Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Tom

Have you ever integrated a puppy into a home with an older (10 y o ) dog (well bitch)? Is this a good thing to do or is it very much dog dependant?

The older dog is a Patterdale Terrier (female), amazing temperament, but can get very protective over things like food. She is never smacked (as she was beaten prior to us getting her as a rescue pup, so this it isnt effective, and she responds well to a good telling off anyway).

Puppy, not decided other than it would be an intelligent dog

THoughts?

Introducing a new dog to an old established one can be difficult sometimes Guy. As you say, it is very dog dependant. What is she like with other dogs in general?

Puppies are usually well tolerated, especially by bitches, but be careful not to fuss it too much and make her jealous. (Not fussing a puppy is the hardest thing in the world).

Is the Patterdale your dog? If so, is there someone else who could take care of the puppy for the first few days so that you don't have to mess with it?

A good way to start is to keep the puppy in some sort of play pen where it will be safe while your bitch gets to know it.

Make a big effort to act as if there is absolutely nothing remarkable about having a puppy in the house. Make her think it's the most natural thing in the world. If she thinks it's no big deal to you, it will be no big deal to her.

Don't make the mistake of fussing her too much to reassure her, that will just make her think she needs to be reassured. Just keep everything 'Business as usual'.

Don't be too worried if she does have a snap and a snarl at it. She may look like she's about to kill it, but the odds are it's all bluff, she won't actually touch it at all. Dogs are pack animals, they have to establish a pecking order, she needs to let it know who's boss.

Punishing her for not accepting the puppy readily will be counter-productive and make her resent it all the more. If she really takes against it, there's not much you can do.



 

[smashedagain]

Just seen the time on this. Were you meant to be up at 5 am

[tikay]

Tony might be a tosser, but if your readers can elevate themselves, we are discussing racehorse breeding, & trainers, next door, not all this science friction mumbo-jumbo. Oh, & Pandas. Jolly exciting it is, too.

Forgot to ask - how is Kizzy Wizzy?

Kizzy is sleeping on my foot, which is also sleeping.

I might visit Auld Reekie one of these days too. There's actually so much more to it than a couple of 'New- kid in town' pandas. (For the cultured observer that is).

So that'll be the auld reekies' outing to Auld Reekie.

I've been checking it out Ralph. It's either a 5 hour drive or £110 on the train. Driving makes more sense because then I have the van to sleep in, plus I can take the scenic East coast road, (South Shields, Hartlepool, Sunderland) it's the UK equivalent to California highway 1.

The trouble is, it gets late too early at this time of year, there would be no time to see anything. I might wait until early summer and take Mrs Red along as my fonfon ru.

The train journey from Newcastle onwards is one of the joys of the rail network - it follows the coast and includes views of Lindisfarne and some beautiiful beaches. Plus wonderful views Alnmouth and of Berwick as you cross the rivers Aln and Tweed.

You'll find parking in Edinburgh horribly expensive and if I might be so bold, I'd suggest that maybe you compromise and drive to Alnmouth and get the train from there.
If you take the A19 route up the East Coast you'll get the beauty of the Cleveland hills followed by the errmmm spectacular views of Teesside's petro-chemical works - you could divert yourself over the 100 yrs old Transporter Bridge, stop off at the RSPB site just north of the Tees at Saltholme for tea and toast and a look at the birds before travelling onwards through the newly opened Second Tyne Tunnel.

Alnwick has it's Castle and Gardens and then on to Alnmouth to catch the train from a tiny rural station...

as for Edinburgh itself... a day is never enough. Not if you want to see the Zoo, the Castle, Arthur's Seat, the riverside, the Old Town, Mary King's Close, Camera Obscura and there's so much more besides.

Oooh! The Transporter bridge! The scariest bridge ever!
Driving through Middlesbrough a few years ago, hubby points into the distance and says "see that bridge over there? were going over that" and Im like "Thats nice dear..." and we continue on our journey, me slightly puzzled by the little smile on his face.
Then as we approach the bridge, Im there staring upwards, saying "Ooh look kids, isn't it tall" only looking forward when the car comes to an unexpected halt.
Cue me.
"Wheres the bridge?" "Why isnt there a bridge?" "OH MY GOD THE BRIDGE HAS COLLAPSED"
 Harry is still smiling. A man in a hi vis is closing a barrier in front, (to stop us from plunging to our certain deaths in this terrible disaster im certain) "Quick reverse!" I cry, slightly hysterical, THEN
the bit of "road" we are on starts to move.
That does it. Full blown panic attack. "LEMMEE OUUTTTT! I DONT WANT TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!"
Im screaming, Ive set the kids off crying and Harry isn't smiling anymore.
The people in the cars arounds us are though and pointing, even the man in the hi vis.
We drive the long way round these days.

