|
|
|
Emily's BlogEmily’s
Blog part 16
I like to run. Actually…I luuurve running. It is difficult to explain, but when I start to run, it is as if my instinct voice starts to smile. When I reach full speed, my instinct voice is laughing and if there is a bird flying up while I run, my instinct voice goes...well…it just goes crazy and squeally and I feel all giggly inside.
In our garden I can only get up to 30% of full speed. Even Agility, which is very nice to do with Mom, isn’t enough to satisfy my need for speed. (Mom promised that when we get better at it, we’ll do it faster.)
 Fortunately, Mom knows I need 100% speed, and takes me and Sis Anja to parks. There’s this one park I absolutely love. It’s an off-leash park and there is enough space to go from 0 to Instinct Voice Squeal (IVS) in a couple of seconds! The last thing I hear before reaching IVS is Anja giving up (pfft, slow poke) and Dad’s voice far behind me: “There she goes...”
 Anyhow, there are usually other friendly dogs to play with and even a spot where Mom and Dad can drink coffee. There is also a dam to swim in, and Anja likes to jump from the edge right on top of me and dunk me in front of all my friends! Sisterly love all over again. I can’t wait till she also becomes a teenager and wants to make real friends with other dogs.
Mom says the park is good for our socialisation because we meet all kinds of different dogs, from Yorkies to Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds. Dad’s just happy that we are tired when we go home. He says that we are less destructive when we are tired. I wonder, maybe he will take me to the park more often if I chew his shoes...
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – and remember to listen to that instinct voice.
Emily
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily’s
Blog part 15
Howdy all you humans and dogs way over there in South Africa. My name is Flame. I am Emily’s dog-sister. I wrote to her the other day and she was so excited she asked if I could tell you all a bit about myself. When my pet-mom saw me on the Internet, she fell in love with me and asked breeder-dad if she can have me. One tiny problem: pet-mom lives in a different territory. Way different and very far away in a country called the United States of America (the States for short).
I got into an airplane a few days after Sis left and flew for a LONG time to meet my new mom and my new Springer relatives in the States. From the first moment I saw my new mom I knew it was a good move. I even grinned at her, but she wasn't sure what I was doing until I got home and she saw how big I smile at everyone. Especially my new Dad – he loves me a ton, even though he said he wasn't interested in more dogs coming to the house. I changed his mind right away!
I have a new sister who is black and white without any freckles. She's my best dog friend for sure. But I love all the other ones in my new house too (all the other dogs here are English Springers like me), plus this cat named Marge. I wish she'd let me be her best friend but she's kinda weird…cats, what can I say? There is even a grandma dog here. She is really, really old - like almost 100 in dog years - and her name is Emily too!
My new mom talked just a little about me maybe losing the end of my tail. I thought... now how dumb is that! But, she's pretty smart and I showed her just how cool it is and what it can do and she won't let anyone talk her into making it shorter like some of the other Springers I have met in this part of the world.
One day when I woke up we had all this white stuff falling from the sky. Really fun stuff to play in. Then it all went away and we got MUD! Now that was REAL fun! Mom had to give me lots of baths but I like them, so it's just more good time to spend with my mom.
Keep the tails up – And have a MUD-vellous time with all your family, all around the world.
Flame
Editor’s note: Emily will be back next month with more of her adventures. We hope you are enjoying the journey with us.
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily’s Blog part 14
My dog-dad and dog-mom were very good show dogs and breeder-dad has won the Gundog section of Animaltalk’s Top Dog 100 more than once. So Mom thought it might be a good idea to take the pack to a dog breed show.
Before I continue, I know for some people all the different moms and dads us dogs have may be confusing. But it is actually very simple. A mom or dad is your pack leader. Dogs have a number of pack leaders in their lifetime, so we have more moms and dads than humans do. I have dog-Mom, dog-Dad – who are also called my Dam and Sire - plus breeder-Dad, pet-Mom and pet-Dad. Guide dogs have walker-Mom and walker-Dad too. The pack leaders at the immediate moment are just your mom or dad for short. Either way, we’re all one big happy extended family.
