Well what a busy week it has been! OH went off camping with the BIL from Saturday til Tuesday so I did get some peace here. Managed to do some cleaning and get the house more up together being home alone. They go every year to desolate camp sites in the middle of nowhere; well it was the Wye Valley this year in Wales. It is definitely a man thing with crates of beer, cooking on a camp fire, sleeping rough (sometimes not even on a proper site) so not for me or my sister lol. Daughter came home on Monday and had a good time at Butlins apart from having to chase the toddler everywhere - she can really sprint that one! Tuesday was my niece's 2nd birthday party. Youngest son stayed over Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday was daughter's graduation from Uni - so me, OH, and her boyfriend attended with the toddler. Toddler was quite well behaved for the ceremony and we went to the park afterwards with one of her friends and her parents for photos. It was pricey as £45 to hire the cap and gown, £50 for the photos, then they charged entry to the park gardens at £1.50 each! Me and OH got in cheaper as we are over 60 which was good, and daughter being a student was only 80p. On the night it was off to a Caribbean Restaurant for dinner, cake and candles as it was her birthday the next day. Really didn't like the food there as it was all very spicy - strange really all the men loved it but all the women didn't like it!
Thursday was daughter's actual birthday so she went out with the toddler and her boyfriend for most of the day which was good. We looked after the toddler for her on the evening, and she went off out again in town for dinner and drinks. Daughter always celebrates her birthday over several days lol. She has been in and out all week with the toddler, going to see childminder, parks, shopping in town, soft play etc so it has been quieter which is nice. Love the toddler but really find her too much as she is a very active child and I think I just need a more peaceful life now (see name of this blog lol.) The weekend was anything but quiet with her boyfriend staying over and her friend visiting. I ended up doing all her washing again as she had to work on Sunday and was going to Spain on Monday with her friend and the toddler! Never prepares anything in advance does my daughter! She was still packing Sunday night and the flight was at 4 am Monday morning! So Sunday night we had her friend staying over on the settee and her boyfriend staying for the night as he was taking her to the airport. OH woke them all up as they didn't hear the alarms lol. So it will be no daughter or toddler here for a week until next Monday. My eldest son and his family are on holiday abroad for a fortnight too - they flew out the day after they came home from Butlins so no visits either unless youngest son comes and stays over. Perhaps it is time for me to go visiting instead and get out and about this week.
I am having problems with the dog atm which is getting worse as the days go on. We keep her in the kitchen away from the toddler as toddler pulls her fur and is rough with her. She comes in the living room on and off all day when we can supervise properly.The dog doesn't like this and whines quite a lot. Well for the last 2 months she has started to growl at me when I try to put her out. At first it was a quick low growl, but this has now escalated to growling, snarling, snapping at me and hiding under the table. I have to slip a lead on her to put her out which, so far, she is accepting. Today we moved the table away from the wall so we have easier access to her but it has not helped. She was sick this morning (probably from not eating as this causes it quite regularly) and when I smoothed her and said come in she was growling in the garden. I opened the garage and put her there for half an hour but still growling and snarling when I went to get her in. Coaxing with biscuits, shouting etc has no effect and usually makes her worse. I sat on a chair out there and decided to growl back at her really loudly. She magically changed immediately and came licking my hand, so whether it is a dominance issue or not I don't know. I am worried though as the toddler won't understand not to touch her when she growls. She has also done this to my OH so it is not just a dislike of me. However when he shouts at her she does stop, but not with me. This week she will have run of the downstairs as toddler is not around, apart from bedtime. The routine now is to let her out last thing at night, then put the lead on in the garden and lead her into the kitchen to bed. She never used to be like this and would go straight to bed when told, as good as gold, but it is what I have to do now to avoid a major growling and snarling issue with her hiding under the table. Don't really know what to do but will growl back when it happens again and hope it keeps working. I think I may need to see a dog behaviourist if it doesn't stop. It is such a shame as she was (and still is) a lovely friendly puppy and loves everyone most of the time - it is just when you try to move her somewhere she doesn't want to go or take something off her she shouldn't have.
Time to go as it is getting late. All the best x
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