Lesson 31 Learn to speak Dog

It was good that at the school where I work we had an assembly by a visitor who taught the children how to read dog body language.
Children sometimes swoop down on dogs to pat them without checking with us whether it is safe to do so. Luckily many dogs are usually fine with this but if everyone took the time to teach their children to ask first before patting any dog then relationships between dogs and young children would go from strength to strength.
I guess it is the same with cats or any other animal. If you know an animal, you get to know their habits and likely behaviours but if the animal is unfamiliar to you it can be harder to read their  body language.
We gain so much from animals and I love having them around. The better we get at understanding their signals, the better our relationships will become with them.

Lesson 30 Winter can be cosy

Ollie used to be my hot water bottle. Whenever it got cold he would snuggle up close and keep me warm. I think he thought I was keeping him warm but it amounts to the same thing.
G and I offered Lovely a home when we lost Ollie and that was something nice to come out of a sad moment in our lives. I see her lots and know she is happy with G and the boys and knowing this makes me happy but it doesn't solve the hot water problem I now have.
I haven't  needed a hot water bottle for 7 years but this week I found a lovely green hot water bottle complete with cable knit cover and I have ordered it. I am looking forward to it arriving and know that every time I use it to keep me warm I will think of my little sweet Ollie-Pal!
Winter can definitely be cosy.

Lesson 29 Dog Retreat!

I feel like I have checked into a Dog Retreat.
I have spoken to G once on the phone and said hello to a couple of people with dogs while on walkies but other than that I have lived exclusively in the company of 3 dogs since 6pm on Friday.
It has been great actually. They started off a bit fed up that G had gone but soon accepted the situation until.....the fireworks started!
They hate the fireworks. They are all rescue dogs from Romania so we don't know what may have happened in their past to make the situation worse but for whatever reason, they hate the bangs and crashes.
Rufus hides under the bed while the other two cower close to me.
People on Facebook have been lovely offering advice from suggesting Rescue Remedy to wrapping them tightly in towels to help them to feel more secure.
During the day things are very peaceful unless someone delivers a letter and then they bark. When the phone rings they whimper too.
The rest of the time they are very chilled out and relaxed.
The walkies are great too.
I am sure they will be delighted when G gets home but I must confess I have had a wonderful time in my Dog Retreat! I thoroughly recommend it.
                                                                         This is Lovely, she is lovely!

Lessson 28 Lick the hand that feeds!

The dogs have just about forgiven me for starting a blog about cats!
I arrived yesterday evening to dog sit. The dogs are always happy to see me and now that I am here for the weekend, dog sitting for The Loveable G, they seem to love me more!
I think this may have a lot to do with the fact that it is me that is taking them for walkies, reassuring them when they get scared of the fireworks and above all else it is me that opens the dog food tin and opens the doggie biscuit tin!
G will laugh when I tell him what Bert and Rufus have been doing. While he is not here I can say 'Are you hungry?' to the dogs and they jump about, wagging their tails with excitement but when I am with him and I say exactly the same thing, they look at me as if they have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.

I guess they are keeping me sweet as I am their current provider.
It was lovely walking them this morning. They behaved really well. I let Bert off the lead as he is so well trained and when he started to run off after a creature he heard in the bushes I only had to call him and he came straight back. I am not about to risk this with Rufus and Lovely however as they are very different characters.
They are all sleeping happily at the moment and are saving their energy until the next time their hear me getting up to find their leads...

This is Rufus, the picture is taken on Dartmoor. He loves being out in wild places like that.