Must Love Dogs: 2018

Step 1: Put a fence around a plant to stop a baby Diesel from pulling the plant off the wall and eating it.

Step 2: Replace the decaying and being eaten by doggies wooden structure surrounding the garden bed with concrete blocks, thereby providing easier access to the garden bed.

Step 3: Let Rascal adventure in the garden, chasing bugs.

In the two minutes it took me to cut up the carrots for their snack, Rascal managed to get himself trapped behind the fence. When he didn't come when called for his snack, I went looking for him and decided to take a photo before letting him out.

He had squeezed himself between the fence and the concrete wall to get in there. I moved one of the balls of concrete on the right hand side closer to the wall - it seemed as if that was his access point. Those balls of concrete are lying on the top of the garden bed to stop him from digging.

I clearly got the access point wrong, as one evening this week I arrived home and Rascal started yelling at me. He was trapped in there again, but trying to get out of the left hand side. So now I've put concrete balls on the left hand side. Hopefully that keeps him out.

This post is long overdue. Rascal has been with us for six months now.

After my previous rescue experiences, I wasn't sure what to expect with Spaniel Welfare. However, adopting Rascal couldn't have been easier, and the ladies at Spaniel Welfare SA are incredibly respectful and professional.

I waited until Diesel was a year old and then had him neutered. The operation went well, but I had to laugh when, after the vet had said "watch him, but he shouldn't lick", Diesel emerged with the cone of shame because "he had been licking while in the cage". He also didn't like the cream that had to be applied for a few days thereafter, and started running away the second I picked up the bottle (it must have stung, shame).

Diesel with his cone of shame because he decided to lick

Once Diesel had healed following the operation, I decided to try adopting a spaniel again. I submitted an updated application form on Monday, 25 September. The home inspection happened on Wednesday, 27 September. And Diesel and I went to meet the spaniels on Sunday, 1 October.

There were three young spaniels available for adoption at that point - two girls, Candy and Jayde, and a boy, Rascal. I decided it was up to Diesel to choose, or the spaniel to choose him, and that is exactly what happened. Candy wouldn't stop barking at Diesel and Jayde didn't show much interest in him. Eventually it was just Rascal and Diesel outside, and they quickly became friends. When all the rest of the spaniels (about a dozen) came out to play, Diesel and Rascal were following each other around. And when I went to fetch my phone from the car, it was Rascal that followed me.

Rascal came home with us that day and the adoption was finalised a few weeks later.

Diesel was absolutely besotted with Rascal, and wouldn't leave him alone that first day. He was so ridiculously excited at having a friend that I had to shout at him when we went to bed that night because he wouldn't settle down.

It wasn't as easy for Rascal or I. We were both a bit unsettled for the first few days. I think by the Monday morning Rascal was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the constant attention from Diesel and ended up snapping at him. That concerned me and so I wasn't sure if I'd made the right decision. That evening, out of my sight for a few seconds, Rascal lived up to his name by chewing a hole in the blanket on the spare bed. That reduced me to tears and again I questioned whether I had done the right thing. But the advice is to give it a few weeks, and so I did.

Diesel absolutely besotted with Rascal on the first day. This is also the blanket that Rascal chewed a hole in.

It actually took a couple of months for Rascal and I to get used to each other. He had very little discipline, only knowing "sit". He has since learnt to "shake" for his food, wait, feet (it means I need to wipe their feet when they come in the back door and it has been raining), roll over (another one associated with wiping the feet), and off. We're still working on down (lie down) and high-five, and he tends to only do his tricks in context of a situation.

He has soiled in the house a few times, on some occasions with the back door open and so he could easily have just gone outside rather than into the passage, and on the carpet. Plus, he has chewed holes in a couple of other fabric items - a pillow and the cover on the spare couch in the study. He likes to gnaw on things. He has since learnt that he can only gnaw on the dog toys and the one dog blanket that has become a toy, which has almost disintegrated at this point as it has been ripped by the two of them.

At first, I had no idea how he liked to play. As much as his breed is also meant to retrieve, he does what the Danes used to do and looks at me like I'm stupid when I throw a ball. It took being on holiday over December, when I got to spend much more time with him, that we finally started understanding each other. Turns out his play is to gently wrestle with me.

He likes to play tug of war with Diesel, over whichever toy or piece of dog blanket they have picked up. He likes to chase after and bark at birds. He likes to chase after and try to catch dragonflies - it's actually really cute the way he jumps really high to try catch them. He is not fazed by loud noises, including thunder and fireworks. He loves the rain and wishes to run around in it, which he only gets to do when I'm not at home and he's already outside, because he's like a mud magnet. His absolute favourite thing is to cuddle on the couch with someone, on his back with his tummy exposed so it can be tickled - he took a particular liking to doing this with my dad over December.

Ready for the December trip to my parents in Howick

We're still working on his slight leash aggression. He tends to bark at other dogs when he is on the leash. This I've noticed when we have gone to the park and while we were travelling in December. However, he listens when I say no, and stops.

He's actually very good at listening. The first time we went to the park, I was giving him a few instructions, like not to jump on me, with lots of "good boy" when he did the right thing. A lady had been watching and asked if I was a dog trainer - LOL.

Rascal is exactly four weeks older than Diesel, born on 12 August 2016. And they're a perfect fit for each other. They play nicely together, learn from each other - both naughty and good things - keep each other company, snuggle together and even share kisses. They're already the best of friends.