I saw today that one of the biggest supermarkets in the UK are not going to be selling fireworks this year. Thank you for this. I really don’t like fireworks.
Each year I have been here in my forever home I have regularly taken cover in a safe place, often numerous times a day, when the 5th November approaches. Thankfully Lenny doesn’t seem to be affected as much as I am, however we will have to wait for evidence closer to the day. We are keeping our fingers crossed he is ok.
It seems that instead of having fireworks on one day to “celebrate” the death of a man 414 years ago, now we are having them to “celebrate” New Year, New Years Eve, Christmas, Boxing Day, May Bank Holiday, Summer Solstice, Hallowe’en, auntie Maude coming over to lunch and little Edward passing his school exams amongst a great many other occasions.
Don’t get me wrong, if people want to have them at licensed displays in the park or on the local village green on the closest weekend to 5th November, then go for it. I can live with that for 1 night. However, selling fireworks to the general public seems to me to be a bit dangerous, and maybe could be controlled better. Each year we hear of sad instances where people are injured or killed by “stray” fireworks. Sometimes we hear of fatalities with them being thrown or aimed at people.
The number of people and animals that suffer each year seems to be increasing. It cannot be good for people who suffer from conditions such as PTSD to have so many occasions where they are hearing such loud bangs going off so regularly. With the advent of social media there is a greater understanding of the number of people who suffer with stress related conditions. Also the number of animals who suffer, sometimes due to an inbuilt fear but other times due to previous experience, seems to be on the rise. Again maybe it is the ease with with the reporting of the street of the animal can be made to the wider public.
If you are going to use fireworks to “celebrate” an occasion please think of those around you before gleefully going to buy them. Many suffer, sometimes in silence, during the firework season.
Hope I get a quieter Bonfire Night?
Here’s a thought. Instead of buying them for yourselves, go along to an organised licensed display and make an equal contribution to the charity which will likely be attached to the organisers. You could be helping others, whilst having fun yourself. And if it is a local village event, you could go to the pub, buy hot dogs and candy floss for the children and thereby contribute to the local economy.
Since he arrived on 27th April 2019 it is surprising what Lenny has got up to in such a short amount of time. We were thinking that it couldn’t be 4 months since he arrived and turned our lives upside down, could it? However it is true, it’s four months and everything has changed for us all.
So here’s a list of some of his achievements so far.
He’s visited a nanny and been around the motorway in the car. He’s walked in Ashridge, Wendover, Chesham, Ley Hill, Amersham and Pednor. He’s been to 6 training sessions, had his “ahem” operation and firmly got his paws under the table here. He hasn’t been ill since the first time in the car and seems to enjoy travelling now. He’s been using my Twitter and has found himself some admirers for being a handsome pup. He’s been to a brewery, chewed numerous of my toys and helped to chase squirrels out of the garden. He’s got himself a bed or three, has the use of some of my harnesses that I don’t wear any more and has become expert in chewing sticks and grass in the garden.
When he first arrived we knew it would turn my life upside down and inside out. Boy has he done that. We had no idea what he would be like, whether he would settle quickly or if it would be quite a long transition as it was with me. Fortunately it has been quick, as he has adjusted in around three months. I was ok after around 2 years. Recently he’s been seeking some reassuring cuddles from mum and dad. He seems to be looking at us all and thinking “maybe this is my home, but just to make certain, I will get some tickles”. He doesn’t hassle me as much as he used to and I also give him the right signals more often than before so he can see when its play time or not. For instance I like to scent in the garden first thing in the morning and he used to run after me biting my ankles. He now canters off in one direction whilst I am off in the opposite direction and we can fill our noses with lovely morning smells. Yes we squabble a little afterwards, but its not as intense as it was originally.
Training Lenny at bitey face games
It all seems to have settled down a little now he has become more accustomed to being here and his confidence has grown as he has realised he has a place in the household, alongside me.
We are pleased he has settled more in the car for travelling as this was somewhat of a worry for us initially. We try to get out and about to some different places to enjoy walks. If he had been a worried traveller, this may have restricted the places we could go and show to him. I think it helped that I can travel with him and he tends to lean against me in our travel crates when we first set off on an adventure. Once we have been going for a while however, he lays down and seems to be at ease. It may also have been helpful that when we first went in the car together, I leapt into the boot without thinking. Maybe I showed him there was little or nothing to be worried about with the car. I hope so.
