Every time I leave the room and my dog has to entertain himself for 30 seconds, I always tell him I'll be back in a minute. Whilst he doesn't sit there staring at his watch (most likely because he doesn't have one) waiting for me to return, I know that dogs do have a sense of time if you always stick to a timed routine that they can learn; he always knows the exact time my dad should be home, and he sits in the window sulking if he isn't there.
It's weird because I am used to being so very independent, and never having to explain where I am going to be, so it's rather strange to have to explain myself to a small animal in order to leave a room. Granted, he looks at me with his sad eyes which ask me not to go.
Part of the problem is that Ted gets freaked out by a lot of things and it makes him very reactive. He's reactive when we leave him, around other dogs and apparently to me talking about him because I tend to speak these things out loud. Also, God help us if there are dogs barking on the TV.
Something that not many people, dog owners included, know is that although they might have the loveliest dog that they could have, if they are a little over amorous when they approach my little dude, they're going to freak the living daylights out of him and he's going to bark. There's a company which produces yellow leads, collars, harnesses and scarfs to signal that the dog attached is anxious, however a, Teddy is not that bad if we handle him in a particular way and b, not enough people know what the yellow means and with the leads, you need to be pretty close before you can actually read what it says.
Today, we met a little ginger cocker spaniel puppy who I fell a little bit in love with (but don't tell Teddy) and he was hyper as anything. Now, I knew that Ted and I could just have let him and his dad walk on without us and clear the way, and it would have been fine. We would have had a short walk, not have seen too many other dogs and would have been back to the house in time to get Ted in the bath and clean by lunch time, but we didn't do that. Instead, I settled Ted with the little tyke and then let them off the leads together. Granted, there were still a few points where he was being a little bit nervous (read: acting like a tit and forgetting how to play) but they were playing and running around, and were then joined by a lovely black Labrador.
Though to be honest, I am just really glad that when we ran into a dog who had previously bitten Teddy, she kept away from him when he barked at her, because I wanted to avoid having to pick him up every time he is nervous.
Anyway, catch you later.
22 Sept 2017
15 Sept 2017
I Never Thought That,
Someone that was here when I grew up recently reminded me of how naive I used to be. Much as I would love to point out she didn't know me then and definitely doesn't now, I guess that there is a certain amount of truth in it and maybe still is...
A perfect example of that happened today.
I had always assumed that people who abused animals knew what they were doing, and they knew it was wrong, but they did it anyway for unknown reasons. I thought I would never see someone do this, because why would they? Why would you abuse an animal in front of an animal lover? Or better, why would you do it at all?
As I have mentioned before, I gave up eating meat over a decade ago and that was because I love animals. I love them all - maybe not equally, but still. And before anyone says anything spiders do not count; especially if they are in my bedroom. HOWEVER, when my dog is sick, I cook chicken for him, because it's what he needs to get better. (Bloody shih-tzus and their rubbish stomachs.) Even when he is well, I will put his dinner out which is basically meat, meat, more meat, bit of rice, some veg and blend. I don't take issue with this, because I know that dogs would pretty much always choose a meaty option over a veggie option. I love him enough to get over the whole handling meat thing, for him, even if it's not ideal for me.
Now today I was walking the little fluff, and he has been really vocal in his disapproval of certain other dogs. Not being with him 24/7, I don't know all of the dogs that he has an issue with, so I'm being somewhat overcautious with the bigger ones that could actually do some damage to him. That being said, I make sure he is within grabbing distance so if he starts something, I can finish it.
Today we came across a man with two big dogs. He has one lead in each hand, but the dogs looked like they were trying to pull him in half, meaning it was a little bit difficult to get Ted out of the way, but as we approached and I pulled Teddy into a short lead, he did pull the one on our side closer to him to give us space to give him a wide birth. Now, Ted wasn't always so yappy with other dogs, and this mouthing off hasn't come from a specific event so far as we can tell, so I'm trying, the best that I can, to socialise him a bit better and hopefully calm him down a little bit, so I let him approach the dogs for a sniff, until they all started barking at each other, and one of the other dogs - thankfully the one who was furthest away from us - started growling.
Like I said, I keep Teddy in grabbing distance, so he was away from them quickly, I had the hold of the back of his harness and then he was in my arms within seconds and then I was getting us the heck back to the house. I looked back because I could hear the guy yelling at his dog, which I already thought was a bit unnecessary, but what I saw then made it worse. Not only did he hit the dog twice, he then started whipping the dog, who was cowering on the floor, with the lead of the other dog who he had, by then, let off of the lead.
After the whole thing of reporting this to the appropriate people, I still couldn't get it off my mind, because I can't help but feel that any time you have to hit your animal to regain some semblance of control over it, you have failed as a pet parent. And if you feel the need to not only use your hands, but employ some form of weapon against your animal, then you are the problem, not the animal. If that dog has previously gone to bite other animals or a person, why on Earth does he not walk him in a muzzle? Why on Earth does he walk him on a pathway which is highly frequented by dog walkers? This happened on the same day as another dog walker went off this path with a muzzled greyhound when he saw other dogs in the area.
