The first non-rain day in a while!

Well today, after a week of rain the sun decided to make a reappearance! Of course, I grabbed the opportunity and took Indi and Ernie on 2 seperate 2 hour walks. They both loved it, and it was really nice to be able to go out without 50 000 layers on or getting wet!
Ernie was really good, although his barking is starting to get very annoying! He is officially the gobbiest dog in the house! He has now beaten Max, and Max is gobby! He does make me laugh though, he just has to bark whenever he works! He just cant help himself! I don't really mind that much, it just gets annoying when your taking photos and he wont shutup long enough for me to take a good photo! He is a funny little dog!
Indi was also really good, he did have a few other dog issues but is getting better. I do think it was partly my fault for panicking and grabbing him, I think if I just let him say hello he would just bark and then forget the other dog. I may need to start doing that as we really need to beat this problem now, and flyball isnt on at the moment so we cant socialise him there! However, a dog walked past and the most he did was stare and cry. He was even sitting as it went past! It was better than him pulling me over and barking like crazy!
He really had great fun in the sea. He scared the life out of me a couple of times as the waves were huge and he went under about twice. What makes me laugh is the way he stands back up and is completely unbothered! He really is such a funny dog! He had more goo coming out of his bottom, sea-water really does not like his stomach!
Well no new tricks at the moment. I am working a lot on no pulling on the lead. Especially with Indi. He is slowly getting better, but we still have a way to go.

So for now some pics from our walk today! Indi looks so fat in the one where he's pouncing, but its just where the wind is blowing in his fur! I never realised before, but he is actually unbelievably fluffy!

2 years ago today...

2 years ago today was the worst day of my life so far. I woke up at around 6AM to my parents mumbling downstairs, and then a huge bang and my mum start crying. I remember rushing to the top of the stairs and seeing the dog I had grown up with since both me and him were 8 months old lying there. It was the most awful image I have ever seen. We went about our normal business that morning, and then when the doorbell rang he got up! We all felt a twang of hope, but he couldn't move. My dad had to pick him up and lie him back down. Then I had to go to school. I remember stroking his fur and saying goodbye to him. 2 years on I still remember the look in his eyes and the feel of his fur. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my whole life.
School was hard at first, but as the day went on it got easier. When I first went in I couldn't speak to anyone, and just about managed to tell my best friend what was happening. By lunchtime, I was fine and actually laughing when I told my other best friend. That's how I usually deal with things like that, by laughing/smiling. It's so annoying, because I cant help it, its like an unwanted reaction. However, I didnt actually believe any of it was real. I remember sitting in my last lesson just thinking, this isnt real. I'm going home to 4 dogs, this isnt real.

I walked home, and before I even got in I was in tears. I got to the bottom of my road and thats when it hit me and I just broke down. It was the most awful experience of my life and I hope I never have to do anything like that again.

Ben was a rescue Border collie cross that my parents rescued when we were both 8 months old. He grew up with me until I was 13. He was the most calmest collie in the world, but still loved to work and go for long walks. He had a bad experience with a dog when he was a puppy so was a bit unpredictable around other dogs but absolutely adored everyone. He was always up for a cuddle and just loved everyone. He was tied up in a garden for the first 8 months of his life, said to be too hyper and naughty. Because of this, he wasnt very comfortable around fireworks. He was naughty and hyper, but after lots of training he became our most well-behaved, calmest and sweetest dog.

I still love him and miss him so much. I feel so lucky that I was able to share my childhood with him and grow up with him. He really was such an amazing dog. RIP my darling Ben.

Enjoying Autumn and Winter is nearly here!

Well we really are enjoying Autumn at the moment! Winter is definantly on its way, which is better weather for walking Ernie. It's a shame he has only been out twice since Monday. On the days he hasn't been out, we have been making up for it by doing a LOT of training. Not just with Ernie, but Indi too! I will have to make a new video soon, we are just working on everything at the moment. Obedience is the main priority, and I am really working on heelwork, waits/stays and focus. Ernie's heelwork gets better everyday, Indi's is improving so much as well! I have also been working with Ernie on fading out hand signals with tricks and obedience. He is doing great, and sometimes adds his own moves in as well! His enthusiasm has just gone up so much for tricks, this time last year he found them pretty boring! Indi finds everything where he can jump and get treats fun! Although he has the shortest attention span I have ever seen in a dog!
Well, even though walks have been decreased, on Sunday me and Ernie did go for a 10 mile walk in just under 4 hours! As we had nothing else to do, and the weather wasn't too hot or too cold I decided to go for a long walk to the nearest sandy beach to us. I first had to walk to the stony beach that is nearby. I then just followed the beach round, although there was a big bit where dogs weren't allowed off-lead which was a bummer. But then, we got to the end where we usually turn off when were in the car. I got really excited because I thought we were here! However, this was just the start of the path behind all the golf courses. On one side was the beach, which was still stones, and on the other was all the golf courses and sand dunes. This path went on forever. It was probably about 3 miles in itself! When it did finally end, we still had to go along the road to get to the car park where we usually park. This took another 15 minutes. Then we finally got to the start of where we usually start when were in the car. However, the tide wasn't out far enough so we only got a tiny bit of sand! We then walked all the way back and by the end my legs ached so much! Ernie was still running at the end! It was a fantastic walk, although I may take a break next time and not walk as fast and then maybe my legs won't ache as much as they did.
Well December is getting closer and closer, and the weather is getting colder and colder! I hope for some snow soon, but we shall see. Ernie adores this weather, and so do I! Indi doesn't care and neither do the others! Max still can't go out, and now I don't know if I ever will be able to walk him again. Were just playing it day by day and if nothing gets better by after christmas we will have to start thinking about that awful decision. What's a life worth living if you can't do what you love?
On a brighter note, my bird is laying eggs! We don't think they've got anything in there but hey you never know! We do have 2 birds that look very different but we have no idea if the other one is a female or not. He's never laid eggs so he could be a male but were not 100%.
Well no new pics, but hopefully a video soon! :)

