Bird Watching

It is very hard to get a picture of Dexter. Normally when I point the camera at him, he rushes towards me, "What's that Mum, why are you holding it up in front of your face Mum, let me lick it ."  Dexter also very rarely sits still.

We have lots of birds in our garden building nests at the moment. Dexter is very interested in birds and loves chasing pigeons.  Dexter knows that a good bird watcher has to sit very, very still.  Which meant I could get a couple of cute spring photographs.

Dexter goes training (for the first time)

A few weeks after we adopted Dexter from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, I thought it would be good for him to go to some dog classes. In his previous home, Dexter had never worn a lead or collar, and never been for a walk.  Considering his limited his experience of the outside world, Dexter loved to meet new people and go to new places. At home I had already taught him a sit and wait which he learnt fast, so I thought he would love dog classes.

 If Dexter was human, he would be the type of character Owen Wilson tends to play in films like "You, Me and Dupree". Dexter likes to walk into a room and shout "Hey everyone let's party". He knows all the ladies find him very handsome, doesn't want to take things too seriously, and loves attention.

I had signed Dexter up for a class, and the first time I took him along I quickly realised that the whole dog class idea of sitting nicely, and being calm didn't appeal to Dexter at all.  He barked and barked and... barked, desperate to run round the room and play with the other dogs.  Who knew a dog could bark constantly for an hour.

From super barker to superstar 

Every week it was the same Dexter would bark all lesson.  I am not ashamed to say, some times I cried before I went in to that class dreading another hour of barking. Some of the other dog owners, and (some of the other dogs) did not look kindly on Dexter's behaviour, which made things harder.   But as time went on, with lots of praise and lots of rewards Dexter concentrated for a little bit longer. The first time Dexter sat for 1 whole minute, I was the one running round the room, completely over excited.  Dexter even won a rosette in an obedience test.

 A year later- Dexter will be taking part in his first obedience competition this month. He also does agility classes too now, which actually much better suit Dexter's personality, he can run round and go a little crazy.  For some  dogs like Dexter it can take a little bit of patience to get them used to dog classes, and some weeks are like going back to square one,  but its so rewarding when he does well, and he really loves all the praise (especially from the ladies).

A dog called Dexter

Finally the moment we had been waiting for, we were  leaving Battersea Dogs and Cats Home with our new cocker spaniel Goofy.  First challenge: riding in the car.  Our Labrador Millie is a professional journeyer.  Friends told of enduring very upset puppies on their first car trip. Not Millie; on her first car ride, she wasn't phased at all. She sat on my lap for the first few minutes of the journey and then hopped off on to the seat next to me, sighed, and went to sleep.  She has been a happy traveller ever since.

Even as a tiny puppy Millie loved to travel

We now use a crate in the boot of the car to keep the dogs secure. We tried harnesses, but Millie always ended up with a paw in an awkward place.  We popped Goofy into his new car crate and started the drive back to Lincolnshire.  Poor Goofy didn’t look very happy to be in the car at all, and by the time we got to a service station, he was shaking like a leaf. A stroll around the service station seemed to settle him down a bit. Back in the  car crate he would lean his head against its side and close his eyes, looking as if he was praying for the journey to end.  This little chap did not seem destined to be a happy traveller, and he still hates the car, no matter how many treats he is promised.

The staff at Battersea Dogs Home had advised us that it was absolutely fine to change Goofy’s name, as he didn’t really answer to it.  We thought that Goofy didn’t really suit this handsome  spaniel, and by the time we got home we had decided on Dexter. We had been watching the TV show "Dexter"  and thought that Dexter was a cool name. As the TV show was quite dark, we didn’t think many other people would pick the name for their dogs.  Wrong! 

We moved house, our next door neighbours have a dog called Dexter, which leads to no end of confusion when we call our dogs in.  My parents next door neighbours have a cat called Dexter.  We go to an agility class with only two other dogs, one of which is called  Dexter. Everywhere we go, we can guarantee to meet another dog called Dexter.  Although we also like to think that there is no other Dexter quite like ours.

Goofy comes home

We had successfully introduced Millie our Labrador to Goofy the cocker spaniel, we hoped to adopt from Battersea Dogs Home. The last step before we could take Goofy home was a visit to the Battersea vet.

