Walk? You think I am crazy? General Chat

So, now the mini-monster is well and truly over her puppy shots and rabies shot, and now I have new rear wheels on Tontoo, it was well and truly time to take IT out for walkies.

Wot me? Walk when you are sitting down?

Big big fights, her trying to climb up and me putting IT on the pavement again. Got as far as next door and my neighbour came out with my mail. They are both madly in love with each other so that was it.

End of walkies, at least for today.

Don't be a meanie let the little monster on your scooter

Looks like it's break out the cheese time, Malka!

And just who does she think she is? Da Boss? I guess she is though!

But she knew I had a container of her ickle treats in the basket - she was not interested in them though, all she wanted was to try and climb up on my neighbour who came out with my mail, and of course encouraged her while I am saying no, no, no, down Tikki.

When my neighbour finally went in we got as far as the tractor path the other side of her bungalow, and that was it so turned round and came home. IT flooded a puppy pee pad and then asked to go to bed. Not a zonk on the couch but bed in her night crate, which gave me time to buzz across to the macolet without worrying about her.

She might not go out for many walks - as if - but she certainly gets more than enough exercise. She was still fast azonk in her crate when I came back and unloaded - I had gone on Tontoo who lives in the back room and is unloaded in the kitchen and then reversed to get into the back room and parked, also in reverse.

I actually had to go and check she was OK and I got a blink blink "oh, are you back now - can I hava bikkie?"

The stress of learning soon tires them out. The quietest nights here are training nights - they just come home and pass out for a couple of hours. Peace, lovely peace!

There are no such thing as training nights [or any other times] here, and the dog trainer/behaviorist [ex UK] I got to help me when Pereg went through the Kevin stage had, although I was not aware of it at the time, completely the wrong ideas. I am not saying he had Cesar Millan ideas, but he did not have a clue.

Tikva will, eventually, get used to going walkies outside, and I am prepared to wait for her to decide when. In the meantime she is definitely getting more than enough exercise indoors and so what if she uses puppy pads instead of "going" outside?

The most important thing is that she is a very happy puppy, loves playing with her toys, and seems to love me. And she is so good with little children and, really, with everyone.

She just did not want to go walkies.

YET

Nir turned up today to fit some hooks on the door frame to hook the plastic gate on so I can keep Tikva in the salon while I go to the loo - so I do not get my nikkies pulled down. I can also unhook it completely, turn it up on its side between the wall and ThreeBees so I can drive Xanadu throughout the house, plus Tontoo in and out. He then decided to teach her how great the big outside is.

Oh yeah? He got her out onto the patio but zoom, after a quick cuddle she shot back in.

So - I thought - how about me trying to get her in the front yard, first with and then without a leash...

...ah ha ha - had mini explorations, making sure she kept as close to the bungalow walls as possible, and then rushed back in and flooded a pee pad.

Strange puppy, as I have said before. Even if the front door is wide open she just will not go out unless it is about a metre to welcome someone, and that is far as she will go.

But she is happy, so does it really matter?

Did not even get past my neighbour this morning, and that was a fight even to get her there.

Gave up, sat her on my lap to go a bit further "no no no, I want your neighbour."

So came home, unclipped her and left the door fully open while I brought Tontoo in and parked him, with her following me.

The door is fully open now, she is sitting in the doorway and will still will not go out.

I do not know whether to be worried about her or not.

Some dogs feel safer indoors then outdoors just keep taking her out & let her feel safe outside when outside.
Have you tried putting puppy pad outside for her to wee on, she might think she can only wee on puppy pad.

Tried that Tina but she will not pee or poo on a puppy pad outside. It is not that she will not do it outside, but that she just does not like being outside.

I just took her out on her long soft thin cord tether - she had a wander, a sniff, a scratch dig, and then shot back in, even though I was outside with her. Not even five minutes outside even when I unclipped her.

Yes it is probably because she was too young when I was told to take her, plus the fact that she can only go out in the front yard and had to wait until she had had all her shots, especially her rabies shot. I had also heard rumours about Parvo and have seen very few stray/dumped dogs around but I do not know whether there is any connection. I know that they had a bad case of Parvo at the surgery which was the main reason for Michal coming here and not me taking Tikva there, although I have been assured it is safe there now.

And I could not take her to the store at the Pension until they were sure she had had all her shots.

But she just does not seem to like to be outside at all.

Does your neighbour ever go out on a walk, Malka? Just wondering if 'ickle Tikva would go further if your neighbour was holding the lead for a while.

Will she travel on your knee on the scooters? If so, go a little bit further every day and see if she will walk back

@Chris B - most of the time my neighbour is not around and now she cannot walk as she has "broken some bones in her foot" so is hobbling on crutches. Do not ask. It is only a month since she "broke" her wrist and maybe a couple of months since she "did her elbow in". So no way would I trust her to take Tikki on a leash as she would be sure to "break" or "do something in".

Except, of course, if one of her sisters-in-law, or wives of nephews with new babies needs help. Then she is, of course, 100% fit.

Tikva will go out on my lap - providing I can get past my neighbour, but the problem is that I would have to go on either my baby scooter or on my electric chair, both of which get blocked by wheelie bins on the pavements. Xanadu - chair - can go on the road, Tontoo is a pavement only scooter. And coming back Tikki would be on the road side as we drive on the right here so her leash is fixed on the right, ie pavement side, which means keeping her on my lap.

No way will I try her on The Silver Monster yet. He is humungous and she is really only a small little wubble. Heavy for her size but small.

