Have made amazing progress with Bailey's grooming this morning! Can't believe how well it went. Had bought a DVD on Westie grooming and watched it over the weekend. Decided I will use thinning scissors on Bailey, as any mistakes don't show quite so much.
I made sure he had a good run over the woods first, so he would be a bit tired.
He had been SO hot over the weekend, so it seemed the ideal time to tackle his long, thick coat. Put him on the table and he let me thin out all the hair round his neck. This had been especially long and created a problem when we tried to put his collar on. I then worked my way down his back and he even let me trim the tops of his legs. He wasn't so happy about me doing his feet & he definitely wouldn't let me touch his rear end & tail. Would be good to give them both a good trim.
I then put him out in the garden while I put little Skye up on the table and gave her a good brushing all over. I checked her ears, toes & tail, so another success.
Then I put Bailey back up on the table and trimmed round his ears. He was very good, but I wasn't, they look a bit chewed & uneven. Will try to tidy them up tomorrow.
Monday, 28 June 2010
The Weekend
Despite it being the hottest weekend so far this year, we had a very promising weekend all round.
Scot was home, so I managed to have a much needed lie-in on Saturday & Sunday.
Little Skye was not nipping & biting quite as much, I think she's starting to get the message.
She goes to the same spot in the garden to do her wee's & poo's, so is easy for me to clear up. Have taken away the puppy pad in the kitchen, as she kept missing it and she obviously prefers to toddle out into the garden and use her chosen spot. Will only put it down when I have to leave her shut in the kitchen.
Took them both to the Dog's Trust open day. Bailey had been adopted through them & they were holding a Rogue's Gallery parade, which he could enter. We thought it was a good opportunity for Skye to do some "socialising", too. It was open from 12.00 - 16.30 so we got there about 12.30. Unfortunately it was way too hot for either of them so, after an hour, we decided to come home. At least she got to hear lots of big dogs barking & chasing round, so it probably wasn't a wasted journey.
Scot was home, so I managed to have a much needed lie-in on Saturday & Sunday.
Little Skye was not nipping & biting quite as much, I think she's starting to get the message.
She goes to the same spot in the garden to do her wee's & poo's, so is easy for me to clear up. Have taken away the puppy pad in the kitchen, as she kept missing it and she obviously prefers to toddle out into the garden and use her chosen spot. Will only put it down when I have to leave her shut in the kitchen.
Took them both to the Dog's Trust open day. Bailey had been adopted through them & they were holding a Rogue's Gallery parade, which he could enter. We thought it was a good opportunity for Skye to do some "socialising", too. It was open from 12.00 - 16.30 so we got there about 12.30. Unfortunately it was way too hot for either of them so, after an hour, we decided to come home. At least she got to hear lots of big dogs barking & chasing round, so it probably wasn't a wasted journey.
Friday, 25 June 2010
Not such a good day...
Today has been a bit disappointing. Skye has nipped, yapped & poo'd all over the carpet. Even Bailey got fed up with it and pinned her to the ground. It's been really hot too. I don't think it helped because Bailey has been barking a lot, so we all came in out of the garden to save the neighbour's ears.
Hope tomorrow is better!
Hope tomorrow is better!
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Today Skye is 8 weeks old.
Bailey is overdue at the groomers. Not sure what to do this time. When we got him he was 2 years old and had never been to the groomers or the vets. The Dog's Trust would only let him come home to us if we agreed to have him castrated, so they did it for us. They also had him immunised. We took him to 2 different groomers before we found one that could cope with him. He was absolutely petrified. He would start out acting a bit suspicious, but as it progressed he would start kicking & biting out of sheer terror. We eventually found a lovely lady who managed to clip quite a bit off him, but it was still very untidy - not a Westie cut - but at least an improvement.
Over this time I tried medication for him. The vet prescribed something, can't remember it's name, but it frightened me when I used it. Within minutes he started breathing strangely through his nose, I really thought he might die. So, next time I asked the vet for Zylkene, as I'd heard it was gentler. I gave it to him a couple of days before he was due to visit the groomers and we were never sure whether it was doing any good, but at least we managed to get him groomed. The last time he went, I had just about run out of the Zylkene, but I took him anyway. She said that he had been difficult to groom, so I an only think that it had been working. Must get some more!
Bailey is overdue at the groomers. Not sure what to do this time. When we got him he was 2 years old and had never been to the groomers or the vets. The Dog's Trust would only let him come home to us if we agreed to have him castrated, so they did it for us. They also had him immunised. We took him to 2 different groomers before we found one that could cope with him. He was absolutely petrified. He would start out acting a bit suspicious, but as it progressed he would start kicking & biting out of sheer terror. We eventually found a lovely lady who managed to clip quite a bit off him, but it was still very untidy - not a Westie cut - but at least an improvement.
