Entries from November 2008
November is traditionally the time of the year when the UK is shrouded in mist and light drizzle – we’re so lucky!
Yesterday was such a day.
I snapped this woman out with her dog as she started her walk near our local race course.
We don’t normally walk this route but there were two large dogs I was trying to avoid whose owner didn’t seem to have great control. I wasn’t about to take any chances so Georgie and Jessie were put on the lead and we took a bit of a detour.
Thanks to her, I got this misty November picture 
Categories: England · English weather · Sussex · dog walking · dogs · mist
Tagged: dogs, English weather, mist, November
Yesterday the weather forecast was snow, sleet and generally very bad conditions. So instead of driving to a family gathering in London (a couple of hours drive), we decided to go by train. Jessie had her first train trip a month or so ago and Georgie is a very experienced train traveller so we set off.
The journey up was smooth even though we had two changes to deal with.
Georgie ‘worked’ the carriage:
People can’t seem to resist her – not everyone obviously – but these nice people from Chester enjoyed her company and Georgie got some free head massages and lots of tickles. (sorry about the white hair on your coats!)
Jessie stayed with Mark looking on from a safe distance under the chair:
The way back however was a completely different story!
A one hour forty minute journey turned into a four hour trek. Engineering work plus all sorts of other ‘train’ problems (tracks, signals, lines etc) meant loads of cancellations and VERY crowded trains. Imagine London rush hour on the tubes – obviously not ideal for dogs.
Anyway, the platforms we stopped on had fresh rainy puddles for refreshment (Mark and I had proper drinks obviously) and people were friendly and stoic.
Here’s one of the carriages:
Mark was sitting on the luggage rack and I was on the floor with the dogs.
We weren’t so lucky on the next stretch – standing for 45 minutes with people coming on and off the train. Jessie played ‘peeka boo’ with a yound child between the grown ups’ legs and Georgie – well yes, she found someone who tickled her almost the whole stretch!
Here’s the last photo. In spite of legs and suitcases all around, Jessie found a spot to have a sleep!
For a dog who had very limited experiences when she came to live with us, Jessie’s doing so well. Both dogs did brilliantly although if I’d known what kind of journey it was going to be, I probably would have risked the ‘dangerous’ driving conditions (as it turned out there was no snow on our stretch at all.)
When they got home, we took off their leads, collars and harnesses and they had a good old wrestle in the front room. Lots of steam was let off – and then they slept . . .
zzzzzzz
Categories: dogs
Tagged: dogs, dogs on trains, travel with your dog
Today I had the pleasure of visiting Silverden Canine Hydrotherapy pool in Heathfield, East Sussex. I watched Sue Tovey, the proprietor of Silverden, working with Brockie a nine year old black lab.
Brockie comes to a weekly session at Silverden to help him regain full use of his back legs after a traffic accident in the summer of 2008. Just after the accident he was coming for three hydrotherapy sessions a week, then two and now one.
Notice his stylish head wrap! This is to protect his ears from the water.
Canine Hydrotherapy is one of the best forms of exercise you can use to help your dog regain or retain fitness. It takes place in warm water which offers a weightless environment thus avoiding the stresses of running on hard ground.
I’ve written more about it on my doggy website: out and about with your dog
Thank you so much to Penny, Brockie’s owner, for letting me sit in on the session. It was a really great experience.
Categories: Canine Hydrotherapy · Sussex · dogs
Tagged: Canine Hydrotherapy, canine therapy, dogs
It’s amazing how well dogs can focus when food’s involved!
Categories: Wordless Wednesday · dog training · dogs
Tagged: dogs, Wordless Wednesday
The day started with our normal dog walk. We walked round with Jackson, our Labradoodle friend, which is always fun – Jessie loves to chase him. They’re very well matched and both need the exercise to drain off some of that excess energy. I didn’t take any pics today but this one was taken in the summer of Jackson and Jessie playing with the tennis ball.
Popped back home for a cream cheese sandwich and then more or less straight out for Jessie’s first training session.
Also joining us was Buffy (Jan the trainer’s dog showing us how it should be done), Fluke, Marley, Drizzle, Bobby, and a Weimarana I didn’t know but who was trying very hard! Jessie’s challenge is not reacting to other dogs when they’re on the lead so there was a lot of walking round each other and getting the dogs to focus on us. Lots of treats and tiny bits of cheese for the hardest bits.
Jessie did well and especially liked the food! I need to get her into the habit of leaving whatever she’s doing when I say ‘Leave!’ – whether that’s barking at another dog or trying to eat a left-over sandwich that someone’s left in the street.
Again, no photos I’m afraid. I was too busy remembering which hand to put the lead in, making sure I had something nice in my other hand for Jessie, and concentrating on what Jan, the trainer, had asked us to do.
Training takes place outside in a public area with lots of normal distractions (rabbit poo being the main one for Jessie). Some BMX riders joined us half way through which made it a little tricky but we all seemed to co-exist pretty well.
I really enjoyed it and so did Jessie. When we got back there was lots of canine hugging between Jessie and Georgie – they’re not used to being apart very much. And then Jessie settled down to a big sleep on the sofa and snoozed right through her normal dinner time – something that’s never happened before!
Categories: dog training · dogs
Tagged: dog training, dogs
How lovely to be ‘out and about with your dog’ – blue skies, friendship and happy dogs
Categories: England · Sussex · Wordless Wednesday · dog walks · dogs · pets
Tagged: collies, dogs, friendship, Wordless Wednesday
If I’d been on a boat today I’d have been very, very sea-sick. But luckily I was walking my dogs!
According to the Beaufort Scale, today was probably about Force 7 or 8: effort was definitely needed to walk against the wind and my car was veering as we drove to the carpark. Add to this, the rain, and you can imagine the picture. We were all exhausted when we got back to the car after an hour.
Needless to say, Georgie and Jessie loved it!
Categories: England · dog walks · dogs · pets
Tagged: dogs, weather, wind
Apart from my husband, we all love peanut butter in our house. My normal breakfast is toast with honey, peanut butter and mashed banana. I wait until I’ve finished two jars (a couple of months?) and then Georgie and Jessie get to clean them up – a treat they both adore!! These are photos from half an hour ago
YUMMY SCRUMMY!
Categories: dogs · golden retriever · pets
Tagged: dogs, peanut butter
Wih warmest wishes to our American friends and congratulations to Barack Obama. All eyes on you today and especially when the new puppy arrives in the White House!!
From Georgie and Tomasina x
Categories: Wordless Wednesday · dogs · golden retriever · pets
Tagged: dogs, tortoise, Wordless Wednesday
