# First Walk



## James Q (Dec 5, 2010)

OMG! Took Brontie for her first proper walk today after she had her final vaccinations yesterday, and all was going really well with occasional passing cars on our (normally) quiet country lane near home, until an ambulance turned in with sirens blaring. Don't know who was more startled, her or me! She turned and made a dash for home, so that one will be interesting again tomorrow. And I must have had the smelliest coat pocket with treats in, too.


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## alfiedoo (Sep 6, 2010)

lol. i remember taking Alfie out for 1st time and thinking "this is lovely" and then a double decker bus passed us and he was terrified! I spent the next couple of weeks crawling backwards in the street leaving treats like a " Hansel & Gretel" trail to get him to follow me! It certainly gave the neighbours a laugh! Thankfully he became braver!
Good luck tomorrow! By the way coat pockets will never be clean and sweet smelling again! lol


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

I'll second the bit about clean pockets. I even got my purse out in the office the other day and 3 chunks of freeze dried liver fell out onto my administrators desk


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## alfiedoo (Sep 6, 2010)

lol. i know the feeling ... my handbag used to be full of lipstick n chanel no5 now its liver and poo bags!!!! Im a changed woman!!! ha ha


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

lol, lol, yeh its a great look poo bags hanging out of pockets !!! Im sure Brontie will be fine, poor thing x


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

It's not just the handbags and pockets - they transform your house too. Everywhere we go are toys and bones (plus the occasional sock) and my lovely new cream rug (that I bought after my last dog left) is his favourite place for eating bones on.


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

That's great you can now take walks! I totally understand the being afraid bit. Rufus came across a huge mastiff across the street who ran over and I thought Rufus was going to give himself a heart attack


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## James Q (Dec 5, 2010)

Much more successful walk today. Brontie met a very playful, but obedient border collier, and a Shar Pei puppy who wanted to play (I say 'puppy' but it was huge at 9 months old!) and when we got to the lake with the ducks and swans on, she just stood and stared at them as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Wait til she want to get in with them, lol!


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

You sound to have had a lovely time x


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## James Q (Dec 5, 2010)

Walking going well, and even a little bit of heeling already. But Brontie has not forgotten whereabouts she heard the ambulance sirens, and every time we get to that part, near the turn for home, she pulls and pulls until she gets through the gate to 'her house'! Seems to think something's gonna get her, lol!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Once she has been through there for a while with nothing bad happening she will start to relax, but I think they always tend to pull when they get near home anyway.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Ahhh bless her .. maybe concentrate on the heeling with the treat at that point to try and distract her. She sounds to be doing great , I know I should nt dare to ask as Im rubbish but looking forward to photos x


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## James Q (Dec 5, 2010)

Brontie's walks are going well apart from the pulling to get back home where she heard the ambulance siren, and now the 2 big black labradors in the garden of the house we often have to pass on the lane seem to scare the life out of her (and me sometimes!). She has been introduced to them both when we meet them out on walks and all is well and friendly, but if we pass the boundary fence of their garden, the labs go bonkers and Brontie whimpers and pulls with all her might to get home. What should i do? Kate


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

could you ask the owner of the labs to come out an put them on lean so she can open the back gate and let them see eachother. 

other than that, just walk by dont fuss her, or if she starts pilling to get home i would walk her back round the block away from home. that way she isnt getthing what she wants.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I think she will get used to them in time. If I walk Dylan on the streets he gets a bit spooked when a big noisy van or lorry gets close, but gradually he is startling less and less. Once she learns that on a lead you are in charge and keeping her safe, she will start to relax more.


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## Enneirda. (Mar 5, 2010)

If the owners agree, try giving the labs treats through the fence. If they see you and think 'food!' they will turn from barking to jumping around happy. 

If not, pick her up before they start barking, and walk briskly past ignoring her no matter what she does (don't react to wiggling or crying ect.) she'll soon understand that you have it under control.

On the stretch of road she fears, try stopping as soon as she starts to pull and sit down on the ground. Ignore her if she's anxious, and do lots of calming signals. (calming signals = what dogs do when nervous. Yawning, slow blinking, loud sighs, looking at the ground, slow movements ect.) and scatter a hand full of treats on the ground so she has to walk to get them. When she'll looking around normally (wait tell she does!) stand up and start walking again. Repeat it every time she starts to pull and freak out. This will let her understand there is nothing to fear, no loud noises or aliens, just a road. 

If you let her run past, your making it more of a scary place then it is, because your agreeing with her! Instead of laughing it off and saying what scary thing? (by your actions) your running from the scary thing too lol.


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## James Q (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks for your replies, really great ideas. We met an irish wolfhound today, about the size of a pony, lol, and Brontie just sat down where she was and stared and stared. She wasn't the only one who couldn't believe her eyes! Recall going well so far, but keeping to wide open spaces where she can't get into trouble. And always a pocket full of chicken!


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

James Q said:


> Thanks for your replies, really great ideas. We met an irish wolfhound today, about the size of a pony, lol, and Brontie just sat down where she was and stared and stared. She wasn't the only one who couldn't believe her eyes! Recall going well so far, but keeping to wide open spaces where she can't get into trouble. And always a pocket full of chicken!


oh my goodness I just saw one of those this weekend!! I had never seen one before and was literally like  that is enormous!! Such a sweet boy though, despite the monstrous size. Rufus wasn't quite sure what to think for a second but then walked right over and sniffed him. I think Rufus was about the size of his head!


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I used to have an Irish Wolfhound, and it's funny how you get used to the size. They start to look normal and all the other dogs look small! They are lovely, docile dogs, very devoted and need a lot less exercise than a cockapoo!


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## parapluie (Dec 22, 2010)

Yeah, the woman who had him said he was basically a couch potato haha. He was so sweet, I really liked him! I just don't have nearly the space for such a large dog at this point haha


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I wouldn't own one again, as they only live to about 8. Mine died at 5 from drinking algaed reservoir water. But I did adore him.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Dylansmum said:


> I wouldn't own one again, as they only live to about 8. Mine died at 5 from drinking algaed reservoir water. But I did adore him.


8 years just wouldn't be enough for me given all the work needed in the first 2 years to raise them to adulthood. I love it that I'll hopefully have Flo for 15-20 years  Flo and I will turn into old, eccentric pensioners together!


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