Saturday 19 December 2009

a useful skill

this was Sam's first trick, figured out shortly after arriving with us, and kept honed because it brings its own reward. this is the first time i captured the whole thing...




Friday 18 December 2009

a tale of fire and ice

when Sam came out one morning, he found that the water in one of his many storage containers was frozen. his immediate reaction was, naturally, to eat it.


a few days later, to his great and ecstatic joy, Sam found the ground covered in schnow! his initial was, naturally, to eat it.

after that, however, he turned into a snowdog once again. today, he's been out more than indoors. snow is just so much fun!

Wednesday 9 December 2009

Sam, you're fired!

during his year with us Sam has definitely found his voice. i remember how, when he was living in the rescue kennel, he would jump up and down on the door to show how pleased he was to see us, but never bark like the other dogs did. after we took him home, he would howl sadly at night until he realised that we hadn't really left him for good.

it was a good while before he actually barked, but now he has figured it out. he'll bark if there's someone at the door, or something which makes noise in the street, but most of all he'll bark when Great Leader is coming home.

Sam's bark is quite loud, and a bit annoying if there's nothing to worry about. still, it can be useful to have a noisy dog -- a guard who'll deter thieves and other rabble, we thought.

then, my bike was stolen from just outside our door one night, and Sam didn't say a thing. it was my mistake, however, because i hadn't locked it, and someone could easily have been off with it without making much of an aural impression.

however! today, i discovered that someone had tried to take my two-week old replacement bike as well. this time, it was chained to the fence, and so the would-be thief had only succeeded in dislocatign the seat while trying to get it off.

this bike is also located right next to the outer door. and what did Sam do while this epic battle took place? he was an upside-down dog on his bed upstairs, and raised neither head nor voice. as a guard dog, he is a complete and utter failure!

Saturday 5 December 2009

fields of dog

well, the wetness has not converted into fluffy mist and drifted off as clouds, or even dropped down as snow. instead it makes mud. glorious mud, i'm sure, if you're a dog. if there ever was any doubt (there wasn't), Sam is a real, mud-loving dog.

unusually for us, we went to a big, popular play field during dog-walking time. we met three old friends, of which two are dogs, on their way home. Sam had a glorious run, but stayed on the extendable lead since the field is open to traffic, and we know how mad/unlucky he can be.

so we galloped and leapt a bit. i was unwisely wearing light trousers, which were soon covered by a fetching pattern of mud droplets. Sam's underbelly went from white to dark chocolate.

image by Aaron Landry on flickr.



as we were about to leave, a little jack russell came up to us. it was so quick i hadn't had time to reduce Sam's lead length, and so he pounced, and the little dog scampered. Sam couldn't follow, obviously, so of course the terrier came back for more. Sam jumped, and she ran. rinse (impossible in all that mud) and repeat, while i exchanged grins with her (Polly, i think) owner. it seemed like they both had great fun, and i was pleased to see that this dog, at least, understood Sam's playful intentions. i know he's not out to harm, but i haven't been sure if strange dogs saw it that way... or their owners.

back home, i got Sam into the bath tub immediately. he was remarkably quiet and tolerant about being hosed down, perhaps because he already was soaking wet. or maybe he doesn't think chocolate suits him?

Tuesday 1 December 2009

rivers of mud

the rain from last month seems to have continued into this one, with an added layer of frost to the mud. nice. i feel double virteous for braving both wet and cold to give sam his daily nightly constitutional.

our riverside walk was flooded:
flooded!

we walked there a few days ago, and it was very muddy. sam loved it, i didn't -- even though i now know that my trainers are water proof.

however, we have other places to walk. and even walking by the road takes twice as long when it rains, because the wetness seems to bring out an array of intriguing smells in every bush, nook and paving stone. after smelling these, sam would rather mark them as well -- a way of saying "first", perhaps? or just a dog LOL?

Sunday 15 November 2009

what happened?

the funny thing about growth and progress is that they're very often unremarkable, seeming to taking place at night or when you're not looking. this could explain how Sam could sneakily turn into quite a Good Dog without us noticing.

i mean... a while ago, it was with great trepidation i released him on a dog-free green. amazingly, nothing bad happened. i quickly put the leash back on to ensure this state of affairs.

on the next trip, i dared to let him run for a bit longer. and the next. now Sam regularly runs free on our walks -- still when no other dogs are around, as i'm not totally sure i can get him back if he decides he wants to play, but apart from that with a pretty good recall. yay!

the other things we only realise when we stop to think: he's okay to be left alone. he is calm in the bath. he doesn't eat our stuff (but things which are yet unclaimed, such as mail and new purchases, are still fair game). we're even on the way to play a proper game of Fetch!

Friday 16 October 2009

recall & recoil

i shed my chicken-hood today and let sam off the lead for the first time in a long while, he rewarded me with a perfect recall, even from quite a distance, when he'd found a nice scent leading into the bushes. very pleased am i! sam, too, was ecstatic about being able to run around in circles, jump and crawl without being hindered by a leash. we kept the session short for now, however (to the protest of my daughter, who loves seeing him run wildly), as i didn't want to push my luck. a lot of practice is still needed to proof the recall.

i don't know if sam has become more jumpy lately or if i simply take him walking when and where there are jumpyfying things, but he has had a few frights recently. in addition to the terrifying groups of children, there was a model plane that was circling him exactly like an eagle. luckily i had him on a lead, or he'd have run right into a busy road to escape from it. later, while he was still jiterry, an ice cream van that emitted LOUD NOISES. actually, that one made me jump as well. maybe if i use it a couple of times to buy him ice cream he'll grow to like it...

