Canisfamiliaris

The online diary started life as a blog of my strange 'other life' with the dog. I wanted to record some of the experiences that I had as a first-time dog owner. To access the archive, click on the appropriate month. The most recent articles are listed separately.

You are most welcome to send comments about any of the articles. Record your comments via the Contact Me page.

A GOOD PLACE TO START
Thu 22 Feb 2007

Beattie is a Bedlington terrier - 9 months old as I write. This blog is a chronicle of my life with the dog.

It all began on a Thursday morning. I know it was a Thursday as this is the day I put the bins out! It was early in the morning and I was still in my dressing gown! SH came walking past the drive with two beautiful grey coloured dogs looking for all the world like a couple of Herdwick lambs!

'What lovely dogs, SH,' I exclaimed. 'What breed are they?'

She told me they were Bedlington terriers - the name meant nothing to me.

'I'm going to breed from this one later this year,' SH told me pointing to one of the dogs.

The seed had been sown... Back

DOG ON THE LOOSE!
Sun 25 Feb 2007

Had a horrible experience today. I took Beattie for a walk on a piece of open access land, which we frequent, and she decided to slip under the lowest strand of the barbed wire fence on to the road! I was frantic with worry as this stretch is the beginning (or end) of a long straight which invites drivers to put their foot down. It was a good 200 metre run to the entrance where I could get on to the road, but I did not want to leave her - anything could happen. I called her repeatedly with great urgency in my voice, but Beattie did not respond to my pleadings to 'Come'! Well trained dog! It must have been the bloody-mindedness of the terrier in her that made her totally ignore me and walk casually down the middle of the road. One car slowed right down, but others did not and I thought at any second she would be hit and seriously injured, or, worse, killed!

There was a gate - a way out on to the road. I would have to climb it, but, luckily, the barbed wire did not extend across the top spar. It swayed, but held as I swung my left boot over, followed by the right. I was over and now could rescue Beattie - if she would come! I held out a meaty treat. She thought about it but did not move. I clicked my clicker which indicates to her she has done right and will get a treat. Coming closer, I managed to hook my finger through her collar and she was mine!

I scooped her up not sure whether to hug her or scold her. I clipped on her lead after the hug telling her what a daft dog she was, and lead her along the road back to the car, and safety! Back

'I LOVE A DOG VIRGIN!'
Wed 28 Feb 2007

I first met AT, my dog trainer, when I was supply teaching at my wife's school. Like me, she had retired early from teaching. What I did not know at that time was how devoted to dogs she was. When the subject of getting a dog came up, A told me that AT owned and trained dogs. It was suggested that AT would bring her dogs to school one evening for a demo.

On the appointed evening, I turned up at A's school after hours. AT arrived with two dogs, a Beardie, her competition dog, and a cavalier, which she breeds. When I broke the news that I had never had a dog before, AT exclaimed, 'Oh good, I love a dog virgin!'

Well, the 'dog virgin' took Beattie to Dog Club last September and was introduced to the world of sits, down-stays, recalls and front presents! It took me several months to come to terms with this new language with its associated commands and hand signals. I lived in a foggy world of ignorance for quite some time. Beattie attended the beginners class at first, but I stayed on to watch the competition class and to try and learn more about this strange new world where dogs could be 'Kennel Clubbed' for displaying aggressive behaviour at shows!

Eventually, after Christmas, we had both made sufficient progress to be invited to the competition class, which I considered a great honour. At first, my only aim had been to train Beattie to obey basic commands at home, but over the months my interest had deepened and I wanted more. I had been warned that terriers were difficult to train, but AT saw it as a personal challenge to have a Bedlington terrier in the obedience ring, and I was caught up in her infectious enthusiasm! Back

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ARTICLES
A good place to start
Dog on the loose!
I love a dog virgin!

ARCHIVE 2007
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April
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2007
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A GOOD PLACE TO START Thu 22 Feb 2007

A GOOD PLACE TO START
Thu 22 Feb 2007