Dogs and Pets

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Blessed by the birds

I am sitting by the open french window reading my favourite blogs when a tiny little wren pops in through the door.  This is amazing as yesterday another little bird flew in throught the same door.  I was sitting reading and saw a bright yellow streak flash by my newspaper.  It was a young female goldfinch.  It settled down beside my chair totally oblivious to my little dog, Dayna, sitting beside me.  I was so worried that Dayna might hurt the bird that I put don my hand to chase it out.  The little goldfinch grasped my fingers and let me carry it out into the garden.  It showed no signs of being willing to fly off so I tried putting it on the bird table with some food ~ but there it sat staring at me.  Popping back onto my fingers I moved it to the bird bath thinking some cold water might jolt it into flying away.  But no, it seemed quite happy to sit there and watch me.  At last I got my camera to take photographs of it as it posed.  It was a big burly pigeon who eventually frightened it off.  I was thrilled to see it soar into a nearby tree.

Was it newly fledged and unaware of danger?  Was it disorientated by flying indoors?  I don’t know but I will always be thrilled that for a few minutes I was able to get so close to such a beautiful creature.

goldfinch on my hand 2

goldfinch on my hand

Goldfinch on the bird table

goldfinch on the bird bath

 

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Getting to know Dayna

My little Dachsund, Dayna, is settling in quite well after a few minor hiccups!  As soon as I picked her up from her previous home last Thursday, I popped into the Pets At Home Store.  There I rashly bought 3 very large bags of a good quality dog food, one chicken, one beef and one vegetable variety, which she flatly refuses to eat.  I also bought a canvas cage for her to sleep in ~ which she absolutely refuses to get into.  I bought a lovely red extending lead to match her very sparkly red collar, which she chewed through during her first walk.

My wonderful dog-loving daughter in Vermont had sent me 3 books packed full of guidance on training your dog:

How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan

How to be your dogs Best Friend by The Monks of New Skete

Dog Stories ~ Everyman Pocket Classics.

I found these books insightful and very helpful, but obviously Dayna has previously read one called How to Get your Owner to Do Whatever You Want, so she wins hands down.  One week and three leads later we have got to know each other a little better and Dayna has got me trained.

Dayna loves pouches of lamb and rice with vegetables or tins of expensive dog food ~ not dry food ~ 3 large bags of which will now be donated to the local animal rescue centre.

Dayna will walk for miles very happily with a short chain metal lead.  She has no interest in being on a long extension but prefers to be within a couple of inches of my feet ~ preferably between them so I am in danger of tripping.

Dayna has no intention of ever sleeping in a cage, however sofly padded or confortably den-like, whatever the Monks of New Skete say!  She prefers to sleep within licking distance of my foot in a soft bed with a fluffy cushion.

Today has been wonderful for both of us.  She has been with me for every minute.  First, we went back to the Pets at Home store and bought a supply of the food Dayna loves;  We drove to Pershore for the Plum Festival and sat outside a cafe in the sun; We took Gerry to the dialysis centre and went for a walk; We cut all the Lavender bushes and bundled up the fabulous smelling lavender to hang up and dry, then went for another long walk;  Lastly we drove back to the dialysis centre, where Dayna scrutinised every man who came out as she waited for the one she has designated the ‘leader of our pack’.

How can something so tiny have so much control?  I don’t know but she gives me everything I wanted from a dog:

Loyalty, trust, companionship, healthy walks, fun, and bucket-loads of love.  I think she is worth her weight in gold.

 

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Dayna the Long Haired Dachsund

Dayna, my new companion

At last my new forever friend has found me.

When I was a child there was always a dog around; Rip, Aunty Gracie’s dog; Peter, my Grandad’s dog, then Patch and Smudge at home.  When I first started teaching and lived in a flat with my much loved and mourned friend, Pat, we got a Basset Hound called Henry.  He was the greediest dog in the world and we just could not keep him, so he ended up living in the lap of luxury (and drinking pints of beer I heard), with Pat’s mum and dad!

