The Silver Screen Oasis

Lily's either acting like Steve McQueen in "The Great Escape" trying to make her big break...or Fleetwood Mac ( "Go Your Own Way." )

She's definitely a Steve McQueen, checking everything out, looking for the exit. Little daredevil too.

Her tiny little legs bounding up the couch. What a spirit she has. I should have taken her pix. But hell...my camera can't capture the speed of light.

That's my Lil'.

I tried letting Shug go "leash-free" in my more trusting days. She bolted practically every time! It's sad to force restrictions on a dog. But it's safer than the alternative.

I was a little jealous this morning on our walk. Ella, the black lab friend down the street was off leash and went too far from her owner, but when her mom called, she wiggled her butt subserviently and went right back to her adoringly. Lily would have been running down the road laughing, without a look behind her.

I just found a training hint that I thought I would share here. I think I'll go to the park and practice this technique, it sounds like fun:

http://www.netplaces.com/dog/basic-trai ... kaways.htm

My grandmother taught me that ... if a dog goes North - you go South ... if he/she decided to go East - you go West --- its a very viable/workable option to work with a dog - once the dog sense this ... the dog will obey you at every command so when you take any dog out for a walk in a leash ... my grandmother reminded me of this technique and its works for her and its works for me. I had a dog from 7 to 22. Only one dog in my lifetime and my dear grandmother gave me that dog for my family to take care of.

My grandmother had a lot of dogs in her lifetime and one of her favorite things to do is to take her dogs out for a walk and believe me the link that you've provided here ... works everytime!

Thanks for sharing that tip - Jack Favell!

Lily would have been running down the road laughing, without a look behind her.

Sugar is a good dog when it's convenient! And she's a hunter. There's no way she'd stay at my side when there's prey to be stalked!

Sisters under the mink, red.

with the poor mink in their greedy little mouths....

Lily is definitely a huntress as well. When her nose says GO she goes.

If this doesn't make a dog lover of a viewer, nothing will. The little boy in this video has Down's Syndrome.
http://bcove.me/cqatir90

Moira ... that is the sweetest thing that I ever seen in my lifetime ... Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful video clip ... it was so loving and that dog deserves a big fat dog biscuit for his love for that boy ... Thanks so much!

How sweet and gentle that big doggie was!

I love Labradors, how gentle and determined he was with the little boy and how intuitive. It brought nice tears to my eyes.

I admit to having my stomach in my mouth when Chris first let Lara off the lead and we had many times where she followed her own nose or more usually other dogs she wanted to run with, occasionally she still runs with other dogs and doesn't come back immediately when called but more often than not she does come back. When we got her and got her checked by the vets he did tell us to be aware that a cockapoo was a combination of 2 very determined dogs, determined to get their own way and needing a firm hand and ground rules, well I can't promise the firm hand, especially if I'm in charge but it is so much easier to mould a small puppy into what you want. As it is I think Lara was one of the more submissive of her litter, she was always on the bottom when her litter was scraping and she's happiest in the pack, she never tries to lead it, she knows her place even with the cats but I can see Lily's traits as being very much part of the personality, the independence and determination and the complete oblivion to danger but with Lara it takes the form of approaching every dog she sees and swans, no matter how unfriendly they can be.

oh, swans are scary! She's a brave one or perhaps foolhardy if she'd take on a swan.

We went to the trail area called Haley Farm with Lily yesterday, and we walked her with the leash on but didn't hold it, just let her drag it behind. She was excellent I must say, even when a Portuguese Water Dog came up and they dashed around and played for 5 or 10 minutes, a little growling from both sides but the owner was fine with it and we let her just go. She followed us well, and came mostly when we called, though she got distracted, so we walked away and then she would catch up, except for once when she got her nose on a scent of deer or something when she went into the woods and Andrew had to go get her.