Another day, another walk

We had a short walk this morning - Xena was suddenly startled by a very large Rhodesian Ridgeback who shot out of the undergrowth after a squirrel and then raced away in the opposite direction - I never saw any person with it so I hope it was not lost. Xena too has started noticing squirrels this week, I dread the day she catches one....

We then went to training - she was better this week, and she seems to have 'got' the commands stay and wait - although of course getting them does not mean she will always listen to them, it requires constant reinforcement. We sat next to the sweetest little Boxer puppy who suddenly was not so sweet when she became very aggressive with Xena, snarling viciously and growling - all because Xena had chosen the Boxer's favourite toy out of the puppy toy box! I would be worried if my puppy was so aggressively possessive. Unfortunately for us next week is the last puppy class and we will miss it as we will be away in Switzerland. The next series of classes only start in January so we will have to use the trainer's notes and just keep practising the commands we have been taught.

It was the end of an era today when Thomas' car got sold. I say Thomas' car but it was actually bought for Luke 6 years ago (and it was not new then). Gavin made a joke saying 'For sale, driven by one little old lady, no damage and a full service record'. As if.... it was driven by three learner drivers, last summer it hit a fox at 70 mph on the motorway and ended up having to have the entire engine replaced and extensive body work repaired, it suffered an identity crisis and was driven in numerous bus lanes in Cambridge (the fines kept coming in the post), it was driven to Paris for a weekend, driven to the island of Ireland, driven so close to the barrier on the M25 that the mirror and wheel arch were accidentally redesigned, and finally, it also set fire to a field with one hungover occupant asleep inside after a party when he turned on the heating and left the engine running. That's boys for you! One car that all three of our boys used and abused over the years but a perfect first car for all of them. And yes, it was sold at full disclosure of all of this and yes we sold it for little above scrap value! But a bargain for the buyer having a brand new engine. (His car was sold as no cars are allowed at Cambridge University and he gets to take over Luke's car during the holidays now that Luke is living in London and has no use for a car there)