Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

LydiaJ

Avatar Dog didn't like vacuum cleaners, although he wasn't really scared of them - he would eye them with disfavour and move away. Unfortunately, he usually chose to move to somewhere the vacuum cleaner hadn't been yet - and therefore straight into the place that the human was intending to clean next! He never did cotton on to the idea of going and sitting somewhere that had already been vacuumed.

Pyxis

It's interesting about vacuums. Both of my dogs were initially terrified, but what won them over was feeling the cool suction on their skin. (They were rough-coated and moulted dreadfully, so I liked to give them a quick hoover when I had it out).

Eventually, they became a pain, following me around with the Hoover and tripping me up, because they wanted me to hoover them!

The only good thing to come out of them dying was that they no longer had to endure GuyFawkes, Divali and New Year. They were frantic with terror. I tried everything, remaining perfectly calm myself, ignoring the bangs, plug-in pheromones of various kinds, and finally Valium from the vet's. I'm not convinced the latter truly calmed them, just made them less active. They still looked distressed to me. I felt like taking it myself! (I didn't, though!)

It was dreadful to see their distress. However, my first dog did start to lose her hearing acuity as she got old, and I must admit, that did help her, but the other dog had no such relief.

What was interesting was that for the first few years, my first dog was not nearly so bothered as she later became. I think that was down to fireworks changing, and becoming possibly more fearsome in wavelengths beyond my hearing, but within the dog's. This would have been in the 1990s sometime.

It was also the case that strong winds bothered them. The wind whistling through the chinks in my old house wasn't something I was often aware of, but it really bothered the dogs. I used to wonder what they were hearing.

Pyxis

When I get another dog, I'm going to try and desensitise her by taking her out for a walk the minute the fireworks start, in the hope that she associates fireworks with a pleasure activity, plus lots of titbits.

Dunno if it'll work, but I'll try, because trying to cope with their dreadful distress is the only thing about owning a dog that I can't stand.

GDB2222

PasturesNew wrote: »

The house key is, the gate key not. The gate lock/key isn't for "security" as such, just to stop the idle enquirer from opening it. It's a long key, 4" or so. Most of the time the key's left in the lock and I only lock the gate and take the key if I'm "going out". Before the brats were around I'd even go out and not bother locking the gate (now I do to prevent idle curiosity ....).

So the key's too large to be in my pocket as a day to day item.

There are a few places I "drop the key" inside the car, depending on the journey I'm about to make.

If I'd been unable to find the key last night I'd have most likely reversed my car up to my fence, then climbed on the roof of my car and jumped over

Delighted you got the key back. A low tech partial solution would be to knot a length of string to the key, perhaps?



Is there no way of getting to the front door of the house without going through the gate?

bugslet

zagubov wrote: »

Dogs are a subspecies of grey wolves and the oldest versions are apparently huskies from the Arctic.

One of the reasons I'm so fond of the Spitz group - Huskies, Samoyeds, Keeshonds and of course anything with Spitz at the end, all fairly basic dogs and not messed about with too much. I like all dogs, but I'm not fond of the one with squashed muzzles and elongated bodies.

Mine don't seem overly concerned, one's deaf, one's bomb proof, one's mildly concerned but since the others aren't that seems to allay her fears. Puppy needed a cuddle though, sorry extra cuddle.:o

Pyxis

bugslet wrote: »

One of the reasons I'm so fond of the Spitz group - Huskies, Samoyeds, Keeshonds and of course anything with Spitz at the end, all fairly basic dogs and not messed about with too much. I like all dogs, but I'm not fond of the one with squashed muzzles and elongated bodies.

Mine don't seem overly concerned, one's deaf, one's bomb proof, one's mildly concerned but since the others aren't that seems to allay her fears. Puppy needed a cuddle though, sorry extra cuddle.:o

Mine were working-dog crosses, and very working-doggish.

bugslet

They are fairly basic dogs as well, I 've had one of those in the past as well - a more noble character than most people and wildly intelligent.

Schnauzers are pretty basic as well, no messing about with physical characteristics and they are intelligent.

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

If WW3 kicks off and I'm displaced... any NPs with a 2nd home in North Norfolk can expect me to post here requesting they post a spare key to the local PO for me to pick it up.



Need to go out and stock up on essentials: loo roll, toothpaste, interdentals, clean knickers ... also keep the fuel tank filled.

It's just like the 60s again isn't it.

Why would you be displaced? And why North Norfolk?

Is that because it's miles from anywhere-ish? It's on the missile route from Russia, though! :rotfl:

michaels

PasturesNew wrote: »

If WW3 kicks off and I'm displaced... any NPs with a 2nd home in North Norfolk can expect me to post here requesting they post a spare key to the local PO for me to pick it up.



Need to go out and stock up on essentials: loo roll, toothpaste, interdentals, clean knickers ... also keep the fuel tank filled.

It's just like the 60s again isn't it.

Donald Trump....or have I missed something in the news?

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

Don't quote, will delete.

re. a dog that barks at fireworks when at home but not when taken out, maybe it's a "What's that noise in MY territory? Woof, woof, woof" thing?