Ahh, nice Post Redsgirl, & I think, between us, we can introduce some culture via the medium of interesting bridges to Tom's otherwise bland Diary.

The Transporter Bridge in 'Boro was recently the subject of an hour long documentary on Radio 4, excellent hearing it was, too. It is a much loved & cherished institution in those parts, I gather, & barely 2 months ago, celebrated it's 100th birthday. It is officially a ROAD, being part of the A178.

Here's it's very own Wiki page.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesbrough_Transporter_Bridge

For those who can't quite fathom what a "Transporter Bridge" is, or does, see the graphic top right of this Wiki page.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporter_bridge

The company who built the bridge are one of THE great bridge builders of the world, & are British. They have constructed bridges in every Continent, and it is worth taking a look at the list of bridges they have been involved in, including across the Nile, the Victoria Falls, in Shanghai, India, Peru, & all over the world.

In the UK alone they are responsible for numerous iconic bridges, including Trent Bridge (Notts), Chiswick Bridge (London), Tamar Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, Severn Bridge, Wye Bridge, Humber Bridge, & the QEII (M25) monsta Bridge.

There are some awesome photos & memories of their achievements in the photo gallery on the intro page here.....

http://clevelandbridge.com/intro.htm?companyid=1

[Rod Paradise]

Ahh, nice Post Redsgirl, & I think, between us, we can introduce some culture via the medium of interesting bridges to Tom's otherwise bland Diary.

The Transporter Bridge in 'Boro was recently the subject of an hour long documentary on Radio 4, excellent hearing it was, too. It is a much loved & cherished institution in those parts, I gather, & barely 2 months ago, celebrated it's 100th birthday. It is officially a ROAD, being part of the A178.

Here's it's very own Wiki page.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesbrough_Transporter_Bridge

For those who can't quite fathom what a "Transporter Bridge" is, or does, see the graphic top right of this Wiki page.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporter_bridge

The company who built the bridge are one of THE great bridge builders of the world, & are British. They have constructed bridges in every Continent, and it is worth taking a look at the list of bridges they have been involved in, including across the Nile, the Victoria Falls, in Shanghai, India, Peru, & all over the world.

In the UK alone they are responsible for numerous iconic bridges, including Trent Bridge (Notts), Chiswick Bridge (London), Tamar Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, Severn Bridge, Wye Bridge, Humber Bridge, & the QEII (M25) monsta Bridge.

There are some awesome photos & memories of their achievements in the photo gallery on the intro page here.....

http://clevelandbridge.com/intro.htm?companyid=1

I thought the lads from  Auf Wiedersehen Pet had dismantled that to be sold to a Casino?

[david3103]

Ahh, nice Post Redsgirl, & I think, between us, we can introduce some culture via the medium of interesting bridges to Tom's otherwise bland Diary.

The Transporter Bridge in 'Boro was recently the subject of an hour long documentary on Radio 4, excellent hearing it was, too. It is a much loved & cherished institution in those parts, I gather, & barely 2 months ago, celebrated it's 100th birthday. It is officially a ROAD, being part of the A178.

Here's it's very own Wiki page.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesbrough_Transporter_Bridge

For those who can't quite fathom what a "Transporter Bridge" is, or does, see the graphic top right of this Wiki page.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporter_bridge

The company who built the bridge are one of THE great bridge builders of the world, & are British. They have constructed bridges in every Continent, and it is worth taking a look at the list of bridges they have been involved in, including across the Nile, the Victoria Falls, in Shanghai, India, Peru, & all over the world.

In the UK alone they are responsible for numerous iconic bridges, including Trent Bridge (Notts), Chiswick Bridge (London), Tamar Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, Severn Bridge, Wye Bridge, Humber Bridge, & the QEII (M25) monsta Bridge.

There are some awesome photos & memories of their achievements in the photo gallery on the intro page here.....

http://clevelandbridge.com/intro.htm?companyid=1

I thought the lads from  Auf Wiedersehen Pet had dismantled that to be sold to a Casino?

They did - but the people from English Heritage made them put it back...

Os and the boys were filmed using one of our local 'Caffs' and are warmly spoken of by the owner there.

The Middlesbrough Bridge has it's own wiki page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesbrough_Transporter_Bridge which includes this gem "In 1974, the comedy actor Terry Scott, travelling between his hotel in Middlesbrough and a performance at the Billingham Forum, mistook the bridge for a regular toll crossing and drove his car off the end of the roadway, landing in the safety netting beneath"

[outragous76]

Tom

Have you ever integrated a puppy into a home with an older (10 y o ) dog (well bitch)? Is this a good thing to do or is it very much dog dependant?

