Dogs and other family pets


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When I was young on Clifton, dogs were often left to wander around on their own. Some were ok, but some definitely weren't.

 

The main thing I remember was that they had a habit of leaving their mark on the pavements and grass areas - with their owners not knowing or caring. Dog dirt was regarded almost as something you had to put up with, like rain or fog. It was easy to walk around and get back home to find you'd got something unpleasant stuck to the sole of your shoe.

 

A big advance in recent times has been dog owners acknowledging that it's their job to clear up the mess. If you'd suggested that to any dog owner in the 60s, I'm not sure what response you would've got.

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12 minutes ago, Cliff Ton said:

A big advance in recent times has been dog owners acknowledging that it's their job to clear up the mess. 

Unfortunately not all dog owners where I walk Kai. It’s bad enough skirting around all the horse poo, which judging by the amount horses do it all the while:wacko:

As it was raining all day yesterday and where we normally go would have been a bit clarty we had a walk to the vets so I could weigh Kai. He has lost a bit of weight again, he wasn’t eating properly the same as when we lost Wolf. I have altered his diet a bit and he is starting to eat a bit better now, he has put about 2kg on.
Then we went to the pet shop. He enjoys that. He had a look at the toys, nothing interesting thankfully his toy box is quite full, had a good sniff round the dog food, treats etc and we got 5 packs of lamb spaghetti treats which will last just over 3 weeks (he only has one a day of the long ones, if I go out without him he gets a shorter one when I come back). Met a new friend, had a lot of fuss from the staff and we had a slow walk back. A drink of water and he is now napping. 
It’s a good day:)

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One day I took Lulu my smallest chihuahua out with me only to have a walk round. I always have roll of plastic bags to pick up poo, so wasn't worried she would do anything , as its so easy to pick up. But then she bobbed down to wee, imagine she weighs 2.kg and tiny, the patch she left was a big as an upturned coffee cup, but the agro I got from a passing woman made me feel so small. I am a responsible person who doesn't like to see doggie bits left in the street but what can you do if a tiny dog wees outside? You cant pick it up the only thing I could do was to rinse it with a bottle of water that I always carry in my handbag for myself. This woman went off muttering that it shouldn't have been allowed. Obviously has never experienced having a pet.

I must add too that none of our dogs go regularly out into the streets. We live in the country and there are so many country walks around here. during the day they go in the garden as sometimes when it rains they just walk straight back in. So with 4 dogs its like "following the cart horse". I'd sooner do that than have the messing the streets up and having to clean it up with most people looking and saying "ugh I couldn't do that " Usually people like this woman who's never had a pet in their lives.

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I love all animals....but i'll never have another Dog...i just couldnt go out picking its mess up, sorry.....at least Cats go next door mostly,,,have to laugh ive had neighbours asking me to ''Have a word'' which ive done,,,but they take no notice,,lol

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My cats use their litter trays, although one of them will do his toilet in the garden, if nature calls while he's out there. He always covers it up. My tabby female always comes in and uses the tray. No dirt digging for her. She'd get her nails dirty! Miss Tabby inspects a tray very carefully before she gets in. Then she looks and sniffs in all the corners. If it doesn't pass muster, she gets out and goes to another tray, often with a commentary thrown in!

 

We have 5 trays around the house. They are cleaned as soon as used, with a scoop and fresh litter put in.  It doesn't bother me at all but show me a dirty nappy and I'd throw up!  I couldn't cope with that.

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Our dogs have pp pads for emergencies

They are collected every monday along with other rubbish. (Separatly of course).

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When we lived up north, the house was on an acre of forest land. Our 2 cats have always had a litter tray indoors. They would come inside, use their tray and go out again.  They would see next doors many cats dig a hole ouside and use it, but they would never do that themselves. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Kai and I have just been out for our walk, we didn’t go out yesterday because of the weather, it was a rushing day instead much to his horror, so he was very insistent that he was going out today. It us actually a nice day now for walking although the wind is gusting a bit strong occasionally.

