The power of positive training

Molly needs her claws clipping!!  She has never had them done since I have had her but when I produced some nail clippers she ran.   As there is only me here holding her still for them to be done would be practically impossible and it seemed to to be the wrong approach after I have been gradually getting her to co-operate more with trimming her coat - so we have been working on it.  

I have been having short sessions with both dogs together asking them to give me their paws whilst holding the clippers and then getting it closer to paws, before touching nails with them.  Chance has really been no problem and let me trim the tip off one of her dew claws the other night with no fuss.

This evening Molly has been working extra hard - the table is my garden table which I use for grooming her and it is next to a bench so she jumps up onto it when she wants and can get down at any time.

Firstly she was happy to have the clippers held closer to her than ever before

We then moved onto her giving her paw whilst I was holding the clippers

and then her giving her paw and allowing me to hold it very briefly

As things were going so well I decided to try clipping and she has allowed me to take the tips off two of her nails.

I finished then as really did not want to push her too hard and I was amazed we got that far tonight but won't be long now before she has all nails clipped and tidy 

Physio

To keep her knees working well Molly does physio exercises to make her use her muscles properly.  Thankfully she loves doing them and works really hard.

Front feet on wobble cushion

Front feet on pod

Front feet on pod back on wobble cushion

Sitting on wobble cushion

and finally wobble board and finding the balance point

It just kept growing!!

20th October 2012

29th October 2012

4th Novmber 2012

11th November 2012

17th November 2012

24th November 2012

2nd December 2012

9th December 2012

15th December 2012

23rd December 2012

1st January 2013

5th January 2013

10th February 2013

3rd March 2013

10th March 2013

20th April 2013  

The sea!!

The girls and I joined some friends for what is definitely Chances first experience of the sea and almost certainly Mollys too.

Chance as expected loved the opportunity to run round, chase toys and get wet.  Molly was not at all convinced by the waves but he enjoyed digging, rock climbing and generally exploring.

 Molly rocking climbing

 Chance and Grace disputing ownership of the ball

 Tuggggggg

 The four game players

The biscuit queue - from front left going round, Grace, Molly, Leo, Poppy and Chance 

 Some spoilt dogs got cold and needed cuddles then their jumper on!!

 Three amigos

 Having a drink in the freshwater pool after the beach

Fun in the snow

A reasonable sprinkling of snow and the girls had fun!!

Delivering Christmas Cards!

What could be nicer than taking the dogs for a walk and delivering cards on our walk?

Well for a start it would have been easier if it was not pouring with rain - and probably easier if one of the dogs was not a puppy but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Put leads on both dogs and start walking, remove Molls lead from Chances mouth, after doing this three times move Molly so she is not on the same side of me as Chance.  Walk nicely with loose leads to first gate - allow small smug smile, open gate and get towed up the path - apparently lead manners don't apply on someones garden path!!  Get cards out find the right one and dodge Chances attempt to grab it to push through letterbox.

Turn to go and realise Molly has parked in a "I am not budging" style - she likes visiting people and it is dry on the doorstep!!  Persuade Molly that we have work to do, drag two reluctant dogs back through the gate and walk nicely to the next house.

This time I am prepared for the drag through the gate so insist on some manners.  I had not realised the dangers of the decorated tree on the doorstep this time but Chance had spotted it and was already invrestigating.  Remove her mouth from decoration, push card through door and start negotiations with Molly about leaving the doorstep.  As she gets up to move Chance pounces on the tree again so remove her, get Molls moving and vow never to do this again!!

Put dogs in car and deliver remaining cards myself.

Bravery

.... sort of!

Molly and I were invited to a Brave Pets Award Ceremony by Vets Now after her couple of night stay earlier this year.  The vets and nurses say they like to invite a few of the people they have seen over the year for a party as they only tend to see the pets when they are very poorly and it is nice to see them when they are fully recovered and to meet the owners when they are not stressed and worried.

All of the pets there had been seriously ill with conditions ranging from Molls pancreatitis through car accidents to eating the wrong stuff.  Molly was awarded a certificate, bandana and tag for her collar.