Lovely Winter Days

It has been an exceptionally mild winter here in the UK. I have enjoyed some lovely walks with Ellie. I am doing the lions share of excersising her as the days are so short. Here are a couple of my favorite photos from the last few weeks.

Wonderful winter sunshine, and you could see for miles at the top of the hill which is very near where we live.

Ellie is now 2 years old and has really matured over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, she has had another false pregnancy after her heat. I do feel for her. This has really forced the issue of spaying. I think we are going to go through with it before her next heat. I don't want her to go through this twice a year.

She continues to astound us with her personality! She is such a funny girl. She HAS to be near you (if not actually touching you) at all times. She is such a smooshie thing.

 

I'm sure she thinks she's human! But, to be fair, we do tend to treat her as one of the kids so I can't blame her! If she's not sitting near you (or ON you for that matter) this is her favorite place

We are so looking forward to the spring and summer when we can get away camping with her. She loves being outdoors.

So, that's about it for 2013. Ellie has made it a fun year for us all. See you in 2014 :)

 

Nearly 2 But Still a Puppy :)

I can't believe Ellie is 2 years old this month. The time has flown by, even though it feels as if she has been with us forever!

She continues to make us laugh, she has such a big personality. Even when she is sleeping she is funny :

She is, on one hand, such a chilled out dog. Then, on the other, she is completely hyper. There are very few in between moments with Ellie.

We were on a walk the other day and we met a male dalmatian. He really took a shine to her, and tried to get a little too friendly. Ellie was having none of it. She loves playing with other dogs, but this boy wanted to do a little more than just play. She soon told him off!

.We met a tiny little Chihuahua on the same walk, and she went bounding towards it, but, when she reached it she was so gentle! I needn't have worried.

Her walks lately have been fun but completely grubby. Every day she lies in the same muddy puddles. I just can't stop her. Its a good job she has short fur, it's quite easy to rub down and clean.

                                 I made a short video using my iPad. Just experimenting with it, but here it is :

Sorry if the formatting of this post seems a little odd. I am using a different app on my pad and am trying to get to grips,with it.

No, I'v had to go back to the laptop to post on blogger. None of the apps I have tried come cloce to it :/

Some Recent Photos

Well, it's nearly winter and the days are getting shorter. This means I tend to give Ellie her longer walks during the day, as, by early evening it is too dark to take her far.

Her favourite place is Weetslade Country Park. It is just down the road from where we live and she loves to have a good old run about and meet new friends.

She has a very naughty habit (shown in the photo/video below), which costs us a small fortune replacing lost balls!

She is only happy if she gets totally grubby on a walk I'm sure of it.

She is such a funny dog, and has such a big personality. The thing I love most about Dalmatians is how loving they are. Ellie just loves hugs and cuddles :

She has the whole family wrapped around her little finger.

Her favorite thing to do when indoors is to sit at the window and bark at other dogs outside. She's going to cause an accident at some point as people driving past always spot her at the window :

She is a real star, everyone she meets loves her! I think I tend to bore folk on my social media sites as I'm constantly posting photos of her.

She is one special girl!

 

Autumn

Time seems to be flying by this year! We are now well into Autumn. Sorry for the lack of posts this last few weeks, life has been busy, and I haven't had time to post on the blog.  

Over the last few weeks Ellie has came out of her second heat, but gone straight into her second 'false pregnancy'!

She is, again, very subdued and very 'snuggly'. She needs contact at all times lol. Sometimes I feel it is sad to see her this way. None of my other female dogs have ever been this needy during/after heat. She is just SO 'Dalmatian'. Me and the hubby were just saying the other day that we have never know a dog with such personality and presence as Ellie. She is the most attention seeking dog ever! 

We don't mind this one bit though, as we get so much back from her! I really can't think of any other breed that could ever live up to

Dalmatian, they are something special. 

People have commented to us that Dalmatians are hard work, and I would 100% agree! They are 'determined' 'hard work' and 'demanding'. IF you can put up with18 month to 2 years hard work and discipline, then a dally is for you! My total and utmost respect are for those who have 'stuck it out' and been 'allowed' to have this wonderful breed to be part of their lives and family. 

You know that you will be given back far more than you gave!

Ellie is 2 next month and has grown into a wonderful, loving companion. We adore her!

Sorry if my posts seem a little odd these days. I am blogging from my iPad and it is difficult to get the photos just where I want them.

Has a Month Passed?