When I talk to friends who are considering getting a dog, especially if it is a first dog, I always try to persuade, them to consider a rescue. Not just because a rescue dog gets a new home. I think it’s beneficial to be matched with a dog that suits your circumstances, and to have the help and support of experts if you need it.

I have lost count of the number of people I have seen in dog classes, being dragged around the room by big bouncy dogs; or heard of someone getting a border collie that chews all the furniture through sheer boredom. A good rehoming charity won’t let you take home a dog you can’t cope with or that won’t suit your lifestyle.

When you take home a new dog or puppy there are a lot of things you need to organise, for example, somewhere for the dog to sleep, a trip to the vets for microchipping, an identity tag.  When we adopted Goofy many things were included in the £105 rehoming fee:

      Microchipping.

      Initial vaccinations, flea and worming treatment. 

      A collar, identification tag and lead. 

      Access to Battersea’s behaviour advice line for continued advice and support

In many cases your animal will be neutered. We also got free pet insurance, an information pack and a starter box of food. I think when taking a new dog home, it is great to have all of the above taken care of. Then you can focus all your energy on settling your dog in, and not having to rush out straight to the vets or pet shop. 

Finally with the visit to the vet over, and all the paperwork completed, we could take the newest member of our family home.  

I am not an expert in dog behaviour, rehoming or health issues. These are my own views.  Please talk to your vet or experts such as the Kennel Club, Dogs Trust or Battersea Dogs Home to find out more about any of the above issues

A match made in Battersea

Millie my Labrador can be slightly temperamental. OK very temperamental. Over the last 4 years I have lost count of the times she has started barking at someone, because she didn’t like the look of their woolly hat. She will run away from smiling children, desperate to stroke her. Millie can be so antisocial and I was nervous about introducing her to the cocker spaniel we were hoping to adopt from Battersea Dogs Home.

We introduced Millie and Goofy the cocker spaniel puppy, in the Battersea Dogs Home training area.  As we let the dogs off their leads, I held my breath. Millie skipped off with her tennis ball, not giving the little spaniel a second look. Goofy however looked as if he had been well and truly hit by Cupid’s arrow. He bounded after Millie desperately nudging and pushing her. For a few seconds Millie would relent and join in the game, although she quickly lost interest. Even if it wasn’t love at first sight for Millie, it seemed she was willing to give Goofy a chance.

The Battersea rehomer was happy with how the dogs were getting along, and took us inside so we could spend time getting to know Goofy. We went to a room with toys and treats, so that we could interact and play with the dogs. The Battersea rehoming process is very thorough. We got to spend lots of time with Goofy in different environments, and had the chance to ask lots of questions.

After some time playing with Goofy, the rehomer came back to see if we wanted to go ahead and adopt him. We were sure we did, he was such a bundle of fun.  As for Millie, I was sure she raised one eyebrow and sighed, as if to say, “If you must”.

When Millie met Goofy

It was a scorching hot Friday in July, when we went to Battersea Dogs Home to introduce Millie our Labrador, to Goofy the cocker spaniel we were hoping to adopt.  Feeling positive that the two dogs would get on, we optimistically bought a bed, crate and food bowl for Goofy.

It was a long hot car journey, down to London and I was worried that the hot weather was going to make Millie grumpy and in the wrong frame of mind to meet a new dog. I felt even more edgy walking  Millie into Battersea, in case people thought we were giving her up for adoption. 

The sound of hundreds of dogs barking, all waiting to find a new home, broke my heart, as we walked through the kennels to meet Goofy. When David had first met Goofy he had fallen in love with him, so we had set our hearts on taking him home.  It would be soul destroying if Millie decided she didn’t like this bouncy little spaniel. 

A lady who was the rehomer looking after the pups, called our names, and asked “are you here to meet Goofy the springer spaniel?” My heart sank, springer spaniels are larger than a cocker spaniels and known for their bouncy, lively behaviour;  would a young Labrador and a springer spaniel puppy be far too much for me to cope with?

