Beryl's Brains

I'm not sure of the difference between cleverness and intelligence or if they're one and the same.  I'm too lazy to look them up in the dictionary!  Beryl did a couple of things last week that were quite clever and/or intelligent:-)

We were walking the dogs in our usual place.  There is a small paddock along the way that someone has put a couple of sheep in to chew the grass down.  This is very enticing for the likes of Frankie!  On our way back the sheep decided to run around and that was enough for Frankie to race off to hurry them up.  While the fencing looked pretty good I would imagine Frankie could find a way through if he was determined enough.  I was yelling at him to come back but he kept on running along the fenceline so I scrambled down the bank in hot pursuit while Fatima waited with Louie, Bess on leash and Beryl.  Fatima went to grab Beryl's collar to stop her following me and Beryl gave her a very haughty, distainful look something like this

as she moved out of Fatima's reach.  She was saying that she knew Frankie was in trouble with Mum and she wasn't going to interfere unless she was needed.  Fatima said she stayed up on the bank with her ears pricked poised to spring into action if necessary while I went and collected my naughty Frankie (who did come running back to me when he realised he was in deep shit if he didn't!)  I thought that was clever of Beryl:-)

On Sunday we were walking again (we managed to get past the sheep without incident this time!) and at the river Fatima was throwing a tennis ball into it for Frankie to fetch while Bess and Cilla clung to him like limpets where ever he went.  When he got sick of this he just dropped the ball in the shallows and wandered off taking Bess and Cilla with him.  I had shoes and socks on and didn't feel like taking them off to get the ball so I casually asked Beryl to get it for me just waving my arm in the general direction of where it was.  She looked at me, looked at the ball and decided, yes, she would do that for me:-)  So she made her way down the little, stony bank and paddled out and picked up the tennis ball and meandered back and dropped it at my feet:-)  I thought that was clever too:-) 

But now we get to her sitting for her supper!  For a couple of months now we've been working on Beryl sitting and waiting before eating her tea.  She doesn't enjoy sitting unless I happen to be eating something extra yummy and she knows a sit is likely to get her a taste of it.  So the routine with sitting for her supper goes something like this ....
Me - Sit Bery
Beryl - won't a bow do?  (Beryl bows, she likes bowing!)
Me - no, if you want your tea you have to sit.
Beryl - I'll have to think about that, and she wanders away a few paces and comes back
Beryl - I've thought about it and I think a bow should be adequate, she bows again.
Me - nope, sit please Beryl
Beryl - big sigh, oh OK, if you insist, but I really don't think a Princess should have to do anything just for her tea.

This goes on virtually every night so I thought I would change tactics and get her to down instead of sit, as she prefers to down.  So a couple of nights ago I told her to 'down', she looked at me like I was crazy, bowed, then sat!!  Then, the next night, after thinking about it overnight, when I told her to sit she straight away went down.  OK, I thought, she's decided that she will do a down for her tea and I thought I'd cracked it:-)  Tonight I told her to down, she bowed then sat!   Is this clever, intelligent or just plain dumb, lol?  She's a very subtle character with a mind of her own and she does use it:-)

One photo isn't enough for a blog post so here a couple of action shots of Beryl running after birds

Fully extended

Unextended!

The past couple of weeks have been relatively busy for me and I haven't been able to get around my favourite blogs as often as I'd like or comment as much as I'd like or post on my blog!  But I'm still here and usually manage to read most posts.  Sometimes real life (work in my case!) interferes with the things you'd much rather be doing.  Just thought I'd mention what's happening in case I've been missed;-)

Happy blogging!

It's Been Just Over 6 Months

Since Beryl came to live with us and I got to thinking about all the things she's had to learn in that time and some things she learned with Frankie's help:-)  Probably the first thing he showed her was how to jump onto my bed

2 days after arrival - this beats my kennel!

And she's still trying to wrangle her way to sleep up there with me and Frankie instead of in her crate:-)  Which HAS to have at least 2 folded duvets in it for her to lie on or else she softly expresses her low opinion of me as a Mum the one time there was only the one in there for her!  Talk about the Princess and The Pea!  So that's something I've learned:-)

She now knows some basic obedience including the usual

Sit - tongue poking out is optional!

