Dylan was busy...

Dylan was a stooge dog both on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, he worked with a bouncy beagle that didn't know how to communicate with other dogs, and on Sunday, he worked with a German Shepherd that shouted at him lots... Dylan was a star, he kept his calm and we got good results with both dogs.

Chiropractor

I took Dylan to see Sue today, our McTimoney chiropractor. I took him because his back end didn't look right, he didn't move freely and his tail carriage was too low.
Sue did indeed find that his spine was all curvey and his pelvis quite badly twisted. She adjusted it all and his movements improved immediately and his tail was carried a bit higher too on the way back.

Dylan has another appointment on 19th November to a follow-up to make sure that all is still in place.

The boys were naughty today

I took all three for a walk in the country park today in the afternoon... bad idea... They ended up chasing a beagle when it started running. Dylan nipped his bum and Flash kept grabbing his scruff... Luckily, the beagle was none the worse for wear and kept coming back to them...

Yet another pigeon

Dylan caught yet another pigeon today... but this time I know for sure that it wasn't well!

I saw a fox on the path a few yards away, he disappeared before the dogs spotted him - luckily. When I walked past the spot where he was, I saw a pigeon sitting in the undergrowth not moving. I knew then what the fox was after. So I called Dylan and walked past. I didn't think that Dylan saw it and let him go again a few yards further on... But somehow he knew something was up and he knew the bird wasn't well... sure enough he went back to that spot like a rocket and caught it. By the time Dylan got to me, the pigeon was dead!

Dylan was so naughty...

On Wednesday evening, I took the boys out to the country park. We came across a load of bread which someone had thrown on the grass for the foxes. Of course, my lot went straight into it and started gobbling it up. That wasn't good due to Flash's allergies and I was so annoyed...

I got all the dogs off and walked on. Suddenly Dylan stopped, I called him, he looked at me and ran back to the bread! I waited for him, he didn't come, then I went to get him just as he started coming towards us... I am afraid I told him off!

Another pigeon

On Friday evening (7th September), I took the crew for a walk after work. I went to pick up a poo and sorted the bag out. When I looked up, I found that Dylan caught a pigeon. I have now idea where and how he caught it. By the time I got to him (Dylan was very good as he came back to me when I called him), it was dead.

I don't know how Dylan does it. There must have been something wrong with this pigeon, otherwise surely Dylan would not have been able to catch it...

But here's some pictures taken on today's walk

In the wars again... Dylan hurt his toe

Yesterday evening, a client of mine and I went for a walk with her saluki as well as Dylan and Flash. They had a fantastic time together! They ran loads, got into the water and enjoyed each other's company.

Just a few minutes before the end of the walk, Dylan suddenly yelped and came back to me limping. He wouldn't put his back leg on the floor. I looked at it and saw that one toe was strangely twisted and I couldn't see the nail... I thought it was broken. Dylan turned his head fast when I touched it, so it was very painful.

My client's husband and myself proceeded to carry Dylan out of the park as he didn't walk. Cornel picked us up form the entrance and we then went to the emergency vet with him.

Obi (the vet on call) couldn't at first figure out what was going on, but eventually he realised that Dylan's toe was twisted and the nail (which we couldn's see) was actually burried into the other toe. So he untangled it all and Dylan immediately put his foot down again. It was still uncomfortable of course, but he was not in major pain anymore. He got a pain killer and some antibiotics as the nail left quite a hole in the other toe.

Today, Dylan is as right as rain. I put neem seed oil on the wound and that seems to heal it nicely, the toe is not red anymore.

Well, less than four months since Dylan's last injury (abscess on hock)... he must be the most accident prone dog in the country - our Dylan.

I am just so glad that he is fine and it isn't a broken or dislocated toe!

Some new pictures

I took some pictures on Jesse's 8-month birthday on Sunday, 26th August.

Tuesday training

For the first time in weeks, I brought Dylan along again on Tuesdays after having used that evening for Flash's TV training. He absolutely loved it. We are still working mainly on the turns in heelwork as he still often drops his head, but we are getting there. Everything else is fab!

On Bankholiday Monday (27th August), we entered the St. Edwards show in Chislehurst. If the weather is ok, we will go and see how Dylan does! I won't bother though if it is raining as I have had enough of the wet weather for a while!

Some pictures taken on 29th July

Thursday Training

I took Dylan with me last night as I was taking the class in Thornton Heath. He is nice and quiet when I am teaching, so that's nice. I also did a few bits and pieces with him and he worked very nicely... well, as nicely as he could on that floor. It was very slippery for him, so he didn't have any grip at all.

I am looking forward to the next competition at the end of August. I need to work on the turns though as he is wide at times and almost always drops his head.

Obedience show SATS Warlingham

24th June 2007

This was only the second obedience show in about 18 months (first one we did this year was Culverstone and that didn't go well at all...). This show in Warlingham on 24th June was my very first car trip on my own...! I had all three dogs (Dylan, Flash and Jesse) with me.

It wasn't a great day weatherwise as it didn't stop raining at all. I didn't think that neither Flash nor Dylan would do much at all... but I was wrong. Flash worked quite nicely... though the judge didn't agree, but then she doesn't know what Flash was like before and the progress he has made. He was still a little distracted, but nothing like he used to be.

Dylan however, despite the rain, put in some lovely performances. The heelwork still needs quite a bit of improvement, but at least he is with me now and is fairly concentrated. It is the turns mainly that need work now.

We did a Pre-Beginners round (which wasn't brilliant) and then we did the first proper Beginners round ever (I did one once before when Dylan wasn't ready for it at all and took off with the dumbell, so I don't count that), which of course included the retrieve. I was quite nervous as Dylan had never done a retrieve at a show! But he was lovely throughout. The rain didn't help of course with the heelwork... but we did it, lost a few points though. The recall was perfect, fast, precise, enthusiastic! Great! Then the retrieve. I threw the dumbell, Dylan waited nicely. I sent him, he went after it fast, brought it back fast... then dropped it just in front of me... Never mind, he picked it up again, sat for the present(crooked... but hey) and then was asked to finish... and finish he did... he came straight through my legs from behind rather than go into the heel position. I was stunned for a few seconds and wondered what to do, then burst out laughing and left it at that. The judge thought it was the cutest thing they had seen on that day... LOL
The stays were fab despite the rain and very wet ground. Dylan didn't break either of them. What an achievement for a lurcher.

Well, we finished with 7 1/2 points lost, 2 of which with the retrieve. I am more than happy with that. It was the first time that I was confident that Dylan would do his stuff in the ring... and so he did! I am looking forward to the next show now.

Someone (Dave Scott) took this picture at the show.


And this is the write up by the judge Christine Paris(though she thought that Dylan's name was "Vera"... ha ha...)

"No 371 Vera the Lurcher, a lovely boy who I could easily have taken home"