The curious incident of the dog, the bull and the cows!!

A calm and peaceful evening in West Dorset.

One of the many good things about having a dog is that on a pleasant evening, or even in the rain, the PL and the dog can take a quiet and stressfree walk in the local countryside.

It was indeed a calm and beautiful evening when PL, our daughter, BF (Beta Female), our Grandson and two dogs, set off for a gentle sortie 'round the block' through a nearby field.

(NB. When the farmer judges the 'time is right', he puts the bull in the field with the cows and leaves nature to do the rest!)

Anyway, I was surprised, when PL, BF, our Grandson and two dogs came back in an excited rush; quicker than they, or I, anticipated; breathless and dishevelled; the calm and peace of this evening shattered.

Their story went like this:-

PL, BF, our Grandson and two dogs, were strolling along enjoying the view, minding their own business. The fish were rising in the lake, the sun setting over the hills that surround our small town. They noted the bull and his cows at the field gate, watching their approach. "No problem," said PL "they'll leave us alone."

Then suddenly .....
they heard a gunfire-sharp crack. 
The thwack of wood shattering. 
The sound of pounding hooves.

The bull had broken, demolished, crushed the field gate and was leading a resolute charge towards them. The narrow lane gave them no hiding place. On, on he came his hareem of cows short yards behind. 

PL, BF, Grandson and two dogs turned to run for their lives!!!!

Our Grandson was galloping in the lead with the dogs, adult commands ringing in his ears.
"Turn left, turn left" shouted BF. "Into the nearest gate" called PL bringing up the rear.
He did.

The bull charged straight on and it was all over. PL, BF, our Grandson and two dogs were saved to tell their tale.

Was the bull fed up with the cows because they had a headache on the evening in question? 
Was the bull all sexed out and just wanted to spice up a slow day? 

Who knows?

It'll be a long time before PL, BF, our Grandson and two dogs walk that way again!!

The dog and AF at 4 weeks.

That's another fine mess you've got us into.

The dog has had a great week with his very own 'in-house friend' (our 9 year old Grandson) to play with. The dog can now jump onto our beds; chase the ball up and down the hall at great speed; root out squeaky toys thrown overarm into the new seed beds. Bliss.

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We had another celebrity photo shoot at the house.



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The dog and his 'friend' loved Ham Hill. They ran up and down the quarry sides, hiding in hollows, getting dirty but coming back for treats (the dog). I managed to bring them both back home with me. It was so good we went again.

The dog's nose is now at the right level to enable him to 'check out' the bottom of the AF!!

PL likes to talk to fellow dog walkers. The dog gets a bit bored with standing still so winds himself into a knot with the lead round and round his legs. Totally unbalanced he falls over. He's still got to learn about tipping points and equilibrium.

Random thoughts of an AF.

I took the dog to the beach early in the week before the holiday crowds arrived. He came out of the sea p.d.q. when a wave overtook him. There was definitely a look close to panic in his eyes as he clawed himself up the shingle. I have to ask myself would I have gone in to save him if he had got into real trouble. A dog owner's nightmare.

This morning, instead of his usual cuddle up to me on the settee, he was really 'antsy' and wouldn't settle. Eventually he went into the garden to deposit three lots of poo. Nice one, two or three. Typical male behaviour spending hours in the loo.

There was a cock up on the catering front this week as I forgot to buy more dog food. The dog had to exist on biscuits, eggs and sausages for a day. He was not impressed!!

Is it worth sitting and waiting for??



Learning to be a scent hound in the woods at Lamberts Castle.

The dog had his face bitten by another dog today because he didn't read the signs properly. The adult dog was saying "Go away puppy." The puppy wouldn't,so he had another of life's lessons administered.
"Don't mess with the big boys."

He's learning a lot of 'stuff'. 

He's trying very hard to be good and is a 'quick study' as the Americans say.

When we got him friends said it would be hard work but we had forgotten just how demanding it is training a puppy. 

The extra mess around the house is difficult to keep on top of so I have to, shock horror, do housework!!! Clearing up the water slopped all over the kitchen floor from his ears and beard as well as vacuuming up the bits of garden all over the carpet from his fur.

