It’s been a while… we seemed to have settled into some sort of happy state and routine that has made the days fly by. A couple of local walks around the racecourse, food and games and lots of sofa cuddles. Then the world started to open back up again…
This is a good thing. It’s good to be able to get out to different places and start to see people again. It opens up a whole different world for people and woofers, and is unnerving in many ways for both parties. Different people, different places, different rules. It’s going to take some adjusting to, even for people that have a vague understanding of what’s going on.
It’s a whole other ball game (not literally because ball games are either scary sometimes if you are Sam or a total waste of effort if you are Bea) for these dogs. It’s good to be able to expand their horizons and introduce them to new things and places – but it’s all a balancing act.
Having walked what seems like 47million miles in our local park (don’t get me wrong, that vast green space has been a godsend for the last year but I can literally tell you the exact point I will reach a kilometre walked from any which direction or route), we were looking forward to being able to explore some new places with the dogs. With this comes an awareness that the dogs may not initially share our enthusiasm for this. They are used to their local walks, they have their favourite trees and bushes to sniff and the route that has the cat they love to bark at. Bundling them into the back of a car and landing some place new can inspire equal parts excitement and fear.
Take Sam for example. He jumps happily enough into the back of the car but struggles to settle and lie down – he has to look where he is going and it takes him some time to settle and lie down. If there is a loud noise or sudden braking he Jack in box pops back up again and restarts the settling process. It could be excitement at going someplace new but feels more like anxiety and uncertainty. Being put in a moving vehicle probably meant going to the track – he’s not quite sure yet, despite multiple trips, what this one means. This means, despite us wanting to explore all over South Wales with them, we have to be aware and manage that the trip out itself adds a level of stress that may or may not be balanced out by the adventure itself.
Then the destination itself has to be thought through. Our dogs are luckily very dog friendly (even small rat dogs provided they don’t leap all over them) so other dogs is not a consideration – but noise levels and people levels are. Too much going on and the dogs will both pin their ears back and tense up slightly. No doubt the tracks were noisy and people filled – the issue with lockdown living means they haven’t had the opportunity to adjust to people in fun situations yet. And to go from no people to what must seem like all of the people is a massive shock. Naturally everyone is enjoying the lockdown release and getting out and about, we just need to phase our introductions to such things so that they aren’t overwhelming. We’ve learnt to avoid places like the Cardiff bay barrage on a weekend at the moment and gradually introduce trips to places such as that at quieter times.
Joe having a background in Welsh tourism, means he knows lots of hidden gems around the South Wales area for exploring. We are trying to introduce a few of these places a month – taking into account the potential of huge volumes of people, distance to be walked and weather. Forest trails appear to be hugely popular with both Sam and Bea – lots of things to sniff, quieter and more shaded (our sun worshipping little girl doesn’t enjoy a walk in the sun, only a snooze). The ability to book entry to National Trust sites is great – we can use our membership, see manageable amounts of people and explore some new places.
People are another addition to the equation. Joe having knee problems on more than one occasion has been beneficial to Sam and Bea – it means that other people have been drafted in to be at the other end of a lead for a walks. Other local greys being available for socially distanced walks when the restrictions have permitted have been brilliant – hounds that have been there and done that give a confidence boost to our more newly housed hounds and people that are experienced with hounds knowing just how to interact with Sam and Bea to help them realise people are good and can be trusted – and can give great tickles and ear scritches.
We are starting to take this further with Sam – he now is moving on to weekly play dates with the lovely Pippa and her equally lovely Mum Amy. This is hopefully going to give him some additional exercise that Bea has no interest in partaking of, and help give him the confidence to navigate life outside the house without the support network of Joe, Bea or I. We wouldn’t have done that 6 months ago but it’s now time for Sam to start interacting a bit more and gaining a bit of confidence in himself.
We are so looking forward to treating these two to wonderful adventures with us – but it’s everything in its own time and everything at its own pace, balancing what each of them needs with what they are capable of. This is physical as well as mental.
Bea is an unbelievable little legend of a dog – her confidence and grit allow her to face any situation and get on with it. Back of the car – fast asleep, new place – let’s pull over here for a sniff, new person at the end of a lead – let’s Bea train them and have a bit of a lean on them, they might have treats. You can take her anywhere and she gets on with it and enjoys herself. What she can’t or won’t do( either way is acceptable – she was raced too hard for too long bless her) is a long walk or trek up a hill. She loves a gentle stroll in any place you like – but only for literally a couple of miles and we have worked her up to that and wouldn’t try adding any distance to it. We have worked out her physical limits and keep her comfortably within them for maximum Bea walking enjoyment.
Sam has a lot more mental barriers to things but physically, in the right environment, would walk 5 miles with no problem. It’s making sure the environment is right for that – quiet trails with things to sniff and explore are his favourite. He will walk with all enthusiasm and pace, pulling you along. Long stops upset him, as do crowded places and excessive amounts of cars.
It’s been joked that Joe and I frequently look like we’ve had a row walking these pair, with Sam pacing off in front and Bea bimbling and having an extended sniff behind.
Branching out is a more difficult process than I might have originally thought – they were more factors to bring into the equation than my initial thoughts of “let’s go out someplace new for an adventure” but by slowly introducing new elements and seeing what adds up best for us all, we will have the best adventures together!
