doing the Laundry

We know people with dogs who have to be really careful not to leave their dirty washing lying around. When a sock or a pair of tights is ingested, a trip to the vet is often on the cards. With this in mind, I have always been very cautious with our washing, either when filling the machine or hanging it out to dry on the line in the garden.

Fortunately, Margot hasn’t been that interested in our laundry hanging outside and has left it alone. However, this week, J wasn’t so fastidious and our pup ran off with a sports sock in her mouth, daring him to chase her around the garden. Unfortunately, neither he nor I had our camera at the ready to catch her cheekiness. Instead there are two pictures of Margot avoiding the washing and chilling out in the shade.

Greetings

It’s fascinating how Margot greets different people in different ways. With me, she mainly keeps her paws on the floor and circles me while I stroke her back and tickle her chin. When P comes downstairs for breakfast in the morning, she is met with a sloppy wet tongue all over her legs and feet.

But Margot is definitely still J’s dog – he is met with complete overexuberance every time he comes through the front door. Jumping, mouthing and trying to cuddle him with her paws happens continually until she calms down. After that, one of her favourite places is lying as close to him as possible on her mat. (Saying that, she does like resting her head on my feet in the evening whilst dozing in front of the television.)

Games & Treats

One of my favourite games to play with Margot is hiding pieces of carrot inside cardboard packaging. With frequent Amazon deliveries, there are plenty of opportunities for this type of activity. As you can see in the pictures above, she loves finding the treats at first, followed by tearing the paper or cardboard to pieces.

Last week it was the Yakers bar; this week I tried a meat filled bone from Morrison’s as a treat. The first time I gave her half of one portion, she trotted out to the garden and chewed on it for quite some time. Again she wouldn’t let me near her, perhaps thinking that I was about to take it away. This afternoon she had the other half, but it seemed much softer this time and disappeared within a couple of minutes. Note to self – keep the open packet in an airtight container so that it stays harder on the outside and takes longer to chew on.

Shake it off…

Last week I wrote about Margot’s shaking when dry. Well, this week I managed to get some photos of her shaking after wading in the lake. I hope you get the picture from the frames below.

Margot says…

I don’t think the big people have worked out quite how much I understand about their actions and their emotions. I can’t help worrying when they sneeze and cough as it’s so loud and such an odd noise.

I’m still enjoying time in the garden and the sunny weather. Jumping about in the lake and the river is such good fun when we are out on walks. I do get a bit muddy at times but I don’t mind having the bits brushed out of my fur. In fact I find it rather relaxing.

Next week… trialling other treats and back to school again for P & J.

Please leave a comment, share and spread the word!
Dog Blog #30 – Catching Flies?

May 26th, 2023
With a part-time paid gig for the next few weeks, I am discovering exactly what it is like working from home with a pup in tow. Looming deadlines approach at different milestones so I have to focus on the screen for a certain number of hours a day. So far this week Margot has been pretty good at letting me get on with it.

Throughout the day I do sense deep exhales of breath when she sees my eyes are focused on a screen yet again rather than on her, but such is life at the moment. It does mean that our pup has to amuse herself more often than usual and thank goodness for the sunny weather so she can mooch about in the garden. When she comes into the kitchen to check in from time to time (yes, I am still working downstairs) and places her head in my lap, it is really lovely. We still have the hour-long walk in the morning to break up the day and give us both some much needed exercise in the fresh air.

They escape every time…

I titled this week’s blog ‘Catching flies?’ because I have noticed Margot doing her utmost to try and swipe and bite at the pesky insects recently. Unfortunately, it’s one of the downsides of the warmer, sunnier months – and I really dislike both the buzzing and the unhygienic nature of bluebottles and their friends. With the dining room doors left open to give Margot more freedom, the flies also have ample opportunity to enter the house as they so wish.

Watching our pup trying to entrap them with her mouth is hilarious – and sadly they evade her efforts every time. It would be such an advantage if she could catch a few. Instead I shall have to replace the batteries in our Insectinator, a device which looks like a small child’s tennis racket with metal strings, which emit an electric charge when you press the button on the handle. It lives in the garage throughout the winter. (I’ve also witnessed Margot chasing bees when we are out walking – now these insects I am pleased she has no chance of catching for a number of reasons! Just think about the possible consequences…)

Thunderstorms

Margot and I were happily enjoying the afternoon sunshine – as you can see in the photos above – before the sky turned dark and aggressive and I knew there was going to be a heavy downpour. After quickly taking in the washing, we retreated indoors to wait for the rain to arrive. As far as I was aware, the change in the weather hadn’t been forecast, so I was a bit surprised to hear the rumblings which were actually rather loud and angry.

Knowing that dogs can be frightened by loud noises: fireworks, thunderstorms and gunshots, there was a concern that Margot might find the storm alarming. (Although isn’t she classed as a gun dog?) Anyway, she was a very small puppy around the time of November 5th last year, and the fireworks didn’t really bother her then. The storm didn’t bother her this time either. Margot sat by the dining room doors watching the rain pour down and didn’t flinch when the thunder rolled around outside. Phew.

Time for a run yet?

What’s the best time to start taking your dog out for a run with you? I’m not asking for me, but on J’s behalf. He’s very keen to start taking Margot out to run alongside him when he jogs around the countryside. Looking at the pictures below, I would say that our pup is definitely ready, but we probably need to take a bit more guidance on the subject.

Runner’s World has an excellent article I found about running with your dog. In short, don’t start too young, don’t go out too hard or too fast. Just like walking, it is something that needs building up to and careful training. J may still have to pause for a few months because we have to wait until Margot’s bones stop growing: ‘This takes about nine months in small dogs, while large breeds may grow for up to 16 months.’ Our medium-sized labradoodle is probably somewhere in the middle – although she has recently passed the nine-month threshold.

New favourite chews?

The other weekend, J came back from the local pet shop with a new larger tennis ball (which was destroyed within minutes) and one of these Yakers dog chews. Up to this point we haven’t really gone down the dog chew route, apart from the deer antler which was quite a hit. So I wasn’t really sure what to expect. When I tried it this week, Margot chewed on it for over an hour in the garden. She wouldn’t let me anywhere near her. Each time I tried to approach her for a photo opportunity, Margot backed off, probably worried I was going to try and take her new, tasty treat away from her.

Whittled down to two smaller pieces after its first outing, I’m not sure I would describe it as ‘extra long lasting’ but maybe I needed to control the time she was allowed to chew on it at one time. I’ve seen reviews on Amazon which state that Yakers dog chews last weeks with their dog, so I must have left her with it for too long. Still, it was a huge success so it has been added to our monthly Amazon subscription for regular chewing action in the future. I would highly recommend this brand.

Margot says…

It’s been a warm week. The big people are still offering me water when we are out on a walk, which I refuse. Can’t they see that drinking from the muddy puddles is much more enticing?

I’ve started swimming in the bigger stretches of water on our walks, partly because it’s fun but also because it cools me down on hot days. I suppose it’s not really swimming as my feet always touch the bottom but it’s good to have a splash about.

Why do dogs shake even when they aren’t wet?

Last week I said I would explore this concept as Margot shakes quite a bit – after we have stroked or cuddled her, when she has her harness put on and quite often when we are out walking. Some websites I have consulted mention that it is a reaction to stress, either from another dog interaction or even from a human. It could also be down to sensory overload.

According to zigzag.dog ‘a shaking puppy can be and is most often completely normal. There are actually quite a few reasons for why they can shake, like for being too cold, wet, scared or they even shake away a bit of stress or excitement … they quite literally attempt to shake it off!’ That sounds like our Margot as she is always full of exuberance.

Next week… how to keep our pup cool and happy in the increasing warm weather.

Please feel free to comment, share and spread the word.
Dog Blog #29 – A Bid for Freedom…?

May 19th, 2023
This week it was one of those ‘special’ birthdays for me, which meant quite a bit of celebrating – and I don’t think it has quite finished yet either in terms of family dining. P made the most amazing cake and J organised a surprise get-together with our closest friends on Saturday night which was great fun.

I was also involved with some online training during the days on the weekend so I missed the treks around the forest with Margot as well as her escape act whilst we had friends over. Thank goodness for kindly neighbours (who don’t post accusatory comments on social media)!

The Doorbell Rings

As you will have seen from all the previous photos posted on this blog, we are happy to let Margot run about in the garden and explore the flowerbeds, even though she sometimes prunes the branches rather more than we would like. With the temperatures warming up over the past few weeks, I am able to type away at my laptop in the kitchen (so much for working upstairs in the study, which hasn’t materialised to much) and leave the French doors open for our pup to venture in and out as she pleases.

For the most part it works – that is, until she brings in a rock from the garden or one of her toys we have deemed as now ‘an outside one’ which is covered with dirt. It’s fair to say that when the sun peeps out from behind the clouds, Margot is out there like a shot sunbathing on the patio. I can’t really blame her. Can you get dog sun loungers on the internet?

So, on the weekend, as I mentioned before, J had organised some friends to come over for dinner on Saturday evening. With extra children and one adult absolute animal lover, Margot was in her element, running about and interacting with our guests.

We always keep the back gate carefully shut with two latches pulled across, but with the extra people coming and going, someone must have been a bit careless. On Sunday morning I was plugged into my Airpods sitting in on a virtual training session – imagine my surprise when I went downstairs during a break to discover that I had missed out on all the excitement.

