The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire
- Thread starter Emily_Babbelhund
- Start date
So sorry glad you're both ok. Its horrible when you have such a bad scare. Rest sleep and decide what to do tomorrow xxx
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
Oh Emily! What a horrible day. My thoughts go with you. I'd run for safety and friendship over here in the UK. Then you can take some, much deserved "down time" and get some rest. 
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
Poor Carbon so glad he's OK, poor you, horrible patronising lorry drivers. Rest up Emily. xx
, poor you, horrible patronising lorry drivers. Rest up Emily. xx 
Blimming Norah @Emily_Babbelhund , what a hideous experience. You’re bound to be shook up, but happily you and Carbon have a doggy guardian angel. Sleep well, tomorrow will be a far better day x
- Location
- Canberra, Australia
How dreadful. It’s all ok though, thank goodness. Our heroine and hero are safe 
I would move on from that place.....sounds crappy and you need ‘soothing and easy and with functioning appliances’, not crappy.
I would move on from that place.....sounds crappy and you need ‘soothing and easy and with functioning appliances’, not crappy.
Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
Oh gosh what an ordeal. I really emphasize with you about the whole food-scarfing thing...Simba is exactly the same. He has a 90% “leave it” but that 10% can be a trial. I would bet it will be something he eats that eventually will do him in.
I would have been clueless about the rat poison, too. Thank goodness the condo owner saw it happen...
Driving on those crowded streets amidst the big lorries would be harrowing. And to be stood up by your friend...
Hope you have a good rest and a better day tomorrow!
I would have been clueless about the rat poison, too. Thank goodness the condo owner saw it happen...
Driving on those crowded streets amidst the big lorries would be harrowing. And to be stood up by your friend...
Hope you have a good rest and a better day tomorrow!
- Location
- Wellington, NZ
OMG, there but for the grace of DOG (or Italian holiday home owners) - that was an incredibly close call. Buy a Lotto ticket, ok?
And UGH, not another issue with an AirBnb? Why do reviewers not mention these things? If you don't have a working fridge then surely you're not obligated to stay (and can get a refund?) What a pity, it looked so cute
And as for your friend - you don't owe yourself to anybody. You'd organised to spend Sunday together, and she couldn't honour that, so screw that. People who aren't respectful of your time are not worth the effort. Ditch the Cote, head up to Annecy for a couple of days and enjoy the lake (and the warmth), then nip up to the UK.
And UGH, not another issue with an AirBnb? Why do reviewers not mention these things? If you don't have a working fridge then surely you're not obligated to stay (and can get a refund?) What a pity, it looked so cute
And as for your friend - you don't owe yourself to anybody. You'd organised to spend Sunday together, and she couldn't honour that, so screw that. People who aren't respectful of your time are not worth the effort. Ditch the Cote, head up to Annecy for a couple of days and enjoy the lake (and the warmth), then nip up to the UK.
Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
Oh my heart was in my mouth reading your post. Thank good ness you are both ok and safe . Perhaps time to start moving on up to the UK .
What a day! I’m so glad Carbon is alright, thanks to that speedy intervention. I have to watch Tuppence like a hawk, too, as she’s still a scavenger and spots things faster than I do.
It’s really rubbish that you haven’t got a good rental after such a bad day - you certainly need some decent rest and relaxation. I don’t know how you had any energy left at all after the Carbon saga, never mind the drive!
Today can only be better!
It’s really rubbish that you haven’t got a good rental after such a bad day - you certainly need some decent rest and relaxation. I don’t know how you had any energy left at all after the Carbon saga, never mind the drive!
Today can only be better!
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
What a shock for you, thank goodness for the eagle-eyed husband!
No wonder you took it out on France!
Hope it’s looking better today xx.
No wonder you took it out on France!
Hope it’s looking better today xx.
- Location
- Isle of Man
Oh lorks! Just best to forget about the what-ifs and celebrate that fact everything and everybody was on Carbon's side.
- Location
- East Sussex
What a terrifying ordeal. Thank goodness Carbon is ok. I hope you have a better day to day.
Beanwood
Administrator
Jeez! What an awful experience! You might need a bit of time to process all that.
Agree with @Xena Dog Princess ...get out of the South of France (overrated anyhow...) and head North. Find somewhere nice and quiet for a couple of days...heck..maybe even a pool?
Agree with @Xena Dog Princess ...get out of the South of France (overrated anyhow...) and head North. Find somewhere nice and quiet for a couple of days...heck..maybe even a pool?
- Location
- Close to Devon/Somerset border
Oh good grief, you certainly live a testing life 
Thank goodness those neighbours were there at the right time and knowledgeable about the green poison. I wouldn't have known it was rat poison either. The only stuff I've ever seen was white.
I do hope things work out with the friend you went through so much to see and are then able to get to a safer, quieter, calmer and gentle place. Thinking of you and Carbon and keeping fingers crossed.
