Not just dog photos. Been searching for photos of the only two dogs in my youth, Whisky and Butch. Found only one photo of each – in the late 50s on family holidays. Taken by Mum.
Whisky, black & tan mongrel, came to me when I was 10, she had puppies, she later got run over by a car, and one of her pups, ginger coloured mongrel Butch, was adopted.
They were both fully fledged members of the family.
This isn’t a dog photo, but a really feelgood dog video. so if you haven’t got 7 minutes or so to spare, give it a miss. It features a much loved dog of mine, the Setter, Tosca, and a Dobermann girl called Enola that we fostered abut 4 years ago. I think @Porridge might recognise the main players because it featured on a previous forum that we were both members of.
I came upon it by accident while searching for something else. And it doesn’t have a happy ending. Enola was super responsive to recall but had 2 down sides to her character. She was an escaper extraordinaire, not by burrowing or jumping (although she appeared to be able), but by climbing.
She would frequently climb over the gate for a wander and then before long climb back in again. I put a stop to that by putting a loosely rolled up section of wire fence at the bottom of the gate, attached to it (it is still there now), so that she couldn’t start the climb without tangling her feet and legs. Secondly, she was seriously prone to separation anxiety, and would go mad in the house if I wasn’t there, even with Fran still in attendance.
We could have overcome that, I am sure, if something more serious had not occurred. You have seen that she loved to run and twist, turn and leap, and she used to delight in running full pelt at Tosca to swerve away at the last moment. One day, in the field, she misjudged and her tail whipped violently against poor Tosca’s head. This caused brain damage from which she died 2 days later at 16 and a half years of age. In that 2 days, while not blaming Enola for a freak accident I thought it safer that she return to the local pension used by PAD, her owners. When Tosca died I immediately asked for the return of Enola but she had been snapped up by someone else. Sadness all round but I still remember the joy she brought us.
BTW, I wonder how many of you spotted that in the video I had repeatedly changed Tosca’s sex from female to male. No idea how that happened.
Wife learning to draw Gigi from life (very difficult ) in order to be able to draw her from memory, whereas copying from a photo is the very worst way to draw an animal - results tend to look wooden and amateurish.
He is a vey fortunate dog. He has two hectares in which he roams freely and the bottom of our field is currently marshland. He has decided we need a reservoir down there so is busy digging it for us!
Jules and I are off to Sharon’s pension this afternoon to re-introduce him to the lovely Shanna, the sleek black Ally X that all 3 of us transported from Poitiers 2 years ago. Not a single bite (pardon the pun) since, very hard to promote a non Dobermann on a dedicated Dobermann only site.
I think. at less than 2 years old, she is a bit young for us but we will see. If no fireworks later she will be coming here for a holiday, possibly followed by a longer fostering, followed by , who knows?
There was someone on here last year I think that might have been interested in her, can’t remember who without looking, but if you are there, this is your chance to see her in a home environment, but it might be too late.
This morning in the car alongside Jules. Not going anywhere, the car is completely open but they choose to relax in the morning sunshine together.
At less than 3 years of age I was prepared for her to be lively but this girl is really full on. Loves her carresses, follows me everywhere and, occasionally, causes a commotion. Once the lights were out last night all was calm with both of them on respective settees but, just before the alarm this morning she was on my bed trampling all over me and licking the whole of my head.
I am making some headway with training, ignoring her when disobedient after a sharp ‘NO’ and praising her effusively when obedient. But if I needed a reminder that she is young and untrained, as I settled at the table earlier for my breakfast of toast, butter, marmalade, and coffee, she found something of interest underneath and the table suddenly erupted sending everything flying though nothing was broken. Took me a long time to find my breakfast knife (under the computer) and coffee glass, intact under a load of papers and jars of condiments. The toast was there, untouched but of the butter and marm, not a trace.
With Jules, although he is a bit wary of her wildness, they seem to be already making themselves a pack, often one alerts the other to some disturbance beyond the fence and they both stand close together searching, with tails wagging wildly. She does bark, like him from time to time, and also like him, does her version of a howl. So, so far well suited. Time will tell.
No photo for security reasons … yesterday in Eurotunnel, I watched a young single man in a van being searched (all boxes ticked ), then the security chap return with what looked like a fairly young black labrador, who was pleased as Punch to be doing something, leaping about like I imagine Shanna does.
Took both her and Jules to the river this morning, both of them on 33 metre lines , what could possibly go wrong I thought.
In the event I was well pleased, she did go in the water as I suspected her to, the only reason she was secured, but came out twice on my recall. And the lines did get somewhat tangled, but all in all, very happy.
Believe it or not I managed to make a 12 minute video. A bit long but I didn’t edit it, I wanted to show it in its entirety. I’ll post the link later when YT has finished with counting all the children consumed.
How wonderful! In only a short time you have a good recall from Shanna! In over 11 years with my two, nothing short of waving sausages or dried chicken strips will get them in from the garden.
Your Shanna looks to be a lovely, loving dog already bonded to you
Watching your video really shows how much joy dogs get from sniffing about. This in the Guardian might interest you, though probably doesn’t come as a surprise
Your Shanna seems very quick and clever. May be fun to try teaching nouns
🩶
, who knows?