Friday 2 October 2009

warm welcomes

we had to leave Sam in a kennel again for a week's vacation. the house we rented didn't allow pets and, um, the Great Leader felt like a break from being Great. the kennel we'd used last time didn't have any room, so we went with another one which we'd really liked the look of on our first search. we couldn't quite remember why, but we were getting desperate (we'd left the arrangements a bit late). as the date and hour approached for the pick-up from the kennels, we hesitated and fretted. we hadn't even visited, the way we did last time. we didn't know if they'd be right for Sam, or if he'd bowl them over -- literally -- or not.

then the kennel owner arrived, and all doubts were forgotten. Sam, who's often scared of strange men, cozied up to his legs like an oversized cat. he then strained to follow the chap (as well as Great Leader, carrying his food) to his car, and jumped into the travelling crate. amazing! we suddenly remembered why we'd picked that kennel -- they really seemed to like dogs there. these things often work in reverse as well.

we enjoyed our holiday, hoping Sam did his -- and, suprise, he did. he came back looking sleek and fit -- they exercise dogs on enclosed grassy land there, meaning they can run free even if they're as lousy returners as Sam -- and smelling of shampoo. yup, that's right. not poo at all. as i walked him, i noticed he seemed to have become even more keen to roll in smelly stuff than before. i think they must have had a reason for shampooing him.

Friday 4 September 2009

on naughtiness

things are going quite well with sam, so there isn't as much interesting stuff that i must write about. he'll trot fairly nicely along on our walks, only occasionally snapping up some forbidden goodie from the pavement. he'll leave most of our stuff alone, only now and then chewing up our mail. fortunately, he does remind us that he's a naughty dog sometimes by suddenly taking off, running in circles like a lunatic, and making me drop everything, such as a gingerly carried poo bag.

today, however, sam was not the naughty one. my daughter was. we were camped next to a back street when a nice and timid little dog came up. sam started wagging to it, wanting to make friends. and my daughter ran straight at it, arms out, probably looking like a viking berserker. that dog got away, but its older, slower companion was treated to daughter's enthusiastic greeting, which seemed to consist mostly of pummels. i apologized to the owners and explained sternly to my daughter that, you know, you can't just hit dogs like that.

the next dog we met, a little terrier, was only treated to a bear hug. we were treated to a little dance as sam and the terrier both tried to snif each other's bums without letting the other one do so, and when that didn't work, started to jump. when the terrier started to sing in addition to all that, it was decided to cut the meeting short.

then we saw a cute white puppy. sam was still in jumping mode, so i held him back. but my daughter was too fast for me, running over to it and assaulting the poor thing. this time it was her walk that was cut short... and i remembered why i i'd stopped taking both dog and daughter on long walks together. one of them i can handle, two i can't.

Friday 31 July 2009

pummeled by a lummox!

sam was inconsolable after Little Cub and i packed our swag bag and went off to meet foreign family. despite both Great Leader and Leader's Friend staying at home to look after him, his reaction to our departure led to our neighbour asking if he'd been left alone at home that night. oops.

after a week of long walks, big meals and friendly training, however, both dog and dudes seemed to be having a much better time. there were only a few scattered whimpers now and then -- mostly from the dog, although when he pulled the Great Leader over to escape from a very scary loose dog, there may have been some manly whimpers on account of a sprained ankle as well.

yesterday, Little Cub and i returned. knowing sam's strength i left her, Great Leader and the luggage outside and entered alone. to say i got a warm welcome wouldn't cover it. i was licked, pounced at, clawed at, and surrounded by a leaping, running, ecstatic dog, who was so wild he wouldn't even run in and out into the garden like he usually does when we return from shorter absences.

this was nothing compared with how he wanted to welcome Little Cub, but we thought she wouldn't like it so let him calm down a bit before they got to meet. sam went to sleep a very happy dog that night, lying guard outside her bedroom.

Wednesday 24 June 2009

halloween early for dogs

sam got the fright of his life on the day when his beloved Mum and Pup (that's me and my daughter) left him not once, but twice, to be alone at home with the Great Leader. as if that wasn't enough, a strange man carrying a large and scary toolbox came in to have a look at our washing machine. no wonder this sorely tested dog had to run upstairs with a tail curling the other way.

after such an eventful day, i thought he'd get some slightly happier happenin' as well. we went to a big green field where we ran and played. sam found an abandoned dummy which he tossed, chased and gnawed on to his heart's delight.

after this little workout we went back rather slowly. we were almost home when sam quick as a duck bent down his head and picked up... another dummy! he'd really hit jackpot after surviving the day's scariness.

