Introducing The Growler

Went to a Mum’s drinks night last night and met a lady who used to work for one of those doggie training franchises. It was fascinating talking to her because her approach is completely different to the Dog Whisperers.

Growling at your dog is the key to success...who knew?

I’m going to call this woman The Growler (no offence intended) for a good reason.

Another day, another dead thing

       We’d just left the beach this morning and were walking through the car park when Pip picked up one of those disgusting, half-decomposed dead things.

It looked a bit like this...

At first I thought it was a piece of bark. Then I saw the shrivelled up claws. For a moment I thought it might be a frog or a dead bird. But a close examination revealed the ghastly truth. It was a rat!

More naughty tales...

Pip has become a very cheeky pup. Could it be too much frolicking on the beach with that recalcitrant Frankie?  Too much seaweed for breakie?

I mentioned his growing naughtiness to Ruth's sister Kerry. 'Well,' she gave me a side-long glance. 'Have you been practising your commands?' Err.... 

Naughty? Who me?

Took him to the park yesterday and he discovered a new game. He looks at me longingly until I take out a ball and throw it to him. I’m a bit reluctant to get into the whole ball thing with him because he certainly hasn’t managed to fetch!

Is this the future?

Went walking on the beach the other day, when a HUGE dog that bared a very scary resemblance to Pip came barrelling up.  

 

Pip after one too many pizzas?

Tom’s owner said she couldn’t remember the last time he’d moved so quickly. And from the size of him I believed her...

Tails, you lose

Went for Friday walk with GQ and Dougie where she shared yet another doggie story. Again about Peter the poodle. 

Tail docking machine, 19th century. Photo: Science Museum UK. 

The story was prompted by a small black poodle that joined Pip and Dougie for a romp. I commented on the poodle’s cute little pom-pom tail and GQ revealed that it had been docked!

A pig in the making

Pip managed to score two (!) full dinners last night. He tricked us into it.

There is only one letter difference between Pip and Pig...

But first a little backstory. As most of you will know Pip is a Border Collie-Labrador cross, also known as a Borador. When I took him to the vet to get weighted the other day, the vet nurse prescribed Advantage for fleas and something called Milbemax Allwormer for worms. Both products were for dogs in the 10 to 25 kilo range.

Another lone (randy) dog and ahem, more humping...

Went with Frankie and co. to Breamlea beach on the weekend where kids and dogs had a ball playing in the dunes. Breamlea must be one of the few remaining beaches in Australia where stupendously wonderful sand dunes are not fenced off with signs telling you to keep off. 

The dunes at Breamlea Beach

 Subsequently, everyone has a fabulous time doing that old fashioned thing of trudging to the top and then running helter-skelter downhill. It’s also wonderfully exhausting for both kids and dogs.

 We were heading back along the beach however when an unwelcome dog, Max, decided to join our group.

A doggie ghost story!

Went to dinner a few nights ago at GQ’s where a lovely Scottish couple were also in attendance. We’d met the couple on another occasion at GQ’s and instantly hit it off because we all love a great story. And they are full of them!

Do you have a doggie ghost story to share?

 Anyway, it turns out that the Scots have recently bought a house which was previously owned by an old man called Mr Talbot. Now Mr Talbot is no longer of this world but his presence, it seems - remains.

A Lone Dog

Took Pip for a nice long walk on the beach this morning. I’ve been up in Melbourne this week and Him-In-Doors has been crook with tonsillitis so with one thing and another, the poor pup has been a bit neglected.

It was breezy but the sun was out and the beach was a beautiful place to be.  We had just begun our walk when a very robust Staffy bounded down for a play.

Pip underneath Charlie. I think he was enjoying himself!

 Now, to my untrained eye Staffy’s bare a passing resemblance to pitbulls which makes me a tad prejudiced against them...

The great hump

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Pip is discovering his manliness.

Other dogs discovering their manliness

 He’d had his bits done when we got him so I thought his mojo had been removed but it would seem not. He tried to go a dog on the beach the other day – I dismissed it as a one off. But then we were walking around the lake last night and there was no mistaking it. He found a handsome Kelpie and was on his back before you could say ‘How ‘bout it?’ 

The great poo debate

Ok, I don’t want to blow my own trumpet but I did something mildly heroic today. I picked up someone else’s dog poo. Unlike, Mrs Sinatra – she’s one in a million – this is not something I do on a regular basis. But there’s something about dog poo that ahem, gets under people’s skin.

This particular poo was large and while not steaming was still a bit on the squashy side. It was also on the beach, quite near the stairs and also very close to a bin. It was just waiting for some innocent – possible non-dog owning person – to step in it. 

But exactly why is dog poo considered so gross?

The Terrible Twos

Remember how toddlers want to put everything – and I mean everything – in their mouths? Well, Pip does too.

I've tried buying him his own personal chew toys - but just like kids, if it's allowed it's not quite so appealing.

Pip with his Op Shop belt

 I even bought him his own belt from the Op Shop to chew on - which entertains him for short spaces at a time but then, inevitably, he goes off hunting for forbidden treasure...