Well, considering I've got a stinking cold, it's been quite a nice weekend all in all. John got up with the children so I could lie in, walked Molly (twice) and he cooked roast chicken for dinner. I haven't even had to leave the house today and it's been quite lovely. I read my book, did some crochet, baked a cake.
We are clinging on to the last Christmas vibes here. Fairy lights twinkle in the kitchen and the poinsettia is still going strong. I've resisted (so hard!) buying tulips or daffodils just yet and continue to eat up the stollen and slurp away at the occasional sloe gin. I've decided that diets and dry January are lunacy - why deprive yourself of pleasure and cheer in one of the darkest, coldest months of the year? Instead I am striving for a balance of sorts - healthy meals, but not punitive ones, and lots of treats, and regular exercise in the form of very brisk daily dog walks and my weekly yoga sessions. Molly doesn't do slow walks, but trots along at such a pace I am almost jogging, not walking. I take her to the woods every day before I go to work and I took my big camera with me this week. At first glance it's all brown and grey, bare trees and mud, but there is so much beauty and colour hiding away there. I'm looking forward to watching winter unfold into spring through out daily walks, and think I'm much more connected to the seasons through them.
There was talk of snow on the weather forecasts all week, and we did actually get a little sleety snowfall on Thursday night but nothing settled. Of course, working in a school, there is endless speculation about closures and traffic and roads being open and the possibility of a snow day - which everyone is hoping for - but sadly it wasn't to be. Heavy snow fall down here is very unusual. It's still chilly though - we went to the beach yesterday and it was bitterly cold.
We are clinging on to the last Christmas vibes here. Fairy lights twinkle in the kitchen and the poinsettia is still going strong. I've resisted (so hard!) buying tulips or daffodils just yet and continue to eat up the stollen and slurp away at the occasional sloe gin. I've decided that diets and dry January are lunacy - why deprive yourself of pleasure and cheer in one of the darkest, coldest months of the year? Instead I am striving for a balance of sorts - healthy meals, but not punitive ones, and lots of treats, and regular exercise in the form of very brisk daily dog walks and my weekly yoga sessions. Molly doesn't do slow walks, but trots along at such a pace I am almost jogging, not walking. I take her to the woods every day before I go to work and I took my big camera with me this week. At first glance it's all brown and grey, bare trees and mud, but there is so much beauty and colour hiding away there. I'm looking forward to watching winter unfold into spring through out daily walks, and think I'm much more connected to the seasons through them.
There was talk of snow on the weather forecasts all week, and we did actually get a little sleety snowfall on Thursday night but nothing settled. Of course, working in a school, there is endless speculation about closures and traffic and roads being open and the possibility of a snow day - which everyone is hoping for - but sadly it wasn't to be. Heavy snow fall down here is very unusual. It's still chilly though - we went to the beach yesterday and it was bitterly cold.
We're all still very in love with Molly, despite all her many and various misdemeanours which include: weeing on the bed (you try getting a kingsize winter duvet in the tumble dryer....), randomly chewing the edges of furniture despite having lots of delicious bones in her basket, and stealing food - while John was unpacking the shopping the other day, she tore through two layers of packaging to steal a frozen chicken nugget. You have to question whether it was worth it, don't you? Yet we adore her! She is gentle and playful and every day more personality appears. You will notice that she is pictured on the bed above; it's not so much that she's allowed, more that I can't always stop her...and then the kids jump on the bed and start cuddling her and before you know it there are four people stroking a bemused dog. She gets a lot of love and it feels like she's been part of our family for a lot longer than six weeks. We need to work on her socialisation with other dogs and recall training though, as we would love to be able to let her off her lead and watch her run around on the beach. I have been recommended a trainer and will investigate - any tips gratefully received!
Molly is beautiful. Our dogs have always responded well to training treats as they're all very food motivated. Hope your cold clears up soon xx
ReplyDeleteI'm told my cocker spaniel is so good and well-behaved. While I was out this afternoon (a hospital visit so she really couldn't come...) she was cross so climbed on a chair, onto the table and stole several wrapped boiled sweets and a wrapped choc-powder-covered-coffee bean - she seems fine but probably has a tummy ache, naughty greedy girl. We will see how she does tomorrow :o
ReplyDelete(This is not the first time, she steals if she can whenever she can't come with us!)
