4th october

11.34 Just received an email from lady in Orkney, she has found another female SBT closer to her.

Still no word from Orkney.
Tried ringing but no answer. I do know they are having very bad weather there at the moment.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a legitimate reason for them not getting in touch and Sapphire was still to go to an island home?


A new pic of Sapphire taken today, she is unaware of our  concerns for her future.

 Gareth has offered to drive her there (or at least part way) if the distance was the issue, thank you Gareth, but at the moment that is not the issue and so we wait...

Peppa (deaf dog) is proving to be a joy and a delight. She also seems remarkably easy to train. Her owners had taught her to sit and it is proving fascinating to realise how little we need our voice in training a dog. We may think the dog is listening to what we say but in fact it may be responding to lots of other things.
For instance it is hard to believe Peppa cannot hear on a walk as she seems to turn when you call her name but when she sleeps she sleeps soundly, often upside down and last night Sara came home followed closely by Dave in the car, the other dogs exploded but Peppa slept soundly on.
I am trying to flood her senses and introduce her to as many new experiences as possible on walks.
Yesterday we went to the Gunpowder mills and she paddled in the Tillingbourne. The leaves were blowing off the trees and falling into the stream before being swept away, she loved it! Chasing them like a kitten.
I let her off briefly to play, then she turned towards me and I called her (with body language) and she did a perfect recall!
Today Sam finished school early for open evening, so we walked her with Spryte. At first she pulled after Spryte but gradually settled. In the fields Spryte went off lead and by then she had settled enough to go to the end of the extension lead and they were soon trotting side by side and sniffing at the same place.
She went up to her tummy in the river on the way back.

Now I hope to be able to walk them both together on my own.


In the house things are not so perfect. She becomes 'fixed' on other dogs when in her crate and growls, which the kennels told me she had started to do there. I distract her and use the 'Look at me,' command as David has taught me with Angel. When she breaks her gaze and turns to me she gets a reward.
The other problem is she does bark and whine and it is very high pitched! She does it when I go outside and when another dog is getting attention/fed which obviously here, is quite often. We are divided in how best to approach this as I think ignoring it is the answer but Sam thinks the Victoria Stillwell method of using a hand signal and then rewarding the quiet is the way. As these two completely contradict one another it is a bit tricky, but as I am here more than my son I will probably get my way!

Sandy is on The Kennel Club Facebook page.....Hmmm, I am not terribly impressed....more about that tomorrow.