Wednesday 20 June 2018

Dog fun




Thank you all for your fast meal suggestions. I have printed out recipes and collected ingredients and I am ready to go. I am starting with egg and bacon pie and Singapore noodles (not together, although no doubt people wouldn't say no). Last night was orzo and I shall do some roasted veggies later in the week as well. All excellent ideas, thank you.

Bertie is having a good day today. At long last the dreaded cone is off. It must be blissful. No more banging into doors and scuffing along walls. Now he can slip through the thinnest of gaps in the blink of an eye. He went for a top notch run with his bestie this morning. Who had a good tale to tell. A couple of days back he got away from his people on a walk, ran the short distance home, shot past his front door, ran into a neighbour's back garden, through their kitchen and into their living room where they were eating sausages in front of the telly. Oh how surprised they were.

Bertie had his own tale of drama to tell as well. We were walking past the pharmacy the other day, Bert in his big flappy cone, when a Jack Russell, who had been tied to a big red wheelie bin, lunged at him, barking like an absolute maniac. As he lunged, his extendable lead extended all the way out, about 16' it seemed. Bertie and I were scuttling away around the corner and up the road in terror, as the Jack Russell's teeth were snapping at Bertie's backside. The Jack Russell built up a huge head of steam and when it finally got to the end of its extendable lead, the wheelie bin flew over and he dragged it a few feet up the road after us. Bertie and I were running for our lives by this time, and the pharmacy delivery man was doubled over with laughter. We were not dignified at all.

What astonished me was that even with all the noise of barking and crashing and the wheelie bin thundering along the pavement, no-one came out to see what on earth was going on. Either deaf, or it was just another day of dog ownership. Bertie doesn't always get on with Jack Russells. He sees a pair of them very regularly and they always make the most horrific noise when they see him and try and get at him. Now when he sees them, he does a sneaky little lunge at them to set them off. Then we scuttle off on our way leaving the owner trying to get a grip of them. You take your fun where you can get it.

We are of course overwhelmed by the World Cup in this house. Well, I'm overwhelmed, everyone else seems to be coping okay. They are endlessly entertained by it all. I am mostly being annoying by referring to Mo Salah as Mo Farrah and provoking heated discussions about whether Harry Kane is the most exciting player at the tournament. I've also been reminding everyone that the Kaliningrad Stadium was built on a rare wetland habitat that was home to many birds and other wildlife. All gone now though. Shame on them.

How are yourselves? Any new from the front?

19 comments:

  1. Oh I’m chortling at all your dog antics. I can just see you both escaping the Jack Russel fiend, not forgetting the wheelie bin. I didn’t realise when I booked to visit Italy that it was the World Cup. Oh Bliss, I’m missing it all.....how sad is that. By the way I brought orzo all the way to Italy so that I could cook a meal. It seems they don’t have that variety lol. B x

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  2. Jack Russells do seem to be bad tempered little dogs when meeting other dogs.

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  3. I can commiserate with your Jack Russel issue...we were walking, with our Border Terrier Riley one evening and this chap was on the street, in front of his house; on the phone and smoking, paying no heed to his dog whatsoever!!! So this little white four-legged creature came tearing across the street, teeth bare, snarling and barking. I reached down to pick up Riley, just as the other dog lunged for his back legs. Riley turned back and barked and snapped once, in defense and it was a bit of a tangle but I managed to pick him up with my husbands help. The man finally decided it was important enough to come and call his dog off. No apology, no nothing!

    Riley barks now, whenever he sees other dogs. He used to be the friendliest little fella before this; tail wagging and so eager to say hello. The white dog owner hasn't changed his ways (his dog came charging out of the house on another occasion) so now, we avoid his street altogether! I'm trying to un-train the fear he has which I'm told may be impossible. If I can just get him halfway to not barking in fear, whenever he's near another dog it will be good.

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  4. One thing about having 5 acres around us is we don't have other dogs to worry about, just our 3. I'm so happy Bertie got his cone off, poor darling boy. You tell the story so well of that Jack Russell accosting you two.. I felt like I was there watching the going's on! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  5. Hurray that the cone of shame has gone, but poor Bertie (and you!) having to flee from the Jack Russell. I've known a couple of lovely JRs but, on the whole, they do seem to be rather a noisy snappy bunch. I can't help chuckling at your wheelie bin incident though! Sending comforting ear rubs to Bertie. xx

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  6. WOW Bertie got his cone off. Let he enjoy the day!

