Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[tikay]

If he's a naturally submissive dog then it won't be a problem.

If he has any dominant characteristics his mother will be the first to put him in his place. It's then over to you to take over.

Ronnie was/is my first dog and he has dominant characteristics. This isn't to be confused with aggression as they are totally different.

The difficult thing is that when you get your pup he will be so cute that you want want to tell him off.

When he runs around in circles you'll think it's cute and laugh. I did. When he nips you'll think it's annoying but nothing more.

When he gets older it becomes more difficult.

The one thing I would say is not to treat him as a cute little puppy but as a dog. If he's old enough to leave his mother he's old enough to behave.

Set out your rules for him and stick to them. Never let him get away with something that you don't want him to do.

If you let him know exactly what you expect from him you should be just fine.

Good luck with him.

A stunning Post Matt, so dog-savvy it might have been written by Red himself.

Is your real name Caesar by any chance?

[sovietsong]

If he's a naturally submissive dog then it won't be a problem.

If he has any dominant characteristics his mother will be the first to put him in his place. It's then over to you to take over.

Ronnie was/is my first dog and he has dominant characteristics. This isn't to be confused with aggression as they are totally different.

The difficult thing is that when you get your pup he will be so cute that you want want to tell him off.

When he runs around in circles you'll think it's cute and laugh. I did. When he nips you'll think it's annoying but nothing more.

When he gets older it becomes more difficult.

The one thing I would say is not to treat him as a cute little puppy but as a dog. If he's old enough to leave his mother he's old enough to behave.

Set out your rules for him and stick to them. Never let him get away with something that you don't want him to do.

If you let him know exactly what you expect from him you should be just fine.

Good luck with him.

A stunning Post Matt, so dog-savvy it might have been written by Red himself.

Is your real name Caesar by any chance?

+1

Thank you! 

[EvilPie]

If he's a naturally submissive dog then it won't be a problem.

If he has any dominant characteristics his mother will be the first to put him in his place. It's then over to you to take over.

Ronnie was/is my first dog and he has dominant characteristics. This isn't to be confused with aggression as they are totally different.

The difficult thing is that when you get your pup he will be so cute that you want want to tell him off.

When he runs around in circles you'll think it's cute and laugh. I did. When he nips you'll think it's annoying but nothing more.

When he gets older it becomes more difficult.

The one thing I would say is not to treat him as a cute little puppy but as a dog. If he's old enough to leave his mother he's old enough to behave.

Set out your rules for him and stick to them. Never let him get away with something that you don't want him to do.

If you let him know exactly what you expect from him you should be just fine.

Good luck with him.

A stunning Post Matt, so dog-savvy it might have been written by Red himself.

Is your real name Caesar by any chance?

+1

Thank you! 

Lol. I wish I could be anywhere near as good as Caesar. The reason I'm dog savvy is because I've had to be.

It was either that or have my entire life ruined by a Rottweiler with a very stubborn personality.

I actually had professional help with Ronnie. Easily the best £270 quid I've ever spent.

Sov, if you notice any characteristics that you aren't 100% happy about let me know and I'll give you the trainer's contact details. They're national via franchise and if I'd known what they could do for me earlier I would've got them in from day 1 rather than at 9 months when he was to be honest out of control.

£270 spent on a dog that you're going to have for years is nothing. Think of it as 5p a day for his life rather than a £270 outlay.

I would honestly recommend getting them in straight away. They can give so much great advice that will make your life easy with your dog.

The only problem is that you'll curse me afterwards because you've wasted the money on a perfect well behaved dog. You'll never know of the problems that you could've had without just a little bit of expert knowledge.

When you get him make sure you start a thread with some pictures. I can't wait to see him and hear about his progress.

[Tonji]

While in France over the New Year, next doors dog would let its self into our kitchen at meal times, it could open the door. Any ideas what breed it is? Some sort of hunting dog I think?

[RED-DOG]

It's a German pointer.

[Tonji]

It's a German pointer.

excellent, cheers Red

[sovietsong]

If he's a naturally submissive dog then it won't be a problem.

If he has any dominant characteristics his mother will be the first to put him in his place. It's then over to you to take over.

Ronnie was/is my first dog and he has dominant characteristics. This isn't to be confused with aggression as they are totally different.

The difficult thing is that when you get your pup he will be so cute that you want want to tell him off.

When he runs around in circles you'll think it's cute and laugh. I did. When he nips you'll think it's annoying but nothing more.

When he gets older it becomes more difficult.

The one thing I would say is not to treat him as a cute little puppy but as a dog. If he's old enough to leave his mother he's old enough to behave.

Set out your rules for him and stick to them. Never let him get away with something that you don't want him to do.

If you let him know exactly what you expect from him you should be just fine.

Good luck with him.

A stunning Post Matt, so dog-savvy it might have been written by Red himself.

Is your real name Caesar by any chance?

