My beautiful Belle is coming home.

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Alec Swan

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Belle is an exotically well bred working Cocker. Her training, and the early days of experience were simplicity itself. Instilling discipline (she's a Cocker mind!) meant that perhaps she didn't, at her tender age of 18 months, hunt with real gusto, but then handling hot dogs isn't for everyone. I shot over her and when shooting driven game, she sat quietly in front of me, and retrieved in a determined fashion. So far so good!

A delightful man approached me, asked if she was for sale, and I sold her to him for good money. That was 6 months ago. I fully expected that with a lack of control, she'd blossom and toughen up a bit, and that her desire to 'hunt' would in crease. It did, but not to the stage which she has! She's become very possessive of him, she's bitten the vet, and his grandchildren are wary of her. All curable, but now he says that she whines at the peg, and he's tried every way that he can think of to stop her. Generally, when dogs whine they're not actually aware of what they're doing. Once engrained, it's the very devil to stop.

Anyway, tomorrow morning my beautiful girl is coming home!! Excellent! Without control she's matured and found purpose, so we'll see what's to be made of her. She's a soft and gentle bitch (or she was!), so licking her back in to shape will probably be comparatively simple. I've pointed out to her current owner, that if I get her back on track, when she returns to him, she'll probably revert back to her previous behaviour, so I'm not too sure where we go with her! I suspect that his primary interest is to re-home her, which will suit me just fine!

Should anyone be interested, I'll let you know tomorrow how the little rascal really is!

Alec.
 
It's a completely different world you live in compared to my rather soft life here...I find it fascinating and love to read about these working dogs.So please do update about the dog and how she reacts to coming back into a structured home.
 
One of mine whines, he'd be a stunning gundog otherwise :( Even doing water retrieves, he squeaks like an overused rusty hinge!

Will we have pictures??
 
what cinnamontoast says - think we need some pictures!!

I also think it sounds like the handler needs some training, rather than Belle!

my old girl was a cracking gundog in her day, except that she would rather be beating than collecting up. If she was retrieving for you then she'd cower at the peg like she'd been scolded until you sent her off when she'd rocket off to where the birds had landed, and rocket back to you with the most snug expression... beating was her forte though, she took her own decisions, but did so well that it never mattered!
 
Last night, Belle excelled herself. I've never had a dog injure itself whilst hunting, but there's a first time for everything. Belle came out of a ditch (bunnies!), and there was clearly something wrong. She was trying to reach the point of her brisket, but couldn't. I went to her, as she wouldn't come to me, which would be unheard of. She'd obviously cut herself and once I'd had a quick cursory glance, she followed me and I put the other dogs in their kennels, and had a better look at the injury. It seemed to be just a flap of skin and about 2" long, in a V shape, so I gave her a squirt of Oxytet, which when it had dried, revealed that she'd spiked herself badly, and through muscle and down to the bone. There was very little blood.

I 'phoned my Vet (a top girl!) who was still at the surgery, so I took her straight in, expecting for her to just put in a stitch or two. The injury was too deep for that, it'd need flushing out, putting back together, and stitching. A couple of hours later, when she'd come round from the anaesthetic I went to collect her. She was confused and almost aggressive, until she realised who I was, and then she tried to climb in to my lap which, unusually for me, I allowed!

This morning, she's as bright as a button. She had a bed in the back of the car last night, and after work, her most favourite place on Earth, is the car! She isn't my dog, so the bill will go to the owner. Poor little girl!

Alec.
 
Lovely to hear you squirted a randome antibiotic in a wound rather than just going straight to the vet for a wound-very responible..
And so nice to hear of a dog who sounds cowed into submission and then aggressive as an older dog. Sounds like your advice on dog training works really well....
 
I am really sorry to hear poor Belle has spiked herself, very nasty, and not easy to see with longer haired dogs. I have had the same with my lurcher bitch, and it was only when I got home and started cleaning the very small skin tear that I realised the muscle underneath had been penetrated. Cue vet, GA. and stitches as well. I hope Belle recovers quickly.
 
SusieT said:
Lovely to hear you squirted a randome antibiotic in a wound rather than just going straight to the vet for a wound-very responible..
And so nice to hear of a dog who sounds cowed into submission and then aggressive as an older dog. Sounds like your advice on dog training works really well....
Click to expand...

Wow, unnecessary!

When Bear was castrated, the vet asked me to stay as Zak had been unwilling to come out of the cage after his operation. I held him as he woke up and it wasn't easy, he flopped round like a landed fish and did so violently. It was the anaesthetic, of course, as no doubt it was with Belle.

Why so vicious, SusieT? And where's the part about her being cowed? Fantasy!
 
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