The Fressinghill Four - Dog Diary

16/06/2022

Reasons why Raven can’t stay;

- He’s not brown, in any part
- He’s not got ANY spaniel in him. None!
- I don’t want 5 dogs
- He turns left and all our dogs turn right for flyball - that’s a deal breaker! 🤣
- I didn’t want a collie
- I still don’t want a collie
- I don’t actually ever want a collie

P.S
I loves him

14/06/2022

Beautiful out there tonight

07/06/2022

Looking less like a donkey daily

05/06/2022

It’s hard to see change in a dog you live every day with, but today Raven is so much more the dog he deserves to be.

We went on a slow explore around the village with no set agenda other than to gently broaden his horizons. He sniffed. He peed. We sat on the bench and watched the world go by, while I monkey-groomed him to sort some pesky grass seeds. Small small moments but so rewarding.

I love that he can now have so many more ‘normal’ moments. He couldn’t even sniff previously, let alone relax enough to just sit and chill.

His shadow chasing has reduced by 95% or more, it’s very rare to see him do it now, but he can’t resist a sudden moving shadow occasionally. However he soon reverts to other, new rewarding behaviours like sniffing.

His ears, for all they are hilarious, are so communicative, he’s the most communicative dog I’ve ever known, which really helps to live with him without stress.

Hopefully he can start physio this week and begin the next part of his rehab, helping him build up muscles and flexibility after so much time being confined previously.

A home-Ed friend commented that I’ve been ‘unschooling’ Raven, and to a certain extent I have. He’s had no pressure put on him, just been allowed to find his feet and learn about being a normal dog. 7 weeks in, I’m so happy with his progress

27/05/2022

Another week, two out with injury (one tail, one dew claw), Tally never gets in the photos as she’s elsewhere marching to the best of her own mad drum….

23/05/2022

Look at Raven chilling in the team tent at flyball - not chasing shadows, not bothered about other people and dogs, just laying and watching and enjoying being out

20/05/2022

14/05/2022

Yogi has searched all over, but alas this frisbee is lost forever

13/05/2022

3 weeks in and Raven is looking (and feeling) much better in many ways - standing less like a donkey, managing to do a lot more relaxed walking / sniffing rather than charging / pulling. He settles well when left and is generally displaying a lot less OCD behaviour (although in that photo he was fly catching!). We managed a walk in bright sunshine today with not a single moment of shadow chasing, which is massive progress.

He is, however, quite territorial in certain situations but with careful management I’m teaching him he has no need to feel uneasy. He has definitely been forced and kicked previously and is very sensitive about being touched when he is tired and chooses a spot to plant himself in. But his communication is so very clear, and the circumstances are predictable and therefore avoidable.

10/05/2022

Happy birthday Pippilotta, you are awesome 💖

09/05/2022

Smart boy

09/05/2022

Raven has had a great few days, enjoying some time at the dog run, a morning at flyball with our other dogs and experimental off lead running on our own field. He doesn’t come back close enough to be put back on lead (he’s not daft) but stays with us and follows the pack back indoors at the end.

He so much prefers being outdoors, I wonder if he has been kept outdoors previously.

He had a good groom (he was free to choose whether to be groomed or not, and could walk away whenever he wished), and he chose to stay and be groomed. He really appreciates physical contact on his terms. His face is definitely softening, as is his body posture.