+1

Thank you! 

Lol. I wish I could be anywhere near as good as Caesar. The reason I'm dog savvy is because I've had to be.

It was either that or have my entire life ruined by a Rottweiler with a very stubborn personality.

I actually had professional help with Ronnie. Easily the best £270 quid I've ever spent.

Sov, if you notice any characteristics that you aren't 100% happy about let me know and I'll give you the trainer's contact details. They're national via franchise and if I'd known what they could do for me earlier I would've got them in from day 1 rather than at 9 months when he was to be honest out of control.

£270 spent on a dog that you're going to have for years is nothing. Think of it as 5p a day for his life rather than a £270 outlay.

I would honestly recommend getting them in straight away. They can give so much great advice that will make your life easy with your dog.

The only problem is that you'll curse me afterwards because you've wasted the money on a perfect well behaved dog. You'll never know of the problems that you could've had without just a little bit of expert knowledge.

When you get him make sure you start a thread with some pictures. I can't wait to see him and hear about his progress.

Diary started in the lounge.  Quick question about nipping, whats the best way to deal with it?  She only does it when playing but its getting worse imo and I want to knock it on the head.

[kinboshi]

If he's a naturally submissive dog then it won't be a problem.

If he has any dominant characteristics his mother will be the first to put him in his place. It's then over to you to take over.

Ronnie was/is my first dog and he has dominant characteristics. This isn't to be confused with aggression as they are totally different.

The difficult thing is that when you get your pup he will be so cute that you want want to tell him off.

When he runs around in circles you'll think it's cute and laugh. I did. When he nips you'll think it's annoying but nothing more.

When he gets older it becomes more difficult.

The one thing I would say is not to treat him as a cute little puppy but as a dog. If he's old enough to leave his mother he's old enough to behave.

Set out your rules for him and stick to them. Never let him get away with something that you don't want him to do.

If you let him know exactly what you expect from him you should be just fine.

Good luck with him.

A stunning Post Matt, so dog-savvy it might have been written by Red himself.

Is your real name Caesar by any chance?

+1

Thank you! 

Lol. I wish I could be anywhere near as good as Caesar. The reason I'm dog savvy is because I've had to be.

It was either that or have my entire life ruined by a Rottweiler with a very stubborn personality.

I actually had professional help with Ronnie. Easily the best £270 quid I've ever spent.

Sov, if you notice any characteristics that you aren't 100% happy about let me know and I'll give you the trainer's contact details. They're national via franchise and if I'd known what they could do for me earlier I would've got them in from day 1 rather than at 9 months when he was to be honest out of control.

£270 spent on a dog that you're going to have for years is nothing. Think of it as 5p a day for his life rather than a £270 outlay.

I would honestly recommend getting them in straight away. They can give so much great advice that will make your life easy with your dog.

The only problem is that you'll curse me afterwards because you've wasted the money on a perfect well behaved dog. You'll never know of the problems that you could've had without just a little bit of expert knowledge.

When you get him make sure you start a thread with some pictures. I can't wait to see him and hear about his progress.

Diary started in the lounge.  Quick question about nipping, whats the best way to deal with it?  She only does it when playing but its getting worse imo and I want to knock it on the head.

Stop winning so much money.  That tends to keep the nippers away.

 

[RED-DOG]

My dad has been unwell these last few weeks and I’ve been thinking about him a lot, so I thought I’d tell you this story from my childhood.

As is the way with childhood memories, some parts are distant and hazy, mere shadows at the back of my mind. Dim and indistinct, like photographs in an album before you lift the flyleaf. Other parts are so bright and vivid that they might have happened only yesterday. These parts are high definition Technicolor memories that I can replay in my head like scenes from a move. They come complete with sound, smell and touch.

40 odd years ago, when I was a little boy of 8 or 9, we had a couple of horses turned out to pasture on a farm in a village called Spinkhill. I’m not sure if Spinkhill is in Derbyshire or Yorkshire (It seems to be right on the border) Never mind, for the purpose of this story, it doesn’t really matter.

This particular morning, my dad woke me very early and told me that we were going to the farm at Spinkhill. Careful not to wake my younger brothers, I extracted myself from the tangle of arms and legs and dressed quickly from the pile of assorted clothes on the caravan floor. It was a bitterly cold morning and I made a point of choosing the thickest socks with the least holes, regardless of colour. (First up - best dressed.)

I slipped outside and ran to where my dad was sitting in the lorry with the engine ticking over. Those big straight six Bedford petrols were whisper quiet at idle speed. I couldn’t hear it, but I knew that it was running because of the big plume of exhaust gas that hung heavy in the still air. The fumes, unburned by an engine running at way below it’s optimum operating temperature, were composed almost entirely of neat petrol vapour, and I made a slight detour so that I could take in a heady lungful as I ran past. The driver’s door swung opened just enough for me to squeeze through. I ducked under the steering wheel and slid past my dad’s legs into my place on the passenger seat next to my granddad Sam.