I was a bit sad that the only concern in a school when it snows are the things you mention - I would have thought it would be how stop the kids rushing out to build snowmen... :(
And I think you should leave the fairy lights up, they're beautiful all the year round!!
As always, enjoying your posts x
I think I'd leave the fairy lights and use them in every decoration all year long. Isn't it amazing what we'll tolerate in our pets, they give so much unconditional love.
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon. Could Molly be any prettier?! I love her big eyes. She reminds me of a seal.
ReplyDeleteyes, I would leave the fairy lights too!! they look all twinkly and bright and who doesn't need that in January??? I hope you feel better soon. Take care from Iowa.
ReplyDeleteI think your little lights inside are just as necessary as good food...and sloe gin...in the dark days of Winter. The best things for training any dog are--consistency and caring. Bless your family.
ReplyDeleteMolly sounds like a bit of a rebel, she just does not know the rules yet. Hope you feel better.
ReplyDeleteIt does take a while for a new dog to settle, especially as you never fully know their history and the baggage that they carry. We rescued a basset with a troubled past just over twelve months ago. We have had some very trying times through that year but I can now safely say that he has now turned around. Persevere with lots of love, consistency and routine. Molly will quickly learn that she is safe and wanted. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteEven to me as your reader, it feels as if Molly has been part of your family a lot longer than 6 weeks! I am sure the less good of her habits will slowly disappear with a mix of firm training and love.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are so beautiful! (The always are.) We've had enough snow to make driving awkward and to enable us for romantic walks in winter wonderland again this past weekend. So, while I have packed away all the Christmas decoration on Jan. 6th (that's our traditional day here) with O.K.'s help, I still have a few things with a snowflake theme around: a cushion on the settee, a teacandle holder on the coffee table, and a runner on top of the chest of drawers in my bedroom.
So far, January has not been awfully dark; we've seen the sun on some days, but it is too cold for me to go running, which I miss.
We ate the last of the mince pies yesterday and I bought my first tete a tete of the year, so Christmas feels well and truly over. I love your fairy lights though and would be tempted to leave them up all year. I also love your quilt, as does Molly it appears! xx
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blog as always. Love your photographs and your sharing. Get well soon and have a great week
ReplyDeleteLove that last photo. Dogs do know how to relax don't they. I know you will love watching the woods over the seasons, no doubt there will always be something wonderful to see, and so much wildlife to watch. I haven't been very healthy yet this year despite the good intentions. I've been feeling as though I'm fighting something off. The biggest boy is home from school today, the littlest only went in under protest and the middle one hasn't been feeling great. All those post-holiday germs are prevailing. Hope you're feeling completely better soon. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteOh, Molly is so beautiful, pets look so angelic and yet they cause such havoc!
ReplyDeleteFairy lights are for life, not just for Christmas �� When we adopted our dog we were told to rub the cut side of a green chilli on furniture to deter chewing. I think it helped. Don't use a red one because it can stain. Hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteAwww Molly what a cutie! We are still settling every day a little more with our rescue dog. He is a really sweetie. He still barks at the slightest noise, but we are working on it. It wasnt until we had him 5 months that he really calmed down and wasnt so anxious when we left. There is no welcome like a dog welcome is there!
ReplyDeleteKeep going! Your doing a great job with Molly. Lots of treats have helped us with the Puppy, where as the rescue dog is not food orientated. We were lucky, that we have family with very well trained dogs who follow all commands. We went walking with them and let the rescue dog off with their dogs. When they came back, he came back. Again, socialisation was hard to begin with as he barked all the time. People took it as aggression when you could see by his tail wagging and that his fur wasnt up, that he was desperate to play.
We had the behaviourist from the rescue centre come and help us a few times. this was for free
Glad that you're keeping positive with Molly's training - it can't be easy transitioning into the life of a princess! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Gillian, great post. I have just had the last slice of Christmas cake for lunch! Your blanket is coming on a treat. You should try a stretchy skirt using an old t-shirt to get the sizing and then get some nice fabric. Dogs? no idea!! ...:)
ReplyDeleteGillian, I have lived with rescue dogs most of my life. As Molly started off in a racing kennel then toilet training would have been non-existent. If you've only had one 'accident' on the duvet then she's doing brilliantly.
