We have an excuse for our absence this time, we have all been on our holiday's to Devon. Might have been a bit on the ambitious side for us really with a new rescue dog, he did find the whole experience a bit much. Though he enjoyed the 'playing in the sea' parts. I booked the holiday just after loosing our beloved Alfie, knowing it was likely we would have another dog by now I booked for 2 dogs, spent ages on line finding the right place, with a large enclosed garden. So, if the dogs were on leads the rest of the time at least they could play at the cottage. So... I was rather disappointed to arrive and find the fence to be totally inadequate at keeping 'ANY' dog inside and no gate on the property toward the car park and road! This meant the dogs to be on leads at all times in the garden, not quite what I had wanted, and was very restricting.
such a shame, as the view was stunning, there was a very large field outside the garden too that lead to a main road, so we had to be very careful. We seemed to spend most of our days searching for a dog friendly beach, the cottage was so remote there was no mobile or internet connection either.
Custer spent so much time on the lead he has got a bit better on it now, he has seemed to have improved with people - he did see a lot of them though in all those coastal villages. Though, in the back of Daddy's large car he managed to eat 4 leads - as he was not fond of being so far away from us. In my car he is much closer.
Custer even made a friend at Dawlish Warren beach, this was a nice one.. a bit of a walk to get to the dogs allowed bit, but there he met another rescue dog to play with..
The weather was challenging too, we had an awful lot of rain!! We visited Torquay one day, the weather was dreadful and of course the tourist part was not for dogs, so we found a little walk to take them on leads, went round a corner and it stopped.... whoops!!! almost lost Custer....
At least it had finally stopped raining though, was one of the worst days for the weather. Jaja was not impressed either to be on lead so much..
So good you can see him twice?? no idea why that happened.
There are more Custer holiday pics, so will do another post to bore you with them. I am now back to 'clicker' training on our beach each day, also challenging... its all quiet today as Custer ran off to play with a Greyhound - that wore him out.
Oh my, nearly a month since my last blog post!! So sorry. Just have not taken any photo's and hate to blog without, so I just dragged out an old one so the page was not bare.
I would like to say things are better - but then I would be telling lies. Things have not been better! But after a rather bad morning walk I bumped into a lady I know from dog club who recognised Custer's behavoir and offered some advice.
We have now started 'clicker training' my new book has only arrived today 'click to calm'. Meanwhile I have been teaching Custer all about the clicker and yummy treats, also been working on some heel work. I do have him responding to the clicker, and walking with me really well off the lead (were its quiet).
However, the lunging at dogs is still going on - and he is not too keen on certain people either.
With other dogs he is friendly every time, and only wants to play - I have now found on our morning off lead walkies if I run off he will follow me, so recall is now happening, just wish I could stop him from going in the first place.
I also watched some great video's by kikopup which were fascinating - learning some of her 'catch words' is also helping.
I will try not to leave it a month till my next blog post, and hope to be able to talk progress.
Yes, this is of course in the place were I have my dreams, not 'quite' a reality. These photo's were taken the other week at gundog/puppy training school, when 'Daddy' decided he would have a try just to see if it was Custer that was just naughty or me that was just useless.
The verdict was it was Custer who was naughty!!! This was however the class we found Custer had a great interest in the 'dummy' though, which gave us hope (we are always searching for hope).
I have spent all last week, every day (and most of the week before) training Custer in a quiet place. I have taught him to walk with me, find the dummy and retrieve.. At today's class you would have thought I had actually spent the entire two weeks with Custer locked in a cupboard, his behavoir was nothing short of appauling, and very embarrassing to say the least. I really do not 'get it', yes there was distractions in class and a lot of retrieve, but he just reverted back to the dog we brought home from rescue 3 months ago? I know I shouldnt but I am so disappointed.
Totally, back to the beginning yet again tomorrow. I now have to teach him 'LEAVE IT' as he clearly had no idea what that meant today. I have 2 weeks to try drill this into him for next class, as there is no class next week.
This is what we aim for one day............... wonder if we will ever reach that day? of course these dogs have been with their owners since pups, and are well bred gundogs.
Unlike our Custer who is a rescue Labrador, on his fourth home - with no training before us, and one bad home we know of. This week I was trying to execute the flies in the kitchen with a rolled up paper, I had enough of them and the plot was lost! well.............. I ended up having to live with the flies as Custer was in pieces, the rolled up paper had sent him over the edge, he had seen that before and not after flies, the sight of him so scared brought tears to my eyes.
Then, there was yesterday............... in the kitchen........... Custer going totally beserk and barking like mad at the unit base? this went on for sometime, I was convinced we had mice, OH had to go remove the cupboard base to see what was behind it, the culpret for all this fuss??............. was a garlic skin, Custer attacked it with venom, especially when it strayed menacingly towards his Dad.