Handsome beagle my brother
We will keep you updated on his progress, hopefully he will come on in further leaps and bounds over the ensuing months and years. All paws are crossed that he continues his great progress.
Today we decided that we would take Lenny to Ashridge. This is a National Trust estate between Tring and Berkhamsted, so quite close to where we live. We have visited Ashridge before Lenny arrived and given that it is now 2 weeks since his little operation, we thought it might be a reward for him not licking or chewing stitches whilst he’s been under house arrest.
Setting off in the car, I just dived into the boot so Lenny could understand that the car isn’t bad and, usually, there are good things when we stop and are let out to run around on the end of leads. He’s still a little sheepish about getting into the travel crate, but when he’s in, then he’s fine. In fact he is travelling better now and tends to lie down for a chill and relax. Mum and dad noticed that sometimes we sit up in our crates and lean onto each other as if to reassure ourselves that everything is ok. We are gradually getting Lenny more accustomed to travelling in the car. It was twenty five minutes to Ashridge this morning and he was really good.
When we arrived and the boot was opened I could immediately smell familiar scents. I told Lenny in no uncertain terms that this was going to be fun and it was a pity that we would be on the end of leads, as we would be able to run for hours. However we had to make do with pulling mum and dad around for a while, so this was almost as acceptable.
This is ace.
Across the common and round the edge of the woods we went. Lenny was enjoying all the scents and sights I had told him about. We were looking out for critters in the long grass, but I think they had been warned we were around today. The only downside was that we weren’t allowed in the woods as this was deemed to be “too exciting” for us. We were panting like a couple of steam trains but this doesn’t excuse mum and dad’s meanness at banning us from the woods. I mean, what could we possibly go wrong with a pair of beagles in the woods?
Wonder if that’s where the deer live?Told you it was fun, didn’t I?
After a couple of hours it was decided we should return home. We slept most of the way back home so we had a great time and it was a good way to show Lenny another place we can enjoy. We took a slightly longer route home so it would test Lenny a bit more in the car. Forty minutes or so and he passed with flying colours.
My beagle brother Lenny had a little, ahem, operation last Thursday 8th August. He left the house wondering why his breakfast was so early and then found himself, half a walk later, in the local veterinary for his procedure to take place. I was out on my walk and only just got back in time to woof cheerio to him. I don’t think he knew what was happening. Mum and dad looked a little apprehensive.
Some time later the same afternoon the phone rang and we were told that he was out and was resting, so we could go and get him soon after. Dad toddled off and brought home the little dazed and bemused Beagle who tiptoed into the house and promptly went to sleep on one of our six beds (yes we probably are spoiled). I was watching him that evening and thought how serene he looked. He was sleeping quietly, without too much twitching and seemed to be calmness personified. It was nice not to have him trying to make my ears look like colanders. However I also wondered if he was alright? Was he in pain? Was he so spaced out with the Metacam that he didn’t really know what was happening. He slept so soundly that we all wondered if this could continue.
Earth calling Lenny Beagle!
The next day he was up and about quite late for him, around 7 am. He seemed to still be a bit confounded as to what had happened. The buster collar, or Donut of Doom, was waiting in the wings in case he decided he wanted to lick the wound and damage the stitches. He was very good though, as he only went near the incision once or twice. It helped that mum & dad were watching him like the proverbial hawks. He was escorted around the garden on a lead which he found quite restrictive. We couldn’t play fight and whilst this was quite dull, it also meant I could catch up on some sleep in relative peace and quiet, which evened out the boredom factor.
He went back to the vets on Tuesday and they were really happy with the way his wound had healed. He hasn’t been chewing or biting, he hasn’t been licking and hasn’t needed the Donut of Doom. The vet said lead walks for another five days which is still frustrating for him but he seems to have got used to being trussed up in the garden. When he came back from his walk this morning, dad let him wander about free in the garden as I wasn’t yet home so there wouldn’t be any incidents of bitey face. He strolled about sniffing. We can’t wait for him to be off lead again very soon. There are many shenanigans to be had, albeit under the watchful gaze of our mum and dad.
House arrest is so boring
There won’t be any little versions of Lenny running about but that doesn’t matter to me. He’s my pal, my beagle brother and my buddy. He’s in a good place. That’s what matters to me.