Down - with or without Frankie there

Shake hands

She's learning some Rally O moves and that she can sit and eat a treat at the same time.  She way prefers to stand up, sitting still isn't comfortable for her. 

After wandering around aimlessly for the first 2 weeks she worked out that it was OK to wander around or lie around and began to relax.  On walks she learned that it's good to go to Mum when I call her as she'll get a yummy treat.  And if she comes when she's called she won't have to go on a lead ... except when Poppy is approaching!  Poppy is a lovely, little JRT/Fox Terrier cross.  Very squirmy and very submissive and Beryl would really like to toss her in the air!  When we see Poppy Beryl goes on the lead and gets lots of treats while still being with Poppy and gradually she's learning that Poppy really is a dog as Poppy begs for treats instead of lying on her back like a stuffed toy just asking to be thrown around.  Both girls are getting much more relaxed around each other:-)

When Beryl first came to live with us Frankie seriously questioned my sanity at times.  He'd give me The Look, which meant, can you send her back now Mum?  She's being a pest and keeps telling me off.  I'll let you know when I'm ready to play with her again, OK?  And at times I did wonder if I'd done the right thing getting another dog, or if Beryl was perhaps the wrong dog for us.  While I got her for me Frankie still had to be happy.  And the main reason I got a Greyhound was because Frankie gets on so well with Louie and Lucy.  As the weeks went by The Look became less and less frequent and I don't think I've seen it for a couple of months now.  It's been replaced by Another Look, Hey Sis, come on, we've got things to do:-)  He still occasionally gets told off but it's no longer the traumatic experience it once was, he just shakes himself and usually gets right back in there asking for more. 

And Beryl seriously loves her little brother.  Well, he's the best pillow she's ever had:-)

She loves him so much she sometimes feels the need to help him control Lucy, his absolutely BFF.  Lucy is also Beryl's BFF but her love for Frankie sometimes overrides that

Other times she thinks Frankie can fight his own battles

But she's still there if he needs her:-)

She has learned that she doesn't have to bark at every little noise.  She's very quiet now.  She knows to go lie on their couch in the sunroom with Frankie when I go to work at an ungodly hour of the morning.  And how to use the dog door.

That being a GAP Greyhound she gets to go on GAP walks and meet up with lots of other lovely Greyhounds

and also to go do a bit of fund raising and spread the word about what wonderful pets Greyhounds are!

And pet Greyhounds get to go to the beach!

And some of them get horribly spoiled with lots of lovely collars (see both pics above and next 2)

My collar is nearly as pretty as me:-)

She has learned that if she comes and stands by me while I'm sitting at the computer I can rub her chest at the same time.  She's not a pushy girl, pretty subtle actually, as befits a Princess,  but she usually finds a way to get her message across. 

For the first few months after she came to live with us she would bounce up to strangers, wagging her tail and smiling as if she was asking them if they were going to be her forever people.  It took her quite a while to realise that our place is home and I'm her Mum, not just someone looking after her in the interim.  Now she gracefully glides up to strangers, politely introduces herself, lets them admire her beauty and comes back to stand with me:-)  I love it!

I think Beryl is still learning who Beryl is, she comes up with surprises every so often.  But I know I'll love whatever she comes up with. 

Life doesn't get any better than this:-)

And we've got time to sneak in on the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop - the instructions are at Life With Dogs have fun!

Ho Hum + Saturday Blog Hop

It's been something of a ho hum week.  Nothing has happened to blog about ... unless you want to read about Beryl almost waking me up just before 1 am a couple of nights ago because she HAD to go outside.  I say almost waking me up as I don't think I really did wake up even though I managed to get her outside in time and myself back to bed.  I wondered what on earth the weird noise was, I knew it wasn't Frankie so murkily worked out it must be Beryl.  She's never made a peep in her crate before (except for the time I rudely forgot to put the second duvet in one night and she indignantly moaned about that for a while before deciding it wasn't worth it and going to sleep).  So it's good to know she will yodel if she needs taking out during the night:-)  Frankie was funny, he hopped into her crate to keep her bed warm while she was doing 35 circles on the lawn:-)  But I think he had an ulterior motive ... he would have been worried she might race up to 'our' bed and I'd be too soft to put her back into her crate, lol!  But she jumped back in and settled down.