Friday 5 June 2009

upping the ante

in a bid to make sam a calmer, happier dog when left alone, i've started going on short trips away from him along with my daughter. this has the advantage of amusing her and giving us some time on our twosome, as well as not bringing the disaster that mad, uncontrollable dog paired with mad, uncontrollable toddler does. yesterday, she and i went on a bike ride to the nearest village and back. sam stayed in the corridor and was silent and calm when we returned. success!

today, we went on a longer expedition, taking the bus to a more distant village, toddling about there for a while, and then returning partly by bus, partly by feet, as the poor little thing became bus sick. with waiting and walking and all, we ended up spending a bit more time than i'd anticipated. oops.

as soon as i reached the door i realised this was the opposite of success. the upset plants in the bay window screamed of disaster. meaning sam must have gotten into the lving room. as i turned the key, i could hear the dog howling intently in the distance. great.

once inside, things were not quite as bad as i feared. the bay window was a mess, but not a single pot had been broken, and my beloved plants seemed fine. the bike i had removed from the corridor had been overturned, and the dragon we use to keep our hat and scarf paraphernalia in (everyone has one, right?) had been taken down and gnawed on. i also found a lot of funny things had happened to the computer -- it was supposed to play him soothing radio -- but nothing a dozen "cancels" couldn't fix.

signs your dog has used the computer: bookmarks have been turned on and F7 has been pressed 19 times.


apart from that, nothing else had been touched -- the toast on the table, the folded laundry, the sofa -- all was fine. i guess he must have spent a lot of time howling. as soon as he'd been assured we were actually there, and jumped around a bit and licked us lots, sam plopped down on his rug and went to sleep. he really must have spent a lot of time and effort howling.

Saturday 30 May 2009

canine cleverness

sam is hardly any fun anymore, he has calmed down considerably since we adopted him. they talk about a six-month settling-in period; and as sam has been with us for six months and is indeed quite settled, i am a believe in it.

that's not to say he doesn't ever do mischief, or has stopped bouncing or any and all monkey business. oh, no. it's just more of a surprise these days, and usually a big surprise.

his biggest recent trick happened when he was out in the garden for a long time. a very long time. i had a touch of that star wars feeling, and went outside to investigate.

our garden has its oddities: because of an extension, it's impossible to see half of it from indoors. because of the river at the bottom, there's a fence enclosing the inner part of it. as soon as i entered the garden, i saw that the gate in the fence was open.

now, sam has opened this door previously, but that was only when i was on the other side and he was very excited. this time, he must have gotten excited all by himself. all the stuff he'd get to do, without me saying no, too!

this is where experience and training stepped in as my friends. i knew he'd been very interested in one of the neighbouring gardens. i also had been doing a lot of recall training on our walks, although i'd been too nervous to let him off the leash for ages. i went out to the river section, and called 'come' with a bright and happy voice. i yelled again. and then, galloping down that very garden, sam came bounding towards me. he did some manic playing while i herded him back into the garden. with the relief of him not having gone completely astray, and the astonishment of his perfect recall, it was easy for me to give him tons and tons of praise.

we now lock the gate with a chain.

Thursday 21 May 2009

blondes have more fun

dogs do silly and embarassing things sometimes. sam will have to put some effort into bettering this: bailey the golden retriever stole a bonephone, ran away with it between his teeth and somehow dialled 999. the emergency services heard confused noises and the shout "come out, or else -- I'm warning you!" before the call was cut.

bailey's owners finally managed to lure him out from behind the shed with biscuits and treats, and salvaged the phone. this dog must really like phones... or biscuits.

Wednesday 20 May 2009

back in the swing of things

had a nice long walk with sam tonight, unencumbered by prams and such. we walked an unusual route where we'd been only once before, many months ago. that first time, at a particular spot, sam suddenly started jumping up on me, to play. at that time, that included nipping quite hard, so i was not happy.

sam up!this time, when approaching the same spot, sam became very alert and eager to snif, but he didn't jump. however, he became very energetic, and when we rounded the corner and saw another dog, i became apprehensive. especially as the dog looked like a shih tzu -- those small barkers spell trouble! when we were five metres away, sam began jumping. i was half-expecting this, so i pulled him with me across the road -- sam kept jumping high into the air. we must have made an intriguing sight.

this was not the only time he jumped on the walk. after sniffing the ground outside an apartment complex with an air of absorption, sam suddenly looked up, and jumped sideways. he was spooked by something he saw -- possibly a hanging flower pot. this i can assure you was both intriguing and amusing.

when we came home, sam still had a lot of bounce in him. i gave him a bone which he jumped high up to get, just because he was so silly and bouncy. hmm, encouraging mad behaviour... i must be mad, too.

Tuesday 19 May 2009

break

quite unexpectedly, we had to go abroad and leave sam in a kennel. HELP! we were definitely not ready -- that is to say, we did not think he was ready to be left in a kennel and be trusted to behave decently.

but death waits for no dog, and we really had to go to that funeral. we scoured the net and the neighbourhood for good, professional yet friendly, kind yet strong dogsitters. the search was successful, and we left sam behind bars, slightly nervous that he'd destroy the keepers, their stuff, our reputation, or everything in one go.

after he'd spent a night there we hadn't received any angry calls, so we left, hoping for the best. after a week, i went back to pick him up.

"best" may not be the best way to describe sam's behaviour when he saw mOHBOYOHBOYMOMMYDOGHASCOMEFORME MUSTJUMPMUSTPULLMUSTJUP! the kennel owner also mentioned that he might benefit from classes because he had, it seems, pulled them around a bit. but there was no destroyed stuff and, as far as i could tell, no traumas. success!

after sam's big, bouncy welcome-home hugs, including one where he literally bowled over my daughter, something he's never done before, i was a little afraid he'd forgotten the few good habits he does possess, or even developed new, bad ones. however, once he'd been home for a while, he settled down very nicely. he almost seems calmer than he was when we left. perhaps he thinks if he's very good, we'll never send him away again?