We went our usual walk where I can let him to have a sniffle around etc. The first part was a bit muddy, had my hiking boots on so wasn’t bothered. We got to the part where it is a narrow path, I looked down and realised we were walking on a layer of gloopy (Technical term) horse poo which covered all the path, I presume the rain had allowed it to spread. Normally the path is like a minefield but you can skirt around the piles (and I do mean piles), luckily Kai doesn’t find it interesting.  It was like this all the way the path was narrow which is quite a way, once the path widened towards the end we were able to get around the stuff once again. 
Once we got home my boots were washed under the garden tap and Kai, who has very hairy feet, had all four washed before he came into the house. I think I can positively say he wasn’t very impressed at the procedure. 
I always carry poo bags with me to clean up after Kai, I know it isn’t really possible to clear up after your horse, although I can remember the rag and bone man clearing up after his horse, but this was tacky (another technical term) and quite gross. I don’t think there are any health issues with it (?),  unlike dogs, but it was unpleasant.
I know the top is part of a bridlepath but don’t think the bottom part is. Perhaps a bit of thought is required by the horse riders?

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The hens will remain locked up tomorrow when the tree surgeons are at work. Cats and dog won't like it either when the chainsaws and diesel shredder are on the go.  Caught another live mouse and put it outside this morning. The cats have stopped killing them for some reason? They just bring the mice in and play with them. I have learnt where the mice hide out and able to rescue them unharmed - that is until they get into the pantry, then it's the trap..

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  • 3 weeks later...

Love it... nice corner display cabinet and in pride of place... four cans of strong lager on top...  good stuff...  ;)

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Sorry to disappoint you Brew but they werent lager cans, strong or weak. Its a wooden and gold sort of folding thing. I dont know what to call it. A friend gave it to us many years ago. It was from Greece.

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  • 1 month later...

After Kai getting really dirty the past few weeks, he does love a muddy puddle or any mud at all really I have this morning been to our local pet shop (with him in tow) and got him a dog coat. Not a normal one that just covers the back this is a super duper waterproof one with legs in very fetching black and red with silver piping that glows at night. As usual he had to have XL as the large was a bit too small which cost an arm and a leg. He also picked up a long snake toy, which was as big as him, but when I saw the price tag (£17.99) it was very quickly put back, he does have expensive tastes.

We then went home to get it on him before we went for our proper walk. The other half of my bubble was there so we unpacked and sorted which end was which, logical really as there was a space so he could do what he needed to do while we are out. It fastened along his back with a zip and 2 press studs, the legs had Velcro fastenings on the bottom. So we girded our loins and had a discussion where we should start, deciding on getting the front legs in first.

Now Kai is very laid back, not much phases him so he was very uninterested in what we were doing. We undid the Velcro on the front legs, it was really long, would go round his leg a couple of times. Picked up his front leg and got it in, pushed it through taking care not to catch his dew claw, Velcro was a bit faffy but managed to sort it in. Easy Peasy. Second leg was a bit harder as he started hopping around on 3 legs trying to pull his leg back but we managed to get it in whereupon the Velcro on this leg wrapped itself round the Velcro on the other leg and Kai then managed with great alacrity to get both legs out and we were back to square one. Deep breath.

We then decided to do front and back leg on one side and then the other side. Sounded like a plan. We got the back leg in and then the front one. He then decided he had had enough of this and started to walk off very deftly getting his legs out of the coat with a couple of shakes.

We got him back and started again, this time my companion hung onto the top of the coat when we got 2 legs in so Kai moved and leaned against the fridge with the side that wasn’t in the coat. I moved him but he went back to the fridge a couple of times before I could stop him. We did eventually manage to get the other 2 legs in and had to follow him round the kitchen whilst trying to zip it up.  Kai had by this time gone stiff and just stood there. I checked the legs were done up tight enough and everything else was in order and we were finally ready to go for our walk. Or should I say we were Kai definitely wasn’t.

