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Post by stace on May 6, 2012 4:27:36 GMT
He's beautiful Hezz. They are lovely dogs. I miss having a dog, but i don't have room anymore. No backyard.
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Post by samwiseg on May 6, 2012 7:18:14 GMT
Oh agree with Stace - he's lovely Hezz! Look at those puppy eyes..."take me for a walk mum...PURLEEEEASE!"
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Post by skysmum on May 6, 2012 21:51:05 GMT
Lovely boy, they are one of those breeds where their eyes say it all. the eye brows can move in all directions. Alfie does a great impersonation of Eeyore one minute with his hang dog look then just as quickly he can turn into Tiger, Bounce Bounce then when they all go out and forget to remove the kitchen bin, Piglet emerges ;D
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Post by Hezz on May 7, 2012 1:39:57 GMT
They are early photos before we had him trained to stay within the electronic fence. He isn't tied up now. Yes I do know that split personality. He goes from Lazy-dog to Manic-dog in the blink of an eye!
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Post by Hezz on May 12, 2012 1:55:15 GMT
Just to update: Two weeks into lead-only walks, oh my poor shoulder!!!! I think I will end up with bigger muscles in my left shoulder and arm, than the right, at this rate! Poor Mac hates being restrained for a walk around the park. Mostly I walk him on the streets (we are a quiet neighbourhood), but I occasionally take him to the park to socialise with the other dogs. I think he quite pines when he hasn't had any dog interaction for a few days, and pulls like the devil if he sees another dog going for a walk. But so far so good, no limping. Only another 2-4 weeks to go. He is such a good boy, in other ways. He doesn't bother the scrub turkeys that wander through the yard, and one of the goannas has been through the yard a couple of times over the last couple of weeks too. I thought he may have been very interested in the goanna, but no, didn't bother him at all. But still very wary of humans who turn up at the house. If they are with their dogs in the park, that's fine. But at home he is different.
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Post by samwiseg on May 12, 2012 6:40:39 GMT
Aww bless him! He'll be right as rain in no time Hezz you'll see Hope your shoulder lasts the 2-4 weeks?!
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Post by Hezz on May 25, 2012 0:33:20 GMT
Well, finally the four weeks have passed! And wouldn't you know it, it is raining! Not just a shower, or drizzle, or on-again-off-again storm cells, but nonstop torrential rain. The sort you only need to be in for seconds and be drenched. I gave the lad a romp around the back yard but everything is so wet and slippery he spent more time sliding around corners than on his feet. ;D I figured it probably wasn't the best way to get him some "gentle" exercise, with all his cornering, stops and starts and jinking. He is just going to have to be patient!
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Post by samwiseg on May 26, 2012 8:03:26 GMT
Aw bless 'im! You are right tho Hezz, he must be patient (if a dog can be of course)! Torrential rain? Well good for the garden is what we say! Hopefully a break for Mac though will improve things even more for him
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Post by Hezz on May 26, 2012 9:41:06 GMT
He hasn't actually missed a walk, but oh dear, he is a handful when we have to go in the afternoon along with all the other dogs! Totally forgotten any manners! Another dog tried to pick a fight! Pull, pull, pull!!! This morning he did have a romp in the park off lead (on his own) having to re-learn coming when called. But still managed to find another dog (while I was busy picking up poop!) I feel sorry for the lad walking his dog (it was being very good, not like mine! ) But least Mac is in no way aggressive and just wants to say hello. And you are so right Sam, he has no idea of a "gentle run" He is wearing my patience at the moment - I may have to recruit help! He knows where the other dogs live in the neighbourhood, and starts to go a little spak as we approach their front gates. He really is the typical "social animal". ;D
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Post by skysmum on May 26, 2012 20:51:46 GMT
So glad your boy is getting better Hezz, its a slow frustrating process, i know how you feel . Have you tried walking him on a Halti Hezz, I use one for Tilly, although she is small her pulling has over the years given me a really bad shoulder, she also goes nuts when we see another dog, and like Mac she know where they all live . My daughter walks her Lab on one because if he decides he likes the look of something he can wipe the floor with you It takes them a while to get used to them but they are good, worth a try.
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Post by Hezz on May 28, 2012 0:54:18 GMT
Thanks for that, Skysmum. I have actually be considering getting one. Although after an altercation between us he has retrieved some of his manners, from the dim dark bowels of his brain. He was a VERY naughty boy yesterday when I took him down to the park for a run around. He took off full gallop after a couple of women jogging. It didn't seem to affect them too much, but it could have been very scarey for someone not into dogs, or actively scared of them. I was horrified. After I calmed down, all I could think of was that video - "Fenton!!!!!" I had only let him off the lead because there was no-one else around. Murphy's law! But as my OH pointed out, we have had him for three months only and one of those months he has been restricted to lead-walks. He hasn't had a lot of time to adjust and put his social manners into play. But dear me, what a good boy he was, to walk this morning! He knew he had blotted his copy-book yesterday.
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Post by skysmum on May 28, 2012 9:02:25 GMT
Sounds familiar Hezz, my daughter and son-in-law had one of those altercations with Alfie after they had had a very BAD off lead experience, with him wanting to mob a mum and two little ones and he seemed to know he wouldn't be that BAD again . My daughter also used to have a hell of a job to get him back on his lead, she would get just close enough and off he went with that devil look in his eyes, one day she called his bluff and in her words ( couldn't have cared less if he cleared off and found some other sucker to live with ) BAD DAY, anyway she started to walk home, she was so mad, she only lives round the corner from the park ;D well he panicked and started to creep behind her, she got all the way home with him following her, gulped and went in and laid on his bed, job done, no more probs getting him back on lead . I tell you she could have re-written Marley and Me
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Post by Hezz on May 29, 2012 1:04:56 GMT
How clever of her, and how smart the dog to pick up on being so very badly in the bad books! Mac does come back. When he has finished chasing his nose/dog/person, and the sensible, normal Mac returns to his brain. And when he is close by he is good about coming back and goes on the leash like a dream. It is when he is out of "yelling" range, when my voice doesn't penetrate the barrier of his single-mindedness. Oh, the trials and tribulations of owning a young dog! If needed, I milk the "rescue dog" scenerio for all it is worth. Most people's reactions are versions of "how could anyone abandon a beautiful dog like that?" Then they forget or forgive, not sure which! ;D
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Post by skysmum on May 29, 2012 17:46:06 GMT
That's right Hezz you milk the rescue dog bit, i used to do that with my delinquent Beagle, another hound . Jen didn't have that excuse, people used to think it was just bad parenting on her behalf . Alfie is six now and settling nicely, HOWEVER, i took him to the park today because she was working longer hours and there was a nan with her two little grandsons playing ball yes you guessed it, he nicked off with it . Thankfully the lady was fine about it and said, oh don't worry i used to have a lab . One of the little boys started to cry when he wouldn't give it up. I eventually got it off him and wiped the slobber off it, happy days.
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Post by Hezz on May 30, 2012 1:02:02 GMT
You can use the excuse that he is not your dog, but your daughter's, and roll your eyes. My son and I met another lab owner further down the street, yesterday, and while Drew was struggling to control Mac (of course there was another dog in the distance : , he brought up the Halti too and said his three year old controls and walks theirs. Drew was just "we have got to get one, Mum!" So tomorrow, while out, that will be on my list of things to do.
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