Tuesday 21 April 2009

i believe in dog

we had a busy easter with lots of visitors, which temporarily removed my mind, it seems. i would take sam for walks and forget a "scoopy doo" bag. i was in danger of embarassing myself, my dog and dog owners everywhere by becoming one of those people, the ones who don't clean up after their dogs.

halfway through one of these walks i realised my predicament, and started praying to the big dog in the sky that sam wouldn't need to poo on this walk. especially since i knew he had a slightly upset tummy from adventurous treats given by guests.

sam did, of course, need to poo. but a miracle happened. he did it straight over a sewer grate. there were four little plops... and our honour was saved.

the photo: 'Wuff by Zickie on flickr.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

in training

we have put various schemes into practice in order to become better dogs and owners (let who is what be endlessly debated by philosophers scholars). first, a most enjoyable training session: sitting by the river enjoying coffee and easter choklit while sam practised being good in the fenced-in part of the garden. he was very good, with no jumping onto the fence at all, and only a few pawings at the gate. this good behaviour was probably helped by the fact that one of the trainers was the great leader himself.

then, another session today where sam was supposed to be nice and quiet indoors while mom and daughter spent some time out front. he was quite calm, neither barking nor howling. unfortunately, though, i hadn't shut the door between corridor and living room, so sam soon went into that inviting room with its bay window. i realised something was wrong when i heard a thump and saw a huge dog leaning against the glass. amazingly, the potted plants and sewing machine which live in the window were still standing -- sam has become more dainty, possibly learnt from my daughter, possibly not.

but we aren't the only ones being trainers! sam must have sniffed out news about weave poles, because that's what he started practising with me in the thicket today. sam wove between the trees, and i unwove his long lead behind him. fun was had by some.

Tuesday 7 April 2009

there's no such thing as a good dog

when i said sam hadn't done any mischief lately, i was of course being amnesiac. i guess since his latest antics haven't left visible scars, they're more likely to be forgotten.

item number one: daughter and i bought a nice, crisp, tasty loaf of bread in town. we came home to madhappydog and were amused at his antics. i was putting away the shopping when she said, bemusedly: "he took the parcel!" i went upstairs to his hideout to see what "parcel" the dog had been stealing, but only saw the usual scattered paper bags. i went down again to look for the bread in its white paper bag. in vain. that's when i realised the true meaning of "parcel".

item number two: my mother, not presently used to dogs or toddler in her home life, had left some pills on the stairs in order to take them up into the bathroom later. sam found them out and helped her take them upstairs. he even helpfully opened the box and started crushing one of the pills. fortunately, it seems they didn't have a very nice taste, because he didn't eat them all up. from now on, i'll be leaving all his medicine in enticing places.

i think that's all for the moment. but yon sam hath a mean and hungry look... i'd better be on the lookout.

an hour later: sam just tried to eat a wet wipe which had been used in the snot-wiping business. however, i was on the lookout, and he only got half of it.

Monday 6 April 2009

good times

well, sam has spent the last few days being mostly good, meaning there is little to put in the blog. he seems intent on becoming a proper lapdog, putting as much of himself as he can fit in my lap, licking my face and nuzzling the keyboard and the books lying next to it. perhaps he is trying to be as much of a cat as possible, in order to prevent us from getting one which will terrorise him?

we have had house guests -- a family friend and my parents -- and the dog was chuffed when the house was full of people. and him safely ensconced in the middle.

we have also met the inquisition -- a representative from the RSPCA who called to see how we were treating our stray. we got top marks on everything except tagging -- we bought a name tag which he destroyed after a day, and didn't bother with a replacement -- and leaving, which, we were told, must not involve tying him up. we felt like naughty doggies hearing this, but have decided to cease and desist, and are therefore to be considered good doggies again.

Friday 27 March 2009

what's on the stairs today?

in the last few days, sam has had some digestion problems, resulting in the evocative smell of runny poo combined with that of cleaning chemicals. that trouble has cleared, thank dog, and sam even did his bit to give the staircase a fresher, more hygienic scent. how? he stole the children's tooth paste, which he has had his eye on for a while, and mauled it to death then and there.

if this gives him indigestion, i'm going to force him to eat it! wait... better not get into that particular vicious cycle.

Monday 23 March 2009

naughty doggies

if sam had a doghouse, he would have been in it after his behaviour over the last few days. first he chased sweaters, then he caused me grievous footy harm, and as if that wasn't enough, he started chewing on my new plum tree in the garden! branches were harmed! he's only allowed there under heavy guard now.

still, reading about other dogs' mischief, such as mountain dogs munching money, terriers teasing with tasty bones or hounds helping out with halting economy, makes me realise that sam isn't a particularly mischievous mutt after all. just... average. with big teeth and a lot of weight.

with a steady supply of branches and bones that are okay to chew, toys and insects that are okay to chase, and walks where it's okay to go mad a little, he seems to be contained. for now.