Thank goodness those neighbours were there at the right time and knowledgeable about the green poison. I wouldn't have known it was rat poison either. The only stuff I've ever seen was white.I do hope things work out with the friend you went through so much to see and are then able to get to a safer, quieter, calmer and gentle place. Thinking of you and Carbon and keeping fingers crossed.
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
This idea is seriously doing my head in. I've gone from denial ("Something that small couldn't have REALLY hurt him") to gratefulness ("Thank goodness they caught in time and all's well that ends well") to today being so pissed off with this dog that I can't even see straight. STILL today trying to such down everything that's not superglued to the pavement. And of course every little bit I think, "What if that's poisonous???"
I've just been so, so angry today. Yes, I realise that it's fear that's turned to anger - that's how I roll unfortunately - but I don't know how to keep this dog safe if I can't keep him off things. What do you do to even train this? We've been working on 'don't touch' for months now and he's got it. I could open a box of pizza on the ground in front of him and he wouldn't touch the stuff, but something that didn't come from me and that I didn't notice to say 'don't touch' about in time? Down the gullet.
How do people deal with this? Because I am not dealing.
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
It IS cute and very clean...just the fridge and outside is a bother. This morning I found broken glass in the garden, so of course no letting Carbon run around as we were invited to do. There's always something a bit off, I guess maybe too many changes lately and Carbon trying to murder himself has put my back up. I do think I may leave a day early and just eat the cost of the lost night. But we'll see.And UGH, not another issue with an AirBnb? Why do reviewers not mention these things? If you don't have a working fridge then surely you're not obligated to stay (and can get a refund?) What a pity, it looked so cute
Thought about that, but it may be worth it to take my sweet time until the bad storm passes. Hope everyone's ok as it's looking really scary in parts of the country at the moment.
Yes, so grateful to both of them. Massimo has texted me three times already checking on Carbon - such nice people!
I have a long history of taking it out on France, but only because France took it out on me first. We're like bitter divorcées - think the movie War of the Roses. It never ends well!
I think the pool weather is officially over, but I do like your train of thought. Just have to figure out WHERE and if I'm still headed to Ireland first directly from France, or if I do the land bridge across the UK with the ferry from Wales to Cork. Not now of course, I know poor Wales is getting a pummelling. If we do the second option, maybe the Beanwood doggies could give Carbon a stern talking to about snuffling everything into his mouth as we pass through? Helllllllp!Find somewhere nice and quiet for a couple of days...heck..maybe even a pool?
I don’t have a solution but just wanted t say I feel your pain. Stanleys a nightmare for it. He eats everything he even considers edible - it’s rotten and something I worry about a lot.
He’s been at the vets so many times for eating things it’s beyond a joke. My vet put it like this:
“I’m not going to patronise you by telling you that he has to stop eating things, you already know that. But you’ve got a Labrador - this is what they do.”
She said there’s always Labradors in there for the things they’ve eaten. I just try to be as vigilant as possible and look for him displaying any intense interest or nose to the floor sniffing because they’re the signs he’s got something in his sights.
It must be harder for you when you’ve had dogs that don’t do it. I’ve only had Stanley really, so I think I’ll be shocked if I have a dog that doesn’t snaffle everything possible!
He’s been at the vets so many times for eating things it’s beyond a joke. My vet put it like this:
“I’m not going to patronise you by telling you that he has to stop eating things, you already know that. But you’ve got a Labrador - this is what they do.”
She said there’s always Labradors in there for the things they’ve eaten. I just try to be as vigilant as possible and look for him displaying any intense interest or nose to the floor sniffing because they’re the signs he’s got something in his sights.
It must be harder for you when you’ve had dogs that don’t do it. I’ve only had Stanley really, so I think I’ll be shocked if I have a dog that doesn’t snaffle everything possible!
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Hola todooooos! It is I, your Spanish gentleman dog with nine lives. I have now officially used up five of them so I'd better be more careful. Well, I still think it's totally bueno to eat everything on the ground, but by 'be careful' I mean that I have now learned that it is always helpful to have humans ready to rush in to save me. Humans with those shiny little computers glued to their hands and ears. Those seem very useful when yours truly either eats or poops something I shouldn't.
Vale, I don't think about it all too much. That is foster lady's job after all, verdad?
Entonces...today we were about ready to go out at noon after a hard morning of me supervising foster lady cleaning clothes and making my food when a phone call came. We needed to RUSH to the airport to meet foster lady's friend. It'a a long, boring story why we needed to go there, but I was excited because I was going to meet the friend's two dogs, Pickle and Chloe. Pickle was especially interesting to me because...would she taste like a Pickle? Could I nibble on her feet? I love the girls and the girls love me, so I was very happy. Into the car we went!
It was all a little confusing at the airport and foster lady didn't appreciate me new trick of trying to get into the front seat while I'm waiting in the car, but after a not very interesting time, we went to a new house were we met the two girls from Turkey and their mum from South Africa by way of England. Got that? We are a very international group, verdad?
