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Oscar’s big brother came for a visit the other day
We’re picking her up on Friday, so more pics incoming.
We too were wary of getting a pup, as Willow is nearly 10 now, and kind of set in her ways. She often has to put up with visiting youngsters, Tod and Dexter who are both just over a year old now and earn the odd growl as they both seem intent on burying their noses in her non-barking end.
However, she’s a gentle soul and received wisdom is to make sure they are safe from each other. I’ve never caged a pup before, but have one ready in case they need separating. No doubt time will tell
A very lazy, but enjoyable weekend has been had.
Today was a Star Wars marathon interspersed with some prep work for the coming week, lost the laptop a few times due to a rogue kick when her highness spreads out.
This one was taken after I made the mistake of getting up to make some lunch and came back empty handed.
Bregante, keep us updated on the progress please. We’re considering getting Dohball a wee bro but I have concerns - he’s a rocket!!!
So far so good. Our 4 Yr old dog Luna can be reactive towards other dogs (not aggressive necessarily just vocal) but there have been very few flash points so far and Scout seems to be wheedling her way into her space quite nicely.
Thanks everyone for the words of support. It means a lot to us. Kids are dealing with it well. Jake, our 1 year old collie is pretty down though. He has such a sad face on. I was out in the garden yesterday and he came out, wandered up to her grave and just sat down next to it. Broke my heart.
Just gonna have to keep him loved and busy.
As an aside, is anyone have issues with tics this year? Jake and Cass were on monthly fipronil, which should be enough to kill on contact, but I’m finding loads, none of which have been dead when I’ve removed them.
Tics are really bad this year.
Never used to get them at home but had to remove quite a few from both dogs.
In scotland at the moment and i haver never seen this many before. Just today we have removed 10+ from each dog, luckily before they attached.
Been using neem oil and wonder if that is helping getting them to not attach.
Absolutely loads of them due to dry weather and mild winter. We were on the West Coast of Scotland a coupe of weeks ago, Oscar’s brother and my brother’s dog kept getting them. Oscar had one on him all week.
Evening walks in sunshine with Ball (which has to be kicked because of the slobber).
Safe to say we’d forgotten just how hard it is raising a pup
I'm very much hoping to forget quite soon... It sometimes feels like we're being held hostage in our own home by a small, hairy, chaos demon, who is infinitely brighter than we are. When I tell people how ace he is, I occasionally wonder if I have some sort of canine version of Stockholm Syndrome.
At doggy day care on Monday, butter wouldn't melt etc.
The puppy phase will soon pass and you will have a (very) short window of well behaved puppyhood then the teenager years kick in. Feels like everything you'd taught them goes out the window and recall can be a thing of the past or else they become fearful of things they have never reacted to. It's a fun time ......
With that colour, if it isn't the lab then my other guesses are Vizla or Rhodesian ridgeback
Feet aren't chunky enough to be a RR and nose is completely the wrong colour to be a Vizsla.
Red lab, bringing her home tomorrow. 
The puppy phase will soon pass and you will have a (very) short window of well behaved puppyhood then the teenager years kick in. Feels like everything you'd taught them goes out the window and recall can be a thing of the past or else they become fearful of things they have never reacted to. It's a fun time ......
Oh yes, we are very much forewarned. He is though, absolutely fantastic. We had a pretty good idea of what we were getting into with a wiry - massively bright, massively goofy, lots of energy, proper stubborn streak, you have to be calm and firm and consistent or he'll walk all over you. I try to keep one eye on the full-grown dog he'll become, particularly on days when he's being full-on infuriating. Honestly though, people who have 'normal', non working line dogs, don't really understand what they're like and how hard it is to teach them to have an off-switch.
The missus thinks we've chosen a dog that behaves exactly the way I do, I have no idea what she means 🤣
I have only met GWPs that are owned by forestry deer managers/stalkers. They are incredibly driven, focussed solely on the task in hand. Absolute machines.