Thursday 19 March 2009

a big pup

doggie and humans: just before adoption, and four+ months after.

sam seems to have grown a little since we got him. first i thought it was simply him getting more confident, not to mention better fed, as his former loving owner had kept him quite skinny. however, when we noticed that he could now comfortably rest his head on a dining table he previously had to jump up to reach, we knew it was true: our pup has been growin.

sam has retained a lot of his youthful playfulness, which can on occasion be rather annoying in a dog so huge. he'll casually pull down coats and rip them to shreds -- mostly, we're able to channel this skill into an old carpet in the garden, but sometimes he gets a kick and forgets that clothes are not his toys.

today, he decided that my daughter's sweater would be good fun to chase and worry. unfortunately, the sweater was still on my daughter. while he the time of his life tugging at her sleeve, she wanted the sweater and herself to stay where they were, and not be dragged about. i came flying to the rescue, like an avenging mother, and trod (with bare feet) on a pair of sharp tacks which were lying scattered (by playful doggie, no doubt) in the garden.

while i was rather angry, that darned dog was caught in a mix of exuberant playfulness and fear of the great leaderess. he danced about while i was trying to catch him, then banged himself about to get loose. big heavy dog on my frail musician's hands equals hurt hands.

i almost felt like locking the door and throwing away the key after i'd thrown him into the garden shed to calm down a little. but i didn't, i just closed it. after some time, and some whining and thrashing, sam managed to open the door and sauntered out. cowed? perhaps. still full of fun and games? you betcha!

Sunday 8 March 2009

dogs might mutate?

from a vet on the edge:

One time a dog was in for a surgical procedure, and it was noted to have a very large mat behind each ear. We shaved them off [...]. The owner was enraged. They thought that the mats were extra ears, and that their dog had a unique mutation that made for four ears. I ask you. Did they not notice that in its original form the dog only had the normal number of ears? Did they think their dog just suddenly decided, as an adult, to grow more ears? It's not a starfish. It's a dog, and dogs don't spontaneously grow extra ears.



this last statment, i am quite ready to believe. but don't try telling me that dogs may not suddenly shoot laser beams from their eyes!

Saturday 7 March 2009

like owner...

times, reporting from crufts.


(is the link between dogs and owners the reason pedigree breeding has taken so much flak recently? with more people becoming overweight, asthmatic or depressed, pets follow suit?)

Friday 6 March 2009

magic




sam has a red collar, too.
but can still not be trusted off leash.
do we need pixie dust?

Wednesday 25 February 2009

most expensive dog biscuits

one tends to marvel at the sums people are willing and able to pay for dogs, second dogs and housing for their dogs. one also pours molten scorn on those who stick bling on doghouses and collars to make them the "most expensive".

today, however, my dog was fed an exclusive, and certainly expensive, biscuit. a trip to town... a visit to bettys... a purchase of fine, hand-crafted, vanilla-scented and sugar-encrusted thin butter crisps for our little biscuit connoiseur... all ended in the bag being carelessly left lying about, and sam skillfully sniffing out the supreme goodness within. luckily his rival, my daughter, is quite greedy, so had gotten through quite a few of them before they became dog biscuits.

Thursday 19 February 2009

encounters of the weird kind

our walk today was along the river, to "goose green" and back on the other side, over the big grassy field where dogs abound and bound. i have avoided it in the past because i don't know how loose dogs, or indeed how a bound sam, will behave.

today, i learnt a few things about that. first, i must accept that sam has a split personality. he really wants to bound and play with those other dogs. however, he also wants to cower and wish them away.

on our trip across the stray, we first came across a loose and easy-going black and tan being, fairly large but also seemingly calm and gently interested. how did sam react? he tried to leap straight at the dog, which was luckily a couple of metres away. when the leash restrained him, he instead jumped into the air, like the amazing jumping dog he is. he made quite an amusing picture in all his jumping bulk. however, the other dog was not amused by the spectacle, and walked off, leaving sam to let out one of his rare barks.

next, i kept sam close outside the playground while our little girl did her thing in there. after a while, a cobble of three dogs, two of them loose, came running up. this time, sam did not want to play. he laid down; when two of them came up to snif, he sat crouching, even nipping slightly to get them off. the friendly couple was not very fazed. the third dog, a fat black labrador, was gentler, and sam let it -- her, perhaps? -- snif.

he really has to meet dogs. hopefully, the encounter with the last dog outweighs the less fortunate ones... or maybe he learned something from those as well.

Wednesday 18 February 2009

dogs are natural scouts

a sniffer dog at a norwegian airport just caught two chaps carrying cannabis, ecstacy and a large stash of cash. this isn't news, exactly, but the fun thing is that it happened while the dog and its handler were outside the customs area, taking a break. "a sniffer dog can't help it, it does its job 24 hours a day," explained the customs officer.

well our sam is ready for mischief all times of the day, and definitely night, too! he can't help it!

amusement

we have a room, "the other bedroom", which is forbidden territory to sam. unfortunately, he is very interested in it, and it also has a non-closing door. on several occasions, he has gone in there, gotten hold of something, and exterminated it. so the great leader and i decided to be pro-active -- whenever the dog goes upstairs, we keep our ears perked up, and if we hear the tell-tale thump of an opened door hitting the wall, we run upstairs.

sam does seem to have gotten the idea, that he's not supposed to go into the room even when we're not around, but it's hard for him to remember against the lure of "the other room". yesterday, he had a relapse. i heard the door open, ran upstairs screaming, and sam crawled off to the landing like a BAD DOG. then i closed the door and looked at the cowering creature. then, since he was no longer doing forbidden stuff, i praised him. the transformation was instantaneous! he leapt up, overjoyed, bounced around the hallway and proceeded to bound up and down the stairs for a few minutes.

today, the door has remained closed. [...time passes...] until, that is, i'd posted this. then i found sam with a pillow cover out on the landing, and the bedroom door open. that dog! after i took the cover away and closed the door, i praised him, and the whole rigamarole started again. i really hope i haven't taught him a new game...