We started early in the morning and went to the show grounds, where a very nice gentleman taught Mom and Dad how to show me and Sis. Compared to obedience, showing is not that hard. The only difficult part is that at some point the judge asks that you should be ‘stacked’. That means you have to stand still. I don’t know how dog-Mom and dog-Dad did it. I mean they are Springer Spaniels as well.
None of my dog-family were at the show but Anja’s breeder-Dad and breeder-Mom as well as one of her dog-brothers were there and I got to meet them. I must say this about Mom and Dad: they sure know how to pick nice breeders. Many breeders just like their own breed, but Anja’s breeder parents were very nice to me, even though I’m not a Golden Retriever. I even played a bit with her dog-brother.
I was the only English Springer Spaniel at the show, so I won Best Puppy in Breed and Best in Breed. Sis lost Best Puppy in Breed to her brother, but we got revenge when I beat him and came fourth in the Gundog puppy section. We met a lot of nice people at the show who gave us very good advice and I think I might have done much better if Mom and Dad knew how to groom me correctly for a show.
Anyway, there are so many other fun things to do as a dog…obedience, agility, tracking, man-handling and so much more. At the end of the day it is enough for me just to be part of my pack. Hopefully the next adventure we go on, I won’t have to stand still so much.
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – And don’t forget to groom.
Emily
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily's Blog 13
Agility, at last! After passing my CGC (Canine Good Citizen), I can finally start training for agility. Mom says one of the reasons I had to wait so long is because I was still a puppy and my bones were still developing. All different kinds of dogs can do Agility and
in our class there is everything from a Dachshund (dad calls her
Aero-wurst when she flies through the air) to the local class nerd, a
Border Collie. Although…the Border Collie sometimes suffers from ADD
(Agility Dog Dementia) and goes all Beagle on his owner and just runs
around and does not listen to his handler.
At this stage we are learning what all the different obstacles – like the tube and the see-saw – are and how to approach them. The jumps are very low (not nearly as high as I saw at one show) and it is very easy to jump over them. One of the more difficult things we learn is to work on our handler’s right side as well as their left side. Up to now we did all our work on the left side (heel position) and it is more difficult than one would expect to swap around.
Mom says Agility is like a rollercoaster – you have to stand in a queue and wait your turn before the fun begins, because only one dog can do the course at a time. When it finally is your turn it is massive fun, but it’s over too quickly and then you have to go to the back of the queue again.
The clowns of the class are none other than Dad and Sis (Anja). One time, Sis charged out of the tunnel on Dad’s right side and decided that she needed to be on Dad’s left. She ran across his path, and he did a manoeuvre that Underdog would be envious of so he could avoid her. He missed her…but not the ground! Mom says it wasn’t kind that we all laughed, but I think it was really funny.
Agility is a crazy combination of fun and discipline. I enjoy it tremendously and Agility seems to be as addictive to the handlers as it is to us dogs, so Mom might just end up jumping over the hurdles herself!
Keep the tails wagging and go obediently crazy.
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily's Blog 11
There are two kinds of charity. One is where dogs help less fortunate people, such as the Guide Dog Association and Paws for People. The other one is where people help less fortunate animals, such as the SPCA and FORA. There are a lot more people-help-animal charities than there are animal-help-people charities. Dad says it is because dogs do a much better job of looking after people than people do of looking after dogs – which makes sense.
Anyway, this year the charity supported by The Avis Wow and Wag doggy fashion show was ACSA's Bird Strike Avoidance Project. This is a dog-help-people charity where they teach dogs to chase away birds at airports so that those big birds carrying people can land safely. Talk about my dream job – those dogs get paid to chase birds! Grandpa, Grandma and even my dog-sister Flame flew with these big birds and I do not want something bad to happen to them, so I think it is a cool charity.