Autumn beach fun!

Well today we went to the nearest sandy beach to us, again :). The weather was fantastic and the dogs had a great time. Indi was so well behaved, and even said hello to one of my nans friends dogs for the first time and didnt bark or anything! He is getting so much better, Im so pleased with him. He did have that weird yellow goo come out of his bottom again, but it was nowhere near as bad as last time. Sea water really does not like his stomach. Shame he likes it so much!

Ernie went out really far today, he followed Indi right out and was really comfortable being there. Its hard to imagine that these two dogs this time last year wouldn't go anywhere near the sea. Ernie did have a barking problem though. He is a very loud dog when he does tricks and waits for his ball to be thrown. However, he is 100 times worst down Sandwich bay. I have no idea why. He would just bark and bark and bark when I was doing tricks with Indi or even picking up a stone to throw! His barking doesnt bother me, but it bothers everyone else! Crazy dog!

Well I was going to be going to a flyball comp tomorrow but am now not. It is an indoor one that I used to go to all the time. The problem is its freezing there and there is very little space to walk the dogs. As I wont be competing anyway and I have an exam next week I decided not to. Its the last one of the year so I wont be going to another comp until next year.

This year has gone so fast, its November already! I can't believe it! On the 19th it would have been exactily 2 years since Ben died. Its gone so fast, I hate it. Indi is no longer a puppy and his fur has finally got to a point where its not growing too much anymore. Ernie is 3 and has already achieved so much and come so far.

But, as usual Im getting ahead of myself. Still got another month to go:). The exams are starting up now and Im getting loaded with school work but I am still doing lots of training with the dogs. Indi's heelwork is getting a lot better and both him and Ernie have finally learnt a moving sit. I don't know why, but I had a lot of trouble with that. I am working mainly with both of them on obedience, the not pulling on the lead issue, heelwork and stays/waits. Well the stays/waits only apply to Indi, Ernie's are perfect we are just proofing them:).

So for now some pics from our walk:). It really was a great walk, I sure do love owning dogs!

Fireworks night

Yep, it's that time of the year again. Fireworks are going off everywhere as we speak, and Ernie is not a happy bunny about it. He is terrified of fireworks. This is the second year we've had this problem and its horrible as we have fireworks going off in every direction and very close too. We try everything to help him like taking him for a walk before, doing lots of tricks while there going on and ignoring him. The tricks helped, but its hard work as he is so distracted. We just have to ignore him like all the books say, but I really do hate watching him shake and follow me everywhere. Well its only a few nights a year. Thank god.
Indi, my most scared dog is surprisingly unbothered. I took him for a walk before hand as well just in case, but he was completely fine! We even did some freestyle practice in the garden with them going off and he was completely focused! He did stop every now and then to stop and stare but was back jumping over my legs straight away! I'm very happy hes not bothered, it would be awful having two dogs stressed out of there minds.
I've only ever owned two dogs that have had these problems, Ben my old rescue BC who used to run upstairs when fireworks went off and Ernie. I'm not 100% sure how to deal with it so its trial and error at the moment and were just seeing whats working to help him not get too stressed. Getting him to do his back limp trick worked really well.
On other news, Max is slowly improving however I took him for a walk not long ago and he couldnt walk afterwards so he is getting better, but only if he doesnt go for walks. Poor Maximus, I miss walking my crazy Max.
At the moment, I am shaping Ernie to tip and push down on a little mini skateboard I got given from the build-a-bear workshop. He loves it, and its great to watch him think! In our first session he spent ages digging, and then tipping it when he got to the end so I clicked and treated the moment it tipped. Then he tried putting all four feet on the skateboard so I moved the skateboard while he was in this and he stayed on the whole time. It was a great exercise for building his trust in me more. With Indi I am working on basic obedience when walking him as a priority ready for the long road-walks next summer. I am also teaching him to jump over my legs and arms in sequence. He loves jumping over my legs and jumps really high! Our priority at the moment is to not pull on the lead, and I may also do some clicker work with Ernie on that as well as he's not very good either! It's never bothered me before with Ernie as he only ever pulls when hes with other dogs that pull or on our way to the field which is a few metres from our house. Other than that, Ernie never pulls. Oh well, we've got all winter to train it!
Well no new pics, although yesterday me and Ernie went for a really nice evening walk down the beach! He loved it, and so did I. It was great to walk with the frosty feeling in the air again, I sure do love that feeling! Yep, I am really enjoying winter at the moment:). It sure is my favourite season!