As it turns out, these girls didn't really like me very much. Chloe just ignored me and Pickle kept trying to have a go at me, and not in a good way. And I PROMISE, I didn't even try to nibble her leg. They were just two grumpy old ladies who didn't have any patience for my particularly enthusiastic kind of iberian friendliness. Que lastima!
We did have a walk along the beach but foster lady was grumpy because cars kept trying to kill us, dogs weren't allowed on the beach, and I kept trying to find delicious tidbits in the parks. Foster lady kept yelling, "Oh god, that's going to kill you, Carbon! Oh and that too! Drop it, drop it!".
Personally I think foster lady's OCD is going a little over the top after the blue chewing gum incident yesterday.
I am a little worried: She may need some professional help.
Our walk was pretty short because Pickle has some walking disabilities, so I still had lots of energy when we got back to the house. I made myself useful by trying to bring all the girls' stuffie toys onto the sofa with me. The girls did not appreciate my efforts. Today, I just could not win.
Foster lady's friend seemed pretty grumpy too. She kept checking the computer thing and getting upset about something called Brexit. Foster lady looked like she had a headache, so pretty soon we just went home. Maybe we'll have another visit with the girls and my charms will work. Or maybe we will just enjoy some walks by ourselves and not have to think about the "B" word.
After we got home, foster lady put on my light up collar and we walked to the beach. Then I found a friend and ran and ran and ran. People kept pointing at me because a black dog on a beach at night with a blue light collar...well, it must look like just a collar floating around in circles. If you see reports of a UFO sighting on Antibes beach in the newspaper, you know it was me!
Tomorrow we go visit another friend and this one has an asthmatic cat with a heart condition. I do not think this will end well for the cat or for this Spanish gentleman dog. I hate to say this, as I am a very optimistic dog, but it may be time to try out another part of France. It seems a little dangerous around here!
Our trip to the beach..
.
Wait, why does that dog get to sit on the sand and I don't?
The girls do not understand the concept of a photo shoot. Sigh.
Maybe Pickle was mad that I got the top bunk?
Vale, I don't think about it all too much. That is foster lady's job after all, verdad?
Entonces...today we were about ready to go out at noon after a hard morning of me supervising foster lady cleaning clothes and making my food when a phone call came. We needed to RUSH to the airport to meet foster lady's friend. It'a a long, boring story why we needed to go there, but I was excited because I was going to meet the friend's two dogs, Pickle and Chloe. Pickle was especially interesting to me because...would she taste like a Pickle? Could I nibble on her feet? I love the girls and the girls love me, so I was very happy. Into the car we went!
It was all a little confusing at the airport and foster lady didn't appreciate me new trick of trying to get into the front seat while I'm waiting in the car, but after a not very interesting time, we went to a new house were we met the two girls from Turkey and their mum from South Africa by way of England. Got that? We are a very international group, verdad?
As it turns out, these girls didn't really like me very much. Chloe just ignored me and Pickle kept trying to have a go at me, and not in a good way. And I PROMISE, I didn't even try to nibble her leg. They were just two grumpy old ladies who didn't have any patience for my particularly enthusiastic kind of iberian friendliness. Que lastima!
We did have a walk along the beach but foster lady was grumpy because cars kept trying to kill us, dogs weren't allowed on the beach, and I kept trying to find delicious tidbits in the parks. Foster lady kept yelling, "Oh god, that's going to kill you, Carbon! Oh and that too! Drop it, drop it!".
Personally I think foster lady's OCD is going a little over the top after the blue chewing gum incident yesterday.
I am a little worried: She may need some professional help.
Our walk was pretty short because Pickle has some walking disabilities, so I still had lots of energy when we got back to the house. I made myself useful by trying to bring all the girls' stuffie toys onto the sofa with me. The girls did not appreciate my efforts. Today, I just could not win.
Foster lady's friend seemed pretty grumpy too. She kept checking the computer thing and getting upset about something called Brexit. Foster lady looked like she had a headache, so pretty soon we just went home. Maybe we'll have another visit with the girls and my charms will work. Or maybe we will just enjoy some walks by ourselves and not have to think about the "B" word.
After we got home, foster lady put on my light up collar and we walked to the beach. Then I found a friend and ran and ran and ran. People kept pointing at me because a black dog on a beach at night with a blue light collar...well, it must look like just a collar floating around in circles. If you see reports of a UFO sighting on Antibes beach in the newspaper, you know it was me!
Tomorrow we go visit another friend and this one has an asthmatic cat with a heart condition. I do not think this will end well for the cat or for this Spanish gentleman dog. I hate to say this, as I am a very optimistic dog, but it may be time to try out another part of France. It seems a little dangerous around here!
Our trip to the beach..
.
Wait, why does that dog get to sit on the sand and I don't?
The girls do not understand the concept of a photo shoot. Sigh.
Maybe Pickle was mad that I got the top bunk?