Anyway, this afternoon Fatima and I took our kids and a couple of the GAP Greyhounds for a walk down the park and a run in the velodrome.  I didn't take many photos as it started to drizzle but here's 1 of each of them ....

The handsome Snuffles

This guy is a big chap and such a cuddle monster:-)  He just wants someone to love.  He had a great time getting out and about.

The lovely Shannon

She is a little slip of a girl, bit of a madam but lots of personality and charm.   And so pretty!

And this is just a cute photo I took of my kids a few days ago:-)

Beryl putting on the brakes!

This is the kids supervising me vacuum yesterday.  I'm a bit surprised they didn't run away, it doesn't happen very often, lol!

We'd better make sure you don't miss anything!

And finally - a series of photos I took this afternoon of Beryl watching over Frankie (literally) while he munched on a biscuit.  This wouldn't have been possible a few months ago:-)

Uh oh, this could be tricky?

Oooo, dare I?

I luff ya Sis xox (flattery might help)

Nom, nom, nom

Enough with the eating, lets play?

OK little bro, you asked for it:-)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.  It's raining again here!

Now it's time for the Saturday Blog Hop ... off you go to Life With Dogs for the instructions:-)

Stay Training!

I have actually started doing some training, look at this taken this morning ....

Focused Frankie!

Beryl is looking for crumbs, lol!  I started yesterday with them separately, Beryl first while Frankie whined softly at the door "Muuum, what are you doing with Beryl?  Why can't I be there too?"  So today I had them together and sadly it was better with them apart.  Beryl wouldn't stick with Frankie there even though he would hold the stay.  It didn't help that she had somehow worked out that we were going for a walk after training at a time we never go down the park!!  So she was all excited and really wanted to get cracking rather than lie down:-)

Tonight we had a good moment .... I've been asking her to sit before feeding her dinner for a week (but it's only really been about 4 nights because I keep forgetting to ask her to sit!!) and every other night she's given me the stink eye and walked away muttering to herself "Stoopid Mum, I'm a Princess, I don't have to sit before I eat" then she'll come back, I'll ask again once or twice before she finally does sit.  But tonight she sat first time, yay:-) 

Give her a few more nights and I'll try putting her bowl down and asking her to wait:-)

And I've got a pretty stiff challenge to try and accomplish in the next 4 weeks.  Our Rally O instructor said I should enter Beryl for the competition for our National Dog Show which is being held at a wonderful facility in my town.  Nothing like starting at the top!!  The problem is Beryl knows NOTHING!!!  Just because she bounces around at training having a great time and I can lure her with food and she is quite focused on me doesn't mean she's ready to compete, lol.  Although I guess it's a lot better than Frankie who knows everything but is so focused on his environment that I don't exist except as the person who is stopping him from saying hello to that dog over there or sniffing that lovely smell, lol! 

So my challenge to myself is to try and get some focus into Frankie and find out what stations I'm likely to strike in Novice and teach them to Beryl.  Oh well, it's good to have something to aim for and even if I make a total mess of everything it's all good experience for us.  I'm going to reread "When Pigs Fly" again (starting when I finish writing this, lol!) and hopefully will get some ideas now that I'm on a mission!

On  lighter note, on Tuesday the kids and I went to visit a friend who lives in a little seaside town about 30 minutes from us.  She's got 2 lovely Shetland Sheepdogs who Beryl hadn't met before.  We took our kids for a wonderful walk through some pine forest out to sand dunes and then onto the beach and back again.  Beryl was so good.  Off lead the whole way and having the time of her life.  Here are a couple of photos of her

Hmmm, is that me?

Aren't I pretty?

