We have had a fantastic Christmas. My boys being thoroughly spoilt of course.
We have been very busy with our canine and feline guests too.
There was no room at the inn so the days have started very early to ensure a good standard of care for all. I did bring Marion in to help a little to ensure I had time for family activities too.
Phoebe is growing fast. She is challenging the rules a little as I knew she would. When I call her to come in or follow me in the fields she is walking in the other direction. I assume she will run to catch up with me as we are always together my hope is she will not want me to be too far away. So far it is working as she panics and runs to me if I get too far ahead.
Our 14 year old Labrador Gemma, who I proudly boasted to Mel (dog groomer) how fab she is looking for her age just before Christmas has been in the vets for the past 2 nights.
Over 3 days she became more and more listless. The vet has run various tests and carried out several examinations with no conclusion. We are still puzzled but she has improved massively and back to eating like a horse. I was gutted at the thought of loosing her. She has been such a big part of mine and my boys lives for so long. I know they don't live for ever but am so please she isn't leaving us yet. :)
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Soooo cute
I am doing heal work with Phoebe now and as with all of her education so far she is proving very easy.
I can understand other peoples frustration with puppies when they are out all day as she at just 13 weeks old has huge amounts of energy but I do have the advantage of having all my dogs and boarders to tire her out.
There will be no room at the Inn this Christmas (West Farm anyway) as both the cattery and kennels are very, very busy.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Nice weather
Yes it is cold but what do we expect for winter. All the animals are lovely and warm as they all have heating in their units. The self filling water dispensers are standing up to the minus degrees too.
I took Lola (one of our labradors) and Phoebe (our now 11 weeks old Rottweiler) for a long walk.
They were both fantastically well behaved. Lola particularly impressed me as she barely left my side and came as soon as I whistled. I have only had her since April 2012 and although I have done some training with her she has had little one to one but I could not fault her.
The walk did end up being about 7 miles and Pheobe was a star. She trotted along quite happily and socialised with every one and any one. She is quite submissive if she meets a dominant dog which is great as I do not wish to have an aggressive Rotti.
Phoebe continues to do well with her training.
She sits on command, even at a distance. I am struggling a little to get her to go down but am working on it. She is very good at coming to heal and staying by us. My boys love to take her when they do the horses hay and fascinate how good she is. She comes to work with me when I go to tend the boarding dogs that way she will be very well socialised with other dogs. As I don't know them all I am cautious as to who she runs with. I am mindful of giving her plenty of rest as she is so young and needs to rest to grow.
I am taking her out lots too and took her to Trusty pets where we buy our food. She enjoyed that and sampled a little of their stock :)
I did laugh as I took two cats for boosters for their owner who told me they are queens but they are in fact both boys :) Suzy and Trixy shall become Simon and Trevor :)
I took Lola (one of our labradors) and Phoebe (our now 11 weeks old Rottweiler) for a long walk.
They were both fantastically well behaved. Lola particularly impressed me as she barely left my side and came as soon as I whistled. I have only had her since April 2012 and although I have done some training with her she has had little one to one but I could not fault her.
The walk did end up being about 7 miles and Pheobe was a star. She trotted along quite happily and socialised with every one and any one. She is quite submissive if she meets a dominant dog which is great as I do not wish to have an aggressive Rotti.
Phoebe continues to do well with her training.
She sits on command, even at a distance. I am struggling a little to get her to go down but am working on it. She is very good at coming to heal and staying by us. My boys love to take her when they do the horses hay and fascinate how good she is. She comes to work with me when I go to tend the boarding dogs that way she will be very well socialised with other dogs. As I don't know them all I am cautious as to who she runs with. I am mindful of giving her plenty of rest as she is so young and needs to rest to grow.
I am taking her out lots too and took her to Trusty pets where we buy our food. She enjoyed that and sampled a little of their stock :)
I did laugh as I took two cats for boosters for their owner who told me they are queens but they are in fact both boys :) Suzy and Trixy shall become Simon and Trevor :)
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Life with a puppy
Phoebe is being such a good girl. Having said that she is getting ooooodles of attention and training from us humans.