Over this time I tried medication for him. The vet prescribed something, can't remember it's name, but it frightened me when I used it. Within minutes he started breathing strangely through his nose, I really thought he might die. So, next time I asked the vet for Zylkene, as I'd heard it was gentler. I gave it to him a couple of days before he was due to visit the groomers and we were never sure whether it was doing any good, but at least we managed to get him groomed. The last time he went, I had just about run out of the Zylkene, but I took him anyway. She said that he had been difficult to groom, so I an only think that it had been working. Must get some more!
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Skye - Day 6
Skyes ears have gone up today - they look HUGE!
Wednesday is Frankie and Benny day, so they came to meet her today. I was really worried as she has been nipping and biting all week. But she was so well behaved and the children were super with her. Frankie kept going and looking for toys for her, making sure she had enough water and when it came to nap time, Skye laid on the sofa beside Frankie and nodded off.
Bailey has been bored, (Bonnie was bored every Wednesday), so will take him for a walk when the children go home and it's a bit cooler. Have taken some more photo's of Skye so you can see how she's changed since Saturday.
Wednesday is Frankie and Benny day, so they came to meet her today. I was really worried as she has been nipping and biting all week. But she was so well behaved and the children were super with her. Frankie kept going and looking for toys for her, making sure she had enough water and when it came to nap time, Skye laid on the sofa beside Frankie and nodded off.
Bailey has been bored, (Bonnie was bored every Wednesday), so will take him for a walk when the children go home and it's a bit cooler. Have taken some more photo's of Skye so you can see how she's changed since Saturday.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Skye
Meet Skye - born 29th April 2010
This photo was taken on Saturday 19th June, when she was aged 7 weeks 2 days, 1 day after we brought her home.
She weighed just 2 kilos.
She had her 1st vaccination on Monday 21st June; her 2nd is due on Thursday 8th July, then she'll be able to go 'walkies'!
Monday, 21 June 2010
Skye - Day 4
Today we had an appointment at the vets for Skye to be checked over and have her 1st inoculation. All went well, she was a brave little soldier. The vet said that she needed to meet as many new people & animals as possible over the next 5 weeks. So I took her over my Mum's, then we went for a 'walk' over The Chase. (Well, Bailey walked, I carried Skye.)
Skye
Bonnie's death was so, so sudden. I had no idea what I wanted to do with her ashes. In fact, they are still in a box on the dresser in the kitchen, where I left them when I brought her home.
The house was so quiet. Bailey had never learned to play, he had never been out in the garden till we brought him home, he had certainly never been over the woods and chased around the streams until he played with Bonnie - they were a match made in heaven.
Bailey & Bonnie had brought each other to life! How could I now deny him the same joy of running free with another little Westie?
So, on Friday 18th June 2010, we brought home little Skye to be a playmate for Bailey.
She is 7 weeks old & a little poppet, although she has razor sharp teeth, talons instead of claws & is SO vocal.
Bailey
Bailey was born in April 2007. He spent his first 2 years living with a family in Hungerford. All I know is that they were a couple who had a Westie (Bailey) and a Basset Hound. When they discovered that they were expecting a baby, on Good Friday 2009, they took both dogs to the Dogs Trust, Plumb's Farm, Hampstead Marshall for rehoming. They had named Bailey 'Murphy', but he didn't answer to any name. He had never been groomed and had never visited a vet.
When we brought him home, Bonnie accepted him immediately. She shared everything she had with him. My only reservation was that he seemed to be tormenting her by chasing her round and round the garden. On closer observation, it was Bonnie who was perpetually jumping on him, enticing him to chase her, round the table, round the tree, round & round the garden.
Bonnie
In January 2005 I bought myself a retirement present, a little Westie puppy that I called Bonnie. She was the first dog that had ever been mine. We enrolled for Puppy Classes, then Basic Obedience, then Intermediate Obedience - together we learned everything she knew.
Three weeks ago, on 28th May 2010, my beloved Bonnie died. She was only 4.5 years old, way too young. She died of acute renal failure - even the vet didn't know what had caused it. It was definitely not due to anti-freeze, weed-killer, grapes or raisins. The only other possibility was that she might have ingested blue-green algae from the lakes over Greenham Common.
When Bonnie was 3.5 years old I noticed that whenever we came home from walks she would just slump in the garden, as if she was waiting for something to happen. I decided there and then that I would get a friend for Bonnie to play with. We registered with the Dogs Trust and within 2 weeks I received a phone call telling us about a male Westie aged just 2 years who was looking for a new home.
We eventually brought Bailey home to be a playmate for Bonnie.
Hello World!
When I was younger, I religiously kept a diary. I still have them all, each & every one. In this modern, technological age, I seem to have lost the habit of recording what is happening in my life. That seems such a shame, so have resolved to keep a new "diary".
Here goes...
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