Over the last few months, I have been looking after my new little brother, Lenny, who has come to live in my house. He’s alright, is little Lenny, and we are starting to get on better the longer he’s here. I am hopeful he will be here forever to be honest. I am getting readjusted to having him here. Its been interesting for me, mum and dad to see how each of us has adjusted individually and collectively to the new furry pupster in the house. We have become calmer in our actions, the longer he’s here. This is particularly striking with dad as he struggled considerably when I first arrived.
In any case, dad and I have been having little chats over the past few weeks and months. We’ve always had quiet chats with each other on numerous matters. Mum also has many serious and fun chats with me, but on this occasion I am going to pick on dad and make him blush by telling you some of the things we speak about. At this point let me woof that I am his first dog so dad has had to learn from scratch what it is like to have a canine companion, with the accompanying upheaval it brings. According to some people, mum and dad picked one of the most difficult breeds to rehome, however I have no idea what these people mean. I am mums second dog as she had a beautiful Weimeraner when she was younger, and she loved Jade very much.
Dad has told me how proud he is of me, for altering my life to allow Lenny to come and live here in late April 2019. I have been an only child since December 2013 so to have a pup come bouncing into my life is a big change. Its been mighty disruptive but I think I am doing ok. Dad told me the other day that I have changed an awful lot since I first arrived. Apparently it was touch and go if I was staying after the first few weeks and months when I wouldn’t settle, I couldn’t relax and I was permanently on high alert for anything that I didn’t understand. I didnt listen to commands, and I did my own thing pretty much permanently. For goodness sake, I escaped three times in the first 12 months and gave them kittens. I don’t mean I actually presented small cats to my parents but you know what I mean. My routine gradually, and I mean very gradually, put paid to my tearaway lifestyle as I settled and found a rhythm to live my life here. After a while I knew this was my permanent home and I did manage to relax. Now of course, I feel safe, loved and I am very content. They tell me that it is wonderful to see me more relaxed and comfortable within my own fur. These are all the traits I am trying to pass on to little Lenny. I think he’s taking my guidance on board, but sometimes it’s quite a struggle to get him to understand things. Then it occurs to me that, in some ways, he is quite like me when I first arrived. He’s a little confused, skittish, without routine and wanting to explore everywhere and everything. In other ways however, we are very different.
As I have got older I have got into a habit of burying my head into dad’s chest when he gives me ear tickles. He gently rubs my chin and says he can see a little smile of satisfaction on my face when he does it. My eyes close slightly and I go all soft. It makes me feel secure when we can connect like this. It makes me feel loved.
He does great belly rubs when I am in the garden on a warm day. I can roll around on the lawn and then this pair of hands descends upon me and I can forget any cares for a while. I get to wriggle around and give myself back scratches. I am then pounced upon by dad who manages to scroffle my ears and give me belly rubs at the same time. I do wonder sometimes how many hands he has, but I don’t mind as it’s great. Usually I lay there, ears akimbo with a silly grin on my face. Sadly I am still not allowed to roll around on the grass when it is cold and wet and the garden is all soggy. Spoilsports.
He puts his bonce on mine and tells me that I am the best, most handsome Beagle Harrier that lives here. I think I am the only Beagle Harrier that lives here. I hope so. In any case, I can quite happily jump up onto him when he’s chilling out and I get gentle ear tickles. He can feel my heart beating when I get a cuddle, and when I rest my head on his chest, I can hear his heart. I think it’s full of love for us all, to be honest. Apparently I have the softest ears in all of beagledom so, sorry Lenny and every other pal.
Anyway that’s enough embarrassment for dad at the moment.
I said earlier in the blog that Lenny is different to me. We are the same breed but he has had a thing about human touch and attachment from the off. When I arrived I was, well, maybe a little aloof or rebellious and didn’t really have the contact and bonding feelings toward mum and dad. We were living with each other, they fed me, I walked them and we all got along together, pretty much. It was only after a fair amount of time that the bonding became more apparent and I felt I could be happy being stroked and tickled or sleep with my head on someones leg. Lenny on the other paw seems to have arrived, walked into the house and wanted to get strokes, belly rubs and ear tickles immediately. He will quite easily fall asleep, for instance, with his head under mums arm whilst she is working. If I am getting belly rubs, he will nonchalantly wander over and walk straight in between the tickler and me. I wonder if the difference is that I spent the few years without direction, guidance, love or affection and Lenny has been lucky with being rescued after a shorter period of time. Maybe he hasn’t missed out on so much of his puppyhood, however we don’t know what it was like for him on the streets in Cyprus. He has learned quickly that mum and dad will proffer head scratches, belly rubs and ear tickles quite readily when we are good. He has learned that if he does something right at training, he will get a sausage treat and a rough tickle. Maybe I missed out on this, maybe if I had gone to training, maybe if I had been rescued earlier, things might have been different. Maybe I am just learning to live with another dog, and finding out that I can share mum and dad with Lenny and I should just accept what I have and love them all.
