I don't really want to have to record this, because I was really upset yesterday. But there's no point only recording the positive progress, when the negatives are just as important , if less palatable.
The pups had gone to bed and were, I thought, settled for the night. I looked in on them a little while later to discover that Lily was in fact still awake and was worrying at her paw again. She'd done this a while ago and we'd had it checked by the vet who could find nothing amiss. We regularly check it too and there's no evidence of anything sore or irritating - but she was giving it a real chew last night.
I must have taken her by surprise and disturbed her because she flared up at the sleeping Rose (who hadn't even been aware of my presence) and then when I chastised her she growled AT ME. I was so taken aback that I confess to giving her a smack on the bottom. Not hard, but firm enough for her to be shocked and for me to feel AWFUL.
Admittedly she immediately became calm and submissive, but I hated to think that a) she would growl at me and b) that after all the positive training I've done with them I resorted in the end to a smack.
It made me feel a real failure - which I know is probably an over-reaction, but is nevertheless the way I felt. Of course I immediately started researching 'Growling...' on t'internet and everything I read said this is a major issue and must be stopped immediately or professional help may be needed...or words to that effect.
Now I feel as if we've got a delinquent pup and yet this time yesterday I was congratulating myself on how well behaved and settled they were.
This dog ownership lark is not without it's trials and tribulations, is it?
LILY & ROSE
Here are some photos of Lily & Rose. There are a few from the first time we saw them when they were just 4 weeks old. They would fit on your hand at this age and didn't look much like westies!
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Well done. It does happen but Westies are push overs really. For instance you will remember from your childhood when dogs used to gnaw away at real bones for hours on end, that if you happened to go anywhere near this they would begin a low level growl in anticipation, which grew into a frightening snarl if you attempted to take it away.
ReplyDeleteMaggelar and Islar (my Smithy impersonation at the risk of Corden overkill) still do it occasionally and I get annoyed and I actually take the chew off them (almost as a daft macho dare)while speaking in sterner tones than their growls. To show them who's boss really I suppose. Dogs do seem to instinctively know who's boss in the house; for instance they barely even raise their heads when Andy come in from school and the looks of contempt, I swear, are simply withering, as if they wouldn't even consider giving him the proverbial steam...But when Cathy comes home (!)...oh when Cathy comes home...the adoration, love and wild devotion on display is on a scale of Wuthering Heights. (You've probably got this images of Olivier and Merle Oberon out on Penistone Crags, Kate Bush dancing barefoot and that black and white 1966 TV documentary in your head right now as this rambling piece ends).....So ....anyway well done. Keep showing her who's boss.
Just out of idle interest Wuthering Heights is the only book I've ever read more than twice and remains my favourite since I was a boy. Now I AM rambling like the N Yorks moors...time for my pills (I'm waiting out the 7-10 days for my "hospital acquired" infection before going to the GP :o)
I replied to this - and it has disappeared again.
ReplyDeleteAlong the lines of - thanks Dannymatt - will keep up the hard work. I WILL BE THE PACK LEADER - I WILL!!
And - I too love Wuthering Heights - but all time favourite novel is Catch 22. I think I've read it every year! Have just bought third or fourth copy recently as paperbacks wear out so quickly!