Tam & co the great winter escape

[Northernraider]

Tam, can you not take yourself off on your own for a few days to concentrate on the dogs with no one else around to distract them?

Yes i might do that for a day or two but i have had a talk with jackie this morning and said to her that id like her not to call on her etc when im doing it .... And she has said herself that she realises she was doing it and will stop .

 

[Northernraider]

She was rescued by Friends of Mazarron Animals who, incidentally, benefited by €45 for your old dog trailer that you left with Richard gus-lopez who repaired it and asked where he could donate it to and we gave it to them. It was auctioned and they got that good amount for it.

So, thanks to you also

Ahh thats fantastic well done gus-lopez

 

[Helen Ariel]

Saw this in the fort car park yesterday Tam. Looked awesome.

Saw it driving out of town later and it is so tall!

 

[Mikey RV]

That is nice.

 

[Wendo55]

Tam, it's early days in your relationship with Ela. My 5 year old rescue almost ignored me, in the house and on walks, for a good 3 months when I got her. Almost 2 years later she can still be quite aloof, not even looking at me when I call her name, but 1 or 2 minutes later will jump on my knee and cuddle up. It's as if she's thinking "I'll come when I want, not when you tell me". Her terms.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

The sand is too soft in front of us to drive them further on the beach ... I dont mind being parked close when its friends and people i want to socialize with ....its when its a perfect stranger that parks a foot away and you can hear them eating a packet of crisps lol

I bet if they offered you one you'd be more than happy to have their companionship!

 

[Northernraider]

Saw this in the fort car park yesterday Tam. Looked awesome.

View attachment 566795
View attachment 566796

Saw it driving out of town later and it is so tall!

I follow him on instagram 4x4 model ....i plan to give mine 100mm lift so ot looks like that but wont be 4x4

 

[L' Hobo]

I'm a long way behind on the thread BUT for the UK dog lovers, I have just heard that on the BBC TV News Channel at 17.30 tomorrow (Sat) there is a programme about the illegal dog trade and the practices. it might be worth watching! (sorry about the bold?)

 

[Twogirls]

Tam you obviously have a lot of patience and understanding with dogs, but do you think it's possible that Ela just doesn't regard you and your existing dogs as "pack"? Has she ever lived as part of a pack with a human, indoors rather than being kept outside or roaming free? If not, and she missed that important puppy socialisation stage, it may take a very long time indeed for her to settle and really want to be in your pack.

 

[Helen Ariel]

I'm a long way behind on the thread BUT for the UK dog lovers, I have just heard that on the BBC TV News Channel at 17.30 tomorrow (Sat) there is a programme about the illegal dog trade and the practices. it might be worth watching! (sorry about the bold?)

I definitely couldn't watch anything like that!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

Tam you obviously have a lot of patience and understanding with dogs, but do you think it's possible that Ela just doesn't regard you and your existing dogs as "pack"? Has she ever lived as part of a pack with a human, indoors rather than being kept outside or roaming free? If not, and she missed that important puppy socialisation stage, it may take a very long time indeed for her to settle and really want to be in your pack.

On the contrary i think she started considering us as her pack a day or two before i finally carried her in to the van ...she started to spend more time with us than the other stray dogs , she was sleeping under my van and coming walks with us etc . She is bonding great with jade and milo and me aswell .... she's good as gold in every other way than allowing me to attach a lead to her ....and when its time to go in if she's loose she will keep enough distance so you can't grab hold of her etc.

But she has been better today as she has not been off the lead today ...she was on the lead for our morning walk ... extension lead on the beach where it was safe and switched to ordinary lead when walking on the road and required to heel . She then had time on the beach this afternoon but on a long rope so she could wander a bit but not too far . She was totally chilled doing that and spent most of the time just lying beside us .

I have discovered she is scared of cars passing on the road , noises like chainsaws etc and she does panic when walking past them .... first time weve seen that as not been anywhere bar beaches since ive had her. So having to reassure her when we encounter these things

Socialising with other dogs she seems to be quite good at unless they are big loud and intimidating then she gets nervous but shes met several while here and is generally very friendly with them ...milo is the barky one there and he is now being checked for that everytime so i can hopefully get him out of it.

 

[Northernraider]

 

[Minxy]

Tam you obviously have a lot of patience and understanding with dogs, but do you think it's possible that Ela just doesn't regard you and your existing dogs as "pack"? Has she ever lived as part of a pack with a human, indoors rather than being kept outside or roaming free? If not, and she missed that important puppy socialisation stage, it may take a very long time indeed for her to settle and really want to be in your pack.

I'm just wondering if Tam should start 'acting' more like a dog, you know peeing up bushes, crapping and scratching on the ground, however I think 'cleaning his private parts with his tongue, even if he could reach, would be a step too far!

 

[Minxy]

I have discovered she is scared of cars passing on the road , noises like chainsaws etc and she does panic when walking past them .... first time weve seen that as not been anywhere bar beaches since ive had her. So having to reassure her when we encounter these things

You might be able to use that to your advantage by showing her that it doesn't bother you but ensuring she is safe so she want to stay with you as her protector.

 

[Mikey RV]

Your doing a great job Tam. I think it’s just a lot of patience as for Ela it’s a different world from being roaming around to being in a van with meals and warmth. She will come round, stick with it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

Noise ... do you have music on a lot and/or make noise generally (excluding farts!)? She won't be used to noise so that could also be causing her a bit of concern, maybe listening to Classic FM will help as its supposed to be very calming for dogs.

