Sat 28th July: Jinx

In the morning when I’m getting ready to take the dogs out for their morning walk/swim, I call each dog by name so I can put their (basket) muzzles on, something that they are very used to and don’t mind at all (although I suspect given the choice they would rather go without).  Most of them come forward with wagging tail, some just lie there and expect me to go to them, but today there was no response when I called for Jinx.  He is the brother of the sharpei cross sisters, Alison and Jersey, at Tai Po, and the reason he wasn’t sent there at the time they were is because he broke his leg as a puppy.  Anyway, that healed but he ended up staying, and he is one of the dogs that always comes when called, so I wondered where he could be.  I finished with all the other dogs but was still left holding the muzzle with Jinx’s name on it.   In the end I left for my walk, thinking that if he was hiding somewhere he’d appear as the gate opened, but no, there was no sign of him.  I worried about it the whole time I was out, and even more when I got back and he was still missing.  I knew he’d come back from yesterday’s walk because I had his muzzle, taken off once all dogs are inside, but a thorough search of the various crates, boxes, dog houses and possible hiding places came up with nothing.  I was completely mystified as to how an adult dog can simply disappear from a (high) fenced garden and was obviously very worried too.  Having fed the dogs on the ground floor, I went upstairs to give Sandy and Murphy their meal (they dine privately) and spotted a black dog on the balcony. Nothing unusual there are as there are a lot of black dogs, but this one was wearing an orange collar just like Jinx’s, and sure enough it was him.  For some reason he’d ventured upstairs (which he never does normally) and out onto the balcony, probably thinking that it led to the garden, and then found himself stuck and not knowing how to get back down again.  I don’t know who was more relieved, him or me, as I carried him back down the spiral staircase to join the others.

I’ve been amusing myself reading an old book, “The Complete Book of Dog Care”,  obviously very popular in its time as it was the thirty eighth edition and dated 1986.   For example under Parvovirus is says “A recently diagnosed condition …….. Fortunately a vaccine has been developed”.  It doesn’t mention that the virus itself was also man-made, but maybe they didn’t know that at the time.

On advice about dealing with dog-aggressive dogs it recommends whacking on the nose with a rolled up newspaper, sadly a technique still used by many dog owners.  How I hate to see that type of stuff, or anything which has the dog cringing in fear under the threat of punishment from the “dominant” master.  Throw all those ideas out of the window , and the choke chains with them.  And please don’t try the “Alpha Roll” or whatever it’s called, not unless it’s a culinary dish, or listen to any trainer who talks about needing to show who’s boss.  Work with your dog, not against or over it, and you will have a much happier and willing animal than one who obeys out of fear.

For the most part though, nothing has changed too much and the book is quite helpful when it comes to common sense home remedies, something I have to rely on quite a bit if I run out of medicines.

This year’s summer deluge isn’t just about the weather because it’s also raining dogs (probably cats too). I got a message letting me know that there were four small dogs that had been abandoned or were about to be, including an eleven month-old miniature pinscher, a peke, a shih tzu and a dachshund, all young.  At least a subsequent message told me a foster was keeping the dachshund, so that’s one less, but the others will be arriving over the next week I guess.