Elsie The Princess and other such stories

We had a very embarrassing Saturday afternoon. It was bright and sunny and the neighbours suggested we check out the Murrumbateman Field Day. They also said dogs were welcome as long as they were well behaved.

My dogs are always popular when we go out for a trip so I was excited to take them with me.

It ended up being a fairly hot day (even though it was windy and cool at home), and soon after we arrived the dogs started panting something fierce. I'd brought a water bottle along but I'd left the foldable bowl in the car. So I had to make do with bottle squirting in their mouths. Fred lapped it up but Elsie wasn't impressed.

The field day was huge. Probably around 150-200 stallholders? Full of tractors and campervans, plants, cattle, eggs and chickens. A "proper" field day, rather than a trash and treasure market (what I wanted) or a fancy high end craft boutique market. I did check out a lot of the plant stalls though.

At one stage we walked past a plant place and a lady offered Elsie a drink from her big bucket of water. We gratefully accepted and Elsie took a drink. We had a nice little chat, until the lady who was petting Elsie grabbed hold of some of her fur and looked up at me cheekily to say, "what's this?!"

I thought, huh? That's my dog......

And she proceeded to cheekily point out it was fat!!!!

 

I know, Elsie! That's what I was thinking too!

Considering Elsie's build, having less than a handful of fat isn't all that bad, and anyway she was dehydrated!!!

On the whole though we had lots of positive comments, from children pointing the doggies out to their parents, to lots of comments about how big they were. Surprisingly we also got lots of people saying, "that's an Irish Wolfhound isn't it???" And we'd have to modestly reply, "yes, but only a cross!"

If the dogs were after admiration, *this* was the place to go. I tell you, I've never been so popular!

However it was all to go downhill rather fast.

As we left the plant lady and proceeded down the next aisle I noticed Elsie slowing down. Fred up ahead was still pulling on hubby's lead, but Elsie wasn't really intersted.

At another plant stall I was eyeing some tomato plants and Elsie slumped on the ground in the shade. Right next to a little boy who kept on looking over his shoulder at Elsie who was probably at least 1 and a half times his size. I reassured him that we'd be leaving soon, but the little boy didn't look too convinced. I gave Elsie a quick break as I looked around, but we headed out again soon after. I didn't want an irate parent freaking out about Elsie lying so close to his kid.

As I caught up with hubby I mentioned Elsie seemed a bit frail and that perhaps we may want to stop etc. 

Hubby: "Nah, nah, she'll be fine."

Next thing you know I'm walking but the lead is pulling dead weight. I turn around and Elsie has decided she's had enough, and has sprawled herself on the ground in the middle of the aisle. She just lay there looking at me as if to say "that's it. No more. I'm done. We are NOT walking ANYMORE!"No matter how much I tugged or called her she refused to get up. It was a little scary and frustrating at the same time.

Calling out to the hubby was in total vain as he dismissed us and kept walking on. I feebly called out "Ok, well, we'll catch up later then shall we?!" and turned to deal with the Elsie Problem.

It did not help that quite a number of people had watched Elsie chuck this little temper tantrum. A lady across from us offered for us to sit in the shade with her, and another lady and her dog commented that she and her dog had just had a rest. As if to imply that perhaps I hadn't been taking care of my dog....

Look lady, it wasn't my fault that Elsie refused to drink straight out of my water bottle (she kept on moving out of the bottle's reach) and it's not even like she hadn't drunk at all! Not ten mins before she'd been drinking from the plant lady's big water trough!!

Suffice to say I managed to drag her out of the way of foot traffic and she lay down on the grass in the shade for a good fifteen minutes.

I always thought it was children that chucked temper tantrums. Not dogs. 

I was absolutely mortified. I'm not a bad dog owner I swear! Even when we moved into the shade she refused any water I gave her, and every time I dripped water down her head and the back of her neck she just shook it off.

Even when I found a tap and switched it on for her she wasn't interested. She just didn't want to walk.

