Been a busy week. All started on Monday when we travelled to the Lake District for a couple of nights - routing being A55, M56, M6....nice day horrendously busy on the 56 and M6 northbound until we got north of Preston then it was fab. At the time we were after a TransK9 bespoke dog crate for the A4. By sheer chance one popped up on Facebook Market Place in Accrington, so on the way home we diverted to collect it. The weather was horrendousm the roads in nd out of the town were rammed with major road works on the way to the where we were collecting it. Weaather got worse and worse and we hit Manchester for the rush-hour....abosolutly jammed with traffic......
Yesterday we were collecting a foster dog from Bristol, went down via Hereford - awesomly empty roads and a spectacular Severn Crossing....collected the dog and returned via M5, M6, M56. What a trip ! Perfect weather and the quietest M5/M6 I've ever seen. A trip that was flagged as 3.29 hrs was undertaken at a constant 75mph (other than other limits) in 3 hours - what difference a few days made.
Dog is a 7 month old Cocker. Very bright - slept all the way home and 8 hours overnight. He's out in the garden as I type on. long lead being trained by Mrs RP. He could be a "keeper" he's lovely.
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Weren’t you talking about working cockers many years ago? I had a few working cockers, must be some 15 years ago.
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Not a dog person but my son's Cocker/Sprocker is the loveliest pooch ever.
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>>awesomly empty roads
If I ever had to travel over a bank holiday, I always reckoned the best time was the Saturday afternoon. Although I inevitably seemed to get tangled up with the Milk Race around Whitsun.
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...I came back to the UK through the tunnel yesterday. On the train without touching the sides. about 25 minutes from arriving to departing on the train. Absolutely no queues, and bumped up 1 hour on departure (2 minutes for the call when I checked through). As it happened, the train I departed on was half an hour earlier even than that.
Coming the other way at Folkestone, however, was horrific. 6 miles and building of multiple lanes of stationary lorries queued (Brock) on the M20, and passenger traffic with long queues at tunnel check-in.
All went well until the Dartford Crossing, with long delays, and an accident on the M11/M25 junction capped it off.
Even then, 9:30 from the French interior to 16:30 home wasn't too bad.
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Was paying for the crossing ok? Couple of weeks back my crossing wasn't shown on the app or the website, so I couldn't pay. Rang them and by lucky fluke they'd credited me with a payment from months ago that had also never shown, so they'd used that. No idea what you're supposed to do when nothing shows.
I don't know how they could see my crossing but I couldn't.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 27 May 24 at 08:44
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>> Was paying for the crossing ok?
I assume this is about Dartford and not the Chunnel.
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>> Was paying for the crossing ok?
I've got a Paygo account. Email confirming payment received early the following day.
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>> I've got a Paygo account. Email confirming payment received early the following day.
We have something similar. Also, if the Dartford Tunnel looks bad M26/M25/M40/A43 is an option with very little difference in journey time.
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...though the M26 was flagged as having 40 minute delays on Saturday...
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>> I've got a Paygo account. Email confirming payment received early the following day.
Soiunds ideal, but I can't for the life of me see how you set one up. I have an account already, so sign in. I get the option to change my name etc, or to add a different payment card, but nothing about opening a pay as you go type account. Whilst there a moment ago, it still says I've made no payments or any crossings in the last three months, though my last was about a month ago.
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Yes, my much loved Working Cocker died at 14 in 2020. He was an awesome dog, the epitome of a "one man dog" very intellegent - he left a massive dog shaped hole in my life. This pup is a show Spaniel but there's no doubting his intelligence - I reckon he'd be a good working dog for the Police....we're in our 4 week "fostering" period. Not quite as subtle at waking me up in the morning as the recently deceased Springer who woke my up with a lick on the arm. This one is more full on jumping on me !
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"I reckon he'd be a good working dog for the Police.."
Has he found you're stash? :))
Is it an organisation you're fostering for RP?
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Hahahahaha ! Yes, Spaniel Aid. They seem very well run and supportive. He's off to see the in-laws this morning and breathe.....
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>> Not quite as subtle at waking me up in
>> the morning as the recently deceased Springer who woke my up with a lick on
>> the arm. This one is more full on jumping on me !
Son's dog does that.
She loves being under the covers after she's licked you to death.
When you say a 'show Spaniel' do you mean he's a Show Cocker?
