That post timed out.., sorry.
I wanted a dog that could walk with me, hike with me, run with me.., one with bags of energy that could fit in with my lifestyle. A small dog would not have worked, a large dog would not have fitted into my house.
I regularly hike the cliffs around here, run on the beach, walk miles.., I have not done it much this summer for personal reasons and because Ella was far too young to be taken out for that long a walk/hike/run. I do not go to the gym I swim at the national olympic pool four times a week, thats it, but as I write I have to take other exercise or my backside will become the size of a small counrty and Ella was and is my companion on these long walks (will be by next spring/summer)
Of all the working dogs I have seen, Ella by far outshines them all in her energy and spirit, that may have been a surprise to me, yes, but it was not a 'shock' it did not disturb me, I did not think, 'oh god, what have I done?'
I have never thought of re-homing her, even after a terribly bad day. I do not really have expectations from her other than the norm. I never expected to be at this stage in her life and have a perfect dog, I expected the training to go on and on, I expected to work hard, I expected set backs. Perhaps the one thing I did not fully expect was how in such a short period of time this little dog could become my child number 4 in the emotions and feelings side of owning her and the panic I would experience when she took off the way she did yesterday.., nothing else mattered except getting her back to me, nothing, my heart was beating like mad and my stomach in a knot until I had hold of her again and even then I remembered the praise and treat and did not let go as I perhaps would have if one of my kids had taken off when small and use a harsh tone and scold. And before it is said to me.., yes, I do know there are fundamental differences between raising a child and owning a dog.... I do not want to be now accused of putting both together in the same box and closing the lid on them.
On reflection, yes, maybe letting her off at the beach was asking a bit too much of her. But before the birds, Ella was returning to me even when she became obsessed slightly by a huskie-type dog and a black dog that she chased about for ages, she came back to me and that was a huge step ahead with Ella, that proved progress was taking place and it was so lovely to see her play and run that way but know she would return to me and the others as we walked along the beach. Today we will be back to the park on the long line with the treats and doing the recall, as we would have been anyway even if the birds incident had not happened and all went terrifically well yesterday.
I am sorry, but I am really mad with rachel and nicola for all their assumptions about myself and Ella and how we interact and did I know what I was doing having her.
I think I had better wind this up now as I am quite angry and do not want to cause a huge row.
I found this site and thought it was fantastic, not only a vent for frustration but some advice as well, also as I have become very dog focused since having her and it frankly bores others that do not have a spaniel when I go on and on.
Perhaps I have not been mentioning the many, many good things that have happened enough, the way I have taught her not to bark and jump up when I am cooking food, the way I have already got her to sit in her crate for a few minutes after only having it for a week, if that long. How she can lie down and roll over on command for fun, for a treat how we can tell her , 'give me a left' and she gives the left paw, 'give me a right' and she gives the right paw and gets a treat. How we have managed to get her to sit in the same room as our cat (on lead) and stop barking and yelping, the next stage will be getting them closer in the room together rather than far apart, its all stages and she is progressing. Maybe I have just been giving the problems over to you and not the progress.
gayle
