France in Focus

Just a snap of our two on Saturday afternoon

Great photo, lovely dogs.

Lovely photo Liz, obviously enjoy their sniff.

I do envy you, 2 dogs off lead out and about. My present 2 are far too interested in smells on the ground which sometimes override recall. Very difficult with both on 30 metre lines.

Never had this situation before in so many years of dog ownership.

I can't do it everywhere, Spardo, this is the nearest off-lead to the house, and we are a long way from roads up there. Hunters are a problem at weekends, it's not a safe route to choose.
Gershwin is a nuisance off lead in vineyards and fields, he keeps searching for field mice, voles & moles and Orel and I get bored hanging about waiting for him, so he's often back on the lead just to keep us moving.
Biggest problem is I cannot get him into a vehicle, he just stands back and barks. I have borrowed a folding ramp but he won't go up it, and I can't heave him he's too big!

Update on Gershwin:
He was still shying away from vehicles, but a fortnight ago he was very sick in the night and all the next morning, and looked so awful I feared tick trouble. At 2pm we hefted him into the van and off I went to the vet.
The test showed negative for piro (tick), and after a general checkover the vet concluded that G had eaten something throroughly undesirable. No food for the rest of the day, and food in very small doses for the next two days, plus some gloop to calm his tummy.
I managed to get G on the scales and yo! he has gone from nearly 41 to 36 kgs. Much better for his old joints.
A couple of days later we got him into the van again, with Orel, and took them walkies along the voie vert about a mile away, which G thoroughly enjoyed. Not too much trouble to get him back in again to go home.
We kept this up most afternoons, and now he looks forward to it and stands waiting by the van! It's too high for him to jump in, but we manage, and I can do it on my own.
Patience and a month of a mix of Fleur Bach remedies concocted by guide dog school's retired dog behaviourist seem to have done the trick.

Pics from this afternoon's stroll

My two boys.

Gorgeous piccies ....

Gnatty, those dogs are popular around here, they are lovely