I didn't think this kind of 'hard work' was part of the deal!!

He already knows how to be a couch potato. He's a lot of fun.

All in a dog's week.

Enjoying the sun in his max 'getting in the way' mode, waiting for the PL to take him for a walk.

Sunday. Pack Leader (PL) fed him the fish food instead of his usual, especially expensive, puppy food. It made him rather 'bottom burpy' and very smelly. Could be a lot cheaper though if we can stand the smell.

Monday. The daily pattern is that whilst PL takes the dog out for his evening walk Alpha Female (AF) prepares our meal. It all got a bit disrupted today as PL brought the dog back covered in something very brown and smelly. Supper was put on hold whilst we bathed said dog and applyed the hairdryer until we had restored him to the tricolour dog that we love.

Tuesday. He is really good on the lead and will come back on the whistle when off the lead but just occasionally he throws a bit of a wobbly and does the opposite of what you expect, sits down and refuses to move either on or off the lead. I have a small, red/orange, squeaky chicken, two whistles and a small bag of delicious treats but, as was the case today, sometimes he has a crisis of confidence and no amount of squeaking, whistling or enticing with goodies can persuade him that the trees aren't going to fall down, the squirrel won't chase him and eat him or the distant noise isn't a spacecraft coming to take him to another planet. It takes a deal of patience and guile to enable him to continue on his lovely walk through woods and over fields. He's a strange dog sometimes.

Wednesday. Went up Pilsden Pen today which was a joy and delight. I have so missed my walks with a dog in the morning. This dog is a wonderful blessing helping me to lose all the 'couch potato' weight that I have put on over winter and letting me once again experience all that the countryside round here has to offer.

Thursday. He jumped through the front garden fence again today. PL has at last reinforced it but it will not be long before he is jumping right over the top. We could end up living in some sort of Colditz. 
The dog must be getting his adult teeth as a reject baby tooth turned up on the carpet. We felt it would be a bit excessive for the Tooth Fairy to visit however.

Friday. As I was out for the day I walked the dog at 6.30 am. What a splendid time of day this is. The cows mooing, hens cock-a-doodle dooing, NO OTHER DOGS TO DISTRACT HIM so we had a peaceful 'good dog' kind of experience.

Saturday. We live on a busy walkers route so Saturday is a day when lots of people not familiar with the dog pass by. He is in doggy heaven with all the fuss. We only have him out if we are there with him like bouncers to protect him from too much adulation - a bit like royality?? It also stops him from completely wrecking my garden.
Found his 'bark' again today. It's a curious deep, throaty 'bay' this produced for the strimmer and sweeping brush.

He's been Frustrating! Frustrating! Frustrating!

Our odd dog at four and a half months.

The Pack Leader (PL) and Alpha Female (AF) have had a difficult week with the dog.

He is becoming much more MALE and opinionated. He has started to 'cock' his leg when peeing and loves PL he just has to 'b**k' him to show just how much.

Not a good week in many ways.

The dog walks quite nicely to heel until I want to take him down a particular lane past the field with the dreaded electric fence. The dog then puts on all his anchors, spread eagles himself onto the ground and refuses to proceed any further. If he's off the lead when we reach 'the spot' he takes off back to the house. It needs a firm and strong hand to persuade him to carry on and sometimes he wins!

I was taking him for an extended walk through a wood. We got so far and I let him off the lead. Big mistake! Maybe he didn't like the cattle grid, could hear strange noises, or decided he had had enough, I don't know, but I was quite breathless by the time I caught up with him 600 yds. away. I kept him on the lead for the rest of the walk!

He's a funny dog like that hearing and seeing things that he doesn't know about and doesn't want to, thank you very much. We've just got to keep on exposing him to various noises, sights and people.

We took him to a large, open, grassed area one day. He loved the woods, the views and the other dogs. Great. Then within sight of the exit gate he sat down and refused to go any nearer to 'that car'. Calling and whistling had no effect. Eventually another dog passed by so whilst he was playing I persuaded him to come for a treat and then into the dreaded car. Before long he will be too big to lift in and then what?? I will be saving petrol I suppose.

In his favourite spot with AF.