So for the event my sis (Anja) and I were dressed up by Doggie Hillfigher, the dog fashion gurus. Just see how cute we look in our designer outfits! Sis and I usually do not dress up and just chill out in our collars, but this was for a good cause. We then had to walk with celebrities and models on a ca…erm…dog walk.
I walked with Dhiveja Sundrum, a seriously cool lady who is also a presenter on TV on a show called Top Billing. She has Rottweilers at home and I felt comfortable by her side – she knows dogs. Anja walked with Graeme Richards. He loved her and Dad had a hard time explaining why he could not take Anja home with him. I was also on television! They showed a little part of the event on the Top Billing show, so that all the people who couldn’t be there on the night could see what happened.
There was a lot of loud music and funny lights at the show, but we learned to handle stuff like that in puppy socialisation class. I enjoyed the evening tremendously – wonder if I can convince Mom to let me do some vacation work at ACSA?
Sorry if you were hoping for an update on my Agility training, but Wow and Wag was just too exciting for words. I promise I’ll tell you all about Agility next month.
Keep the tails wagging and have fun while you help someone else.
Emily
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily's Blog 10
Some days are better than others. Normal Days, Mom and Dad get up early in the morning and go hunting. Good Days, Mom stays home with us all day and does all her hunting from home. But then you get those things called Great Days. Mom and Dad try to sleep late. This is the first sign that it is going to be a Great Day. The faster you get Mom and Dad out of bed, the sooner the fun will start. Mom just turns around and plays dead. Dad sometimes plays dead; other times he will threaten to give you to a dog charity or send you to China. I don’t know what China is, but it must be worse than a dog charity.
When they finally get up, it will either be dog school or we go to a park. If they start to pack the dog-pack with dumbbells, leads and treats, you know it’s dog school. If they throw some towels into the car, it is the park!
Something strange happened the other day. Mom and Dad got up early, so I thought it was a Normal Day, but then they started to pack the dog-pack. So was it going to be a Great Day? I was very confused.
It turned out we were going to an Elementary Beginner Obedience (EBO) competition. It was a totally new place... a big showground. We did all the things we did way back in EBO at school (Ed.: see www.emilysblog.co.za Part 5). It was a bit tougher than school though. Even my Obedience nerd sister had trouble heeling next to Dad and not wandering off with all the new sights and smells.
Dad says we did well, even though I got a bit confused with the recall. (It was a little bit different than the recall we just did for CGC, but I still got 93.5%.)
Don’t you just hate it when your little sister shows you up? It turned out to be a Really Great Day for Anja - she came fourth with 95%. Nerd!
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – Some days are better than you think.
Emily
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily's Blog 9
Both Anja (my sis) and I passed Elementary Beginner Obedience at dog school. I am still a bit too young to start with Agility classes (one of those silly human rules), so we had a choice to go on to Beginner Obedience or to do CGC Bronze. CGC stands for Canine Good Citizen (or just being a good dog) and the Bronze is the first level. Dad says that many dog rescue organisations use the CGC as a test to see if rescue dogs are ready to be adopted.
Anyway, Mom decided that CGC would be a good challenge for me, while Sis and Dad went on to Beginner Obedience.
The next few weeks at school were a blast. There are a lot more tests in CGC than in Obedience, but most of them were fun.
You have to allow another human (not your mom or dad) to pet you and groom you – no problem! You must play with your mom or dad and then just calm down (yeah right!) and sit still to allow them to put your collar back on. That’s right, one of the tests is that you have to play with your mom: how cool is that?
There is also a down stay (booooring) and some heel work. And you have to walk on lead with your handler through a gate. This was a bit tricky, but Mom and I got it in just a few classes. They also test your reaction to all kinds of distractions like people on bicycles, umbrellas opening and noise. Nothing really phased me.