Luckily it was just a slip of the tongue the little dog, which was lead out to meet us, was definitely a cocker spaniel. We walked round to the training and exercise areas, to introduce Millie and Goofy. I asked if I could hold Goofy to see how he walked on the lead.  He skipped, danced and pulled in every direction.  The rehomer explained that Goofy and his littermates, had never worn a collar or a lead, and never been outside of their garden. It was thought the plan was to train the litter up as gun dogs, but they were all a bit too loopy to work (18 months later I can testify this is the case), so they were given up for adoption.

We walked into the training area to face the moment of truth; it was time for Millie to meet Goofy.

I am not an expert in dog behaviour, rehoming or health issues. These are my own views.  Please talk to your vet or experts such as the Kennel Club, Dogs Trust or Battersea Dogs Home to find out more about any of the above issues.

A dog called Goofy

When Millie our Labrador was two years old, we thought it would be great to get her a doggy companion.  This time around we really wanted to give a home to a dog in a rescue; rather than buy a new puppy.

We regularly checked the Battersea Dogs Home website for a suitable pal for Millie.  Battersea was special to me as I had attended a dog behaviour course there and loved the work they did. One day we saw a picture of a seven-month-old liver and white cocker spaniel. We thought she was gorgeous.

David my partner works near Battersea Dogs Home; the very next day he went into the home to enquire about the spaniel.  David was first asked to take part in a rehoming interview. This helps Battersea to understand your circumstances, and the sort of pet that would be suitable for you.

 David had not mentioned the spaniel we had seen on the website, in the interview.  But the lady carrying out the interview, explained that Battersea had family of seven cocker spaniel puppies for rehoming and she thought one of the puppies would be a good match for us. 

Battersea felt that it would probably be better, for our new dog to be a male, as we already had a bitch (female).   Battersea have found often a male and female dog will get along together well.

A male puppy from the cocker spaniel litter was brought into to meet David, as a potential match for us. Amazingly out of the hundreds of dogs at Battersea, we had been matched with the brother of the spaniel we had first seen on the website.  This seemed like a definite sign.

Goofy was adorable, and wanted nothing more to climb on David’s lap, and have lots of fuss and attention.   Before David could take Goofy home, both Millie and I had to meet Goofy and see how we all got along.

I am not an expert in dog behaviour, rehoming, or health issues. These are my own views.  Please talk to your vet or experts such as the Kennel Club, Dogs Trust, or Battersea Dogs Home, for professional doggy advice.

Jeff the sleepy shar-pei

The first thing I would say to anyone who is thinking about adopting a dog or getting a new puppy, is to do lots of research into the different breeds of dogs.   When after years of longing we decided to get a dog, I could not wait, to get my new furry friend. I didn't realise the huge difference between breeds and how they behave. I thought that all dogs were pretty much the same as Ben my jack russell.

Breeds of dogs vary massively in the amounts of exercise they need, grooming and temperament. Many  breeds of dog, have been bred to carry out a specific task, such as herding, guarding or retrieving. Even if a dog is a pet dog it will still have the characteristics of its ancestors. I guess that's why Labradors often love fetching tennis balls, they were bred to retrieve stuff.

I started my search for a dog, by going to Discover Dogs an annual event at Earl's Court, where  you can meet lots of different breeds of dogs. My big mistake was not talking enough to the breeders, and asking questions. I spent the day cuddling and fussing over lots of dogs, and by the end of the day had my heart set on a Shar Pei.

I contacted Shar-Pei rescue, when I explained what I planned to do with my new dog, a very patient lady did explain that a shar-pei,  and arranged to meet a shar- pei called Jeff who was looking for a new home.

When I met Jeff, he wasn't very interested in me, and quickly curled up on the floor and fell asleep. My previous experience with a jack russell who would demand lots of fuss from any visitor, led me to believe something was wrong with Jeff. Of course if I had researched the breed properly I would have found that   and a shar pei doesn't behave like a jack russell.  Shar-pei's take their time to assess visitors and don't always rush to  make a fuss of them. Plus he had just returned from a walk, so was naturally going to be worn out.

I still cringe when I think about the phone call I made to shar-pei rescue, explaining that I had never seen a dog that slept like Jeff, and was there something wrong with him.  I feel particularly embarrassed when I think about my own labrador who will just about sleep anywhere!  Needless to say shar-pei rescue gently suggested Jeff wasn't the dog for me.