Now, where’s dad? I need a tickle and a belly rub.
It’s been eight weeks since my little brother arrived in my house. Eight long weeks of getting used to each other and giving Lenny a chance to find his paws in a new home. When he arrived, no one really knew what was going to happen. In fact it’s still like that, sometimes. However, even I have to admit, that things are changing albeit gradually.
We are his first proper home and he would need some time to adjust and settle. Indeed we would also need time to adjust to having a lively young pup in the house. I have regaled you all with the early days of trials, tribulations and shenanigans as well as Lenny getting his first experience of training with local professional trainers. Dad is included in the training and we still aren’t certain who exactly is being taught sit, stay, down and leave it.
Anyway they postponed the second training session by a week as the weather was really bad and as the session is outdoors so everyone would have got very wet. Dad decided it might be a good idea if Lenny went to visit his grandma. I have met her quite a few times and she is really nice. She even has tasty ankles which I always try to lick. It makes her laugh and I know she loves me. I told Lenny to get her ankles if he could as she would laugh and love him like we do. So, they set off in the car only for dad to notice after 15 minutes or so that Lenny was drooling and looking quite frightened and trying to pace around in the car boot travel crate. When they arrived at Grandma’s I am sorry to report that Lenny was ill and was very eager to get out of the crate. This didn’t bode well for the return trip. However he managed to get home without further problem. Mum and dad started looking up what might be wrong with him and it seems most likely that he gets motion sickness. They also asked some of our many friends if any other beagles suffered from motion sickness. If so, how did they get round it. There were some very helpful replies especially from other Cyprus Beagles parents. So mum and dad decided they would block out his peripheral vision in the car in time for his next visit to the training sessions. Dad reported that Lenny seemed far more comfortable and happy travelling this time. Lenny even half heartedly wanted to get into the car for the return trip from the training. I think it helped that they had a full on session so his brain was probably quite tired from all the thinking he had to do.
Proud ears at learning new things
It seems that pups are fairly susceptible to having motion sickness and we hope we have gone some way to helping him in his plight. This is a shame and I want him to grow out of it. I have woofed with him that he isnt allowed to have this motion sickness as we have way too meet ups with friends for him to be being ill. He woofed he will try to get better.
Now that was funny.
In the meantime we have been tearing around the garden like a couple of banshees, chasing everything we can find and generally being very beagley about life. We are getting on with each other far better than we were a few weeks ago. He’s even managing not to bite my ears so often, so that’s all good.
A beagle centipede? No, just my brother in hot pursuit
As you may know, I have a little brother. I say little but this isn’t true as he is as tall as me and has longer legs than I do. We actually think he is related to a giraffe.
We believe he’s around 8-9 months old so his puppy-ish brain should be capable of processing information and instructions given to him by the various people who now run his life, or believe they run his life. Since he has been here, we have tested different methods of possible training for him. One of the current methods is being loose lead walked by mum each morning, whilst I am dragging dad around some of my favourite places and getting my hunting fix. Lenny is then taken out for more loose lead walking around lunchtime so that he can remember some of the things he has picked up on the earlier walk. Mum says it’s quite frustrating sometimes as she has to stop every time he pulls hard on the lead but often times he can walk quite nicely. There are always distractions such as squirrels, cats, people and cars on his walking route so it is taking some time for him to understand what is required of him. He’s getting there but its just a bit slow sometimes.
Come out and play all you rabbits
However we are ratcheting the pressure up somewhat as he is going to training school for the next 6 weeks with dad and he has no idea. I mean Lenny has no idea, not dad. Although maybe I need to hold that thought until the training school has done their thing to both of them. I think that mum and dad are looking forward to seeing Lenny become better able to understand basic commands and actually react well to them. Apparently it is too late for an older beagle in the house, but I have no idea who this other beagle is.