Wow, I've just realised it's well over a month since I last posted! My apologies for the extended absence.
Well now, how is Ellie doing?
She continues to be a complete diva. Still demanding as ever but totally adorable.
She is now full blown into her second heat (a frustrating time for her as she can't go off lead in public). She has taken to this heat much better than the first one. She's just taking it in her stride.
A few weeks ago, on one of her walks she started limping badly (I honestly though I would have to carry her by the end). When we eventually got home I checked her front paw and leg over, but found nothing. A couple of hours later her foot was completely swollen! I looked at it and found what looked like a thorn stuck in the bottom of her leg, it looked like she was having a reaction to it. I phoned the vet and asked if I could give her an antihistamine (hubby was away for the day with the car so I couldn't take her straight down). The vet said that would be ok and to phone back if the problem persisted. Well the tablet worked a treat (saved a hefty vet bill too!) and she was back to her naughty self in no time. She is such an accident prone dog, she just has to be into everything!

She has had so many outings during the summer. One of our favourite places is Beamish Museum (pic below). We went on the last bank holiday of the year, it was very busy, but Ellie coped well with the crowds.
I am really pleased that we took her to puppy classes and socialised her as we did. It means we can take her anywhere without worrying how she will react.
We have had such a wonderful summer here in the UK, and we have made the most of it. (It's going to be a long winter!).

I will try not to leave it so long between posts next time :)

Here are a few photos taken over this last few weeks (she's such a poser) :

Camping Trip

Well our camping trip mid August was a total success!

We used Les' van to travel to the Lake District (as we have so much stuff). I was more than a little worried about Ellie travelling in the back of the van alone, but she coped just fine. She was in her travel crate, which fastened onto the bulkhead.We got to the site on Monday afternoon and had a lot of setting up to do. Our friends, and their 5 month old poodle, were there already and just finishing off setting up. We attached Ellie to her lead stake (with a long chain lead) and she was just fine.

Her and Biscuit (the poodle) got on really well (though Biscuit was a bit wary of her at first).

Ellie had a thing or two to teach Biscuit however:

"Now, try to look a cute as you can and you will get a treat!"

 

Ellie totally loved the outdoor life and took to camping immediately. We went on some wonderful walks, and, in the evenings sat round our camp-fire. Ellie was worn out by the late evenings though, and one night, she literally went to stand in front of our tent until we let her in and we all had to go to bed!

We visited Keswick on two of the days (Keswick is a 'doggy town' and almost every other person has a dog on-lead). It's wonderful to see the interaction between so many different breeds of dog.

The weather was just fine for most of the week, but, on the last night there was a really bad storm (which was quite scary). Here's a video of the beginning of it (the high winds followed later):

All in all it was such a wonderful break, one which will be repeated many times I'm sure. Here is a link to some of the photos we took:

Camping in Keswick 

Under Canvas Next Week

Well, we are all set to take Ellie camping with us next week.

We are going with friends (and their dog) to the Lake District, just outside a place called Keswick

It's so beautiful there, even when it rains (as it tends to frequently).

We are going to a 'no frills' campsite on a farm. It supposidly has the most wonderful views (pictures to follow). I'm quite happy with the basics, as long as there are hot showers and toilets I'm ok.

Out of our family just me the hubby and our youngest are going (plus the spotty diva!).

We finally purchased all the camping gear we will ever need. One thing I was determined to get was a porch for the tent (which we just managed to get this week as they are like gold dust!). 

With having all the gear we need (plus Les' van), we can just hop in and go whenever the fancy takes us.

Now, as for 'her majesty', two things were making me dread taking her camping. 1) She still pulls like a train when she is over excited and 2) Her constant barking for attention (you can't even have a conversation without her barking. She is a demanding little madam!).

SO two miracle products came in the post this morning (after hastily ordering them when I realised she wasn't coming into heat)

1: The Canny Collar

I have just taken her on her first walk with it and it was a total pleasure! She's still not fond of 'face' leads, but this one is a little different and seems more comfortable to wear. This will solve a lot of sore arms and frustrating walks while we are away.

2 : Anti Bark Spray Collar

Wow, what can I say about this product! Now, bear in mind, Ellie will start barking from the moment Les comes in for lunch (especially if we are trying to have a conversation), until she gets sufficient attention (which she obviously feels she deserves)..

Before he came in today I put the collar on her. She barked once and was totally taken aback. She sniffed all around the sofa to see what had sprayed her. She then 'tried' to bark again, got a quick burst of water in the chin, and that's the last we have heard from her! Les came in (peace),  ate lunch (peace), we even had a full 10 minute conversation (yes, you've guessed it PEACE!). Before Les left for work I took the collar off and put it in the cupboard, and low and behold, Ellie hasn't barked once today! She's obviously a very fast learner. I am not going to use it over the weekend, unless she gets very vocal. I would rather just use it when we go away and other necessary times.

At least I can go away knowing she isn't going to disturb the whole camp-site with her attention seeking

She is a total diva, and attention seeking drama queen, but we wouldn't have her any other way. She is one in a million!