Chris, she is happy, she is thriving, she is very healthy, she gets lots of exercise indoors - so she does not want to go out. Is it the end of the world?

Hopefully she will grow out of this phase but I am not going to push her.

YET

Nope, not the end of the world. There's a little staffie over the road from me and the most she will venture out is about 20 feet then she pulls to get back home. In the past, treats, toys, jollying have all been tried over and over again and yet, little Abbey, just wants to be at home. She's happy, healthy and seems to enjoy life (provided she can stay home) and she's 10 now. She's been like it all her life and no one can get to the bottom on 'why'

What I do not understand is why she is so good with people that come here, from elderlies to little toddlers, whether she knows them or not, and yet when I went across to the macolet earlier on my chair with her on my lap, two light leashes one either side so I knew she was safe and could not jump down, she started growling at someone outside the macolet as he was getting into his car and oh was I glad that she was secure.

I have no idea why but she was obviously bothered by something/someone/him? So I turned round, came home, put her in her night crate with a small biscuit and went back over the road again.

They do not mind me taking her into the macolet as long as she is on my lap and firmly leashed so she cannot get down or reach anything on a shelf, so she has been used to that for a while.

But if she will go out in the yard on her lightweight tether, even if for only a few minutes and not pee or poo outside, things could be a lot worse.

And she really is such a sweet puppy, even though she is so bdooly stubborn!

Maybe as she gets more familiar with the journey to the macolet, she will start to see the outside world as an interesting place, rather than a scary one. Also, as she seems to like the children who visit, you could devise some little games to help her enjoy playing with them, and build her confidence outdoors.
You can only work with the facilities that are available to you, but often the things that cause us to worry have a knack of working themselves out.

It is not the 50metre journey to the macolet that bothers her - she will sit in the doorway and watch it from here as it is diagonally opposite. And she had been in there more than a few times. But when she started growling at that man I thought better bring her home as no way do I want to risk people thinking that she might bite. I had more than enough with Pereg who used to rush outside on her strong tether when people stood outside talking - or screeched when they saw her and yet Pereg would never bite. She was just noisy and a lot bigger than Tikva.

Pereg was a monster Kevin at this age, Tikki is much smaller, much lighter weight, but almost as strong at the same age as she is rock solid.

I managed to convince her to go out on her tether earlier - oh yes, sniff sniff sniff but would she do anything? Nope. Scriggle scraggle, but do anything? Nah, she waited until I decided to go in [it was raining but she did not care] then she pee'd on one puppy pad and poo'd on the other.

Just once - just once I want her to know that she can pee and poo outside, but maybe one day...

Forgive me if you've already tried this, but have you tried putting a lightly soiled puppy pad in the place that you would like her to 'go' outside? You would need to hold it in place somehow, (bricks or stones?), but in our old fashioned newspaper days, this used to work for helping my Cav. babies make the transition to peeing outdoors.
Re. the growling, perhaps it was a one off, sometimes they see things differently for no apparent reason. I wouldn't worry unless it happens again, but would try to let her see as many people getting in and out of cars as possible.

Tried that Carole but it just does not work. I think I have accept that Tikva is Tikva and will do things in her own time. Hopefully. At least she will stay outside for more than just five minutes now, and had it not started raining I would probably have stayed outside with her longer, but I only had a light kaftan on and did not fancy getting soaked, and no way will she stay out if I am not with her.

As for the growling at the man outside the macolet - thinking back I reckon he probably made a fist at her as it was the first time she had ever growled at anyone and she just did not like him.

I am not really worried that she seems to be a slow learner as going out is concerned, as long as she is happy and thriving.

OK, tried something else. Clipped on Pereg's heavy but soft dogy cord tether, with the heavy clip - opened the door and said "out". Still no pee or poo but Tikva was quite happy to be out without me for quite a while although I know that tether and the clip was too heavy but she did not bother.

Not that she actually did a pee or a poo but she was actually happy to stay out in the front yard by herself, and only came in when I called her. And then peed and pood on puppy pads.

She has also been out - totally un-clipped - when Mikkaël delivered chicken necks and chicken wings [have to been individually packed an frozen tomorrow] - on his way home but I just opened the door and let her out and him in while he brought the bags in and put them in the kitchen..

I have no idea what he delivered - how many kilos, but they will be all packed and frozen tomorrow.

And Tikki Tikki Tikva had a large fresh fresh chicken wing for her supper!

Yum yum yum.

One day I will spell properly. I had no idea how many kilos of chicken necks and wings
Mikhaël was going to deliver - it was easy with Pereg because I mostly bought chicken backs, usually 5 kilos a time, and turkey necks maybe 2 kilos. Same with turkey gizzards and hearts, Turkey liver was approx 2 kilos. For Tikva I just say "whatever you have. As their poultry is fresh daily, he never knows how much he has left at the end of the day and I usually order on a Wednesday or Thursday..

So, this morning I individually packed the wings, having weighted them first. SEVEN KILOS.

Many are too big for Tikva but will do find for me to stick in a crockpot for myself. Oh well, they are all packed and in ThreeBees being frozen, and will to in Pereg's freezer so I can pack and freeze ???? kilos of chicken necks, which I have not weighed yet.

Now. Either he owes me 10 shekels or I owe him 10 shekels but that is not important.

What WAS important was that both Tikva and I knew who it was outside, which was why I was not worried about just opening the door to let him in as I knew she would shoot in straight after him while he brought the bags into the kitchen. She followed him out but only went about one metre and then shot back in again.

I know I keep saying it but this is the strangest puppy I have ever come across.