Dogs on the rocks

Time has been flying and everyone is well and truly settled in now. We have taken the dogs to the dogpark several more times, and also out on the trails a lot more where they meet other dogs and people. Roxy, Bertie and Daisy all take it in their stride now, but Louis, as ever, is still the problem child. Since he got jumped on by the neighbour's dog he has started to behave aggressively when other dogs approach him. So we do not take him into the dogpark yet, just walk him round the outside where he can see the other dogs and get used to them without having to worry that they will attack him. It's a long process, and an issue we really could do without.

He chased a deer up onto the ridge the other day and was having so much fun did not bother to respond to my calls to come back. So eventually, fearing he would repeat his disappearing act from a few days prior (where he ran off into the brush for an hour and could/would not be found), I scrambled through the trees, rocks and bushes to get him, with the other three obediently in tow. When we finally made it to the ridge, there was so sign of Louis. We trolled down several deer paths with no luck, then suddenly there he was, leaping around obliviously about 20 metres in front of me. Astonishingly he obeyed my frantic screeching to stop and wait and I was able to get him back on a lead. Moral of the story? Louis still cannot be trusted offlead.

In other news, the dogs were mightily unimpressed with the tornado that ripped through southern California two weeks ago. Trying to get them to go out in the pounding rain was quite the challenge, although they always seemed to enjoy it once they got going. Although they did not appreciate the hailstorm that rained down on us at one point...

Wet weather seems to have brought out the ticks and Daisy especially is covered in them, Frontline or no Frontline. The first one I ever found, on the back of her neck, took an hour to get out, simply because she could not quite bring herself to trust me not to hurt her, based on past experience with whoever hurt her before. Eventually, with the aid of some nice treats, I was able to persuade her that removing it was in her best interest. Since then, tick check has been a daily pleasure for her. She loves to roll over and let me pick them off her and will allow me to do so for as long as is necessary. Sometimes she even comes back for more. It's an amazing turnaround. Wish I could say the same for Louis, but he still gets snappy. The trick is to wait till he's up on his rock, overlooking the canyon. Then, when he's totally distracted, he'll let you pick off as many ticks as you like and will barely even notice. Bertie and Roxy, it goes without saying, are no trouble at all.