Apparently, H our neighbour had rung on the doorbell with Margot in tow. Our pup had been living her best life by wandering over the various front gardens without a care in the world. Probably enjoying her freedom being out and about without anyone telling her what to do or pulling on the other end of the lead.

I thank our lucky stars for a number of factors: she didn’t run any further away without her collar and ID tag on; we live at the end of a cul-de-sac which is very quiet in terms of traffic; we have bumped into H a few times on our walks so Margot must have recognised her; it was H who noticed that she was running free and our pup followed the instruction to come when our kindly neighbour asked her to. J was adamant that Margot could only have been out the front for a matter of minutes, but thinking about what could have been is scary all the same. I’ve been checking that gate really carefully ever since…

Puppy Play

I’ve noticed recently that Margot enjoys chewing on the rubber surf shoes at the same time as trying to push a tennis ball along the kitchen floor. As with anything, practice makes perfect – although far from perfect yet, she is becoming more adept each time she gives it a go.

Yesterday I was sat on the floor next to her mat and it looked as though she was inviting me to a game of tennis. No sooner had she pushed the ball towards me, then I rolled it back. She caught it in her mouth and returned her shot. The photos don’t really show how carefully Margot stopped the ball each time and nudged it with her nose. I was pretty impressed overall.

Should dogs chew on sticks?

I remember right back to the first time we met Margot all those months ago and the breeder told us that it wasn’t a good idea for dogs to chew sticks because of the splinters they could get in their mouth and gums. They also said that ‘fetch’ with a stick wasn’t the best game to play outdoors either.

As ever, the internet is full of conflicting advice, much of which reiterates that wood and sticks can be a possible danger to dogs. My brother’s previous dog used to pick up the biggest branch he could find on a walk and carry it around with him. Other walkers had to be careful not to be wiped out if they were close by. Otherwise there weren’t any other issues.

Fortunately, Margot doesn’t seem that interested in picking up sticks while out on a walk (just anything plastic instead) so it’s only those in the garden she has chewed off from the trees and plants that we need to be wary of. The ‘leave’ and ‘drop’ commands remain a work in progress.

More Walking Woes

I was sad to miss the treks through the forest on the weekend. Margot is always very well behaved when out walking with J. A couple of times this week she has ignored my commands when off the lead. I was also surprised when I blew the whistle that she initially came straight back, but disappeared off again immediately. Whatever it was on the common was distracting her so much that it worried me and I’m afraid she was back on the lead. I suspect I need to reinforce my commands again and go back to the beginning as there are occasions when she won’t even sit correctly. Perhaps she is hitting that elusive teenager age when I’m told they forget everything you have taught them…

There’s one thing picking up a stick, but you can see in the pictures above that our pup has a huge clod of horse poo in her mouth. Here’s where I wish she had followed the command to drop because she was walking with it in her mouth like that for about ten minutes. And past quite a few other people. What must they have thought? Seriously, what is the attraction?

Margot says…

The best place to lie in the sun is in the garden on the patio. Sometimes it gets a bit hot and I have to go back inside, but at the moment it’s my favourite place.

We met up with my friend Patch again today. He’s so much fun to chase as he can run fast. I can almost keep up with him with my boundless energy. I hope he enjoys the playing as much as I do. He does seem to.

Being Cute

Next week… Catching flies and why do dogs shake themselves when they aren’t wet?

Please leave a comment, share and spread the word.
Dog Blog #28 – To reign, to rain or terrain?

May 12th, 2023
This weekend it was the King’s Coronation, which was both a huge historical event and a wonderful spectacle. We enjoyed the ceremony inside and outside Westminster Abbey as well as the celebratory concert at Windsor Castle on the Sunday evening. I’d like to say that Margot was as glued to the television screen as we were, but sadly not. (I think she found the concert too noisy because she moved closer to the door rather than lie flat on her mat.)

We have been beginning to plan how to spend our summer holiday and where we might want to go to venture a bit further afield, this time with our pup in tow. It’s not as easy as you might think. We are getting there – six weeks is a long time to stay at home and pound the same residential streets or forest footpaths. There is the whole county of Dorset to explore – with the tourist world and his wife – but we are also keen to try a short trip away and stay in some dog-friendly accommodation for the first time. It certainly promises to be different.

Social (Media) Faux Pas

Have you ever been in a situation where you have felt blamed for something that wasn’t your fault? And then having conflicting feelings directly afterwards: one of overwhelming guilt, even though you were totally innocent of the ‘crime’, and secondly, incensed that others might therefore think badly of you? It’s worse when your children are accused of something they swear blindly they weren’t responsible for. And now there’s resposibility for the dog’s actions thrown into the mix aswell…

In our local community there are a few Facebook groups – you know the ones I mean: those that people can post on when certain roads are closed, when there’s an offer too good to miss at Morrison’s or a dog is on the loose. They are usually really helpful, particularly if you are after recommendations for a local builder, plumber or garage to service your car. Occasionally, members use the forum to vent about their frustrations, which I don’t really agree with, especially when it becomes personal. But that’s social media for you.

Imagine my horror then when I received a screenshot from my friendly neighbour, with the following post: ‘To the owner of Margot, the dog, please keep your dog on a lead in PP as she clearly enjoys approaching runners. I was that runner in the park today and despite your calling she persisting (sic) in barking and licking me. She only went back to you when I stopped running and commanded her to do so. I could so easily have been tripped up, hurting myself and your dog.’ My neighbour wondered if this was referring to our pup and suggested we ask to have the post removed.

My first reaction was worrying about whether Margot had jumped up at any runners recently – could there any truth in this post at all? But I haven’t taken her to this location for a walk since before Christmas and even then it was before we were even letting her off the lead. I knew it couldn’t be us for other reasons too: she doesn’t bark and we always call her back and put her on the lead whenever we see anyone walking, running or cycling in the distance.

Ridiculous I know, yet I still felt a sense of guilt that this was my fault as well as surprise that there was another dog named Margot in our local area. Furthermore, there was the concern about what other people might think. How many people we know could be part of this group and might now be thinking badly of us all if they had seen this post? Hopefully, not that many. I wanted to write a comment absolving us from this social faux pas, but I’m not a member of this particular group. Probably just as well – there’s not much point adding any fuel to the fire. (My neighbour made me laugh though by suggesting her own post in response: ‘To the person whose cat ran across the road when I was driving my car…’)

Heading Upstairs?

To prevent Margot from running up the stairs and exploring the bedrooms on the level above, those of you who are regular readers will know that we have a stairgate across the hallway to prevent such events. Occasionally, when we are travelling in the car, we go out the front door and have started doing so without using the lead. This weekend, our pup made a run for it, reached the landing and then didn’t know where to go next. It all happened so quickly I failed to photograph her bid for freedom or her chance to explore – maybe next time, if there is one.

Holiday Ideas – is she a well-behaved dog?

Taking a dog on holiday with you requires quite a bit of research in terms of finding dog-friendly accommodation in a location you all want to explore. I always thought I would choose to opt for somewhere new each time we went away with so much world out there to navigate. However, there is much to be said in returning to familiarity, especially with so much unfamiliarity on the horizon in taking our pup away for the first time.

Therefore we have provisionally booked an Airbnb house in a place we have been to before so that already we can plan the best places to take Margot out for the day. We have paid a deposit, and we can still change our minds, but I don’t suspect we will. The most important question we have been asked so far: ‘Is she a well-behaved dog?’ We’re hardly likely to say no to this, but we will have take her crate with us and watch her at all times! And it’s still three months away so she’s bound to have calmed down by then anyway – won’t she? I’ll keep you posted.

Spring/Summer Plants and Walking in the Rain

The British are known for talking about the weather – it’s been changeable again this week. Back to wellies and waterproofs, we returned to the forest together to see the bracken beginning to unfurl and the blossom falling from the trees a bit like snow. Over the last few years we have become wary of brushing up against bracken because of the high number of ticks possibly harboured inside the fronds. There is a large deer population in this part of the world. The tick tool we have is brilliant at removing the critters, but it’s still a concern if you find one attached to your skin.

I anticipate having to remove quite a few from Margot this summer although the medication she is taking to combat ticks and fleas should help. She does love running about in the long grass and amongst the ferns though so I do hope the tick treatment works. Apparently, dogs can catch Lyme disease just like humans – something else to worry about.

Margot says…

It’s been a good week. Not a lot has changed, apart from the weather. One minute the door to the garden is left open and I can come and go as I please and lie out in the sunny patches. The next there is a sudden downpour of rain and I’m stuck indoors. I’m not quite as fussy about going out in the rain as I was, but I still don’t like my fur getting wet. There’s not much you can do though if there is a heavy shower whilst we are already out and about.

Next week… our first five-day week in a while.
Dog Blog #27 – Another Week Goes By…

May 5th, 2023
And yet another week has gone by and we are into the month of May. I know I have said it before, but where does the time go? Even the Bank Holiday weekend rushed by with three days off together at home. Before we knew it, Tuesday had arrived. At least it’s another day closer to the next long weekend and the King’s Coronation. May is a great month for Bank Holiday weekends. I wonder if Margot notices the time passing as much as I do. She’ll be nine months old in no time at all.