One of the tests is called Supervised Isolation. You’re given to a stranger and Mom walks away from you out of sight for a few minutes. The stranger ‘pretends’ as if she’s only keeping you from running by holding you, but we dogs can smell a dog-lover a mile off. I think Supervised Isolation is a harder test for the human who’s holding you than for the dog – I think they are just burning to play with you.
The course was about three months and then it was time for grading, as usual. Dad and Sis failed their Beginner Obedience – what a shocker. On that particular day, Sis just didn’t want to retrieve. Dad does not seem too worried. He says it is all part of dog sport.
Of course I passed the CGC. Dad sometimes teases me and says we now have a certificate to give me away if I am naughty. (I hope he is teasing.)
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – And be good cit..er..dogizens.
Emily
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
Emily's Blog 8
Humans are funny animals. They don’t hunt for rabbits or birds. They hunt for an animal called Money. I have never seen one, but apparently if you get them, they magically turn into other things like food, beds, dens and collars.
Dad says that there is something wrong with the world’s Money population these days. He says it’s much more difficult to catch enough Money than it used to be. I’m not sure why but the one thing I do know is that this Money-animal cannot be very fast. I have seen both Mom and Dad run in the park. If that’s their top speed, and they can still catch the Money-animal, maybe our pack would be a lot better off if I did the hunting and they stayed at home.
Anyway, Mom decided to take me and Sis (Anja) with her to her hunting ground. I thought that we were going to help her hunt, but Mom wanted me to meet a new friend. His name is Sammy.
He doesn’t say much about his past, but I do know he’s adopted. Apparently, he just arrived at Mom’s hunting ground one day, in really bad shape, hungry, thirsty and with sore paws, looking very lost and confused.
The people at Mom’s hunting ground couldn’t find Sammy’s human mom even though they put up posters and let all the vets know that a handsome dog had was visiting their hunting ground. Of course, all the people at Mom’s hunting ground love animals and they couldn’t send Sammy away, so they decided to give him a home. He is now their mascot, and he patrols their hunting ground all day long.
Sammy just loves people. During the day he makes sure all the people get attention and at night he helps one of the guards to protect the property, or so he says. I saw where he sleeps and I think it’s too comfy a spot to leave in the middle of the night…
Sammy is not a pure bred dog like me and Anja, but he we had a lot of fun together, after we went through all the formalities of dog-greeting. The garden at Mom’s hunting ground is almost as large as a small park and there are loads of other animals to play with. Even peacocks!
We also met all the other people who hunt with Mom – very nice people, and they all hunt all day long! Imagine that: no playing or chatting about when they get to go to the park again, just hunting. I now understand why Mom is tired when she gets home from hunting. She is an awesome Mom, because even though she is tired after a whole day’s hunting, she always has energy to take me and Anja to parks and give us all the love and cuddles we need.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you: Sammy and I went to WODAC together to meet all our human friends who read Animaltalk and even had our photos taken with them in a real studio with lights and everything!
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – and if you catch one of those Money-animals, turn it into something special.
Emily
Editor’s note: Emily’s Blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end or whether Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.
I mean, every time I’ve been to the vet the people have been friendly and they seemed to really like us. There are shelves with all kinds of toys and chewies in the vet’s reception area. You are not allowed to play with the toys, but if you are a good dog, you might get lucky and Mom will buy you one to take home. (And I was sure I would be good.) The worst thing that’s happened to me so far at the vet is getting an injection, but that is usually followed by lots of treats and enough attention to keep your tail wagging till you go home. So that is OK.
And that was the first thing the vet did – give me an injection. But this time it made me very sleepy...The next thing I knew, I was waking up from such a deep sleep that I could not even remember what I dreamed. No matter how hard I tried. And that was it, nothing major, other than my Springer zing that was missing for the rest of the day. Mom and Dad fetched me a few hours later (I didn’t even have to stay over!) with strict instruction from the vet: “Try to keep her still and quiet – no jumping until the stitches come out.” Yeah right! We may be a responsible pack, but keeping still is just too boring and life is too much fun. Mom did try really hard, though.