The older dog is a Patterdale Terrier (female), amazing temperament, but can get very protective over things like food. She is never smacked (as she was beaten prior to us getting her as a rescue pup, so this it isnt effective, and she responds well to a good telling off anyway).

Puppy, not decided other than it would be an intelligent dog

THoughts?

Introducing a new dog to an old established one can be difficult sometimes Guy. As you say, it is very dog dependant. What is she like with other dogs in general?

Puppies are usually well tolerated, especially by bitches, but be careful not to fuss it too much and make her jealous. (Not fussing a puppy is the hardest thing in the world).

Is the Patterdale your dog? If so, is there someone else who could take care of the puppy for the first few days so that you don't have to mess with it?

A good way to start is to keep the puppy in some sort of play pen where it will be safe while your bitch gets to know it.

Make a big effort to act as if there is absolutely nothing remarkable about having a puppy in the house. Make her think it's the most natural thing in the world. If she thinks it's no big deal to you, it will be no big deal to her.

Don't make the mistake of fussing her too much to reassure her, that will just make her think she needs to be reassured. Just keep everything 'Business as usual'.

Don't be too worried if she does have a snap and a snarl at it. She may look like she's about to kill it, but the odds are it's all bluff, she won't actually touch it at all. Dogs are pack animals, they have to establish a pecking order, she needs to let it know who's boss.

Punishing her for not accepting the puppy readily will be counter-productive and make her resent it all the more. If she really takes against it, there's not much you can do.
 

Thanks Tom, You have confirmed much of what I thought, but its very helpful.

The dog is my Mums. Since dad died my mum has been travelling alot and has now decided to spend 6 months in Australia and 6 months in the UK on an annual basis. Me and another brother takes stints in looking after her. Mum wants one of us to adopt her permanently, and we are trying to work on the best solution between us.

My wife wants us to get a dog, and I really dont need convincing, especially as I work at home on my own alot. But I dont think it would be very fair to not take the Patterdale but yet have our own dog (I simply wouldnt do it). However, from your advice, it seems if we choose to, the best thing to do would be to let the new dog settle  before introducing the old. My house is "like home" to the patterdale, but Im sure she would take a week or 2 of establishing hierarchy (1 or 2 timely growls) then I think it would work.

As for the Patterdale and other dogs, she is a strage one. She is very friendly on the whole, HOWEVER, she will never back down if faced with agression, despite the fact she is small (the terrier in her i guess). One of the strangest moments ever was when she had a rotweiller running for cover after a quick stand off. She didnt chase either, she just stood there looking cock sure and me and the other dogs owner had a little chuckle.

The only strange trait she has, is when on the lead, and approching another dog, she is very friendly (quick sniff), then just as she is walking away she has a little "woof" under her breath (like she doesnt want to but cant help herself). Ive never got to the bottom of why she does it.

[RED-DOG]

Phew! Home at last. Seems like I've been travelling forever.

I went to Darley Dale last night and didn't get back until about 23:00. Even then I couldn't relax because I had to spend an age struggling with the sheep quiz. I was dead on my feet and I just couldn't stop making mistakes. For some strange reason, I felt compelled to add mondatoo's name to the 'top answer' column every time.

When I finally did get to bed, I spent a fitful couple of hours dreaming of toffee flavoured cows and drunken penguins in boxer shorts before my alarm went off at 05:30.  By 09:00 I was in London at preparing for a meeting at 11:00.

I gave an impassioned speech during which I waved my arms in the air and pranced around a lot. When I finally sat down, a very distinguished gentleman in the chair next to mine turned to me and said in a bright, congratulatory tone, "Your flies are open".

On the way home, I nodded off for a few minutes and woke up with my head on the table. My nose felt a bit funny, so I went to the loo to examine it and discovered that during my nap, I had somehow managed to inhale a considerable quantity of white powder. I shudder to think what it might have been, but in light of the fact that I now sound like Al Pacino in Scarface, I don't think it was non-dairy creamer.




Say hello to my little friend.....

[RED-DOG]

While I was on the train today, I noticed that cement was being transported in 'tanker' type trucks, complete with taps & valves etc.

Can I conclude from this that dry cement powder behaves like a liquid? I can't imagine it pouring out through a pipe.


A tanker full on cement must be incredibly heavy. I've also seen some tremendous quantities of stone / steel etc on railway trucks. I assume it's impossible to overload them?

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

While I was on the train today, I noticed that cement was being transported in 'tanker' type trucks, complete with taps & valves etc.

Can I conclude from this that dry cement powder behaves like a liquid? I can't imagine it pouring out through a pipe.


A tanker full on cement must be incredibly heavy. I've also seen some tremendous quantities of stone / steel etc on railway trucks. I assume it's impossible to overload them?

Click to see full-size image.