Friday 13 February 2009

havoc!

i tied up sam and went to town today, rather upset because he'd destroyed his second cushion in two days, so he didn't get any nice toys or treats. this turned out to be a mistake.

when we returned home, sam had gotten himself loose by breaking the chaining mechanism. he had been on the table and transported the margarine to the hallway, where he'd also pulled down two coats and a backpack, breaking two hooks in the process, and thereafter gnawed up the backpack. he'd jumped into the bay window in the living room, toppled several plants there and broken a flower pot. he'd managed to open the door into the garden and been out and in, as evidenced from the paw marks on the floor.

still, he hadn't gone into the kitchen with all its temptations. he hadn't touched anything in his usual haunt, "the other bedroom". we thought he'd managed to stay out of the forbidden master bedroom as well, but discovered dirty pawmarks on the bed -- our reconstruction involves him running in from the garden, looking for us everywhere, then suddenly realising he was in a not allowed bed and scampering out.

it was a bit of a shock to find such mess when we came home, but as we tidied and brushed away earth we realised it wasn't quite as bad as it could have been. furniture, clothes and most importantly, toys have been left intact. and we have taught him to stay out of the kitchen. now the only remaining tasks are the bedrooms, the window sill, the coats and the table...

Wednesday 11 February 2009

crashlanding

we created a little drama during the weekend. i don't like it when these troublesome things happen, i'd like everything to be easy, light and fluffy at all times.

after a walk along the river where i'd kept him tightly reined, i'd decided to give sam some free running time at the big field. he ran off ecstatically. however, it was a weekend, and people were walking their dogs. a cute little springer entered the field. first, sam lay down in his usual nervous way. then he suddenly fell for the cuteness of the springer, and bounded towards her. i stupidly let him -- acutely aware that i wasn't sure recall would work or not.

since the other dog found sam way too boisterous, i tried catching him -- impossible -- and then chasing him away from her. luckily, he did come once both of us had calmed down a little. meanwhile, my daughter, who had found the whole thing hilarious, was trying to ride the poor little dog. i mumbled my sorrys to the owner, and went off with a leashed dog, a lashed finger and a bruised self-image as a dog trainer.

later that day i didn't even want to walk sam, as i felt i'd lost control of him. luckily, all that was over the next day. although i still felt sorry we scared the other dog, i was ready to practice again. and this time, in the other field which is slightly more secure and deserted, sam bounced off again, and then came back to me when called.

Thursday 5 February 2009

cotton might fly


and so, we know that even a cute ball of fluff like a coton de tulear might take off at any moment. just like sam, even though the closest he gets to a ball of fluff is on the brush when i brush him.

he has been able to indulge a little in his love of flying lately, though. since his recall is becoming trustworthy -- not fully so, but enough that i can let him loose and not immediately go into a panic -- he can take off like a bullet across the wide open field. and he does.

sam's other type of flying is his playful jumping, which is awesome, if a little overwhelming. he knocked me in the gum with his teeth today. amazing, and a bit of a pain.

Funday afternoon by Rex Hammock released as Creative Commons attribution non-commercial.

Monday 2 February 2009

prefect...

after being such a good dog yesterday, and most of today i might add, the cosmic balance must have demanded that sam do something bad. so he set about to ensure the continuation of the universe, and gnawed up the Great Leader's slipper. all that was left was a sole and some grey fleece. i found him lying on top of the other slipper, which i assume he was saving for later.

dear sammy boy... couldn't you have been content with eating the snow, and the plastic bags you'd found previously?

Sunday 1 February 2009

perfect!

sam! the perfect dog with the perfect recall! not once, but thrice did he come back to me as i called him away from the interesting trees and river banks at the other big field. i thought the previous episode was merely good luck. but today, there was no mistake: sam really did the happy running towards the caller that he's supposed to do.

later, he of course ruined everything by lying down to sleep in the forbidden other bedroom. the sheet is full of dirty paw marks, but strangely enough, i found him lying on the floor next to the bed. maybe he rolled off in his sleep?

we're awaiting rescue from a doorman -- a joiner, that is, who'll get us new doors that are dog proof.

Saturday 31 January 2009

those alsatians...

if they're not barking, they're scarfing!

this time, it was a trainee police dog named gunner who decided to taste duchess camilla's nice plaid scarf. (daily mail has the best pictures)

it must therefore be sam's alsatian genes which prompted him, that day in the busy city centre, to attach himself to a lady's crocheted poncho. okay, he was upset by the crowds as well. and he didn't actually try to eat it, just to catch it. still, the incident kept us away from the city centre for a while.

today, we made a new attempt, and sam was very well behaved. he stayed away from ponchos and scarves. he walked nicely by my side. he did want to take in as many interesting smells as possible, and became somewhat skittish among to many people, bikes and a highly interesting pram, but he conquered his demons and walked to heel.