He still wont let poor Bailey in the car, so we now get him out and put Bailey in, then all is well.
Just as I think things are going quite well, things seem to go backwards? I really don't remember this happening with any of my rescue dogs before, this one really is 'Unique'.
Today's pictures have no connection to the topic at all, they were taken last week while OH was off and we took the dogs to the beach each morning.
Alas, once he went back to work I then returned to my routine of taking Bailey (above with Custer) and Jaja (below) to the beach first thing, and then Custer to the park.
I 'was' enjoying my park walkies, often it was so quiet I had a chance to do some training with Custer without distraction, but then somehow we got walking with others. Must admit alarm bells did start to go off, I should know by past experience that daily walking with others rarely ends well, as everyone has their own opinion on how to (if at all) train dogs. Often you can end up walking with someone who has the most lovely timid dog, who is always good with other dogs.. and an owner who simply 'assumes' your dog to be the same. This scenario is fine, until the other owner then decides your dog does not need correcting or keeping in line? as of course, the brief hour or so they spend with you gives them all the information they need to form a judgement.
(yes, this has happened to me before with my last dog too)
So, after 3 days this started to happen.. instead of leaving the walk (which I should have done) Custer was enjoying playing with the ball and other dogs, so I did and said nothing (anything for a quiet life) but Custer was becoming a bit on the unruly side, which is fine for a dog who is submissive and good with other dogs, but NOT for a dog like Custer...
I should have taken more notice of the 'tuts' and grumbles when I did correct him - why people find the need to do this I dont know, if they dont like the way I train my dog, dont walk with me.
Sure enough disaster was waiting... along came a small breed puppy, now I knew this was not going to be good with Custer, he will either try to dominate or play, neither of which is good with a very large Labrador and a small puppy. I grabbed the line he was on and told him to leave, owner and puppy headed straight for us, the chap with us announces to the now apprehensive puppy owner 'Its okay, he's fine with other dogs'?? erm.... excuse me? he knew this how? after a couple of meetings? so he let the puppy off lead, headed straight for Custer who of course then lunged at it........... due to the line he was on, total disaster was averted, BUT this could have been worse. The other walkers did not even see a problem with this incident? They did not seem to realise what could have happened.
Very upset by this I was ready to leave by the next exit anyway, and was realising that I had lost control of my own dog (again).. when worse was 'almost' to come.. along came some more walkers with two very very LARGE dogs, one of which was a new rescue dog. Now, this time I knew exactly what would happen, they headed straight for us.. this would have been total disaster and one of the dogs would certainly have been hurt.
This time I took charge, leaded Custer up and marched out of the nearby exit, leaving the other walkers still appearing to see no problem at all?
Is it just me? are other dog owners totally unaware? can they just not read other dogs? or is it simply people who feel the need to take charge of a situation they know nothing about, making it ignorance.
The annoying thing is the same people are in the park at the same time every day, it is not a large park so I simply cannot avoid them. I cannot go earlier as I take the other two out, and later there is another set of walkers who have been there on the park since time began, and I know their dogs are certainly not suitable for Custer to upset.
So, today I came back from walkies number one in the car, put Custer in the car and took him to the beach too - I thought it would be as quiet as earlier, I got that one wrong - of 3 directions to walk in all 3 of them were full of dogs, owners and children. So, I picked the quieter of the three routes and went for it. As it happened Custer did very well, was easily distracted from the one dog we came into contact with, I only let go of his line once so he could play in some water, but that was fine. Hopefully I will get back control again, and one day we can mix with others....... but not on a daily basis. The beach is good, seems most people there are happy to walk with their dogs on their own, and do not see the need to interfere with others. Also when the weather gets better (which is worse to most people) that cuts down the walkers, especially on the beach as it gets a bit muddy and folk dont like that.
One day I might be able to walk them all together that would be good, and a lot easier for me. BUT, Bailey although a lovely boy, does have his dominance moments and does have to be watched with other dogs, he is very friendly but will take up an opportunity to dominate given the chance and with him being so large too, I do not feel I can manage both him and Custer just yet. Especially as they are still competing a bit, see they look like little angels above dont they? but Custer wont let Bailey in the car without a song and dance each time, and that's with OH to yell at them - not something I want to deal with, especially not whilst driving.
Jaja is no problem at all at any time - but, he was adopted by us as a puppy born into rescue, we took him at 14 weeks with no baggage to sort out at all. All I have to watch out for are rabbits, but he can be called off them, which is very impressive for a Lurcher.