And I got my chewie!
I feel great – no different to what I was before the ‘Big Fix’. I would recommend it to all my four-legged friends out there. (Editor: yes, you boys too)
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – And be responsible pets and pet-lovers.
Emily
Emily's Blog 7
Everyone loves puppies, but my parents know that there is a lot involved in becoming breeder parents. It is a big responsibility. Dad decided that we will not be a responsible dog-loving pack if Anja or I had puppies. Apparently there are lots of unwanted puppies and dogs at shelters that need homes - we don’t need to add to that. Mom says that responsible breeders are people who carefully select which dogs they want to breed with, with the aim of improving the breed. A female dog having puppies just for the sake of her having puppies is like sharing your food with a Great Dane. If you stop to think about it, you know it’s a bad idea.
Mom also read about all the health benefits of spaying and neutering in The Dog Directory.
So, came six months, I was on my way to the vet to be spayed. Mom told me that I would spend a few hours there. How bad could it be?
I mean, every time I’ve been to the vet the people have been friendly and they seemed to really like us. There are shelves with all kinds of toys and chewies in the vet’s reception area. You are not allowed to play with the toys, but if you are a good dog, you might get lucky and Mom will buy you one to take home. (And I was sure I would be good.) The worst thing that’s happened to me so far at the vet is getting an injection, but that is usually followed by lots of treats and enough attention to keep your tail wagging till you go home. So that is OK.
And that was the first thing the vet did – give me an injection. But this time it made me very sleepy...The next thing I knew, I was waking up from such a deep sleep that I could not even remember what I dreamed. No matter how hard I tried. And that was it, nothing major, other than my Springer zing that was missing for the rest of the day. Mom and Dad fetched me a few hours later (I didn’t even have to stay over!) with strict instruction from the vet: “Try to keep her still and quiet – no jumping until the stitches come out.” Yeah right! We may be a responsible pack, but keeping still is just too boring and life is too much fun. Mom did try really hard, though.
And I got my chewie!
I feel great – no different to what I was before the ‘Big Fix’. I would recommend it to all my four-legged friends out there. (Editor: yes, you boys too)
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – And be responsible pets and pet-lovers.
Emily
Emily's Blog 6
Hallo Dudes and Dudettes
My name is Anja. I am part of Emily’s pack and she asked if I could write on her blog about my Elementary Obedience (EO) grading and how I managed to get a higher score than she. There were also many people that wrote to her and asked that she should tell them more about me. She was a bit jealous of that, so she decided that I should do it myself.
Here goes: You already know that Emily is an English Springer Spaniel, and sometimes she is all wound-up like a spring. I’m a Golden Retriever, so I am much more relaxed. If Mom and Dad want to treat Emily, they take us to a park where she can run and run and run. I, on the other hand, love it when Mom and Dad take out a DVD and let me curl up next to (or on top of) one of them for an evening of hugs and snuggles.
I think that is the reason I did better than Emily at EO grading. During heel work, I just have to snuggle up next to Dad’s left side and stay there - before you know it, it’s treat-time. Down-stays are also a breeze. Just lie on the grass and hum your favourite tune in your head. Before you even get to the chorus of Who let the dogs out, Dad returns and it’s treat-time again...
Another reason I did better is because I’m smarter – or so I think. Mom and Dad say it’s difficult to tell which of us is smarter. They say we are just “different” and that they “love us both the same” and that this is all just “sibling rivalry”. What a cop-out, all just to save Emily’s feelings! I think even Emily knows I’m smarter – that’s why she’s making me write this myself. (There is, of course, not a kitten’s chance in a Rottweiler den that Emily will admit that I’m smarter than she is, even if she knows it’s true. But I know and that’s all that matters.)
Seriously though, I love my sis and my pack. I think we are going to have a lot of awesome times together. Sis should just learn to chill more.