She is being very well socialised with other dogs as I have my pack and Mel (the dogs groomer) brings her little pack, one of which is a Rottweiler too just 1 weeks younger than Phoebe, whenever she is here.
She also comes down to the dog boarding with me and at times there are many dogs, young and old, large and small, happy and grumpy. She copes with them all.
A few people have asked me about routine and practicalities so here goes.
Her crate is in our main room and she is in there whenever we are not giving her attention, feeding, walking or training her. She was ignored from the day she came home if she objected to being in there so for her, for now, it is normal and she is never noisy.
In her crate she has a soft bed, water bowl to the rear, toys she can chew, balls hanging from the roof and old socks tied onto the side. She does play with the various items. I do also feed her in her crate.
She has never messed in her crate so there is no need for newspaper.
She has, on two occasions woken me in the night and after waiting a while I have let her out and she has been busting to relieve herself. You need to learn to "read" your puppy.
First thing in the morning, in the early days I lifted her but now I just open the crate and call her, I head towards the out side door and expect her to follow me (she always has so far). She almost immediately squats to urinate. I let my older dogs out too and they have a good play. After some time it's back into the crate for a rest and breakfast whilst I sort my boys and do school run. Once home she comes to the dogs boarding to clean and sort and socialise. Then into her crate for lunch and snooze.
It depends who is around and what I have on but she either plays with other dogs or out for lead exercise in the afternoon. Then back in the crate whilst I collect n run my boys around.
If my boys want her out to play and or train her they know to put her out side first and stay out with her until she has spent a penny at least.
Who ever goes to bed last puts her out for a short while then into her crate for the night.
When ever she is out of the crate I am often calling her and giving her commands. She is getting the hang of it all. If my attention is diverted for any reason she is put some where secure and never left to wander.
So far, so good. I am sure there will be hickups along the way but she has been a pleasure and so easy so far. I have made a point of taking her food off her a couple of times as she really is keen to dominate over it and I must remember she is a Rottweiler after all :)
She is being very well socialised with other dogs as I have my pack and Mel (the dogs groomer) brings her little pack, one of which is a Rottweiler too just 1 weeks younger than Phoebe, whenever she is here.
She also comes down to the dog boarding with me and at times there are many dogs, young and old, large and small, happy and grumpy. She copes with them all.
A few people have asked me about routine and practicalities so here goes.
Her crate is in our main room and she is in there whenever we are not giving her attention, feeding, walking or training her. She was ignored from the day she came home if she objected to being in there so for her, for now, it is normal and she is never noisy.
In her crate she has a soft bed, water bowl to the rear, toys she can chew, balls hanging from the roof and old socks tied onto the side. She does play with the various items. I do also feed her in her crate.
She has never messed in her crate so there is no need for newspaper.
She has, on two occasions woken me in the night and after waiting a while I have let her out and she has been busting to relieve herself. You need to learn to "read" your puppy.
First thing in the morning, in the early days I lifted her but now I just open the crate and call her, I head towards the out side door and expect her to follow me (she always has so far). She almost immediately squats to urinate. I let my older dogs out too and they have a good play. After some time it's back into the crate for a rest and breakfast whilst I sort my boys and do school run. Once home she comes to the dogs boarding to clean and sort and socialise. Then into her crate for lunch and snooze.
It depends who is around and what I have on but she either plays with other dogs or out for lead exercise in the afternoon. Then back in the crate whilst I collect n run my boys around.
If my boys want her out to play and or train her they know to put her out side first and stay out with her until she has spent a penny at least.
Who ever goes to bed last puts her out for a short while then into her crate for the night.
When ever she is out of the crate I am often calling her and giving her commands. She is getting the hang of it all. If my attention is diverted for any reason she is put some where secure and never left to wander.
So far, so good. I am sure there will be hickups along the way but she has been a pleasure and so easy so far. I have made a point of taking her food off her a couple of times as she really is keen to dominate over it and I must remember she is a Rottweiler after all :)
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