I have only met GWPs that are owned by forestry deer managers/stalkers. They are incredibly driven, focussed solely on the task in hand. Absolute machines.
Precision designed by the same people who brought you Porsche, Audi etc. The flipside is that they're also sweet, sensitive, goofy and devoted to their people.
I have only met GWPs that are owned by forestry deer managers/stalkers. They are incredibly driven, focussed solely on the task in hand. Absolute machines.
Precision designed by the same people who brought you Porsche, Audi etc. The flipside is that they're also sweet, sensitive, goofy and devoted to their people.
And have no indicators
And have no indicators
To be fair, they do come with loud, though slightly random, hazard-alert siren, plus a twin, front-end only directional pointing indicator device for hunting use. But yes, they do frequently change direction without advance notification when the onboard computer is stuck in 'Predation' mode 🙂
Well, full on puppy mode engage.
Here she is, Islay, 9 weeks
Congratulations @scapegoat and welcome to the pack Islay.
We get Harley on 23rd July when she'll be about 16 weeks old, she's a confident little girl although she's not doing our friend's garden any favours at the moment
The good lady is off to parkrun, the hound is a fan as she gets to hog the bed with me. 1/3 for me, 2/3 for her.
Hard work all this learning stuff. Five mins of “sit” with the clicker and treats, and she’s found her default happy tired place. 
Hard work all this learning stuff. Five mins of “sit” with the clicker and treats, and she’s found her default happy tired place
Awww, she's a sweety! It's hard brain work for a small pup. Our guy, who's four-and-a-half months now, spent yesterday at doggy day care, came home absolutely zonked in a good way and promptly lay down on the cold tiles in the corner of the kitchen and fell asleep.
We're trying to teach him to learn boundaries around playing with other dogs and it seems to be going well. He's proper bold though, just about the only thing that's phased him so far was coming more or less face-to-face with a herd of dairy cattle. He sat down, growled softly and thought about barking, then backed off slowly and came with me down the path. Not a bad thing tbh, I'd far rather he was quietly wary of cattle than trying to play with them or barking like a loon.
Good luck with the pup, it's bastard hard work at first, but worth it 🙂
Last night, the calm before...... 
https://imgur.com/a/8AD8Jiv#OX9MIv0
Rain and thunder totally ignored.
She doesn't need the jacket but its bloody convenient.
We're trying to teach him to learn boundaries around playing with other dogs
The other dogs at daycare will soon sort that out! I'm convinced that extensive and varied socialisation while our hound was little was the best thing we did training wise.
Lytham windmill and Hartshead Pike
Oscar has had a great weekend at festival.
The other dogs at daycare will soon sort that out! I'm convinced that extensive and varied socialisation while our hound was little was the best thing we did training wise.
I hear you. On the plus side, he's the boldest, friendliest pup you can imagine. Nothing much phases him apart from the cows he met the other day and I'm more than happy for him to be wary of those. We try to expose him to something new every day - cafes, shops, car parks, machinery, workmen, odd noises - he came from the breeder conditioned to gun-shots 🙂 - llamas, people with bears, hats, in wheelchairs etc.
We did a puppy socialisation workshop yesterday and he romped over all the 'obstacles' as if there weren't there, did rebound recalls through an agility tunnel about a dozen times without batting an eyelid. Our main challenges around socialisation are that he wants to play with every dog he meets and thinks everyone he sees wants to be his friend. But he's improving gradually with repeated exposure and starting to get the idea that people and dogs are just another thing to note and move on from.
If anyone has any ideas on speeding that up, happy to hear them. Right now he gets to greet, briefly, one dog in five and mostly ignores people. Unfortunately a lot of people won't ignore him despite being asked to, which is a pain in the backside. I must try ruffling their hair unasked and see how they like it.
Anyway... very happy pup at doggy day care last week, now with added proto wirehaired beard 🙂
Any forensic bitemark experts on the forum?
This dog loves to sunbathe.