My dad is a calm, gentle and patient man… except when he’s driving. Once he gets behind the wheel, all that changes. I don’t mean he becomes aggressive, but it’s as if he hasn’t a second to spare. He races everywhere. That morning was no exception, he dipped the clutch a little as he pushed the gear stick forward, (No syncromesh on first gear in those days) then he stamped on the accelerator and the Bedford leapt forward like a wick horse that suddenly finds itself on a slack rein.

My granddad, nervous of motorised vehicles in general and my dad’s driving in particular, jammed his foot tight against the dashboard and threw his arm across my chest to prevent me from flying out of my seat. Then he began his usual monologue, half threatening, half beseeching my dad to slow down. My dad drove on at breakneck speed, totally oblivious to anything except the task of getting that lorry from A to B as quickly as humanly possible.

During the journey, like most journeys when my dad was driving, we probably pulled many more G’s than was entirely good for us, scared a lot of other drivers, and (According to my granddad) escaped death by the skin of our teeth on numerous occasions. I didn’t care a jot. I was with my dad and therefore completely safe, that was all that mattered. He was then, and is now my hero.

As we drove it started to rain, big fat droplets that burst noisily onto the windscreen. The threadbare wipers made a determined flapping sound but struggled to cope, and anyway, they didn’t wipe the bit in the middle of the window that I was looking through.

I leaned back and closed my eyes. A thin, reedy trickle of warmth was beginning to seep from the heater, and I’d had a lungful of petrol vapour for breakfast.

It was going to be a good day.

 

To be continued…..

[boldie]

finally a Red story again...can't wait for the sequel

[Dingdell]

finally a Red story again...can't wait for the sequel

Sitting here comfortably waiting for him to begin again....

[RED-DOG]

By the way, my dad finally managed to get his grinding bike finished. He sent me some pictures today. I can't begin to tell you how nostalgic they are for me. (As a boy, I used to go grinding with my granddad.)

If you had one of these, you had a means of supporting your family.

It may sound a little bit melodramatic now, but years ago, your mother's hawking basket and you'r dad's grinding bike made the difference between eating and going hungry.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[sovietsong]

Hope your Dad is ok Red. 

[RED-DOG]

Continued from http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=30601.msg884547#msg884547



By the time we arrived at the farm it was really raining. It wasn’t that stormy, wind driven kind of rain, it was a proper deluge. Great long rods of water coming straight down in vast soaking quantities. My dad parked the truck in the fold yard and jumped down onto the rough shiny cobbles. Pausing for a moment, he glanced skyward as he turned up the collar of his jacket.  I jumped down beside him and glanced skyward too. I wasn’t wearing a jacket, so I fumbled beneath the neck of my jersey and turned up the collar of my shirt. Then, with heads bowed and hands thrust deep into our pockets, we strode off toward the farmhouse, dad slightly in front, where I could keep an eye on him and make sure I was copying him correctly.

There’s a lot here that illustrates the differences between Gypsy and non-Gypsy (Gorger) culture. Gypsy children learn by example, by watching and listening, by being involved. They are allowed to learn by experience. Notice that my dad didn’t admonish me for not bringing a coat, or me make me wait with my granddad in the warm dry lorry cab. He let me follow him in the rain, and as a consequence I learned a little about how to talk to a grumpy farmer, and I learned that I should have brought a coat.

My dad was a great teacher. He knew that half the job could be done by just allowing me to learn. Best of all, I didn’t know that I was learning. I thought I was just having fun. 

Children don’t learn by being told not to touch the hot stove, they learn by touching it.

Until we went to see the farmer, I had been under the impression that we had come to see the horses, but it soon became clear from the conversation that my dad had bought some scrap and that we were here to collect it. The trouble was that the scrap, a huge pile of cast iron land drainage pipes, was at the bottom end of a long, steeply sloping meadow. If we drove our truck down there in this weather, there was no way on earth that it was ever coming back up.

For a few moments, the adults sat at the farmer’s kitchen table, rubbing their chins and thinking about the problem in silence. As I stood gently steaming in front of the big open fire, I too rubbed my chin in silence and pretended to be thinking about the problem, but in reality I was thinking about the bacon sandwich which now lay, seemingly forgotten, on the farmers plate. I wondered if he was going to eat it. I decided to ask him, when the time was right.

Presently the farmer looked up and said to my dad, “I could lend you a tractor and trailer….”

“YES!” I shouted, forgetting to keep quiet, forgetting rub my chin, and forgetting the bacon sandwich. “A tractor and trailer, that’s a great idea.”


To be continued….

[EvilPie]

"As I stood gently steaming in front of the big open fire"

I'm loving this line Red. It really paints a picture of the day you were having. Obviously cold and wet but clearly totally content and happy.

Top read mate. Looking forward to the rest of the day.