Sorrel and the rottweiler

We met a new dog on the block on our evening walk today. The weather has been wet and miserable all day with only me and Ali going for a walk this morning and again this evening. Its too yucky for Franklin to come, he puts his four paws outside sniffs the air and returns inside, Ali doesn't blame him at all but I need to go for walks to get rid of some energy i have bottled up.

So our winter walks at weekends and on Wednesdays are no wood days as this is when the hunt are out and we don't want to get shot at. We went up the road to the plateau over the other side to a small hamlet where there are 3 dogs we say hello to. The farm on the corner usually has a spaniel type dog chained up all the time with a sheet of corrugated metal for shelter. Ali hates going past this farm as she feels for the poor dog but this is how many farm dogs are treated around here. Anyway the dog wasn't to be seen today, its probably not going to be seen again but what did greet us to Ali's shock after we had passed the farm and was going on our way up the road was a rather large black and tan dog. It didn't bark but was just there, now Ali didn't panic nor did I as we still get a bit concerned as how I will react with other dogs and people.

It had one of those choke collars on, it did look a bit scary but after it did the play bow thing we both sighed with relief, it was friendly. It bounded up the road with us trying to engage me in playing which I was not up for, not sure if it was because I was on my lead, wet and wind blown but I got a bit grumpy to Ali's amazement I even gave a growl and nip as she came towards me, yes she was a young female but didn't get the hint. We had to go back the way we came as Ali got worried we would be taking home a rather large dog and the farmer would be really angry that she was miss behaving and would get told off big time. So back we went, and yes she did get told off. Ali had a quick chat asking if she was female, young and friendly and her breed.

I think next time we see her she may be tied up as Ali is pretty sure as you need a special licence to keep rottweilers here they have to be in a secure environment, we may leave it a week or so when we go back on that walk while I reflect on my grumpy behaviour.

2016

We went out in the car for a walk along the river this morning. Sunny and warm we ambled along as there was so many new smells. We saw a sausage dog from the distance who's yapping we ignored as he isn't to friendly but we did say hello to Najac's nurse who was out jogging and I didn't try to flee from her, Ali thinks I'm improving with strangers.

So for 2016 I am going to try and hit my goal of being trained to come when out in the fields and maybe even the woods but that's a dream at the moment as my nose just gets takes over me as well as not stealing food that's not mine, to stop barking at strangers, to stop chewing and win over Jamie.

So today  I have not eaten anything apart from what I have been given. I only chewed a couple of bits of kindling wood but did also manage to find my way out of the gate which had blown open in the wind I ran to Ali when she called but got side tracked at the cows making a diversion up the drive. I did go very slowly so I could be caught so it wasn't to bad.

But at least I didn't throw up in the car on the way down the road, however it was a different story on the way back as just as we got into the drive I threw up. One day I will enjoy the car!'

Windy day

Today has been really, really windy. All day the wind has blown. We went for a wind blown walk up to the plateau along the main road and down through the woods. My hair blew in all directions as did Ali's. She couldn't take any photos as trying to control one full of energy jumpy dog (me) and a slow old boy who keeps needing bribes to get him to walk (Franklin) on our flexi leads and at the same and time over seeing Tyser who seems to be going a bit senile in his old age while expecting a tree to land on us was too much.

Our walk was going well, considering  when the wind blows in makes us animals a little bit bonkers ( Ali says I can't get any more bonkers than I am already). As we progressed down through the track in the woods we all got a little bit faster as round the bend was our mate Blackie and his new mate who turned up at our neighbours and ended up being adopted by Blackies owners. She is a young collie pup who is full of energy, as is Blackie but his a lot bigger and stronger. Now the wind made us all a bit jumpy enough that leads got tangled with lots of running and jumping and Ali falling to the ground swiftly being jumped on by that young pup.

After we all calmed down we had to say good bye as we went down and they went up. It was defeanatly not a training day today as I just didn't seem to be able to hear instructions. Franklin was in trouble when the door to downstairs blew open which enabled him to go downstairs for a self service of dog with a bit of cat thrown in. He found the opened cat food tin took it up stairs,
managed to eat most of it including putting his teeth through the metal can a few times. Ali is amazed he didn't cut his gums. he would of finished it all if it hadn't rolled under the coffee table.

My faux pas this afternoon was finding a dead large mouse by the barn as we were dropping Franklin back from our walk (he didn't want to come any further). I proudly kept it in my grasp by holding its tail then just as we were about to go in the garden I dropped it Ali swiftly pulled me back picked it up by its tail and threw it up the bank what she didn't see was being a rubbish thrower it fell opposite the gate, where on our return I sniffed it out to snack on when inside the house. Only Fizz was waiting at the door and distracted me. The mouse is now in the bin so I had to make do with a raw hide chew.

chestnuts are tricky things

We had a lovely Autumnal walk this morning over the woods with our friend Anita, I'm getting quiet friendly with her now maybe its because we are both blonde.