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  7. What is the world coming to when a dog frightening people is a source of amusement and a football stadium trumps rare wetland habitat? A small child would have been terrified by that Jack Russell but I'm glad to read that you all got safely away!

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  8. The image of you and Bertie being pursued by a Jack Russell with a wheelie bin did make me smile. All Jack Russell's seem to snap and bark at Hector when we are out but he just wags his tail and bounces about which seems to wind them up even more. So far we are a football free zone but my son comes home from Costa Rica on Tuesday so that will be the end of that!

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  9. Lovely post and pictures, especially the butterfly. It's good to know that Bertie is coneless and having fun.
    I'm okay thanks and enjoying summertime plotting. Have a good weekend! xx

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  10. I am hooting about the dog incidents but I do feel I need to stick up for JRs. Pop was never grumbly with other dogs until a black lab attacked me and Teddy out in the fields. Entirely unprovoked as it rushed us from behind. Ever since then she’s been very protective of us. Hearts of Lions, JRs. And absolutely no concept of how small they are either 😉. I love ‘em. Agree on World Cup- tedious for non-football fans. I’ve managed to avoid it all so far 🤣 xx

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  11. I have to confess that I've never known a really nice Jack Russell whom I enjoyed being with. The ones I've known have been kind of aggressive. I'm sure it's not true of all, though. I thought of you last night when I was watching an episode of Nature (long-running show on public television here), about pets and their wild instincts. There was a group of puppies that looked so much like Bertie. They were so naughty! They secretly filmed them cavorting on a bed and tearing up pillows, with feathers everywhere. I thought "now I've seen Bertie in action, times five." :)

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  12. Hello! I found your blog through Countryside Tales and I'm looking forward to following your (four-legged) adventures! I live in Sweden with three dogs of my own; one is an amazing 13-year old german Shepard mix, one is a chihuahua-dachshound-beagle mix and my youngest is an ADHD-suffering beagle:=)
    We're very much enjoying the World Cup here since I'm a sports-fan as well as a doggylover!

    Best Wishes, Annie

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  13. Well, in defense of Jack Russells....nope, thought I had something, but i don't. :) Our Emma is absolutely a horror-show with other dogs and would no doubt put on a similar display as the wheelie-bin dog should you cross her path. The only thing more full of aggro than a Jack Russell, is a Jack Russell that's tied to something. :)
    They're an acquired taste, I think.

    World Cup? What? haha....I'm in the family pool but rely on everyone else to tell me what's going on. I have England, Nigeria and something else which I'm sure hasn't a snowball's.

    I had no idea about the stadium having been built on a wetland....shame on you, Russia. Did you hear that the stadium staff had to take smiling lessons? Apparently it was on the news but I'm only getting that secondhand...like most of my news.

    xo

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  14. Ah CJ, you made me laugh there, not just with the dog story, but also with the football. Your problem is that you're outnumbered. Leave them to watch the matches and take yourself off somewhere.

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  15. I am having a good old chuckle here (thoroughly jet lagged after a day of flying around the globe). What a vicious beast! Jack Russells have their moments. Ours is a nice one but he does find it difficult to make new friends easily. I always talk to him when we meet a new dog, and pat the new dog, too. This usually does the trick. Jack's bestie is a cockapoo just like Bertie. Must go and hop on the spot to keep myself awake for another 5 hours or so.... Have a lovely weekend with some new amazing meals. xx

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  16. Dear CJ, It's probably time to pull out the next quilt material while the boys are watching the footie. You will probably enjoy doing that a lot more. Laughed my head off picturing you and Bertie making a wild dash.... Let's know how the new recipes went. Regards, Robyn

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  17. I only know just enough about the football to exchange pleasantries in blokeish with the roofers.
    Snapping and lunging dogs, however small, terrify me especially when I'm out with my three year old granddaughter.

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  18. Oh goodness, what an ordeal you endured by the Jack, having one myself I sympathize! They are utter nightmares when in the red zone and almost super human! As for the footy, I have no clue, it does seem to be on an awful lot of late!xxx

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  19. Oh CJ I am not only laughing out loud at the Jack Russell thing but actually wiping my eyes. Bella's just asked me what so funny. Aren't dogs great for that though? We laugh at something Ziggy does pretty much daily. They do bring joy, even though they are little buggers too.

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