9th February 2019
Dogsitting in Balmoral, Qld
Jacky wrote to the owners on their return from holiday. She shares some of that here!
Your little Bear is such a grown-up boy. We have one pee pad by the front door and one upstairs and we normally leave the screen slightly open. Most pees are done outside but he (and we suspect Rupert sometimes too were leaving little smelly parcels around the place. I think we have minimised that to just the pad by the door but we give them both heaps of praise when they do it outside!.
More bad news, your lizard has gone so the poos have to be picked up outside!!
Bear goes up and down stairs almost as fast as Rupee (our nickname for him). He does not need the cardboard box for his bed staircase as he easily gets up and down. He jumps on the couch when he forgets he is a little puppy! First thing in the morning when he is sleepy we carry him down and take him out for his first wee. But he happily runs back upstairs and curls up with us for another snooze.
Rupee slept with us most nights but insisted on being lifted onto the bed.
Bear humps the flying pig!! Seriously we have had to take it off him as he goes at it for ages. And him just a pup!
Rupee and Bear are ball crazy. They chase it in the house, in the park, on the beach, on their leads, crazy fun. Bear is getting faster and cleverer so Rupee is having to exert a little weight sometimes (he puts up with so much from his little brother!!) Bear will go fetch the ball and bring it back and put it at your feet. Or wait till Rupee fetches it and then steal it when he comes back!
They loved Red Beach at Bribie Island. Rupee was not so keen on the water but he had a couple of swims when encouraged. Bear is like a duck. He really has no fear! Swims back to shore through the waves and is so pleased with himself. Bear cocks his leg really high now!
We take them daily to Colmslie Park (dog park and a little stretch of off-leash beach where they have both socialised with other dogs a bit more.
We also give them a lap around the recreation ground in front of Bulimba Woolies and have a laze on the grass while every kid in the neighbourhood (and several adults) make a fuss of them.
The fave park is the Designer Doggie park near Bulimba Ferry terminal. We have seen more than 20 dogs together in the park there and it has been a great place for Bear to learn about socialising. He gets so excited but if he feels intimidated he will snap and snarl and think he is so brave! We read that poodles are pack animals which is why they rarely let us out of their sight. We always take them a good walk along the river first and then to the park when Bear is a little less excitable. We have met cool locals too. We make the dogs wait and come into and out of the house and any gates behind us as they have to know who the leaders of the pack are.
Bear never tires!! We put the long lead on Rupee and most times Bear just runs alongside him. If he runs too far away then he gets put on the lead. Most times he happily walks between Rupee and Gerry’s ankles with me behind them.
We have been doing training with them but they are a bit inconsistent!
They did not eat much the first few days we were here but now Rupee bangs the plate with his paw until he gets more! Bear, for the first few days, ate out of my hand so that I knew he had something in his tummy. He now eats really well. One of them, (not sure who except there was a big volume) vomited on the pillow, and both sheets sometime during one evening but had covered it over with the doona. So we did not find it until we went to bed!!
We are so gonna miss your awesome little doggies. 🐾🐾 We have had a great time here.
Jacky and Gerry