Friday 30 January 2009

dogs might fly!

from A Dog Year by Jon Katz. the author has just picked up his new border collie at the airport after chasing him through the crowds there.

I decided to take Devon for a short walk before introducing him to Paula and the house. Partway down the block, he was walking alongside me so easily, his nose to the ground sniffing the pavement, that I relaxed a bit for the first time that night. My tree-lined suburban street seemed serene compared to Newark Airport.

An ill-advised reverie: With a sharp jerk of the leash from my hand, Devon was gone. I spun around in all directions and saw no trace of him--until I happened to glance at a passing minivan and saw him perched on the roof as it drove slowly down the street. I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. Dogs don't fly.

Brandishing a pooper-scooper in my right hand, I gave chase, shouting as I went, "Hey! Hey, stop! Stop, there's a dog on the car." My neighbors walking their terrier across the street paused in shock and stared.

the book explains the trials and tribulations of getting an adolescent border collie, which makes sam seem like a dignified king poodle in comparison. perversely, the book made me want a collie even more.

Thursday 29 January 2009

encounters three

once upon a time, there was a dog whose fur was as white as snow, as black as night and as grey and tan as a washed-out alsatian. one day, the dog left his house behind to go on a quest; a quest for Fun, and possibly Food.

he walked far, farther than i can tell, and then by the side of the road he spotted a cat. the cat was big and fluffy and stared at him with big, blue eyes. was this Fun, or Food? the dog wagged his tail, but the cat jumped onto a pedestal and grew big, and the dog was pulled onward by an invisible force

then he met an old crone in a disguise. she had no warts or a lengthy nose; instead she looked like a kindly old woman. "ooh, aren't you a pretty boy," she said to the dog. "i used to have an alsatian, long ago." was this Fun? the dog leapt up excitedly, but the invisible force returned and pulled him away.

now he walked into a field, and what should he see but a hound? the hound had long, floppy ears and red eyes as large as dog treats. it also had an impressive bass bark.



the dog and the hound sniffed each other, and the dog decided this was certainly Fun. he jumped, but the insvisible force pulled him away yet again, while the hound was pulled its way by a human.

the dog walked far, farther than i can tell, and at the end of that, he was back home. and what should he find there but a big bowl, brimful with Food? his quest had been successful. the dog fell asleep, ready for more Fun on his next walk.

cat and dog from flickr. now with scary eyes.

husky voice

i was under the assumption that northern inuit was based on malamute and alsatian, mixed with a liberal dose of the famous breed known as "cross", but upon closer reading found that huskies were also involved. this means when i've been telling people sam is part husky, part alsatian, i haven't been lying after all.

looking at pictures of huskies, i see many similarities. but what does sam most resemble: the alaskan husky on the right, or the siberian below?

"Alaskan Husky" was taken by James (scubadiver67) and shared under a Creative Commons by 2.0 license.

"Husky Relaxing" was taken by Red Wolf (redwolfoz) and shared under a Creative Commons by-nc-sa 2.0 license.

Wednesday 28 January 2009

product recall

amazement! in a daring act of recklessness i let sam off the lead after a long break. and yay, all that reading about recall training and the actual training process seems to have worked (knock bones!). or at the very least, sam decided to cooperate last night, and did the right thing when called: turned towards me, looked happy, and bounded up. he even sat and took his treat.

i'm not pushing my luck -- the area was small and fairly secure, and he hadn't had the time to go completely "wild" as he does sometimes. it also remains to be seen if he'll be as good next time. still, i think sam and i have made a good start.

Saturday 17 January 2009

treats!

we all went to the "pet's pantry" today, and returned with a big bag of food, a puzzle toy, and some super fishy treats. the nice lady at the shop oberved that sam would be a spoiled dog in the coming week.

after he'd been very good dog on his walks, hardly pulling at all, accepting his bath with little fuss, and bugging no one except for his Great Leader, who deserves it, i felt quite justified in letting the spoiling commence. first he got his treat ball, with merely normal dog food in it, but a great success nevertheless. then the fish treat was brought out -- and the big dog heaved himself into the air for it. he then bugged the Great Leader a little as a thank you, before settling into a contented sleep.

Thursday 15 January 2009

upset

oh no, not again! i had hoped that sam's upset stomach upon first arriving with us would be the last, but of course not. he is a sensitive dog, if only when it comes to his tummy. we're still debating whether it was the type of dog food, the river water drink or the bit of waffle with jam that did it. the end result is indisputable, however: liquid poo appears on the carpet during the night. i'm so happy it's an old, ugly carpet now.

we had a long, nice walk yesterday, where sam played around on the extendable lead a lot. he was very good -- not running off like a mad dog, just being crazy in a cute and controlled manner. he seemed quite happy on the lead, and i was happy to, being able to push the pram and keep both safely arms in their sockets.

