A new Member of the Family

[Daisy]

Hate to admit it but I've given up on that photo!

Yesterday I was ready to rehome Eva!! While GD2 was having her nap, I took Eva and GD1 up to the paddock - there's a swing to keep GD1 amused, and Eva needed a run. We usually either go round to the right or straight on, but the swing is round to the left. So we went that way and Eva was pulling and being a real pain. I left GD on the swing and took her further down the field and let her off - she ran round barking and then tried to round me and GD up - she didn't like us being separated and totally ignored me when I called her. So back on the lead while GD played. When she'd lost interest in the swing I said we might as well go home, because Eva was so unsettled. But by then there were about a dozen young bullocks around the gate and blocking access to my car. (If this wounds odd, it's perfectly normal for the New Forest where animals roam free!) They were quite excitable, some were moo-ing and trying to reach over the fence to the hedge. Eva totally ignored them, but we were trapped. On my own I'd have gone and shoo'ed them away, but GD1 was frightened, so we waited, and waited until they wandered off! Not one of our best days out.

Today there was a new dog in training - a black 6 month old cockerpoo who had no idea about walking on a lead. Eva was really startled by him, but after about five minutes she settled down and worked really well. So she's staying! Next week will be the big challenge in training - the other most recent dog wasn't there today, but she will be next week.

[Grauntie Mag]

Glad to hear Eva has had a reprieve Daisy. 😁 I am not very good with cows or bullocks of any age. I tend to 'walk on' at a smart pace! I do remember Mollie-the-Collie being herded into a corner by young curious cattle, but luckily for her there was an escape route under the hedge.

[Gemini]

Good grief Daisy, what a day!
I too am glad Eva got a reprieve

[Clover]

Oh Eva,what a naughty girl! In her defence do you think she might have sensed "Doris" coming and that unsettled her?
When you get up close to cows and bullocks they are so big We have a lot of cows here grazing on common land. Inevitably they sometimes wander onto the roads and sometimes collect round the little kiss gate that is the short cut to the Surgery and Library,so if you aren't feeling brave you have to go the long way round They also leave a terrible mess on the pavements

[Daisy]

GM - I smiled at Mollie-the-Collie being herded! It reminded me of a BC we had years ago - I had to carry him through fields of sheep, he was terrified of them!

Clover - I hadn't thought about Doris being 'in the air', but you could be right. She (Eva) doesn't like the wind - it makes her very edgy. She air scents and I think perhaps she can't work out where scents are coming from, especially if it's a gusty wind.

I don't mind the cows or bullocks on the Forest - they're usually very placid -it's the Shetland ponies who get aggressive, and in the Autumn the sows with piglets. And, of course, they all make a mess, it quite literally goes with the territory here!

Clover - it sounds as though you have to look where you're going as well!

[Daisy]

We had another good day at training class today. Eva was very calm despite the 6 month old poodle pup who thinks he's a circus dog, bouncing around everywhere on his hind legs. Lola the cockerpoo didn't bark at all today, which helped. Late this afternoon I took her down to the vets to get weighed - she was very good and calm, greeted both the Receptionist (who is also a dog trainer and recommended the trainer we go to) and another client, sat quietly and calmly on the scales, and sat quietly while the Receptionist and I had a chat. She ignored the cat patient leaving the premises as well. Then the vet came out to say hello and she was very calm with him too. She's going back on Monday to have her claws clipped, so I think I need to tire her out first!

She weighed in at 26 kg, but over ½ a kilo was her harness, so I think she needs to lose about 1 ½ kg. More exercise for both of us - I need it more than she does!!

[Nana]

Brilliant Eva. What a clever girl you are. 🐶

[Daisy]

Well, this morning we had the return visit to the vets. Eva was really good in the waiting room once she'd had a good sniff round. Then another dog came in and she really wanted to go over and say hello, but after about ½ a minute she sat down quietly on a loose lead and just gazed adoringly at the other dog.