We all enjoyed the sunshine on the weekend and the warmer temperatures although we didn’t escape the showers completely. However, we can finally say goodbye to the colder winter months and keep the central heating off.

Spring Sunshine and More Bluebells

Margot enjoys lying outside in the garden in the sun. Now that it’s warm enough, I leave the dining room door open so that she can come in and out as she pleases. Catching her taking a nap or sunbathing in the sunny sections is lovely. Especially as her dark fur becomes so warm to the touch.

We explored another bluebell wood this weekend, where the view of the flowers was amazing. It was a bit busier than the previous week so we crossed paths with quite a few other walkers. The photos never do the bluebells justice – I always think it is better to revisit the images using the camera of your imagination. (Or come back a few times before the best is past, that is, until next year…)

April Showers

In the UK, April is well-known for its showery downpours, which can take you by surprise at any moment, unless you keep your eyes peeled on a trusty weather app. In my opinion, it’s best to be prepared and to have a waterproof with you at all times just in case. On one of our walks on the weekend we all got soaked – it was a different operation entirely trying to dry off a wet puppy in the boot of the car before driving home. I still think Margot looks very sweet after being out in a rain shower though.

Poorly Puppy

We all enjoy being out and about together with our pup on the weekends and during school holidays. It has become a challenge for us to find local walks also suitable for the dog where it is likely to be quiet and we can let Margot off the lead. Some of our old favourite routes taken pre-puppy are still a bit long for her at the moment, but it is fun exploring our local area again with a dog in tow.

One of the downsides of letting our pup off the lead is being less in control of what she puts in her mouth and chews on. Saying that, she picks up all sorts when walking around the streets on the lead. But I can easily see the bits of plastic and encourage her to leave them. Last week there was a dead mouse under the hedge she must have spied or smelt; seeing the tail hanging out from one side of her jaws was an image I would like to erase as soon as possible. Also, Margot is still chewing on grass and she will readily pick up any rabbit droppings that she comes across. After a bout of diarrhoea overnight, I wondered if any of those things she has eaten could have caused her stomach upset?

Having consulted the oracle, I discovered that those beautiful bluebell plants we love so much contain a toxin that can affect the heart, but it’s rare for dogs to eat enough to cause these effects. Within a few hours of eating any part of the plant, dogs may be sick, have stomach pains or can have an upset stomach, which may contain streaks of blood. (I didn’t see Margot eat any of the bluebell plants or the pretty purple flowers so I don’t think it was that which caused her stomach upset.) Eating dead rodents isn’t a good idea either because they can contain dangerous bacteria, but she had the mouse in her mouth for less than thirty seconds and didn’t ingest any part of it as far as I could tell.

It seems to be a common belief that dogs eat grass to make themselves sick and therefore feel better. Yet I can’t find any evidence to prove that online. In fact one source says that it can be classed as ‘normal dog behaviour’ and that it is ‘actually quite common’. Apparently, the fibre in the grass is a good source of roughage and could help their digestion. On the other hand, if the grassy patch is covered in pesticides, that might be more likely to cause a digestive issue.

And depending on which website you rely on, eating rabbit droppings may or may not cause a problem… I probably shouldn’t be too worried as according to one website it ‘comes loaded with nutrients’. That I find rather surprising. Apparently, it is mostly undigested hay, so it could be described as a good source of fibre. Hmmm. Another post states: ‘While it is a dirty habit, eating rabbit droppings will not cause serious harm. They may get an upset stomach, depending on the amount they eat.’ This website goes on to discuss that the danger is in the eating of the actual rabbit. Well I can say with absolute certainty that there were no rabbits anywhere near us on the walk, but I’m not sure how many rabbit ‘treats’ our pup ate.

We probably won’t find out what caused the stomach upset this week. (I have since discovered that the flea and tick treatment Nexgard can cause diarrhoea – we gave her the tablet the day before – so there’s another option…)

I have it on good authority that scavenging all sorts from outside the house is very much a Labrador trait. With Margot being 75% Lab, I expect it will happen a few times. Perhaps we should invest in some probiotics for her? I’ll keep you posted.

Margot says…

Why do my feet look so small in this picture? I think I look tiny here and I’m still growing. At the vet, the weighing scales said I was 16.75 kilograms this month.

I don’t mean to pick up everything I see in my mouth and chew on it. But I do find chewing calming. I love to bite down on something when I am having my tummy tickled.

The sun on my fur is wonderful. The garden is great for that. I can spend ages lying in a sunny patch, staring down at the tiny creatures in the grass or pruning the trees and bushes with my teeth. Sorry, folks!

Cosy / Humorous Times

These photos are great; the editing feature on the live pictures on the iPhone is genius. I love that I can choose from a number of frames to catch the perfect moment, such as a crazy-looking face or a sudden tongue. Margot can be both cosy and humorous at times. It’s great when you catch it on screen. I sometimes wonder if she groans inwardly when I point my phone in her direction yet again?

Next week… more spring adventures (and the King’s Coronation with another Bank Holiday).

Please feel free to comment, share and spread the word…
Dog Blog #26 – It’s Bluebell Season

Apr 28th, 2023
Bluebell season is my favourite time of the year. Not only is it during spring, when all new life blossoms and blooms, but the woodlands around where we live fill with carpets of blue and purple. The woodlands we explored on the weekend are beginning to turn a more colourful shade although there should be masses more to come.

Margot continues on her rollercoaster ride in terms of her training. They weren’t kidding when they said it was hard work with constant reinforcement and reminders needed. On some occasions she is extremely well-behaved and on others I feel a bit let down when she appears to have forgotten what any of the commands mean.

Bluebell Walk

I find walking amongst bluebells inspiring and uplifting. There is something about the blue sea of flowers, which look as though they are wearing little skirts with tiny flicks at the bottom. We are lucky that near to where we live there are ancient bluebell woodlands in lots of different places. One of our favourite strolls takes in three areas of bluebells, but is much longer than Margot can walk at the moment. Therefore we drove to a spot where we could leave the car and explore one of the spots to investigate further – are the bluebells later than usual this year? I don’t know whether they prefer sunshine and warmth or swathes of rain in order to flourish. We have had quite a bit of both recently.

This walk was not without drama: just as I was checking my OS map app to see if we were on the right footpath, a young stag ran past us only a few metres away. It was the closest I have been to a deer in my life – and I have seen quite a number of them from a distance. Surprisingly, Margot didn’t bat an eyelid. There was no reaction from her at all. I’m not sure she even noticed to be honest. Certainly, we all did. It was very exciting. P later slightly turned on her already twisted ankle due to the uneven paths, but fortunately she was able to continue walking around the circuit. We managed to find some bluebells as you can see in a couple of the pictures – they should be amazing in a week or two!

Recall Rollercoaster

On Monday, it was back to Margot and I walking together on our own. This first outing of the week was not without drama either. We met a range of people with different reactions: the first was a couple without a dog, but they were clearly dog people and wanted to interact with our pup. They lost their rescue last November and weren’t quite ready to take on another yet. However, they did their best to encourage Margot not to jump up at them by turning their backs. I’m afraid to say that it didn’t really work but they didn’t seem to mind, saying that she was ‘still a baby’ and so her behaviour was therefore expected.

On the common I took Margot off the lead as I usually do – but all of a sudden around the corner we came face to face with a large retriever also off its lead. Instantly, our pup ran over and tried to engage the other dog into playing with her. Unfortunately, when she didn’t get the desired reaction from the other dog, and completely deaf to my calling her repeatedly, Margot raced over to the older lady and jumped up at her instead. Mortified by her audible complaint about her now dirty trousers clean on this morning, I blew the whistle and finally managed to get my dog back on the lead. After my apologising profusely, she turned to me and said it was down to the ‘overexuberance of youth and puppies are very hard work’. I felt suitably chastised.

Feeling somewhat deflated, and worried about bumping into other dogwalkers, I kept her on the lead for a while until we reached the quieter end of the common and I tried again. This time my eyes were pealed for any movement up ahead and I used the opportunity to practise some recall at a short distance. She’s definitely not as well-behaved with me as she is with J. (I think it’s probably down to the number of treats we give her…)

We did meet one more dog on our walk – a sweet little thing called Betty, who was very timid and although was encouraged to interact with Margot by her owner, clearly didn’t want to. Instead our pup chose to continue splooting on the grass. Who can blame her when it’s warm and sunny? I was quite keen to get home at that point however.

Swimming in the Sunshine

In the pictures above, it looks like there is a lake on one of the walking routes I take with Margot. It’s actually a drainage basin next to a new housing estate. At one end there’s a small makeshift island, which sometimes houses a pair of ducks. Margot has run down the incline to the edge of the water on many occasions, but this week she took a swim for the first time. It’s not very deep so perhaps I should describe it as more of a wade. Maybe it was down to the sun shining on the surface of the water that made it more inviting this time?

Yesterday the ducks were back in residence. Having chased a few birds before, I wondered if she might decide to pursue them through the water. Our pup definitely gave them a good look, but responded to my call to come away this time.

