Beware of Cheap Imitations

We had a bit of a 'dog day' yesterday! 

Salvador and I decided to go and visit his friend Jameson in Franschoek this weekend and it was great apart from the scary Sunday drama we experienced...here follows the tale.

So the weather is balmy and it's great to be with a friend (after all, this week has been a bit lonely for Salvador with one of his favourite humans out of the country and the other one going off to work for a good part of the day). Naturally there are a few games of tug'o war going on and a few tennis balls scattered about, but unfortunately Salvador does not share balls and chew toys well and the game of blanket tug'o war is soon abandoned for a spot of 'who can fit the most tennis balls in his mouth'. Due to Salvador's little sharing issue, he naturally takes this too far and feels like it would be better for him to 

1. Rip up the tennis ball and, 

2. Somehow get it into a place where Jameson will never find it i.e. his stomach...

Unfortunately by the time we notice some suspicious behaviour going on under the table, half the tennis ball is already tucked away in it's desired hiding place (his stomach) and there isn't much to do. 

So the day goes on and later everyone is relaxing on the couch when the heaving and belching begins...At first I thought he somehow got hold of Jameson's food due to the large amount he was bringing up (sorry, I'm aware that this is gross...), but then we started noticing the little bits of black rubber...

After non stop puking and eventually just bringing up bile we phone the vet in hysterics! 

Luckily the vet assured us it is a good thing that he's bringing it up and that it's just his body's way of getting rid of the unwanted objects - if he is still throwing up in the morning then he should see a vet. Also no food for him that night! 

 

Fortunately he started to look a bit better soon after the call to the vet and the puking stopped and we had no issues during the night and this morning!

Now, the moral of this disgusting story is that apparently you should never give your dog tennis balls that are not bought from a pet store - YES! It seems like there is something like a pet friendly tennis ball!? I'm not sure what the difference is - obviously something that the balls are made of, but I gave one of those cheap and cheerful ones from yesterday a good sniff and it was pure chemicals! Horrible stuff! 

Be safe out there pet pals,

Licks & Kisses!

xxx 

Starting from scratch (How I trained Salvador to be the semi-well behaved dog that he is today)

Sometimes one revels so much in the joys of having a new puppy that training and behavior takes a back seat - this is only natural as few people can resist a clumsy little fluff ball a.k.a. puppy. I was one of you when I first laid eyes on Salvador!

It is very tricky focusing on the task at hand i.e raising a well behaved dog, when confronted with this face...

But a little crash course on the temperament and behavioral traits of the breed brought me back to earth (this wake up call came in the shape of one of those Breed books you can get in the pet/animal section of most bookshops).

Salvador is now 18 months old and I recon he is a pretty well behaved young man, save for the occasional arrogance towards dogs twice his size and/weight at the weekly market (we are in the process of remedying this behavior with the help of Cesar Millan as inspiration - you may choose your own mentor). I compiled a little list of tips that I picked up from rearing Salvador for any of you new moms and dads.

Potty training

It is really not as difficult as it has been made out to be. Salvador almost always needed the loo after a sleep and after a meal so I took him to the same grassy spot every time. Do this every time, without fail and you've won 2/3rds of the battle. Sometimes mistakes happen and then I would just clean the area very thoroughly - scattering some bicarb on the spot after helps to remove the smell, as the smell is the thing that will most likely lure another attempt.

Bonding

I got Salvador a few days before I had to go back to work after Christmas holidays, but I was lucky enough to be able to take him to work with me. I think this did wonders for our relationship and he got to bond with other dogs, children and the car from the very beginning. We were literally never apart for the first two months of me bringing him home. Unfortunately I had to go overseas for work when he was about 3months old, but my neighbors, and owners of his very best friend, Henry looked after him so this was not a train smash.

Exercise

Weekend forest walks

Salvador is an extremely active dog and we are fortunate enough to be living on a farm (not for much longer though...) so we go on at least one walk a day. I try to go once in the morning and once after work and on weekends we work in a proper 30mins to an hour of walking. I'm also teaching him fetch at the moment. This is a great game for all dogs, but especially Spaniels since they are retrievers and therefor you are appealing to their breed characteristics. This game is also great for tiring them out. Salvador also LOVES water and I take him swimming in the nearby dam or in the neighbor's pool as often as possible. This is an amazing tiring out tactic and great for the joints! I will have to get more creative with excising once we move to the city...

Chew toys

If you would like to keep your couches and shoes intact, your best friend is the chew toy! When ever I go to the shops I take a little detour into the pet shop to stock up on hide, hooves etc. I find that Salvador would much rather chew one of those stinky little numbers than my shoes and trust me, this really works as Salvador has NEVER chewed a shoe in his life!

Couches are for hiding in and NOT for chewing!

The lead

I had a collar around his neck from a very early age so he could get used to the idea and whenever we went anywhere he had a lead on so he learnt very quickly. Be patient and gentle with this and if possible use a friend's experienced dog to lead the way.

Have fun with your new puppy and remember to stick by your rules - always!