The key feature of this week was the long-awaited release from vaccine confinement, and the resultant opportunities to view the world from ground level.
On V-day, Friday, we set about revisiting socialization with vigour and had been to the vets (weighing scales in the reception) and had a walk around town before lunchtime. We also visited the livestock auctions again, but this time proceedings were viewed much closer in and from the floor. All went very well. If anything Venn seemed a little wary of the penned sheep, which will work just fine, though she rapidly established that sheep-poo makes a tasty snack for the busy dog-about-town.
On Saturday we went on a “big-girls” walk into the woods behind the house with Kip to show the way. The two worked well together, with Kip setting the tone for off-the-lead walking and showing Venn the right place to get under the fence. In the evening we covered another important life-skill with a trip to the pub. Again the pair settled pretty well, and unusually, Venn did not plaque the life out of Kip while she was trying to snooze.
On Sunday we had a long-awaited get-together with Bryn and Paul. Paul is a member of our Mountain Rescue Team, and he and Bryn are a bit further into their SARDA journey. The dogs took a little time to size each other up, and play was fast and rough. It was hard standing watching as Venn was knocked flying, sat on, then crawled out and went straight back for more. Having enjoyed the sparring, both dogs were initially affected by the distractions, and Venn certainly wasn’t performing obedience drills to the best of her ability. However, they settled into the rhythm and we got some useful work done. Bryn was doing some scenting work, which Venn found fascinating to watch, and both dogs went for a walk on long-lines through the sheep field to consolidate their behaviour around farm animals. Again Venn showed little interest. Yay.
With all these happy “firsts” coming in thick and fast, it is probably no great surprise that we have been more frequently ambushed by the less positive counter-thoughts: “the last time we went to the pub with two dogs……”, “the last time we walked in the woods with two dogs….”, and all too easily, the gap left in our collective lives by the death of Tess reasserts itself. So much has happened over the intervening time, and it is easy to forget that it has only been a handful of months since she left us.
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