More Sunbathing

Lying in the sun appears to be a favourite pastime, whether it is on the patio in the garden or splooting on any patch of grass during a walk. I totally empathise – I also enjoy having the sun’s rays on my face, especially in these spring months when the warmth is so welcome after the winter period. Having said that, the lying down prone and refusing to move when I am trying to walk back home remains annoying. As our pup only does this when she is on the lead, perhaps she is trying to tell us something…

Margot says…

Chewing is great. It’s my favourite pastime. I am happy chewing material, rubber boots, rope, twigs, branches, anything I can get my teeth into really. My favourite is the soft toys when I can really get my nose inside and pull out the insides. That really makes a mess. And one of the big people keeps gathering it all up and stuffing it back in so that I can start the process all over again. So much fun!

And finally…

I’m finding the destructive aspect of this dog business really difficult at the moment. I was so pleased once we were past the biting stage with all those razor-sharp puppy teeth and my clothes stopped receiving so many holes in them.

You will have seen in a previous post that she bit the wall in the hall. Now it seems she has moved onto the dining room chairs. I’m so cross with myself that I didn’t move the other one away this morning as I found her nibbling on the corner of another seat pad. It’s not as bad as the one in the picture which will now have to be thrown away. There are scratch marks on the glass French doors both inside and out and I am continually picking up branches she has chewed off from the trees and bushes in the garden. Is this another stage we have to ride our way through? It’s not as if Margot doesn’t have a large number of bones and toys to chew on instead.

I feel as though I am back to square one – I’m now worried that I can’t leave her alone downstairs while I go upstairs to work, which was the new routine I talked about in last week’s blog post. As I mentioned at the beginning about puppies being hard work – they weren’t wrong. I do hope things become easier soon.

Next week… new spring adventures?

Please feel free to comment, share and spread the word.
Dog Blog #25 – She’s Eight Months Old

Apr 21st, 2023
This week our pup passed the eight-month threshold. Margot remains as excitable and bouncy as ever (except for the times she is passed out in a deep sleep) so there is not much chance of her calming down any time soon. This morning I crossed paths with one of the lovely gents I have walked Margot with before. I hope that she recognised him and was feeling particularly excited because she hasn’t jumped up that much at anyone in weeks.

At this point it was suggested to me that we might want to change from puppy food to a kibble for junior dogs. (The 15kg bag of Ava puppy food we have from Pets at Home on subscription is ready to go in the garage so we may have to wait another month…) However, the comment did make me think and consult the oracle when I got home to research it further.

There is indeed a junior dog food within the Ava range, which can be given from eight months, but online I could only find one for large breeds. Which our petite labradoodle is definitely not. The mind boggles. Still, it’s something to think about in the coming weeks. (When it is put to you that your pup may be trying to expel excess energy from the puppy food, it certainly gives food for thought – pardon the pun.)

This week it is back to the school routine with a slight change: I’m trying to spend more time working upstairs. The idea is that it will give me a chance to focus back on my writing, do some work on the PC in the study and encourage Margot to be more independent and to get some more sleep. More on this below.

Woodlands Wander

Last weekend we were scratching about for somewhere new to walk our pup. Having discovered that Margot’s recall is pretty good on the whole (especially with the whistle), we like to look for places where there are opportunities to take her off the lead so that she can trot about at her own speed and sniff the undergrowth. Footpaths and wooded areas seem to work well as long as they aren’t bordering farms with a high number of animals.

Using our OS map app to plot out a route, which I would highly recommend if you like walking, we decided to explore some woodland in and around the next village we had not stepped foot in before. We came unstuck at the first hurdle by not following the route to the letter and ended up walking along the side of a road, albeit a quiet, country lane as you can see in one of the pictures above.

The footpaths into the woods on the map turned out to be non-starters too, so we had to take a detour in another direction. The beginnings of the bluebells was a welcome sight, the field full of sheep and their newly-born lambs not so much, especially when you have an excitable puppy in tow, even on a short lead with a two-point harness. Instead, we turned tail, chalked that walk up to experience and wandered around the village green for a bit.

Being Cosy

I mentioned in a previous post that our pup doesn’t really like cuddles, but she is using every opportunity she can to cosy up to P, which is really sweet. Perhaps she is making up for lost time. She’s also very affectionate when I let her out of the crate in the morning when the other two have left the house for school, circling and nuzzling me whilst I stroke her back or tickle her tummy.

Back to our Favourite Walk in the Forest

After the unsuccessful walk we had tried to plan the previous day, we decided to go back to the forest for the next one. We met a pointer cross female who played beautifully with Margot. They chased each other around and around at full speed, which looked so much fun. Once we felt like she had had enough, J used the whistle, wondering if she would respond whilst being involved with the highest level of distraction. When our pup ran over immediately after the high-pitched toot, the other dog walkers were really impressed, saying that her recall was really good for her age. I admit to feeling rather proud at their comment.

New Routines

With the start of the new summer term, I was determined that I would get back to my writing projects and submissions, which means using my PC upstairs in the study. And leaving Margot downstairs on her own for a couple of hours at a time – with a long walk in between and breaks outside in the garden.

Feeling gulity about leaving her on her own – ridiculous, I know – I spent half an hour playing with Margot before letting her outside in the garden for a wee, coating the edges of furniture and the walls with apple spray and taking my leave. She had free run of the dining room and the hallway, but I made sure that the kitchen door was closed. Exactly the same as during the night. What could possibly go wrong?

To be honest, I didn’t hear a peep from her so she must’ve been asleep for quite a bit of the time and although the pictures below show a sea of fluff, it’s only from the polar bear we picked up from a charity shop on the weekend. A couple of minutes to collect it up and restuff the toy was all it needed to redress the mess. That’s one of her favourite activities – to pull out the stuffing from soft toys, so she must have been living her best life, or certainly one like it.

The following day I went upstairs for a couple of hours in the afternoon. After a long walk, Margot was very quiet so again must have been asleep for much of that time. To be honest, I still feel guilty, but once we both get used to this new routine, everyone’s a winner.

Back to our Usual Walking Pattern

Along with our new routine inside the house, we are back to our previous haunts on our walks when it is just the two of us during the week. Near to the common on Monday, we bumped into a new dog walker we’d not met before. He seemed enchanted by Margot’s overexuberance and said what a lovely dog she was. It was a very welcome compliment in contrast to the looks of amusement and sympathy from the many drivers who passed her splooting on the grass next to the road and refusing to move. Perhaps she was a traffic warden in a previous life…

Flaked out in the Sunshine

I’ve been lucky with the weather for much of this week. There’s been a very cold wind at times, but also spells of sunshine and warmer temperatures. Margot loves being in the garden and has been lying on the grass as well as the patio to soak up the rays and have a rest. (The picture of her on the patio looks like a shadow or one of those silhouettes you find in a crime scene.)

I’m sure that the grass is cooler on her stomach. By the way, can dogs suffer from sunburn? Do black dogs get hotter in the summer months due to the colour of their fur? I would assume so, but Margot certainly seems to be enjoying the warm sunshine this week.

Margot says…

Margot says…

I’m really enjoying spending time in the garden at the moment. It’s warm and there are lots of green shoots everywhere for me to chew on. Each time I go outside there are new sticks on the grass for me to split into smaller pieces. I don’t know who puts them there.

In the woods where we walk I have noticed some different coloured flowers appearing. Green is still my favourite though. I like to munch on blades of grass as well as lying down on it. The best is when it’s all damp because I find it cooling and I get a little drink too. Or there’s always the puddles to get water from.

No pictures of Margot asleep this week as she has started taking herself off to the crate in the day for a nap – and I have been upstairs.

Next week… Will the new working routine continue?
Dog Blog #24 – Easter Holidays

Apr 14th, 2023
We are into the second week of the Easter holidays now, but battling with the unpredictable weather. Most of the Easter weekend was glorious, warm enough to sit out in the garden, and spend a few hours chilling out in the sunshine with our pup. However, since the start of the week, the April showers have come back. Walking in the rain has more challenges and makes us less inclined to travel too far away from home. I hope the dry weather returns soon.

Last week I mentioned that J wanted to try training Margot with a whistle to add another weapon to his recall armoury. This is going well so far as you can read about in more detail below.

Whistle Training

To begin with, J did some research about how to introduce the whistle. The video he watched advised taking small steps in the garden and using high-grade treats. Margot responded to the command to sit after which J gave a loud blast on the whistle before giving her a tasty treat, ones he had bought especially for this purpose. He tried this a few times for the first few days. (It didn’t seem that different to the early days when we were perfecting the sit to be honest. Apparently, the high-grade treats have to make it worthwhile for Margot to return whatever the distraction!)

Next, he began standing at the other end of the garden and blowing on the whistle. Our pup is a quick learner (and highly food-driven) so it didn’t take long for her to race across to collect her reward. J has tried this method of recall a few times when we have been out on a walk when the stakes have been higher – when a dog appears all of a sudden up ahead or we see a deer or two in the distance. So far, so good. It’s something else we need to remember to take out on a walk with us though. I haven’t tried using it yet either. I’ll keep you posted.

Out and About

On Easter Sunday we wanted to meet up with my parents and take Margot for a walk so we arranged to rendezvous at an old disused rifle range from the second world war where there are a number of tracks as well as lots of open spaces. Now a National Nature Reserve, I wasn’t surprised to see on our arrival a number of signs warning about keeping dogs under close control due to the ground nesting birds. The sign didn’t say we had to keep her on a short, static lead so J strolled on ahead and let Margot run free, but stuck to the paths.

