15months to debt free - I hope

Blackcats

What a good update LadyHolly - your experience and knowledge really shine through.  

Amazing that you've been able to briefly let C off the lead.  In my head I call him Colin 😁

ladyholly

Blackcats said:

What a good update LadyHolly - your experience and knowledge really shine through.  

Amazing that you've been able to briefly let C off the lead.  In my head I call him Colin 😁

Strangely enough I was thinking of using Colin as I think he looks like a Colin. I wont give his real name as it is unusual as was Mr H and Miss W

foxgloves

@ladyholly, I don't even like dogs & I am enjoying your posts about C's progress! I think it's because I always have rescue cats & know that they do often need a fair amount of settling in. Coincidentally, Ash is also very affected by noises he can't see. He's better than he was, but still gets worried if there is anything unexpected. Weirdly, he wasn't much bothered by new year fireworks, but somebody knocking at the front door or even one of us coming down stairs noisily would be sufficient for him to stop tucking into his dinner & to run off to safety. Presume it's come from the long time he spent as a very young cat living rough & surviving on his wits, or from a not very nice home before that, as the Rescue assumed he had been dumped. But as you know, it's very rewarding when these animals start to make progress - Ash is a very cuddly boy, he's just really nervous, but he is slowly improving & he so deserved a chance.
So I'm very much a cat-person, but still enjoy following C's progress, esp milestones like having a little 'go' off the lead.
F

ladyholly

This is a short post as we have had an awful day with C. He barked and barked at dogs and birds on his early walk and then at lunchtime he barked at dogs and was virtually uncontrollable on the lead due to noises from workman digging up the pavements to lay cable. He has hurt MrLHs shoulder and my arms ache. We had to take a very long way home to try to avoid as much noise as possible. It has been a very disappointing day so I have phoned the behaviourist who is coming on Tuesday to see what we can do. His noise aversion seems to be getting worse. All in all we are feeling very down tonight, We love him to bits but we cannot cope with him hurting us. We will wait and see what is said on Tuesday and do the best we can over the weekend.

I cant write anymore tonight but hope others have had a good day.

Sun_Addict

No one can say you aren’t trying, sorry to hear it’s not been a good day with him 🙁

beanielou

So sorry it has not been the best day 

Flying_By

I'm so sorry to hear C has been so difficult today and that he's giving you and Mr LH such a hard time. I hope the behaviourist can help, although from what you have said previously that might not be the case.  We saw a dog behaviourist for Blue Merle boy when we were living in West Wales.  She had lots of Collie experience.  I just wonder if it might be worth looking for a Collie expert to help with his problems as they will have more of an insight into the breed's behaviour,  rather than a general behaviourist from the rescue.  He does sound like a very anxious boy and I hope that with the right input your lives together will become easier.  It must be such a worry for you xx

ladyholly

Flying_By said:

I'm so sorry to hear C has been so difficult today and that he's giving you and Mr LH such a hard time. I hope the behaviourist can help, although from what you have said previously that might not be the case.  We saw a dog behaviourist for Blue Merle boy when we were living in West Wales.  She had lots of Collie experience.  I just wonder if it might be worth looking for a Collie expert to help with his problems as they will have more of an insight into the breed's behaviour,  rather than a general behaviourist from the rescue.  He does sound like a very anxious boy and I hope that with the right input your lives together will become easier.  It must be such a worry for you xx

I agree but the rescue are offering this lady for free so we will see what she has to say and then decide what to do. We feel obliged to use her at least initially. One of my neighbours has used someone who specialises in collies so if needed I can get the details from her. I do know the rescues lady has had some experience with collies but whether enough I dont know. She did sound a bit shocked when I went through his problems yesterday and I told her that I thought whoever had done his supposed assessment didnt know what they were talking about . She was very surprised when I told her that we were only told about the bird reactivity as we were leaving to bring him home and all they said was he chases birds. Perhaps foolishly I assumed they would be the ones on the ground not the one flying overhead. He is, as you say, very anxious when out of the house and constantly looking for things that make him feel usafe.

If we were 10 years younger it wouldnt be such a worry but we have to consider our own safety with his pulling and twisting on the lead. I can deal with the pulling but he has a habit of wrapping himself round your legs which with my balance or rather lack of makes it a problem. We took him out last night and his behaviour was ok even though we saw a dog. He can be very unpredictable in the dogs he barks at. I suspect part of that problem is us tensing up when we see a dog and that travels down the lead and I have to say on the whole he is bettter for me than for Mr LH. I brought him home after yestedays awful walk and sent Mr LH on ahead and he was a bit calmer even though we saw a couple of dogs and we had to walk past several workmen who were using diggers etc. He didnt bark until he saw the dog on our green who we think has some kind of brain damage as it behaves very oddly and niether Miss W. or Mr H liked it.

Humdinger1

@ladyholly not long till the psychologist comes.  I think you're doing marvellously; you've identified the problem and have narrowed the issues.  Sending love Humdinger xx 

ladyholly

We know the problems all we need is the solutions.🙂