Bobby - The Bubbly Dog

Back from the Lakes...

Bobby is not 24 hours a day with us any more, he does not sleep in the same bedroom as we do, he is not with Mr. C all the time again.

He is back to being the good, bubbly dog during the day that makes me laugh, as soon as Mr. C gets home he gets possessive, but it is not as bad as it was in the Lakes.

So Mr. C and I agreed that Bobby would be attending obedience classes (that start next month) and now we are back to training him to give him only positive attention.

On another note, Bobby wants to be driver where cars are concerned. When I take Bobby out with me to run errands, I usually leave him in the car with windows slightly open and off I go, when I return it has become a habit to have Bobby sitting in the drivers seat looking at me very happy (I always have a good laugh), I ask him to move to the back seat and he moves to the passengers seat next to me (I laugh again, call him Cheeky Monkey) and tell him to move to the back seat again, which he usually does and off we go. But I always have a good laugh with him.

Bobby is also known as the Mud Monkey, everyday he jumps on all the mud bogs in the park, and everyday we have to encourage him to jump in the river for a general wash after the Mud Monkey counter attacks...

The Lakes

Mr C and I are on honeymoon and we decided to chose a place where Bobby could come with us and enjoy. The obvious choice was the Lakes, so here we are.

Already arrived a few days ago, we managed to find a b&b that would accept the family pet and all has been well.

We are still working on the heel training, to make our lives a bit easier we got him the lead that goes around the nose, in the beginning just having it clipped around his head was enough to keep him in place but he must have realised the trick and the next day it was not working any more, so now the nose lead is properly clipped and it works, Bobby is fighting it but we distract him with treats and soon he is back to walking without complaining about the nose lead.

On another note, because Bobby is now with us 24 hours per day, his defensive behaviour about Mr C is getting beyond silly and he tries to nip me when I hand over stuff to Mr C or just even look at him and talk to him, actually today he started by trying to nip me and then he stopped trying and he did nip me.

So now I'm a bit lost... I guess some obedience classes will only do him good.

I'm back to the drawing board with Bobby

Bobby is getting more and more possessive of Mr C no matter what I do...

He has no problems in growling when I get to close or even show me teeth if I give something to Mr C while he is sitting down. Both of us correct the behaviour but it just goes away for 10 minutes, the next time I enter the room I have the same problem again.

He is as good as gold when Mr C is not around, but the moment Mr C walks through the door the problems start. I do believe it is so because Mr C allows Bobby to do whatever he wants, ie, Mr C allows Bobby to bend or even break some rules as long as Bobby's safety is not comprised. Bobby jumps at Mr C, he doesn't do it with me as I have already explained him that pawns on humans is not ok, Bobby runs and gets in the way of Mr C in narrow passages and doors, he waits for me to go 1st then he follows, when feeding Bobby I just need to say once the 3 commands: Sit, wait, go for your food; Mr C has to say, sit, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, go.

I must confess I'm a bit sad that Bobby feels that he needs to protect Mr C, and sometimes I wonder why, I don't think he has leadership confusions, he obeys pretty well to Mr C, it is just when Mr C is sitting down and I'm up and about doing stuff that this happens (but yep, it is not pleasant).

I need to think of another strategy and I need to stop kissing the top of his head as if he was a baby bear or a Teddy as Mr C reminds me constantly.

If you have any suggestions they will be highly appreciated.

Is he happier?

Today I decided to take a break on my homemaking chores and sat outside with Bobby in the front garden to catch some sun at the mid/end afternoon.

Bobby sat on the grass with the leash in the fence so that he does not jump to the street as he has done before, I sat in the front door steps with ginger beer (non alcoholic).

(Spot the dog... if you can)

While I sat and thought about how life plays its tricks I started observing Bobby more carefully and the main thought was - Is he happier than he was in the past? Does he even remember the past?

He doesn't have an "army" of dog walkers anymore, but he does have Mr C and I who walk him madly, he is still not allowed upstairs in the bedroom area, but he does have 3 beds scattered around (1 in the sitting room that is moved to his garden house when needed, 1 in the dinning room in his crate and 1 in Mr C for he goes to work as well); he is not terribly shy and afraid of people anymore, sometimes he even walks along perfect strangers just because he wants to; he has his own humans now and belongs to someone, but is he happier?

I do not speak dog and even though I'm pretty sure he is happier now, sometimes I can't help but wonder if he is happier...

By the way Bobby prefers vanilla yoghurt to toffee yoghurt, he likes pistachios and doesn't approve that Mr C and I sit in front of our computers at the end of the day.

This is his face of disapproval...