News from ‘The Other Side’ written by Dolly’s ghostwriter.

Please don’t be alarmed. Pompom is still with us. I just thought it was high time you heard from ‘the other side’ of the Dawn&Dusk fields.

Let me introduce myself. I’m Dolly, the first ever Dawn&Dusk resident, the Original, No.1, Top Dog, currently residing in the shady glades. You may not have met me but have likely heard me barking at everyone as I’m trying to live the quiet life, relatively undisturbed in my purpose-built enclosure.

Like some of you, I’ve got a couple of teenagers, Timmy & Nellie, who just won’t leave. Thought I’d got rid of them once but they came back and now we share everything, en famille. Note, this does not include my bones.There’s a limit!

It’s pretty much been go,go,go since I got here; settling in after living ‘al fresco’ with my chums, having my 5 puppies, moving to this new enclosure, settling in again….it’s been busy.

Take yesterday for example, boy were we in demand. A new mini kennel suddenly arrived and needed checking out. Big Job. We were barely getting out heads round that when another visitor showed up and gave us loads of tasks to do. Turns out it was a ‘school day’ for Timmy & Nellie, lots of fun things to sniff, not to mention an endless supply of treats. I wasn’t about to be left out and don’t tell anyone but getting a treat was easy-peasy.

My pups did well, under my supervision and multi-tasking with a scrummy bone, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on the treat situation when they do their homework this coming week. If there is a test at the end though, they are on their own.

Then the week before last, we had a new escape route fitted into the enclosure fence, they called it a gate. So now, my pups and I can go for family outings into the big, big field. Whilst I can still show them a thing or two when it comes to running, my Timmy is getting quicker and sometimes I just have to pretend I’m investigating a very important smell I’ve suddenly discovered. Can’t let him beat me just yet.

I’m hearing ‘mental enrichment’, whatever the heck that is, and believe there are plans a foot to keep us busy during the day. Don’t they know I already have many responsibilities? But you know, on reflection, if it keeps those pups out of my fur and distracted, bring it on.

I know I have a bad rep, I’ve got ears. And yes, I did bite a lovely visitor once, well 3 times actually, but I was in a bad place emotionally at the time and she forgave me. I’m far more together now, living in the moment, practicing mindfulness whenever I get the chance, working on my people skills…

So whilst there’s lots of action on ‘the other side’, we have some curb appeal- have you seen the ears on my pups? I may not be small and cute like those pesky Terriers, nor am I a snuggle bunny like Primus, nor have I a heart-tugging back-story like Kim & Mitch, suppose I’m not always up for your company either and I’m not very approachable if I’m truthful BUT..I’m working on my ‘lovability’ as deep down, I am adorable and plan to big-up my profile with my new found access to social media. Who knows where this will lead but in the meantime, I’ll keep my focus firmly on all my responsibilities here on ‘the other side’ (did I mention those already?)

We already had two dogs when our rescue puppy Juniper came into our lives. Having had up to four dogs together in past we thought it would be a walk in the park to integrate Juniper into our little pack of two terriers, but we had some teething trouble, literally……

Feeling Outnumbered by Karen B London and Patricia B McConnell arrived in the post as a gift from a good friend. Not only was it a superbly informative but it was also a cathartic experience to learn that what we were going through was relatively normal: It’s never wise to assume that dogs should instantly like each other when they have been forced to share the same household.

Feeling Outnumbered delivered exactly what it said on the cover ‘how to manage and enjoy a multi-dog household.’ With just 42 pages, split into four chapters it’s an unintimidating read, the authors get straight to the point and it’s bursting with practical advice.

In ‘laying the foundation’ the authors guide the reader on how to work with each dog individually. I particularly liked the section ‘life is not always fair and that’s OK’ as it helped me to stop feeling guilty that I was spending more time with the puppy than with my two senior terriers.

Real life scenarios provide clear and logical guidance on how to manage key elements of day-to-day life such as being comfortable alone, greeting visitors and teaching one dog to be patient while another is getting attention. There’s also a very useful chapter on taking on a new dog and how to make initial introductions.

Prevention is always better than cure and Feeling Outnumbered provides some great pointers to help those with multi dog households stay out of trouble. It’s also a very realistic book with a closing section on signs that may indicate a serious problem and how, in some circumstances, rehoming may be the most responsible and the safest option.

Feeling Outnumbered has helped me manage a rather stressful period in this household and best of all it has given me better understanding of how to help my three hounds live in harmony. Thank you, Karen B London and Patricia B McConnell, and thank you to my good friend Cessi too.

Translated for Pompom by Anke Terbruggen

Pompom has been kind enough to give me a few days extra to write up his diary! I think he felt a bit sorry for me, being up so many times at night for the puppies. such a gentleman, our Pommie. but tonight, he really wanted to let you all know how he’s doing!  Xx Anke (aka the chief)

“Well. Not sure what is happening in that room next to our garden, but I’m hearing the strangest sounds! Little squeaky voices, it seems. I tried to get to them, through the window, but the Chief stopped me. But that’s OK, I will wait for my chance, she won’t always be paying attention, I’m sure! 

