If you have one dog... why not two?

Today I turned to Mr. C and said: " If we are driving Bobby down, why don't we drive this one too?"

Mr. C did not find it a great idea, but I do understand his point of view.

Sometimes I wish I was not that understanding :(

Reflections of a dog owner

Last month we left Bobby with his behaviourist (Jason) and Bobby was a happy lad, but I could not help worry about my 20 kg puppy.

It was good to leave him with somebody that really knows about dogs because he gave us Bobby vision of what was going on, he is more socialised, I am more aware of Bobby's body language, and we have a better communication now. He is definitely a man's dog and Mr. C is his master. Up 'til now I was thinking that perhaps Bobby could become more neutral (that is love us both) but now I don't really worry about that any more. I know I have place in his heart as he has place on my heart, even thou when Mr. C that world has another shine to it (according to Bobby).

Bobby is more respectful and playful, more attentive and more obedient he is becoming the dog everybody dreams of, it has been very hard work thou, but we do not regret any time or money spent in having him more balanced.

Even thou we left Bobby in the best hands possible I know Bobby missed us. Even thou he is more confident and happy, I know Bobby missed us. I saw it in his fur, that is how I know. His fur was shiny and soft when we left and on our arrival Bobby's fur was weird, dull and oily I guess it will take a few days for it go back into place. So even thou he was learning how to be a dog with other dogs, even thou he was with someone very aware of his need of positive training only I know my 20 kg puppy missed us.

Did we do the right thing in getting this particular dog? yes

Did we do the right thing in keeping him after he was labelled as a liability and a danger? yes

Is he a liability and a danger? no

Would I do adopt him again? Oh yes!!!

Am I aware that Bobby's problems are not totally solved yet and that he needs more time? Oh yes :)

Bobby is a caring, gentle dog a bit insecure at times, but we are working on that, more than ever I know my puppy will be just fine :)

To fly Bobby or not to fly...

Mr. C and I will be moving to Portugal this Summer, Bobby as member of this family is going with us, no doubt there.

I have been checking the best and not so expensive way of getting Bobby there...

Mr. C and I can fly for £150 both, Bobby however, can fly for £1ooo... and the process of flying him would take upto 2 days in a crate, being handled by people he does not know...

Solution: we are driving down to Portugal with Bobby, 1 day drive, 1 day in a boat, but at least he is with us, so we are more relaxed and so is Bobby.

Opposable thumb and other news

Guess what?!?!

Bobby uses his dew claw as an opposable thumb...

He locks his chew toy between his dew claw and the paw... as if he was holding it...

I am amazed!!!

Now on a more serious note:

We have found a behaviourist close by and Bobby has been visited twice already by him... I am amazed at the way Bobby responds to him, he is absolutely brilliant. We can see a different dog.

The only problem that is not being tackled is Bobby's possessiveness over Mr. C, the behaviourist does not believe in us, when he comes around for a session with Bobby, Bobby gets so relax and well behaved that the behaviourist says that he only wants to take part in what is happening even if I complain that Bobby gives me warnings with teeth (he never bit me thou).

We will be visiting Portugal for a couple of weeks and we have already arranged for Bobby's holiday as well, we asked Jason (the dog behaviourist) if he could have Bobby for the time we are in Portugal, to which he agreed. Our decision to do this was Bobby's well being while we are away. We were afraid that a regular kennel would set Bobby back as he could see it as another abandonment (as he would be kept in his own kennel bored most of the day and we know how border collies are intelligent), but if he is placed with a behaviourist that will be working with him daily and challenging him daily he will have no time to wonder what happen to us. Because Bobby is very shy and needs to learn how to be a house pet (opposite to what he knows as a working dog), he needs to learn dog etiquette and he needs to learn with other dogs, and of course Jason has his own balanced dogs that will help Bobby come out of his shell.

I must confess it will be a bit expensive but we believe it is the best option for Bobby.

Conversations with the dog

The other day while I was in the kitchen cooking dinner Mr. C was doing some training with Bobby. Bobby of course was chuffed to bits doing his training, learning and showing us how great and intelligent he is and as always very eager to please Mr. C.

Mr. C of course loves Bobby to bits and after the training he sat down in the kitchen talking to Bobby.Their conversation was really good and you would have laugh to tears with end but the best was when Mr. C turned to Bobby and said: "you are very rare, very rare indeed, you are a black and white, pointed nose monkey and people often mistake you for a dog. Black and white, pointed nose monkeys are very intelligent and very rare" , while Bobby looked at him in absolute admiration and wonder...

You really had to be there...

He is a star

Bobby is a star, he will be starring in the calendar for next year, if you wish to help Wolfwood Charity just click here and order some calendars for you, your family and friends.

Too intelligent ...

We spent the whole summer with the door to the back garden open for Bobby, only locking him in his crate during the night (only in the 1st week for him to strength his bladder to hold a whole night) and 1st thing in the morning we would open the crate door and the back door to the garden and that door would remain open. By September I realised we had a problem - winter would be coming (as it does every year) - and Bobby had no clue that he was doing the right thing by going outside and he had no idea on how to ask to go outside (if I would forget to open the door to the garden during the day an accident would happen). I googled the problem and this was the site i found with the reply: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080916052937AAEbaCx

It was very straight forward in explaining how to do it, and Bobby actually understood in 1 week (but he was already doing it right, he just needed to know he was doing it right) what was going on and what I expected from him and (we already have below zero temperatures) he actually asked, it was very subtle request (i think), in Bobby's case he would get unsettled and went in and out of the sitting room in a very fast pace for 2 times and that would get my attention :)

After breakfast and dinner I always open the door for him and still wait for him to do what he needs and I still say that he is a good boy (I just don't throw a party for it any more).

He has now been allowed upstairs in the bedroom area and he sleeps in our room, I was told that Bobby being a pack member would feel better by sleeping close to his pack, so we decided to allow him upstairs (the attic is still off limits as it is still being redecorated). The bathroom is also upstairs...

Bobby understood what the bathroom is for... he does not ask to go to out any more, he just climbs the stairs and goes to the bathroom... (our bathroom!!!!) so now when I hear him going upstairs I call him and take him to the back garden and I am starting to think that: 1st I need to close the bathroom door at all times, 2nd I need to start throwing a party for him when he goes to the bathroom in the back garden, 3rd maybe I should train him to balance in the toilet seat and all the toilet problems would solved forever....

Too intelligent... why didn't we get a stupid dog?!?!?!