Wonder if I can hide from training in here?
Lenny and dad have come back from their first training session and dad is smiling. My little furry brother, however, seems to be quite tired. Somewhat disconcertingly his breath smells of treats so this requires some interrogation. Am I allowed to do waterboarding if he doesn’t admit he’s been fed copious quantities of sausage treats? Dad said it was very interesting, good fun and he’s picked up some good tips and ideas. This all sounds a little ominous for my brother. Should I tell him though?
He’s going to be clicker trained, has learnt sit, down and basic recall. Also he’s going to be socialised as much as possible every day. Dad was advised that Lenny needs to be walked toward other well behaved dogs and their owners to try and get him used to being around other furs and not over-reacting or baying and pulling. This could prove interesting as there are also cats and squirrels on his circuit walk and he always pulls and yelps at them.
Concentrating on my “down”. Ooh a leaf, delicious!
What will he make of it all when the training days are finished in five weeks? We will just have to wait and see. I will keep you all updated, I promise. In the meantime there are regular training sessions in the garden when mum and dad teach him to sit, recall and lay down. Even I have worked out that if I sit, lie down and come back when called, I can get treats too.
It is with sadness that I must write of another beagle friend who has passed over the Rainbow Bridge. Port Hunter lived in northern California. I never met him, but I was honoured to be able to communicate with him regularly and call him my friend.
His love of life, his sense of adventure and spirit of freedom always shone through. His life was full of fun and adventures. His mum was his rock, and PH was hers I think. They were inseparable, as often as possible being out on the hills and trails enjoying the sights and scents of the countryside. PH became ill over the last few years and soldiered on despite being poorly. He was determined to enjoy everything he possibly could at his mums side.
Lovely poppies
I patrolled in his honour today. I walked the fields and byways near where I live. I smelled the scents, admired the views and peered from the top of the hills just the same, as I know PH would be doing on his patrols. I even managed to chase a squirrel up a tree. I hope he would be proud of my efforts.
In your honour PH dude.
It is a privilege to know friends like PH. I never met him but I feel as if he was a good friend. We spoke on many things being good, bad or funny. Always polite, always approachable and always as happy as possible, he will be missed.
Farewell dear, sweet Port Hunter, travel well to the Rainbow Bridge. We shall meet in the future and be able to patrol together. In the meantime rest easy dear friend, for your time down here is done. Gone from our sight but never absent from our hearts. Always farewell and never goodbye.
I have briefly taken over Dexter’s blog to introduce myself. I had better hurry along before he notices that I have borrowed his computer.
Here goes. I was found as a stray in Cyprus. The people that found me said I was a stray on the streets. I went to the municipal pound who then phoned the nice Cyprus Beagle people. Anyway it only matters that I was found and rescued by Cyprus Beagles. I wasn’t in rescue in Cyprus long before I got a plane ride and found myself in the UK looking for a new home with a family to watch over me and make sure I have a life full of fun, direction and treats. I must not forget treats.
When Dexter and his mum and dad came to see me, I had no idea who they were but I could see straightaway that Dex is a good lad with a kind heart. I introduced him to my friends and we played a while in the garden. We went out for a walk whilst the humans chatted about things and I introduced Dex to the local park. I told him I hadn’t long been in the rescue lady’s house but I knew the park well. Dex and his parents left fairly soon after arriving and to be honest I went back to playing with my buddies. It was only when I was put into the car the following Saturday did I wonder what was happening. I was on the motorway and we were going somewhere new.
We arrived at Dexter’s house, went in and I immediately ran out into the garden, with Dex in hot pursuit. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. This was great, there were flowerbeds, grass, trees, hedges, a log store and a shed. There was even a gravel patch. Wow. Just wow. I raced around at breakneck speed with Dex, trying to take in all the sights and smells. All the while he wanted to know who I am and where I was from. It felt like we didn’t have time to relax on the lawn so I just whizzed about, enjoying myself. Then the ladies that brought me here said goodbye and told me to be a good boy. And they were gone! I was here, in a new house with new people and a new friend. I had no idea what was going on so I raced around the garden a bit more. This was all new to me, and to Dex as well. He was a little confused at this new young tearaway suddenly arriving in his house and disrupting his routine. It was a lovely sunny day so we spent a large amount of time in the garden, mainly engaged in play fighting and bitey face games.