For a while, the voices seemed to go a bit quiet, so I was worried. but now they sound strong again. Can’t wait to see who they are.

Meanwhile, we got a much bigger garden! All kinds of nice, new things to smell too. So exciting! New toys too, stuffed with all kinds of goodies, life just keeps getting better! Of course, Tiny tries to get to the toys before me, little bugger, +and once she has hold of them, she won’t let go, ever! I secretly admire her though, she’s bitchin’..!! 

I’ve been feeling a lot better now that it’s not so hot anymore. At night, we sleep inside now, though we can still go out if we want to. Tiny has a thingy around her for the night when it’s cold, but I’m not cold at all, I love it!

The new boys next door are a bit noisy sometimes, I think they’re jealous when my cuddlers are here. Well, too bad for them, of course, they only come for me.

There was a new cuddler too this week, she took me for a nice walk. She acted as if she knew me, and said she was a Sponsor, What is a Sponsor?? Anyway, really liked her, she treated me like I was special. I am too, of course!

Off to bed now, I think I’ll pick the sofa, or maybe my crate, or maybe a basket, or a cushion? Hmmm,..”

Translated for Pompom by Anke Terbruggen

Tiny’s been bugging me; she wants to say something too! I think she’s just jealous because I let Big Old Girl talk! Girls,.. I’ve said it before; can’t live with them, can’t live without them. But hey, I’m cool, I know I’m number one around here, I know you all still love me; I’ve had so many cuddles this week, I feel totally reassured!

So Tiny, go for it, Babe!!

So,. Hi!!! I’m Titi!! I’ve been here for a while now, and I like this place! I can’t see very well, but I know where everything is and I always find a comfy bed somewhere. 

The food is great, plenty of stuff to chew on too. And the people,.. wow, so many people!! I love people! They seem to come especially for us, me and Old Grumpy! There is one, in particular, I really like *, she treats me like I’m special and I love that! Where I came from, there were too many dogs, so I was never special,.

In here, it’s just Grumpy and me, and that’s ok. He is a moody old grouch, but I can handle him. I might be small and no spring chicken, but I can hold my ground if I have to! Outside, there are other dogs. There is one I really don’t like, a Big one,. I tried to take her out, but The One Who’s Always Here stopped me! Why did she stop me!?? I could have had her!! Oh well, at least she doesn’t come into our place, so I guess I can live with it.

Oh, and I have to tell you; there are tigers living here!! I can see them walk past sometimes and one of them even dared come into our barn!!! I didn’t waste a second, went in for the kill and had her for a moment, but she got away,.. Grrrrrrrr! If I were younger, she wouldn’t have stood a chance! 

I like sniffing and digging and love it when we get the big field to ourselves. There are balls and bones everywhere, almost too many to choose from! It’s been very hot though, so we spent most of the day sleeping inside. All in all, I would say it’s a good life here!

* That’s you Linda

Going to bed now, it’s late and dark outside, which bed shall I sleep on tonight? Hmm, the sofa, I guess,..  Goodnight!!

Translated for Pompom by Anke Terbruggen

It’s me again, Pom!

Another week passed by, and it’s getting a bit cooler! We all feel so much better.

There’s something I want to tell you, or explain to you, so you don’t misunderstand me (and Tiny).

You see, sometimes, when there’s something that is really important to me, like my cuddlers’ attention, or my chews, or my sofa, I really don’t want to share that with Tiny. It’s not that I don’t like her, I really do!! She’s good company when it’s just the two of us.

It’s just, I don’t know, I have this temper… I’d almost call it this rage, inside of me, and when something sets me off, I have a hard time controlling it It can be something small, like Tiny getting in between me and a cuddler, or bumping into me, which she does sometimes (can anyone actually SEE around here??)

I do try, really, I show her my teeth (and they’re Big believe me!!) and I growl, but she doesn’t seem to notice. And even then, I try not to fight, I just shout really, really loud at her! The problemI,… she shouts back! She seems to have the same temper!

So there we are, both of us, doing our thing, but then sometimes, a cuddler tries to stop us, or hold one of us back, and then I lose it, can’t control it anymore; I have to fight! And so does she! We don’t really hurt each other, because we are family after all and we have to live together, so we just get it out of our system and then go about our own business.

Please, don’t think I’m mean or a bad dog, I really can’t help it. I’ve had this temper ever since I can remember and I do try to keep it under control. I do love everyone, my cuddlers, the chief, Tiny,..just help me out a bit by not doing anything to set me off, please?

Note by the chief; Pommie is right of course; he can’t help it! Terriers have been created, by us, to fight and kill foxes, rats and other animals that fight back! The fiercest, most aggressive and best fighters were chosen to breed from, to create breeds that would not back down from a fight, with total disregard for their own safety. Though our terriers nowadays are a bit milder, they still have the genes that cause the ‘temper’ as Pom calls it and the more we try to stop them, the worse it gets. That is why we now have only one rule when Pom and Titi have a little ‘shouting contest’: Walk Away! They don’t want to hurt each other, they just have to get it out of their system. And of course; more important; help them by being aware of the triggers and avoiding them. Our volunteers all know about them by now 🙂

Question 1. How much money can we raise for Dawn and Dusk by holding a quiz night?