Great question Tom - I had always assumed it was pumped pneumatically. I'll go on the google & take a look.

Same applies to cement powder in road tankers, too, or any bulk powder transportation, I guess. One will be, Terminator style, back.

[Woodsey]

LOL you guys don't half think about some totally random shit 

[AndrewT]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

I thought the other one was the building materials thread.

Tom, are you attempting to usurp Tikay's thread's raison d'etre?

[tikay]

While I was on the train today, I noticed that cement was being transported in 'tanker' type trucks, complete with taps & valves etc.

Can I conclude from this that dry cement powder behaves like a liquid? I can't imagine it pouring out through a pipe.


A tanker full on cement must be incredibly heavy. I've also seen some tremendous quantities of stone / steel etc on railway trucks. I assume it's impossible to overload them?

Click to see full-size image.

Yes - pneumatic - here's a typical dry powder pump I just found. Pretty exciting, eh?

http://www.yamadapump.com/specialty/specs_powder.html

[tikay]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

I thought the other one was the building materials thread.

Tom, are you attempting to usurp Tikay's thread's raison d'etre?

Think he's trying to stem the flow of traffic across to the Cultured Diary, & I'm advertising the really interesting stuff I do on mine. Imitation is the sincerest form, da de da. It's all about what people want to read. Did you see how my Diary sprung to life after my Pearl Harbor piece this morning? Abso buzzing it was, buzzing.

Fascinating question, actually, even Woodsey has been on the 'phone, "tell me tell me tell me".

[kinboshi]

Is it kept in tankers like that to protect it from moisture as well?

[redarmi]

Tony might be a tosser, but if your readers can elevate themselves, we are discussing racehorse breeding, & trainers, next door, not all this science friction mumbo-jumbo. Oh, & Pandas. Jolly exciting it is, too.

Forgot to ask - how is Kizzy Wizzy?

Kizzy is sleeping on my foot, which is also sleeping.

I might visit Auld Reekie one of these days too. There's actually so much more to it than a couple of 'New- kid in town' pandas. (For the cultured observer that is).

So that'll be the auld reekies' outing to Auld Reekie.

I've been checking it out Ralph. It's either a 5 hour drive or £110 on the train. Driving makes more sense because then I have the van to sleep in, plus I can take the scenic East coast road, (South Shields, Hartlepool, Sunderland) it's the UK equivalent to California highway 1.

The trouble is, it gets late too early at this time of year, there would be no time to see anything. I might wait until early summer and take Mrs Red along as my fonfon ru.

The train journey from Newcastle onwards is one of the joys of the rail network - it follows the coast and includes views of Lindisfarne and some beautiiful beaches. Plus wonderful views Alnmouth and of Berwick as you cross the rivers Aln and Tweed.

You'll find parking in Edinburgh horribly expensive and if I might be so bold, I'd suggest that maybe you compromise and drive to Alnmouth and get the train from there.
If you take the A19 route up the East Coast you'll get the beauty of the Cleveland hills followed by the errmmm spectacular views of Teesside's petro-chemical works - you could divert yourself over the 100 yrs old Transporter Bridge, stop off at the RSPB site just north of the Tees at Saltholme for tea and toast and a look at the birds before travelling onwards through the newly opened Second Tyne Tunnel.

Alnwick has it's Castle and Gardens and then on to Alnmouth to catch the train from a tiny rural station...

as for Edinburgh itself... a day is never enough. Not if you want to see the Zoo, the Castle, Arthur's Seat, the riverside, the Old Town, Mary King's Close, Camera Obscura and there's so much more besides.

Oooh! The Transporter bridge! The scariest bridge ever!
Driving through Middlesbrough a few years ago, hubby points into the distance and says "see that bridge over there? were going over that" and Im like "Thats nice dear..." and we continue on our journey, me slightly puzzled by the little smile on his face.
Then as we approach the bridge, Im there staring upwards, saying "Ooh look kids, isn't it tall" only looking forward when the car comes to an unexpected halt.
Cue me.
"Wheres the bridge?" "Why isnt there a bridge?" "OH MY GOD THE BRIDGE HAS COLLAPSED"
 Harry is still smiling. A man in a hi vis is closing a barrier in front, (to stop us from plunging to our certain deaths in this terrible disaster im certain) "Quick reverse!" I cry, slightly hysterical, THEN
the bit of "road" we are on starts to move.
That does it. Full blown panic attack. "LEMMEE OUUTTTT! I DONT WANT TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!"
Im screaming, Ive set the kids off crying and Harry isn't smiling anymore.
The people in the cars arounds us are though and pointing, even the man in the hi vis.
We drive the long way round these days.

True story - Terry (of Terry and June fame) once drove through the barrier and ended up in the River Tees.