Walks have been a bit different for a few days as we have had 'Daddy' at home. So, as there are two of us Custer has been coming to the beach with Jaja and Bailey early mornings, then late evening walkies in the park. Not as much training as he was having with me, but we are 'trying' to work on his recall and socialisation. This week he met up with some pups I have known since they were tiny, they used to play with my Alfie too. Here is the very handsome 'Fella'
Fella, and his sister 'Tilly' are littermates, they are Irish Setter x Collie, not a mix you would choose I know but these are the most adorable well behaved pair, and belong to the one lady. Here is Tilly with Custer and Jaja, it was a warm night so after a quick game of ball they were quite tired
It was so good to see Custer making friends, him and Fella did have a bit of a grump at each other to start with, but as their owner is happy to let them work things out all was well in no time, they had a great evening together.
There is still a lot to learn about Custer. Today's puppy class was another learning curve for us all, Arthur is very tuned in with the dogs and has pointed out how much fear Custer has, and how hard it is to train him because of this. We 'may' have finally found a focus though, seems Custer is very interested in the gundog 'dummy' so we have ordered a few - had to be a 'few' as he wont give it back, so that needs some work this week. We have always believed in being able to get anything off our dogs, so far with Custer we have, but the 'dummy' he refuses to part with - needs work, so as soon as they arrive we will be working on improved 'retrieve' he was getting there with the ball quite well, so should be ok.
Sorry its been a whole week since we checked in. As you see, its just so hot here (not what we are used to) the once green grass of the park is no more.
Custer is now having a walk around the park in the morning, after I have take the others out and then another in the evening, either to the park or the beach.
Its so warm for them there is not an awful lot going on really. I rarely have my camera with me, as with having Custer loose most of the time full wits are needed to be sure he is not mis-behaving, and if we see an on lead or older dog we have to get him back asap.
Custer is getting to know some dogs in the park, he has made a few friends but they do need to be able to cope with him, and few can. I think he managed to upset a lady with a Labrador this week as we didnt see her again, whoops. Custer was playing, but he does play nip like a puppy and needs telling by another dog to sort this, the Labrador did this but the owner did not like it.
Today he met a super play mate, weekend now as the OH is not working we take them all in the car to the beach, easier for me with just the one walkies. So, earlier on we were there - we met a lovely what we thought to be 'young' dog for Custer to play with, I thought he was a Pointer, but apparently he was Vizler x Labrador, and FOUR YEARS OLD. Also played like a puppy, so both large dogs and a great time was had. Its all quiet here now.
I had been very worried there was something not right with Custer, he tired so easily. OH said it was just due to him never having had the exercise, but I was worried there was something a miss...
Well, he is now getting used to exercise, recovering a lot quicker and if he does not get enough running time, usually when its just too hot he is a total pest! so thats a good thing.
At Puppy Class last week he was pretty good, better off lead than on - Arthur is happy that he is just improving in general so thats the main thing. At dog club on Wednesday not so good, he just fights on the lead (with us, to be off it I mean), when its his turn to do things he is great - but rest of the time is a tussle. Just been told the hall is being refurbished, so no club for a couple of weeks now - not sure we can go after that either as OH starts a new job, which is very early to rise, and he wont be back till after 7pm in the evenings.
Hoping for an end to the severe heat soon, so the dogs can have more fun and running time.
Not really much to say (which is a good thing) unless you would like to read me waffling on about my hatred of the hot weather? probably not, so give that a miss. But, here we were late last night at sunset time on the beach, as far as the sea as it was just too hot to do much else.
Watching Custer play in the sea did make us smile, as the first time we took him, shortly before he tried to run off towards Birkenhead.... he was scared of the water, we doubt he had seen so much before. He seems to approve of it now though, of course its nice for them to cool off too. Jaja is a big fan of the water, and Lurcher's are not meant to like it at all, so I am told.
Nice quiet uneventful walk last night, which is just the way we like it. Today, (no pics, sorry) we took Custer, Bailey and Jaja out in one car - we have not done that before, was a success too. Although as we were out early for a Saturday morning, despite it being a bit cooler than of late it was very busy, with an awful lot of dogs.. Custer did very well with them all apart from one? not sure what happened there, was a young dalmation he took exception too, we are wondering if the dog had a go at him as we have never seen him react that way, he was all noise but thats not the point, luckily we still have him on a long line so easy enough to reel in quickly. This has given me some concern, as I was hoping to take them all on my own next week when OH is back at work. Still, we are going to try again early tomorrow morning before puppy class, as I have Bailey tomorrow too, so we can see how it goes, and also a quick park walk this evening.
We were out so long this morning, poor Custer had never had a walk that long before - at the end of it I saw one of the 'dog walkers' I know, so he ran round with two other Lurchers, that was a bit silly of him... he has been very quiet all day - so just a quick one tonight.