I have had two faithful dogs in my life since I got married and had children.  The first was Nellie, a Miniature Wire-haired Dachshund, (blind in one eye hence the name Nellie from Nelson), that I got when she was just 10 weeks old.  I chose the smallest dog I could find as my young son was wary of dogs.  Having always loved dogs I wanted to introduce him to a breed that would be smaller than he was and therefore non-threatening.    Nellie became our adored family pet through 3 more children, two house moves and a divorce!  Nellie had such a distinctive character; funny, cute and with an intense devotion to the children.  When I was at work and the children were at school, Nellie would squeeze under the gate and take herself off to my mum’s for the day to wait for our return.  Mum lived in the same road as us and people were always amused to see this tiny dog trotting along purposefully as if going to the office!

In the record-breaking hard winter of 1982 when we were snowbound for weeks and Nellie couldn’t go out without disappearing into a snow drift, we were adopted by a cat called Sommy (after Somerton Lock where he was fished out of the canal as a kitten).  Nellie and Sommy became inseparable and we were never sure whether Sommy thought he was a dog, or Nellie thought she was a cat!  Whatever it was, Nellie adopted the cat and for the rest of their lives they slept in the same bed.  When Nellie was 171/2 years old she died of old age. Within a month Sommy died too, leaving an enormous hole in our lives.

After a gap when our only pets were hamsters we acquired our second faithful friend.  It was in 1993 when my much loved dad died, that Jenny and I went with my mum to help her choose a puppy as a companion.  She chose a beautiful black and white pedigree Cocker Spaniel which she called Tess.  While my mum and I were focusing on Tess, Jenny had been chosen by another of the puppies, a blue roan cocker spaniel.  This puppy followed jenny everywhere so, needless to say, as Mum went home with Tess, we went home with Blue.

Blue was the sweetest, most gentle and loving dog we could have had.  Living opposite a park she got plenty of exercise but the one thing she hated was the car.  It was hopeless trying to take her on journeys as she just cried from the minute we got her into it.  However she had a lovely life, adored by all the family.  She looked like a puppy all her life until she became very ill and sadly the vet advised us to let her go peacefully, which we did.  She was a grand old 141/2 years.

By the time Blue died all my children had grown and flown (literally in 3 cases!), so I did not feel the need to get a new dog.  I was happy taking Jenny’s dog, Frank, for walks while she was at work.  But since Frank died at a ripe old age I have really missed having a dog to walk and love.

I have been searching the rescue and re-homing centres for weeks with no luck; until yesterday!   Gerry was searching the internet at the hospital for puppies in the Cotswolds, and I was searching the internet from home.  There were so many adorable puppies available and I did ring up for one or two, but then I spotted Dayna.  She is not a puppy at 5 years old but she needed a new home.  Something about her eyes appealed to me and I rang up and arranged a visit.  From the minute I walked in I just knew she was the one.  She is quiet, gentle and loves to be near people.  She really knew how to get me hooked, sitting on my lap with her eyes looking deep into mine.  Knowing how easily persuaded I am, I decided that I needed a more objective view ~ Gerry would have to meet her too!  It was with some trepidation that I drove him to meet her straight from the hospital.  But I need not have worried; she totally won him over too!  We took her home there and then.  We were given a lead and a raincoat for her but no bed, blanket or toys which surprised me.  We bought new ones on the way home but sadly she had nothing familiar to comfort her.

Last night was difficult as she was in strange surroundings and she was a bit restless during the night.  I probably did all the wrong things, putting her new bed right by my bed so she was near us, but eventually she fell asleep.  She woke me ridiculously early ~ 6.30am!  And totally untrue to form I got up and took her for a walk!  She walked beautifully but did not wee until she got home!  Bit of a hiccup there as it was in the hall, but fortunately there were towels and blankets down which saved the carpet!

Today she has eaten well and drunk her water and is still peaceful and adorable.  Any advice on how to help her settle in smoothly will be gratefully received!  And especially any advice on how to encourage her to wee outside!!