 

[Dutch 68]

I follow him on instagram 4x4 model ....i plan to give mine 100mm lift so ot looks like that but wont be 4x4

Are there people who converted their 2wd to 4wd? Doable?

 

[Northernraider]

Noise ... do you have music on a lot and/or make noise generally (excluding farts!)? She won't be used to noise so that could also be causing her a bit of concern, maybe listening to Classic FM will help as its supposed to be very calming for dogs.

Nope ...i sometimes have music on but it hasn't been loud since i took her in and she isnt bothered by noises in the van its loud noises outside from strangers she is wary of ... traffic , chainsaws etc

 

[Northernraider]

Are there people who converted their 2wd to 4wd? Doable?

I know one guy that has done it ...but it wasn't easy and he was lucky managing to get a scrap 4x4 pickup doner . Its certainly doable but once finished he had spent £35k in total and struggled to sell it for ages as it wasn't a genuine 4x4 ...in the end he got around 27k for it


Im not fussed about 4x4 ...i only want the ground clearance and the look.

 

[Northernraider]

One part of training is going well ....for all of them . Jade was always good but milo was a nightmare for staring while im eating ....ela was starting to copy him ... but not now . All ignoring.

Ela seems to prefer sleeping in the bed on the cab floor ....its her safe place and she seems content in there. It might work out well as in the vario im thinking i will have to build some sort of bed there with harness restraints for traveling as all 3 wont fit on a double seat and the back will be closed off from the cab .

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Dutch 68]

I know one guy that has done it ...but it wasn't easy and he was lucky managing to get a scrap 4x4 pickup doner . Its certainly doable but once finished he had spent £35k in total and struggled to sell it for ages as it wasn't a genuine 4x4 ...in the end he got around 27k for it


Im not fussed about 4x4 ...i only want the ground clearance and the look.

Yip, as long as you don’t get into darkest Africa or the americas you will manage just fine, and if needed there is always someone with a tractor , in general people are very helpful in remote places when people are in need.

 

[chaser]

Where does Jackie fit in this, have you abandered her now for a dog, shame if you have , from what you have told us, she helped you, now it's just you and dogs.

 

[Dutch 68]

One part of training is going well ....for all of them . Jade was always good but milo was a nightmare for staring while im eating ....ela was starting to copy him ... but not now . All ignoring. View attachment 566921View attachment 566922


Ela seems to prefer sleeping in the bed on the cab floor ....its her safe place and she seems content in there. It might work out well as in the vario im thinking i will have to build some sort of bed there with harness restraints for traveling as all 3 wont fit on a double seat and the back will be closed off from the cab .

No hatch ?

 

[monzer]

Where does Jackie fit in this, have you abandered her now for a dog, shame if you have , from what you have told us, she helped you, now it's just you and dogs.

 

[Northernraider]

Yip, as long as you don’t get into darkest Africa or the americas you will manage just fine, and if needed there is always someone with a tractor , in general people are very helpful in remote places when people are in need.

Lets face it ...i see big 4x4 trucks managing to get themselves stuck in stupid situations so they arent imune to it either. The most i go off road is bumpy dirt tracks and next to beaches but no desire to drive on to the actual beach ...that just invites complaints etc

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Northernraider]

Where does Jackie fit in this, have you abandered her now for a dog, shame if you have , from what you have told us, she helped you, now it's just you and dogs.

Eh?


She's parked next door ya plonker . We do live separate lives ye ken

 

[Northernraider]

No hatch ?

There will be a small door to access in emergency but thats all . I want to retain the heat etc in the back and the privacy

 

[Val 3 dogs]

I thought you had agreed tbat Milo didn't like sitting on tbe front seat whilst travelling but always took himself to the back?
Also there may be countries where having dogs in a front seat is illegal (as I think it is here in Spain, though I'm not certain about that).

 

[Northernraider]

I thought you had agreed tbat Milo didn't like sitting on tbe front seat whilst travelling but always took himself to the back?
Also there may be countries where having dogs in a front seat is illegal (as I think it is here in Spain, though I'm not certain about that).

No ...milo hasn't been on the front seat as jade claimed it. Hence buying a double front seat . They will be harnessed in and if Spain has a problem they will just have to suck it up as there won't be anywhere in the back to secure them. Jade travelled 2 years in Spain with no issues.

Besides the police would have to be in a monster truck to see in the vario window to see them lying down

 

[Val 3 dogs]

Re Milo being a bit of a noisy, "barky" boy, he may be what is known in the dog world as "reactive" my smaller Mastin, Querida, (40kgs) is very nervous of strangers and outside sounds that she can't see and barks and roars her disapproval but is actually trying to frighten tbem away before they come closer.
I am not sure if this is due to her "livestock guardian" breeding and she thinks she is keeping intruders away from her flock or she is just plain scared but certainly when she barks the whole neighbourhood know she is there.

I read something on-line re dog training a while ago that I liked and stuck with me.
It was "your dog's name is precious don't spoil it with negative connections"" like "NO Fido", "BAD BOY FIDO," "STOP THAT FIDO". Save it for "GOOD BOY FIDO," "WHAT A GOOD GIRLFIDO" etc so the dogs has happy, positive connotations with it's name.
My new boy Guapo, until recently an abandoned stray has chewed up and destroyed one or two relatively expensive items in the house. I have told him off and pointed out that he is a "bad dog* but I have remembered that both him and his name are precious. He looks at me sorrowfully with his big green eyes, (I have never known a dog with green eyes before) and my heart melts.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}