Getting to know my brother better.
Only when we were both sufficiently tired did we retire to the living room and took the chance to have a nap, before commencing bitey face again. These extensive sessions of play fighting would be a recurring theme for a while, unfortunately. When it came to bedtime, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that I had a bed all to myself with blankets and even a cushion base. Dex had the grace to show me which bed was mine. What a good fur.
When I awoke early the next morning I had to check around me to see if this was happening. Indeed it was real as there was Dex in his bed sleeping away with his leg hanging out of his bed. This was a sight I would have to get used to. I thought it might be fun to wake him up, however this proved to be a bad idea. He was already awake. Not only did we start play fighting but it also woke up Dexters mum and dad who weren’t best pleased with the early morning beagle alarm. At this point I can only confirm what Dexter said in his blog about the water spray bottle being wielded precisely by mum and dad. We were both soaked quickly. It was effective though, as we stopped for a while. I had a walk in the afternoon with Dex and he showed me one of his favourite walks in the fields behind his house. This was fun. I could get used to this. In fact, I have got used to it.
The first week went by in a flash to be honest. It was all new to me what with a routine that was being implemented and new things I needed to learn. In amongst all the routine and rules, Dex & I were squabbling for considerable periods and this was causing mum and dad to become worried. We were new to this “living together” lark and we didn’t know what we were supposed to be doing. Dex had been an only child for the first 5 years in his house, and I came from a background with no real system, routine or rules. Both Dex & I heard the humans speaking to the ladies who had delivered me. There was concern in their voices and I think the travel crate was in the car ready for my return. Maybe this was the reality check I needed. I could see they wanted me to settle, to succeed in making this my home and to enjoy life with a new brother. Both Dex & I could see that we needed to change something, but what?
The following day Dex and I were in the garden. We started play fighting and the water bottle didn’t make an appearance. We must have gone on for an hour or so and only when it got a little heated did either mum or dad step in. However no water bottle at first. We were letting off steam, sorting out our differences if you like or clearing the air. When we went a little too far in the play fighting and the water spray did appear. Eventually we both relaxed on the grass, albeit some way apart from one another.
Hello brother.
Gradually there seemed to be a better understanding of the routine. As each day passed I got more of an idea that there are meal times, down times, training and walks. At the end of the second week, there was another phone call and this time the tone was better. Once they had finished the call, I got tickles and back scratches from mum and dad who also told Dex and I that we are now brothers so we had better start behaving nicely. I was staying. Excellent news. We looked at each other and knew it was up to us now to make it work. Dex had been at this stage before, he told me, and he didn’t want to mess this up for me.
So, you’re sleepy as you’ve read all those books?
When we were out on walks together we would be alongside each other for a while until one of us got a scent and went on our merry way individually. I was pulling on the lead and harness trying to copy what Dex was doing, where he was going and what he was smelling in the hedgerows and fields. Apparently this couldn’t go on so it was decided that I would be walked separately to Dex and I was also to get some training in the garden and local roads, where there are fewer distractions. I have been booked on some training sessions which, apparently, I am going to enjoy. It seems that one beagle who pulls a lot is quite sufficient in this house.
I am three weeks into this new adventure, I am settling down and the routine is becoming more like normality. Dex and I still get to play in the garden and house, but we are also becoming accustomed to each other. We have proven, thus far, that we can live with each other. I have a great chance to make sure this is my forever home and I don’t want to mess it up. Dex is a good fur and an excellent brother. Hopefully I won’t let him down. His mum and dad are now my mum and dad. I feel loved and wanted so all is good.
Giving me a cuddle, or pinning me down?
I will update further when I get a chance to borrow his computer. In the meantime I’m going to try and be a good brother to Dex. Wish me luck.
My life was turned upside down recently when a new beagle strolled into my house. My mum and dad and I took our time to decide whether to agree to adopt, and accept, Lenny. He’s my new Beagle brother rescued by Cyprus Beagles. His presence upon a house which has gradually become quieter, more organised and less stressful, would have a lasting impact and we wanted to try and make sure we were doing the right thing by all concerned. We had read and seen too many stories of dogs being rescued and re-homed almost on a whim and it doesn’t work out for one reason or another quite soon after the adoption has taken place.