ReplyDeleteI know it is hard with you both working and the kids, but a fairly strict "going out for a wee" routine might help. Obviously the minute you get in from work, then just before supper, then a couple of hours later, then at bedtime and so on.
As for stealing food, if she has grown up hungry (which often happens in kennels - the timid ones don't always get enough food as they're bullied out of the way by tougher stronger dogs) it will take a while for her to learn that she's never going to be short of food again. Six weeks is absolutely NO TIME AT ALL, if you still have problems in six months then there's more of an issue to deal with. :)
When Daisy came to us she was a walking skeleton, I fed her six small meals a day which she virtually inhaled. Four years later she is so laid back about her food that she's learnt that it is safe to leave a bowl of kibble if she's not in the mood. I don't worry when that happens - I know she'll eat more in a day or two when she is hungry.
Oops, sorry, didn't mean to write to much. If you ever want to get in touch and ask more 'canine parenting' questions, please feel free :)
I love hearing how Molly is doing, it's so lovely that she's found her happy home :)
ReplyDeleteI've trained two greyhounds on recall, it takes time and patience but is well worth it in the end when you see them running for sheer joy, and it's quite exhilarating to see a greyhound running at close range. Of course the difference from other dogs is that greyhounds' instinct to chase is strong, so recall is important.
I started off by taking my greys to a secure fenced area (a local park had a fenced dogs area, and i also found a fenced in field). I used my dogs favourite treats to encourage them to return - with Tess it was small cubes of cheese, with our current dog Alice it was chopped up sausages - and started by calling her name and rewarding her if she responded, even if she just turned around when i called her and building up to her actually coming over to me, etc. We would also put her on the lead and my daughter would take her to the other end of the field, then release her and i'd call her over. If she came running to me she got loads of praise and a treat. As i say, it does take time but it's worth it in the end. Once we felt more confident that she would return, I took them to an open space where there's less likelyhood of cats, squirrels or other furries, and let them off for short periods (the beach is an ideal place for this). Even now, i still make sure we are well away from roads before letting Alice off lead, she's pretty good overall, but Tess was much easier because she stuck to me like glue and would panic if she couldn't see me!
Good luck, and I'm so happy she is bringing so much joy to your home. Greyhounds are such beautiful animals x
Totally agree, diets and dry January are lunacy! I practice moderate self control. I love to read about Molly, she sounds like such a sweet dog. Dogs are naughty when they want to be. Ours stole dinner for three and moved it out through the cat flap to avoid capture. I swear, sometimes he looks at me with like a little cheeky boy, knowing fine well that I'll be too slow to catch him. xx
ReplyDeleteWe also like to leave the Christmas light in the living room till the first day of Epiphany, which this year was Jan. 6th. I would like to know which is your favorite method of joining granny squares. Your crochet work looks fabulous! Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteHey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteLoving this glimpse into your daily life. I'm so glad that Molly has been such a joyful addition to your home. She looks and sounds brilliant; I love a bit of mischief in a dog. It shows character. I am most struck by John putting the groceries away....I think I must be living in another century. Hope your cold clears up pronto. Have a great week.
Leanne xx
Hello! Am loving your photos of beautiful Molly in the classic greyhound position of laying about! Please don't be discouraged by the initial teething troubles. The transition to home life is huge for a greyhound and we also experienced a few tinkles, food theft and a bit of cheeky chewing in the beginning with both of ours. But you will get there! Promise! Even then they will sometimes surprise you though - we have had our lovely girl greyhound Lola for 2 years now & she has learnt to be excellent around the house..... Until we replaced our carpet before Christmas! We had saved up like mad to replace a very threadbare carpet and the new one was gorgeous! For 48 hours! An unfortunate game of toy scrabbling pulled up some carpet threads and the temptation to tug these was clearly too much! Result - two big holes! We now have a new, new carpet (with a cut not loop pile) which is surviving unscathed so far! We can laugh about it now! And we love Lola more than any carpet!
