Any leads?!

Dear all,

I am in some urgent need of advice! As you all know, we moved to the city a while ago and all is going well except for one little problem...Salvador is not at all used to walking on a lead. On the farm he rarely went on a lead since he could run free without me worrying about him running into the street. This has all changed though. Suburban life definitely calls for leads and he is finding it a bit troubling. We've now been living in the city for about 4 months and although his lead walking has improved slightly, it is still a struggle, so I've taken it upon myself to look into some alternative training devices and came up with a multitude of interesting options - the only problem I have now is, Which one do I choose?!

My first find was the Halti, otherwise known as the Gentle Leader. In a nutshell, it was designed by a gentleman, who himself is the owner of a rather large, rather strong dog, and having had some troubles with his back and being afraid that struggling with his massive hound would put his back out, he devised this 'head collar' to see to the problem.
On a recent walk I met an elderly lady with her large Red Setter that confirmed this product actually works and that she too was afraid of hurting herself, as her dog used to be rather excitable and strong. Said dog is now a very calm, well behaved senior that seems to have come off well from his training with the Halti.
BUT, as with all things in life it seems, there are some who think that this collar is ineffective...I'm no expert so I'm not at all sure why, but it sent me forth on my search for some more training contraptions.

Next I stumbled on a slightly similar contraption called the Infinity Lead by Bold Lead Designs. It is similar to the Halti in that the dog is still able to pant, drink etc, yet it provides the handler with more control over the dog's head - as with horse halters, by being in control of the animal's head it is easier to control the rest of the animal's body and the direction you want it to go in. This lead focuses on bringing the dog's head up as soon as it starts pulling so that it's more aware of the owner. What made me like this one was the fabric it's made off - it just seems a bit softer and more flexible than the Halti.

So as you can see I'm in a bit of a bind over my options. Have you used any of the following products, do you have any advice! Please share!!

Licks and Kisses!

xx

Howling at the moon - and stars in this case!

The book post of the other day (Books to Bark about) inspired me to read up on Salvador's star sign a bit more. The one book, Treats for your dog, contains a section on dog star signs and although it was extremely funny, it was also very accurate. So I looked up Salvador's star sign on a few pet astrology sites and I'm still amazed at how accurate they are!

The following is said about the Scorpio dog:

• They are intuitive and can read your mind
• They love hiding they're toys in lots of different spots
• They can be possessive and jealous; being the only pet suits them
• They are courageous and will guard their family no matter what 
• Strong and energetic, very clever and easy to train although they don't forget anything
• They appreciate having their own space, like a bed or blanket somewhere in a corner where they can be alone
• They have a certain charm that makes them irresistible to anyone they meet, although they are not afraid to make their likes and dislikes clear
• They want to know what is going on at all times, yet sometimes when you most need them to listen they will adopt and air of complete ignorance

Salvador displays ALL of these characteristics on a daily basis! If you want to go and look up your pet's star sign, you can find it on The Dogington Post. I'm sure there are many other sites too.

Licks & Kisses!

I've always been a Chocolate Box Dog kinda girl!

While on a recent work trip to Kenhardt, my boyfriend spotted these lovely old tins in the kitchen of the farmhouse they stayed in!

I fondly remember seeing similar ones as a child in my aunt's kitchen. They are the reason why Spaniels are sometimes referred to as 'Chocolate Box Dogs'. I guess at some stage certain cookie and chocolate manufacturers decided they will get a lot more attention by placing a few adorable puppies in front of a backdrop of something resembling the set of The Sound of Music, on the tins of their cookies or chocolates - well, it worked!

Other breeds on the 'Chocolate Box Dog' list?

• Scottish Terriers
• Collies 
• German Shepard
•  Schnauzer

Licks & Kisses!

Salvador on the job

I've always thought that Salvador is the kind of dog that needs a job - Spaniels being working dogs and all. Unfortunately for him, we aren't anywhere near hunting grounds with any retrievable game on it, so I decided a day at work with me could only do him good - and this is what happened...

He got rewarded richly for protecting the car for 15 minutes while we went into the shops. He then decided to chew on said reward for most of the working day...

He went for a leisurely stroll along Sea Point Promenade...

And then he got portraits of himself drawn by two budding young artists?! I mean, how was that even work?

Oh...Salvador is looking at me now as if to say, "don't conveniently leave out the bit where you made me come with you to meet a friend after work, and I had to sit in the busy street all that time you guys were chatting away!"

(I can explain...I had to meet a friend after work and we decided to go to The Power and the Glory, which is a great place in Cape Town to go to if you happen to have your dog with you, as you can sit outside. Although, at this stage Salvador had 'lost his sense of humor'-I guess it's usual after having had such a busy day at 'work' and all- and started getting a bit annoyed with all the strangers walking past...)