Monday 12 January 2009

sad squeeze

FAMILY pets are becoming the forgotten victims of the economic squeeze as animal shelters see a massive rise in those abandoned. ... some people who have lost their homes have been slumming it out in their cars to hold on to animals because of restrictions in rented accommodation. WalesOnline

the telegarph reports that pretty much all rescue centres and council facilities (pounds) are filled to overflowing. in addition to the animals that would normally get surrendered because of owner death, family breakups and failure to cope, many families are simply forced to give up their pets by economic reasons. most rented accommodation, for instance, does not allow dogs.

we had an inkling it was going to become bad for dogs when the recession hit, which was one additional reason to adopt sam. now i wish we could take another... but it would merely be a drop taken from an ocean. our best bet would be that the dogs trust were successful in making more landlords accept pets. but you need a lot of dog's trust to believe that's going to happen.

Sunday 11 January 2009

a bumpy flight

sam has been improving alotly with his recall on lead, so i decided to let him off it in a small, fairly well enclosed area by the river yesterday. he did great, sniffing trees and fences, but running back to my sticks or treats when called. he then ran close to my feet as i walked along the path towards the bridge that takes the road across the river.

and then... he took off, and disappeared under the bridge. i called him, to no avail, then walked under the bridge, certain to see him somewhere in the undergrowth, but he wasn't there. i called out "sam", and looked wildly around me. then i saw him -- a shadowy dog form, on the other side of the river. this clever/stupid dog must have run up the stairs, along the road, and down on the other side.

since i wasn't about to lure him back the same way, i ran up those stairs, across the river, and called into the darkness. this time he did come, but there was a fence between us, and the slats were just too thin for him to comfortably squeeze through. so he went off again. i stood about the roadside, thinking "he can't be thinking about crossing the road," realising "yes he can," and starting to look for cars when i saw him coming... on the other side.

i tried a feeble "sit!", but he was already trotting across. luckily for us both, it was a late saturday evening with few cars about, and the road remained empty. sam came straight to me, and i gave him a treat for coming, after all.

now the great leader of the pack tells me northern inuits can be difficult to teach recall. oh. really?

Tuesday 6 January 2009

meeting alsatians

speaking of alsatians, sam has met a few of them and not enjoyed it much. there were a few at the rescue centre, one a few kennels down which barked furiously whenever anyone walked past and was "not for rehoming", and another mad barker at the other side of an endless, flimsy fence.

then there are the two alsatians down the road. we met them with their owner early on at one of the nice green spaces where dogs can run. i had a nice chat with him until suddenly one of the dogs started... guess what... indeed, barking furiously, and we had to part ways rather hastily.

a few days later, we met them at the same place, but this time, the alsatians were lose. the aggressive one ignored its owners commands to come back and tore towards us. i'd recently read dog books about not getting involved in dog fights, so let go of the leash and let sam fly as best he could. the other dog caught up with him and sam yelped, but luckily, that was it. sam didn't seem overly damaged physically, and he can be a bit loud when something is disagreeable to him. however, his submissive attitude to other dogs seemed more like fear from that day on.

today, we met the owner again, sans alsatians, which meant i hardly recognised him. he held his hand out to sam, and this usually fairly friendly dog sniffed it carefully. "still timid, eh?" said the owner. i didn't mention my theory that the smell on his hands might have something to do with it...

Saturday 3 January 2009

alsatianness

the other main heritage of northern inuits is german shepherd dog, which i usually refer to as alsatian for shortness, whereas others call it GSD, presumably for confusion.

alsatians are lovely dogs, well-known throughout the world with good reason. they're known for their loyalty, trainability and suitability as guard dogs. like all breeds, however, they do have their faults. i used to be neighbours with an alsatian which would come out onto the balcony every sunday morning and bark... bark... bark.

the alsatian in sam is less visible than the "snow dog". he doesn't look like an alsatian, but you do see traces in his shape and colouring. i like to call him a washed-out alsatian. he has none of the aggressiveness or assertiveness to dogs or people of some alsatians. he does seem to be more trainable than your average malamute, and he has an alsatian's bark -- but only if desperate, like when we leave him alone outside a shop.

so i guess the passers-by are correct in thinking sam is a snow dog. but who says alsatians can't be that as well?

"German shepherd in the snow" was taken by Maurice Koop and shared under a Creative Commons by-sa 2.0 license.

Friday 2 January 2009

snow dog

we keep being asked if our northern inuit sam is a "snow dog". i'd never heard the term before, but it seems to refer to dogs from the arctic, such as huskies (huskys?) and malamutes. i'd never heard of those either, but the net is my friend, and the US alaskan malamute rescue has taught me a lot. yup, there is a lot of the behaviour they describe in our sam. and of course, he has the brown eyes typical of malamutes, not the blue ones often found in husk...s.

the photo is "yuki snow run" by paulmoody. published under Creative Commons by-nc 2.0

Thursday 1 January 2009

glossy fame

sam is a bit of a local celebrity now. his accident was witnessed by a lot of people, who are all relieved to see him out and about with nothing worse than a scratch on his front paw to show from it. after they've made sure all is well, they remember to ask us how we are. luckily, our bite marks are healing too.

recall training is going fairly well. i can get sam to come, sit down and get a treat in all safe situations -- that is, indoors, from the garden, and out when on a leash. still, there is some way to go before he'll be totally safe to let off it. i have lost hold of the leash twice in the last few days, resulting in an ecstatic dog that preferred to ignore any entreaties to "come". the other day, i got him when he lay down. today, he actually did come to get a treat, after i'd waited and watched him fight his extendable chain for a while. we'll get there, eventually.