Brat.

Elsie: "Yeah well, I'm a Princess ok? I require a litter with a little fan boy. Oh and a lovely, comfortable and sunny spot to sunbathe in.  I don't ... Walk."

If any dog was going to collapse I would've thought it would have been Fred, with all his mass. But no, he was still pulling by the end, two hours later. Elsie is *such* a delicate little flower...

We were joking later that perhaps this was the reason why she was let go in the first place? I still stand by the idea that Elsie was in a home to be trained to be a hunting dog. She came to us knowing how to walk on lead, shake hands, sit, and toilet trained. Yet she was also skinny as a rake and stinky.

Elsie: "Me? Stinky? It's called Eau do Elsie thankyouverymuch! I worked *very* hard to get that unique scent!"

Yes, Elsie, we know.
And if we have it our way you'll never need to work that hard again.

So my latest theory is that she would've run with her pack during training to chase after some such thing, and when her Boss came by to see what they had found, would discover Elsie busily sunning herself in a comfortable little grass hollow looking up at him exclaiming "that thing was dirty! I'm not chasing after that! It's much better to sit here and get a tan.." And the owner would've let her go in disgust, after which she would've wandered around scavenging until some kind samaritan found her, picked her up, and dropped her off at the pound.
 

Elsie: "Aren't I just the sweetest?"

Least that's my theory anyway. And I'm sticking to it!

Of course after all that drama at the Field Day, she was absolutely fine when we got home.

Elsie: "I'm so exhausted. No more walking from now on, d'y'hear???"

mmMmm... we'll think about it.

Now with daylight savings kicking in the doggies are getting a walk around the property more often.

Here is Elsie waiting patiently as I stop the walk to take some more piccies of the native orchids we have around the property.

Elsie: "Where are we going, and where are my litter boys?"

She's better on lead than Fred, but Fred's better off lead than Elsie. Go figure.

If you take Elsie off lead she tends to wander off fairly quickly. But if you put her on lead she'll still sniff and do her own thing, but will stay within reach and the lead remains slack.

Fred on the other hand will wander back and forth sniffing but will always stay within reach. If you put him on lead he tends to pull. And I can't always correct him while also keeping an eye on Elsie. It's easier to just let him off lead, and keep Elsie on lead if I want to take pics etc.

After our walk I let the dogs off lead around the house to play around.

I love this one of Elsie's worried face and the way that Fred is pouncing on her. 

And later when she gets caught, check out Elsie's teeth!
 

And here is Fred's wonderfully dopey face!

 

Later Elsie slumps down to rest.

But the sound of my camera perks her up.
  

I tried catching her unawares, and managed a few shots where she looks like she's hunting. That, or trying to plot a cunning plan to Take Over the Household.

 

When she realises I'm onto her, she pretends that she doesn't know what I'm talking about.

 But really, she's got Plans.

Here are some pictures of Elsie around the house:

 

Elsie: "Is it dinner time yet?"

And then in the morning...

Elsie: "Is it breakfast time yet?"

 Some close ups of the puppies' noses:

 

And here is Elsie contemplating her existence:

Elsie: "I'm just not sure where I'm going in life at the moment.
I really don't like the idea of Walking On My Own."

Fred on the other hand seems quite happy:

Fred: "I wonder when dinner is. Or maybe I can get mum to give me a cuddle!"

Here they are best of buds checking the place out. They do practically everything together.

The puppies are great friends, and it's lovely watching them egg each other on. Sometimes Fred can be quite rough though with the play. And I often watch Elsie hesitate to come when called if Fred isn't nearby. A smart move really, because chances are Fred's waiting in the bushes for her to run towards me so he can pounce.

Having said that, Elsie's not perfect either. Every night I still hear squeals coming from the laundry when Fred dares encroach on her side of the dog bed. 

Fred's an absolute saint compared to her. Elsie can be such a whingey bossy boots.

Somehow, I think Fred agrees with me.