Thursday, Jan 27th, 2011

Dear friends -

I apologize for the break in blogging.
There are and were various health issues affecting not just me but beloved members of my family.
And there was and still is the cold ...

Miss Sophie needs so much training still, and we're doing our best but lots of patience are needed.
She does recognise the ravens who do turn up, and she actually makes play-bows at them, when they sit on the high fence enclosing the tennis courts, while they peer down at her.
But - between the training and the cold, not much is happening.

So forgive me if I prolong this break for a bit, until both the weather and above all the issues affecting my family are resolved.

Thanks for your patience!

Saturday, Jan 15th, 2011

Miss Sophie is back from her visit to the boarding kennels. She was there two nights and I picked her up yesterday. She was well-behaved, and once she had noticed me she was happy to see me. Back in the house, she rushed everywhere, as if to make sure it was still the place she knew.
We had quite a few romps, and eventually she did do her lovely little wolf-howls the way she used to. She wasn't clingy at all - so I think this training exercise went very well.

We did go out this morning. It was raining, everything is very muddy, so I took her to the tennis courts. There, she had her run-arounds, chasing crows - and I saw that we still have to work very hard to get her to come back when called. Ah well - Rome wasn't built in one day either ...

Wednesday, Jan 12th, 2011

It has been raining heavily here for the last three days. We've not been out for log because it is still cold, and we didn't see any ravens - but did hear them croak in the trees.

Today I have taken Miss Sophie to boarding kennels, where she will stay for two nights.
This is an exercise, if you wish, because I want her to learn that going to kennels is no big deal for her because I will be back to take her home again, and am not abandoning her.
She is still young (three years old this year) - and for family reasons I must be able to go away, knowing her to be safe and and not panicking nor feeling abandoned.

I already miss her lovely wolf-howls ...

Monday, Jan 3rd, 2011

Firstly - Happy New Year, everybody!

Secondly - not much blogging going on, for various reasons, such as weather, my health, and Miss Sophie's training.
I am planning to take her to a boarding kennels-and-training place in the vicinity, so that she will be not traumatised should I have to send her there in an emergency. This will not leave me much time for blogging, but I shall try and do my best.

Meanwhile, we have been out, Miss Sophie enjoying the snow and later the plain muddy fields. It is still cold, and there is icy rain.
The ravens have not changed their behaviour at all, snow or not.
However, one of them is definitely 'targeting' Miss Sophie, swooping low over her back, from tail to head. He does this from wherever he sits: fence, tree, netting.
Today, we took a long walk along the river, across Pontcanna Fields. I took her on a pedestrian suspension bridge because two swans were swimming there. She was at first fascinated by the swans - and then got worried about the bridge's movement - so I turned around and went back. We'll have to train this, obviously, in small instalments.

Oh, btw - unlike Big Dog and Madame Dog, she was not upset by the New Year's Eve fireworks at all. That was much appreciated by me ...

CHRISTMAS EVE - Friday, Dec 24th, 2010

We didn't go out today either, it is very precarious because there was a hint of thaw yesterday afternoon and it all froze over in the night.
Miss Sophie has spent a long time in the back garden while I got the last house chores done, and was a bit disappointed because there were no cats to bark at.

We wish you all a peaceful and joyful Christmas!