Keep it cool – and stay chilled.
Anja
School, school, school, learn, learn, learn. All because we visited a dog show where the dogs took part in an agility contest. I really want to be an agility dog one day. It looks like heaps of fun and both Mom and Dad think I may actually be good at agility. But, as always with humans, there are rules involved. Apparently it is not good for pups to do forced exercise before they are old enough.
Mom said there was still lots of fun stuff that we could do before we start with Agility. The next ‘fun’ thing she made us do was Elementary Obedience (EO). Yeah, right. It sounded like a trick to get me and my sister, Anja, to obey our parents better, but I was wrong. Obedience is actually a dog sport and at the end of the course there is a ‘competition’ and you are graded by a judge. And Mom was right…it was fun.
The classes lasted for three months and we were taught how to do Sit and Down Stays, Recalls and my old nemesis: Heel. I’ve always (even in Puppy Socialisation Class) struggled with walking on a lead and not pulling – there are just too many new things to explore out there. But in EO I really got the hang of it. Maybe it’s because I am almost a big girl now. Besides, it is great to see Mom happy, and if I stay next to her during Heel work, she’s ecstatic!
Of course, I still have all this energy bottled up inside me and Dad says I walk like a Russian soldier, but Mom doesn’t mind and neither did the judge. She gave me 96.5% for my grading, the best in the group. One step closer to Agility school! Anja also won her group, with 98.5% - nerd! Maybe she should tell you more about that next month.
Keep the tails wagging – sometimes things are more fun than you thought it would be.
Emily
Emily's Blog 4
As I mentioned previously, when I first came to my new home, my human parents did not go hunting for the first five days. Those first few days were a blast, but then they started hunting again, Mom and Dad gave me lots of toys and Dad always came home during lunchtime to give me my food, (I’m still a puppy so I get three meals a day) but it sometimes got lonely to be the only one at home.
Apparently Mom and Dad knew that it would happen and from the start their plan was to get me a brother or sister. They decided to get me a Golden Retriever sister. Now many people like Golden Retrievers, resulting in some people puppy farming with them. Yip, all you dogs out there, puppy farmers do exist. It is not just a story your dog-mom told you to wean you faster. Anyway, Mom and Dad were very picky in choosing the breeder for my sister.
They finally got a good one and my sister was born one month and three weeks after me. The bad news was that I had to stay at home, alone, for just over a month. The good news is that it makes me, the older dog, higher up in the pack hierarchy. Sorry Sis! The other good news is that Mom and Dad stayed home for the first five days after Sis arrived as well. They decided to call her Anja, short for Anastacia.
Anja is no Springer Spaniel and she got tired very quickly in those first few days, while I still wanted to play with her. Things are much better these days, but Anja is more than just a play toy. She is part of the pack now.
Anja also graduated from puppy socialisation school. Mom said that Anja and I will be starting obedience classes together this year, but more about that next month.
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – Remember to be nice to the rest of your pack.
Emily
Emily's Blog 3
School is a blast!
As I mentioned last month, learning is a huge thing in my new home. So my parents decided that I, being part of a family that socialises with other dogs and their people, should go to puppy socialisation classes. The mutt next door calls it Yuppie socialisation classes. I think he is just jealous.
 
What fun! I met a whole bunch of other puppies. They were around the same age as me, but they all looked different. See me in the pictures playing with my new friends – can you spot me? We did all kinds of weird and fun stuff at puppy school. It actually felt more like play than school.
Part of school was walking through and underneath and past all these strange obstacles and things. Some of them made different noises. But I got lots of treats for doing it, so I didn’t mind at all. I even met this big, white, really funny-looking animal – they called it a sheep. And I didn’t bark or anything.
The boring part of the class was when we had to sit patiently next to our moms and dads, while they were told why we do certain stuff. That’s right. Sit still and do nothing. That was really hard for me, firstly, because I already know why I dig in the garden and chew mom’s shoes. And secondly because I am a Springer Spaniel, not a Sitter Spaniel.
