Mr. Wild Dingo is home. Loki is ecstatic to have his ultimate tug partner back. Juno's thrilled to have the object of her disdain back. Nothing like a few husky huffs of disapproval to score some bites of French bread.
The photo below was taken a few weeks ago on one of the docks in Morges. Sometimes the the dogs get to meet a few dogs off-leash here. Just below them to the right, is a Bernese Mountain dog (not shown) laying around and both dogs are anxious to go visit rather than stick around for a silly photo. But I'm the boss, so I put them to work, posing them against the beautiful Alps behind the boats.
"Alps-Schmalps! That Berner down there is dying for some Husky-action Mom!"
"Princess did you say Berner? 'Cuz I'll just stay right here and pretend he's not there."
That's Loki. He's learned he's not allowed to go cracker with Berners. Or at least he lets me think he's learned that.
Both dogs are taking to cycling nicely except when they see horseback riders. There were two tonight on both separate dog runs and we were forced to stop and dismount on each one because neither could obey the heel position under the horse and rider distraction. I took the opportunity to do some counter conditioning with Loki while two horseback riders stopped at a corner, chatted and then rode off together. He's still a little cracker around the riders. While he's fine walking past them in pastures (and in fact I can now off-leash him by the horses and he shows almost no interest in them) he's still a bit cracker when they are out for a ride. Both Juno and Loki need a lot of work. Still, from six months ago, where they couldn't even pass them in pastures, I'd say they're doing o.k.
The photos below were taken last month when Mr. Wild Dingo graced us with his prescence on an evening walk to Vuffelens Le Chateau.
It's hard to believe that in one direction is a beautiful clear sky and in the other a sun set.
Sunset overlooking the Vuffelens Le Chateau vineyards. And the Alps again! Sigh, snore. It's like we're surrounded by them or something.
Mr. Wild Dingo came home from China with a flu. So he's requested soups for dinner. The first night I made a hearty lentil soup, which I've shown before on this blog. Last night I made this:
Spinach and rice soup. The Hazen Essentials of Italian Cooking book never lets me down. This soup was super easy and so soothing. It can be done with Escarole, which I prefer but the market was out, so Spinach it was. Tonight, Trentino Barley Soup is on the menu.
I just hope he gets better soon before I finish the soup section otherwise I'll have to resort to --sigh--The French cookbook!
mmm I love a good soup. This ones quick and easy and tasty too!
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2010/11/kale-and-sweet-potato-soup/
Loki always looks so serious when he poses for pictures!
A little unsettled around horses is OK. They are big and scary. Perhaps MWD will stay at the estate for a bit and help out with the exercising.
Slobbers,
Mango
I'm not even going to ask what he's wearing on his head. I think he's been assimilated! 🙂
Alps-schmalps. Kinda reminds me of when I was a kid and we went on a photo safari in Kenya (much easier to do when it's an hour flight from Jeddah, and not halfway around the world) and by the second week, when we'd go out early in the morning and I was sleepy, you couldn't rouse me to see "yet another giraffe"...
Fine, fine, fine... Maybe we'll try the bicycling/dog fiasco. When I break my neck because a certain spaz decides that a plastic bag blowing in the wind is WAY more entertaining than just trotting along, I'll know who to throw my cast iron skillet at! 😉
-Dr. Liz (the girls are busy licking ice balls off their legs from the snow...)
You're really killing me with that soup!
I don't know what it is about horses and dogs. lol I grew up on a farm with a few horses and our dogs never did really get along with most of them. It was okay when they were out in the pasture, but the dogs believed that they should stay there all the time.
We have never had a chance to see horses in the fur, but we can just imagine we would not react well either. Now about that soup, have you set the extra plates for all of us yet?
Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
I love to go khrakhker with the BMD akhross the street -
When we spot each other on our walks, both of our moms have to dig in!
The soup looks furry tasty - says my mom!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
Sounds like both of you are doing amazingly well with the biking AND the horses. That's a very difficult relationship; moving horses trigger a dog's prey drive, and running dogs trigger a horse's natural fear of predators. Takes a lot of work to overcome natural instincts. You're making progress. Glad Mr. WD made it home in one piece, even if he's a little worse for wear. How about a nice tomato soup?
Jed & Abby
Our GSD's and female boxer are fine with horses. However, Calhoun our big male boxer is TERRIFIED of horses! Such a tough boy- yeah right! I grew up with Belgian and Clydesdale horses. We also raised Australian Shepherds. My grandpa's last Aussie lost an eye to a horse kick. She never really accepted the fact that she was no match for these GIANT horses. She was also tough as nails.
Mamma Heartbeat
That picture with the boats is just beautiful. It looks so nice over there.
Those horses are just too tempting for my friends huh?
That's great that they are improving around the horses. Stick with it. They'll figure it out.
Poor Mr. Wild Dingo. You should have told him to stay there instead of bringing the flu home haha! You're a better wife than I am lol. 🙂