The woods and roads are covered in chestnuts and their spiky shells. Franklin doesn't like walking where there are chestnut shells as they spike his feet but he does like eating them. This has rubbed off on me as I'm rather partial to a chestnut but would prefer it peeled first.

Ali and Freya collected lots of chestnuts to make soup for Bonfire night when we were on a walk the other day it was a bit of a pain really as I had to hang around by the chestnut tee but there was so many smells I needed to investigate it meant Ali didn't end up with  as many as she had hoped for.

As she hasn't made any soup yet the chestnuts are waiting to be eaten what she doesn't know is Franklin and I have been sneaking a chestnut or two from the pile of them although she did find out today when she caught me with one in my mouth which stayed there for longer than I thought it might. I walked from inside and out with it in my mouth for quiet a long half hour until Ali saw it and wondered why I wasn't eating it. it was impaled in my canine tooth that's why stuck there so I couldn't eat it if I tried.

Thankfully once it was pulled off my mouth felt much better, i did bite it a bit but I'm now thinking i may of gone of chestnuts a bit.

A chilly morning walk

Its turned a bit chilly here in the Aveyron with the first morning of frost which made for a very noisy walk for me as there were so many smells. We took Ali's friend Anita in the car to the walk we made with Jamie the other day.

This time in Ali's car where Franklin fights for front seat I thought maybe I should try this as well as it might cure my car sickness and hey what it did - no throwing up. We did think about asking Anita if she would mind sitting in the back with Tyser but that wouldn't really be polite so we squashed Anita instead with Franklin whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

Tyser was in big trouble for running off and not returning, we had to go back a bit to see if he was waiting for us but he wasn't. We continued along the path and through a field where we caught sight of him running along. he came back for a short while before nipping off again. This time Ali said we were not waiting and he would have to find us. Of course she couldn't leave him so we boringly waited while he meandered through the woods popping out onto the road.

By the time we walked back the mist was clearing and the sunshine appearing. I managed to get front seat lap on Anita on the way back although I don't think she was impressed with my bedraggled looks and wet dog smell. She was lucky I didn't throw up on her, maybe I'm getting use to this car travel.

A Sunday afternoon walk

Yesterday afternoon before we had tea (so I hopefully wouldn't be sick in the car ) we went for a walk near where the cattle are by the fields that are being rented. This was fabemazing as all dogs know new smells are amazing. Apparently it is really good for us to go to different places as although walking is good for us so to is using our senses and boy did we use ours.

The only draw back was we had to go five minutes down the road in the Land Rover. But what was really good was I didn't throw up, i did get a very wet beard from salivating a lot, which is part of being scared but Ali was so pleased she didn't have to clear up after me.

We walked down the track with Jamie, the first time since I have been here he came for a walk with us showing the way as this is the route he takes to check on the cattle each day, not meeting a sole we made a circle back to the car. Oh the smells were great, of course it took lots of sniffing time up to see who had passed. At one point I smelt the scent of what Ali thinks was a deer as these do seem to send me of on a barking lets go fast run which broke the sleepy Sunday silence around us.

We will definitely be going back on that walk, no cars for Tyser to walk towards, flat ground for Franklin to walk on and no people for me to meet.

I must be nice to people when they come walking with us

Rather than a rabid banshee dog.

I really enjoy my morning and late afternoon walks. I'm now so confident with my tail wagging in the air and nose to the ground where the smells along the way are amazing when we are on our own. I can walk past cars, sit when a car passes us and a cyclist  is OK now. People I don't know on foot are still frightening to me but at least I can now kind of pass them where as before I use to freeze, lower myself to the ground and then try to flee. It's all about Ali carrying on as normal and not passing any stress on to me which I can feel, which in turn gets me anxious and worried.

 Alis friend, Anita, has come on a few walks. I see her most weeks and now can let her touch me to giving me a stroke. This has been a real break through so it was thought time she could tag along (Ali cant see why she would want to come in the rain with us four, five when Freya is around but she is a keen walker like me so we let her come) Now this week she had her aunt staying with her, a doggie owner too so she tagged along as well. This I was not impressed with this AT ALL at first as when they arrived I showed my new confidence of barking at strangers at the gate. Then they came in.Well I couldn't cope with this and showed everyone by running around and up to this aunt barking like a bonkers dog. I had to continue this behaviour up the road a bit, She ignored me and didn't give me eye contact, which Ali had already said I cant do at the moment with anyone out of my pack.  I found she was no threat but did keep my distance and allowed our walk to go ahead in a normal walking fashion, which at the moment is lots of waiting for and coaxing Franklin to come along.

It was a good walk, we meet no people but did see our two mates who I feel really confident around now. They live in a hamlet we pass through for a very quiet circular walk. Lots of doggy greeting and sniffing of bottoms the two come for a stroll with us to the end of an unmade path before turning back for important dog stuff.

Anita has now gone away for a fortnight so we will probably have to go through the meeting and greeting all over again with her although I don't think she will be sniffing my bottom.