Lessons

My name is Archie and I am a sinner.

This Blipping mallarkey is awfy time consuming.
I don't know if I'll catch up on back Blips.
Truth be told, lots of the time there's nothing much going on and it's same old same old.
I'm probably going to miss lots of days but I'll try to post more regularly, especially when there are things that I want to remember and look back on.

Anyway, today.

Well, after my success off the leash a few days ago, the Nippy Wee Wifie decided that it was time for me to go off leash - in company.

I was up at the stables this morning and afterwards I went for my customary walk with Border Terrier2.
Quite soon after entering the woods NWW slipped the leash.
And I was OFF!

she watched me go with a bit of trepidation - especially as I roared off in quite the opposite direction from Border.
She waited until just before I was out of sight amongst the trees and then called me. She backed it up with a well timed squeak fom the "forbidden" toy that she keeps in her pocket.

I was back down the hill wagging my tail in front of her in a flash. I even did a heroic leap across a small stream in my path.
NWW was too busy concentrating on my whereabouts and behaviour to be trying to take decent photos but she did manage a couple.

It wasn't a long walk, just long enough for it to be a positive experience for all of us. I didn't run away too far, I came back when called, I even did an emergency halt when NWW thought I was straying too close to the edge of the wood where it meets a country road.

We left Border and his master in the village and walked back to the stables - on the leash this time.

And then I totally blew it.

The horses were leaning over a gate on the track leading up to the stables. I went nuts barking at them, hauling at the leash and flailing about snapping.
NWW put me into a sit but I was sooo agaitated that I didn't really want to listen.

She checked me with a jerk on the leash and I snarled at her. A full blown snarl with teeth and everything. It wasn't a fear snarl either. I was just pissed. It was a challenge.

That was IT. She was prepared to abandon the rest of the day to get this blatant insubordination sorted out.
I was on the deck, flat on my back, pointy finger in my face, faster than, well, faster than I ever could have imagined.

She hadn't intended to give me a lesson on "behaving myself around other animals" today. She didn't really want to either after my good progress off the leash.

But I had forced her hand.
And that hand was mighty brave as it whistled across my left ear as I snarled at her.
Pointy finger was actually used for the first time today. Instead of just being pointed at me, it was prodded into my ribs as a reinforcement to the "down flat" command.

We remained at the gate for some time, Walking past it - and the hateful horses - again and again. Stopping to sit, to lie down, to lie down flat. Again and again.

I challenged her twice more and she just decked me. Flipping me over onto my side by sweeping my legs from under me and pushing on my shoulder.

Gradually I lost my rigid pose. My tail lowered, my shoulders relaxed and I watched her face instead of glaring at the horses. We walked back up the track on a loose leash.
She put me into a "down- wait" in front of one of the stables. I watched quietly as she patted the equine occupant. I got lots of praise for that.

Nippy Wee Wifie was terribly disappointerd at my behaviour today. Not so much the barking at the horses - more the challenging HER bit. I've become comfortable around her. We're still sorting out our relationship. It's natural for me to go through this after a while. She understands. But she will not tolerate.

This much I learned today.
It was hard for both of us.

I guess I've still got a long way to go.