I know for some people that this might be a small issue, but it is just the latest in a line of crappy things and it's also one of the small things that add together to be a big issue. The way we treat animals and women and the environment and communities and property, well all of it adds up. Okay, so smacking your dog for growling and going for a smaller dog is nowhere near as bad as intensive farming or the killing of sea life which occurs in several countries around the globe, but it's the same problem attitude that women are lesser. Telling women that they belong in the kitchen as a joke and allowing girls to be married and have children in their early teens aren't the same thing, but both are products of the belief that gender has a bearing on our value, purpose and abilities (shouldn't have to say this, but IT ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T!!!!) Dropping litter does not equate to dropping bombs anywhere you fancy, but you kind of see where I am going here...
Anyway, my point is that the little things matter, be they animal, vegetable or mineral. Catch you later.
A perfect example of that happened today.
I had always assumed that people who abused animals knew what they were doing, and they knew it was wrong, but they did it anyway for unknown reasons. I thought I would never see someone do this, because why would they? Why would you abuse an animal in front of an animal lover? Or better, why would you do it at all?
As I have mentioned before, I gave up eating meat over a decade ago and that was because I love animals. I love them all - maybe not equally, but still. And before anyone says anything spiders do not count; especially if they are in my bedroom. HOWEVER, when my dog is sick, I cook chicken for him, because it's what he needs to get better. (Bloody shih-tzus and their rubbish stomachs.) Even when he is well, I will put his dinner out which is basically meat, meat, more meat, bit of rice, some veg and blend. I don't take issue with this, because I know that dogs would pretty much always choose a meaty option over a veggie option. I love him enough to get over the whole handling meat thing, for him, even if it's not ideal for me.
Now today I was walking the little fluff, and he has been really vocal in his disapproval of certain other dogs. Not being with him 24/7, I don't know all of the dogs that he has an issue with, so I'm being somewhat overcautious with the bigger ones that could actually do some damage to him. That being said, I make sure he is within grabbing distance so if he starts something, I can finish it.
Today we came across a man with two big dogs. He has one lead in each hand, but the dogs looked like they were trying to pull him in half, meaning it was a little bit difficult to get Ted out of the way, but as we approached and I pulled Teddy into a short lead, he did pull the one on our side closer to him to give us space to give him a wide birth. Now, Ted wasn't always so yappy with other dogs, and this mouthing off hasn't come from a specific event so far as we can tell, so I'm trying, the best that I can, to socialise him a bit better and hopefully calm him down a little bit, so I let him approach the dogs for a sniff, until they all started barking at each other, and one of the other dogs - thankfully the one who was furthest away from us - started growling.
Like I said, I keep Teddy in grabbing distance, so he was away from them quickly, I had the hold of the back of his harness and then he was in my arms within seconds and then I was getting us the heck back to the house. I looked back because I could hear the guy yelling at his dog, which I already thought was a bit unnecessary, but what I saw then made it worse. Not only did he hit the dog twice, he then started whipping the dog, who was cowering on the floor, with the lead of the other dog who he had, by then, let off of the lead.
After the whole thing of reporting this to the appropriate people, I still couldn't get it off my mind, because I can't help but feel that any time you have to hit your animal to regain some semblance of control over it, you have failed as a pet parent. And if you feel the need to not only use your hands, but employ some form of weapon against your animal, then you are the problem, not the animal. If that dog has previously gone to bite other animals or a person, why on Earth does he not walk him in a muzzle? Why on Earth does he walk him on a pathway which is highly frequented by dog walkers? This happened on the same day as another dog walker went off this path with a muzzled greyhound when he saw other dogs in the area.
I know for some people that this might be a small issue, but it is just the latest in a line of crappy things and it's also one of the small things that add together to be a big issue. The way we treat animals and women and the environment and communities and property, well all of it adds up. Okay, so smacking your dog for growling and going for a smaller dog is nowhere near as bad as intensive farming or the killing of sea life which occurs in several countries around the globe, but it's the same problem attitude that women are lesser. Telling women that they belong in the kitchen as a joke and allowing girls to be married and have children in their early teens aren't the same thing, but both are products of the belief that gender has a bearing on our value, purpose and abilities (shouldn't have to say this, but IT ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T!!!!) Dropping litter does not equate to dropping bombs anywhere you fancy, but you kind of see where I am going here...
Anyway, my point is that the little things matter, be they animal, vegetable or mineral. Catch you later.
My Little Flour,
Whilst being at my parent's house, I have been watching old episodes of The Great British Bake Off and thinking about things that I would like to try out baking and it has made me think again about how people prioritise different things when they are baking.
Bake Off does seem to want all of these wonderful and gorgeous bakes, and a lot of variety.