It was a brilliant place to walk her off the lead. The tracks were wide, it wasn’t that crowded, at least to start with, even though there were a number of cars in the car park, and we were serenaded by the skylarks throughout. Our pup was very well behaved here, only jumping up at my parents a few times – and they have become very practised at turning their backs and keeping their hands in their pockets. She was able to interact with a couple of other dogs and fortunately kept away from any birds or their nests. It’s definitely a place I would like to explore again in future. There are even woods on the other side of the main road. At the moment the woodland paths look impassable without wellies though.

We stuck to the main tracks and skirted around the huge mounds. Next time we come back we should try leading Margot up to the top of these as I think it would be fun to stroll along the ridges. Amazing to think that 70 years ago this open space was used to train recruits in preparation for war.

Later in the week we took Margot on one of our favourite walks where a few years ago we set up a series of caches. (If you haven’t ever tried geocaching, check out http://www.geocaching.com for information about this fabulous outdoor treasure hunting.)

Very simply, all you need is a handheld gps device – or the geocaching app – an account you can set up for free on the website, and the desire to explore and search for caches or boxes of treasure. The gps will give you the distance and direction to the cache as the crow flies, although the app also shows you a map with footpaths so you don’t need to fight your way through brambly hedges, streams or across a field with a bull standing in the middle of it.

The caches themselves come in all shapes and sizes: old 35mm film canisters, tupperware boxes and even ammunition tins. Inside, if the container is big enough, it’s not so much treasure, but often the sorts of surprises you find inside Christmas crackers.

Over the years we have found caches in Penang, Seattle, the Isle of Wight and in our home county of Dorset. The fun is in the finding and going on a walk in order to do so. Our favourites are the ones in a series where there are a number of caches along a circular route. I’m sure Margot will become the next geohound in no time. We’ve come across a number of dogs with their owners whilst on our past geocaching adventures. Highly recommended.

I don’t know if you can pick out the two deer in one of the pictures above, but on this walk we actually spotted six. (Unless it was the same pair three times…) Mindful of a comment someone made on our local canine Facebook group about dogs chasing deer into the forest, and not coming back, we were quick to put Margot back on the lead each time we saw them. However, she didn’t seem interested in these creatures at all. There was perhaps a pointed look, but no imminent sprint.

In fact, the splooting, or lying flat out on the grass mid-walk is becoming more of a problem. None of us feels that we can drag her along, but sometimes it is almost impossible to get her up and walking again. Even with a treat. What’s that all about? I’m open to any kind of suggestions as to how we can move forward with this behaviour trait.

Being Cosy

Our pup has never really been one for cuddles. She didn’t like being picked up when she was small and there are times when she clearly wants her own space. Recently, she has become more affectionate, lying on our feet, putting her head in a lap or allowing P to put her arm around her. We are all very pleased about this change in her behaviour at home.

Margot says…

That whistle sure is loud. But when he blows it, I know there is a really tasty treat coming so it is definitely worth responding. I run back as fast as my legs will carry me when I hear the toot.

We have been on some longer walks to different places with rich smells and long grass to lie in. I like the woods with the tracks and trails. The best bit is bumping into other dogs we have met before and chasing them around.

Margot Asleep

Next week… it’s back to school for P&J.

Please feel free to comment, share and spread the word.
Dog Blog #23 – Out & About

Apr 7th, 2023
With it being the Easter holidays, we have had more freedom to explore together by taking Margot a bit further afield. Again we have been on a bit of a rollercoaster with some highs and lows. We are all still on a steep learning curve with constant changes.

We went to see Alice, our favourite veterinary nurse, last weekend for another weigh-in (16.1kg for those of you who are interested). Now that Margot is well over the 15kg threshold for the flea, tick and worming treatments, we don’t need to go each month to see the nurse. (To be honest I was a bit disappointed because I find these visits very reassuring…) Our pup was not very well-behaved on this occasion, continually jumping up and even chewing on a plastic attachment connected to the window blind. Alice, being Alice, was really kind, spending most of the 15-minute chat turning her back and putting her hands in her pockets to try and discourage Margot. She mentioned that as she was now over seven months old, we could be entering the dreaded ‘teenage years’.

Apparently, puppies reach adolescence any time after six months and this is when their behaviour appears to regress and they seem to forget everything you have taught them. Oh joy. We have certainly experienced some of this over the last few days which you can read about below.

Travelling in the Car (Update)

In last week’s post, I was deliberating over making changes to travelling in the car with Margot. Having her sat tethered in the back with one of us was proving rather stressful for the third passenger and each one of us experienced heightened excitement and some nibbling whilst next to her. It was also really off-putting for the driver.

A couple of people we spoke to travel with their dog in the boot and recommended it as the best option, so we decided to try the same thing. We ordered a dog guard from Halfords and J fitted it easily to the backseat headrests. His car has a boot liner which is ideal on wet, muddy days. And so far, so good. We have taken Margot on a couple of short journeys and one for about an hour. It is fair to say that it has been a far more positive experience. With one of her mattresses to rest on, she can stay comfy lying flat or she can sit up and look out of the back window at the world go by.

There has been no whining so far either – in fact she has been much quieter on the whole. We still keep her tethered for safety so she can’t instantly jump out when we open the boot. I guess if and when we travel anywhere with a view to staying overnight, the luggage will have to go on the back seat – we shall have to travel lightly…

Back to Badbury Rings

With no prospect of rain on the horizon, we took Margot back to Badbury Rings for a walk. The last time we were here, we were using the long line to try and practise her recall. Today we were hoping to keep her off the lead for as long as possible. We did meet quite a few other dogs whilst walking on the footpath up to the rings’ enclosure, practising the etiquette of putting her back on the lead when they approached.

At the gate we noticed a small square sign stating that dogs had to be kept on leads inside the rings area. (We didn’t notice this before, although we were still using a lead at that point. And there were definitely loads of dogs running about off their leads on our last visit.) Taking a slightly different route, we kept walking along a footpath, which was very quiet. There was one other dog we met, who was very friendly. Its owner told us that he was very well-behaved when he was on his own with them, but recall wasn’t so great with other dogs around. Our pup is still much the same although definitely improving at times.

On the second half of the walk on the way back to the car, we needed to stroll through the rings’ enclosure where there was another sign warning about dogs being on leads. We followed the rules as we always do even though there were plenty of canines running free. At one point J decided to let Margot off the lead as she was really straining and she ran like the wind after two spaniels. Only this time she failed to come back when we called her and continued playing. The other owners laughed and said: ‘When they go, there is no stopping them.’ I wondered how we would encourage her back… She did return, but only after quite a bit more racing about.

Studland

The beach at Studland is one of my favourite places in Dorset. With blue skies and the sun shining, it was another perfect spring day to take Margot back to the seaside. Yet many other dog owners clearly had the same idea, and who can blame them really? Walking along the sand had its mixture of highs and lows: she was on the lead, off the lead, splashing about in the sea with P, drinking the sea water (I’m not sure why…) and enjoying the frolicking on the sand.

The high number of other dogs on the beach made this occasion more stressful than I would have liked. And the sound of the sea made it even more difficult for our pup to listen. Until we found a walk back through the dunes and the woodland, which was far less busy. Back at the cafe we all enjoyed an ice-cream, Margot included. (We noted that this doggy dessert should only be given as an occasional treat. She certainly lapped it up.)

Recall Failure… Other Options?

After another embarrassing moment where our pup ran across a grassy verge towards another dog and jumped up at their owner, ignoring our calls to come back, I began wondering if there was anything in Alice’s comment about Margot reaching adolescence? Or was she just testing the boundaries and desperate to play. She certainly isn’t phased by the size of any other dogs she meets. (In fact it’s often the smaller ones who can be nippy and growly rather than the gentle giants.)

J wondered if it was time we introduced a whistle as another weapon in our recall armoury. He researched one that is meant for Retrievers – something to do with the pitch apparently – and ordered it from Amazon. Will it work? Probably not overnight, so more training required for sure. In the meantime, with the recall it’s back to square one with practice, practice, practice. (And not being so hard on ourselves when she doesn’t come back the first time, every time.) I’ll keep you posted with how the whistle training goes.

Margot says…

I really enjoyed my time on the beach even though the big people got really stressed and kept shouting at me to come back when I just wanted to play with the other dogs running around. I’m not sure about the taste of sea water. It made me really desperate for the toilet all afternoon.

I’m happier with the new system in the car. I can see the world go by out of the window and sprawl out in the back by myself. I hope we go on some more adventures again soon.

Margot Asleep

Next week… out and about part 2 and early whistle training.

Please feel free to comment, share and spread the word.
Dog Blog #22 – The Rocky Road…

Mar 31st, 2023
I feel like we have been on a bit of a rollercoaster again this week. In some ways Margot has made lots of improvements, but there have been a few frustrating (and odd behaviour) moments on occasion, which are outlined in more detail below.

Recently, there has been a sudden increase of counter surfing in the kitchen by our pup, which has been hugely irritating. However, I was delighted to bump into the lovely dog walker again this week who had introduced us to the open safe space I have been using so readily to practise recall. Especially when he made a comment that Margot didn’t seem to be jumping up quite as much now, which was music to my ears! I’ll take that as a huge positive.