I also started learning how to walk next to my mom on a loose lead. Well, she tried really hard to teach me, but I get so excited I just want to run everywhere! My mom had lots of patience though. I also learned what it means when my mom asks me to ‘sit’ or ‘down’. I must have done something right, because on the last day we went, I got a rosette and a prize (food)! This was to show that I graduated from puppy class. My mom was so proud of me. About a month after me my baby sister, Anja, also graduated. I haven’t told you about Anja yet, maybe next month.
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – even if you have to go to school.
Rules are cool
Last month I told you about arriving at my new home. A new home can be a great adventure, but it also means that everyone has to make adjustments to new rules. One of the rules is that I am not allowed on the beds (I have my own doggie-bed). But the good news is I am allowed inside all the time, and on the couches, and on my mom’s lap!
Obviously it is not just us dogs that have to adapt. The tiled floor was quite slippery when I first arrived. Dad fixed it, but it made him a bit grumpy. I heard him grumbling something about: “We freeze the whole winter without carpets in our new home. The pup slips once and we stock up.” Mom said she read in Animaltalk that it can be really bad for puppies’ joints if they slip and fall on tiled floors.
Then there is the whole house training thing. Apparently you can’t ‘go’ in certain places, and all the right places are outside. Not a problem if you are an outside dog, but a huge inconvenience if you live inside. Especially since people in Johannesburg close the entire den and the only way to get outside is if Mom or Dad lets you out. And don’t even think of using the non-slip carpets!
Anyway, Mom and Dad took turns the first few weeks to get up at night to take me out. I quickly learned that the grass was the area that Mom and Dad preferred and, to be honest, it’s the area I prefer these days.
Talking about learning, my people take this learning stuff very seriously and they were adamant that I go to puppy socialisation classes, but more about that next month.
I am starting to get that ‘pack’ feeling. These people have weird rules, but I know they will protect me, and I will protect them with all my strength.
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – rules just make you fit better into your new pack.
Emily
Editors note: Emily’s blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end and if Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us. You can write to Emily on Emily@panorama.co.za
Emily's Blog Part.1Hi, my name is Emily. I’m an English Springer Spaniel puppy. I decided to start this blog from the day I went to my stay-home - probably the most important day of a dog’s life. Breeder-dad delivered me and four of my brothers and sisters to our new parents when we were nine weeks old.
Breeder-dad provided my new pack leaders with a puppy-pack containing info and the special food which we’d been eating till then
After a short farewell I joined my new parents on the trip to my new home. For a moment I felt very nervous (all you other dogs out there will understand). Fortunately Breeder-dad is a serious dog lover and I knew he would not send me to any home if he had not done a thorough screening.
He was right. New-Mom and Dad are serious dog lovers as well and the rest of my first day was a blast. I think any other pup will probably pass out after half an hour of exploring a new home, but I am a Springer and our energy starts where other dogs’ stop.
And that is how I got my name. My new parents named me after Amelia Earhart. Apparently she was an explorer and adventurer. They say that from the very first day they got me, I was running around like crazy, exploring everything and (ad)venturing off everywhere. How they got from Amelia to Emily, only people will know.
Anyway I think it is a cool name and somewhere deep inside me my Instinct Voice is telling me that exploring and adventure is GOOD. And it was. For the next five days, Mom and Dad did not go hunting (they call it working, but it’s much too much fun for that!) and we had wonderful times at my new home with new toys and a whole new world to explore.
I’m only a pup and I still have a lot of things to learn, but more about that next month.
Keep the tails wagging and have fun – Life is an adventure
Emily
Editors note: Emily’s blog is the story of a real dog. We do not know how the story will end and if Emily will eventually become an Agility dog, but we hope you will enjoy the journey with us. You can write to Emily on Emily@panorama.co.za
Have you met my famous friend Sammy?
Visit my Facebook page!
|
|