I for one have absolutely never made any kind of bread - unless calzone pizza dough counts and even that went badly. I'm much more of a sweet tooth baker, but for the most part that is just alcoholic loaf cakes or rather simple flavoured cakes that I refuse to ice in anything other than butter cream because I cannot pipe icing for toffee, and I hate royal icing. If I'm baking it, I'm going to be eating some of it, so why would I dress it up in something that tastes that revolting? Don't get me started on marzipan either - that stuff is the work of the devil.
Truth be told though, I would really like to spend more time in my kitchen, arguing with recipes and making more cake and other things. I feel like I would really enjoy (or be really stressed by) baking a Charlotte Royale, however it is something I will have to do at some point. I'm really quite excited about it, which is bad because it won't be any time soon.
I think that the next thing which I will really enjoy is I'm going to pull out the book cake tin and rustle something up for the beginning of NaNo. I can't promise that there will be many book cakes, but there should be a couple. And knowing me they will be fantastically over the top.
Catch you later.
Bake Off does seem to want all of these wonderful and gorgeous bakes, and a lot of variety.
I for one have absolutely never made any kind of bread - unless calzone pizza dough counts and even that went badly. I'm much more of a sweet tooth baker, but for the most part that is just alcoholic loaf cakes or rather simple flavoured cakes that I refuse to ice in anything other than butter cream because I cannot pipe icing for toffee, and I hate royal icing. If I'm baking it, I'm going to be eating some of it, so why would I dress it up in something that tastes that revolting? Don't get me started on marzipan either - that stuff is the work of the devil.
Truth be told though, I would really like to spend more time in my kitchen, arguing with recipes and making more cake and other things. I feel like I would really enjoy (or be really stressed by) baking a Charlotte Royale, however it is something I will have to do at some point. I'm really quite excited about it, which is bad because it won't be any time soon.
I think that the next thing which I will really enjoy is I'm going to pull out the book cake tin and rustle something up for the beginning of NaNo. I can't promise that there will be many book cakes, but there should be a couple. And knowing me they will be fantastically over the top.
Catch you later.
14 Sept 2017
Let's Be Adults About This,
Not like that. Well,.
As previously mentioned, - and I will continue to mention because I'm bloody proud of it - I've just moved into a new flat, but my God are there a lot of things to sort out.
Getting out of the old place was a hassle and half, because I had moved into there from my little studio. I had a kitchen full of utensils and machines that had to either fit into a much smaller selection of cupboards, or be relegated to the boxes in the loft. As such, there was quite a bit of stuff to come down out of the loft, the furniture to be either moved or deconstructed and the room to be cleaned. Honestly, all that didn't go so badly, however the major snag which did occur was when the van had a blow out on the M25. Thankfully my dad was in the van with the moving men or I would have been doing a Chicken Run (place head between knees and kiss your bum goodbye).
It was a little bit crazy getting everything in, but that is where the fun really starts. Not only are there a ridiculous amount of boxes covering my living room, there's bills to sort out and it took me until Thursday to actually get any hot water as the gas was capped whilst no one was living in the property. I'm trying to sort my life out whilst spending time back in Manchester looking after my dog, Teddy (@teddytheshihtzu on Instagram).
All in all, I'm really doing the adult thing. I'm even going to be going to Ikea to pick up some new flat pack furniture and then will be constructing it myself. (Granted, my mum is going to be there to help me to carry it home...) Part of me really can't wait to go home.
Catch you later.
12 Sept 2017
Oh, Darling,
Part of my brain keeps crying and saying, it's not even October yet - how are we thinking about NaNo already? (Because for this sentence, myself and my brain are becoming separate entities. Go with it.)
I loved being a Municipal Liaison last year and it's something I am really looking forward to doing again, though part of me thinks that the last few months have really run away with themselves, because it really isn't so long away now, is it?
Last year was my first year being an ML and I had just started a new job. It was an intense period of time, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Clearly this year I need to step up what I am doing to drive myself completely crazy, so I will be starting a new job in October, I've moved into a one bedroom flat on my own and I will be being an ML all over again. All whilst trying to work on a novel which seems to get more and more out of hand with every turn of the metaphorical page.
Jees.
I'm also well aware of my ability to fall off the face of the Earth (well, screen) for extended periods of time, but hopefully the above is a decent enough reason. If not, well...
I loved being a Municipal Liaison last year and it's something I am really looking forward to doing again, though part of me thinks that the last few months have really run away with themselves, because it really isn't so long away now, is it?
Last year was my first year being an ML and I had just started a new job. It was an intense period of time, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Clearly this year I need to step up what I am doing to drive myself completely crazy, so I will be starting a new job in October, I've moved into a one bedroom flat on my own and I will be being an ML all over again. All whilst trying to work on a novel which seems to get more and more out of hand with every turn of the metaphorical page.
Jees.
I'm also well aware of my ability to fall off the face of the Earth (well, screen) for extended periods of time, but hopefully the above is a decent enough reason. If not, well...
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