Walking off the lead

Walking off the lead has become more relaxing overall. J and I are more confident now that Margot will come back when we call her. In the lovely open space above, she even raced over last weekend when we asked her to whilst mid-run towards another dog.

This was fortuitous and perfectly timed because the previous day up in the forest she managed to slip out of her harness completely at the same time as struggling to get closer to a black Labrador up ahead. I can only imagine what the other dog walkers thought of our lack of control at this point. Fortunately, she didn’t jump all over the other dog which was also being held tightly. We weren’t sure quite what had gone so wrong as it had never happened before. Perhaps it was the lead restraining her when she just wanted to play.

Evenings in the Living Room

Last week P had a couple of school functions in the evening so J and I took it in turns to take her, with the other one remaining at home to dog sit. In the later hours of the day we have established a routine of sorts: we invite Margot to come and sit with us in the living room on her mat. If she can’t settle, we put her out in the hall and try again every so often. She’s either wide awake and ready to play or crashes out. It’s a shame there’s no happy medium yet where she will sit next to one of us quietly and let us stroke her. And when there was only one of us at home, she went and sat nearer the door – as if she was waiting for the other two to come in.

Margot says…

I’m further up the page this week – it’s about time my opinions were given a bit more importance.

I’ve been running around with some other dogs over the last few days on my walks which has been great. It was brilliant bumping into my mate Patch again. He’s great fun to be with as he has as much energy as I have. It does make me very tired though. I’ve started taking a few naps back in the crate as I have more space to myself and it’s cosy in there.

Strange Behaviour when on a Walk

In researching some other slightly odd behaviour exhibited by our pup recently, I discovered a new word via the Oracle: ‘sploot’. According to dictionary.com, ‘Sploot is slang for the pose an animal, especially dogs, cats, and other four-legged pets, makes when it lies on its stomach with its hind legs stretched out back and flat.’ So, my next question to ask is why Margot is ‘splooting’ on the grass while we are out walking? I find it quite embarrassing as she suddenly lies flat on the ground and refuses to move. Sometimes she snaps at the grass or hoovers up any nearby daisy heads.

Other sources I consulted to try and discover a reason for this behaviour suggested that it was a chance to be lazy and comfortable, a sign of relaxation and stretching out those back legs. Interesting idea, but really, on a walk? I’m not sure it looks that relaxing, but I don’t have two back legs to try it out for myself. Apparently, splooting can also be cooling when dogs press their stomachs flat to the ground or on a tiled floor. This makes more sense as Margot tends to perform this manoeuvre on damp verges. She also appears to lick off the moisture from the longer blades of grass so perhaps she is just thirsty. (It hardly seems worth it really if that’s the case.)

I am aware that this position in the company of other dogs is showing submission, and I have seen Margot do this quite a bit in her play. However, it strikes me as rather odd when it’s just the two of us out walking and she suddenly drops to the ground, throws out those back legs and remains still. Not even a treat will entice her to get up. (In fact the only thing I discovered that worked to encourage her to move was by taking her photograph!)

I have also discovered the hard way that Margot will pick up most things she finds, whether it is a stick, leaves, flower heads that have fallen to the floor or various bits of litter. Unfortunately, I have had to remove plastic bottles, vape capsules and other pieces of human detritus from her mouth. (This morning it was one of those tiny plastic portions of UHT milk you put in tea or coffee.) She will drop it sometimes when asked, but often it becomes a game to get it from her. If the litter wasn’t there in the first place, I wouldn’t have to worry about her ingesting it.

Travelling in the Car – what are our options?

Although we have been travelling with our pup in the car for months now, we’re still not entirely sure we have got it quite right. You might remember that in the early days I bought a box contraption that she could sit in. This was loosely linked to the backseat with Margot reinforced by a dog seat belt attached to her harness. It didn’t take long for me to realise that she wasn’t overly interested in sitting inside the box and she also chewed through the seat belt strap before long. Therefore I searched for a chew-proof car restraint which is shorter than the first one we had and doesn’t allow her as much movement in the back seat.

P and I have been taking it in turns to sit in the back with her. Recently, she has taken a while to settle on the short journeys we have done and again we are unsure why. J has been wondering if we should travel with her in the boot instead moving forward. What other options are there when you have a dog in the car with you?

The Highway Code states a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are the appropriate ways of restraining animals in cars. If we put up a dog guard in between the boot and the back seat, we wouldn’t be able to see what she was chewing on back there. At least if you are sat next to her, you can encourage her mouth away from the seatbelts meant for humans… A cage or crate will take up the entire boot space, we won’t be able to see if she is okay while we are travelling and it needs to be carefully measured to ensure that it will fit before we part with our money – they don’t come cheap. I’m also not clear on whether a dog inside a crate also has to be tethered. So much to think about. I’ll keep you posted.

Springing Forward

This week we sprung into British Summer Time and the clocks went forward an hour. And on a Sunday too. I was most confused because my watch had automatically updated overnight by syncing to my phone. At first I thought I had slept in until I spotted an alarm clock which needed to have the time changed manually. It always takes me a good few days to acclimatise to this change every year. Do dogs feel the same? Clearly, they don’t have the same concept of time as we do, but it did make me wonder whether Margot had noticed anything different in terms of eating and sleeping patterns. (The photos below show her very much awake and focused, even if it is on chasing her tail.)

Margot Asleep (or Nearly)

And finally…

Apparently this means ‘I love you’ in dog body language – according to a few sources I have consulted

Next week… it’s the Easter holidays!

Feel free to comment, share and spread the word. (Particularly, if you have any tips to control the counter surfing…!)
Dog Blog #21 – At the Beach

Mar 24th, 2023
This week, we decided to head for somewhere completely different to give Margot a new experience. I can’t remember if ‘the beach’ was on the socialisation list as a location in either ‘Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy’ or Graham Hall’s book I referred to in earlier blog posts. According to the Oracle, some dogs absolutely love the sand and the sea and others don’t. We wondered which side of the fence our pup would be on. It didn’t take very long to find out…

It should have been the postponed puppy play date on the Saturday with my brother and his dogs, but I was paranoid that Margot’s eyes weren’t completely better – G and I agreed that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Heading to the Beach

In the car on the way to the coast, there were times where it seemed as though Margot knew we were going somewhere new and exciting. At other times she lay down and went to sleep… (She is clipped in to the seatbelt on the back seat, I promise.)

First Time on the Sand

Although there was the usual coastal wind to contend with, the skies were blue and the spring sun shone. It was perfect for our first foray onto a sandy beach. Near to the car park on a large grassy verge, there were quite a large number of dogs, both on and off the lead so plenty of distraction for our young pup as we crossed over to find the sand. We chose to walk on the beach where there were fewer people, but on a day like today, it was always going to be busy. Time to practise that recall over and over again then…

Playing on the Beach

It was so lovely to see Margot’s excitement and exuberance at having the freedom to frolic about on the sand. She and P chased each other and there was a bit of interaction with a couple of other dogs. The one in the picture below was very friendly; the other I didn’t get a photo of was a bit too friendly and had to be dragged away by his owner. Still, no actual harm done. As predicted, we had plenty of opportunities to practise her recall and she came straight back 95% of the time. Nobody on either end of the age spectrum – children or people with walking sticks – were approached or jumped on by our pup. I’ll take that as a win.

To start with, Margot stayed very much on the sand and the sporadic piles of shingle thrown up on the beach by the waves. However, it didn’t take long for her to dip her paws into the water, especially when P started to try her hand at skimming stones. Margot would chase them, but never brought any back.

Loving the Water

When the sun shines down onto the surface of the water, the sea always looks incredibly inviting. In reality, it is really cold at this time of the year, but that didn’t stop Margot from running in and out of the waves. Fortunately, there was no complete immersion although she did get very wet.

We had a few concerns when we saw her drinking the sea water – apparently it can cause a stomach upset or diarrheoa even with the smallest of amounts. I remember having mouthfuls of salty water when swimming in the sea as a child. It’s certainly not a pleasant taste so I was surprised Margot would even try it to be honest. Or perhaps having tried it, making a conscious effort not to ingest any more. (Either she didn’t drink very much sea water at all or her stomach has an iron constitution. Another win in my book.)

My favourite beach photo – if you look carefully, you can see the Needles in the distance…

Afterwards…

Once we had all had enough of strolling up and down along the sand, we made for the grassy verge behind the natural sand dunes. At this point the portable water bowl was vital – I’ve never seen Margot so thirsty before and she guzzled the lot. She also has this odd way of lying on the ground sometimes. We call it the ‘Superman’ even though this position is the antithesis of flying. Surely it can’t be comfortable.

If you google taking dogs to the beach, there are plenty of safety precautions to consider: firstly, checking that the beach is dog friendly; looking out for broken glass or sharp objects; discouraging your dog from eating sand and sea water; being aware of the tides and currents if they go into the water; taking great care when walking on a clifftop and protecting your pup from heatstroke. We didn’t have to worry about that last one on this occasion, but I did read a few warnings about washing the salt out of their fur after a dip in the sea. (I think if I’d done the googling beforehand, we may not have ventured that far. But it’s fair to say that we all really enjoyed it, especially Margot, so I’m really glad that her first experience of the Dorset coastline was a positive one.)