Daughter had one but it turned defensive of its space and ended up with a one way trip to the vet after going for a neighbour. Clearly no compatible with a child on the cusp of toddling.
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I had working cockers for 40 years, and the last one put to sleep a couple of years ago. Had a rest, then got a working lab bitch last year. Too old to run about training spaniels, so got a pensioners dog. Lovely little thing, about 18kg, and does everything at half the spaniel speed, as well as sleeping 80% of the time.
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>>
>> >>
>> >> I've got a Paygo account. Email confirming payment received early the following day.
>>
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>> Soiunds ideal, but I can't for the life of me see how you set one
>> up. I have an account already, so sign in. I get the option to change
>> my name etc, or to add a different payment card, but nothing about opening a
>> pay as you go type account. Whilst there a moment ago, it still says I've
>> made no payments or any crossings in the last three months, though my last was
>> about a month ago.
>>
I used to have a standard account until they wanted to close it due to non-use during Covid. I could have "appealed" that, but frankly the discount for that type either disappeared or became negligible, so I let them close it and refund my balance.
I then, on next requirement, set up a Paygo account. (No discount, but no need to keep the account in credit).
I can't see how to do it either, but I suspect you nominate the type when creating the account.
So, you might need to close the existing account and then recreate, or use another userid to create a paygo account. Can't guarantee that, but it looks like the login process to both account types is the same, but it takes the type from creation time.
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He's been with us a while now, he was a little rough around the edges when we forst had him, but thanks to Mrs RP some of the rough edges have been smoothed. He's still very much a pup ! We decided not to adopt him and he is up for adoption, his prospective new owners are coming to see him tomorrow. He'll be a fab dog for someone.
spanielaid.co.uk/spaniel/toby-sa4221/
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Wow, just wow.
Son is coming down tonight and we're looking after his Spaniel Olive tomorrow while he and his girl go to a matinee in London.
Happy to be grandpaw to a Spaniel but they or pretty much any other dog is way too much work for us; neither of us are dog people in terms of upbringing etc. and we like our holidays.
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Took her out for a walk earlier. It's Sywell Airshow this weekend and I can see the display albeit at some distance so timed the walk for the Oil Spill Response Boeing 727 being shown.
How do you stop a dog from pulling like a train? My arm feels as though somebody has tried to pull it out of its socket.
I can't let her off the lead as her recall isn't that good plus she's a covid pup and was never socailised with other dogs and can be aggressive to them.
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With a lot of training, Its strangely self rewarding for a dog to pull on the lead. (specially gun dogs), So much so that you can subvert it and use it to your advantage.
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>>How do you stop a dog from pulling like a train?
I take my 9 year-old English Pointer out over Bodmin Moor every day.
Coming back up hill I attach his extending lead to my belt and he pulls the old Dog along.
:o}
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>>How do you stop a dog from pulling like a train?
Mine, with a choke chain, but you need to be trained on how to use one properly and never let a dog pull against it.
To train them to stay, sit, heel and return when called, I used cat biscuits and reward them with one when they did as instructed. They soon learned. A box would last forever.
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>..I used cat biscuits and reward them with one when they did as instructed. They soon learned.
Probably because they were sick of cat biscuits.
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His new adopted owners came for a viewing today. They are smitten
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Well what a difference a month makes. Our old foster dog's new adoptive owners are making slow progress with our old fostered Cocker. We'd resolved not to get another until after a holiday next month (UK based dog friendly holiday home). Maybe wife's cousin has bred 6 cockerpoos and there are two remaing. We visited the pups last Wednesday and they weren't really what I wanted although lovely little things, with a lovely mother. As we drove home we witnessed a chap playing with his Springer in a lay-by.....I sort of knew then that another Spaniel was on the list.
