Baggy's daily state!
Depression (Black = really bad/Grey = not great/Blue = okay/Yellow = sunny day): Yellow.
Anxiety (From 1 = barely any to 10 = gibbering wreck standard): 0.
Tears: Some.
Overall day: Beautiful.
Baggy was so tired last night, that when she went upstairs to check on the puddy tats at 7.00pm, she fell asleep while giving Bracket a cuddle on the bed. She woke at 8.00. But even though she'd barely seen number one furry, she just couldn't stay awake, so she and Pepper Pooch went up at 9.00. Pepper was a good lad all night again. Hinge was confident enough to come and get a cuddle from Furry Mama at daybreak. At 7.00am Pepper wanted to get up. Clever Bird had taken Pepper (Creative Clara just typed Minty Mutt 😭 ), up to bed without his collar on, so Furry Mama had to let him out without it, with loose cats around. Within a second he was on the bed (yes Clever Bird knows that Furry Mama has broken yet another rule baggees - no dogs on the bed), having a cuddle with his Dad. Now believe it or not, that was the latest rule that Furry Mama was given by the trainer, "Do not cuddle Pepper". This was the last straw for Furry Mama. The lad needs to know he's loved! So Baggy also got back into bed and Pepper settled down for a family cuddle.
Happy now, Furry Mama took Pepper out for his morning routine. He was being so good that Clever Bird let him go back upstairs without his collar. Hinge was in the bedroom. Pepper wagged his tail and tried to kiss her. Hinge hissed, but didn't move, then nonchalantly sharpened her claws on one of their scratchers. "Good girl Hingey. Good boy Pepper. Now wake your Dad up". Pepper leapt back onto Calum. Baggy decided to get up. Pepper followed her and met Bracket on the landing. He wagged his tail. Bracket panicked, spun and ran into the spare bedroom. Pepper chased her. "NO Pepper". Bracket hurtled back along the landing, over Baggy's feet, closely followed by Pepper into the bedroom. Hinge panicked and ran across the bed. Pepper did a U-turn and chased her. "Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Calum grabbed Pepper by the neck. Bracket and Hinge shot out of the bedroom, back over Baggy's feet again and in to the spare bedroom. And it was going so well! One step forwards........
Clever Bird's plan for today was for Furry Mama to take Pepper's tennis ball and thrower-thingy on their walk, and to let him off the lead! As experiments go, it couldn't have gone better. Pepper loves chasing balls more than chasing cats! He was totally focussed and brought the ball back every time without hesitation. This is how intelligent the lad is baggees, he has already learnt, "Well I can't reach that can I?" When he hears that, he comes back, picks the ball back up and drops it closer to Baggy's feet! Halfway through the session, a lady with an Airedale Terrier appeared. Pepper decided to go and check him out. The Airedale was much more interested in the ball than Pepper. Freda Fretter watched with some trepidation. Furry Mama told the Airedale that he was cute and Pepper that he was good. Pepper was fixated on his ball in the Airedale's mouth. Did he growl? No. Did he try to get the ball? No. Did he attack the Airedale? No. Did he bark? No. The little angel waited, never taking his eyes from his ball, as Furry Mama persuaded the disappointed Airedale to let her have it. Each day, it is more of an enigma to Clever Bird, how anyone could give such a beautiful dog away!
Plan for the day, part 2, take Pepper to The Hideout Café in Halesworth to share another cheese scone, and continue to show him that the town is not such a scary place after all. He was way better today. There's still a long way to go but he's doing so well. As a reward for his bravery, they headed to the pet shop to buy him a little waterproof dog coat. It was all rather scary having coats put on him, but he was given so many treats by the shop owner, that by the time they'd chosen (two) coats, and various other chew toys for him, he was laying on the shop floor, nodding off. Freda Fretter won't mention the stupid amount of money it cost. But as a matter of fact, it was a present from Minty Mutt, as surprisingly his insurance will cover his being put to sleep and cremated. (Sorry baggees, sobbing now).
Baggy and Pepper had forty-winks at home, before Calum persuaded them that they needed another walk. Yes baggees, you did read that correctly! Number one furry, who had to be dragged kicking and screaming to come out for a walk with Furry Mama and Minty Mutt, actually wants to walk Pepper. Why? Well surprisingly, because Pepper walks so fast! Baggy wasn't feeling too well, probably after totally over-doing it yesterday, but Calum insisted that she came. So off they set once again. This time for a walk through town into the countryside. After the morning's success they decided he could walk free once they were on the track.
The key without a doubt is to have a ball! Treats are okay. In fact they are quite pleasant. But they don't quite do the job. But a ball, well that works every time. Get the ball out and you can see the collie in him.
The lad is obsessed. Truthfully, had any of the Forces found him before he chose Calum and Furry Mama, he would probably have made a superb sniffer or search and rescue dog.
After a serious amount of hurtling around and a bit of re-call training, he was exhausted.
Not that that stopped him from wanting more!
On the way home, a little supermarket shopping was needed. Baggy still felt rough, so stayed in Billy Bob with Pepper while Cal went and shopped. Pepper kept a look out for his return.
Home once more you'd think that he'd be exhausted wouldn't you? Well, he's not. He is currently raiding the bin in the kitchen, because the eight or nine toys, balls and chews he has, apparently aren't interesting enough. But so far, in the last week (without dieting) Calum and Baggy have lost a stone in weight between them............
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