Then we went in to the vet. He's lovely, and made a fuss of her, gave her treats and talked to her. Then he got his stethoscope out (just for a quick check up) and she refused point blank to let him anywhere near her with it. So we gave up on that! Then she wouldn't let him anywhere near her paws, wriggling out of my grasp and trying to escape. We decided in the end to have one more go and just do the 2 claws I was concerned about. She struggled again for a few seconds then just went limp in my arms and let him do the 2 nails. As soon as he'd finished she was wagging her tail and making a fuss of him, so she obviously doesn't hold a grudge, but it looks as though we'll have to do lots more walking on hard surfaces to keep her nails short!

[Gemini]

Hopefully Eva will find vets visits easier when she has been more often.
Our male cat has to have his claws clipped sometimes, as he starts to get caught on the carpets

[Daisy]

Gem, I can imagine it's a whole lot more difficult to give a cat a manicure than a dog!

We had a couple of walks on the beach while we were away - and Eva was very uncertain about the sea. It kept chasing her when she least expected it!

[Plantaholic]

Love to see dogs on empty beaches, they have such fun.

[Daisy]

Plant -so do I, but the beach we were on was very busy - more dogs than people - so we couldn't let her off the lead. She would chase after all the other dogs wanting to play.

[Gemini]

We have never had dogs, but have had a lot of pleasure watching happy dogs playing on beaches and dashing in and out of the sea

[Daisy]

Well, Eva has reached another stage in her ongoing training.

For several weeks she's been playing up a bit in the one-to-one exercises - not really listening to either of us, trying to do it 'her' way, and not really concentrating. The trainer say it's a bit like the layers of an onion - you peel one away and reveal new below. Eva has got it into her head that she knows it all, and if we don't do what she expects she thinks we are the ones who have got it 'wrong'. It's been a bit frustrating because it feels as though we were going backwards.

Anyway, the trainer emailed us this week-end to see if we could move class. She often does this to juggle a new dog into the best group for that dog. Unfortunately, the only move we could make was to later on a Monday evening, which is an Advanced Class. So Eva has been promoted!!! I was a bit doubtful in case she wasn't ready for it, and I'd never watched an advanced class so wasn't sure what would be expected of Eva and us. But Pam, the trainer, said she'd take it gently and look after us, so we agreed. It does mean a late night (9pm - 11pm) on the evening when I have to be up and out really early the next day for GD2, but we don't want to move to Wednesday evening and can't do Tuesday.

Last night was our first step on the advanced ladder - and I think it's a pretty long one! There were 5 dogs last night (although it can vary). We'd seen a couple of them at Roundy Roundy (the all dogs together walks round an all weather court) but hadn't been in class with them. We'd been asked to take a bed for Eva and this was where she had to sit or lie while some activities were taking place - all the other dogs had beds, too. One small black dog is very dog aggressive and when she was being walked past Eva she gave Eva a proper telling off. Eva, bless her, ignored it all and stayed lying down on her bed. There was one point where all the dogs were playing with toys and getting 'clicks' for appropriate behaviour. Eva's face was a picture! She was looking round at them all, and I'm sure she was thinking with all those clicks she should be getting loads of extra treats! She soon got stuck in though, and it was interesting to see her watch the GSD next to her batting his toy with his paw - then she copied him!

It was 2 hours of continuous hard work! Usually OH and I share the handling, but I'd started and she was working well for me, so I did the whole session. Eva and I were both shattered by 11 pm, and I was glad I could just go home and straight to bed!

Reading back over this thread, I can see how much we didn't know about her when we first got her, and how much we, and she, has learnt so far. I have not idea what's ahead in terms of getting to understand Eva, but we are definitely making progress. She's still incredibly affectionate, but in a slightly less needy, more confident way. She certainly is more inclined to respond to us, and is generally more relaxed in everyday situations.

I'm looking forward to seeing her make progress in this new situation.

[Gemini]

Phew Daisy, a long tiring night for you and Eva, but it sounds as though she is doing really well