In the Forest (again)

Over the weekend we also took Margot back to the forest. Here we came across a six-month old labrador puppy which was much larger than our pup. I couldn’t believe it when the owner said that her dog was a month younger than Margot. It made us realise just how petite she is and that the 25% of miniature poodle in her heritage may well make all the difference. I do hope so – she looks really cute being the size that she is. I’d love it if she didn’t grow too much more to reach her full adult weight. However, I realise that there is still a fair way to go yet. I’ll keep you posted.

Margot Asleep (or nearly…)

Margot says…

‘I had so much fun at the beach. There was so much space to run around on the sand and on the edge of the water. I couldn’t understand why it tasted funny and sometimes it kept chasing me. I do hope we go back there again soon.

I’m still enjoying walking around the open space near our house. The big person walks around the circuit at least twice but I don’t mind because she lets me explore and only calls me over when I am a long way away. Sometimes I watch her walk on ahead to see how long it is before she looks back to check where I am. It’s never that long.’

Next week… more spring fun!

Feel free to comment, share and spread the word…
Dog Blog #20 – Vet Visit

Mar 17th, 2023
This week we had to make our first impromptu visit to the vet when we noticed that one of Margot’s eyes was very red and looked sore. It was a shock on a number of levels, but unfortunately, it also meant that we needed to postpone our puppy play date with my brother on the weekend.

It’s been cold this week with some rain showers, which has made the paths and tracks near us muddy and wet again, although we haven’t had any more snow, thank goodness. I failed to mention Margot’s first experience of the white stuff in last week’s blog post – I have included a couple of photos below, but you can see that it really didn’t settle much down here in our area. Not as much of a problem as in other parts of the country.

Pink Eye

At the end of last week we noticed that our pup’s right eye was bright red in the corner. It’s quite difficult to see the whites of her eyes usually because her irises are so big, but in the light, when she looked off to one side, it was clear that her eye was red and looked a bit inflamed. Another telltale sign that all was not well was the yellow gunk we could see in the corner of one eye, which reappeared a few more times during the day. She didn’t want me to wipe it away or get close to either of her eyes. It looked like the similar sort of symptoms P had as a young child when she suffered from conjunctivitis. I wondered if dogs could suffer from the same thing and if she would need to have drops to get rid of the possible infection.

Vet Consultation

When I telephoned Lynwood Vets, the lady I spoke to was lovely. I expected nothing less with all our positive dealings with them in the past. There were no appointments available in our home town practice in the coming days, but she could offer me a slot in the next town early the following morning. She advised me to book it in case the infection got worse, saying that I wouldn’t want to resort to using the out of hours vet service over the weekend as this would be far more expensive.

For the rest of the day, Margot seemed rather out of sorts. She took herself off to her crate and curled up quietly, which was really unusual. I consulted Dr Google to see what I could find out for myself… I also sent the photo below to my brother to warn him. He seemed pretty confident that it was doggy conjunctivitis and asked us to postpone our visit as it can be very contagious to other canines.

The following morning J and I drove to the vet where we saw the same receptionist from our home branch, which was both strange and reassuring. Margot was very excited to see her. In fact she was very excited full stop – you would have thought that entering a new building might have caused her some anxiety, but not a bit of it. The 20-minute wait in the reception area caused J and I more distress trying to keep our pup calm and sat or lying flat on the floor. It was a relief when we were finally invited into a consulting room.

The vet took a good look in Margot’s eyes with a bright light and agreed that the conjunctiva (the tissue covering the eyeball and the eyelids) was sore and inflamed. It was worse on one eye. She could have picked it up from nosing through some dirty water, from getting too close to another infected dog or even due to an allergy to dust or pollen. I suppose it could have been any of those things over this last week. We were prescribed some Maxitrol eye drops and instructed to put a drop into each eye twice a day for the next five days. I used the opportunity to ask the vet to show us how to do this (sounds silly I know because it’s obvious really). J and I both held her still while the vet successfully administered the eye drops. (I felt sure that it wouldn’t be that easy once we were back home.)

Everyone I’ve spoken to on the subject talks about the high expense of vet bills and the importance of pet insurance. The cost of a ten-minute consultation and a 5ml pot of eye drops was a bit of a shock to us as new dog owners. Certainly higher than we expected but not high enough to make it worth making an insurance claim with the £85 excess we would have to pay.

We did use the opportunity to also speak to the vet about Margot’s first season, saying that we were waiting for this to happen imminently. She re-iterated what we knew already: that it could be any time between six to eighteen months and to look out for any changes in certain areas of her body.

On the way home after the visit to the vet

Overall, we had been quite impressed with Margot’s behaviour with the vet. She didn’t seem that bothered by the eye drops being squeezed into her eye that morning. However, the same cannot be said when it came to the evening dose. Every time we approached her, she backed off. It was as if she knew what we were trying to do. Could she smell the medicine? Perhaps she thought we might poke her in the eye. (This had crossed my mind with the amount she was moving about to avoid us.)

In the end all three of us tried holding her down as best we could and J gave the tiny bottle a squeeze. The 5ml of liquid would not last very long at this rate… (The situation reminded me of a time when P was a baby and she had an ear infection, I think it was. An infection where she had been prescribed that bright yellow banana-flavoured antibiotic for kids that she really hated. We had to feed it to her through a plastic syringe and try to ensure she didn’t spit it straight back out by clamping her mouth shut. I remember that being a very stressful situation too.)

Over the last few days we have had mixed success administering the eye drops. I hope the infection doesn’t come back again. It certainly looks as though it has cleared up.

Margot’s First Snow

As you can see in the pictures above, we didn’t have very much snow in our garden last week. Margot was a little interested in the bits which had accumulated in the flowerbeds. I think she prefers ice to snow to be honest.

Our Favourite Place

We have continued to spend part of our daily walk at our favourite safe space for being off the lead, where it is quiet and all fenced in. It’s brilliant for practising recall. Sometimes Margot watches me walk on ahead, waits until I am a distance away and runs over at high speed whether I have thrown my arms out or not. When we are back in the garden, I continue to focus on calling her over from a sitting and waiting position, even from around the corner where she can’t see me. This morning Margot walked beside me off the lead on the common too – she is definitely making progress in this area.

New Toys / Bone

Chewing remains a key pastime for our pup and the y-shaped puppy Benebone is now far smaller than its original form. The one in the same shape but for older dogs is more intact as you can see in the third picture below. However, the new bone we introduced this week is also a hit: it certainly keeps Margot quiet even though the constant biting and scraping can be quite noisy.

One of J’s colleagues gave us another handful of toys her dog wasn’t a fan of – the ribbons came off the tennis ball within seconds and every label is missing already. I’m not sure what the fascination is with this. Another irritating new habit formed recently is chewing the corner of her fleecy mats and pulling out the stuffing. We have allowed this with the cuddly toys, so in Margot’s mind there’s probably not a great deal of difference. My needle and thread have been in high demand though and the mats have changed shape slightly with my unprofessional darning!

Margot Asleep

Margot says…

My eye was really sore last week. I didn’t like the drops being put in my eyes, but I wasn’t making it easy for them to get near me either. They were so obvious, even trying to creep up on me when I was asleep. But I heard them every time. It’s not so painful anymore. I don’t know why my eye was infected but I hope it doesn’t happen again in the future.

Next week… Hopefully, we will be back on track with the puppy play date.

Please feel free to comment, share and spread the word…
Dog Blog #19 – Recall, Recall, Recall…

Mar 10th, 2023
This week we tried something new with Margot – a session of gun dog training. On two separate occasions, two different people had recommended this local training club, saying that it had been brilliant for their dog’s behaviour, and more importantly, their dogs had absolutely loved it. My contact with this club beforehand was really positive. The lady I sent my email query to was certain that it would be exactly what our young pup needed to help with her recall, her retrieval and her interaction with other dogs.

As you will discover below, our pup was not in the same league as the other ‘novice / beginners’ and we did well to stick out the whole hour. The actual training was top-notch. But it did make me realise that we have a lot of work to do with Margot as regards socialising with other dogs and her recall when there are lots of distractions around.

Gun Dog Training

We mentioned that we were intending to try out this training to the lovely Alice, our favourite veterinary nurse we saw for the monthly weigh in (14.85kg currently if you’re interested). She agreed that it should help with Margot’s interaction with other dogs as well as her general (dis)obedience and recall. A word of warning though: they wouldn’t like her harness and would be encouraging a slip lead instead. Also, there could be some waiting around during the session as the groups might be on the large size.

We arrived with an open mind, but soon feeling like fish out of water compared with the other dogs, who instantly appeared better behaved. Our nervousness didn’t improve when the trainers looked perplexed that we had chosen this session, suggesting that the puppy classes might have been better. One of them told me that I’d need to get hold of a slip lead as soon as I’d filled in the form…

The website had encouraged youngsters to take part in the training, which meant dragging P out of bed earlier than she’d liked on a Sunday morning. However, only one handler was allowed with each dog in the group. P and I watched from the side, the cold biting into our hands with each minute that passed.

To begin with, Margot was at her most excitable. With the first task walking her on a lead weaving in and out of the other dogs and their owners in the group, it was clear to everyone that we were in the wrong class. P was very embarrassed, J was very frustrated and I tried to help by swapping over and trying to be the handler every so often.