We managed to get him to the door eventually, he just didn’t want to walk and looked really unhappy, head down, tail between his legs. Got him outside and very slowly started going up the road, normally he is sniffing around all the time but nothing. He was also walking quite weirdly as well. We persevered and got to the main road, managed to get him across and onto the lane at the start of our walk. I really thought we would have to go back as we were virtually pulling him along. We kept him going, cajoling him along and got to the part where we let him off lead. Let him off but he just wasn’t interested in anything, so we just carried on walking. About half way up he found an interesting sniff and had marked it, at least we had the coat on properly for him to do that. By the end of the lane he was a bit better And we went to the woods, here he picked up a bit more, plenty of mud around. We noticed he was doing his own thing, but perhaps with not as much enthusiasm as usual, so it was an improvement. However if you watched him the hangdog expression came back and he dawdled again. His feet were really muddy and I could see the mud on the underneath of the coat so it was doing it’s job. We went for a takeaway coffee and then walked back home, he was walking almost normally by now although he was still throwing us one of his “looks” every so often. 
Got him back home and took the coat off, a lot easier than putting it on. He had a good shake and did some vocal complaining. Coat put through washer and hanging up to dry. Not looking forward to round 2:(
 

 

 

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Our dogs don't like their coats on. The two chihuahuas just stand or sit. It's funny to watch. 

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We’ve never put coats on any of our dogs but our ex-daughter-in-law (American) dressed their dog up for Halloween and Christmas.   Admittedly we bought a ‘Thunder Jacket’ for our Jack in the hope he wouldn’t stress with fireworks but sadly it didn’t work.  A neighbour has a terrier with arthritis and they take him a walk in one of those pet pushchairs.  I wouldn’t do that either. 

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Stavertongirl 

AH poor Kai you are a spoilsport but i did have a laugh , where is  your sense of Adventure? just think what you have missed, given Kai  bath or shower when arriving home, let him/her shake all the mud and suds around the bathroom , then after Kai has ran into the living room jumped on the sofa trying to dry its coat on you carpet or rug, not forgetting if you have wooden floor the dogs love to skate on them. 

Been there done it with a Rotti  advice get you wellobs on and jump in the mud then mabe Kai might /just/ might  see what a fool you look and maybe yes maybe wont go out with you again. 

ps please don't take this post wrong way.

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I think Kai has just about forgiven me for getting him the coat and possibly not buying him the expensive toy, took a lot of treats though! He is a big lad so there is no way I can get him into the bath so this was the other option which I am pleased to say kept him clean especially his belly which always ended up really muddy. Just the bottom of his back legs are still a bit grubby Where he was ankle deep in a mud patch but I will sort them out later today. 
The blurb about the coat says it is easier to get on the second time, I must admit I have my doubts about that as he will know what is about to happen although it will depend which walk we do whether he will wear it or not. Thinking of getting myself a coat in the same colours so we are co-ordinated!
 

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I hear what you are saying about giving your dog a bath, you can imagen when I had my Rotti. I put on plastic apron, found lots of old towels, had nice warm water ready, shower paused. Right pick up Rotti and place in the bath. it was easy no, no, no, Belive it or not Pip hated water, that is water of any kind, if you took her for a walk after it had been raining she would walk around a puddle

yes !! A big mad wild Rotti who hated water. At the time where we lived I could walk down to Bulwell Hall, going on the path to the hall was a small river.stream, well the only way I could get her through the water was for me to put on my wellies jump up and down and make a fool of myself. She put her foot in the water just a little and she howled any body would have thought that I was trying to kill her off. It took me about 6 months to get her through this stream, finaly i did, but a bath? well thats another story.

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When we lived in Doncaster we used to walk our German Shepherd with a friend who had a Rotti. It was the first time I had ever been near one, was always a bit wary of them to be honest because of their reputation. However Max was a big softie, more interested in the treats in my husbands pocket than anything else. He was a big lad though and had a thing for our Shepherd bitch Tess. They did have a good time playing together although sometimes Max got a bit “fresh” with Tess and had to be put in his place by her. 
If someone else appeared walking their dog you could see the horror in their face when they saw them both together, must have looked a bit daunting as they were both big dogs but neither were aggressive and always came back to call. Think Max only did to get a treat, if you didn’t give him one he would keep nudging the pocket they were in until he got one. Lovely memories. 

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