And a little video I took of Beryl at the river the other day with a bit of slow motion fancy stuff, lol.

Right, I'm off to do some reading .... after I've caught up with everyone's blogs:-)

Is this too green?

Ok, I've been playing and I quite like this BUT can anyone tell me how to get my title next to the photo?  Do I have to know HTML to do it, cos I don't, lol!  The only options I can find are what's there or everything all over the photo. 

Do you know what I did tonight?  I managed to put my camera SD card into the DVD drive on my iMac, duh!!!  And it got swallowed.  I'll have a look at things tomorrow and see if it's possible for me to get the back off or do I have to take it to the shop:-(  At least it's still going but I took about 200 pics today and can't look at them.  Perhaps half a glass too much wine, hmm???

What is a "heart" dog?

I saw one of my followers ask this question on a blog I was just reading and the question wasn't answered so I thought I'd give my idea of what a "heart" dog is and I welcome comments from others as to what they think:-)

To me a "heart" dog is a dog with whom you have an eerie connection, you can almost read each others thoughts.  Just as you've given each other your hearts, you'd also make every possible sacrifice to ensure the safety and happiness of the other.  Some people are privileged enough or deserving enough to have more than one "heart" dog in their lifetime, some people never experience the awesomeness that is having one. When that connection is broken a huge hunk of your heart is taken with it.  Sometimes the human partner dies first - we all know the story of Greyfriar's Bobby I think?  Such a faithful little dog.

In my lifetime I've had 15 dogs.  They were/are all special and it would almost break my heart to single a few out as being extra special because I know all their hearts belonged to me, but some of them did take a bigger piece of my heart when they left than others.

Frankie is a "heart" dog despite driving me to distraction at times.  But neither of us are perfect and he loves me totally anyway.  He makes me smile and laugh and sometimes yell when he gets his 'painted on ears' at the park.  And I can't imagine life without him.

Beryl is a very, very special girl.  She isn't a "heart' dog .... yet!  We still don't know all about Beryl and neither does she.  Her personality is still developing and it's wonderful to witness her blossom into a very happy pet.   Tomorrow it will be 4 months since Beryl came to live with us and I can't remember what life was like 'before Beryl'.

What is everyone else's definition/experience of a "heart dog"?

It's all in the eyes of the beholder!

Beryl's Turn

I fell for Beryl when I saw this pic on the GAP  website ...

At the time I was only toying with the idea of getting a Greyhound but that look of mischief proved irresistible to me and I immediately put the wheels in motion and filled out the paperwork and waited.  I was devastated when I looked at the website a few days after and saw she'd been reserved, I thought someone else was getting her:-(  But that evening I got the phone call to say she was mine, whew!!  I was VERY lucky to get her as she's cat friendly and I don't have a cat and generally the dogs are (successfully) chosen to fit the applicants home, you don't choose your dog, lol! 

I took Frankie out to the GAP kennels to meet her and while he kind of approved of her he was more interested in going to check out the boarding kennels to see if any of his mates were there.  He has been boarded there a few times.

Does Frankie approve of Beryl?

Beryl was speyed a few days later and went to stay in foster care with my friends over Easter to recuperate.  I visited her every day and on Easter Monday we all went for a walk to our wonderful local park so she and Frankie could say a decent hello.  To cut a long story short, instead of going back to her Aunties, Fatima and Rachel, for a couple more days recuperation they all came round to my place and Beryl stayed.  So April 5th, 2010 is Beryl's Gotcha Day:-)

Settling in ... quickly!

Within a couple of days she had learnt (with Frankie's expert demonstrations) how to jump onto my bed and the couches!  Um, we don't have a lot of boundaries in my home.  My kids are my mates and as long as they're not destructive or possessive and are reasonably well mannered then nothing needs to change.  Frankie has taught me to put technological stuff he can chew well out of reach (but it took 2 destroyed mobile phones, 1 remote control, 1 landline phone.  Then him wounding another mobile and replacement landline, I'm a slow learner)  But it's been a while since he's destroyed anything so my management skills are improving.

More to come ......