It was, as we expected, a little hectic when he first arrived. For the first week in particular things were really upside down and nothing was in any real order. We were all getting used to having a young, probably disorientated, very lively eight month old pup running around. To be honest I didn’t truly know what hit me. I have been an only “child” since December 2013 so the change for me was probably the greatest test. I am used to my own company, my own bowls, beds and which parent to snuggle up to when I feel a little blue. Now there was this young Beagle champing at the bit, and chomping on my ears. Adjustments were clearly needed however after being on my own for so long. The question is how would I adapt to the changes and how would he find his paws.
That’s where the squirrels live, just over there
There are some rules which we all try to stick to with Lenny. Firstly my night time bed is my bed, so he doesn’t sleep in it. My bed on a chair also belongs to me so that is a no-go for him. And that’s it for the hard and fast rules really. Most other things are fairly flexible and I sometimes don’t seem too bothered by him trying to steal toys or food from me, for instance. In fact he tried it with some of my food when we were eating recently and I almost just stood back. We are being fed side by side and at the same time, as this is the clearest way to show that there is no favouritism between us in certain aspects of living here. On this occasion he just stuck his nose into my food bowl and it was only when he was unceremoniously stopped by dad that he got the message.
As soon as he arrived he stole a toy that was a present given to me by a friend. I didn’t seem too concerned by it. He has pretty much destroyed the toy now so it’s probably a good thing that I wasn’t too fussed. There seems to be some toy guarding which mum and dad will work on with him. It is lucky that I don’t really have many toys so the said guarding isn’t a huge issue for me.
He is removed from the big bed if he tries to get onto it for the night. He wakes up way too early for the rest of the house and we regularly play fight in the garden, until mum or dad steps in when we become over boisterous with each other. Again there is no favouritism when it comes to being sprayed with the water bottle.
I am getting used to having him around if truth be told and I think he is becoming more accustomed to living here and having some structure to his life now.
Sorry, what did you say? I was distracted by a fly.
We can see the subtle changes and these are becoming clearer each day that passes. When we were first together, there was quite a large amount of bitey face play fighting. This still takes place however it is becoming less common and we are learning to break off from playing without being told to by mum or dad. We are becoming more accustomed to one another and can walk past and lay down near to each other in the garden or in the house more often. We are able to eat side by side fairly well albeit with a parent standing between us.
He arrived without basic training and has been booked onto a course for beginners in a couple of weeks. Whilst awaiting the start of his training course with the professionals he is learning to give paw, sit, stay, lay down and to wait. All of these are being applied fairly vigorously so he learns quickly and can take these manners on with him for later in life. Another part of his training is to walk properly on a lead so that, one day, he will be able to go off lead in certain areas where the scents aren’t too great to override commands. I won’t be able to go off lead outside of my garden and I know this. It may be difficult for me watching him run around free as a bird at first but it is something I will just have to get used to. Given my early escapes and escapades when I was rescued and arrived, I am thinking it is better to be safe than sorry. I hope for Lenny’s sake that he can be trained and then trusted to go off lead in some places. I do think it would be a bit rotten luck for him to be shackled for the rest of his life here.
So, the humans are pushovers, then? This could be fun.
We are getting along more as buddies now. When I wrote the blog about his first two weeks, I tried to express what happened day to day. As he’s been here for three weeks now I can try to provide a wider appreciation about how we have adapted to each other in a situation which is very new for both of us, of course. We didn’t know what to expect of each other at first. This isn’t surprising. We were quite rough with some of the playing and it seems there was an element of trying to sort out the hierarchy. This was resolved by mum and dad stamping their authority on the situation. We were antagonising each other from first light when he arrived but now we can stroll around the garden together without nibbling each others ears or neck. We can go out on lead walks pretty much side by side although this is most likely because my prey drive is very high and I don’t know he’s there half the time. Slowly, slowly the changes are coming. I hope for his sake that the changes continue and we can live together peacefully. I am adapting too, this is a big change for me. I think sometimes that people forget that the biggest challenge is for the incumbent dog who’s life alters immediately when they’re being asked to accept another dog into their life.
I need to get used to seeing the camera.
He will make a good brother. He’s gone up in my estimation since he arrived. The best part is that he will be a good brother to me.
Dexter 