The answer was 1109€. An amazing amount from an amazing number of wonderfully generous people who came to Caylus last Friday. It was a fantastic evening, everyone enjoyed it, and huge thanks to Karl and Gill Lindsey who ran the quiz. Sorting out the pizzas were a bit of a challenge, but lessons learned! There was such a lovely friendly atmosphere, with people catching up with friends they’d not seen for a while, but the best thing was being able to tell people about Dawn and Dusk, and their generous donations to support our dogs.

Thank you so much to everyone who came and supported us. We will do it again!

Many good things come in small packages* and this includes Doggie Language by Lili Chin.

This cute little hardback volume will look smart on any shelf or coffee table and makes for irresistible reading too.

Described on the cover as ‘a dog lover’s guide to understanding your best friend’ it is filled with superb illustrations, showing clearly how your dog may express him or herself and what the visual signs may mean within a given context.

Think of it as an essential cross-species language translator; section by section you can check what your dog’s eyes, ears, mouth, tail and posture are signalling and learn how to tell the difference between a happy and relaxed or stressed and anxious dog.

It’s a book for all ages and you will never tire of looking at Lili Chin’s wonderful artwork. The ultimate benefit is that by understanding your dog’s language the better you will be able to provide them with an even more relaxed and comfortable living environment.

*With the exception of my Juniper who at 30kg and growing, is very much of the good thing in a large package variety!

Translated by Anke Terbruggen for Pompom (and Kim)

Pretty quiet week at our side of the fence; we’re ok, Tiny Babe and me!

So for once, just this once, I’ll let Big Old Girl tell you about her time here, though she is not a Girl of many words.

Hey,.. it’s me, Kim! Not sure why the Yappie one calls me Big Old Girl. Sure, I’m Big, but Old? Well, maybe in years, I’ve been around for a while.

I don’t say much, usually. And have been getting used to life here.

But here it is.

Not going to go into life Before, it was rough. And then everything changed, and it was even harder. It was almost too much, thought about just giving up. So tired.

But then I woke up, and I was here. Can’t even remember the first days, I was just trying to stay alive. 

And then it got better, I felt stronger, there was food and there was a big soft bed that I slept on until I started to feel less tired.

I got up but didn’t know where to go, so I turned in circles until I started to get to know the place. Where the boundaries are, where the food is, who the people are. It seemed safe, so I could stop turning.

There is grass, it smells nice. There are other smells, that I had never smelt before; animals. It is quiet, nice.

The pain in my head subsided, and my eyes feel better, even though I still don’t see a lot.

There are people. But not as many as Before. I like that. There is one that is always here, that is good, I like it when things are always the same.

Life was getting better all the time, I got stronger, starting to like the space, the smells. I love the grass, I love rolling in it. 

There are other dogs; noisy, yappy little things. Don’t care for them much. 

But then two others came. I do like them. One seemed a bit weak like I was at first. But he is a pleasure to have around; he doesn’t bother me like the Yappy one. He’s sweet, kind, and happy. It’s nice, and makes me happy too. The other one isn’t happy yet. He is scared, and won’t settle down. He needs my help, so I let him come near me. He hides behind me sometimes. That is ok. 

These two boys need me. I’ll take care of them. 

Translated for Pompom by Anke Terbruggen

Noooooooooooo,.. No! No! No! That wasn’t supposed to happen; I specifically said: GIRLS!!! I want GIRLS!

I take a little nap and what do I see when I wake up; a BOY! Right there, in the field next to us, some black skinny hunt dog type Boy, with MY Big Old Girl!

And to make things even worse, she likes him!!! Fancies him!! How could she fancy this bag of bones, and not ME, gorgeous, handsome, smart ME,..

I told him, through the fence, to bugger off, but he just stood there, wagging his skinny tail and being all “oh, but I’m so cute, I’m so sweet, please like me”,..

Ok, to be honest, he’s actually not totally horrible; he seems to be ok with me being the Boss. In fact, it was kind of hard to stay angry with him, so I decided I would let this one slip.

So I’m being good, right?! I don’t kill him, I don’t shout at him, I’m being totally cool, and what happens? What happens?! I’ll tell you what happens: they bring us ANOTHER ONE!! 

At least, I think there’s another one, I can smell him! He’s far away, in Big Old Girl’s field, but I’m sure it’s a boy!

Sigh,…

I give up, I’m getting too old for this stuff. They can do what they bloody well like, fill up the place with boys, what do I care? As long as they stay out of our barn, and my cuddlers and treats keep coming, and everybody realises who’s in charge, it’s ok, too hot to keep fighting anyway.

There’s a cuddler here right now, she’s really sweet, has a nice soft touch and gives Tiny Babe and me lots af attention and keeps us apart a bit (good thing, ’cause Tiny can be a bit jealous). 

Oh well, it seems my life won’t change that much after all, so I’ll just chill and go with the flow,..

I DO hope this is the end of it though, no more boys please!!!