I should have entitled this "A Nightmare on Elm Street". 
Pops overall is doing well, I think. By way of an example, our next door neighbour is moving and they invited the immediate neighbours to drinks and snacks in their front garden yesterday afternoon. I'd just recieved a new Julius IDC Long Walks harness so I decided to take Poppy along and try it out. She's well used to working with a harness so putting it on and adjusting it was really easy because she just stands patiently letting it all happen. It was fine and I was really proud of her. She just sat beside me the whole time. I think that must be down to her previous life training. I'm guessing that when she was working she would sit next to her handler for long periods.
Today, however, she was like one of those dogs you see on television programmes where their owners have completely lost it! We got to the water meadow and I kept her on the lead until a GSD had disappeared out of sight then let her off. She trotted off ahead, stopped, scanned the horizon and spotted a ..... RABBIT. She was off and stone deaf, disappearing from sight into the trees surrounding a spring. This no ordinary spring. Oh no! It's made up of stinking green goo. The previously yellow girl emerged - that's the only way to describe it - like the beast from the primordial soup. She was now mainly black with hints of green and stinking.
In these circumstances I feel the only option is to get her into the river for a pre-wash before a full shampoo at home. This did not go well because she was now pumped up with adrenalin and also thought the water was too cold or something. Then out of the woods came three dog walking friends with six dogs. Pops takes off towards them at which point two of the three put a dog each on those horrible extending leads with really thin cord a bit like a cheese cutter. I mean WHAT! So Pops gets stuck in and there was a real risk of injury to all concerned. If they had just left the dogs free it would have been much better. Anyway I got to the scene and managed to grab Pops harness. Apologies all round but those leads should be banned.
They paddled off presumably mutternig sweet nothing under their breath about my out of control dog.
Anyway got her in the river at a cost of two tennis balls. Got her home and shampoo'd. She now asleep next to me without a care in the world. I just love her to bits.
Note to self: Poppy is still a work in progress.
Pops overall is doing well, I think. By way of an example, our next door neighbour is moving and they invited the immediate neighbours to drinks and snacks in their front garden yesterday afternoon. I'd just recieved a new Julius IDC Long Walks harness so I decided to take Poppy along and try it out. She's well used to working with a harness so putting it on and adjusting it was really easy because she just stands patiently letting it all happen. It was fine and I was really proud of her. She just sat beside me the whole time. I think that must be down to her previous life training. I'm guessing that when she was working she would sit next to her handler for long periods.
Today, however, she was like one of those dogs you see on television programmes where their owners have completely lost it! We got to the water meadow and I kept her on the lead until a GSD had disappeared out of sight then let her off. She trotted off ahead, stopped, scanned the horizon and spotted a ..... RABBIT. She was off and stone deaf, disappearing from sight into the trees surrounding a spring. This no ordinary spring. Oh no! It's made up of stinking green goo. The previously yellow girl emerged - that's the only way to describe it - like the beast from the primordial soup. She was now mainly black with hints of green and stinking.
In these circumstances I feel the only option is to get her into the river for a pre-wash before a full shampoo at home. This did not go well because she was now pumped up with adrenalin and also thought the water was too cold or something. Then out of the woods came three dog walking friends with six dogs. Pops takes off towards them at which point two of the three put a dog each on those horrible extending leads with really thin cord a bit like a cheese cutter. I mean WHAT! So Pops gets stuck in and there was a real risk of injury to all concerned. If they had just left the dogs free it would have been much better. Anyway I got to the scene and managed to grab Pops harness. Apologies all round but those leads should be banned.
They paddled off presumably mutternig sweet nothing under their breath about my out of control dog.
Anyway got her in the river at a cost of two tennis balls. Got her home and shampoo'd. She now asleep next to me without a care in the world. I just love her to bits.
Note to self: Poppy is still a work in progress.
I doubt I would have made half the effort to walk, had it not been for the dogs , well done David x