ReplyDeleteHi Gillian
ReplyDeleteAfter training (well, sort of) two lurchers, I can certainly recommend the use of food / treats for recall. As Jean says above, calling between you and another member of the family and giving treats each time works well. As Molly seems very interested in food, as an experienced food thief, I am sure the lure of food will help. However, I am not sure you can ever train the natural instinct to chase out of a sight hound. One of ours will sit, lie down, give paws and do a 'high five' at home when promised even a crumb of food but would behave as if he doesn't know us when walking if he catches the scent or sight of something interesting. Although they live happily with two cats, we can never let them off the lead by our house because the neighbours' cats incite hysteria and desperate attempts to chase! They really are delightful dogs though and I am so pleased to see Molly has enhanced your lives too. x
As a puppy, Lady Dog, our Border Collie, chewed the corner of a wall. When she was more well trained she snatched a roast off the dinner table, but I loved watching her on the top of a dune at the beach, smiling as the wind made her ears flap! All in all I think she rather trained us than we her, but we sought the help of trainers from time to time, too. Thanks for the lovely photos...I'm glad the fairy lights are still up. xxxxx
ReplyDeleteHope your cold is much better soon. Stay in and enjoy the lights and take care of yourself!
ReplyDeleteOur fairy lights are cheerfully still up... some of the more tasteful white lights twinkle all year along the shelves in the larder, and the far less tasteful (multicoloured delights from my childhood) have stayed in the hall and have become the birthday lights. I still some need some twinkle in January!
ReplyDeleteOh Molly, just as well she is so beautiful and lovable. I've had a cold on and off since before Christmas, but it's not been bad enough and I've not had time to take to my bed - sadly. Gorgeous photos, you've made me feel nostalgic for my Swiss Cheese plant - now sadly departed. I'm afraid my large plants were re-homed as the children grew. I had the last Christmas chocolate with my afternoon cuppa, but never fear I re-stocked in Hotel Chocolat the other day.
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon. It looks like a good weekend in spite of being ill. I did get a snow day on Friday, the snow didn't last long but it was enough for a day off!
ReplyDeleteWe had our first dog at the end of Sept a Labradoddle puppy we is so naughty and also pinching things she shouldn't but we still love her so much and she really is part of our family now, we have now started dog training classes and after only a few weeks I can already see a real improvement in her behaviour so I would definetly recommend you start the dog training. Good luck and love all your posts they really brighten up my day.
ReplyDeleteThe fairy lights look lovely. An easy solution to your yearning for snow...move to Canada and you will get both snow and school closures in plenty! This is day 8 since Christmas Break and we have had 4 snow days so far! Not complaining one bit at all :) Best not tell your kids...they might start packing ;)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos! Your home always looks so inviting and stylish. I hope you're feeling better!
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better, it's a stinker this cold that's going round, isn't it. No tips I'm afraid, with a beagle we have never dared going off-lead except in enclosed areas, but I can recommend a really, really, really long lead! The misdemeanours made me giggle, as did the cuddles on the bed. We ended up taking the duvet to the dry cleaners twice in quick succession due to dog wee related incidents, and I'm not sure they quite believed us!! x
ReplyDeleteYour little dog is learning all about you just as you are about her. I am not a current dog owner but from what I learned when walking rescue dogs, they respond to tone of voice and crave approval so it won't be long before yours knows where her boundaries are once she has learned to read you if you use an authoritative voice when necessary. It's also good to get your dog around other dogs/owners so she is sociable (you'll find other owners very sociable and friendly too!). It must be so much fun having her energy and affection in the home, hope you don't worry too much about her behaviour. can I suggest that you have a harness so that if she is excitable she is well controlled but comfortable, it makes all the difference and gives you more confidence too - those leads that are very long as suggested above are great too as you can give her a feeling of freedom but still keep her safe while she is learning her surroundings and the harness will prevent any pulling on her little neck. Betty
ReplyDeleteNo help with the dog training I'm afraid but I'd be happy to join in the dog snuggles, she has the most adorable face. And those eyes!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling much better and that you have a lovely weekend ahead of you.
Lisa x
Hope you are feeling much better now and fairy lights are virtually essential to dispel the gloom of January days.
ReplyDelete