It wasn’t all a complete disaster though…

The teacher of our group was really impressed with Margot’s retrieval, said that her recall was pretty good for six months old and he couldn’t believe how nothing phased her when everyone watched her jump all over another Lab three times her size. He did say that he thought the puppy classes might be more suitable to reinforce the basics and asked us to contact the lady in charge again for further advice. (She was on holiday this week.) We shall have a think where to go next. The training was excellent in terms of waiting control and recall, but it’s fair to say that it was a tough hour or so. (It was so stressful I forgot to take any photos too!)

Recall Experience

Monday was the start of another week. On our jaunt around the local common, Margot and I met a very friendly dog walker with his cocker spaniel called Patch, aged 11 months. I took her off the lead so that she could have the freedom to do what she always wants to do: run around and play. The two of them got on like a house on fire. And my little win occurred when Margot came back to me when I called her even whilst she was mid-play. This lovely gent suggested I practise off lead recall in a fenced-off area of open land not far away from the common. I hadn’t known of its existence before so we checked it out on the way home.

When I am on my own, I am less confident than J and very nervous about letting Margot off the lead. But this area was perfect for us both. She stayed pretty close to me but was able to explore.

I managed to take some photos of our pup running back to me when I called her. This was a very proud moment for me. Hopefully with practice this will continually improve.

Puppy Play Date

As Margot had got on so well with Patch, we agreed to meet the following day for another run around in that open area. You would have thought that the half hour of chasing, running around and jumping over each other would have tired them out, Margot especially, but she continued to try and gain his attention when we were back on the common.

When I expressed my delight at our pup trotting sensibly alongside Patch when we were walking at heel next to the road, I definitely had spoken too soon. It didn’t last as long as I’d have liked. But baby steps in the right direction and all that.

Margot says…

I am being allowed a bit more freedom out on our walks at the moment. I really like being able to go and sniff in lots of different areas, but I always keep one eye on my owner and stay quite close. Whenever she throws her arms out to the side, I know it means to run on over, which I can do at high speed. I always get a tasty treat too so it’s worth stretching my legs just for that.

Margot Asleep

Next week… any signs of that first season yet (at almost seven months old)?

Please feel free to leave a comment, share and spread the word.
Dog Blog #18 – Taking Margot off the Lead…

Mar 3rd, 2023

This week it has all been about the lead which has certainly been an adventure of sorts. The questions we have been asking ourselves are things like: Should we let Margot run free yet? When is the best time to take her off the lead? Have we left it too late? Will she come back or will she use the opportunity to get as far away from us as possible?

It’s a scary time when you must let your young charges develop their independence as I know from my dealings with children both in teaching and with our own daughter. You only want the best for them and you cross your fingers in the hope that they will remain safe. It’s not that different when you are dealing with a puppy. And there are plenty of people out there willing to share their opinions too. When you are still a very new dog owner, and you have never done any of this before, it’s hard to know whether you are doing the right thing at the right time or not. But you have to start somewhere…

Inside looking out

Margot enjoys spending time in the garden (continuing to chew on my roses) and if she isn’t outside in it, she will pass quite a few minutes watching the world go by through the glass. Or at least the various birds flying overhead, the robin family sat on the branches of one of the trees near the back fence and the buzzards roosting in the trees down by the river.

Walking in the rain

I mentioned in one of my earlier blog posts about not wishing to have a fairweather dog given the unpredictable weather we experience in the UK – it’s fair to say that Margot still doesn’t like going out in the rain very much although she looks ever so sweet when she is all wet and the fur on her head goes all fluffy. She has been in luck for the last few weeks as it has been very dry (albeit cold with an Arctic wind) and on the occasion in the pictures, the sudden shower took us both by surprise!

Long line issues

Last weekend we went back to the forest with the long line and the intention of practising Margot’s recall. P is very good at managing all 10 metres of the lead although there is definitely a knack to letting it out and gathering it up again in big loops, especially when our pup weaves around a large pine! J is the expert: P was instructed to ensure that Margot felt no backward tug whatsoever (giving her the feeling of not actually being restrained) and when the line was fully extended, she must shout out the command to ‘Come’. It worked well. We were on our way.

Playing off the lead

A short way into this training walk we bumped into a lady with two dogs. Not unexpectedly, we stopped to share pleasantries. Margot being Margot was up on her back two legs straining at the leash to get closer to the other dogs, which is when the lady asked us what she was like off the lead. I know she was only trying to be supportive, but her stern words about how we should have done this already made me feel like we had done something wrong.

As I tried to explain that we were new dog owners and really worried that our puppy would run off, the lady suggested that we give Margot the chance to run around with her two. She assured us that her dogs would remain close and Margot would therefore stay with them. Knowing that our pup always just wants to play with any person or dog she comes into contact with, I felt certain that she would have a ball. There was instant chasing and positive socialisation between them all. When another dog walker arrived in the distance, the lady we had met blew on a whistle twice and her two dogs sat at her feet instantly. That was another aspect of training she recommended – and one J is keen to use too. Even though I did feel as though initially I had been told off, she definitely meant well and it was a new adventure for us all.

Walking in the Forest

On Sunday we went back to the forest armed once again with the long line but also a bit of confidence from the previous day. Our local area seems to be packed full of lovely dog owners, most of whom are keen to share their wisdom and their experience with clearly very keen but green beginners.

Here we met the friendliest lady with her husband out walking their three dogs. Once again we explored our concerns about taking Margot off the lead and our interactions in a different part of the forest the day before. Her view was that if we left it too long, Margot would feel overly confident and more inclined to explore a bit further afield. And if we always had our puppy restrained on a lead, when we ever did take her off it, she might enjoy the sense of freedom that bit too much and decide to be less inclined to go back on it again. But her best piece of advice: ‘Sausage and cheese.’ Those high value treats worth coming back for.

The advantages of dogs being allowed off a lead is that they can run around without any restrictions, as well as it being more fun and exciting for them. They can move at their own natural pace, become more aware of the natural surroundings and the extra exercise is therefore beneficial to their physical and mental health. It all makes perfect sense, but it doesn’t make it any less scary.

But do you know what, after this second conversation in two days, we decided to all take metaphorical deep breaths and give it a go. Margot has been pretty good at her recall on the long line up to this point. With a clear plan to call her back if we saw other dogs in the distance and not let her run off too far ahead, we all did really well. And another bonus: we bumped into the same people a second time and they were delighted to see that they had helped us!

It is interesting how this lead business can be quite a hot topic though. I was on a discussion forum where the majority of people were in agreement that we had done the right thing. ‘Two words – love and faith. If they love you, have faith they will come back. Very scary the first time but soon you will wonder what you worried about.’ ‘Having had a few dogs it is still a leap of faith the first time off the lead but they do stay close and come back when called. Enjoy your puppy.’

However, one post stated how lucky we were that she came back given the number of foxes and deer in the forest and that so many dogs go missing in there. ‘I would not advise having a dog off a lead in any forest unless the recall training is top notch.’ Food for thought indeed.

Back on the lead

Back on the lead by the side of the road and Margot had not forgotten how to walk at heel. There’s definitely a time and a place for different situations lead-wise.

Margot asleep

Margot says…

I have enjoyed a bit more freedom to run about recently. My favourite bit has been chasing the other dogs when I’m let off the lead. Being friendly is in my nature. I can’t help it. It doesn’t matter if they are puppies like me or old grumps. I do get a bit scared wh

Doing the Laundry

Greetings

Games & Treats

Shake it off…

They escape every time…

Thunderstorms

Time for a run yet?

New favourite chews?

Why do dogs shake even when they aren’t wet?

The Doorbell Rings

Puppy Play

Should dogs chew on sticks?

More Walking Woes

Being Cute

Social (Media) Faux Pas

Heading Upstairs?

Holiday Ideas – is she a well-behaved dog?

Spring/Summer Plants and Walking in the Rain

Spring Sunshine and More Bluebells

April Showers

Poorly Puppy

Cosy / Humorous Times

Next week… more spring adventures (and the King’s Coronation with another Bank Holiday).

Bluebell Walk

Recall Rollercoaster

Swimming in the Sunshine

More Sunbathing

And finally…

Woodlands Wander

Being Cosy

Back to our Favourite Walk in the Forest

New Routines

Back to our Usual Walking Pattern

Flaked out in the Sunshine

Margot says…

Whistle Training

Out and About

Being Cosy

Margot Asleep

Travelling in the Car (Update)

Back to Badbury Rings

Studland

Recall Failure… Other Options?

Margot Asleep

Next week… out and about part 2 and early whistle training.

Walking off the lead

Evenings in the Living Room

Strange Behaviour when on a Walk

Travelling in the Car – what are our options?

Springing Forward

Margot Asleep (or Nearly)

And finally…

Heading to the Beach

First Time on the Sand

Playing on the Beach

Loving the Water

Afterwards…

In the Forest (again)

Margot Asleep (or nearly…)

Pink Eye

Vet Consultation

Margot’s First Snow

Our Favourite Place

New Toys / Bone

Margot Asleep

Gun Dog Training

Recall Experience

Puppy Play Date

Margot Asleep

Inside looking out

Walking in the rain

Long line issues

Playing off the lead

Walking in the Forest

Back on the lead

Margot asleep