It's too hot to walk. F*** it, I'll just have a lie down for a bit 😀
Just over 2 years since we got the second dog.
Then and now photo
From a little initial hesitation at the beginning to great pals in 5 weeks..... 
We’ve reached a situation of detente between Islay and Willow. Willow isn’t massively enamoured but we expected her to make herself completely scarce.
Islay is desperate to play with her, but has earned the occasional soft growl and eventually a bark if she pushes things too far. Still early days but Willow is putting up with her more than we expected. 
This is the only thread in the forum where duplicate posts don't bother me. 🤣
Stacey looking especially regal today.
“Furbrain” and “Labraball” in standby mode after an hour of chasing each other round the garden pausing only to dig up expensive plants 
Sprocket suddenly decided to do 'dignified and noble' - 19 weeks old now and nudging 20kg on the scales. It didn't last for long, but it was nice to have a brief respite from full-on GWP goofball mode. Can't believe how fast he's grown.
This is what he looked like at three weeks when we first saw him, blimey...
And when he first came home at 8 weeks...
TICKMAGEDDON!
We're down in Somerset and Devon, walking the coast path with our two cockers. We don't have many ticks back home in Yorkshire, maybe we find a couple a week on the dogs. Having had a few problems last year around Exmoor, I treated the dogs just before we left home with frontline plus type product.
So, Monday, walking west of Porlock. Mrs B decides to have a rest on some rocks at the side of the track. Dogs showing far too much interest in the ditch, so I call them out, to find they've found basically a tick nest (probably some dead carcass in there). Francesca is covered in dozens and dozens of little ticks, I flick off what I can a few dozen at time, then move on a few yards and flick another load off. Repeat until mostly clear.
We get back to the camper van, and have a look at doggos undersides. Oh FFS, hundreds, not joking, many now attached. We sit on the tarmac in the carpark for over an hour taking them off with twister tools. Dropping the ticks into bowl of soapy water.
Then today (wednesday) next section of coast path towards Lynmouth. Even worse for ticks. Could see them increasing numbers of the dogs, stop and pick them off, 200 yards later another half dozen appear. Another hour back at base removing the ****ers.
I'm praying now we're past Exmoor, and out of the dense wild woods, Devon coast will be less ticky.
So, another tick twister session this morning. It's almost depressing giving the dogs a stroke...uh huh, another little lump in the fur.
So recommendation please. What can I get at a vets? Can I just walk in and buy without a consultation? Do any of the the spray on tick repellants work?
Me and Mrs B have been using Smidge, and not had a single tick even on us, never mind getting a meal off us.
Seresto collar?
Currently sat waiting in. Edinburgh veterinary hospital for surgeon, doggo having prostate cysts operated on today, poor bugger been ill on and off for ab2yrs before we got ct scan last week. Very stressed, dog less so.
Was going ride glentress red to distract myself while hes under, but might just do blue as too stressed to focus, last thing I need is spanner myself too.
So recommendation please. What can I get at a vets? Can I just walk in and buy without a consultation? Do any of the the spray on tick repellants work?
MrsEpic looks after this for our two. We used to use advocate drops back of neck, but that was a bit messy, and now with a second he can lick the neck of the other, so now we use CaniTrio which is an oral tablet taken once a month that covers ticks/fleas, and any internal worm based parasites as well. We aren't as infested round here as Somerset (holy moly) but do have sheep and deer. Dogs have been tick free. I got lymes while out running.
I discussed ticks with our vet. Independent cheap Peebles vet covering all animals.
He's anti topical due to affecting watercourses. Bravecto was their suggestion.
Decided come home, 2 1/2 hrs drive then they rang to say couldn't do today, so no surgery until tomorrow.
Could have waited until tomorrow and not used a days leave then.! Ah well, can't do much about it 🤷♂️
Our vet prescribes Simparica tablets. It's prescription only, but try giving the receptionist a ring and they'll probably arrange a prescription without a consultation.