Checked out our chosen charity and found a lovely honey 2 year old Working Cocker looking to be fostered. Collected him on Friday and brought him home. Apart from pinching shoes and socks, no issues. Sleeps in his crate and retreats there in the daytime for the occasional rest. Saturday was a little stressy for him but settled really quickly, Sunday was a very difficult day due to an accident at home involving Mrs RP (currently in hospital). Today was a very calm day for him and he's blossomed. Never had such a loving dog, no issues in the home, on walks or in the car. Already trust his recall enough to let hm off lead in the garden for toileting etc. My wife describes him as a cuddle monster. Saw his pedigree paperwork today and has a load of Field Track Champions in his family tree. Super intelligent and a very, very quick learner. Day four tomorrow and a vet's visit to have him checked over. He's started barking at (the many) visitors over the last 48 hours including paramedics yesterday morning. In my opinion always a sign of settlement. He is a real delight to be around and zoomie moments after a walk are real Cocker classics but none destructive. He's been a real rock and left him home alone whilst I did some essential stuff, no separation anxiety, just sat inside the front door waiting for me. Tonight just before bed-time walk he cuddled his 20kg mass on my lap and fell asleep....he's a really lovely dog with huge potential. Sadly afraid of traffic and no fear of water. He's a keeper... Our holiday may not happen now due to Mrs RP's injury but I'd be more than happy to take him if it comes off.
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Congrats with new floof and hope your wife's injuries are not to serious and she recovers quickly.
Sounds very much like my son's Spaniel except for the recall!! She's an absolute cuddle monster and won't leave you alone. She was a rescue and, we think, a covid pup so who knows what issues she had before son/fiancee had her.
Her issue though is other dogs. We think that the covid isolations meant she was never socialised as a pup and she can react very aggressively to other dogs just wanting to play or sniff her bum (as they do). They've worked on it but progress is slow; she's particularly bad with flat faced breeds and there are a couple of those in fiancee's family.
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www.facebook.com/reel/1030831278607024
There is a 9 month spaniel/goldie cross (an accident, quite a funny tale) I know that is absolutely stunning. It is a dog to die for, think goldie with slightly shorter legs and spaniel ears. With the right training and handling it could excel at any chosen sport, but of course has gone to a woefully useless owner/handler/trainer, and I wish I had been in the loop a little earlier to hijack the deal.
Bitter? I is.
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Nice one RP and best wishes to Mrs RP for a speedy recovery!
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I forgot to pay the Dartford charge for one crossing in May. When the letter arrived, the penalty for a first offence was... £2.50!
I won't forget again.
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Day 4 was OK. Took him to a local vet as we're contracted to do. A little overweight at 16kg, the food that cam with him is for a working dog, so that will change to something lighter. The vet fancies him !
He's played "hide the ball" with me for 30 minutes tonight, happy to hand the ball over to go again once he "found" it. I'd been to te hospital earlier and according to my friend, who is staying with us he showed no anxiety and lay waiting for me by the front door.
Mrs RP took him out 7.00am on Sunday and slid on dew damp grass, snapped her Tib and Fib at the ankle joint, resulting in a complex break. Not hearing her calls for help as I was fast asleep she dragged herself to the house and only when the dog let off a massive howl did I realise something was very wrong. Called 999 and started planning to transport her to the nearby hospital by car in view of crap ambulance response times. We were warned not to immobilise the foot. I secured her in a safe position. ETA of ambulance was 90 minutes, they turned up after three hours. We received sound advice by an ambulance clinician in the interim. Paramedics were superb, she was quickly admitted and well treated. Lots of damage to her foot. She was remarkably brave under very difficut situations. I was an useless mess after she left but had to shop for and break the news to my in-laws. She's used to emergency situations but maybe not when she's at the centre of it. I've been in the position of having ot break the worst news to my previous MiL. Going trough it a second time was awful to be honest. Dog was a good reason to keep calm and carry on. Anyway I get to drive the 128ti for a few weeks.
My friend is an advanced first aider as diving instructor, but lcking even basic gear makes it difficult
Last edited by: R.P. on Tue 13 Aug 24 at 22:39
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Dog has settled in well, he's a great lad. Hs had a couple of lengthy walks and has taken to the sea. Great company - still has a couple of issues regarding SA - refuses to get in the car when leaving home, but fine from other spots. He's at my feet now as I indulge in a late breakfast. We struck lucky.
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Missed the thread regarding Mrs RP. Please send her my best wishes.
The number of people I know who have sustained ankle breaks is phenomenal. It just seems so easy. Trying to not take unnecessary risks in that department but it seems so easy to sustain that particular injury.
That will mean that you are on full time dog walking duties then?
Pleased to hear the dog has really settled in.
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And 30 min after writing the above a friend checks in from somewhere in Wales having broken her heel bone. 3 months healing time.
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Road trips ! - Dave