Willow shows a marked resistance to ticks. My son's dogs are always picking them up in the woods where he walks them, and it's more or less a daily ritual to rid them of the ticks. I only ever find ticks in Willow's fur, dead as often as alive, and I can't remember the last time she had one imbedded.
A warm wander around the fields and woods of Baggeridge Country Park, followed by coffee and cake in a cafe in Wombourne. He's a tired little soul now
Fran and Flo on the SW coast path, west of Ilfracombe.
We're all much happier now we're out of the tick infested hell of the Exmoor woods. Taking 100+ ticks off each dog everyday was horrible.
I'd like to do a good long linear few days walk with Henry. Having said that, he's an proper sniffer, so when I say long, I reckon 15 miles in a week would be his preference. 😁 Random dog photo because...
Our guy Sprocket - aka Mr Sprock, Sprockety Sprock Sprock Sprock, Sprock-a-Doodle-Do - is five months now and has somehow managed to top 20 kilos. People regularly note the size of his paws and tell us how big he's going to be 🙂
He spent heatwave Monday at our local doggy day care, which sticks up daily photos on FB. Tragically the highlight of our day, other than picking the little chaos demon up afterward, is scrolling through the pics looking for him and his doggy mate. Still a total goofball 😜
Gratuitous dog pics follow:
And... Huey has the run of Lower Largo beach again for the next couple of weeks. Lucky boy.
I discussed ticks with our vet. Independent cheap Peebles vet covering all animals.
He's anti topical due to affecting watercourses. Bravecto was their suggestion.
I also live in the Borders and our 9 year old Sprocket has had Bravecto each year since she first came home. One dose at the start of the season, usually after we find her first tick, sees her through to the end of season. It's been 100% effective, not a single tick after getting Bravecto, really remarkable stuff.
Oscar went to his Nana’s yesterday while we were out, seems he had a good day.
Photos are back so here’s Oscar waiting in my daughter going in to bat, he loves cricket as he was introduced to it at 8 weeks old. 
Waiting and dribbling
Cleaning the recycling
Ball and shadow
The local dog rescue centre was featured on ITV Wales last night - can be seen here :
https://www.itv.com/walesprogrammes/articles/tails-from-the-shelter-episode-1
Pup cup at a local bar. 
The one and only Sprocket, still growing, still awesome. He seems to have a made a friend at doggy day care and appears to be using them as a pillow while sprawling insouciantly for the camera 🙂
A word I've always wanted to use on STW...
My first image post, probably ever, this is Tricks(Trickster) she's the best and worst thing ever. She's on her way to 5 years with us, Bosnian rescue of mixed heritage.
Re-try, Trickster, the floof.
https://imgur.com/a/gNLfVZp#gdKdVez
This muppet has been accepted to a group dog walk.
Taken 4 years but she is now fairly happy around other dogs.
Well Lola back from the Vets having had the Op she was due to have before ingesting that grass seed and having a major op to sort that out. Poor bugger has really been through it this year. Now she has a "bionic leg" (ripped ACL didn't repair itself even after months of rest/lead walking), so she's had a "Z" replacement put in. Still a pretty big op but not as bad as how it used to be done which involved breaking bones!
Back on very light duties for two weeks, then lead walks for a few more but hopefully that'll be her sorted and back to running around like an idiot in the woods every day. Although not till September at the earliest. She's taking it like a trooper and already starting to put weight on that leg, but it's clearly pretty painful 🙁
Some North Norfolk action.
Wells-next-the-Sea beach, tide was out.
Holkham beach where there was a bit of a tussle as someone wanted to head off on his own and the lead had to be used until we were below the high water mark in case of ground nesting.
Another day, another cricket ground for Oscar. 
Glad you are getting the hang of that retirement thing Drac 👍 🙃
11year old Bert diagnosed with BPH (swollen prostate) which then lead to castration the following day. Seems okay apart from not being happy having to wear his blue post op suit for a week or so!
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